Hogwarts: Chill, I'm Not That Riddle-Chapter 512: Dumbledore’s Doubts

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Hogsmeade - Second floor of the Astra Abyssum Guild branch - Aberforth’s residence—

"Resurrection defies the world’s taboo," Grindelwald said flatly in response to their questions. "I won’t explain it. I can’t explain it. This was Ariana’s fortune. It has nothing to do with me."

That was all he would give them.

Faced with his refusal, Dumbledore could only remain silent.

Aberforth, on the other hand, was far more straightforward. Once he was convinced Ariana had truly returned, he stopped caring about the rest. He hovered around her, fussing endlessly and asking about everything she had experienced since coming back.

"Why didn’t you come find me?" Aberforth slapped his thigh in regret when he heard about her summer. They had lost three whole months!

Ariana blinked innocently. "Big brother, Grindelwald wouldn’t let me. I can’t beat him."

"That bastard!"

Aberforth exploded, reaching for his wand as if eager to get beaten up again on principle. Thankfully, Ariana grabbed his sleeve.

"Actually, Grindelwald’s been pretty good to me. He taught me a lot of spells."

"Hmph. That’s just atonement. Spells? I can teach you too. Speaking of which, since you’re willing to study magic now... then..."

Aberforth seemed to remember something. He looked at her with a mix of tension and hope.

"It’s still there."

Ariana extended her hand. Wisps of black mist coiled up from her palm.

Aberforth’s heart clenched violently. His face drained of color as he muttered, "How... how can this be..."

Why was the Obscurus still clinging to her like a parasite even after resurrection?

"Don’t worry, Aberforth."

A firm hand rested on his shoulder. Dumbledore’s voice was gentle but unwavering.

"No matter how difficult it is, I will find a way to resolve the Obscurus."

Ariana’s eyes darted playfully.

Suddenly she leaned closer and said in a sweet, coaxing tone, "Big brother~ I want to win the Wizarding Championship~!"

In that instant, Dumbledore forgot he was the headmaster of Hogwarts. Forgot fairness. Forgot impartiality.

"Of course!" he blurted without hesitation.

"No way!" Tom slammed his hand on the table and jumped to his feet.

He hadn’t expected Ariana to get even more mischievous after coming back to life.

Forget some silly championship trophy. If she’d asked for Voldemort’s head, Dumbledore would probably be scouring the globe right this minute.

But did he actually say yes to this?

That was a disaster waiting to happen.

If they rigged the championship for her, what about Daphne? What about Fleur?

Tom slapped the table, looking pained. "Professor, Hogwarts is hosting this tournament. We have to maintain fairness and integrity. If word gets out that the results are predetermined, who’s going to participate next time? What credibility would the rankings even have?"

He paused, then added pointedly, "And you’re the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Even if you were going to play favorites, shouldn’t you at least favor your own school’s champion?"

Dumbledore looked torn. "Well... Tom, you’re not wrong. But you know Ariana’s situation. How about... next time?"

Tom shot him a sidelong look, the disdain obvious.

Next time? And who’s competing next time? Ginny? Gabrielle? Sigh~

Aberforth chimed in, backing his brother up for once. "Tom’s right. But Ariana’s suffered enough already. It’s just a small request. Are we really going to deny her that?"

"Exactly," Grindelwald added lazily, clearly enjoying himself. "It’s just a children’s tournament. Riddle, think bigger. With your current power and position, why bother over something this trivial?"

Tom glared at him. The old bastard was getting back at him.

So what if I nearly blasted you into oblivion earlier? Do you really have to hold a grudge?

"Headmaster, don’t fall for this," Tom said firmly. "Ariana may be your sister, but she’s a Durmstrang student. This is Grindelwald’s scheme. The Dark Lord is cunning. He just wants to snag the title for free."

"Then let Ariana transfer to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said at last, a hint of fox-like cunning surfacing. "Wouldn’t that solve everything?"

"Of course!" Aberforth leapt to his feet. "That’s only right. She should be in fourth year this year, yes? Same year as you, Tom. Though she’ll definitely be sorted into Gryffindor."

"It doesn’t matter which house," Dumbledore said warmly, gazing at his sister like she was the most precious thing in the world. "As long as she’s happy."

He swore to himself this was the happiest day of his life. Even the day he learned that Voldemort had been destroyed by his own rebounding Killing Curse couldn’t compare to the joy of these past few days.

A cool voice drifted from behind them.

"I finally understand why Ariana shut herself away back then. With the two of you as her brothers, what a blessing."

Grindelwald’s tone was sharp.

"Did either of you ask for my opinion? Or hers?"

"Who gave you the right to decide for her?"

On the surface, Ariana said nothing. Inside, she was nodding furiously.

Exactly. Back then, Albus had been obsessed with reputation and prestige. He never cared about how his family felt. Aberforth loved her, sure, but he was domineering in his own way, arranging everything for her life until she could barely breathe.

Tom, Grindelwald, and even Andros were different. They always asked what she thought. How she felt. They’d never even had a real argument.

