"So that's how it is. I understand the idea."
His eyes were passing across the parchments covered in numbers and diagrams scattered across the bed, Dumbledore tiredly massaged his forehead, a sigh issuing from his mouth.
"Is this the Arithmancy the Muggles have come up with?"
Now that he understood Alina's plan, the old wizard suddenly felt a hint of respect, not just for Alina, but those people of the other world who, just like the witches and wizards, sought the secrets of God's domain.
Just now, the awakened Alina had fully explained the collapse of the ruble and the Soviet Union's deficiencies and inevitable fall, as well as how Hogwarts could use legal means to reap an enormous amount of wealth from this collapse.
Though she was in the Slytherin dorms in the basement of Hogwarts, her thoughts soared straight into the heavens, drawing together various pieces of seemingly unrelated information and combining them together.
Through a vast array of seemingly meaningless numbers and calculation, she had chained a series of events reaching from the British Isles to the shores of North America, extending from the calm after the chaos of 1945 to the undercurrent surging in 1991, and confidently determined as if by prophecy an imminent and momentous revolution...no, this was even more frightening than a prophecy. This was a feeling of helplessness like one was merely a chess piece being moved around by a god high above.
From the moment the Galleons were moved into Hogwarts, they no longer needed to do a thing. This was an incident that started straight from the end. They simply needed to wait for the dust to clear to begin settling the accounts.
"Arithmancy? No, we call this science or deductive reasoning."
Alina softly shook her head. Her voice was somewhat scratchy from all the explaining, but her eyes were bright.
The greatest and most essential difference between the Magic and Non-Magic Worlds was not economic systems or differences in technological strength. It was the way their societies thought. Perhaps a man-made barrier existed between the Magic and Non-Magic World, but science and magic had never been opposed to each other.
Ordinary people originally had a vision narrower than that of witches and wizards, but this was not something that prevented them from understanding the world.
Science was how the humans of the Non-Magic World understood the world. Unbelievable magic was simply treated as things that current science had yet to explain.
In Alina's view, if it could be observed, it could be researched. If it could be researched, it could be influenced. If it could be influenced, it could be controlled. No matter what world one lived in, this was a fundamental law.
"But whether it's science or Arithmancy, there are always surprises. What if this fails? Hogwarts might cease existing because of this risk you took. Have you thought about how to deal with the worst-case scenario?"
Dumbledore extended his hand and began to carefully gather up papers on the bed as he asked his final question.
This was what most confused him. According to the terms of a vow, Alina's actions, which had essentially put Hogwarts in great danger, should have triggered the warning from the Unbreakable Vow before the final outcome had been reached.
"The worst-case scenario? Just hand the castle over to the goblins and then think of a way to repay the loan...the goblins have never been capable of damaging or destroying Hogwarts."
Alina stretched as she casually replied.
The girl patted the soft bed, removed the blanket, and got down. She walked up to the mirror, placed in front of the window, and began to tidy her air as she spoke in a soft and carefree tone.
"Professor Dumbledore, let me ask you, when will Hogwarts be considered to have disappeared? Is it when the castle no longer belongs to us? No. Is it when the knowledge we pass down changes? Also no. Is it when the Ministry of Magic or another organization places its own headmaster or teacher in the school? Of course not! It's when Hogwarts no longer teaches and nurtures young witches and wizards."
Alina turned around, her tender white toes naughtily kicking at the soft and warm wool carpet, her lake-blue eyes looking out at the mystical sight of the bottom of the lake outside as she gently smiled.
"Even if Hogwarts is destroyed in a war, the castle flattened, the Forbidden Forest burned down, and the Great Lake turned into a dried-up crater, there only needs to be enough wealth and manpower to pass down the knowledge of Hogwarts. Even if the Magic World vanishes, so long as human civilization continues to exist, Hogwarts will never disappear.
"Besides, if we really can't return the money, it's the goblins who will be the most worried. In order to prevent this loan from going bad, they will pay any price to ensure that Hogwarts continues...mortgaging Hogwarts for a loan has always been a means, not an end."
