Fudge angrily pushed open the door to the Headmaster’s Office, with a subservient expression on her face.

Vid had some admiration for this woman; even after being loathed and rejected by her direct superior, she managed to climb back up and seemed to regain Fudge’s favor.

They did not notice Vid standing by the door. Only after their figures descended with the rotating staircase did Vid lift the Disillusionment Charm and step out from the air.

The door to the Headmaster’s Office was still open, so Vid politely knocked on the door before walking in.

Dumbledore was standing beside the Pensieve, his eyes glimmering with thoughtful light.

"Professor," Vid softly spoke, "something strange happened in the Forbidden Forest."

Dumbledore turned, gazing at the toad in the birdcage with a slight pause, then looked at Vid and asked, "What happened?"

Vid casually placed the birdcage on the table, skipping over the dreams he had had, and simply recounted the people and events he encountered today—

Lucas the werewolf’s restlessness, Ms. Grey’s warning, and the ancient lily-of-the-valley reviving in the forest.

Dumbledore said nothing during the recounting, just listened quietly.

In the end, Vid pointed at the toad and said, "This is the ’uninvited guest,’ who seems unable to undo his Transfiguration..."

Vid paused, then added, "But I don’t know whose Animagus this form might be, nor his purpose in infiltrating the school, so I brought it to you for a look."

The toad in the cage exhaled discreetly, relieved that its identity had not been uncovered.

On his way he witnessed Draco being troubled by Crabbe and other students; after Lucius got angry, it felt like this wasn’t a coincidence, and he had been uneasy, finally feeling a bit relieved now.

Though his identity would likely be revealed by Dumbledore eventually, the old headmaster, feared even by the Dark Lord, was once Lucius’s headmaster and teacher. Embarrassment in front of him was not too consequential.

Leaving Malfoy Manor, venturing all the way to Hogwarts, Lucius was certainly not here to ask his son for help.

He knew Draco’s detest for toads was no less than his wife’s, Narcissa.

He wagered that Dumbledore would not deliberately humiliate, nor leave a cursed wizard to perish.

As for what to do after lifting the Transfiguration Magic...

Lucius was still a Governor of Hogwarts! Would he just be killed off in school without cause?

Knowing Dumbledore’s character, he wouldn’t gossip around, spreading Lucius Malfoy’s embarrassing predicament today.

The trust in the old headmaster’s integrity was, in fact, greater for Lucius Malfoy the Death Eater than for ordinary people.

But the toad pretending in the cage missed Dumbledore’s brief smile flashing in his eyes.

Having spent so much time together and observing Vid for so long, though Dumbledore did not fully understand Vid’s special abilities, he could see Vid was lying at the moment.

So Dumbledore drew his magic wand, blinking his eyes, deliberately said, "Let’s lift the magic on him, and see what this is all about."

The toad immediately tensed up again.

Yet Vid stood up, smiling, "Professor, with you handling this matter, I think I can safely return to my studies."

"Not curious who he is?" Dumbledore asked again.

Vid bowed slightly, "Witnessing someone else’s predicament is hardly interesting. Whoever he is, I hope next time I see him I won’t remember the image of a toad at this moment."

He turned to leave, and casually closed the door to the Headmaster’s Office behind him, soon followed by the sound of the rotating staircase descending outside.

The toad raised its head, watching the headmaster’s white beard flutter in front of the cage, couldn’t help but let out a feeble croak.

"Ribbit—"

Enough of this, could you please lift the magic?

This toad wouldn’t want to spend another second being a toad!

"Oh, indeed."

Dumbledore shifted his gaze, whispering, "I believe you have much you wish to tell me, unfortunate sir. This level of Transfiguration Spell, I haven’t seen in many years."

He tapped the birdcage with his magic wand, and the intricate cage immediately reverted, transforming into a forked tree branch.

With another tap of the magic wand, a golden ring, smeared with dirt, fell from the toad, landing with a "clang" on the table.

Then, with a flash of golden light, the toad inside the cage began to swell and transform—

Its limbs, like inflating balloons, bulged here and there.

Tiny claws first transformed into feet and hands, presenting a bizarre contortion, then its head rapidly expanded, with pale golden hair cascading like a waterfall.

Dumbledore’s eyes finally showed surprise, as he at last recognized the true identity of this unfortunate wizard.

Fortunately, the wizard’s transformation was very brief, Lucius’s absurd appearance rapidly altered, replaced by a tall, gaunt man.

The man found it difficult to adjust to his restored form, his hands only just managing to support himself on the table, preventing him from falling over, while his expensive silk robe crumpled against his body, trembling all over.

Though Dumbledore inwardly held great disdain for men like Lucius Malfoy, at this moment he couldn’t help but show a hint of sympathy.

He silently gestured, and a high-backed stool "whooshed" over to Lucius’s rear, allowing him to sit stably.

Dumbledore tapped the table again, and a teapot poured a cup of hot chocolate for Lucius, then four or five plates emerged, piled with the dinner the kitchen prepared for the students today:

Perfectly roasted steak, appetizing mashed potatoes, freshly baked cream bread, and hot pie.

Lucius’s fingers tightened and loosened; he intended to maintain the Malfoy family’s haughty demeanor in refusal, but before he could speak, his stomach instead let out a roar of "gurgle-gurgle."

During his time as a toad, he forced himself to eat to survive, but he couldn’t possibly joyfully feed to fullness, merely preventing starvation.

Moreover, he’d just undergone a lengthy hibernation, Lucius even failed to comprehend why he could still live after months without eating.

His pride quickly shattered by intense hunger, his motion of picking up the fork was barely retaining the elegance of his ancient family, yet when he swallowed the steak it seemed he might chew on the fork too.

Dumbledore patiently waited until he’d finished his last bite of mashed potatoes before slowly speaking, "I think we can talk now, Lucius. You must have a lot you wish to say about your recent experiences?"