For a moment, Amelia found herself genuinely wondering whether her father and mother had perhaps suffered some kind of severe psychological shock or traumatic episode that had turned them mentally unstable.
However, when she intentionally shifted her gaze to meet her parents' eyes directly, searching their faces for signs of confusion or disorientation, she was able to determine with considerable relief that there was indeed clear, unmistakable rationality shining within their depths.
This was both reassuring and deeply puzzling—if they weren't suffering from some kind of mental distress, then what could possibly explain their unusual reaction?
She frowned deeply with thought and concern as she observed their faces.
"All right—" Amelia finally said with obvious reluctance, her voice carrying a tone of resignation mixed with obedient compliance.
She was temporarily suppressing the swirling confusion and bewilderment that roiled restlessly within her heart, pushing aside her own questions and concerns in favor of addressing her parents' distress and urgent need for information.
"But I must warn you that everything I know about Bryan Watson comes from published sources like the Daily Prophet, Wizard Weekly, various magical journals, and numerous reports that have appeared in the wizarding press over the years.
As I'm sure you can understand, wizard media outlets report things in much the same manner as Muggle media organizations—they focus on sensationalism, speculation, and whatever will sell copies rather than necessarily presenting the complete truth. So please keep in mind that not everything I tell you should be taken as absolutely factual or completely reliable."
"That's perfectly all right, dear," Mrs. Depp responded with careful words, making a tremendous effort not to display any of the unusual emotions. She managed to smile at Amelia with the same loving expression as always.
"All right—" Amelia muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible as she settled herself more comfortably and began to organize her thoughts during a moment of thoughtful silence.
"Well, Bryan Watson—he has accumulated many remarkable and prestigious titles:
He currently serves as Vice President of the International Confederation of Wizards, which is one of the most powerful and influential positions in global magical governance. He also holds the position of Honorary Vice President of the Anti-Dark Arts League, an organization dedicated to combating the spread of dangerous magical practices and protecting innocent people from those who would abuse their magical abilities for harmful purposes.
Additionally, he serves as a Senior Advisor to the British Ministry of Magic, providing counsel and expertise on matters of national magical security and policy. He's a sitting member of the Wizengamot, which is essentially the supreme court and legislative body of magical Britain.
Beyond these formal governmental roles, he also holds honorary memberships in several other prestigious magical organizations and academic institutions throughout Europe and elsewhere.
However, despite all these impressive international appointments and responsibilities, his primary day-to-day occupation is serving as the Director of the Student Safety Office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Now, this might sound like a relatively ordinary position compared to his other titles, but in reality, this role makes him practically equivalent to the Deputy Headmaster of that school. He is basically one of the key administrative figures at what is widely considered to be the finest magical educational institution in the world."
She paused for a moment, her expression growing slightly pensive as she reflected on her own experience.
"Hogwarts, you see, is a school that teaches magic in much the same way that Ilvermorny where I studied teaches young American witches and wizards. However, Hogwarts has a much more ancient history, having been founded over a thousand years ago by four of the most powerful and influential wizards and witches of their era.
If you and Mom hadn't made the decision to leave London all those years ago, I probably would have attended Hogwarts too."
Though she said these words, Amelia felt absolutely no regret about the education path she had taken. In her personal opinion, Ilvermorny was the finest magical school in the world.
As Amelia continued speaking, her tone gradually became more relaxed and casual.
"Many people throughout the Wizarding world believe that Bryan Watson is the most powerful wizard in the modern era. However, this is not universally accepted, and there are others who hold different opinions on the matter.
They think that Albus Dumbledore, despite his old age, is still the greatest wizard of our time. Professor Dumbledore is the current Headmaster of Hogwarts and a legendary figure who has accomplished many remarkable and historically significant feats throughout his life.
However, even among those who don't believe that Mr. Watson has surpassed Dumbledore as the most powerful wizard alive, there exists a nearly universal consensus that aside from Dumbledore himself, no other witch or wizard currently living could defeat Bryan Watson."
Amelia's eyes began to sparkle with admiration and something approaching hero worship as she continued her explanation.
"What makes all of this even more remarkable, truly extraordinary, in fact—is the consideration of his age. As you heard him mention earlier, he's only twenty-five years old, which means he has achieved this incredible level of magical power and influence while still being younger than most wizards who are just beginning to establish their careers.
