He was too optimistic.
Lupin slowly sat down, not daring to touch the girl who seemed as fragile as porcelain, his cold fingers trembling slightly.
Vid watched this scene and gently touched the stone necklace in his pocket, suddenly feeling a sensation known as "fate."
"Vid, it's time to use the Gold Powder," Dumbledore said. "Temporarily halt Mabel's time, stabilize her condition, and then we'll try other methods."
"I have the Gold Powder right here."
Vid took out a Crystal Bottle and placed it on the table. The gold powder inside looked very similar to the contents of the Time Turner Hourglass, dazzling even in the dim light.
"Additionally, Professor, I want to try convincing Mabel to let go of the Obscurus."
"How will you convince her?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "As you can see, she is currently unconscious, and no matter what you say, she won't hear it."
"I know, I mean... to have a talk in her Spiritual World."
Vid took out the stone necklace again and quickly explained its function, then said, "Actually, having Hayley do it might be the most effective, but she's an ordinary person, and I'm worried she won't be able to withstand the effects of this magic."
"There's no need to worry about that, whether Muggle or Wizard, the soul is equally resilient. Besides, Mabel's condition is deteriorating rapidly, and she can't afford repeated attempts."
Dumbledore took the necklace, looked at it, then opened the Crystal Bottle's stopper, his slender fingers gently waved, spreading the Gold Powder evenly over Mabel's skin.
Almost instantly, the keen-eared Werewolf noticed that the girl's breathing and heartbeat slowed to the point of almost disappearing.
"This way, we can buy more time," Dumbledore looked at Vid and Lupin and said, "Remus, Vid, go find Hayley, explain the situation to her, and try to persuade her to help."
"Understood." They immediately set off.
"Uh..." Steven stood in the doorway, awkwardly saying, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Of course there is." Dumbledore, holding the stone necklace, looked into Steven's innocent eyes and asked, "Steven, can I take a look at your Spiritual World?"
"Huh?" Steven was puzzled.
"I want to test the effect of this necklace first," Dumbledore explained. "I haven't seen any traces of Dark Magic on it, but to verify its safety, only by personally entering the so-called Spiritual World can we truly determine that."
To enter Mabel's Spiritual World to persuade her to let go of the Obscurus she clings to, it must be someone she deeply trusts.
Hayley is just a young girl; no one feels comfortable letting her bear such a burden. If she gets lost in Mabel's Spiritual World, it would not be a rescue but a disaster.
Someone must accompany her.
Although Lupin has spent more time with Mabel, Dumbledore believes Vid is more persuasive in this matter.
For Mabel, Lupin is a "guardian," a "trustworthy elder," but Vid is a "friend through life and death." He has saved Mabel, and Mabel has also strived to save him. The weight of this bond is different.
Vid can enter his own Spiritual World and safely leave, but if he and Hayley enter Mabel's Spiritual World, can they also leave unharmed?
Will the Obscurus in Mabel's Spiritual World attack them?
If they are attacked in that world, can they be pulled out in time?
These need to be confirmed through experimentation.
Among those present, only Steven's experiences were the simplest. If the presence in his Spiritual World attacks outsiders, it would be the easiest to escape from.
Steven hadn't thought that far. He just remembered some of his own embarrassing past, feeling a bit embarrassed.
But thinking it was to save someone, Steven hesitated for a moment and then agreed, asking, "What should I do?"
"Sit down, give me your hand," Dumbledore instructed.
He wrapped the necklace around their wrists like handcuffs, then looked at Scamander and said, "Keep an eye on us, and if anything goes wrong, wake us immediately."
Scamander nodded seriously.
Dumbledore recited the Spell that Vid had just taught them, and Steven, who had been curiously observing the symbols on the stone, immediately tilted his head to the side, falling asleep.
Beside him, Dumbledore also lowered his head, breathing evenly.
Scamander watched for a while, then set up various Defensive Spells around the room, before sitting quietly across from the two, watching them.
Madam Pomfrey stayed by Mabel's side, occasionally administering a Magic Potion to her, then glancing over at the two who were asleep, worry creasing her brows.
...
Dumbledore stood on a stone path, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he looked at the suddenly transformed scenery around him.
Next to him, Steven was also curiously looking around, exclaiming, "Is this my Spiritual World?"
Unlike the endless corridors Vid had described, Steven's Spiritual World turned out to be a garden, and upon closer inspection, it even resembled the garden in Morry Manor a bit.
The difference was that here, the trees were adorned with fist-sized crystals, and among the flowers were crystal balls of varying sizes like fruit, looking dazzling, yet serene.
The two walked through the garden for a while, discovering that the Crystal Balls contained fragments of Steven's memories from childhood to adulthood, and there was no particular order.