Chapter 999 Extra: Dumbledore and the Hog's Head
In the dim room, the bar owner Aberforth was wiping a glass wine glass that didn't look that dirty with a dirty rag.
At least compared to the cloth whose color couldn't be distinguished, this glass was really clean.
I don't know if it was because Hogwarts was on holiday, but the Hog's Head, which was originally quite lively, was surprisingly quiet at this time, with only two customers.
"Is it really okay for you to do this?"
After an unknown amount of time, Aberforth finally succeeded in wiping the wine glass into gray, raised his head and asked:
"You should know better than anyone how dangerous that damn bastard is..."
Opposite him, a man who looked 70% similar to him was sitting, or more accurately, floating on a stool.
"If you mean Gellert... yes, I know very well." Dumbledore nodded, looking at the wine glass with a tangled look.
"To be honest, I think I should have listened to the professors' advice and brought a cup when I came here."
"Don't interrupt me, I won't give you such a clean cup." Aberforth glared at him unhappily, "Answer me, why did you let that bastard run around!"
"Not letting him go, Aberforth." Dumbledore raised his arm and sank his entire palm into the counter in front of him.
"You see, I'm just a ghost now."
He pulled his hand out again and shrugged, "I can't even hold the wand, how can I stop him from leaving Nurmengard."
"You..." Aberforth pulled the corner of his mouth.
Out of the instinct between brothers, he knew very well that Dumbledore was not telling the truth, but he couldn't find evidence.
Because Dumbledore really couldn't hold the wand.
It can be said that Dumbledore now is exactly the same as the ghosts in the castle except that he is colorful.
Without magic, he can only float and cannot touch any object...
"I believe they can handle this trouble, even without me." Dumbledore glanced in the direction of the castle and spoke again.
"Do you trust those professors so much?"
"No, I believe in Kyle."
"What do you mean?" Aberforth frowned.
He admitted that the student named Kyle was the most talented wizard he had ever seen, even completely surpassing Dumbledore when he was young.
But to say that he can solve Grindelwald...that's a bit exaggerated.
Although Grindelwald has been imprisoned in Nurmengard for nearly seventy years, it does not mean that he has become weaker.
On the contrary, Grindelwald cannot contact the outside world during these seventy years, nor will he be disturbed by anything.
If he spends all his time studying magic, he is likely to become stronger than Dumbledore at his peak.
Can Kyle, a wizard under the age of twenty, solve such a monster?
Don't be ridiculous!
"No, brother, you misunderstood." At this time, another person spoke up.
For the first time, Dumbledore knew that a person's expression could change so quickly. Didn't Aberforth just tell him to get out with a cold face?
But who was this kind old man with a happy face and a smile like spring breeze in front of him?
"Ariana, do you want another drink?" I don't know what kind of magical magic Aberforth used, a brand new, spotless wine glass appeared out of thin air on the bar.
"No, I didn't bring much money today."
"What does it matter." Aberforth said loudly: "You can put it on Dumbledore's account, everyone does this."
Dumbledore blinked.
Shouldn't Aberforth say no money? Why put it on his account.
But Ariana just smiled and didn't say anything.
She didn't like drinking, she just enjoyed this warm atmosphere.
When was the last time she saw the two brothers quarreling... She couldn't remember it clearly, but it must have been a long time ago.
Seeing Ariana refused, Aberforth didn't say anything more, but he still made a new drink.
A glass of violet sparkling soda with half a bottle of honey.
"You just said I misunderstood, what does that mean?" Aberforth glanced at Dumbledore, "Don't tell me he and that bastard have reached an agreement?"
"It's a bit, but not strictly speaking." Dumbledore stared at the remaining violet sparkling soda on the table.
"What are you looking at? You can't drink it."
"You're really too much..." Dumbledore wiped his eyes pretentiously.
Aberforth's mouth twitched, as if he was about to vomit.
Dumbledore sighed faintly as if he didn't see it, "Well, you're right, I really can't drink it, I'm beginning to understand why ghosts like rotten and smelly food."
"Then I'll let it rot and give it to you!" Aberforth muttered unhappily. "But now, I don't have time to guess riddles with you..."
"Okay, okay, I get it." Dumbledore raised his hand, "Actually, you don't need to be so nervous."
"Gellert is old, and old people like us prefer to lie on the wicker chair in the garden to bask in the sun instead of messing up the wizarding world."
Aberforth sneered.
He didn't know whether to say that Dumbledore was too naive or too stupid.
Maybe Dumbledore likes to bask in the sun, but that Grindelwald definitely likes to mess up the wizarding world... Even if he is over a hundred years old, this hobby will not change.
