The man he had longed for, it felt like an eternity, sat across from him on a bench in the deserted ballroom.
Gellert Grindelwald was dressed in a black tuxedo from a bygone era. His once-wild, long silver hair was cropped short, and his unkempt white beard was neatly trimmed. He appeared the picture of an elegant old gentleman, with the faintest smile gracing his lips.
Dumbledore opened his mouth, but no sound escaped.
Seeing this, Grindelwald spoke first, "Albus, I have missed you so intensely."
"..."
Grindelwald's words snapped Dumbledore out of his reverie. His eyes swam with complex emotions: longing, doubt, worry, disbelief… and a definite wariness.
"Gellert, what are you doing here?"
Tom, I can't beat you, but I can beat him?
Dumbledore retrieved his wand from his pocket without hesitation. "I imagine you have a great deal to say to me."
"Indeed!"
Grindelwald rose gracefully from the bench. "First and foremost, I have not broken my promise to you."
Hearing this, Dumbledore's expression darkened. "Then return to Nurmengard immediately."
"But alas, Nurmengard is no more."
"…"
Observing Grindelwald's utterly unruffled demeanor, a realization seemed to dawn on Dumbledore. "Tom is responsible for this?"
"Old Bee! Why must you always assume I am behind every act of mischief?"
That familiar voice echoed from across the room. Dumbledore turned to see Tom Riddle, who had been observing the scene for quite some time, rising to meet them.
Tom Riddle was impeccably dressed in a deep black satin tuxedo, a more contemporary style than Grindelwald's vintage choice, accented with subtle silver chains and jewelry. Paired with a crisply tailored white shirt, it accentuated his tall, slender physique without appearing ostentatious.
Witnessing the displeasure etched on Tom Riddle's face, Dumbledore sighed wearily. "So, you did do it?"
At this, Tom Riddle flashed a mischievous grin. "Guilty as charged."
"…"
Dumbledore stared at Tom Riddle, speechless. "So, what exactly did Gellert mean when he said Nurmengard was 'no more'?"
"I blew it to smithereens."
"…"
"But I did it all to find you a dance partner. The old man stubbornly refused to leave Nurmengard, so I was left with no choice but to ensure he couldn't stay there."
Hearing Tom Riddle's words, a flicker of surprise danced in Grindelwald's eyes. Was this little rascal actually sticking up for him?
Dumbledore's reaction was far more pronounced, appearing almost tearfully moved. "Tom, I appreciate your… your efforts, but what you did was wrong."
"..."
Observing this scene of "dear Alphonse being beguiled by the bad boy," Grindelwald felt a pang of annoyance, though he couldn't voice it, seeing as Tom Riddle was, in a way, defending him.
Besides... of the three wizards present, he was undeniably the weakest and, therefore, held the least sway.
Grindelwald never imagined a day would come when he lamented his own diminished power.
"But Professor, Nurmengard has been destroyed…"
"It's quite alright, it can be rebuilt. You come with me to find a suitable place to confine Gellert, and we'll figure out how to restore it after the ball."
"..."
Seeing Dumbledore remain determined to incarcerate him even after the destruction of Nurmengard, Grindelwald's heart sank. "Albus," he pleaded, "why would you sooner trust a wicked boy known as the Dark Lord than believe me?"
"Because Tom Riddle could do it, but he ultimately didn't."
Dumbledore's expression turned grave. "And I am certain that if you were able, you would."
"..."
Well, he wasn't wrong.
But Grindelwald still felt compelled to argue, "It's quite impossible for me to do such a thing now."
He glanced sidelong at Tom Riddle. "With him around, I can't even rebuild the Warlock Party, and even if I did, it wouldn't stand a chance against this boy."
Dumbledore paused, a shadow of concern crossing his face. "Have you witnessed just how monstrous Tom Riddle has become?"
"He obliterated Nurmengard and an entire mountainside with a single Explosion Charm... right in front of me."
"…"
Dumbledore's attitude toward Grindelwald softened considerably. "That is true, Tom Riddle has become quite formidable; you truly do not stand much of a chance."
"I cannot fathom how the boy grew to be so powerful."
Grindelwald nodded in agreement. "So young, yet so monstrous; I cannot even entertain the thought of resisting."
"…"
The exchange between the two old men caused Tom Riddle's brow to furrow slightly. Were he not so intent on observing their antics, he would have already drawn the Elder Wand and "sparred" with them.
Even if Dumbledore and Grindelwald joined forces now, they would be no match for him.
Tom Riddle's raw power already surpassed theirs, and with the Elder Wand and the suppression of "Level 11 Fiendfyre," he could effortlessly overpower them.
And even if it devolved into a war of attrition, what could they possibly do against Tom Riddle's nine lives?
And this was without even considering the use of "Thanatos's Gaze" to instantly kill them.
It was important to remember that the attack range of this ancient magical rune was within the "line of sight" of the rune eye on Tom Riddle's palm, making it nearly impossible to evade.
Lacking divine resistance of comparable power, it would ignore all defenses and deliver instant death.
It could only be said that Tom Riddle, at this juncture, was far too overpowered.
At this moment, Grindelwald and Dumbledore seemed to have found a common ground, continuing to tease Tom Riddle.
"I've heard it said that boy Tom Riddle is a descendant of the Gaunt family, a scion of Salazar Slytherin himself. But I've never seen any remarkable qualities in the Gaunts."
Grindelwald blurted out, "Albus, do you think it's possible that this boy isn't actually a descendant of Slytherin, but rather a descendant of Death or some other abstract entity? Otherwise, how could he be so monstrous? Merlin himself wasn't much different in his day, was he?"
Before Dumbledore could respond, a voice boomed from across the hall, "You're spouting nonsense!"
The three wizards turned toward the voice and saw a bald, bearded, skinny old ghost materialize through the wall of the Great Hall.
Immediately afterward, a middle-aged male ghost followed him through the same wall.
"You are…"
Dumbledore was puzzled; he had never seen these two specters within Hogwarts' walls before.
However, Slytherin completely ignored him, glaring angrily at Grindelwald. "There's no possibility that Tom Riddle isn't my descendant!"
"…"
Grindelwald remained silent and Dumbledore was equally quiet. Finally, the two looked at Tom Riddle questioningly. "Tom, who is this…?"
"Slytherin."
"…"
Was he joking?
They would sooner believe he was a Gaunt's great-grandfather than accept that he was actually Salazar Slytherin himself!
Seeing their disbelief, Tom Riddle explained wearily, "He truly is Slytherin."
"…"
After confirming that Tom Riddle wasn't lying, the two wizards became somewhat convinced.
"And this one?"
Dumbledore gestured toward the other middle-aged male ghost. "Don't tell me he's Gryffindor."
"Well now, you're a sharp one, aren't you?"
Godric Gryffindor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "How did you know I'm Gryffindor?"
"…"
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