"Pfft!"
Charles nearly burst out laughing.
He really couldn't hold it in. To slander Dumbledore right to Dumbledore's face—did Riddle really think that made him clever?
"See? He said you're an evil wizard. The world's greatest white wizard being twisted into the Dark Lord—don't you think that's rather amusing?"
Dumbledore smacked his lips lightly, savoring the taste of the little cake. He didn't seem particularly bothered by Riddle's defamation.
"Actually, I can't quite call myself a good man either," he admitted. "You know, I once nearly brought about a disaster far worse than Voldemort's. Many innocent lives were lost because of Grindelwald—and most of his plans were conceived by me. I simply didn't commit the acts myself."
"Well…"
Charles let the topic pass; he never liked seeing Dumbledore so serious.
It wasn't that Dumbledore lacked humor—he simply hadn't lived without guilt for nearly half a century. To him, it was a solemn, painful matter. For those who died, and for their loved ones who survived, even more so.
And yet, that very torment was the clearest proof of his goodness.Only, Dumbledore's kindness was far too rational.
He wasn't a lion. He was more like an eagle.
"You say Dumbledore is an evil wizard? Impossible! I won't allow you to slander him like that!"
Charles pretended to be furious as he wrote into the diary.
Riddle quickly responded.
"I was speaking of my world's Dumbledore. Like you said, our two worlds mirror each other—similar, yet utterly opposed. In your world, perhaps Dumbledore is a saint, but in mine, he's the Dark Lord himself!He ruled the wizarding world through violence for nearly a century. I fought against him and died for it, leaving behind only this memory. That's why hearing his name fills me with fear."
Riddle was a born deceiver. With anyone else, he might've actually fooled them.
But realizing that this "Harry Potter" seemed to hold Dumbledore in high regard, he quickly softened his tone—feigning sincerity.
"Of course, I'm willing to believe that the Dumbledore of your world is a good man."
After saying this, Riddle suddenly paused, struck by a thought.
Wait… if the two worlds are opposites, could it be that this world's Dumbledore is actually the evil one?
His eyes brightened. The longer he thought about it, the more intriguing the idea became.
If Dumbledore were the ambitious one here… oh, that would be delightful.
"You're right," Charles said with a glance toward Dumbledore. "He's indeed an excellent headmaster".
"Remember our little script?"
"Of course. I haven't gone senile yet," Dumbledore said playfully.
"My goal," Charles recited, "is to obtain the power of the Legendary Pokémon—and use it to destroy the current world, rebuilding a more beautiful one in its place."
The script Charles had prepared was basically in the same style as the villains from the Pokémon games.
More specifically—like Lysandre.Only their ideals differed.
Charles planned to show Voldemort a version of Dumbledore who had never abandoned his idealism.
In this rewritten version of history, Dumbledore hadn't broken with Grindelwald—instead, after Grindelwald's defeat, he inherited his ideology.But having learned from Grindelwald's failure, he avoided direct confrontation with other Trainers.He operated in the shadows, scheming to seize the power of the Legendary Pokémon.
Charles nodded. The actor and the script were both ready. Now it was time to see how Riddle would react.
He wrote again in the diary:"If you wish to learn more about Pokémon, I'll have to ask Professor Dumbledore for permission first. Otherwise, we might risk something dangerous. If you agree, I'll show him your diary."
Riddle pondered this.
He had never met this world's Dumbledore, and that uncertainty made him cautious.
Even if this Dumbledore were ambitious like himself, that didn't guarantee they could work together.Good men might unite in ideals—but ambitious men were rarely of one mind.
After a brief hesitation, Riddle made his decision.
"Fine. I'd like to see what your world's 'good' Dumbledore is like."
Charles wasn't surprised. If anything, he was amused that Riddle agreed so quickly.
Riddle was supremely confident in his magical prowess.A power so alien to this world—it was, to him, a priceless treasure.
And he himself, naturally, was that treasure.
Most importantly, he always believed he had a backup plan.
He was merely one of his six Horcruxes. Even if something went wrong, five others remained.
"All right then," Charles wrote, "I'll bring this to Dumbledore."
With that, he closed the diary and handed it to Dumbledore."Don't blow your cover."
"Don't underestimate an old man," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "Besides, this isn't deceit—I'm simply portraying another possible version of myself."He tucked the diary under his arm with a smile."By the way, any more desserts? They're quite delicious."
Charles glanced at the empty plate, exasperated."No! And old men should eat less sugar anyway!"
After Dumbledore left with the diary, he didn't open it right away.He planned to let Riddle stew for a few days.
Talking to Riddle wasn't urgent.Quirrell, on the other hand, seemed near his limit.
The Forbidden Forest had grown restless lately.Dumbledore suspected Quirrell's body could no longer withstand Voldemort's corruption.Even if Voldemort spent most of his time dormant, Quirrell's life force continued to drain rapidly.
What Dumbledore didn't know was that Charles had a hand in that too.
Gengar had been hiding in Quirrell's shadow, feeding on his life energy—and doing so far more ruthlessly than Voldemort.
Charles had actually planned to visit Sirius soon, to retrieve Slytherin's locket—but before he could, Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst into his office.
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
The three of them were panting hard—with a hulking figure lumbering in behind them.
—Hagrid.
"What is it, you lot?"
"Professor, Hagrid's raised a dragon! We were wondering if it could live in your sanctuary!"
(End of Chapter)