Over the next two weeks, Hermione's mood visibly lifted, and she seemed to be in high spirits all day long. Harry noticed more than once that she would suddenly use her wand as a conductor's baton, pretending to conduct an orchestra while studying.

"Hermione's gone mad, our exams are doomed this year," Ron whispered to Harry.

"Maybe it's some sort of magical power-boosting technique?" Harry guessed, as he spoke, a string of ancient runes intertwined like colorful musical notes, circling Hermione, continually chasing the soft white light emanating from the tip of her wand.

As Hermione continued to add new notes to her Herbology textbook, *The Complete Guide to Flesh-Eating Trees*, Ron curiously asked her, "You seem so happy, is there something good happening? Like—uh, winning the Annual Prophet Award?"

"Oh, that won't be announced until July!" Hermione said cheerfully.

"Or maybe you've topped the quiz in *Witch Weekly*," Ron asserted.

"I am actually looking forward to this year's 'Most Charming Smile Award,'" Hermione said. "Rita Skeeter seems to be busy with something else, she's reduced her contributions to other magazines, making some of them more enjoyable."

Harry knew *Witch Weekly* was a magazine popular among witches, and the library had some back issues which he would sometimes flip through. However, he wasn't particularly interested in its contents, mostly consisting of celebrity news, fashion trends, quizzes, advice columns, quick divinations, recipes, and the like. Ron's mother was one of its readers.

It's worth mentioning that this magazine awards the 'Most Charming Smile Award' annually, and Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in his second year, was once the darling of the magazine, winning this honor for five consecutive years.

When Lockhart's reputation was shattered and he was sentenced to prison, Ron once declared, "At least half of Britain's witches shed tears on the spot, and the sales of this witch magazine plummeted."

But Harry wasn't worried. In his opinion, whether it was Professor Snape, or the experiences of Dumbledore and Grindelwald in their youth, or the many outstanding wizards he had seen in the Pensieve, any one of them alone was more interesting and worthy of discussion than a mere thief who could only boast and steal memories.

Dumbledore's classes brought about the greatest change in Harry, as they helped him to understand deeply the entire structure of the magical world, especially in Britain. Sometimes, Harry would close his eyes and realize vividly that he was connected to hundreds and thousands of wizards; he understood them, their pasts, and presents. These wizards were like a vast, luminous web spread across the land, allowing Harry to know his place even in the darkness.

This feeling was becoming stronger as his memories approached the present time.

Two Saturdays ago, in the Headmaster's office, Harry finally gathered the courage to confirm Professor Bathsheda's identity.

That evening, he and Dumbledore kept shuttling through memories, spanning twenty years. Harry not only saw the full picture of Grindelwald's speech in the underground theater of the Raczidian Cemetery (this memory belonged to someone else), but also saw another member of the Dumbledore family.

"Claedens. Grindelwald seduced him and named him Aurelius Dumbledore."

Harry was surprised.

"The name is somewhat similar to Ariana—"

"Isn't it?" Dumbledore asked softly, and Harry nodded, especially the first two syllables. "But he's my nephew. He's Aberforth's child, with a fate as unfortunate as my sister's." He explained to Harry, "The child's mother was a Muggle, they were once in love, but later separated. At that time, neither Aberforth nor I knew about the child."

"Later, he was adopted by a Muggle institution that abhorred magic, and had to suppress his own magic. In the end, like Ariana, he became an Obscurial."

Harry fell silent. He didn't know what mood Dumbledore had when he calmly spoke about all this; he felt very heavy-hearted himself, and he also associated it with another matter.

It was the day they saw Aberforth at the school gate.

According to the results of his private discussions with Ron and Hermione, Aberforth compromised because of his sister and chose to surrender his memories. But now he wasn't sure if he had misheard; perhaps, besides Ariana, another person with a similar name also carried considerable weight.

...

Another weekend day, after finishing his ablutions, Felix returned to his office and saw Fawkes and Valen the Niffler sharing a tin of fresh fish by the small table near the sofa. Fawkes's sharp beak poked a hole in the tin can.

Valen, who was about to help, drew back his hand in fright and patted his chest with lingering fear. Fawkes looked at him somewhat innocently, tilting his head.

The May mornings were still a bit chilly. As Felix put on a coat, he pondered how to persuade Fawkes to come out for a walk with the Sorting Hat next time; it must be quite lonely for him, having no friends. Perhaps a well-intentioned Confundus Charm could remind him of the pleasant times he once had.

Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. The days when the four founders of the school got along well theoretically constituted the happy childhood of the Sorting Hat as well.

At this moment, Fawkes, who had been opening the tin can lid while watching Valen, suddenly made a clattering sound with his beak, indicating Felix to come over. Felix walked over, sat on the sofa, and met the gaze of the fiery red bird, whose tightly clasped claw loosened.

A black Resurrection Stone ring fell onto the table, making a clinking sound, with a small rolled-up piece of paper tucked into the ring's loop.

A graceful crane-like leg lightly swept over, tossing the ring to Felix's hand, and Fawkes gave him a low call.

"Oh, so it's because of this." Felix realized, "Sent by Headmaster Dumbledore?" He picked up the ring, took off the paper, and unfolded it. Written on it was a short line of small text, 'As we agreed before.'

So, Dumbledore temporarily doesn't need the Resurrection Stone? Felix wondered.

The outline of the silver Patronus guardian emerged from the air—"You know who to find, right? Luna Lovegood, and, remember to remind her to bring the letter." The little head of the Patronus nodded, then spread its wings and flew skillfully out of the window.

Felix shifted his attention back to Fawkes, who was now eating fresh fish. "Tell Dumbledore for me, I'll return it to him immediately after Miss Lovegood is done using the Resurrection Stone." He said the business part and then asked with some curiosity, "Fawkes, how old are you?"

Fawkes tilted his head, looking at him, blinked in confusion.

"Don't remember? Is it because you've lived too long or are affected by the cycle of rebirth?" Felix murmured to himself.

The room fell silent. After finishing the tin of fish, Fawkes shook

hands with Valen with one claw and spread his large wings, ready to leave. Felix quickly asked the question on his mind, "You should know Grindelwald, right? During the war?"

Fawkes's beautiful eyes flickered, looking accusingly at Felix, and then he raised his head and let out a low cry before his body turned into flames and disappeared. Sparks of fire scattered down.

Felix ground the sparks into ashes and marveled inwardly. He actually saw another person's shadow from Fawkes's eyes, a young wizard with black hair.

So Fawkes didn't follow Dumbledore from the beginning. Felix recalled an unconfirmed rumor he had read in a book about ancient wizarding families; it was said that members of the Dumbledore family would be answered by Fawkes in times of urgent need.

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