To have accumulated such impressive abilities and accomplishments at such a relatively young age is nearly unprecedented in the recorded history of magic.
But perhaps most importantly of all is the fact that he doesn't come from any of those ancient magical families that have traditionally dominated positions of power and influence in the wizarding world. As everyone in the magical community knows, Bryan Watson is what we call Muggle-born which means that both of his parents are Muggles."
"Both of his parents are Muggles?" Mrs. Depp interrupted with sudden intensity, her voice tight with emotion as she gripped her daughter's hand with strength.
Simultaneously, Mr. Depp leaned forward in his chair with obvious eagerness and concern.
Amelia was somewhat confused and perplexed by this reaction, since she was certain she had explained the word and social dynamics of the magical world to her parents numerous times over the years since she started studying in Ilvermony.
"Yes, that's correct—they're what we call ordinary people who don't possess any magical abilities," She explained patiently.
"Wizards use different terms depending on their geographic location and cultural background—here in America, we typically call non-magical people 'No-Maj,' which is short for 'No-Magic,' while in Britain and much of Europe, the preferred term is 'Muggle.' The specific word varies, but the meaning is basically the same, people who live their entire lives without any direct contact with or knowledge of magical society.
You know, in the wizarding world, unfortunately, there still exist some deeply unfair and prejudiced opinions about magical heritage and bloodlines. Some people hold the belief that wizards who come from magical ancestry are somehow inherently superior to those whose magical abilities emerged from non-magical families.
Even someone as universally respected as Albus Dumbledore comes from what is considered a distinguished magical surname with a long history of magical practice and achievement. But Bryan Watson's existence serves as a powerful refutation of all these prejudiced beliefs."
Amelia's eyes sparkled with deep admiration.
The truth was that during her final two years at Ilvermorny, when the coursework had become significantly more advanced and challenging than anything she had previously encountered, she had sometimes found herself struggling with self-doubt and insecurity.
During particularly difficult study sessions or after receiving disappointing grades on complex magical theory examinations, she couldn't help but wonder whether her difficulties stemmed from some inadequacy in her magical heritage.
But Bryan Watson's remarkable story had served as a powerful source of inspiration and motivation during those challenging times. His achievements provided concrete, undeniable proof that Muggle-born wizards could indeed reach the absolute pinnacle of magical society.
One by one, piece by piece, Amelia told her parents everything she knew about Bryan's renowned achievements over the past few years.
With each anecdote and achievement, she said, the image of Bryan Watson in the minds of this elderly couple gradually became completer and more three-dimensional.
It was indeed incredible to consider that the young man they had met possessed such extraordinary abilities and had accomplished so much at such a young age.
But despite all this impressive information, deeper currents of emotion continued to flow beneath the surface of their attention.
Having spoken for such span about complex magical politics and historical achievements, Amelia's mouth had become quite dry from the long monologue. She paused to drink plenty of water.
When her mother automatically moved to assist her as she prepared to visit the washroom, Amelia gently refused the offered help.
She walked steadily and independently to the private washroom facilities, her movement showing no signs of lingering weakness or disorientation from her encounter with the Nundu's toxic breath.
The moment their daughter disappeared behind the washroom door, leaving them alone for the first time since Bryan and Remus had left to shop for ingredients, the elderly couple beside the hospital bed immediately turned to look at each other with expressions of deep emotional intensity.
Both of their eyes had taken on a distinctly reddened appearance, whether from unshed tears, emotional strain, or the effort of maintaining their composure in front of their daughter.
"Perhaps it's nothing more than a pure coincidence—" Mr. Depp said in a voice that had become terribly hoarse with suppressed emotion. He tried to smile in a self-deprecating manner, but the expression was wan and unconvincing.
"I honestly don't think that my bloodline would be capable of producing anything that excellent or remarkable. Such a young, extraordinarily gifted wizard who has achieved the position of Vice President of the International Confederation of Wizards...."
Mrs. Depp naturally knew that her husband's true thoughts weren't what he was saying—he was simply afraid to face the truth.
