— — — — — —
The study space had stopped shaking, but the new teacher still hadn't appeared.
"Tom, what's wrong?" Andros finally asked.
"It's nothing." Tom shook his head, lifting his hand to signal them to wait. "Just give it a moment. My teacher should be here soon."
This damn system… Tom honestly didn't even know what to say. For the sake of so-called "safety," it apparently had to wipe out the new teacher's residual soul?
Then what about Voldemort? Did the system summon him? Wouldn't it have instantly erased all the Horcrux fragments tied to him? Even the half-formed one inside Harry?
But Tom was certain the summoned one wasn't Voldemort. An SSS-tier legendary figure? Voldemort didn't come close to that.
So who was it, then? Which unfortunate soul had been pulled into this mess?
And was there really still a legendary soul wandering the world?
Tom stared at the sky and waited.
The system didn't make him wait long. Light gathered above them, bright enough to make them narrow their eyes.
When the blinding halo faded, the new teacher appeared.
She was a beautiful witch, looking perhaps in her late twenties. Her skin was smooth, her figure elegant beneath the loose folds of her robe. Her deep-blue wavy hair flowed like the sea, and her dark-brown eyes held quiet mystery.
For a moment, her gaze was distant and unfocused. Then clarity returned, flashing to life.
She took in the space. Her pupils trembled for an instant. Then she spoke calmly. "Not enough data."
She floated down and let her eyes sweep over each of them before finally settling on Tom.
"Rowena Ravenclaw..."
Tom identified her first. Her likeness existed at Hogwarts—life-sized in the Ravenclaw common room and several smaller statues in the tower.
Compared to those stone figures, the real Ravenclaw was far more striking.
The quiet wisdom, the scholarly grace. Through history, no witch had replicated that aura.
"Mr. Riddle."
Ravenclaw smiled gently, her voice soft and clear like spring water. "Magic never ceases to astonish. I never imagined someone could possess such overwhelming and forceful talent."
"Forceful... that part has nothing to do with me." Tom gave an awkward smile. "Some things aren't within my control. Including... destroying your soul fragment."
"Soul fragment?" The two older wizards snapped their heads toward him, staring wide-eyed. "What do you mean? Ravenclaw didn't die?"
A thousand-year-old archmage still alive—this news would explode through the wizarding world.
"It's alright, Mr. Riddle."
Ravenclaw wasn't upset. Her smile remained calm. "I am indeed long dead. I only left behind a fragment of my soul and memories, held in place by an unresolved wish. But after sleeping for a thousand years without ever being called awake... I already knew the answer."
She was smiling, yet regret flickered in her eyes.
"At least here I don't have to sleep. I can see the world a thousand years later, and converse with great wizards of the past and present."
"You waited a thousand years for Helena, didn't you?" Tom said.
Ravenclaw's eyes widened slightly. "You know? Yes. I only wanted to wait for my daughter to come home. But... well."
"Helena already came home. She became the Ravenclaw ghost."
"Ghost?" Ravenclaw's expression changed sharply. The temperature dropped, her hair paling to icy blue. Frost spread across the space. Andros stepped forward, summoning a shining white barrier to block the cold.
Ravenclaw took a breath, composed herself, and smiled apologetically. "Forgive me."
Andros shook his head. "No need. If someone killed my family, I would react far worse."
"Thank you." Ravenclaw bowed slightly, her hair returning to its original shade. She looked at Tom again. "Please continue."
"There isn't much more." Tom shrugged. "After Helena died, Baron realized what he'd done. He couldn't accept it and stabbed himself as well. They both became ghosts. Hogwarts records don't mention when they returned, but since then, Baron and Helena have remained as ghosts of Slytherin and Ravenclaw."
"Baron goes to the Astronomy Tower often. Probably hoping to run into her. But the two never speak. Helena calls herself the Grey Lady now. Ravenclaw students see her sometimes, but few talk with her."
Tom stopped there. He didn't mention Voldemort tricking Helena later. No need to rub salt into a thousand-year-old wound.
"Thank you, Mr. Riddle."
Ravenclaw exhaled softly. "It was my mistake. I should never have sent Baron after her."
"Yeah, that was pretty stupid." Tom nodded honestly. "You're not very good at handling emotional relationships. Your bond with your daughter was never warm."
"Sharp insight. Yes, that was my greatest flaw."
Ravenclaw spoke plainly. "It wasn't that I didn't understand feelings. I simply assumed she would understand as well. So I never spoke."
Grindelwald subconsciously nodded.
He knew that feeling well. He always assumed that even if others weren't as brilliant as him or Albus, they at least wouldn't be fools.
But reality was harsh. Fools were the majority—both among wizards and among Muggles.
