บท 161: Chapter 161: A Sunset Photo and the Forgotten Basilisk
Dumbledore's sudden appearance caught both Ino and Newt off guard.
Quickly recovering, Ino was the first to greet him, "Good afternoon, Professor! The Care of Magical Creatures course was already a planned elective for me. As for Hagrid, though we aren't familiar with each other, I'm sure we'll get along well."
On the other side, despite his white hair and beard, Newt's expression still held the respect and enthusiasm of a student towards his professor. He spread his arms and walked towards Dumbledore.
"You haven't visited me here in ages! Today, Ino and I might have caused some trouble!"
While speaking, Newt turned and gave Ino an apologetic look.
Ino, however, raised his head to the sky in exasperation. He now thought of Newt as quite naive, but also a bit untrustworthy. It felt like two kids had broken a window with a slingshot, and the moment a parent arrived, one of them immediately told on the other.
Their exchange of glances didn't escape Dumbledore's notice, and for a moment, he felt a pang of envy. Since becoming the headmaster of Hogwarts, nearly half a century had passed without any student interacting with him on equal and playful terms.
Reputation was both an honor and a shackle.
At school, he even tried to act quirky, like a mad old man, hoping to be approachable. Unfortunately, even then, students still maintained a respectful distance.
With a sigh, Newt had already reached him, and Dumbledore also opened his arms to embrace his former student.
"Newt, you haven't caused any trouble, and this doesn't count as trouble, trust me!"
Dumbledore's voice was gentle, and his tone was casual, like discussing the weather, which put Newt at ease.
"Thank goodness! I thought we'd caused a problem! And that one over there, he was about to run off just now, don't think I didn't notice!"
Newt deliberately raised his voice, as if afraid someone wouldn't hear.
Hearing that he'd been ratted out again, Ino stopped pretending to stargaze in broad daylight and turned to counter indignantly:
"I wasn't running away! That was a strategic relocation! Besides, you were the one who encouraged me to burn it, the sword was mine, the fire was mine, and now you want to send the result behind some veil..."
"You just said you weren't planning to run? Your eyes betrayed you." Newt retorted with a smile.
"I had a reason for wanting to run, some old guy wants to steal my stuff..."
"You..."
Sometimes, things are quite remarkable. With Dumbledore acting as a lubricant, this banter suddenly made Newt and Ino relax, shedding the previous formal and distant etiquette.
Dumbledore watched with a smile, observing their interaction.
...
Unnoticed, the sun gradually set.
Time slipped away like fine sand, coloring the world with a gradient.
The evening breeze in Massachusetts brought a slight chill. It gently brushed over the lawn in the courtyard, and the lush grass swayed with the wind.
The fresh green blades of grass shimmered in the soft light of dusk, as if dusted with a thin layer of gold.
A tranquil midsummer night.
On the lawn, a sturdy round wooden table was set with three exquisite dinners.
Ino leaned back in his wicker chair, utterly relaxed, while across from him, two elderly men, with a combined age of over two centuries, chatted quietly.
With these two present, it seemed that no one in the magical world would dare to cause trouble.
Another thing that relaxed him was the flame stored in the sanctuary.
Whether out of trust or some other reason, he had proposed to handle the flame privately, and Dumbledore had agreed without hesitation.
Some things, some people, seemingly cannot be expressed in words.
Dumbledore's actions made Ino feel strongly trusted and respected. Perhaps everyone was growing, changing their ways of handling things with time, regardless of age.
Ino sat in his wicker chair, quietly watching the two main characters of the story opposite him, the protagonists of the previous and the one before that, creating a rare picture.
"Ahem... I'm sorry to interrupt, gentlemen! With such a beautiful sunset, why don't we take a photo to commemorate it?"
"A photo?" Dumbledore looked up, noticing that today's twilight clouds were indeed beautiful, with hues of orange, pink, and violet blending together.
"I agree! Let's take a photo!" Newt stood up, looking pleased. Today, he not only reunited with his long-absent professor but also confirmed his theory about the phoenix.
Seeing no objections from the two, Ino decisively took out a large box camera from his suitcase.
However.
"Merlin! A Sanderson camera from the late 19th century! It's older than I am, probably as old as Dumbledore."
Newt exclaimed at the sight of the antique camera, a model he was all too familiar with from his childhood.
Well, now it was Ino's turn to feel awkward, but as a bard, he was never afraid of awkwardness, so he responded with a confident smile:
"You don't understand, this is a vintage sentiment, taking photos should have a sense of ceremony!"
"Enough with the sentiment! Wait here a moment." Newt saw through the lie immediately and headed back inside.
With just the two of them left on the lawn, a flash of red appeared again, and Fawkes delivered a letter to Dumbledore.
After a moment.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the phoenix, Ino seemed to remember something and sat up slowly: "Professor! Do you know there's a basilisk hidden in the castle? Left by Salazar Slytherin."
Dumbledore gently took off his half-moon glasses, his tone somewhat enigmatic: "I know! But I don't know where it's hidden. I've been looking for it."
No doubt, no questions, nor any curiosity about how Ino knew this information.
Dumbledore's answer was as plain as soda water, revealing no joy or sorrow.
"If I said I know where it's hidden, what would you do?"
As he spoke, Newt quietly returned, and Ino stopped the conversation. Some things could be discussed later.
...
In the evening courtyard.
Newt was adjusting a new camera, the latest Polaroid instant camera popular in America.
Watching Newt's deliberate show, Ino discreetly felt his pocket. He still had plenty of gold coins from selling cat demon claws in Arad.
"An alchemically modified camera is indeed a bit of a hassle! It not only instantly takes photos but also automatically adds developing solution!"
Newt loudly explained while walking slowly towards the lawn's edge. When he stopped, a camera stand suddenly appeared on the ground.
After adjusting the angle, Newt quickly returned and stood to Ino's right.
In the sunset, Ino stood with Fawkes in the middle, flanked by Dumbledore and Newt.
"Click!"
The Polaroid camera emitted a crisp sound, then printed three photos with developing solution added.
In the photos, the three of them were all smiling brightly, especially Dumbledore, who always struck some playful poses.
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