Hogwarts: Chill, I'm Not That Riddle-Chapter 516: The Mahoutokoro Girl

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In Herbology, no one was really paying attention.

Students absentmindedly picked beans from their fluttering pods, sneaking in whispers whenever Professor Sprout’s back was turned. The topic never strayed far from last night’s battle... or Ariana.

To be honest, even with the bonus title of "Dumbledore’s sister," Ariana hadn’t made a good impression. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Gryffindor went without saying. She had thoroughly offended the house that morning. At lunch, Hermione had gone on about it for half an hour straight.

The other houses weren’t thrilled either. Ariana had this air about her, like she was looking down at everyone through her nose. Sure, when you had both a White Lord and a Dark Lord backing you, maybe you had the right to act superior. But did you really have to make it so obvious?

In theory, Slytherin should have been delighted. Gryffindor’s pride had been ground into the dirt. But Ariana had already made it clear she would compete in the Championship. That made her Daphne’s rival. Add in the fact that she was a Dumbledore, and any goodwill evaporated fast.

"Riddle..."

Padma Patil waited until Professor Sprout had wandered farther away before lowering her voice. "You’re really not going to compete? Ariana doesn’t look easy to handle. If Grindelwald praises her like that, she must be exceptional."

Her gaze slid doubtfully toward Daphne.

There was no such thing as a perfectly kept secret. Ever since Tom had explained to the Slytherins that Daphne would be entering the Championship, the news had spread.

Rumor had it that Ron Weasley had declared the Championship rigged in the dormitory. And when Daphne found out, the not-so-big-hearted heiress immediately sent Malfoy and Zabini to pay him a few visits. Both houses ended up losing points because of it.

Rigged? Please. After Tom’s special training, Daphne was convinced that the only real injustice would be if she didn’t become champion.

And even if it was rigged, who was Ron to complain? The actual competitors hadn’t said a word.

Feeling Padma’s skepticism, Daphne bared her small tiger teeth in what was meant to be an intimidating snarl, though it came out more cute than frightening.

"Just watch, Patil. In the first task, I’ll make her cry. Even Dumbledore won’t be able to protect her!"

’As long as she doesn’t use the Obscurus,’ she added silently.

She had grown up on fairy tales filled with horrifying stories about Obscurials. Childhood trauma material. It wasn’t even about whether she could win. Just seeing that kind of power might be enough to scare her.

Padma gave an awkward smile and kept her thoughts to herself. She still felt Daphne entering was a bit... unserious. The girl gave off pure pampered-heiress energy. Probably never suffered a day in her life. Possibly never even lost before. She had never shown any extraordinary magical talent, either.

Tom might be brilliant, but he couldn’t just turn an ordinary person into a prodigy overnight, could he?

Plenty of students thought the same.

...

..

High up in the castle’s Divination classroom, Hozumi Kamio sat with Unfogging the Future open before her.

She propped her cheek on one hand and absentmindedly toyed with a curl of her hair in the other. Every so often, she turned her head, gaze drifting past the hazy incense smoke that filled the room, toward the glass-domed greenhouses below.

Her clear eyes seemed capable of piercing straight through the panes, as though she could see the boy attending class inside.

She was watching him.

The boys in the class were watching her.

And only Professor Trelawney, muttering ominously at the front of the room, was being ignored. Even when she announced in grave tones that next month half the castle would come down with the flu, no one cared.

"So sharp..."

Hozumi murmured under her breath, the corners of her cherry-colored lips lifting faintly.

Things had not unfolded the way she expected. Her beauty, which had never failed her before, was completely ineffective against that boy. If anything, her impatience had caused her to reveal more than she intended.

"How exactly did that half-Veela manage it?"

She thought of Fleur.

Hozumi believed her own charm surpassed that of any half-Veela. So why had Fleur succeeded where she hadn’t?

Was it an East-West difference in aesthetics?

But the distracted boys in her classroom suggested otherwise. Clearly the issue wasn’t her appeal.

For the first time in a long while, Hozumi felt at a loss. She had no idea what her next move should be.

...

..

At four-thirty, the bell rang for the end of second period.

