"So… you really are Godric Gryffindor?"
"That's right."
"And you're Salazar Slytherin?"
"Hmph!"
"..."
Grindelwald had considered that meeting a monster like Tom Riddle and waltzing with Albus Dumbledore was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But to meet two of the founders of Hogwarts themselves? That was beyond anything he could have imagined. Before today, he would have deemed it impossible. Yet, after hearing Tom Riddle's brief accounts of his encounters with the two founders, coupled with their own provided evidence... it seemed to be true.
"Alright, kiddo," Slytherin said, never taking his eyes off Grindelwald. "Did you just imply Tom Riddle isn't my descendant? Are you daft? Who else but a Slytherin could produce such an outstanding descendant?! Gryffindor, maybe?"
"Hey! I heard that, and I can't just ignore it!"
"Get lost! I'm not in the mood for your blathering."
"..."
Grindelwald's lip twitched. He, a "young man" barely over a century old, could accept being imprisoned by his lover. Why was this thousand-year-old so petty?
"Fine, fine, the boy's exceptional; he must be your descendant!"
"..."
Though he could tell Grindelwald was being deliberately flippant, Slytherin, stuck in his ghostly form and unable to physically retaliate, had no choice but to back down.
"So, Tom Riddle's… remarkable development. You taught him that?" Grindelwald's words nearly ignited another argument between Dumbledore and Slytherin.
"Of course!"
"Impossible! Tom Riddle is my student!"
"..."
Hearing this, the man and the ghost faced off. Slytherin refused to yield, but Dumbledore wouldn't either, even to one of the four founders. After all, that's how it goes when people get old; most don't want to compete, but some absolutely must!
"Ahem, kid, tell me honestly, who taught you the most?" Grindelwald quietly approached Tom Riddle and whispered, but everyone present was far from ordinary. Who couldn't overhear their hushed conversation? Dumbledore and Slytherin both fell silent, anxiously awaiting Tom Riddle's answer. They couldn't help but be nervous. Slytherin, needless to say, had imparted some ancient magic techniques. However, Tom Riddle's talent was quite abnormal; he grasped concepts after a single explanation, learned independently within days, and had likely surpassed him by now.
As for Dumbledore, he was even more anxious than Slytherin. After all, he had indeed taught "Tom," but this Tom Riddle was superior from the very beginning—something he hadn't taught him for a single day.
Tom Riddle pondered for a moment, then spoke. "A little, I suppose? But mostly self-taught."
"..."
Grindelwald fell silent. Okay, okay, I know you're a weirdo! I knew I shouldn't have said these things to you, and now you've hit me where it hurts again…
Besides him, the two old men who had been arguing also quieted down. Grindelwald's question made them realize they hadn't really taught Tom Riddle much, so they stopped arguing without prior agreement.
Just then, a jarring voice rang out, "Perhaps I didn't teach him as much as either of you, but I did teach him some blacksmithing and alchemy. So he could be considered somebody I mentored, right?"
"..."
Gryffindor's words turned Slytherin's face ashen. "No fun!" He turned to Gryffindor and said "Let's go!" He grabbed Gryffindor and floated out of the Great Hall.
"Hey! Old man!"
Tom Riddle's voice made all four men turn around. Tom Riddle naturally looked at Slytherin and Gryffindor. "Do you want to stay? The evening has only just begun! I've never seen the four founders dance before."
"Me?" x2
Gryffindor and Slytherin exchanged a glance. "With him?" x2
"Don't even think about it!" x2
"..."
How perfectly in sync. Dumbledore and Grindelwald subconsciously exchanged a glance, then smiled at each other. Since they already knew the answer, Tom Riddle didn't press them, and the two ghostly old men flew out of the Great Hall, presumably to continue bickering elsewhere.
...
Not long after, wizards in magnificent evening gowns entered through the doors of the Great Hall one after another.
Dumbledore, with Grindelwald by his side, seemed even more energetic than before. Before the ball began, he said only a few words before announcing its start. Then he led Grindelwald away for a romantic interlude.
To be honest, Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall were dumbfounded when they saw Grindelwald.
"You, Dumbledore, with your thick eyebrows and twinkling eyes, still claim you're not having a secret affair? Now you're not even trying to hide it, are you?!" However, considering that Dumbledore didn't seem to be suffering from dementia and Grindelwald didn't seem to have any intention of causing trouble, and with Tom Riddle observing it all... they didn't react too much for the time being.
As for the other two headmasters, Madame Maxime didn't recognize Grindelwald, and she was thoroughly engrossed in her romantic moment with Hagrid. Igor Karkaroff might have recognized him, or he might not have, but in any case, he seemed unfazed.
Led by Professor McGonagall, the champions entered first with their partners, Cassandra Volle and Fleur Delacour being the most dazzling. Then came Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. These two together were anything but ordinary. As they danced, Malfoy started some "mischief," and Harry, not to be outdone, retaliated! After the champions' performance, the ball officially began.
Grindelwald, with impeccable manners, invited Dumbledore to dance. Hagrid also invited the much larger Madame Maxime. Argus Filch and Mrs. Norris were also present, scurrying along the sidelines.
Karkaroff found a woman he didn't recognize—perhaps a professor, perhaps a student—who knew? Tom Riddle certainly didn't.
Professor Flitwick, unable to dance due to his size, instead conducted the band in playing the accompanying songs.
Professor Trelawney was still dead drunk, and "Moody" was nowhere to be seen... Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, was eager to join in and even invited Snape. Unfortunately, Snape had already sealed his heart with Lily Potter, and unless Harry summoned him, he would just sit and watch others flaunt their love, sulking until he was about to burst with bitterness. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall didn't seem too bothered and invited the other professors to join in the dancing.
The young wizards, unable to contain their excitement, went up in pairs, some with boys, some with girls, and some with girls.
Many of the young wizards who had already been rejected by Tom Riddle still tried to invite him again, their partners standing behind them looking utterly bewildered. Tom Riddle, of course, politely declined. If he agreed, the tea he drank from now on would probably be laced with basilisk venom instead of a sleeping potion; although it still wouldn't work on him…
Tom Riddle, sitting leisurely, continued to watch the spectacle. First, it was the two old men, then he looked at the others. Fred and George Weasley were also joining in, and the restless Ron Weasley seemed to have called Seamus Finnigan… He even saw Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood; they had come together, but they didn't seem to have any intention of dancing.
---
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