Chapter 381: Ghost Friend

The borderlands, the world beyond the Veil, the lands once trodden by Merlin…

Whatever the name, all terms convey the mystery of this place and the potent magic surely hidden within.

At this moment, a black cat walked here, pacing around the dilapidated Victorian buildings.

This area had once been empty and blindingly white, but now a short stretch of street had appeared.

The black cat walked down the street, gazing curiously at the puddles that had formed here.

The transparent puddles sharply reflected a world wrapped in mist.

The black cat lifted its head, its whiskers trembling; behind it, the transparent mist churned, and some “clumps” seemed pulled forward toward the cat.

It could see these clumps varied in size, emitting rings of mist; at the center of the rippling mist, the cat saw the wizards’ dreams.

In the three largest clumps, Professor McGonagall sat on a chair beside sun-dappled fields, a breeze brushing her face as she smiled quietly, her gaze fixed calmly on the black cat leaping and trying to catch butterflies;

Professor Snape’s clump showed almost nothing—his dream was deeply veiled; the cat could only occasionally glimpse cats and deer running through it;

Jia Jia Siting’s dream was more direct—he saw himself waving his wand, blocking Voldemort from going on a killing spree.

The black cat walked past these clumps and came to several larger ones.

It recognized these as Hermione, Neville, Harry, Ron, and the professors; Wizard Sean even saw Headmaster Dumbledore—his dream was also hazy, seemingly containing only himself.

As Wizard Sean gazed at the headmaster, Dumbledore suddenly turned, smiling with delight at the black cat:

“Mr. Green, won’t you invite me for tea?”

Startled, the black cat’s fur bristled; it paused for a second, then pulled the curious old wizard forward.

“I’m delighted to see you in a dream. The children in the castle haven’t been spreading rumors about dreams lately—I thought you’d grown tired.”

The old wizard in purple robes stepped in naturally and sat on the newly appeared chair along the street,

“I remember there were no chairs here… Good progress, Mr. Green.”

The black cat nodded, as if remembering something, then detached a small ball from its tail; the ball churned in the deep mist and quickly reshaped into a cup of heavily sugared black tea.

“It seems you haven’t forgotten my taste. Have I never told you how thoughtful you are?”

The old wizard took the steaming cup shaped like a black cat, his lips unable to suppress a smile.

“Headmaster Dumbledore.”

The black cat finally greeted him.

Dumbledore’s words reminded it: this was its borderland, its own dream.

If so, then shaping a cup of tea shouldn’t be difficult.

It turned its gaze to its tail, curious:

What else could it shape? And why did the mist-clumps separate from its tail?

“Call me Albus here, Wizard Sean.”

Headmaster Dumbledore sipped the tea; its sweetness felt as real as if he weren’t dreaming.

He seemed to recall something, his expression turning grave:

“Of course, indulging in illusions while forgetting real life is of no benefit…”

The black cat sensed something sharp; it knew Headmaster Dumbledore had visited the borderland before.

The headmaster had reminded it that dreams could be shaped—had Dumbledore himself already used this ability?

This made the black cat stop thinking further; it knew clearly how deeply false, fleeting happiness could scar those who lived through shameful days.

“Headmaster Dumbledore, I must endure two seven-hour periods before dawn arrives—is there any way to shorten this process?”

The black cat asked, standing atop a mist-clump.

“There is no way,”

Dumbledore smiled, watching the cat’s ears droop before continuing,

“Unless…”

“What?”

The black cat asked quickly.

“You have a friend who just arrived in the borderland. If it loves you, perhaps you can find a path to it.

You know, souls gather together…”

Dumbledore blinked.

His suggestion was merely an interesting guess.

The adventures after death are far more thrilling than they imagine, and the borderland far vaster.

Souls newly arrived in the borderland vanish quickly—let alone the ones they might be near, the ones the seeker longs to see.

“What about ghosts?”

The black cat asked unexpectedly.

“Ghosts?”

Dumbledore chuckled; perhaps because he was in the borderland, he was more “honest” than he had been at Hogwarts.

“The ghost lady who just arrived in the borderland.”

The black cat said seriously.

“Very well, ghosts. Then, Mr. Black Cat, master of fortune, look at the mist around you…”

Dumbledore’s smile slightly froze.

The black cat froze; after hearing Dumbledore’s teasing, its tail twitched irritably.

“Ms. Iso Ser—she says she has family wandering, waiting for her.”

After a few seconds, it spoke while rummaging through its clumps, finally spotting a small one with exceptionally thick mist threads.

It didn’t notice the old wizard’s expression shifting repeatedly.

“Hurry, Wizard Sean.”

Dumbledore watched the mist rising around them, showing a hint of unease.

“Found it—”

The black cat had just lifted its head when it saw Dumbledore sigh helplessly:

“Alright, Wizard Sean, I’ve waited decades—I suppose waiting a little longer won’t hurt.

What matters is hope. It’s more precious than any treasure.”

Dumbledore glanced back once more, then vanished into the mist.

This time, the black cat saw his dream clearly.

Dumbledore stood in a modest little house, where an elderly wizard directed a hammer to repair the walls, while a kind woman watched him, cradling a delicate young witch; beside her, a grumpy wizard handed out his Christmas gift, and Dumbledore slowly took the wool socks.

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

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

It let out a low rumble and moved forward again into the endless white expanse of the borderland.

One clump floated beside it, following its movements and guiding its path.

After an unknown length of time, the black cat leapt nimbly through countless dangerous mist-clumps, and the dilapidated Victorian buildings vanished from sight.

At that moment, it sensed that Ms. Iso Ser was nearby.