Ron didn't know what to say to Ivan, who could move him…
Harry was equally tempted to comment on how touching this was, but seeing Ivan's sincere expression, he swallowed his words.
At this moment, an old and calm voice suddenly sounded in everyone's ears.
"There's no shame in looking pain in the face… Hals…"
It was Dumbledore's voice, and Ivan recognised it immediately. The next moment, Occlumency was at full power, and 100 GPA had been used to activate the Academic Genius Experience Card.
Dumbledore, with his long white hair and beard, was standing quietly at the door to the Headmaster's office.
"Professor…" said Harry in surprise, and then with some trepidation, as they had used the mirror without permission.
Dumbledore was not looking at them, but at the Mirror of Eris, and Ivan could not see any clue in Dumbledore's eyes, except that he had been looking at it for a while.
Dumbledore stepped forward and placed his hand on Harry's head, then looked at Ivan.
"Hales was right. This is the Mirror of Eris, which allows us to see our deepest and most urgent desires. In the past, many people have been lost in these false visions, wasting their time and even becoming obsessed with them, because they do not know if they are real and if they are possible…"
"I would not want you to be like them," Dumbledore added.
"Hales, would you mind telling me what you saw in the mirror?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.
Ivan hesitated for a moment, trying to think of an excuse to get away with it, but in the end, he decided to tell the truth.
"Family."
"Yes, I should have known…" Dumbledore murmured, seeming moved.
"What did you see in the Mirror of Eris, Professor?" Yvonne asked, not wanting to keep Dumbledore thinking.
"I saw myself holding a pair of thick woollen socks," said Dumbledore.
"There are never enough socks…" Dumbledore went on. "I expected to receive a few pairs for Christmas, but they insisted on sending me books."
Ivan pursed his lips. He understood that Dumbledore was using wool socks as a metaphor for family, but he couldn't help but complain in his heart.
Who was the one who said to face the pain?
Professor, where is your integrity?
Having been delayed for a while, Harry was able to shake off his excitement and reluctance to see his parents in the mirror and remember what he had come to do.
"Professor, we're here to report that a mysterious man in a black robe obtained information from Hagrid about how to get past Fluffy. It's highly likely that he was trying to sneak through the trapdoor to steal the Philosopher's Stone you left down there…"
Harry blurted it out, then decided it wasn't enough to convince them, and told them about his broom being controlled during a Quidditch match and Snape's calf injury after Hallowe'en.
Ron and Hermione were also there to fill in the details… although in the heat of the moment, it was hard not to get confused.
"Don't worry, you can sit down and talk," Dumbledore said, as if he already knew and wasn't the least bit surprised. He waved his wand and four chairs materialized, which he gestured for them to sit down.
Harry and the others nodded, and Dumbledore waited until they were seated before speaking.
"Can you first tell me where you learned about the Philosopher's Stone?"
Aren't you the one who left the clues? Ivan thought to himself, but in case Harry and the others said something they shouldn't have, he spoke before they could.
"We learned from Hagrid that there was a connection between what was hidden under the trapdoor and a man named Nicolas Flamel.
"Who do you think would do such a thing?" Dumbledore asked, nodding in agreement with Ivan's explanation.
"We suspect it's Snape! Or maybe Professor Chino…" Harry said quickly.
Dumbledore did not reply this time, remaining lost in thought for a long time.
"Don't you trust us, Professor?" Ron asked anxiously.
"No, of course I trust you," said Dumbledore, stroking Ron and the others. "But I also trust the professors at the school. They would never do such a thing."
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Dumbledore waved him off.
"Norway wasn't the only one using the stone. Every professor placed a protective measure under it, including Snape and Chino…"
"So the stone is safe down there," Dumbledore added.
"Then, if there were no enemies, why did you bring the stone to the school and set up so much protection there?" Ivan asked, easily finding a loophole in Dumbledore's story.
Having found an opportunity to report Chino, Ivan, of course, was frantic in hinting that Dumbledore should get rid of this potential threat.
Wouldn't it hurt your conscience to hand over a professor-level enemy who was still connected to the Dark Lord to a young wizard like him?
Ivan grumbled to himself, but did not forget to run Occlumency at full speed to create plausible false memories.
This is because during the previous Quiz and Quiz, Ivan was keenly aware of Dumbledore's three attempts at Dementor, which involved Harry telling stories about the Philosopher's Stone and asking who they suspected.
Of course, none of the three probing memories lasted very long, presumably just to check if they were lying or hiding something.
It was thanks to the experience card mode, the extraordinary bonus to Occlumency, and Dumbledore's lack of effort that Ivan was able to hide his true feelings.
"That's because I happened upon the news that a very dangerous man was trying to get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, but it wasn't Snape, or Chino, as you call him." Dumbledore gave Ivan an appreciative look, but did not explain further, instead getting up and looking into the Mirror of Eris.
"Anyway, thank you for your warning. I'll get the other professors to pay more attention. You guys go back first… I'm going to put this mirror somewhere else. If you find anything else wrong, you're welcome to tell me."
"Very well, Professor, we'll be on our way…" After confirming that Dumbledore had no intention of disposing of Chino, Ivan wanted to be on his way. He did not want to be in Dumbledore's presence for even a second longer.
Harry opened his mouth to say more, but decided against it and left the office with the others.
After the four of them left the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore stood in front of the mirror for a long time, lost in thought.
"Severus … what do you think?"