"Mr. Riddle, would you explain this place to me more thoroughly?"
Ravenclaw didn't ask him to resolve her regrets or untangle her emotions. She had just arrived, but she already understood her place. Tom was the master of this space. She was a teacher, but until she contributed something, she had no right to make demands.
Besides, she was genuinely intrigued by everything here.
Tom started by introducing the people in the study space. When he got to Andros, Ravenclaw didn't act superior despite being stronger. In fact, she carried herself as the younger one.
The reason was simple: Ravenclaw was Greek. She grew up hearing legends about Andros the Invincible.
When Tom introduced Ariana, Ravenclaw looked closely at the girl. "An Obscurial? Child, you must have suffered greatly."
The warmth in her voice hit straight into Ariana's heart. Her lips trembled. She remembered her family.
Tom hurriedly stepped forward and cut in before the tears could form. "It's all in the past. Don't dwell on it. Crying before you're alive again is pointless. Those tears aren't real yet."
Ariana sniffed hard and nodded.
A flicker of something dangerous crossed Grindelwald's eyes, but he stayed silent.
"I researched Obscurials once." Ravenclaw stepped closer, gently brushing Ariana's hair. "They aren't uncontrollable. Leave it to me. I guarantee you will fully tame it."
"Aunt Ravenclaw, that part is outdated." Ariana puffed out her chest proudly as the Obscurus floated out from her hand like a ribbon of shadow and light. "I already control it freely. It doesn't affect me anymore."
Under normal circumstances, Ravenclaw would have praised her without hesitation. But right now…
The beautiful witch froze. Her skin went pale, like all color drained out of her.
"A... Aunt? You called me Aunt?"
Tom's eyelid twitched. Why are you fixating on that...
Ariana blinked in confusion. "Your child is already grown, isn't she? Shouldn't I call you Aunt? Or should it be… grandmother?"
Everyone almost heard the sound of a magical arrow being shot straight into Ravenclaw's heart.
Ravenclaw inhaled, then very deliberately patted Ariana's head again. This time her smile was sweet, but dangerous.
"Remember this, Ariana. From now on, call me Sister Ravenclaw."
Ariana swallowed hard. "Y-Yes... Sister."
Her instincts screamed that disobeying would be fatal.
"Good girl." Ravenclaw's smile became radiant again.
Tom couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Ravenclaw glanced at him sidelong, expression elegant and charming. "I may have a daughter, but I didn't give birth to her. Technically, I am a maiden. A maiden the same age as Ariana. Calling me 'sister' is perfectly reasonable."
"Wait, not born by you?" Tom blurted out. "Did you steal her?"
"Mr. Riddle," Ravenclaw almost tripped over his logic. "You seem to have some misunderstandings about the Founders. Not everyone is as violently inclined as Godric and Salazar."
She sighed softly. "Helena is... a magical creation."
Grindelwald's eyes widened. "You created a person with magic?"
"You could say that."
Ravenclaw flicked her wrist. An ancient book appeared in her hand and opened itself. Soft blue magic streamed from it, forming the shape of a hazy, incomplete figure. The magic inside pulsed with delicate rhythm.
"When your understanding of magic reaches a certain point, questions naturally arise. Where does magic originate? How does a soul develop? How does consciousness connect to magic and alter the world?"
"To answer these questions, each person chooses their own path. I chose to create a witch from nothing."
Her voice became ethereal. "Helena was born from that. I poured everything I had into her. Knowledge, power, resources... I even erased countless living souls to extract enough pure soul essence. When she was born, I believed I had created perfection."
"But then... the world struck back. I crossed a forbidden boundary. I was gravely injured and died within a few years."
"And Helena was affected as well. Her talent didn't reach the perfection I sought. The memories I gave her were wiped clean, leaving her... slow. But even so, she was my beloved daughter. My most perfect work."
Tom couldn't help himself. "You're insane."
Creating a living soul from magic... That violated every known magical law. And she had actually succeeded. At least halfway.
Legendary wizards really were cheating.
"Wow..." Ariana didn't fully understand the complexity involved, but she understood enough to be awestruck.
The two old men, however, were simply stunned.
So this was the realm of legends.
"Lady Ravenclaw." Andros took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I request a duel. Please fight with your full strength."
He didn't even finish speaking before Tom threw his hands up and spun them like a windmill.
The buildings vanished. A colossal Roman-style arena erupted from the ground, and Tom, Grindelwald, and Ariana were instantly relocated to the spectator stands.
Tom cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted down into the arena. "No holding back, Ravenclaw! Hit him! Hit him hard!"
After being flattened by Andros countless times, he was finally going to enjoy payback.
.
.
.