【Extra】Chapter 2 Ariana Dumbledore

Before the little wizards at Hogwarts could recover from the shock of the change of principal, Dumbledore easily relieved himself of his burden and sneaked into the Pig's Head pub under the cover of darkness.

"How are you, Aberforth, are you ready?" Dumbledore asked impatiently as soon as he entered the door of the Pig's Head Bar.

At this time, the Pig Head Bar had been cleared out in advance, and the lobby and guest rooms were empty.

Aberforth was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace on the second floor, rubbing his hands from time to time, and the tension in his heart almost filled the bar.

"Albus, are you sure that stone is useful?" Aberforth looked at Dumbledore, who was walking up quickly from downstairs, with a hopeful tone, "Ariana can really come back to us. ?”

"Aberforth, I remember what I told you very clearly. The Resurrection Stone cannot bring people back to life." Dumbledore walked up to the second floor, stood by the fireplace, looked at the portrait on the wall, and whispered softly. Said, "It's just the projection of what we most want to see in our minds."

"I know... I know..." The light in Aberforth's eyes dimmed and he nodded slowly, "I just still hold on to a little hope, thinking that the Deathly Hallows is really as magical as the legend says."

"I used to think so too. I thought that finding the Resurrection Stone with Gellert would bring back our deceased father and mother." Dumbledore wiped the corners of his eyes, his voice trembling, "But I didn't expect that. It is precisely because of the Resurrection Stone that Arianna also..."

Aberforth choked, his eyes becoming even more lonely.

"Actually... I had my own problems back then." He spoke word by word of a topic that he had never admitted for hundreds of years. "I was avoiding the trouble of having to take care of Ariana alone... knowing that she would Upstairs, he was still angry and started fighting Grindelwald."

"If we could all calm down at that time, maybe things would be a lot better in the end." Dumbledore sighed, "It's useless to blame yourself so much now... Do you remember Credence?"

"Of course, if I hadn't been addicted to a relationship with a girl during that time, maybe I wouldn't be so angry." Aberforth said, "Albus, I still hope you can call him Aurelius. , I owe him a lot."

"Yes, Aurelius Dumbledore." Dumbledore said softly, "He, like Ariana, became an Obscurial. We tried our best but could not stop the Obscurial riot in his body, even though he I have persisted long enough..."

"Actually, thinking about it now, even without that incident, we wouldn't be able to save Arianna." Aberforth said, "Arianna herself understands this matter, so she did not hide, but chose to risk it." The risk of an Obscurus uprising came to dissuade our duel..."

"Perhaps she has had enough of hiding in her room all year round."

Both of them looked at the portrait next to the fireplace. In the frame, the blond-haired girl was smiling quietly at them.

"Let's get started." Dumbledore rubbed the ring inlaid with black stones on his index finger and said gently, "It can be regarded as fulfilling a wish that has lasted for nearly a hundred years, and it can be regarded as leaving a legacy for Ariana in this world. .”

Aberforth nodded slightly and stared at the young face in the frame.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and turned the ring three times in his hand.

Soon, there was slight movement around, like some weak bodies stepping on the carpet of the Pig's Head Bar that had been recently cleaned by Dracula's spell, making a rustling sound.

From Aberforth's perspective, a figure could be seen walking out of the fireplace as if appearing out of thin air.

He saw that this Arianna was neither a ghost nor a living person of flesh and blood, but more like a memory that had almost become a physical entity.

She is not as real as a living body, but much more real than a ghost. He walked lightly towards the two of them, with playful and cute smiles on their faces.

Aberforth suddenly felt something being stuffed in his hand.

He turned around and found that Dumbledore had opened his eyes at some point and handed the resurrection stone ring into his hand.

Aberforth took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and imitated Dumbledore's movements by turning the stone three times in his hand.

Arianna's figure seemed to become more solid, like a living person, with a smile on her face, standing in front of the two people.

"Long time no see, Albus, Aberforth, my two brothers..." She waved her hands with a smile, "Your beards are longer than my hair."

Dumbledore had tears in his eyes. He took off his half-moon glasses and wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeves.

"Yes, we are old," he said softly, "but you are still the same as we remember, just like in the painting."

Aberforth also opened his eyes and said tremblingly:

"Ariana, I'm sorry..."

"I don't blame you, I never have." Arianna interrupted Aberforth's apology, with the same warm smile on her face, "You are all so good, and you all have the right to pursue your own happiness and ideals. , there is no need to give up everything for me, a person who is destined to leave soon."

"Also, I forgot to tell you. That summer, I came out of the room on purpose!"

"Instead of living in various tortures every day, it is better to get relief in advance."

"I should be the one sorry for you. I have made you feel guilty for so many years...it must be hard for you, right?"

Dumbledore and Aberforth were stunned, and then burst into tears at the same time.

"Don't be sad, my brothers, just leave it to me." Arianna turned around with a smile and looked at her portrait.

She waved to herself in the portrait, which also showed a smile, and pushed forward with both hands, as if pushing open a door.

Immediately afterwards, a row of steps magically appeared in front of the portrait, and each step dropped next to the fireplace.

Arianna stepped up and walked into the painting.

The two girls in the painting smiled at each other and hugged each other.

Under the direct gazes of Dumbledore and Aberforth, the two girls merged together and turned into a vivid figure. They smiled and sat on a swing in the portrait, swinging briskly on both sides. Only little feet.

Gradually, satisfied smiles appeared on the lips of brothers Dumbledore and Aberforth.

…

A few minutes later, sitting on the sofa next to the fireplace, the three siblings chatted happily.

"I heard that you resigned as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. What are you going to do next?" Aberforth asked.

"Ariana has just come back. Of course I have to stay here with her for a few days." Dumbledore said with a smile, "Let Minerva and Severus take care of the post-war affairs. So After many years, it’s time for me to retire.”

"What are your plans going forward?" Aberforth then asked, "You can't always stay here."

Dumbledore's smile dropped and he was silent for a moment.

"Perhaps, I will fulfill a wish I had unfulfilled many years ago." He said softly.

Now, the knot that had been weighing on Dumbledore's heart for nearly a hundred years was finally resolved, and the thickest barrier between him and Grindelwald was also eliminated at the same time.

Maybe, taking a quick trip is a good choice?

…

…