Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 345 The Principal's Scheme

The echoes of the rebuke reverberated in the office. Dumbledore was speechless. Looking down at his brother, who was looking down at him, his deep blue eyes seemed to daze for a moment, as if he were seeing that familiar figure from a hundred years ago again.

In his teens, he was lean and muscular, full of anger, and he was just as brave as he was when he asked him the question.

Dumbledore opened his mouth, his voice slightly hoarse: "The souls summoned by the Resurrection Stone are not stable enough. Ariana can receive the best care here with me."

As a legendary living wizard, his magical skills stand at the pinnacle of the world. He has in-depth knowledge of various forms of black magic and the soul, is proficient in alchemy, and also exchanges letters with scholars from all over the world.

His words were well-founded and persuasive.

Aberforth hesitated for a moment, but quickly recovered, his tone still cold and hard: "The best care? Did you take good care of her a hundred years ago? Ariana and her mother were taken care of by you... You have no right to say such things!"

"One hundred years ago... when Ariana was fourteen years old."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his once straight back now hunched, revealing a hint of old age: "When my mother died."

Aberforth said expressionlessly, “It was also the time you graduated that your plan to travel the world with your classmates fell through. You had to go home for your mother’s funeral. As the eldest son, you had to stay and take on the responsibilities of the head of the family.”

Even now, those memories still fill me with resentment.

Aberforth felt parched, picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, and spat out a mouthful:
“I know you don’t want to, and I’ve told you before that I don’t care about going to school. I’m willing to stay home and study on my own, and take care of Ariana. What did you tell me? That I was a distinguished graduate of Hogwarts in 1899?”

"You must finish your studies, and I will take over from Mother and take care of Ariana..." Dumbledore said solemnly.

Memories are torture for both of them, as if tearing off scabbed wounds and confronting the bloody pain once again.

"You must think you're incredibly great."

Aberforth let out a cold laugh: "Such a commitment is a huge sacrifice for Mr. Elite, isn't it? Hiding in the valley to take care of a half-mad sister, stopping her from blowing up the house every few days, and no one will give you a certificate!"

"I did pretty well for the first few weeks."

Dumbledore said in a low voice, as if in an attempt to persuade his brother to leave Ariana there.

"You were pretty good at pretending, but when that person arrived not long after, you weren't even willing to keep up the pretense!"

Aberforth grew even angrier and said viciously, "Grindelwald, just as talented and intelligent as you, you've finally found someone to talk to after being stifled for half the summer. Spending time with him has become your most anticipated thing, and taking care of Ariana has become second!"

The image of the blond boy flashed into Dumbledore's mind, and he felt a slight twitch deep within his heart, a dull ache.

The room fell silent. Aberforth and Dumbledore looked at each other and said nothing more.

Melvin made a concerted effort to minimize his presence, and he was aware of what happened next.

But whether it's distant memories or news gleaned from various channels, they all seem brief and empty. Hearing the two parties involved recount that tragedy in person evokes a much more complex feeling.

At that time, Dumbledore and Grindelwald were both very young; one had just graduated from Hogwarts, and the other had just been expelled by Durmstrang.

Two people dissatisfied with the status quo of the world quickly became close friends, studied the mysteries of magic, searched for the Deathly Hallows, and ambitiously planned to establish a new wizarding order.

“I was so naive back then. Geller gave me a beautiful illusion…” Dumbledore was silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, “Once we change the world, all wizards will no longer have to hide.”

"So what does it matter if a little girl is neglected for the sake of a grand plan and a greater good?"

Aberforth stared at him, his pale blue eyes gleaming coldly, his tone harsh: "Before we returned to Hogwarts at the end of summer vacation, I told you, I warned you, that Ariana wasn't in good condition. You couldn't take her with you, running around the world, going to all the places you planned to go, giving those clever speeches, and stirring up a bunch of followers for yourself!"

“But I didn’t listen, and Gellert didn’t want to listen either.”

