Chapter 1229: Eliminating Fear (2)

Chapter 1229 -45: Eliminating Fear (2)

“Then… what should I do? Will he find me again? Is the hospital still safe?”

Slughorn nervously scanned the door, windows, and even the wardrobe, then looked at Vid with a childlike reliance in his eyes.

“As far as I know… he has his grand plans, and shouldn’t be able to find you for now.”

Vid slowly said:

“Firstly, you need to know that, the current Voldemort…”

“No.” Slughorn shuddered, saying fearfully, “Child, don’t say that name!”

“Alright, the Mysterious Man…”

Vid corrected himself: “He’s in bad shape right now, with very few followers left, so he’s more cautious than before.”

“He’s hiding deeply and acting secretly. Since the last final confrontation, he hasn’t appeared for a long time.”

“But Professor Dumbledore has never given up, always trying to track the Mysterious Man and keep tabs on his movements.”

“Mr. Slughorn, you’re not fighting this shadow alone.”

“Yes, yes, Dumbledore!” Slughorn nodded eagerly, as if grasping every lifeline: “I should’ve thought of him earlier; he surely wouldn’t be deceived!”

“Secondly—”

Vid continued, looking straight at him, “I know you’re scared, Mr. Slughorn. But fear itself isn’t the most frightening thing; the most frightening is being ignorant in your fear.”

“Think about it, your current situation is like walking on the edge of a cliff, constantly worrying you’ll fall, causing you fear, making you afraid to keep going.”

“But compared to those who walk blindfolded, at least your eyes are open, right?”

“You know where you stand and can see where the danger is; this is your advantage—awareness in fear helps you think, preventing you from blindly falling.”

These words gave Slughorn’s chaotic thoughts a sense of direction, and his eyes lost some of their bewilderment.

“Ah, right…”

He murmured, “I know he’s still alive, I can think of ways to avoid him… rather than… rather than having him find me, foolishly thinking I should entertain a guest.”

Recalling the scene when he was caught last time, Slughorn regretted deeply.

That time, Dumbledore had specifically told him that Voldemort showed signs of resurrection, asking if he had revealed knowledge about Soul Artifacts when teaching him.

That was supposed to be his chance to confess everything.

However, that memory had become a stain in Slughorn’s heart he couldn’t face; he deeply regretted his reckless divulgence of such fatal knowledge, overwhelmed by guilt.

To avoid facing the condemnation and judgment from Dumbledore and the entire Magic World, he meticulously crafted a false memory to bluff through.

After Dumbledore left, Slughorn immediately cut off all contact with this old friend, disappearing without a trace.

He successfully hid for one or two weeks, gradually forgetting what Dumbledore had told him—that Voldemort might resurrect—believing wholeheartedly he was avoiding Dumbledore’s investigation, hiding even more earnestly.

But he lacked the necessary vigilance towards anyone other than Dumbledore.

So when the dark-robed man came holding a bundle, Slughorn thought it was someone from his old connections visiting, and opened the door without any defense.

Thinking about his subsequent experiences, Slughorn shuddered and immediately stopped reminiscing.

“Lastly—”

Vid looked at his appearance, his voice calm:

“Don’t let fear keep holding you.”

“Hiding in this hospital room might be safe temporarily. Like I told you before—the Mysterious Man currently can’t bother you.”

“But if you keep hiding, you turn yourself into a piece of meat ready to be devoured by a wolf any time he wants.”

Slughorn’s face grew pale, yet Vid continued as if he didn’t see:

“Or… you could do something to truly live.”

“Wha… what can I do?” Slughorn asked urgently, then shrank back: “Don’t… don’t expect me to be like Dumbledore… or Lily… I don’t dare…”

Admitting cowardice in front of a child was humiliating, but Slughorn feared being pushed to the battlefield more.

Now just thinking about Voldemort made him shiver, not to mention raising a magic wand against him.

Vid leaned slightly, saying: “I shouldn’t be the one to tell you what to do—Mr. Slughorn.”

He paused, looked straight at the other, and said:

“You are older than me, more experienced, and know that person better.”

“So, perhaps you need to think carefully—”

“Not how to hide deeper, but why the Mysterious Man fears Professor Dumbledore?”

“Besides power, what else can pose a threat to that person?”

Outside, some laughter celebrating Christmas wafted through the window, while inside the hospital room, Slughorn gazed at Vid—the boy probably just a fraction of his age.

Vid slowed his words, each one clear and powerful:

“You must understand, unless the Mysterious Man disappears completely from this world, you will never truly be safe, nor will others.”

“So anything that can weaken him, destroy him—no matter how big or small, regardless of form—are what we should actively pursue.”

“Destroy… destroy him…”

Slughorn murmured in repetition, a strange tremor enveloping his body, causing tingling from his scalp to fingertips.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, his chaotic gaze gradually settling into a sort of timid resoluteness.

“Yes… unless he… he is defeated again and disappears… I won’t have my own life…”

He looked up at Vid, slowly nodding hard, his chubby cheeks trembling.

“I… I understand.”

He said hoarsely: “You’re right… keeping your eyes open… better than blindfolded… I know what to do… I know what I can do…”

…

When Healer Elliot entered with a soothing potion, she could hardly believe her eyes.

The Horace Slughorn who had been curled up in bed all day, eyes filled with panic, was gone.

The old man now sitting by the bed, although his eyes are red, tired and weak, his spine is a bit straighter, and his eyes no longer empty with fear but rather filled with complex, clear light.

He was even tidying his sparse hair, trying to look a bit more neat.

The Cheetah Poppet quietly squatted by his feet, the tip of its tail gently swaying, appearing very peaceful.

The Crystal Bubble she had brought earlier, its color finally stably a clear blue.

“Mr. Slughorn?”

Elliot approached in surprise, “You… how do you feel?”

—The children’s visit was actually so effective?

Slughorn lifted his head to the healer, slowly and clearly answering: “Ms. Elliot… I think I’m already well.”

His voice no longer trembled, lacking the previous nervous sharpness.

The old man looked out the window at the gloomy sky, then turned back, inside was a kind of determination Elliot had never seen.

“I have many things to do. Please… I wish to be discharged soon.”

At that moment, in Slughorn’s mind, flashed the image of Vid leaving.

When the boy said goodbye, Slughorn couldn’t help but ask: “Mr. Gray… no… could I call you Vid, child?”

“Of course you can, Mr. Slughorn.” Vid replied, turning back.

“Aren’t you afraid of confronting that person at all?” Slughorn said with tremor: “That’s… that’s the Mysterious Man!”

Vid thought for a moment, “You just saw Harry; he knows the truth as well, and he’s the real target Voldemort is hunting.”

“Have you seen any fear in him?”