Oblivious to the silent roasting he’d just received, Aberforth whirled around and glared at Grindelwald. "This is Dumbledore family business. What’s it to you? Yes, you brought Ariana back. That’s atonement. What right do you have to interfere in her choices?"

Grindelwald’s face darkened instantly.

"I’m not going to Hogwarts!"

Ariana’s clear voice shattered the tension. Dumbledore stared at her in shock.

"Ariana... why?"

"I hate you two!" she burst out, jumping to her feet. "You control everything! If I go to Hogwarts, I won’t have any freedom at all. Grindelwald might be a terrible person..."

Grindelwald’s expression somehow grew even darker.

"But at least he doesn’t try to control every little thing," Ariana continued. "At Durmstrang, I’m the top student. No one dares bully me. As long as I finish my homework, I can do whatever I want."

"You could have that at Hogwarts too," Dumbledore hurried to say. "I’ll make sure you grow up happy. I promise I won’t interfere."

"I don’t believe you!" Ariana shot Aberforth a look when he tried to speak. "Aberforth, you were the strictest with me before. I trust you even less."

She lifted her chin. "Unless Tom becomes headmaster one day, I’m not transferring to Hogwarts."

With that, she ran off, leaving the men staring at each other.

"Tom?" Aberforth’s voice turned sour. "You little brat..."

Dumbledore also looked at Tom suspiciously. "Tom, you’ve only just met her, haven’t you? Why is she so attached to you?"

Tom answered honestly. "Your fight just now reminded her of the moment she died. I protected her. With how intense that battle was, she might’ve died again."

All three of them lowered their heads awkwardly.

When you think about it... he wasn’t wrong.

They’d been completely absorbed in the fight, oblivious to their surroundings. They hadn’t even noticed Ariana arrive. Tom’s attempts to stop them had gone in one ear and out the other.

"Then we’ll talk about it later," Dumbledore said at last.

He was disappointed, but at least Ariana would be at Hogwarts for the next several months. There was still time to change her mind.

Perhaps it was simply that he and Aberforth looked too old now. Too unfamiliar. That kind of distance couldn’t disappear overnight.

"Gellert," Dumbledore murmured quietly beside him, "teach me that appearance-altering spell of yours."

"Oh? Now it’s Gellert?" Grindelwald sneered. "Dumbledore, how did I never notice you had two faces? Who was shouting ’Grindelwald’ and throwing a Killing Curse at me?"

Dumbledore took the jab without complaint and kept smiling.

He needed something from him. Smiling was the least he could do. Besides, Ariana was still effectively in Grindelwald’s care. If Grindelwald invited him to conquer the world right now, he might actually hesitate before refusing.

"Dumbledore," Grindelwald said with a faint, unreadable smile, "I hear you often say that death is the greatest adventure. Do you still believe that?"

"Dumbledore nodded calmly. "I do. But that adventure belongs to the brave... and I’m not feeling very brave right now."

He looked at Ariana, who was happily chatting with one of his portraits, and his eyes nearly filled again.

He wouldn’t have dared dream of a scene like this. Yet here it was, real.

---

Gradually, the second floor of the Guild branch fell quiet. Aberforth arranged rooms for everyone. Ariana took the master bedroom with her portrait. Grindelwald had one room. Aberforth and Dumbledore shared another.

Tom, meanwhile, returned to Dorset to share the day’s events with his dear teacher and elders.

Aberforth was too excited to sleep. Dumbledore, on the other hand, was remotely coordinating with McGonagall.

Ordinarily, at a time like this, Dumbledore should have returned to Hogwarts to stabilize the students and reassure the visiting schools. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave Ariana. His mind was in chaos anyway, nowhere near ready to deliver some polished speech.

He could only ask McGonagall to settle the other schools’ teachers and students and send the Hogwarts students back to bed.

As if they could sleep.

After they left, the castle exploded with noise. The gossip was enormous, too big and juicy to even know where to start. Even the rumbling from the Forbidden Forest had reached them.

Hogwarts students remembered the time Grindelwald had marched toward the school through a sea of fire. They’d been itching to watch the battle, but the professors had practically sealed the Great Hall shut. By the time McGonagall returned, she was ushering everyone out without explanation. The more she refused to speak, the more maddening it became.

What had happened? How many people had died? Who won? Was that little witch really Dumbledore’s sister?

"Albus."

Aberforth’s voice pulled Dumbledore from his thoughts.

"I don’t care what method you use. You have to keep Ariana here. Haven’t you noticed how different she is from before? That’s Grindelwald’s influence. Maybe he even used dark magic."

In truth, Aberforth wanted to send Ariana to St. Mungo’s for a full examination. Or have the two of them check her themselves. But he was afraid of frightening her, so he’d held it in until now.

Dumbledore sighed softly. Of course he’d noticed.

Now that he’d had time to think, he realized something else. In the Great Hall, Ariana had been playing pitiful on purpose. She’d deliberately provoked the tension between him and Grindelwald, pushing them into a fight. Not just a fight, either. The kind where someone might actually die.

"Aberforth," Dumbledore said quietly, "do you truly believe Grindelwald is the one who brought Ariana back?"

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