Dumbledore murmured softly, closed his eyes, and revealed a pained expression, tears dripping from the corners of his eyes: "I was thinking of changing the world so that poor Ariana could also play freely in the sunlight."

Nearly a century has passed, yet the shadow in my heart has not faded.

They argued during their conversation, and it's unclear who drew their wand first, but soon everyone started casting spells and a chaotic battle ensued. Gellert even used the Cruciatus Curse, and flashes of light and loud noises attracted Ariana's attention.

“Ariana finally wanted to help, to stop us, but she didn’t understand what she was doing, didn’t understand the power of those spells…” Aberforth’s face suddenly drained of color, as if he had suffered a fatal wound: “Gone, gone forever!”

Compared to Dumbledore, Aberforth's emotions were far more intense. He slumped into his chair and began to sob uncontrollably, his face streaked with tears.

Dumbledore looked at his brother, who was crying his eyes out, got up and went to him to wipe his tears, but Aberforth turned his head away.

"You're free! Aren't you? From now on, you're rid of the burden of being a sister, and you can become the greatest wizard without any worries!"

Dumbledore wiped his nose with his sleeve and sighed, "For many years afterward, I was never free."

Two centenarians, one silently shedding tears, the other sobbing aloud... The scene of the older brother comforting his younger brother was truly undignified.

Melvin lowered his head and intently savored the pumpkin juice.

Once the two had calmed down, the room fell into an even deeper silence, which seemed to carry a hint of awkwardness.

Dumbledore sat back down in his seat and remained silent.

Aberforth stared at his hand, which was covered in blue veins, and tightened his grip slightly, causing his thick knuckles to turn white. He still wanted to find an opportunity to teach this man a lesson.

"Cough cough..."

Melvin took a sip of his tea, cleared his throat, and broke the silence: "Mr. Dumbledore, I understand your longing and guilt for Ariana, and it is normal for you to yearn for a reunion. But you must understand that this is the world of the living, and the souls of the dead cannot linger here."

Aberforth, having regained his senses, turned to look at his brother: "You said the same thing earlier, so what effect does the Resurrection Stone have on Ariana?"

“I can take care of…” Dumbledore said softly, “We three siblings can see each other again.”

"What exactly is it?" Aberforth frowned.

"Whether it's Harry's parents who died thirteen years ago, or Ariana who passed away a hundred years ago, they were both brave and deserve to be remembered and cherished. But they should stay in the world of the dead and continue their own journey, rather than being summoned as blood relatives. They are like birds on land sinking into the water, or fish in a lake coming ashore."

Melvin spoke very slowly, which the dropout tavern owner could understand: "Even if they only stay around the Resurrection Stone, with the protection of Death's magic, it's only a temporary solution for them."

Aberforth stared at Dumbledore, momentarily speechless.

“As Ariana remains in the world, her soul will gradually weaken, so she needs to rest!” Aberforth suddenly realized and said with wide eyes.

“Headmaster, when Harry was obsessed with the Mirror of Erised in his first year, you told him that the dead are worth remembering, but one should not wallow in remembrance and give up one’s own life.”

Melvin paused briefly before finally speaking, "Find some time to say goodbye to Ariana." A struggle flickered in Dumbledore's eyes. The night he received the Resurrection Stone, he had already discovered its flaws. Like the Deathly Hallows, it wasn't an artifact to help reunite loved ones, but rather a curse.

Ariana cannot taste the candies and snacks in the drawer, nor can she breathe fresh air; only images and sounds can bring her some comfort.

He already had a similar idea, and now that Melvin brought it up, he could no longer ignore it.

The centenarian wizard sat silently in his chair. He knew it was the right thing to do, but making such a choice was difficult.

“Hey! You’re all learned philosophers, but what does that have to do with me? You’ve spent so much time with Ariana, now you know what’s right and what’s wrong, and I’m willing to give up my life for you! I don’t have many years left to live!”

Aberforth protested: "Stop spouting lofty ideals and give me the Resurrection Stone. I'll take care of Ariana!"

“Aberforth…Melvin is right, I can’t be selfish anymore.”

