Dumbledore was wary of Ted's talent, and rightfully so.
Gifted, charismatic, naturally skilled in Mind Arts, and frighteningly diligent... To Albus Dumbledore, this boy looked terrifyingly familiar.
Was this not a younger mirror image of his old flame?
Why had Dumbledore always harbored a deep-seated dislike and suspicion of Tom Riddle, even when Tom was a student?
At the time, Tom was universally loved—admired by students, praised by teachers, and charmed by ghosts. Yet, Dumbledore had remained cold. It went so deep that after the first opening of the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago, Tom never dared to open it again while Dumbledore was watching.
This wasn't just because Dumbledore knew of Tom's cruelty at the orphanage. It was because Dumbledore had already been fooled once in his youth by a brilliant, handsome young man with a dark, revolutionary charm.
Gellert Grindelwald.
If Tom Riddle, in his aspiring Dark Lord phase, had hoped to recreate Grindelwald's sway over Dumbledore, he had made a fatal error. It was a poor pantomime. It was like a tone-deaf musician trying to replicate a symphony; he copied the movements, but missed the soul.
Dumbledore was immunized against that specific brand of charisma. He wasn't charmed; he was triggered.
And now, just as the shadow of his old student was fading, a new one had arrived.
This alarmed Dumbledore. Ted was equally gifted, perhaps even more so, and equally popular.
Voldemort's words had possessed a magical, persuasive quality. Ted was the same. His approval rating at Hogwarts was astronomical—favored by students across all Houses and respected by every professor (with the notable exception of Severus Snape).
In fact, Ted's oratorical skills were uncomfortably similar to a certain Muggle dictator with a mustache who had risen to power around the same time as Grindelwald. Both had maxed-out Charisma stats.
Realizing that the suspicion had reached a breaking point, Ted decided to drop the act.
'As long as I remain at Hogwarts,' Ted reasoned, 'I can no longer play the role of the ordinary, mediocre wizard. The mask has slipped too far. It is better to be sincere than to try and deceive the greatest Legilimens of the age.'
"Headmaster," Ted said, breaking the silence. "Are you paying so much attention to me because of Tom Riddle? Were you just as wary of him back then?"
"You are different," Dumbledore concluded immediately, though his voice was heavy.
He lowered his head slightly, the candlelight reflecting off his half-moon spectacles, revealing a rare glimpse of sorrow.
"I apologize, Ted. After what happened with Tom... I have become sensitive to certain traits. I must ask for your forgiveness."
Dumbledore knew that lying to Ted at this moment was the worst possible option. Ted could not be treated like a child; he had to be treated as a peer. Often, raw sincerity is a far more potent weapon than manipulation.
Ted shrugged helplessly. "After seeing what happened with Tom Riddle, I can understand your position. We do have... similarities."
"However," Ted continued, his voice firm, "I must emphasize that I am not Tom Riddle. He had innate personality flaws, specifically a crippling fear of death. To be honest, I can't fathom why a teenager would be so terrified of dying of old age. He had decades ahead of him. Why was he in such a hurry?"
Dumbledore's posture relaxed. The invisible wall of vigilance crumbled, replaced by the demeanor of a tired elder speaking to a precocious junior.
Ted had hit the nail on the head.
"I must admit," Dumbledore said, a wry smile touching his lips, "my mentorship back then was ill-considered. But Tom... his list of transgressions was long. And yes, his fear of death was pathological. To 'fly from death'... ha. Arrogance indeed."
Vol-de-mort. Flight from Death.
Tom had created a Horcrux at sixteen, fracturing his soul and sanity because he couldn't bear the thought of mortality.
After chatting for a while, the atmosphere in the office shifted from interrogation to consultation. Ted pointed to the ruined diary on the desk.
"Professor, what do you make of this? An object that possesses its own thoughts, capable of absorbing emotions and draining life force..."
Dumbledore stared at the diary, his expression grave. "An extremely wicked piece of Dark Magic, Ted. Very high-end. I have rarely encountered an object with such... distinct autonomy."
Dumbledore was certain now. The diary was a Horcrux. Lucius Malfoy had unknowingly handed a piece of his master's soul to a first-year student.
The book Secrets of the Darkest Art, visible on the shelf, proved Dumbledore was already investigating the possibility. However, he decided not to burden Ted with the specific terminology. Dumbledore still believed that gifted children should be shielded from the darkest arts to preserve their moral compass.
He didn't know that Ted had already read the forbidden book cover to cover.
Ted nodded, playing along. It was the mature play.
'If I weren't a transmigrator with an adult mind,' Ted thought, 'I might be tempted by that power. The more curious you are, the deeper you go, until the abyss stares back.'
Ted was careful. He performed a psychological self-assessment every month, checking for corruption. He knew the risks better than anyone.
"I'll leave the heavy lifting to you then, Headmaster," Ted said, standing up. "I'm just a second-year student, after all. Or... third-year, soon."
If a journalist from the Daily Prophet had been a fly on the wall, the report of the meeting would have read like a diplomatic press release:
HOGWARTS HIGH-LEVEL SUMMIT CONCLUDES SUCCESSFULLY
At the invitation of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Ted Epifani, distinguished student and recipient of the Special Award for Services to the School, paid his first official visit to the Headmaster's Office late this May.
Both parties engaged in a comprehensive exchange of views regarding teacher-student cooperation, campus security, and shared values. They reached a unanimous consensus on the "Chamber of Secrets Incident" and the disposal of the dark artifact known as "The Diary."
Both sides fondly recalled the harmonious atmosphere of Mr. Epifani's enrollment two years ago and agreed to deepen their strategic partnership as the magical society undergoes profound changes.
Headmaster Dumbledore congratulated Mr. Epifani on the successful launch of his business ventures in Diagon Alley and wished him continued success in building a prosperous and strong magical economy.
Mr. Epifani reaffirmed his commitment to working with Dumbledore to maintain order and stability within the Wizarding World.
The meeting was conducted in a cordial and friendly atmosphere.
Having resolved Dumbledore's suspicions, Ted breathed a massive sigh of relief as the gargoyle spun him back down to the corridor.
As long as one remained in the British Wizarding World, one existed in Dumbledore's orbit. There was no avoiding the sun.
But now, Dumbledore had extended trust.
In the past, Ted was just a Hogwarts student—an orphan from a Muggle orphanage with zero political capital.
Now? He had the Shadow of the White Wizard behind him.
He couldn't explicitly use Dumbledore's name to bully people, but the implicit connection was a powerful shield. Even Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge would have to think twice before moving against him.
Fudge was terrified of Dumbledore. He lived in constant fear that the Headmaster would one day wake up and decide he wanted the Minister's job. If Dumbledore ever announced a campaign, Fudge would be impeached before lunch.
'So, I have Dumbledore covering me from the top,' Ted tallied his assets. 'I have the Malfoy family owing me a life debt—leverage I can use. And I'm currently a silent business partner with the House of Black regarding the new "Sleekeazy" competitor potion.'
Like the protagonist of a novel, Ted had faced the mandatory 'World tries to crush the outsider' phase.
But now, the network was built.
If you want to survive in a new world, you don't just need power; you need connections. You need to ensure that even the local tyrant can't crush you without breaking his own hand.
'I'm no longer just a fledgling,' Ted smiled, walking back to the Gryffindor common room.
'I'm a player.'
_______________________________
Word count: 1451
Comment below on what you think so far.
If anyone of you is interested in reading some advanced chapters, you can check out my p@ tr*on.
p@tr*on.co m/Rai_jin
Thanks for reading guys!