Throughout the entire process, Ariana kept looking at Aberforth with curiosity.
Aberforth avoided her gaze and retreated behind the counter.
John picked up his Butterbeer and took a sip. The temperature was perfect.
But after that one sip, he did not continue drinking.
The truth was that he did not particularly enjoy drinking anything produced by this dusty place, the last time he had even brought his own bottle.
Ariana held her mug and drank in small sips. John glanced at the hesitant Aberforth and said casually, "Yes, it's her."
Ariana looked over, puzzled about who John was talking to.
John said calmly, "Didn't he tell you that I'm somewhat talented at Legilimency?"
"It's not exactly surprising. Your mind is as clear as glass right now."
"I thought he would have told you that."
John had already seen everything in Aberforth's mind.
After a long silence, Aberforth asked, "How did you..."
Unlike Dumbledore, he had not remembered. Even Dumbledore had only recalled those events when he was close to death.
John shrugged.
"You're better off not knowing."
"I don't want Ariana to believe she's alone in this world," John said seriously, looking at Aberforth. "You're her brother. She has the right to know."
"Brother?" Ariana looked at Aberforth suspiciously.
Once, that title had belonged to him more than anyone else.
Now, it belonged to John.
Aberforth asked, "Has she recovered?"
"She's getting better."
John stood up and took Ariana's hand, leading her over to Aberforth.
"Ariana Dumbledore Wick. That's her name now."
"That's good."
Aberforth lowered his eyes.
"Better than being with us."
His mind was in complete turmoil.
From the moment he had seen Ariana, he had been unable to remain calm. The indifference he displayed was nothing more than a disguise for emotions that had become too overwhelming.
"You used to be her favourite brother," John said, shaking his head. "Even if you were a rather poor one."
Aberforth did not argue.
He looked at John and said seriously, "I don't want you to bring Ariana back."
"He and I were both failures as brothers. But with you, I can see Ariana getting better."
From the moment Ariana had entered the inn, Aberforth had been watching her.
The Ariana before him was far brighter than she had been in the past. She had gained control, and that terrifying power was now hidden within her body.
There was no safer place for her than by the side of the Second King.
"I won't imprison her. Where she goes is her own choice," John said calmly. "One day, she will soar through the skies, and I will remove every obstacle in her path."
Aberforth took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice full of gratitude, "Thank you."
John had saved Ariana and had been willing to let him, an incompetent brother, meet her. That kindness surpassed everything else.
"I am willing to work for you."
John shook his head.
"I don't use family as leverage."
He released Ariana's hand and said to her, "I think you'll like him. Aberforth Dumbledore."
At the mention of that name, Ariana reacted.
She stepped out from behind John and looked at her brother.
She tried to find traces of the brother she remembered, but failed.
Still, she smiled and said, "You look just like Great-Grandfather. You showed me his portrait."
"I have many more paintings that I haven't shown you," Aberforth said seriously. "Ariana."
He held out his hand.
After hesitating for a moment, Ariana placed her hand in his.
The two of them headed through the door behind the counter.
Ariana stopped and turned back to look at John.
"Will you wait for me, Brother?"
John smiled.
"I'll always be here."
Reassured, Ariana happily followed Aberforth inside.
There, preserved through a century of guilt, were countless paintings created by Aberforth.
Had he not been a wizard, he might have become an artist in the Muggle world.
Before the Butterbeer had gone cold, Ariana emerged.
John took her hand and prepared to go find Mrs Wick.
As they reached the door, Ariana waved at Aberforth.
"Goodbye, Brother."
Aberforth waved back.
Only after their figures had completely disappeared did he collapse into a chair.
For a long time, he could not recover, immersed in the joy of Ariana's return.
"The King... of Hogwarts."
He looked at the Butterbeer that had gone cold.
He thought he finally understood why that child had become a king revered by everyone.
"Not using family as leverage... Wick is your true home, Ariana."
Aberforth understood that he had already lost.
He saw Ariana's trust in John.
He also saw the gentleness of the Second King.
"Albus, you were wrong. That child... he was meant to be a king."
Aberforth looked at the broken mirror and left behind those words.
...
When John found Mrs Wick, she immediately dragged Ariana off to try on clothes.
Ariana tried to get John to save her.
John silently turned his head away.
In the end, Mrs Wick left with a large collection of novel wizarding clothes, bringing the day's trip to an end.
John escorted them back to Hogwarts, where they ran into Slughorn.
"Oh, Mrs Wick." Slughorn looked somewhat puzzled to see Mrs Wick at the school, but he still greeted her warmly. "Would you care for a drink? The food upstairs has run out, so I'll go have the kitchens prepare some more."
As a hedonist, Slughorn never deprived himself of the privileges of his position.
Mrs Wick glanced at her son.
John immediately understood and smiled.
"Sorry, Professor. My mother still needs to take my sister home."
"I see." Slughorn noticed Ariana and said, "Then I shouldn't keep my friends waiting too long."
He tactfully took his leave.
Mrs Wick asked in confusion, "I thought your headmaster was an old man with a white beard."
"Oh, he retired and became the caretaker."
A door appeared in the wall beside John.
He opened it.
Mrs Wick and Ariana stepped inside, and after the door closed behind them, it vanished without a trace.
Slughorn emerged from the kitchens, intending to speak with John about the paper on bloodline curses.
Seeing the empty corridor, he swirled his drink and took a sip.
"I must have had too much to drink."
After hesitating for a moment, he glanced at the glass and finished the rest.
...
Mrs Wick and Ariana returned home.
As they stepped out of the fireplace, they saw Watson lying spread-eagled on the sofa, still dressed in wizard robes.
"Where have you been?" Watson asked in an unfriendly tone.
Mrs Wick put down the wizard robes and asked in the gentlest voice possible, "Didn't I tell you not to bring snow onto the carpet?"
Watson glanced at the carpet and silently adjusted his posture, putting his legs together and sitting up straight on the sofa.
"I think..."
"I don't care what you think. I care what I think."
Mrs Wick unexpectedly delivered the classic domineering CEO line, leaving Watson with no dignity whatsoever as he obediently went outside to shovel snow.
That evening, Watson discovered the gift Mrs Wick had brought back for him.
A genuine wizard's robe.
He immediately ran to their room and said shyly, "I knew you still loved me. You don't have to say anything, I understand. It must have been hard for you to go out of your way to prepare a Christmas gift for me."
Little did he know, it had been part of a buy-ten-get-one-free promotion.
In her room, Ariana took out the emerald-green brooch.
Holding it in her hands, she happily rolled around on the bed.
Seeing this, Little Bear imitated her and rolled around on the bed as well.
When Mrs Wick came in and saw Ariana asleep sideways across the bed, she smiled fondly and tucked the blanket around her.
The occasional bit of mischief only made the child more lovable.
Beneath the Wick family's Christmas tree sat an unopened gift.
Watson picked it up and looked at the name written on it.
"Albus Dumbledore?"
The name reminded Watson of something.
He carried the gift into Ariana's room.
The Wick family had never intended for Ariana to abandon her former family, even though John had said that her brothers had not been particularly competent.
"Treasure your family, Ariana."
Watson set the gift down and whispered into Ariana's ear, "I hope you'll become my daughter, and I hope you'll always be happy."
He nudged Little Bear further onto the bed so it would not fall off.
Then Watson quietly closed the door and left.
Once the room fell silent again, Ariana opened her eyes.
She looked at the gift beside her, then closed her eyes once more.
The brooch remained clutched tightly in her hand.
____
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