Hogwarts: When the live Q&A goes live

Chapter 239 Conversation with Dumbledore (Part [-])
Hogwarts at night is a dark castle.

But tonight, the lights are on in the principal's office on the eighth floor.

Dumbledore was sitting in the chair, and Fawkes had already fallen asleep in the place where he usually stayed.

It could also be pretending to be asleep.

Dumbledore holds a photo.

In the photo, it was a group photo of a middle-aged man and a boy.

The middle-aged man was him, and the other boy was 12-year-old Tom.

The background is in Wu's Orphanage.

In the photo, his expression is very serious, while Tom's expression is thick and mocking.

Putting the photo down, Dumbledore rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes.

He thought more than once, if he was not afraid to show Tom Grindelwald again when he saw Tom's potential back then, and cared for him, it would not be so serious.

So what happens in the end?

It's a pity that the most indispensable thing in this world is regret, and there is no potion that can make people regret.

As between him and Grindelwald, he and Tom.

Just like what Snape said to Lily back then.

It happened, no matter how much you regret it, you can't make up for it.

Arianna's death, Tom finally went astray.

The break between Snape and Lily, the two people who were once close to each other drifted away, until he watched the one he loved marry the one he hated.

There are too many regrets and regrets in this world.

Fortunately, he still has time to make up for the mistakes he made.

Believe me, Severus thought so too.

When Dumbledore was caught in the pain of memories.

Tom had already set foot on the eighth floor and walked straight to the principal's office.

Dumbledore had told him the password for tonight.

Ice mouse!

The thought of the name made Tom want to laugh.

Dumbledore was still the same, with a paranoid fondness for sweets.

And he can guarantee that he will definitely be able to see Dumbledore's "collections" when he goes to the principal's office. After all, he didn't like sweets before.

But this time was different, he wanted to make Dumbledore feel bad, and let Dumbledore know what a stupid decision it would be for him to put his collection in front of him.

With deep malice, Tom had already walked to the door of the principal's office.

"Ice mouse."

Before the stone beast in front of him could ask, Tom had already said Dumbledore's password.

The stone beast was stunned for two seconds by the quick answer, but since the password was correct, it jumped aside very obediently and let out the door of the principal's office.

He raised his head and looked at an automatic spiral staircase in front of him.

Without thinking much, he slowly climbed up the stairs.

During Principal Armando's time, he often came to the principal's office.

At the top of the stairs was the office door, a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

After twisting it open with a click, the first thing Tom saw was Dumbledore sitting on the chair.

The clicking sound was very obvious in this silent night, and Dumbledore's memories were also interrupted by it.

He looked at Tom with an unconcealable exhaustion in his bright eyes.

"Come on, sit down."

"Ah."

Responding slightly, Tom walked all the way in front of Dumbledore, pulled the chair away, and sat on it.

The two were relatively silent, Dumbledore looked at Tom when he was young, and Tom was looking for Dumbledore's collection on the table.

When I was ready to talk later, I kept eating.

It hurt Dumbledore.

The atmosphere became so tense.

Dumbledore didn't speak, and Tom wouldn't speak first.

Neither of the two wanted to speak first.

Perhaps there are too many factors involved.

One was looking for candy on the table, and the other was staring at him.

There was a long silence, but Dumbledore held his breath and didn't say a word.

Tom, who had been looking for candy for a long time, raised his head and looked helplessly into Dumbledore's eyes.

"Professor, if you don't say anything, I will go back first."

"You know, I've been away from Hogwarts for a while, and I still want to take a good stroll tonight."

On the word "tonight," Tom emphasized.

Dumbledore withdrew his thoughts, and the smile he had when school started at night reappeared on his face.

"I'm just curious, why you suddenly thought of going back to Hogwarts."

"You tried your best to leave here, but it's you who came back here now."

"Tom, what do you... want to do?"

He concealed the tiredness in Dumbledore's eyes, replaced by a pair of sharp eyes.

"I have my reasons for coming back."

"Professor, you don't want me to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, do you?"

Tom squinted, not intimidating.

The two looked at each other with their heads held high, and the momentum of both sides increased steadily.

It seems that the next moment, if there is a disagreement, there will be a big fight.

"It's for Harry. You're here for him, including participating in the Triwizard Tournament. Only at that time is it convenient for you to make a move."

"Don't think too dirty of me, maybe part of the reason is because of Harry Potter, but the ultimate goal of my coming back is definitely not because of him."

Unsurprisingly, the two began to quarrel. This scene was both unfamiliar and familiar.

Strange because he and Dumbledore haven't had a fight in decades.

Familiar because, during the time he was in school, there were countless similar quarrels.

Just like this time.

Looking at Tom whose neck and face were completely red, Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, and then fell silent as if thinking of something.

"I came back for something else."

After Tom finished this sentence, he also fell silent, without saying a word.

Like a child getting angry.

But it's a bit different.

"I know something about what you were doing in Germany."

"Oh, is it? So what? Is the great Albus Dumbledore trying to warn me?"

Dumbledore was silent for a while, then spoke.

It's just that he was targeted by Tom as soon as he opened his mouth.

The words were full of sarcasm, which was already comparable to when Snape was facing Dumbledore.

Neither of them gave him a good look.

"How come, I was just thinking, maybe what you are doing now is right, but I don't understand, how did you suddenly change so much?"

"It's not like you at all, really, it's not like you at all."

Tom didn't speak, he just picked up a piece of candy on the table and stuffed it into his mouth.

This is what he just discovered, Dumbledore saw him like this, a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes.

"People change, Professor."

"This is an unavoidable thing. I am not like me after many years. His thoughts have been fixed, and his thoughts have been distorted for so many years of studying black magic."

"I was fortunate to get the help of that thing to replenish my soul, and I was fortunate to realize the path I should stick to."

What that thing was, although Tom didn't say it, Dumbledore knew.

As in another layer of meaning in his words, he was him, and Voldemort was Voldemort.

After his soul is whole again, he is entitled to say this.

(End of this chapter)