Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 381, page 379: Ghost Friend

The borderlands, the world behind the veil, the land Merlin once trod...

Regardless of its name, it conveys the mystery of this place and the powerful magic it must contain.

At this moment, a black cat is walking here, around the dilapidated Victorian building.

The area was originally empty and white, but now there is a street that has been extended a little.

The black cat walked across the street, gazing curiously at the puddle that had appeared.

The transparent puddles vividly reflected a world shrouded in mist.

The black cat raised its head, its whiskers trembled, and transparent mist surged behind it. Part of the "ball of yarn" came to the black cat's eyes as if it had been pulled.

It could see that these balls of thread were of different sizes, emitting rings of mist, and in the very center of the rippling mist, the black cat could see the wizard's dream.

In the three largest balls of yarn, Professor McGonagall sat on a chair bathed in sunlight beside a rice paddy. A gentle breeze blew by, and a serene smile graced her lips as she watched the black cat leaping about, trying to catch a butterfly.

Professor Snape's tangled thread was almost invisible; his dream was very deep, and the black cat could only occasionally see cats and deer running by.
Justin's dream was more direct; he saw himself waving his wand and stopping Voldemort from wreaking havoc.

The black cat walked past these balls of yarn one by one, and then came to the edge of several larger balls of yarn.

It could recognize Hermione, Neville, Harry, Ron, and the professor, among others. Sheehan even saw Headmaster Dumbledore—his dream was also very blurry, as if he were alone.

As Sheehan gazed at the headmaster, Dumbledore suddenly turned around, looking at the black cat with amusement:
"Mr. Green, won't you invite me in for a cup of tea?"

Startled, the black cat's fur stood on end. It paused for a second and pulled out the intrigued old wizard.

"I'm so glad to see you in my dream. Lately, the children in the castle haven't mentioned any dreams. I thought you were just tired of playing."

The old wizard, dressed in a long purple robe, walked in naturally and sat down on the newly appeared street bench.

“I don’t recall there being any chairs here… Good progress, Mr. Green.”

The black cat nodded, as if it had thought of something. Then, a small ball of its tail emerged, which churned in the deep mist and quickly transformed into a cup of heavily sweetened black tea.

"Looks like you haven't forgotten my tastes. Didn't I tell you how thoughtful you are?"

The old wizard took the steaming black cat-shaped teacup, an irrepressible smile playing on his lips.

"Headmaster Dumbledore."

The black cat then greeted them.

Headmaster Dumbledore's words reminded it that this was its boundary, and also its dream.

If that's the case, then transforming it into a cup of black tea shouldn't be difficult.

Then it looked at its own tail, seemingly out of curiosity:

What else can it transform into? And why does the mist clump separate from its tail?

"Just call me Albus here, Sheen."

Headmaster Dumbledore took a sip of black tea, and the sweet taste made it feel like he wasn't dreaming.

He seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became serious:

"Of course, indulging in illusory dreams and forgetting about real life is of no benefit..."

The black cat keenly sensed something; it knew that Headmaster Dumbledore had been to the Borderlands.

The headmaster reminded himself that he could create dreams, so has Headmaster Dumbledore already used this ability?
This stopped the black cat from thinking any further. It knew clearly how deep the scars a false and fleeting happiness would leave on those who struggled to make a living in shameful times.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, it takes me two seven-hour periods before dawn approaches. Is there any way to shorten this process?"

The black cat stood on a cloud of mist and asked.

"No way,"

Dumbledore smiled, watching the black cat's ears droop before continuing.
"unless……"

"What?" the black cat asked quickly.

"You have a friend who has just arrived at the border. If he loves you, perhaps you can find a way to him."

You know, the souls gather..."

Dumbledore blinked.

His proposed solution was merely an interesting conjecture.

The adventures after death were more exciting than they imagined, and the boundaries between them were more boundless than they had imagined.

Souls that have just arrived at the border disappear in no time, let alone the souls that the seekers might find nearby.

"Would a ghost work?"

The black cat asked a question unexpectedly.

"ghost?"

Dumbledore chuckled, perhaps because he was in the border region, and he was more "honest" than he was at Hogwarts.

"The ghost lady who just arrived at the border."

The black cat said seriously.

"Alright, ghost. And Mr. Black Cat, the master of good fortune, look at the mist around you..."

Dumbledore's smile froze slightly.

The black cat was taken aback, and its tail twitched irritably after hearing Dumbledore's teasing.

“Ms. Aesop Sell—she said she had a family waiting for her.”

After a few seconds, it started rummaging through its own balls while talking, and finally found a small ball of thread in the corner, but with very thick lines of mist.

It didn't notice that the old wizard's expression kept changing.

"Hurry up, Sheen."

Dumbledore looked at the rising mist around him and seemed a little flustered.

"found it--"

The black cat had just looked up when it saw Dumbledore sigh helplessly:

“Alright, Sheen, I’ve waited for decades, I don’t mind waiting a little longer.”

What matters is hope; it's more precious than any treasure.

Dumbledore glanced back one last time before disappearing into the mist.

This time, the black cat saw his dream clearly.

Dumbledore was in a small hut where an elderly wizard was directing hammers to repair the house. A kind woman watched him, holding a pretty witch in her arms. Beside her, an impatient wizard was handing over his Christmas present, and Dumbledore slowly took the wool socks.

The scene flashed by, bursting like a soap bubble at the slightest touch.

The black cat turned its head, its tail drooping slightly.

It gave a low growl and continued its journey towards the vast, white borderland.

A ball of yarn floated beside him, following his movements and guiding his path.

After an unknown amount of time, the black cat nimbly passed through countless dangerous clouds of fog, and then he could no longer see the dilapidated Victorian buildings.

It was at this moment that he sensed that Ms. Aesop Sel was not far away.

(End of this chapter)