{Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts}
{25th Sep 1991}
{Dumbledore's POV}
"There is no chance I could allow anyone not from the Slytherin bloodline access to the Chamber. Even if Slytherin was a lunatic and wanted to kill the Muggleborns, that is something I can not be a part of..." Rigel spoke.
Albus was a little surprised at how much the boy knew. He had several theories about how Rigel knew this; maybe he got access to some of his Slytherin inheritance, which would explain how he certainly was much more competent than the rest of the first years. Maybe something from Gringotts... And with the way the boy had set the minimum requirements quite clearly, the instincts of an explorer from his youthful days tingled.
'Is there a legacy that Slytherin left behind? Something in the Chamber? But Tom would have already found it during his school days. and Rigel never went in. Gringotts perhaps...' Albus mused. Tom Riddle was a magical prodigy that much everyone agreed on. Could a lost legacy be the reason for that? Probably, but all that speculation made it hard for him not to try and unearth what else Tom knew.
'Searching the Chamber or forever keeping an eye on the boy's progress is the only way to clear this variable...' Dumbledore concluded, but the problem with that was the young heir in front of him. He could not do anything forceful as subtle manipulations wouldn't work. The last time he tried something like this on a natural Occlumens, he had created a monster.
At the same time, young Rigel was in his most impressionable stage, according to the reports not only did he not have a guardian but he also didn't have any adult figure in his life.
'He's basically a muggle-born as well. Children who grew up in the wizarding world are familiar with the concept that they gain some independence after they are 25 years old. A muggle-born is already fiercely independent at 18,' Albus hummed to himself as he looked into Rigel's eyes.
The self-confidence on display made it clear that Rigel saw himself as the latter. So, for now, the only option was to play the negotiation game, try to push the bottom line, and even see if the young heir knew something more.
"A basilisk is an ancient and mystical creature, the King of the Serpents as you aptly put it, I cannot deal with it without entering the Chamber itself, the damage to the castle and the risk to the student can not be ignored..." Dumbledore replied. His tone was serious as he looked into Rigel's eyes. The boy surprisingly didn't shy away, even more, Rigel's eyes were roaming on Albus's face.
'With courage like that, he could have easily been a Gryffindor...' The errant through popped up as Dumbledore waited for Rigel.
After thinking about it for a few moments, Albus saw Rigel shift slightly as he shrugged, "Then you would have to just trust me not to open the Chamber again. After all, I'm the only known speaker of Parseltongue, aren't I? And if something does happen someday, all you have to do is get me. I'm practically a first-year muggle-born... No threats here."
Albus would love nothing more than to believe him, but he himself knew that somehow Voldemort had survived even though his body had been eradicated by the backfired Killing curse. The evidence of soul magic was quite clear that night. So he knew that sooner or later, Tom would return. Especially with the Prophecy only half completed, tough times were ahead.
In the last decade, he has been researching how Tom survived that encounter even though his body was dead. Even the philosopher Stone, capable of producing the Elixir of Life, wasn't able to save any small magical creatures from getting their bodies eradicated, let alone survive and exist in this world in the form of a spirit while at the same time not as a ghost.
He was frustrated at the results he had gotten from his experiments. Even though Nicholas had already told him it wouldn't work, this was one of the last avenues he could try.
Albus looked at Rigel again, 'the same self-confidence, the almost prodigal-like magical ability, Natural Occlumens...'
Albus stopped; once again, he pushed his prejudice away and sighed; he had his own pride for believing in second chances. So he can't judge someone in a harsh light even before young Rigel has done anything wrong. The only thing that forced him to broach was to see if Rigel would allow him to clear the threat before Tom could regain his power.
'There is no need to force the issue right now; Tom at least hasn't gained a body yet,' Albus concluded as he nodded.
"I guess I should have more trust in my students..." Albus admitted. The slight widening of his eyes revealed that the young heir was quite surprised. Albus continued, "How have your classes been? I hope you are enjoying your time at Hogwarts."
"Thank you for your concern, Headmaster... Learning Magic has been an interesting experience, though I can't help but notice how light our curriculum is?" Rigel asked.
"Ah, quite a lot of Muggle-borns ask that question. The workload of your magical education might seem light to someone who has gone through Muggle education. The reason behind this is that your magical cores gain their first maturity at 17 years of age. That's why Hogwarts starts late: our magic is very unstable before this first maturity, and even after it, it is a good idea to take things slow; excess pressure on your core could cause irreparable damage." Albus answered. He noticed that the stoic look on Rigel's face was gone, and now he was leaning forward in interest.
'A strong sense of magical wonder...' Albus concluded. He could work with that. While Tom had displayed hidden cruelty even before coming to Hogwarts, Rigel didn't show any dark emotions or past. Albus was confident that, given enough time, he could ensure that the young mind in front of him didn't sway to the darker arts.
'Although it would have been a little helpful if he was not surrounded by children of Dark Supremacists... I have to talk to Minerva and ensure that Rigel has another point of view to consider...'
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AN - Due to popular demand, Minerva is now introduced into the story a little earlier than I planned!
P.S - 47+ Chapters on P.atreon!