As Juma spoke, the crowd of gathered witches and wizards instantly perked up. Even Headmistress Shcherbakova of Koldovstoretz put away her usual smile, her gaze settling sharply on Albus Dumbledore.
Frankly, most of those present didn't particularly care who Hogwarts had chosen as its representative for the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, as long as the student was indeed from Hogwarts and met the eligibility criteria, it hardly mattered.
But if that student was the leader of the Alliance, well, that was a different matter altogether.
Dumbledore frowned deeply in response to Juma's accusation.
Seeing this, a flicker of satisfaction appeared on Juma's face. But Dumbledore calmly asked:
"You claim that Wentworth is the leader of the Alliance? Do you have any proof?"
Juma's smile widened. Composed and steady, he said, "Of course I do! Everyone, watch closely!"
Under the wary gaze of Professor Snape, Juma drew his wand and touched it gently to his temple.
From his temple, a glowing silver thread began to unravel, he extracted the memory with the practiced grace of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
Moments later, the silver thread dissolved into shimmering mist, and within it appeared a vivid scene: the aftermath of Juma's duel with Wentworth. Members of the Alliance emerged and bowed respectfully to Wentworth.
The room erupted with murmurs and whispers.
Juma stood tall, staring Dumbledore down with a triumphant smile. "Headmaster Dumbledore, what do you have to say for yourself now?"
Dumbledore furrowed his brow, concern etching deep lines on his face. He replied, "My poor child… has someone tampered with your memory?"
Juma's smile faltered instantly. A flash of confusion crossed his face.
Dumbledore stepped forward, extending a hand toward him. "Dear boy, has someone manipulated what you remember? Come here. Let me examine you."
Instinctively, Juma took a step back, his face wary. "Albus Dumbledore! The evidence is right in front of you, how... how can you say that?!"
His voice cracked slightly, hurt bleeding through his frustration.
But Dumbledore remained calm, speaking in a measured tone. "My child, I fear you've been used by someone with ulterior motives. You must understand, memory alone is not fact. Dark wizards, powerful ones, can alter memories with ease. You're still young, and there's much you've yet to see."
As he spoke, Dumbledore withdrew his own wand and pressed it to his temple, drawing out a thread of silver memory.
In moments, the mist coalesced again, this time revealing a peaceful scene: Dumbledore sitting shoulder to shoulder with Gellert Grindelwald, gazing silently at a sunset through a tall window.
Gasps and murmurs swept the room.
Dumbledore turned calmly back to the crowd. "You see? If we consider this alone to be conclusive evidence, then shouldn't someone accuse me of being bosom friends with Grindelwald?"
This drew thoughtful nods from many of the witches and wizards present. What Dumbledore said made sense.
As for whether Dumbledore and Grindelwald were truly friends? Please. No one seriously believed that.
If the two had been capable of sitting together watching sunsets as chums, then the wizarding world would've long fallen under Grindelwald's rule, of that, no one had any doubt.
Now, the once-confident Juma stood bewildered.
None of this was how it was supposed to go.
True, he had incapacitated Yusei and impersonated a Mahoutokoro student just to slip a potion into Dumbledore's tea. But Juma never believed the potion would actually kill Albus Dumbledore. The man was, after all, considered the greatest wizard in modern magical history.
The potion Juma had used was Veritaserum, the Truth Serum.
His true plan had been simple: to destroy Dumbledore's reputation in front of the entire international wizarding community.
Though it was Wentworth and the Alliance who had decimated the Kalembo Tribe, Juma's hatred for Dumbledore burned just as fiercely.
It was Dumbledore who had taken Wentworth to Uagadou. It was Dumbledore who had sheltered him ever since.
Juma had been so confident, so sure of his strategy, that even if Dumbledore avoided drinking the Veritaserum, Juma believed the memory evidence alone would be enough to ruin him.
But now… the script had been completely flipped.
Juma's plan was unraveling before his eyes.
Dumbledore regarded the silent Juma with pity and spoke gently:
"My child, you are Juma Kalembo? Truly of the Kalembo Tribe? Then tell me, have you ever asked yourself how you survived the massacre that wiped out your entire people?"
Juma lifted his head instinctively, looking at Dumbledore with wide eyes. The old wizard continued:
"Perhaps… someone deliberately altered your memories and let you go. And perhaps… they did it for a purpose they dare not speak aloud."
Juma's eyes clouded further, he was clearly struggling now.
Suddenly, Adisa stood up and declared:
"I understand now!"
Her sudden exclamation drew everyone's attention. As the crowd turned to face her, she said clearly:
"This is the plan! We don't know who's behind it, but it's clear, they're using Juma to destroy Albus Dumbledore's reputation. Their goal is to unseat him as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards!"
She looked around, her voice strong and unwavering.
"All of you here are among the most powerful witches and wizards in the world. You know the truth. It isn't that Albus Dumbledore needs to sit in that chair, it's that we need him to sit in it!"
"For years, he has led the Confederation with wisdom and integrity. Yes, he's made enemies, because he's always done what is right. And now, those enemies are using this incident to try to bring him down, so they can further their own shadowy ambitions!"
Her words ignited a wave of agreement from the gathered crowd. Even Juma, now visibly shaken, began to doubt himself.
Had his memories really been tampered with?
Was he just a pawn in someone else's game?
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]