Hogwarts: Chill, I'm Not That Riddle-Chapter 515: A Riddle-Tainted Dumbledore

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After leaving the Great Hall, Dumbledore was livid.

Grindelwald—that old fox—had played him again.

The moment Dumbledore publicly acknowledged Ariana’s identity, Grindelwald calmly declared her the future leader of the Acolytes.

What would the Ministries of Magic around the world think?

The sister of the world’s most powerful white wizard... apprenticed to the dark lord Grindelwald, heir apparent to his followers.

Grindelwald didn’t even need to exaggerate. People would leap to the obvious conclusion: that Albus Dumbledore was preparing to join forces with him and overturn the existing magical order.

So this was it? Grindelwald was strapping him to the war chariot whether he liked it or not?

Seated in the headmaster’s chair, Dumbledore’s eyes flickered in the dim light.

Ariana had changed too much.

She was nothing like the timid, withdrawn girl she used to be—the skittish little rabbit who flinched at her own shadow. In the Great Hall today, she hadn’t bothered to hide her dissatisfaction with Gryffindor. No, it had gone beyond dissatisfaction. It was closer to disgust.

Was that Grindelwald’s influence?

Since last night, he hadn’t had a proper private conversation with her. A faint thread of worry coiled in his chest. What if his sister had grown... crooked?

She had been resurrected only a few months ago. Even Grindelwald couldn’t have twisted someone that thoroughly in such a short time. Could he?

Suddenly, a chorus of sharp, frantic cries split the air outside the window, jolting Dumbledore from his thoughts.

More than a dozen small birds burst through the open window. Some dropped strips of bark caked in mud. Others released wriggling insects. One or two even left behind warm, unpleasant splatters across his desk.

This was how the creatures of the Forbidden Forest delivered their messages to him.

Dumbledore, who had been planning to wait for Grindelwald, could no longer sit still. Fawkes fluttered to his shoulder, and in a flash of fire they vanished toward the forest to calm its "residents."

...

The heart of the Forbidden Forest had taken the worst of the earlier battle.

Its ecosystem was utterly wrecked. The enormous crater Tom had blasted into the earth with a single astral spell had turned the area into a dead zone, not a blade of grass in sight.

Dumbledore circled the rim of the crater. Residual magic still crackled faintly in the air. The ground was charred black, split with jagged fissures. Not even the smallest sign of life stirred.

Dumbledore decided to visit the centaur tribe first, the forest’s most intelligent inhabitants.

"Dumbledore!" The centaur leader, Magorian, spotted him from afar. His forehooves scraped violently against the ground, kicking up clouds of dust as a low, furious growl rumbled from his chest. "What exactly are you trying to do? Exterminate our tribe? If that’s your plan, say it plainly. I’ll take my people and leave at once. We’ll clear the land for you."

"Magorian, calm yourself," Dumbledore said gently. "What happened yesterday was an accident. I was dealing with something... extremely important."

"And... aren’t centaurs supposed to be masters of divination?" Dumbledore added mildly. "Why didn’t you foresee it?"

Magorian fell silent. Behind him, the other centaurs lowered their heads.

Foresee it?

Foresee what, exactly?

They hadn’t seen the slightest anomaly in the damned stars. One moment they were enjoying a peaceful evening, and the next the sky exploded. If they hadn’t reacted quickly—and if they hadn’t had four legs to run with—they might have ended up like the unlucky beasts that were now nothing but scattered remains.

"Well... it’s complicated," Magorian muttered after a long pause. "Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand. And if you understood, you still wouldn’t get it. In short, you’re not a centaur. Don’t ask."

"Oh. Very well," Dumbledore replied with a pleasant smile. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

He had learned that trick from Tom. Attack, don’t defend. Keep your opponent off balance, disrupt their emotional rhythm, seize the initiative.

He had been on the receiving end often enough.

Now he was finally returning the favor.

It had to be said... Dumbledore was starting to look a little Riddle-like. Step by step, he was drifting down a path that wasn’t exactly humane.

Seizing the moment, he proposed compensation. He promised to help the centaurs rebuild their home, carve out new territory for them, and provide food and essential supplies for a time.

After that series of concessions, the centaurs’ anger fizzled out.

After all, this was technically his land. The fact that Dumbledore was willing to apologize and offer restitution was already a show of respect.

If that kid had come instead...

He might have blamed the whole thing on them.

’What? I’m fighting and you didn’t dodge? Planning to ambush me, were you?’

Oh, he’d absolutely say something like that.

Magorian and Firenze shared the exact same thought. After all, they had once been Tom’s teachers.

...

After leaving the centaur settlement, Dumbledore sought out Hagrid and had him guide the way to the territories of the other major magical creatures. They made the rounds, offering reassurances and promises, and by the time they were done it was nearly noon.