Alina mischievously blinked her eyes, a smug look on her face.
"So, Professor Dumbledore, what do you think? I'm awesome, right? There's a Muggle saying, 'handed victory on a platter,' that I think really suits the current situation."
The silver-haired girl happily raised a finger and wagged, cutely showing her two front teeth. One could see written all over her face the words "Praise me! Praise me!"
"It's truly a genius idea. I have no more questions on his matter. In the future, I will do my best to cooperate with you."
Dumbledore softly clapped and nodded in praise. A smile on his face, he softly said, "Now, I think we have a few small problems to discuss..."
The old wizard looked at Alina, who seemed like she was about to fly into the heavens, and his tone became even more genial.
"...regarding your taking of the Hogwarts deed from the Headmaster's office without permission and pretending to have the Headmaster's approval to sign an important contract."
"Eh?!"
Alina's happy little face froze, and a strand of combed silver hair on her head suddenly sprung upward. There seemed to be something not quite right in the air?
"Right, right, what time is it? I still haven't written a letter to Father Benitez, wishing him well. He's probably worried sick."
The silver-haired girl anxiously struck a fist into her palm, hastily put on her shoes, and began to loudly talk to herself as she tried to flee the Slytherin dormitory.
The panicked Alina brought a smile into Dumbledore's eyes. He leisurely extended his wand and lightly waved it.
(→‿→)つ—☆...[Petrificus Totalus]
Alina's entire body went stiff, but before she could fall to the floor, she flew through the air and back onto the soft dormitory bed.
"Professor Dumbledore, you used magic against a child that hasn't even started school yet! I'll report you to the Ministry of Magic! You're such a powerful wizard, but you use magic to torture a mere child! Where is your heart?!"
Sensing danger approaching, the petrified little girl loudly cried out in rebuke, her voice like that of a whining kitten. She had an extremely ill foreboding.
"My apologies. Please forgive a doddering old man for cheating a little. I will not use magic starting from now."
Alina saw the silver-bearded Dumbledore put away his wand and slowly walk over out of the corner of her eye. There was a smile on his face.
"According to what Mister Benitez said, there is a rather primitive Muggle teaching method that is often rather effective in having a naughty child like Miss Alina understand her mistakes."
Dumbledore pushed up his sleeves, sat on the side of the bed, and placed the frozen Alina across his knee.
"Wait...wait, wait..."
When she saw Dumbledore roll up his sleeves and raise an arm high, she immediately realized what fate awaited her and tried to struggle.
"Save me! Murder! Dumbledore's become a Dark Wizard..."
Pa!
"Ah!"
Tock, tock, tock...
There was a rhythmic knocking on the dormitory door, and then Boli's voice came in from outside.
"Professor Dumbledore, I have brought Mister Benitez."
Before he could finish, Benitez charged in through the door.
"Alina, are you okay?" The man anxiously rushed inside, and then he was struck dumb by the scene before him. He hesitantly asked, "Ah, Professor Dumbledore, what's going on?"
"Father, save me! Save me!"
Her savior had come, and the silver-haired girl was almost on the verge of tears. The old wizard's boney hand striking her butt was incredibly painful!
"I just learned that this morning, Miss Alina mortgaged the school."
Dumbledore raised his head, and calmly explained, acting like he was talking about something very ordinary.
"School's not even started, and you already mortgaged it?!"
Benitez felt like his head was about to explode. He finally understood what Alina had been plotting.
"I understand. Please hand Alina to me."
After a few seconds, Benitez nodded, and before the girl could smile, he woodenly added a line:
"I'm stronger, so she'll remember the lesson more."
Ah?! Aaaah?!
Alina's eyes went round. The plot shouldn't have gone this way! She was a hero! She was the cutest and most loving little sweetheart!
"Wait for a second! Everything I did was for school! I didn't embezzle a single coin..."
Pa!
"Let me go! I know my mistakes! I guarantee there won't be the next time..."
Pa!
"Professor Dumbledore, you made a vow to protect me..."
Pa!
"Ow! Waaaaaa! You bullies!"
Pa! Pa! Pa...