After seeing the analysis of the fourth option, a trace of reminiscence flashed across Professor Dumbledore's eyes.
His connection with two generations of Dark Lords ran far too deep.
The first Dark Lord, Gellert Grindelwald, had once been closer than a brother, more than a friend, and also his destined rival and greatest regret.
For two people like them to turn against each other because of differing ideals was something that could never be easily forgotten.
If that tragedy had not happened, perhaps Dumbledore and Grindelwald would have walked the same path, working together to overturn the Statute of Secrecy and reshape the wizarding world.
If the two most powerful and charismatic figures of that era had truly joined forces, no one in the wizarding world could have stopped them.
For the Greater Good.
If Dumbledore and Grindelwald's separation was born from tragedy and ideology, then the relationship between Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore was something closer to inevitability.
The second Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, had been personally brought to Hogwarts by Dumbledore when he was still a child.
At that time, Grindelwald was already rising to prominence across the wizarding world.
Dumbledore had been both a witness and a participant in that conflict.
In truth, every wizard of that era had been involved in one way or another.
The difference was that when Dumbledore first met Tom, he had already sensed something wrong.
Through certain events and through Legilimency, he saw signs that made him wary.
Because of this, he remained strict and distrustful toward Tom from the very beginning.
In the years that followed, Tom Riddle quickly distinguished himself at Hogwarts.
He displayed extraordinary talent, earned the favor of professors, and maintained a polite and refined image among his peers.
He gathered followers and built his own circle.
Yet within Hogwarts, there was always one person who remained suspicious of him and never relaxed his guard.
That person was Albus Dumbledore.
They were teacher and student, but also enemies.
One wanted to guide the other back to the right path, while the other sought to eliminate the obstacle before him.
Before Tom had fully stepped into darkness, Dumbledore tried repeatedly to force him back onto a better path.
But whether it was the extremism of the Gaunt family bloodline or the rebellion of youth, Tom did not return to the path Dumbledore had hoped for.
Instead, he went further.
When Dumbledore saw him again, he knew Tom had already stepped onto a road from which there was no return.
The Dark Arts had changed him.
Manipulated by pure-blood families, Tom began to believe in pure-blood supremacy, forgetting that it had only been a tool to gain influence.
After all, no one in the wizarding world held more wealth or power than those pure-blood families.
If he wanted influence, they were the most effective means.
For certain reasons, Dumbledore did not completely sever ties with him.
However, their relationship gradually became distant.
Eventually, Lord Voldemort rose in Britain, bringing fear and darkness.
After that, everything became known.
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
And Dumbledore, who arrived just a step too late.
[Live Broadcast Q&A System]
"Analysis complete. Now distributing Albus Dumbledore's reward."
After everyone finished reading, new text appeared.
When Tom saw the new message, the gloom in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual false smile.
"Congratulations, Professor, you answered correctly again."
Whether he truly meant it was obvious.
The stronger Dumbledore became, the harder it would be for him to return.
Even now, he was only a soul.
"If you experience more, you will understand more."
"Tom, time has given me not only wisdom and power, but something more."
"What is it?" Tom Riddle asked without thinking.
"Love. It is love, Tom."
At that moment, Dumbledore's eyes were gentle.
He looked like an ordinary old man, trying to guide a child back onto the right path.
For a brief moment, Tom Riddle was shaken.
Since entering Hogwarts, his relationship with Dumbledore had changed in a strange and complicated way.
Seven years.
For seven years, Dumbledore had been strict with him, never once showing warmth.
Every encounter felt like being seen through completely.
That constant suspicion had once made Tom feel irritated.
The more Dumbledore tried to guide him, the more fiercely he resisted.
Their relationship had long since turned hostile.
Dumbledore's attempts to teach him often felt like suppression.
That tension shaped everything that followed.
It was also why Dumbledore later regretted his actions.
A single misjudgment had created a Dark Lord.
That realization stayed with him.
So when he later faced Harry Potter, a boy similar yet different, Dumbledore chose to trust him and give him the one thing he had failed to give before.
"Professor, don't you think it's too late?"
Tom spoke slowly, his voice filled with something dark and unreadable.
...
📢 Author's Note
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