"Hagrid, I’ll leave the rest to you," Dumbledore said gently. "I’ll have Pomona assist you in restoring the ecosystem as quickly as possible. If necessary, I can even invite Newt back."

"I’ll do my best, Professor," Hagrid replied in a low voice.

The Forbidden Forest was like home to him. Now that home had a massive crater blown through its heart. Of course he wasn’t happy. Even the joy of seeing Madame Maxime again had mostly faded.

But Dumbledore had no time to comfort him. He had too much on his plate.

He had to deal with Grindelwald. He had to mend things with his sister and make sure Ariana, who seemed to be veering off course, didn’t stray too far.

And then there was the International Championship. The Wizarding Rank assessments.

Just thinking about it made his head throb.

"Minerva, it’s your time to shine."

A future headmistress couldn’t limit herself to internal school matters. External negotiations and coordination were just as important. Consider this... training. Not exploitation. A valuable growth opportunity.

Dumbledore convinced himself in record time. He sent Fawkes to summon Professor McGonagall and promptly offloaded more than half his burdens.

...

Tom, however, was only just stepping into his own troubles.

The moment second period ended that morning, Daphne dragged him off to the Room of Requirement, fuming.

Astoria had even hauled Fleur and Cassandra along. Add in a few other young witches and this wasn’t a simple three-person interrogation. This was a full-blown public execution.

"I did all that for you, you know!" Tom declared dramatically.

He pulled Daphne into his arms and gave her a little kiss. Daphne froze, utterly stunned, her brain short-circuiting.

"Th-thank you?" she murmured dreamily.

"Big sister!" Astoria groaned. "Have some backbone!"

"Maybe we should hear Tom out first," Daphne said, refusing to leave his embrace. She even shot Fleur a smug, provocative look that made the half-Veela grind her teeth.

"You all saw it," Tom began smoothly. "Ariana isn’t just Dumbledore’s sister. She’s Grindelwald’s prized disciple. Do you really need me to spell out how talented she must be? No one in the Dumbledore family is weak."

He lowered his voice for effect. "More importantly... she’s an Obscurial."

An Obscurial?!

The girls gasped. Hermione shot to her feet in shock. "That’s impossible. The last Obscurial was in the eighteenth century..."

"And how much of what’s in those books do you really think is true?" Tom scoffed. "Not only is Ariana an Obscurial, the headmaster once had a nephew who was one too. He worked under Grindelwald back in the day. Overused his Obscurus and eventually died from it."

The Dumbledores really were something.

Two Obscurials in one family. One strongest wizard alive. Another just shy of dark-lord status.

Some pure-blood families couldn’t assemble a lineup that extravagant across their entire family tree. The Dumbledores managed it in two generations.

While the girls were still reeling from that barrage of revelations, Tom seized the moment to clear his name.

"The headmaster said Ariana and I are about the same age. We should talk more. Try to convince her to stay at Hogwarts," he said earnestly. "Keep her away from Grindelwald’s camp."

He met Daphne’s and Fleur’s eyes in turn, letting his gaze soften just enough to spark. "Besides, I’m gathering intelligence for you. I’m telling you now, your biggest rival this time is Ariana. Be careful."

"The championship will be mine!" Daphne declared, clenching her small fist, her fighting spirit fully reignited. Jealousy forgotten.

Fleur merely glanced at her without issuing any threats. The confidence in her eyes never wavered.

"So... can we eat now?" Tom asked.

Having survived the ordeal, he stepped out of the Room of Requirement feeling refreshed and absurdly light.

"Mr. Riddle?"

Hozumi Kamio, who had been surrounded by a flock of attentive boys moments ago, brightened instantly. She quickened her pace and intercepted Tom just as he was heading toward the greenhouses with Daphne.

"What a coincidence," she said with a dazzling smile. "Running into you here of all places."

"A coincidence?" Tom arched a brow. "Feels more like you were waiting for me."

"You jest," Hozumi replied, her face a perfect blend of innocence and allure. "I was merely passing through the gardens, hoping to admire the beauty of Hogwarts."

"Then do take your time appreciating it," Tom said with a nod. "Just be careful not to let your fox tail show."

The gentle smile slipped from her face and, almost imperceptibly, appeared on his instead.

Tom cast a meaningful glance past her shoulder, then said nothing more and walked away.

Hozumi Kamio was interesting. Mysterious background. Definitely not ordinary.

But in just two days she had found excuses to approach him twice.

That alone told him everything he needed to know.

He held the initiative.

When she was ready to reveal her purpose, he wouldn’t mind sitting down for a chat. If only to satisfy his curiosity.

.

.

.