The system soon provided an explanation for why Ariana's recognition bar shimmered not just silver, but with faint streaks of gold. The growth potential of an Obscurus, it explained, was directly tied to the magical talent of its host. With the Obscurus inside her, Ariana could crush most ordinary witches and wizards. She was, in essence, a seed that—had fate been kinder—might have blossomed into a "King of the Century."
And then there was Aberforth Dumbledore, who, short of that very title, was still one of the strongest wizards of his generation. Truly, the Dumbledore siblings were all monsters in their own right.
Summoning "Heroes of the Ages," however, was a mixed bag. Strange characters of every sort emerged from that pool. Though Tom had not drawn an SSR-level immortal legend, Ariana was, without question, an SSR within this category.
Tom wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
But no matter what he felt, the fact remained—there was now a little girl living inside his mind. Complaining about it would do nothing to change that.
Suddenly, Tom thought of something.
"Ariana… how old are you this year?"
The girl's voice was soft, but he heard it clearly:
"Ariana is thirteen."
So the "little girl" was, technically, older than him.
Tom shook his head with a wry smile. With a wave of his hand, the study space shifted at his command. At the edge of the fog appeared a three-story villa, cloaked in a warm golden glow.
"Grindelwald can't come near this house without your permission. He won't be able to see inside either. Ariana, does this make you feel safe? If not, I can build an even higher wall."
"No need." The girl shook her head gently. "As long as I don't have to see him, that's enough."
"Then don't worry, Ariana." Tom grinned. "This is my world. Here, I decide everything. Grindelwald won't appear in front of you ever again. From now on, we're classmates. Andros is a very strong wizard—if you study with him, you'll definitely learn to control your Obscurus."
"Tom…" Ariana whispered shyly, "but when the space summoned me here… wasn't I supposed to be your teacher?"
Tom's smile froze on his face. No—actually, it slid right off his face and onto Andros's.
Andros gave Tom a solemn pat on the shoulder. "Tom, I must correct you here. You're the only student in this place. Everyone else is your teacher."
Tom groaned in frustration. "Then Ariana has to study hard, so she can start teaching me as soon as possible, all right?"
The girl's lips curved into a small smile.
"Ariana, go rest in the villa for now. Anything you need, just think of it, and it will appear—so long as it's something you've seen or used before. I've got a few things to take care of."
"Okay." Ariana nodded obediently and went inside.
Only then did Tom pull Grindelwald back from where he had been left sulking in the tall tower of Nurmengard. The moment the man appeared, Tom shot him a glare.
"Old Gellert, look what you did. You scared her so badly she nearly blew the place apart."
"How is that my fault?" Grindelwald frowned, genuinely baffled. "Who could've guessed you'd summon Ariana Dumbledore? I wasn't prepared for that at all."
"Neither was I." Tom rolled his eyes. "See that villa? Don't go near it. Ariana made it clear—she never wants to see you."
Grindelwald's brows furrowed slightly. "At least let me apologize to her. Back then… it really was an accident. None of us realized she had appeared in the duel."
"No." Tom cut him off firmly. "For you, decades have passed. But Ariana's consciousness is still frozen on that day of the duel. No matter what you say, she won't hear you. Wait until she's familiar with this place, until she's found some peace. Only then will I allow you to speak with her."
Grindelwald thought for a moment, then sighed and nodded. Tom's reasoning was sound.
"Do you know," Tom asked suddenly, "whose spell actually struck Ariana that day?"
Grindelwald didn't take the bait. He acted as though he hadn't even heard the question.
But that silence was answer enough. If it had been Aberforth, Grindelwald would have lashed out with accusations on the spot. His refusal to speak eliminated one suspect.
Tom didn't press further. He left the study space, checked the time, and realized with dismay that he hadn't eaten lunch. And now it was already time for class.
Before leaving, he gave Ariana permission to observe the outside world. As expected, the girl was captivated by Hogwarts. She had been confined to her home all her life, rarely going anywhere. Though she feared contact with people, she was also endlessly curious about the wider world.
Now, with Tom as her anchor, Ariana could see everything without ever leaving the safety of her villa. Her favorability climbed rapidly.
It had its perks. Grindelwald's approval rating had been stuck around ninety for ages, barely moving at all. But Ariana had barely arrived, and her favorability was already approaching thirty.
In class, it took less than five minutes before Daphne was snoring at her desk. Tom, meanwhile, tuned out Professor Binns's droning voice and chatted with Ariana.
He introduced himself, described Hogwarts, and told her about her elder brother, now Headmaster of the school.
When Ariana learned that more than a hundred years had passed, she was stunned. She hadn't realized she had been dead for so long.
"Ariana, after class, shall I take you to see Dumbledore?" Tom asked in his mind.
There was no immediate reply. The girl hesitated, then murmured: "Th-then… maybe I could? Do you know where Aberforth is?"
"Of course." Tom casually shifted the blame for his knowledge. "An older friend told me. Aberforth runs the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade village. If you'd like, I can sneak you out this weekend to see him."
"Thank you, Tom." Ariana's gratitude was sincere—and her favorability jumped to forty in an instant.
Tom leaned back with a satisfied grin.
Now that's how it's done. Grindelwald, you old fossil, take notes.