In truth, the majority of people in this world, wizard and Muggle alike, were neither brilliant nor perceptive. Fools and the ignorant formed the greater mass.
"Mr. Riddle," Rowena Ravenclaw said calmly, "please explain this place to me in detail."
She did not press him about her daughter. She understood her position. This realm belonged to Tom. She was here as a teacher. Until she contributed something of value, she would not presume to demand more.
Besides, everything about this learning space fascinated her.
Tom began by introducing its inhabitants.
When he spoke of Andros, Ravenclaw did not carry herself as the stronger figure. Quite the opposite. She treated herself as the junior.
The reason was simple.
She had been born a Greek witch.
She had grown up hearing tales of Andros the Unbeaten.
When he introduced Ariana, however, Ravenclaw's gaze softened. She studied the girl carefully.
"An Obscurial?" she murmured. "Child, you must have suffered greatly."
The compassion in her voice struck Ariana instantly. The girl's lips trembled.
Tom moved quickly between them. "That is all in the past. No tears until resurrection. Crying here is purely symbolic."
Ariana sniffed and nodded.
Grindelwald's eyes flashed coldly for a moment, though he said nothing.
"I once researched Obscurials," Ravenclaw continued, stepping closer and gently brushing her fingers through Ariana's golden hair. "They are not beyond control. Leave it to me. I promise you can master it fully."
"Ravenclaw Auntie," Ariana said proudly, lifting her chin, "you are mistaken."
From her right hand, a swirl of dark force emerged, obedient and docile.
"I have controlled it for years. It cannot harm me anymore."
Under normal circumstances, Ravenclaw would have praised her generously.
Instead, her beautiful face shifted faintly gray.
"Auntie?"
Tom's eyelid twitched.
Why was that the part she focused on?
Ariana tilted her head. "You have a grown daughter. Should I not call you Auntie? Or... Grandmother?"
There was an almost audible sound, as if an invisible arrow had pierced Ravenclaw's heart.
She inhaled deeply.
Then she ruffled Ariana's hair again, this time with slightly more force. Her smile was sweet. Dangerous.
"Remember, Ariana. From now on, you will call me Sister Ravenclaw."
Ariana swallowed.
"Understood... Sister Ravenclaw."
Instinct told her that further resistance would be catastrophic.
"Good girl."
Ravenclaw's smile returned in full.
Tom failed to restrain himself and burst out laughing.
"And what are you laughing at?" she asked, casting him a glance both charming and sharp. "I may have a daughter, but I did not bear her. Strictly speaking, I am a maiden. Just like Ariana. Calling me Sister is entirely appropriate."
"You did not bear her?" Tom blurted. "Did you steal her?"
"Mr. Riddle," Ravenclaw sighed, "you hold rather peculiar assumptions about founders. Not all of us are as enamored with brute force as Godric and Salazar."
Even she nearly lost pace with Tom's logic.
"Helena," she continued softly, "was a magical creation."
Grindelwald's eyes widened. "You created a human being?"
"In essence."
A weathered tome appeared in her hands, pages turning of their own accord. Azure magic spilled outward, coalescing into a faint humanoid silhouette. The energy pulsed with intricate precision.
"When one's understanding of magic deepens sufficiently, new questions arise. What is the origin of magic? How does the soul mature? How does consciousness connect to magic, and why does it shape the world?"
"To answer these questions, each wizard chooses a path."
"I chose to create life."
Her voice grew distant.
"Helena was the result. I poured all knowledge and resources into her. I extinguished countless lives to refine pure soul essence."
Tom's expression darkened.
"When she was born, I believed I had forged perfection."
She paused.
"But the world does not permit such arrogance. I violated its deepest law. The backlash shattered me. I did not live long thereafter."
"And Helena?" Tom asked quietly.
"She suffered the backlash as well. The memories I had woven into her were erased. Her brilliance did not match my vision. To others she seemed foolish."
A faint sadness lingered in her eyes.
"But she remained my beloved daughter. My most treasured creation."
Tom exhaled.
"That was reckless."
To craft a soul from magic.
To defy every foundational principle of existence.
And to succeed halfway.
Were all legendary wizards this unhinged?
Ariana could not fully grasp the magnitude of it. Yet even she sensed the enormity.
Andros and Grindelwald, however, were stunned into silence.
This was the realm of true legend?
"And Lady Ravenclaw," Andros said at last, stepping forward with solemn intensity, "I wish to challenge you. Please fight with full strength. I must see the distance between us."
Tom reacted instantly.
His arms windmilled.
The surrounding structures dissolved in an instant. In their place rose a colossal Roman style arena. Marble columns. Vast stands. Endless sand.
Tom, Grindelwald, and Ariana were whisked into the spectator seats.
Tom cupped his hands and shouted toward the arena floor:
"Do not hold back, Sister Ravenclaw! Beat him properly!"
After being crushed by Andros countless times, today at last, revenge would be served.