Dumbledore immediately sent Fawkes to fetch Ariana.

When the golden-haired girl appeared in his office in a burst of phoenix fire, Dumbledore couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face.

"Ariana, how was your first day? Settling in well?"

She chose a seat for herself and sat down with a slight pout.

"Albus, I’ve already been attending classes at Durmstrang for a while. What would I need to get used to?"

"Durmstrang doesn’t teach in English, does it?" Dumbledore played along gently. "I was worried you might have trouble adjusting there. Compared to that... perhaps Hogwarts suits you better?"

"Not at all," Ariana replied as if it were obvious. "After I arrived, all the professors switched to teaching in English. The students started learning English too. Why should I adapt to them? Obviously, they should adapt to me."

Just what kind of school tyrant did my sister turn into?

Even with Dumbledore’s composure, he almost lost it. The way she said it was so matter-of-fact. Even Tom wasn’t that brazen.

"Well... it seems Grindelwald treats you quite well," Dumbledore said, forcing a smile and instinctively pinning the responsibility on Grindelwald.

His little sister was adorable. There was no way she would bully others on her own. It had to be Grindelwald’s doing.

"How could he not?" Ariana grabbed a mango from the desk and started eating it. "We almost became family. Of course he’d treat me well."

That landed squarely on Dumbledore’s sore spot. He coughed lightly and changed the subject.

"Tell me about what happened after you were revived," he said gently. "Do you remember the process? I’m happier than I can say to see you again. It feels like the most perfect dream."

He paused, choosing his words with care.

"But coming back from the dead is undoubtedly forbidden magic. I worry there may be hidden consequences we haven’t discovered."

He was as tactful as possible, afraid of touching old wounds. Ariana, however, had long stopped caring about such things.

Did she understand how difficult resurrection was? Of course she did.

With Tom’s talent, plus Ravenclaw, Andros, Grindelwald and a group of formidable wizards helping, it had still taken them ages to bring her back. And even now, two people were still stuck inside that space, watching eagerly.

Before coming to Hogwarts, Ariana had already aligned her answers with Tom and Grindelwald. What she could say, she would say. What she couldn’t, she would simply claim she hadn’t regained consciousness at the time.

Given Dumbledore’s character, he would never use Legilimency on family. There was no risk of being exposed.

Not that exposure was truly a concern. The space had its own protections; Legilimency couldn’t pry into it anyway. These precautions were simply meant to prevent Dumbledore from wasting time digging into the matter.

The conversation drifted on, question and answer, but Dumbledore gained little of substance. The only clear conclusion was that his sister’s personality had undergone a complete transformation.

That, surprisingly, he could accept. People often changed after brushing against death. She had died and come back. A shift in temperament was only natural.

With time running short before he had to greet the delegation from Uagadou, Dumbledore steered the conversation forward.

"Ariana, you’ve only just returned to this world. Many things happened after your death. Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to truly understand them. Even if you’ve read about them, books only record history, not the truth of it."

"The Acolytes began as a loose band of wizards seeking the Deathly Hallows. But when Grindelwald rose to power, he adopted the name for his followers and used them to pursue his vision of world domination."

"Today, Grindelwald publicly declared that you would become the new leader of the Acolytes. That is not good news." He gave a wry smile. "My Codex has practically been sparking all afternoon. Old friends from everywhere are asking whether I intend to join forces with him."

The humor faded from his face.

"Ariana, what did Grindelwald say to you? Is this responsibility something he forced upon you? Or..." He drew a slow breath. "Was it the price of your resurrection?"

"If that’s the case... even if it means mutual destruction, I will kill him."

Their eyes met. Blue against blue.

Ariana could see the resolve in him.

And he meant it.

Since her return, his tolerance toward Grindelwald had reached unprecedented heights. Even if Grindelwald sought to rule the magical world, as long as he didn’t ignite a war with Muggles, Dumbledore could look the other way.

But he would never accept Ariana being used. Not as leverage. Not as a hostage to force his hand.

The girl was quiet for a moment.

Then she smiled.

Her laughter was light and clear, like birdsong, yet it sent a chill through Dumbledore’s heart.

"Albus... why can’t it be my idea?"

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