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What baffled him, however, was why Albus Dumbledore allowed Grindelwald such free rein.
Parents had written in to complain, several professors had raised concerns, and yet Dumbledore responded with nothing more than his usual calm reassurances. He never intervened to curb Grindelwald's more... creative approaches. Ian had caught a flicker of Dumbledore's feelings during dinner once.
They were hard to define.
A mixture of concern, weariness, guilt, above all, a sense of deep, almost resigned resolve. Ian couldn't guess what memories weighed on the old headmaster's heart.
Aurora seemed to share some private understanding with Dumbledore. She often went to meet with him late at night, ostensibly for advanced magical tutoring under his personal instruction.
But this hadn't been Aurora's decision alone. Ever since Christmas, it had been at Dumbledore's repeated insistence. Strangely, the headmaster never seemed concerned with Ian's academic development.
"Dumbledore must think I'm the sort who doesn't need supervision," Ian muttered after another lesson, seizing the chance to question Aurora as she passed.
But.
Aurora neatly sidestepped the question.
Instead, she silently raised her arm, showing him the faint, glowing trace of an Unbreakable Vow, the enchantment's lingering magic unmistakable to Ian's well-trained eye.
"An Unbreakable Vow?"
Ian's eyebrows shot up.
"Merlin's beard! Our headmaster is ruthless! Just wait till I summon our other mutual friend to give him an earful. What kind of man binds an underage girl to an Unbreakable Vow?!"
Aurora shook her head lightly.
"I chose it freely."
"You chose that?" Ian's curiosity flared.
He leaned in closer, and Aurora sighed, "I can't tell you, obviously. Dumbledore made the conditions very clear."
Ian frowned at the evasion.
"Well, never mind," he said, puffing up a bit. "I'll dig into it myself. I've already been researching vow-breaking spells, especially in the soul-binding field. If there's a way to nullify one of these without side effects, I'll find it."
His tone brimmed with confidence. And truthfully, Ian had been delving into the nature of such magical contracts, not out of idle curiosity, but to prepare for the day he might need to make grand promises of his own in public.
"Honestly, it's not as dramatic as it sounds," Aurora replied. "Whatever agreement Dumbledore and I have, I believe the purpose is the same as what I told you before."
She knew Ian well enough to realise that leaving him in suspense would only make him obsess over the mystery. After a brief moment of consideration, she decided it was safe to share a little of what she was allowed to say.
Because.
When most people said they were going to break a spell, it was bravado. But if Ian said it, there was a real possibility he'd pull off something absurdly clever and actually succeed.
"What goal?"
Ian blinked, struggling to remember. Life had been hectic lately, and sleep had become a rare luxury. He couldn't recall every stray conversation.
"Why, to make you king, of course," Aurora said casually, walking with him down the corridor. A number of younger students looked as though they wanted to greet Ian, but hesitated in the presence of Aurora. The Grindelwald name was daunting. Only the more daring Slytherins ever approached her directly.
Ian may have earned a somewhat infamous reputation around school, but most students understood he wasn't the type to hurt his classmates.
Aurora, on the other hand, was different. Since her arrival, many had quietly reviewed their textbooks for any mention of House Grindelwald. Several tomes described Gellert Grindelwald's legendary cruelty to fellow students during his own school days. The fear lingered that Aurora might be cut from the same cloth.
"You could say your grandfather holds those hopes," Ian replied with a small scoff. "But wizarding kingship? That's more folklore these days. The magical world's become quite democratic, if you haven't noticed."
Aurora, however, saw it differently.
"I don't know all the details," she said thoughtfully, "but from what I've seen, it feels like Albus Dumbledore may be even more determined than my grandfather to see you crowned."
She lowered her voice slightly, mindful of eavesdropping ears.
"Yes, really. Haven't you noticed my grandfather lately? He's been grinning like a Kneazle in a cream shop. He knows Dumbledore's finally thrown his full support behind you."
Her voice held a strange blend of admiration and unease. "What I'd really like to know is this: how in Merlin's name did you manage to sway the most revered wizard of the century, someone who's spent decades upholding progressive ideals, into gambling everything just to help you restore the old order of wizarding nobility?"
Faced with Aurora's quiet but piercing question, Ian paused, thinking carefully before answering.
"What did Dumbledore tell you? Surely that's something you can share with me?" Ian asked, uncertain how to explain the complicated relationship he had with anything, or anyone, tied to Dumbledore's household.
"Hmm."
Aurora stared ahead again, her expression unreadable.
"He told me he wanted to explore certain… forbidden magicks. And even with all his renown and influence, he couldn't quiet the wizarding world's fear and prejudice against such practices."
The words from the German witch made Ian's eyes narrow ever so slightly.
His thoughts immediately turned to Dumbledore's recent strange experiments with the Time-Turner, tamperings that might result in another version of Dumbledore stepping out from some forgotten alcove at any given moment.
"Blimey~"
As if pieces of a puzzle were clicking together, the young wizard let out a breathless gasp. He'd always thought he was daring, but he hadn't expected the seemingly cautious, old-fashioned Headmaster to be even more audacious than he was!
"Looks like you've figured out the reason behind Dumbledore's recent transformations," Aurora observed. She didn't miss a single flicker of expression on Ian's face.
"Maybe?"
Ian wasn't sure if he was overthinking the matter. After all...
These were things he hardly dared to imagine, let alone attempt.
"Now, it's your turn to explain why." Aurora's curiosity might not have shown on her face, but her expectant tone revealed it clearly enough.
"It's for someone he cares about," Ian said after a moment. "Someone he wants to see live under the open sky, free from judgment or influence… But of course, all of it hinges on whether his plans succeed."
He stood quietly in the corridor, eyes rising to the general direction of the Headmaster's office, his voice laced with something complex, something unspoken and wistful.
"Hmm."
Aurora nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
She didn't press him further.
"Still skipping Flying later?" she asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. Everyone knew that even if Professor Hooch docked house points, it wouldn't affect Ian's decision.
"Hooch could deduct a hundred points from me, and our house would still win this term. I'll go do my own thing. I've found a very powerful artefact recently."
Ian's eyes sparkled as he spoke, and he gave a slight nod toward the enchanted hourglass that tracked the house points before waving goodbye to Aurora and dashing toward the stairs.
The treasure he referred to was, of course, the black-robed skeleton.
He had spent several sleepless days poring over the ancient contract he'd signed with it.
Unless the class was particularly crucial, he simply didn't attend.
He had to uncover whether the skeleton posed a threat to him.
(To Be Continued…)