"Yes, Professor." Vivi nodded with a smile and said, "But it was indeed they who provoked first, believing that my closeness with 'Mudbloods' was a disgrace to Slytherin."
"Expel her!" Phineas howled from the portrait, but when Vivi looked at him, he quickly said, "I mean expel those Slytherin students! My goodness, they are really tarnishing my beloved Slytherin College!"
"Such thoughts are indeed inappropriate. Perhaps you are doing the right thing, Senior Grindelwald." Dumbledore took out a jar of Zizi Honey Candy, "Would you like some candy?"
"No, Professor," Vivi sighed softly, "I've heard that those who cannot taste the sweetness of life are the ones who pursue sweetness in taste..."
Dumbledore no longer felt like smiling.
But he still smiled and said, "That's why we must be more positive and optimistic, right?"
"Yes," Vivi said softly, glancing at Snape and changing the subject, "like a witch I once knew... or rather, my student, Lily Evans..."
Originally, Professor Snape was about to leave in frustration, but upon hearing this name, his face twitched, and he decided not to go.
"You knew her?" Dumbledore asked, feigning ignorance.
Though he didn't know what the senior meant, going along with her wouldn't be a problem.
"Of course, I knew her, back when I was still a portrait," Vivi said sadly, "I still remember her. When she was fifteen, she came to the Map Secret Room and met me... She confided in me about many things, including a male classmate named Severus."
Snape stared at Vivi expressionlessly, though his hand was clenched into a fist so tightly that the knuckles turned white from the pressure.
"Oh?"
Dumbledore's mischievous streak came out as well, as long as the drama wasn't about him, he was happy to join the senior in a good play.
He glanced playfully at Snape, who was all ears, and then back at Vivi, "Why don't you tell me their story? Ah... you should know, Lily was also one of my favorite students. She truly was a great girl."
"Yes." Vivi sighed, "I still remember when she first met me, she smiled as if bathed in sunshine... I remember at that time, the person she talked about the most was that Severus."
"Really? Such a thing?" Dumbledore hugged the jar of candy, peeled one, and tossed it into his mouth.
His eyes, however, were fixed on Vivi, afraid of missing any details.
"Yes, you could tell Lily cherished the friendship they had at that time," Vivi said softly, "sadly... that boy was like Slytherin now, focused only on so-called 'pure blood,' even rejecting her, calling her a 'stinking Mudblood.'"
"This was the direct reason for their friendship's end. I remember that day, Lily cried for a long time in the Map Secret Room. Three professors and I tried to cheer her up, but to no avail."
Vivi glanced subtly at Snape as she spoke.
Snape still wore the look of someone owed tens of thousands of Golden Galleons, staring expressionlessly ahead.
She continued, "I remember she kept asking me why it was this way. They had been friends since childhood, yet just because of the so-called ideology of pure blood, he treated her like that. She was really hurt and truly couldn't understand..."
"But she couldn't say a word of this to anyone—everyone was waiting to see her make a fool of herself, watching her disregard house divisions and befriend a Slytherin boy, just waiting for her to falter." Vivi spoke softly, "You know, Professor, that Severus invented many evil curses. His classmates even used those curses on Lily's friends, Mary Macmillan—right? That's the name—and on Marlin McKinnon... I remember those names."
"That Severus never knew how much pressure Lily bore to maintain their friendship. Everyone questioned her, everyone doubted why she befriended that Slytherin Severus, but she remained undeterred—until her friend mercilessly hurt her, and stabbed her sincere heart several times—"
"Enough!" Snape suddenly growled quietly.
"Hmm?" Vivi deliberately turned her head and asked, "What's wrong, Professor Snape? Do you happen to know that scumbag named Severus? My goodness—if you know him, please pass a message from me and Lily—we've long wanted to give him a good kick on his fat face."
"You may not know, Senior Grindelwald," Dumbledore suddenly said from behind, "This Professor Snape before you is the Severus from the story, Severus Snape, Lily Evans' good friend."
"I see..." Vivi feigned a look of realization, taking a few steps aside and shaking her head, "It seems you haven't changed after all these years, just as Lily described."
"In what way?" Dumbledore winked playfully.
"Doesn't wash his hair." Vivi responded succinctly, "But Lily wasn't a superficial woman. Have you ever seen her distance herself from you because of poor personal grooming? Didn't she always treat you as her best friend? And what about you, Professor? How did you repay her? By calling her a Mudblood?"