Three weeks, that was the time he searched for the Chamber of Secrets, but the place was nowhere to be found in Hogwarts, as if it had completely vanished from the face of the earth. If it weren't for the Sorting Hat stating that the Chamber of Secrets existed, Asterion would have doubted its existence in this reality.
Rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table, Asterion delved into deep thoughts. If the Chamber of Secrets wasn't in Hogwarts, there was only one place it could be: the Forbidden Forest.
"Even if I don't follow the canon, will I be dragged into it eventually?" Asterion murmured to himself as he watched the orange flames of the fireplace. The comforting crackle of the flames seemed to bring him an inexplicable sense of calm.
"But, it won't be so simple to drag me into this mess," Asterion murmured with a cold smile, as he continued to contemplate the spectacle of the flames.
It was a game, a game involving Dumbledore, Voldemort, and himself, each with their distinct objectives. Dumbledore manipulated Hogwarts as if it were a chessboard, with the Philosopher's Stone as the prize for whoever could take down his "queen," all with the purpose of luring Voldemort out of the hole he called a hideout.
Even aware that it was a trap set for him, Voldemort chose to participate in the game in the hope of regaining his body.
Whether Dumbledore or Voldemort, both trusted their own lives to win in this game of manipulation, lies, and power.
But Asterion had no intention of becoming a mere pawn in the hands of two extremely powerful and experienced wizards. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Dumbledore and Voldemort when it came to manipulation. After all, at just thirteen years old, he definitely didn't have the same experience or patience needed to manipulate everything and everyone like they did.
"But don't blame me for flipping the chessboard when I lose patience," Asterion said, resting his head on his hand and displaying a sarcastic and ironic smile. He was determined not to submit to the plays of Dumbledore and Voldemort, even if it meant challenging the rules of the game.
-
Headmaster's Office.
Rose observed the office with great curiosity, but after a moment of analysis, she found nothing particularly interesting. It seemed just like a typical office of an elderly man, filled with portraits, common objects, and many books.
"Rose, thank you for coming." Dumbledore greeted her with a smile, but she only smiled back, not bothering to respond. She sat in the chair across from him and stared at him with her radiant blue eyes.
"Would you like something to drink, Rose?" He offered, with a gentle smile and a warm look.
"No, thank you. I've learned not to accept sweets from strangers, especially from suspicious old men." Rose replied, her smile tinged with sarcasm.
"Well said." Dumbledore laughed, taking a sip of his honey tea. He ignored the provocative words of the thirteen-year-old.
Then, he looked seriously at Rose and asked, "What do you think of the wizarding world, Rose?"
"From what I've seen, it's a rather backward, prejudiced, and quite authoritarian world, in my opinion." Rose responded, keeping her gaze fixed on Dumbledore.
"Hmm..." Dumbledore nodded, continuing. "Part of this is due to magical secrecy, which prevents Muggles from knowing about the existence of magical beings. Both worlds haven't delved deep enough. England, in particular, is one of the most conservative countries in this aspect. Many of our laws haven't been altered in over four centuries, a time when the nobility held particularly powerful sway."
The expression "particularly powerful" was a euphemism on Dumbledore's part. Four hundred years ago, Muggle-born wizards couldn't ascend in the magical society; without money, many were forced to return to the Muggle world, unable to continue their studies or research.
It was a time when blood determined everything. Blood meant power, wealth, and status. Without it, you were just a dirty, hungry peasant.
"My Magical History teacher is Professor Binns," Rose commented with a bored tone.
Dumbledore wasn't offended by her words. Stroking his long white beard, he looked at the girl with grandfatherly tenderness and let out a low chuckle.
"Patience is a virtue, Rose. There will be moments in your life when you'll need it."
Rose rolled her eyes at his words; patience was the last thing she had at that moment. All she wanted was to leave and, perhaps, tease Asterion a bit. She enjoyed trying to change that perpetually cold expression on his face.
Noticing Rose's growing impatience, Dumbledore shook his head and continued.
"With my status as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I granted some rights to Muggle-borns and half-bloods, which threatened their status, angering the nobility. As you may have read in some books, unfortunately, this eventually led to war."
"A war because I granted 1% of the rights that belonged to the noble class to those who truly needed them. This enraged them so much that they embraced Voldemort as their leader, largely in part due to his connection with Salazar Slytherin. Combine an extremist and an equally extremist ideology, and the result is genocide against Muggles, Muggle-born wizards, and half-bloods, along with some pure-bloods."
Rose's eyes grew particularly cold at the mention of Voldemort, her parents' killer.
"Why are you telling me this?" She asked, sitting up straight in the padded seat.
"Rose, when I'm gone, the nobility will regain all the power they had before. Nearly fifty years of work will be thrown away. People need a leader, someone to protect their rights," Dumbledore explained bluntly.
