Vid certainly knew the important significance of "telephones." But he thought—since the Muggle World already had mobile phones and the internet, it wasn't too surprising for the Wizarding World to have an instant communication device.
Besides, wizards already had the Two-Sided Mirror, a tool for "video calls," and the advantage of parchment was merely being cheaper, with the spells being simpler and easier to understand. In fact, everything needed for its creation had been available to wizards for hundreds of years; it was just that no one had thought in this direction.
Vid maintained a smile, hoping Professor Morry would understand his point—if you want to discuss the research results, we can do that; the glory can be shared among everyone, but for heaven's sake, don't turn hostile on impulse, and definitely don't resort to violence.
Otherwise, he would have no choice but to fight back.
Vid didn't truly believe that with Dumbledore at Hogwarts, things would be absolutely safe; "Obliviate" and "Imperio" weren't difficult spells.
But Professor Morry seemed not to have understood, retorting without hesitation: "How could it not count? The American continent existed thousands of years ago, but Columbus, who discovered it, was still called a hero! Dumbledore discovered twelve uses for dragon blood; does that mean people hadn't studied dragon blood before? Certainly not! Child, there's nothing shameful about standing on the shoulders of giants—the key is you're the first person to invent it! Wait a moment, I need to write two letters!"
Vid's wildly beating heart began to calm down.
He suddenly realized that Professor Morry had no intention of monopolizing his alchemical achievements, and was purely happy for him.
It's just that Professor Morry's expression was exceedingly exuberant, his eyes overly excited, which made Vid feel threatened.
He slowly adjusted his breathing and heartbeat, realizing that his current mindset was a bit problematic.
—Due to Quirrell and... Dumbledore, his trust in the professors at school was at its lowest, instinctively imagining them with the worst scenarios.
But in reality, Professor Flitwick was gentle and enthusiastic, and Professor Morry had been helping and guiding him since their acquaintance. To doubt them like this was truly unjustified.
Professor Morry was entirely unaware of Vid's turmoil. He wrote a few lines, then suddenly asked: "Oh, Vid, what's the name of your work—it should have a name, right?"
Vid tried to speak calmly: "Yes, I call it—'Friendship Book.'"
He wrote "Book of Friends" on the paper, feeling it lacked charm, then wrote "友人帐" in characters.
"What is this?" Professor Morry curiously tapped on the elegantly drawn three characters.
"The Chinese characters for 'Friendship Book.'" Vid explained and pronounced them again in Chinese.
Professor Morry clumsily imitated, pondered for a moment, and smiled: "Not bad. This could become your unique mark."
He buried himself in writing letters: "Vid, did you apply to stay at school during the holidays?"
"No." Vid sat beside, "My parents have been eagerly waiting for me to return home."
"On the third day after Christmas, I'll be hosting a small party at home. Make sure to spare some time on that day." Said Professor Morry, "I can introduce you to some… hmm… friends who could be very helpful to you."
"Absolutely, it'd be my honor, professor."
Out of guilt, Vid was exceptionally agreeable now.
"Also, keep your 'Friendship Book' confidential for now, don't make it public." Professor Morry winked and smiled: "During the holidays, I have a surprise for you."
The remnants of suspicion simmered within, causing Vid to instinctively be on alert. Hesitantly, he said: "Uh... Actually, I was planning to give it as a Christmas gift to my friends—and if it's well-received, perhaps sell it in a small circle among classmates for some pocket money—"
"Oh—Vid—Vid—"
Professor Morry raised his eyes to look at him, gazing as if at a young child, and laughed lightly: "My child, you're still young, so you don't understand, there are two kinds of alchemists in the world—one learns a bit of alchemy and works for the Ministry of Magic or various companies. They are called alchemists, but in reality, are merely labor under capitalism; another kind of alchemist is me—"
He tapped his chest and then pointed at Vid.
"—and you."
Vid's eyes widened slightly.
"Surprised? Feel it's too early for such a statement about you?" Professor Morry seemed to read minds and asked.
Vid nodded: "I thought… it's just a simple little thing… I'm just beginning in alchemy."
Professor Morry laughed and shook his head: "The person who invented the quill must have thought it was just a simple little object, yet we've been using it for over a thousand years."
He finished the letters, placed his seal on them, let the owl deliver them, and finally advised Vid: "It's fine to exchange small gifts among friends, but selling them yourself is not a good idea—your time should be spent on more productive things, not as a vendor or craftsman."
...
In the evening, Vid finished creating all the Friendship Books he planned to send out during the holidays and returned to his dormitory. Exhausted, he lay on his bed, thinking about everyone he knew here.
Quirrell and Voldemort wandering all over the castle.
Coldly placing the lives of all faculty and students on a chessboard, while also being the school's protector—Dumbledore.
"Don't you feel wronged?" Michael asked him.
Leian said: "I thought these things were supposed to be far from us."
Fred said: "Dumbledore indeed knows everything."
Hermione said: "Dumbledore is right… the harsh realities and hatred will weigh him down heavily."
And Harry Potter... the Boy Who Lived...
Vid covered his eyes with his hand, seemingly asleep.
Suddenly, there was a gentle "pop" in the room, like a bubble bursting.
Vid immediately opened his eyes, turning to see Zoe, the house-elf, standing in the middle of the dormitory.
"You're here, Zoe." Vid smiled: "Thank you for agreeing to my request before."
Zoe softly said: "Vid Gray needs help, so of course, Zoe is willing to help him. But Zoe never received a signal, so came to check on him."
"Because I wasn't in danger today, Professor Morry was better than I thought."
Vid took out a green "fava bean" from his pocket and showed it to Zoe.
This was their communicator, and Zoe held one as well.
After completing the Friendship Book, Vid also made this small magic bean, using the Connecting Spell and Transformation Spell. As long as he squeezed his bean forcefully, Zoe's bean would get warm.
Since his "encounter" with Quirrell, Vid had been pondering how to ensure his survival. Dumbledore had his plans, and the school professors wouldn't abandon Dumbledore's instructions to guard him. The only ones he could rely on and who were willing to help unconditionally were the school's house-elves.
Fortunately, he had a good relationship with these elves responsible for the Ravenclaw Tower.
This peculiar creature could Apparate to any corner of Hogwarts, even possessing magic power greater than some adult wizards. Though they couldn't disobey the professors, helping a student escape danger didn't violate their duties.
So Vid and Zoe made an agreement—as long as the magic bean in his hand warmed up, Zoe would immediately appear beside him and swiftly move him to a safe place.
Today before going to see Professor Morry, Vid carried the magic bean, prepared for the worst, thankfully it wasn't needed.