— — — — — —
Let's travel back a few months, to when it all began~~~
Back then, Ariana's magical training was mainly overseen by Grindelwald. Andros, at most, would test her combat skills.
It wasn't that Andros didn't care anymore. If anything, he spoiled her even more than Grindelwald did. Whenever Grindelwald spoke a little too harshly, Ariana would dash straight to Andros to complain.
The problem was that the two men taught in completely different ways. Ariana wasn't suited to an overwhelming, brute-force combat style. Neither her temperament nor her talents supported that path.
On the contrary, Grindelwald's… darker—cough—more meticulous approach was far better suited to this witch.
On an ordinary day, after training finally wrapped up, Ariana was already planning to head back to the villa and binge ten episodes of Tom and Jerry to soothe her wounded soul. But Grindelwald didn't leave the training grounds. Instead, he conjured a chair and sat down, looking utterly relaxed.
"Ariana, it's still early. Tom probably won't be back until tonight. How about we have a chat?"
She froze for a moment, then nodded lightly. Copying Grindelwald, she conjured a chair for herself and sat down as well.
With old grudges gone, Ariana had come to realize that Grindelwald was actually pretty easy to get along with. He was more interesting than Albus, and had a much better temper than Aberforth.
Of course, if anyone else heard Ariana describe Grindelwald like that, their jaws would hit the floor.
A Dark Lord with a good temper?
Had anyone bothered to ask the witches and wizards he'd tormented, the ones whose families had been destroyed?
But people are like that—naturally full of double standards, never holding themselves to the same rules they apply to others.
"Old G," Ariana urged, "hurry it up. I still need to go watch TV."
"Don't rush," Grindelwald said calmly. "Once I'm done talking, you won't be in the mood to watch anything."
Ariana: "..."
Honestly. Everyone around her had a gift for saying things that cut straight to the heart.
Still, her curiosity was completely hooked now. "What exactly do you want to talk about?"
Grindelwald waved a hand. "Nothing much. I just want to discuss your plans after you're resurrected."
"Plans?" Ariana frowned. "What plans could I have? I'll just do whatever Tom tells me to do."
"Is that all?" Grindelwald asked.
She looked even more confused, and a little annoyed. "What are you getting at? Do you have a problem with Tom?"
"No," Grindelwald said, waving it off. "Tom isn't a bad leader. He's generous to his own people, and his power and talent mean he doesn't cling to authority. But you're not just a subordinate to him… and you don't want your relationship with him to be only that, am I right?"
Ariana blinked. The anger that had just flared up was instantly extinguished.
'He said Tom sees me as more than just a subordinate.'
'Hehehe.'
Then Grindelwald dumped a bucket of cold water over her enthusiasm.
"Ariana, I'd wager that after you're resurrected, Tom will most likely keep you by his side. You'll have plenty of time with him, sure. But your potential will be wasted."
"He won't mind if you're just a pretty ornament. But are you willing to become someone who's completely useless to him?"
"If we're talking about ornaments, Daphne Greengrass does a better job than you, doesn't she? You know how special her position is in Tom's heart. And she's got a sister who's just as favored."
The smile slowly vanished from the girl's delicate face, only to appear on Grindelwald's instead.
A pretty ornament?
Ariana didn't really have grand ambitions. Her greatest wish truly was to stay by Tom's side forever.
What Grindelwald said was cruel, but it was also true.
"Ariana, you have to show your value," Grindelwald said earnestly. "Tom is destined not to live a quiet, ordinary life. In the future, his reach will extend throughout the wizarding world, and even into every corner of the Muggle world."
"Right now, aside from me, the only reliable helper he has is Crouch. But Crouch can't compare to you at all. He's just an executor. What Tom needs are people he can trust to hold power in his stead. Do you understand the difference?"
Ariana nodded numbly, "Then... then what do you think I should do?"
"It's very simple." Grindelwald leaned forward slightly, excitement creeping into his voice. "That freak Tom doesn't even count as my student. Teaching him gives me zero sense of accomplishment. But you, Ariana. You're my true disciple."
"You won't just inherit all my spells. The Acolytes should be placed under your lead as well."
"Me… lead the Acolytes?" Ariana was stunned.
What did the Acolytes represent?
They were an armed force that far exceeded any single Ministry of Magic. If not for the mutual restraint between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, the Acolytes alone had the power to sweep across continental Europe and the British Isles.
