Hogwarts: Chill, I'm Not That Riddle-Chapter 517: Uagadou’s Arrival at Hogwarts

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Dumbledore felt his heart sink. Not just a little. It dropped straight to the bottom.

This wasn’t Grindelwald’s idea. It was Ariana’s.

She wanted to become the leader of the Acolytes?

"Ariana... do you even understand what the Acolytes represent?"

"Didn’t you just explain that?" Ariana tilted her head cutely, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Brother, I’m a Dumbledore, not an idiot. Even if you hadn’t said it, I’d know the Acolytes are hated across much of the wizarding world. Their hands are stained with blood."

"Rosier, Vogel, Grimmson, and a few others whose names I can’t remember. They’re the ones managing the Acolytes now. Grindelwald never hid anything from me when he handled matters."

She smiled faintly. "I probably know more about the Acolytes than you do, Albus."

"Then why would you still..." Dumbledore’s voice turned hoarse before he could stop it. "If you do this, the entire wizarding world will turn against you. You’ll be isolated."

"Is that my problem?"

The warmth vanished from Ariana’s face. She looked at him without expression.

"Why should I care about other people’s feelings? Isn’t that what you all taught me back then? Father said I should get along well with the villagers. And what did that get me?"

"Ariana..."

The grievance and hatred surging in her eyes cut into him like a blade. Dumbledore’s vision blurred instantly. He’d cried more in the past two days than he had in the last several decades combined.

How could he not?

Those boys who bullied Ariana were the root of everything. If their father hadn’t acted first, Dumbledore would never have let them off so easily. Maybe he wouldn’t have killed them, but he would have made sure they experienced a fraction of the pain his sister endured.

"Albus, I don’t need to please anyone."

Ariana’s voice was calm now. "Grindelwald once told me a saying... The wicked fear force, not goodness."

"Most people in this world aren’t good. If trying to win their favor won’t earn sincerity, then it’s better to make them afraid."

She met his eyes steadily.

"If I become the leader of the Acolytes, I can mobilize thousands of wizards with a single word. Do you think the tragedy of the past would ever happen again?"

"And besides, if I’m leading the Acolytes, they won’t be your enemy anymore. Isn’t that better?"

"But..." Dumbledore forced himself to steady his emotions. "You’ll make countless enemies. Your life will constantly be at risk."

"I know." Ariana blinked playfully. "Maybe someone will even try to assassinate me. Brother, you’ll protect me, won’t you?"

Of course.

The words almost slipped out.

A bitter smile appeared on the old man’s face. "Ariana, I will never allow anyone to harm you. That I promise. But this decision is too reckless. I hope you’ll think it over a little longer, all right?"

He had originally intended to persuade her to leave Grindelwald and stay at Hogwarts, to live peacefully.

Now he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He was afraid of pushing her too far, afraid of triggering another outburst of uncontrolled magic. So he chose a roundabout approach instead.

"Fine." Ariana nodded lightly, though a trace of regret flickered deep in her eyes.

Both siblings had their own calculations.

Ariana wanted to lure Dumbledore to her side too. Preferably as muscle.

In the study space, she was the weakest. The slowest. Aside from occasionally playing the mood-lifter, she hadn’t contributed anything meaningful.

That was why she chose to follow Grindelwald after coming back.

But even if Grindelwald truly handed the Acolytes over to her, it would only mean a change in management. Tom’s power wouldn’t increase in any real sense.

So she set her sights on her two brothers.

From the looks of it, Albus was far more rational, and far harder to sway, than she’d expected. No matter. If calling him "Brother" once didn’t work, she’d call him a few more times.

One day, she would pull him over.

Albus Dumbledore glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already nearing dusk.

"It’s about time. Let’s head down." He paused. "By the way, Ariana, Aberforth asked me to check. Where are you staying tonight?"

"I’ll go back to his place," Ariana said cheerfully.

Inwardly, she was already plotting how to win Aberforth over first, so the two of them could join forces against Albus.

...

The sun dipped low, bathing the sky in warm shades of orange and red. A damp breeze swept across the grounds, stirring a few golden leaves into the air.

Under the guidance of their professors, the students formed long lines near the stone bridge. One by one, they stood on tiptoe, craning their necks in curiosity as they waited to welcome the teachers and students from Uagadou.

In the queue, Tom was quietly coaxing Daphne. The young lady had realized that nearly the entire school didn’t think highly of her chances, and she was clearly sulking.

"The people from Ilvermorny are nothing but rabble. Castelobruxo’s students won’t amount to much either. As for Uagadou..."

Tom gently pinched her cheek, lowering his voice until it turned soft and soothing. "First, you need to get past the psychological hurdle. As long as their skill doesn’t scare you, they’re not that frightening. So what if they can cast without wands?"

Instead of feeling comforted, Daphne puffed out her lips even more. You could probably hang a cauldron from them.

"So what you’re saying is, I’m not on the same level as Fleur or Ariana?"

Tom was speechless.

Reasoning with women was harder than landing on the moon. He could practically do the latter with ease, yet Daphne’s thought process remained a mystery.