Dumbledore called to him, “Let Ariana endure the discomfort of her soul and cross the boundary between life and death to accompany the two old men. It’s not about whether we are willing to give up our lives, but that Ariana should not give up another journey.”

“If all else fails, I’ll go to the other world to find her,” Aberforth said, extremely indignant.

“Ariana won’t agree to this. Do you want her to feel guilty?”

"Can……"

Abu Fusi was furious.

It's always like this. This brother is still so hateful. He and Ariana have spent so much more time together, yet he says things to me that are not open to argument.

"I know I can't convince you."

Dumbledore stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Then let's go see Ariana, the three of us siblings together."

“Ali…now?” Aberforth was stunned.

As he summoned the black gem, grasped it in one hand, and placed the other on his shoulder, the tavern owner suddenly felt uneasy.

Just a few minutes ago, I was crying without a care in the world, not caring about anyone's feelings or what anyone thought, but now I feel flustered, mixed with a bit of shyness.

Perhaps out of his brother's wicked sense of humor, Dumbledore didn't give him time to tidy himself up and immediately spun the Resurrection Stone before he could finish speaking.

The soft moonlight streamed in through the window, and the night mist enveloped the two old wizards. One leaned back in his chair, while the other stood beside him, their eyes closed at some point.

This room is crossing the boundary between life and death.

Looking over from the side, all I could see was a hazy mist, and within the mist was the figure of a girl with long hair and a sweet smile.

“Ariana…”

The tavern owner murmured to himself, and before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face again.

……

In the stillness of the night, Melvin stood by the window, gazing towards the Forbidden Forest and Black Lake, passing the time.

The three siblings' reunion after a brush with death was witnessed by Melvin, who neither watched nor left abruptly. The conversation had lasted for half an hour, and the tavern owner was both crying and laughing. If there was a fight match after the event, he could help break it up.

Dumbledore smiled and seemed to be listening intently, saying very little.

A quarter of an hour later, the moonlight and the mist in the room dissipated.

"How did the conversation go?" Melvin turned around.

Dumbledore slowly opened his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and returned to his original position: "We agreed to celebrate Ariana's birthday one more time, and then we should say goodbye."

Before Melvin could reply, Aberforth sighed.

"..."

“To ensure that Ariana’s soul is not damaged, she needs to rest for two days each time she appears. There are still three months left. Every two days, I will take the Resurrection Stone to the Hog’s Head.” Dumbledore put the black gem back into the silverware.

“Since we’re meeting at the Pig’s Head Bar anyway, why not give me the Resurrection Stone?” Aberforth retorted.

Dumbledore paused for a moment and said, "In fact, the Resurrection Stone is not my property. I borrowed it from someone else and need to make sure it is safe."

"?"

Melvin gave the principal a deep look, his expression somewhat complicated.

The principal, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, has actually started lying, even to his own younger brother.

"What do you mean? Pighead Bar isn't safe?" Aberforth asked, glaring at him.

Dumbledore avoided his professor's gaze and cleared his throat: "I didn't mean that, but I can't lend out things that others have lent me."

“You’re trying to get close to Ariana behind my back, you’re trying to talk bad about me!” Aberforth roared.

The clues were already apparent when he met Ariana. Ariana clearly preferred him, her second brother, to Albus when she was alive, but after so many years, she was closer to Albus than to him when they talked again.

It's obvious that she had been alone with him for a while and said a lot of bad things about him.

"So what do you want to do?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"..." Abu Fusi was speechless for a moment.

Only Melvin squinted at the principal, seemingly sensing a hint of scheming.

“If you’re worried…” Dumbledore looked up and said slowly, “You can stay here. Hogwarts has rooms for guests. You can even stay overnight in my office, which will prevent me from meeting Ariana alone.”

"You think I wouldn't dare?" Aberforth slammed his fist on the table. "That's it!"

Melvin turned his head and stared at the principal thoughtfully, a strange expression on his face.

The old wizard's methods were somewhat despicable in order to reunite the siblings.

(End of this chapter)