And Grindelwald wanted to hand such a force to her?
"Yes. You."
Grindelwald laughed freely. "Not all at once, of course. Ariana, you still need greater strength, and more… killing. When you've truly grown into it, I'll let go completely."
"Can I really do it?" Ariana asked, clearly lacking confidence.
"You're my disciple. Who would dare say you're unqualified?" Grindelwald snorted. "Ariana, you have no idea how high your standing is. That's because the witches and wizards you deal with on a daily basis are all at the very top. People like us, you might not see more than a handful in a hundred years."
"...Ariana, when you become the new leader of the Acolytes, your importance to Tom will increase dramatically. He'll also have more time to spend with you. Isn't that a good thing?"
Ariana's heart wavered.
Still, a haze of confusion lingered. Why did it seem as if Grindelwald wanted her to become the next Dark Lord?
And yes. That was exactly Grindelwald's goal.
Fight magic with magic. Use Dumbledore to defeat Dumbledore.
Grindelwald couldn't help but smile cheerfully. 'Ariana would lead the Acolytes. Albus… are you sure you don't want to join us?'
As for him?
Heh. He'd be the retired old man, watching his dream unfold.
~~~
Back in the present, Ariana's mind gradually returned from that night.
Facing Tom's questioning gaze, she gave him a reason. Only the surface-level one. The girl kept her little schemes to herself.
She simply said that training under Grindelwald would give her better experience.
If Tom had pressed the issue, bound by the system contract, Ariana would have spilled everything without holding back.
But Tom never did that.
Everyone had their own secrets, their own private thoughts they didn't want exposed.
Under the system's constraints, none of the summoned could harbor hostility or ill will toward him. In return, Tom respected them all and gave them ample freedom.
And what Ariana said was also true. Following Grindelwald meant fewer restraints, and that would help her growth.
"All right," Tom said.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, he sighed and rubbed her head. "If you want to go, then go. If it doesn't suit you, you can come back anytime."
"By the way, before you leave, want to go scare your brother a bit?"
Ariana was tempted, but in the end she shook her head. "Forget it. If I show up in front of Albus now, it'll just cause trouble. And he wouldn't let me leave with Grindelwald anyway."
"Let's wait. When Grindelwald gets his strength back, he can't just run off and leave me behind, right?"
Tom couldn't help laughing. Grindelwald was still in a weakened state. Facing a fully powered Dumbledore wielding the Elder Wand, even escaping would be risky, let alone taking someone with him.
If he really tried to run off with Ariana…
Old Dumbles would probably go all out on the spot.
Wait. That sounded kind of awesome.
Why did he suddenly want to see that scene so badly?
"Tom, I'm sleepy," Ariana said softly.
Her spoiled tone snapped the boy out of his dangerous train of thought. She hugged his arm, looking pitiful. "I just got resurrected, so I'm a little scared. Will you sleep with me tonight?"
"You were a ghost for so long. What's there to be afraid of now?"
"I'm scared of the dark!"
"…Fine. I happen to be afraid of the cold."
"Then I'll be your hand warmer."
...
The next morning, when Tom led Ariana downstairs, Grindelwald was already seated in the dining room, sipping tea.
The Ministries of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards were all trying to track Grindelwald's movements, but wizards had too many ways to move at high speed. Even an ordinary wizard was hard to pin down, let alone the Dark Lord. Sending Aurors to tail him was pure fantasy.
"Congratulations, Ariana. You've finally been successfully resurrected."
Looking at the girl standing bright and lively beside Tom, Grindelwald smiled with genuine relief. The heaviest shackle in his heart quietly shattered.
Ariana lifted her chin. "Hmph. Sweet-talking me now won't help. One day, when I surpass you, I'll let you taste death for yourself."
Grindelwald pretended not to care and picked at his ear. "I've heard that line plenty of times. I'll be waiting for you to back it up."
"Old G, don't bully Ariana," Tom warned. "If she comes crying to me, I'll bring Dumbledore along to deal with you."
"Did you hear that?" Ariana said smugly. If she'd had a tail, it would have been wagging.
"You two…"
Grindelwald shook his head, laughing.
After Ariana gave Tom one last hug, the two of them left the villa together.
The moment they stepped outside, the smile vanished completely from the girl's face.
"Let's go," Grindelwald said. "The Acolytes are already waiting for their new leader."
.
.
.