These words caused Rose's eyes to widen briefly, looking at Dumbledore as if she were seeing a madman. With the explanation she had received from Asterion on the Hogwarts Express, she could understand the nuances in Dumbledore's words.
"You want me to take your place in the Light Faction?" She asked, still somewhat incredulous.
"Exactly. I want you to take my place as the leader of the Light Faction," Dumbledore confirmed with a nod.
Rose didn't know what to say. She wasn't naive; she understood perfectly the implications of Dumbledore's words. However, if she were asked if she wanted that, the answer would be an emphatic no.
Without Dumbledore needing to read her mind, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"I know, Rose. You don't want this, but don't answer me now, my old bones can still hold out for a few more years." Dumbledore showed a smile and spoke, showing his arm with sagging skin, as if he wanted to reinforce his words.
Rose didn't respond and left the office without saying anything to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore watched Rose leave his office with a calm and serene look, he looked at his own hands aged by time and murmured to himself.
"Rose, you will learn that when the world needs you, it doesn't ask for your permission, it orders."
Leaning weakly in his chair, Dumbledore looked at his old friend who had just arrived and murmured.
"For the greater good, Fawkes."
The beautiful phoenix just chirped a lovely, comforting tune, bringing a smile to the lips of the Hogwarts headmaster.
-
Walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, Rose ignored the admiring gazes of other students, lost in deep thoughts.
Suddenly, she spotted Asterion carrying some books in his arms, likely from the Hogwarts library.
Without hesitation, she approached, took his hand, and dragged him into a nearby broom cupboard, to the surprised looks of the first-year students and the ambiguous, provocative looks from the older ones.
"Help, I'm going to be abused...", Asterion said sarcastically inside the broom closet, looking at Rose.
Rolling her eyes at his words, Rose stared at him seriously.
"Little Star, I want you to answer something," she said with an extremely serious tone, leaning against the wall.
Asterion was surprised by the seriousness in her voice and nodded, agreeing with her words.
"If I become the leader of the Light Faction, what will happen to me?" Rose asked.
"Dumbledore offered you the position," Asterion understood the seriousness of Rose.
Honestly, he was surprised. Dumbledore spoke to Rose! That truly surprised him; he thought the old manipulator wouldn't reveal the truth until a few years later.
"You don't seem surprised," said Rose, noticing his lack of reaction, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"It's obvious. Think carefully about your life and see that almost everything in it has Dumbledore's hands behind it," Asterion replied coldly, uncaring about Rose's feelings.
This made Rose clench her fists tightly. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, feeling that if she continued to dwell on this, Hogwarts might cease to exist.
"To answer your question, I have to ask something first. Do you want me to answer as your cousin or your future enemy?" said Asterion, leaning against the door, looking at Rose with a cold gaze.
Rose furrowed her brow and responded determinedly. "Both."
"Very well," said Asterion. "As your future enemy, I advise you not to accept his proposal. With your conviction to irritate me, it's possible that I might try to kill you at some point in your life. You're particularly irritating."
His words made Rose's lips curl into a smile.
Asterion continued speaking, this time with a cold and chilling tone. "Prepare to be my enemy; I won't hesitate to make you bleed in the Wizengamot. I'll do whatever it takes to achieve my goals, including killing your supporters."
Rose narrowed her eyes at Asterion; she didn't doubt his words.
"As your cousin, I advise you to accept. The political and personal power it will bring will make you one of the most important people in the world. You'll have the entire legacy of the most powerful man in the world, who was considered the second coming of Merlin. Whether it's knowledge, wealth, political power, or access to his entire organization, you'll have it all," Asterion finished.
Rose remained silent, delving into her deepest thoughts.
Did she want all that power? For what purpose? To change the world? To engage in political disputes in a magical parliament?
Rose wasn't sure. She didn't feel rushed to answer. As Dumbledore had said, she had a few years to respond to Albus Dumbledore's proposal.
----------------------------
1700 words. Things started to work out, all sides began to make their own moves. I hope you enjoyed.
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Next Chapter: Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2), Chapter 54 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (3), Chapter 55 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (4), Chapter 56 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (1), Chapter 57 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (2), Chapter 58 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (3), Chapter 59 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (4), Chapter 60 - School Council, Chapter 61 - Mission (1), Chapter 62 - Mission (2), Chapter 63 - Mission (3), Chapter 64 - Mission (4), Chapter 65 - Mission (5), Chapter 66 - Consequences of the Attack (1), Chapter 67 - Consequences of the Attack (2), Chapter 68 - Invasion of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 69 - Invasion of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 70 - Invasion of Hogwarts (3), Chapter 71 - Invasion of Hogwarts (4), Chapter 72 - Invasion of Hogwarts (5), Chapter 73 - Invasion of Hogwarts (6), Chapter 74 - Invasion of Hogwarts (7), Chapter 75 - Invasion of Hogwarts (8), Chapter 76 - Invasion of Hogwarts (9), Chapter 77 - Invasion of Hogwarts (10).