"Even if we could somehow dismiss the name and age as mere coincidences," she said softly, her voice trembling with emotion,
"that child's appearance... We've carried hatred and resentment toward that man for so many years, haven't we? But Bryan... oh, dear God, if this is actually true, then that child has your name. Bryan... yes, that's right. Melina must have given him that name... She perhaps, perhaps—"
Mrs. Depp suddenly broke down emotionally. She covered her face with her open palms, her shoulders continuously shaking with the force of her suppressed sobs, but despite her desperate efforts to muffle the sound, tears still seeped through her fingers.
"Amelia doesn't know any of this—you'll let her notice something!"
Mr. Depp spoke in a stern tone, but his voice was also hoarse with emotion.
If all of this were true... if Melina had used his own name for her son... Mr. Depp's upright back hunched over as he felt his old heart trembling with pain.
His heart was filled with endless bitterness and regret... Bryan Depp and his wife Jennifer had resented that man for many years, but they knew very clearly that the man was also a victim, his fault was truly no greater than their own.
Since Melina had been turned away from their door, in the blink of an eye, many years had passed.
All the anger and disappointment had dissipated like smoke, and family affection had slowly regained the upper hand. Ever since Amelia had been accepted by the magical world, over these years, they hadn't failed to secretly return to London to search, but they were without any leads or reliable information. The official police report simply said she had disappeared...
Disappearance—they knew all too well what that word usually meant.
But if this Bryan Watson really was that child from years ago, perhaps it meant that Melina might still be alive?
Through tremendous effort, the elderly couple managed to regain control of their overwhelming feelings just moments before Amelia emerged from the washroom.
Mr. Depp quickly gulped down an entire cup of strong black tea, using the hot liquid to soothe his hoarse throat and hopefully disguise any remaining roughness in his voice.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Depp busied herself in the magical kitchen area, making a great show of studying the differences between wizarding kitchen utensils and the familiar ones she was accustomed to using in their home.
This activity served the dual purpose of giving her a reasonable excuse to keep her back turned toward the main room, preventing Amelia from getting a clear look at her red and swollen eyes, while also providing her with a few additional moments to compose herself and arrange her face into a more normal expression.
"About that Bryan Watson," Mr. Depp said trying to sound casual.
"Have any of your media sources and magical newspapers ever published detailed information about his family background... his parents, perhaps?"
He paused to clear his throat with a slight cough. "You see, when your mother and I were still living in London many years ago, I had a close friend who was also surnamed Watson.
He used to joke with me quite regularly, saying that if he ever managed to find a wife and settle down to have children, he would honor our friendship by using my first name for his son. It was just a lighthearted joke between friends, of course, but..."
He left the sentence hanging.
"Oh—" Amelia responded with a tone of sudden understanding and relief in her voice.
She had moved to the wardrobe to select an appropriate coat to wear over her hospital garments, and hearing her father's explanation seemed to clear up at least some of the confusion that had been troubling her about her parents' unusual behavior and intense interest in Bryan Watson's background.
However, even as this partial explanation satisfied some of her questions, she continued with a note of disappointment,
"From what I recall, those reports only seemed to mention his Muggle heritage... They only report things people are interested in. Everyone wants to understand how Bryan himself gained such powerful abilities. The general public is not particularly concerned about his family."
Amelia tilted her head thoughtfully as she spoke.
As she had said, the American magical community had a different character and social structure compared to the deeply traditional European wizarding societies. As a relatively young nation without centuries of accumulated magical history and established pure-blood family hierarchies, the United States had naturally developed a more free and inclusive magical culture.
A significantly higher percentage of American wizards and witches came from non-magical backgrounds. These Muggle-born wizards had naturally brought with them many customs, preferences, and practical considerations from their non-magical upbringings.
This cultural influence explained why St. Joachim's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries unlike similar European Hospitals had made the progressive decision to include facilities like a supermarket selling ordinary food ingredients alongside more traditional magical healing supplies.
Meanwhile, Bryan had deliberately been delaying, and took quite a while before returning to the ward with Remus.
When he and Remus finally returned to the ward. Amelia was sitting at the small table near the window, reading a copy of the latest magical newspaper. Mr. Depp was arranging Amelia's bedding, while the kind-faced Mrs. Depp was making preparations in the kitchen.
Watching this peaceful scene of family togetherness, Bryan sighed inwardly with a complex mixture of emotions.
This scene appeared ordinary, but some people would never again have the chance to enjoy such warm moments of family gathering.
Who could truly say what was right or wrong about the events of the past?
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For More Chapters; /FicFrenzy