"I’m saying they’re strong opponents. Winning and losing is normal in competition. I never said you’re inferior to them."

Daphne leaned forward slightly and looked toward the back of the formation, where Mahoutokoro’s group stood. Hozumi Kamio happened to be looking ahead as well. Their eyes met.

Hozumi offered a gentle, serene smile.

Daphne sniffed and turned back around with a huff. "Forget the others. Why do you think that woman is a threat?"

Tom thought for a moment, then leaned close to her ear. "Let me finish digging into her background. I’ll tell you once I’m sure."

His breath brushed against her earlobe, warm and ticklish. Daphne suddenly broke into a silly giggle, all her gloom vanishing in an instant. Tom just stared at her, baffled.

Seriously. What goes on in your head?

Before he could recover from his confusion, a ripple of unrest spread through the line.

They had been waiting nearly twenty minutes. Uagadou’s delegation still hadn’t appeared. Whispers began to rise here and there.

Night had fallen completely.

After another stretch of silence, faint sounds came from the far side of the stone bridge. But it was pitch black. No one could see a thing, and no one could tell if anyone had actually arrived.

Only when a mass of shadowy figures slowly drew close did the headmasters at the front suddenly realize what was happening. Several of them instinctively stepped back half a pace.

"Welcome, Professor Okoye."

Dumbledore was the first to regain his composure. He strode forward and warmly embraced the old man at the front.

"Dumbledore! You’ve aged quite a bit," the old man boomed with hearty laughter that carried far into the night. "The last time I saw you, that magnificent beard of yours was unforgettable."

Dumbledore smiled helplessly and chose not to respond.

Olusegun Okoye, headmaster of Uagadou. Rumor had it he was over two hundred years old. He had already been leading Uagadou back when Dumbledore was still a student, and he had remained in the position ever since.

The remarkable thing was that Okoye didn’t seem to have aged at all.

Or rather, as long as he kept his head shaved and his face clean, no one could tell whether he had grown older.

Madame Maxime quietly raised her wand. A soft white glow spread from its tip, illuminating the bridge.

Only then did the students see clearly the people standing there. Their clothes were worn and travel-stained. Each of them carried a pack larger than their own body.

Silence fell among the students.

No wonder.

No wonder they had been held up at customs. They had never seen a group that looked more like refugees than Uagadou’s teachers and students.

"Wait..."

"Isn’t that way too many people?" one young wizard muttered.

The sentiment was quickly echoed around him.

Uagadou had brought almost as many people as all the other schools combined. Four or five hundred at least.

A rather plump Hufflepuff whispered nervously, "Don’t tell me they’re not even here for the competition and just came to Hogwarts for free meals? Oh no... don’t tell me this means smaller portions. I just had my third breakfast."

"Don’t talk nonsense," Cedric reminded him in a low voice. "Uagadou has over five thousand students. Same as Ilvermorny. They’re one of the largest magical schools in the world. Five hundred isn’t much for them."

"They’re just here for exchange and study."

With that explanation, the Hufflepuffs relaxed, their instinct to guard the food easing at last.

At that moment, two lines of uniformed Aurors stepped out from the back of the crowd, led by Crouch Sr and Ludo Bagman. Dumbledore gave Crouch a slight nod, signaling that it was time to proceed.

The entire group turned and began walking toward Hogwarts Castle.

When they entered the Great Hall, everyone paused in surprise.

The original four long house tables had somehow become six, yet the hall didn’t feel crowded at all. The two newly added tables were draped in deep green velvet. At the very front of the high table stood a tall square wooden cabinet, noticeably higher than the others, giving off an air of mystery.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Dumbledore slowly rose to his feet and amplified his voice with magic, offering a warm welcome to Uagadou’s delegation.

Then he continued, "I believe many of you already know Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman. However, on such a solemn occasion, a proper introduction is still in order."

"Mr. Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation at the Ministry of Magic, and Honorary President of the Astra Abyssum Guild. During the preparation of this Inter-School Championship, the Guild has provided tremendous assistance and financial support. On behalf of all the schools present, I extend our sincere gratitude to him and to the Guild."

The applause was thunderous.

It had to be.

Failing to applaud enthusiastically would be tantamount to slighting Astra Abyssum. And slighting the Guild was, more or less, slighting Tom.

"Mr. Bagman!" Dumbledore gestured toward the grinning man at his side. "Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He and Mr. Crouch will serve as judges for the upcoming competition."

He paused, waiting for the applause to fade.

Filch then shuffled forward, hunched over, and carefully placed a wooden chest studded with colorful gemstones atop the tall cabinet, handling it as though the slightest misstep might damage whatever lay inside.

"Finally," Dumbledore said, "allow me to present our selection judge."

From within his sleeve, he drew a wand that seemed to have appeared from nowhere and tapped lightly on the surface of the cabinet.

The next second, a massive wooden goblet sprang out of the jeweled chest and landed steadily on the cabinet’s top.

Its appearance was crude, rough-hewn, with splinters still lining the rim. Yet within the cup, blue-white flames leapt and flickered, mesmerizing and alive, radiating an unmistakable aura of ancient magic.

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