Aberforth swore that Dumbledore might be the only one in the entire wizarding world who thought that he preferred to bask in the sun.
Dumbledore didn't know what his brother was thinking.
He didn't seem to want to talk about this topic, and asked instead: "Do you know what state I am in now?"
"Of course I know." Aberforth said casually: "A special ghost composed of a memory, you have mentioned it more than once, I can remember it."
"Then do you know how I maintain this state?" Dumbledore continued to ask.
But this time, Aberforth did not answer.
Because he didn't know.
In the wizarding world, ghosts are actually not uncommon, and can even be said to be a very common special magical animal.
But these ghosts are translucent pearl white human-like.
As for the colorful ghost, he has only seen Dumbledore.
Although he felt strange before, because the other party was Dumbledore, he didn't think so much, just thinking that the other party had learned some strange special magic.
Dumbledore knows some special magic that others don't know, which sounds completely reasonable.
"I'm a coward..." Dumbledore suddenly said.
"You can see that." Aberforth instinctively echoed without any hesitation.
It's just that the two people present were used to it, and no one found it strange.
"I was afraid of leaving Ariana again, so I found a magic master for help." Dumbledore continued:
"Rowena Ravenclaw, maybe you think I'm talking nonsense, but she was in the castle not long ago."
Aberforth had no expression on his face, just staring at Dumbledore.
"With the power of the crown, she finally preserved my memory intact, allowing me to steal as much time as possible with Ariana in this despicable and cowardly way."
"Oh, and you, Aberforth." Dumbledore added.
But judging from Aberforth's expression, this sentence obviously didn't make him feel very happy.
If possible, he actually wanted to accompany Ariana himself, rather than with this extra person.
"What do you mean by telling me this?"
"It means that if someone holds the crown, he can make my memory disappear completely at any time." Dumbledore said casually: "And this crown now belongs to Kyle."
Aberforth still didn't understand, but Dumbledore didn't continue.
If Aberforth was as smart as Ariana, he would know that if Grindelwald didn't want Dumbledore to disappear completely, he could only like to bask in the sun.
Kel was different from other wizards. Dumbledore believed that if he wanted, he would definitely find a way to make Grindelwald like to bask in the sun.
Although this method took advantage of Grindelwald's feelings and was somewhat despicable, Dumbledore said he had no choice.
He was no longer the chief wizard of the Wizengamot and the headmaster of Hogwarts. Now he was just a weak and cowardly ghost.
Whether it was cowardly or despicable, it didn't matter.
Dumbledore swayed his body left and right in the air.
Not to mention, after becoming a ghost and throwing away all unnecessary things, the whole person felt much more relaxed, and he gradually liked this feeling.
There are no extra factors, no interests, no responsibilities, just pure companionship.
Dumbledore floated twice again.
At this time, he suddenly noticed that a golden toad had appeared in the wine glass on the bar.
It was like it came out of thin air.
"Damn it!" Aberforth also noticed, "What on earth is this? I swear I took out real wine this time."
Dumbledore and Ariana looked at him at the same time.
"Well, this has nothing to do with wine, it's Nico." Dumbledore said.
"Who?"
"Nico Flamel." Dumbledore explained: "This kind of gadget was his work two hundred years ago. I have seen it."
He approached the golden toad the size of a snitch.
I don't know what Dumbledore did, the toad opened its mouth and used the wine in the glass to form a line of words on the table.
"Kyle's wedding!" Dumbledore opened his mouth in surprise, with a look of disbelief in his eyes.
"This is really... unexpected..."
But the next second, he felt that it should be so.
It was a bit contradictory, but this was Dumbledore's true feeling.
"It seems that I need to prepare a gift in advance. Is anyone going to London?"
"I'll go with you." Ariana stood up. She seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help laughing.
"Guess if Diana just learned about this news just like us."
"I guess... yes." Dumbledore's eyes also lit up.
"Hurry up, I can't wait to go to London."
The two walked out tacitly and stopped at the door at the same time.
Dumbledore turned his head and looked at Aberforth who was still hesitating behind the bar.
"You're not still waiting for customers to come."
"What are you talking about?" Aberforth muttered softly.
But he still threw the cloth in his hand aside and walked out of the bar.
"Let me make it clear first, I'm just here to accompany Ariana. It has nothing to do with you."
"Ah, yes, of course I know." Dumbledore said with a smile.
Ariana, who was walking in front, also smiled and took the initiative to open the door in front of her.
The sun shone in from outside, and the Hog's Head Inn didn't seem so dim anymore.
...
