Hogwarts: I'm a model wizard

Chapter 999: Dumbledore and the Hog's Head
In the dim room, the bar owner Aberforth was wiping a glass that... didn't look that dirty, with a dirty rag.

At least compared to that piece of cloth whose color is unclear, this cup is really clean.

I don’t know if it’s because Hogwarts is on holiday, but the Hog’s Head Bar, which was usually quite lively, is now surprisingly quiet, with only two customers.

"Is this really okay with you?"

After an unknown amount of time, Aberforth finally succeeded in wiping the wine glass until it turned gray. He raised his head and asked:
"You should know better than anyone how dangerous that damn bastard is..."

Opposite him, a person who looked 70% like him was sitting, or to be more precise, floating on a stool.

"If you mean Gellert... yes, I know it very well." Dumbledore nodded, looking at the wine glass with a troubled look in his eyes.

"Honestly, I feel like I should have listened to my professors' advice and brought a cup when I came here."

"Don't interrupt me, I won't let you use such a clean cup." Aberforth glared at him unhappily, "Answer me, why did you let that bastard run around!"

"Not abandoning it, Aberforth." Dumbledore raised his arm and sunk his entire palm into the counter in front of him.

"You see, I am 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 twitched the corner of his mouth.

Out of brotherly instinct, he knew very well that Dumbledore was not telling the truth, but he could not find any 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 power, I can only float and cannot touch any objects...

"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 that much?"

"No, I trust Kyle."

"What do you mean?" Aberforth frowned.

He admitted that the student named Kyle was the most talented wizard he had ever seen, even surpassing the young Dumbledore.

But to say that he can deal with Grindelwald... that's a bit too much.

Although Grindelwald has been imprisoned in Nurmengard for nearly seventy years, this does not mean that he has become weaker.

On the contrary, during these seventy years Grindelwald could not contact the outside world, nor would he be disturbed in any way.

If he had spent all his time studying magic, there is a good chance that he would have become even stronger than Dumbledore at his peak.

Can Kyle, a wizard who is less than twenty years old, deal with such a monster?

Do not make jokes!
"No, brother, you misunderstood." At this time, another person spoke up.

It was the first time that Dumbledore realized that a person's expression could change so quickly. Wouldn't Aberforth just tell him to get out with a cold face?
But who is this kind old man in front of me with a happy face and a smile as refreshing as spring breeze?
"Ariana, would you like another drink?" I don't know what kind of magical magic Aberforth used, but a brand new, spotless wine glass appeared out of thin air on the bar.

"No, I don't have much money with me today."

"It doesn't matter," said Aberforth loudly. "You can put it on Dumbledore's account. Everyone does it."

Dumbledore blinked.

Shouldn't Aberforth have said he didn't want any money? Why was it charged to his account?

But Ariana just smiled and said nothing.

She doesn't like drinking, she just enjoys this warm atmosphere.

When was the last time she saw her two brothers quarreling... She couldn't quite remember, but it must have been a long, 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 do you mean?" Aberforth glanced at Dumbledore, "Don't tell me he reached an agreement with that bastard?"

"Well, sort of, but not strictly speaking." Dumbledore stared at the remaining bottle of violet sparkling water on the table.

"What are you looking at? You can't drink it."

"You are really too harsh..." Dumbledore wiped his eyes pretentiously.

The corners of Aberforth's mouth twitched, as if he was about to vomit.

Dumbledore pretended not to see it and sighed, "Well, you are right, I really can't drink it. I am beginning to understand why ghosts like rotten and smelly food."

"Then I'll let it stink 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. "There's no need for you to be so nervous."

"Gellert is old now. Old people like us would rather lie on a wicker chair in the garden and bask in the sun than mess 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 Grindelwald definitely likes to disrupt 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 he preferred basking in the sun.

Dumbledore had no idea what his brother was thinking.

He didn't seem to want to talk about this topic, so he asked, "Do you know what state I'm in now?"

"Of course I know." Aberforth said casually: "A special ghost made up of a memory. You have mentioned it more than once. I 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 that in the wizarding world, ghosts are not uncommon, and can even be said to be a very common special magical animal.

But these ghosts all have translucent pearly white human figures.

As for the colored ghost, he had only seen Dumbledore's.

Although he felt it was strange before, because the other party was Dumbledore, he did not think too much about it and just thought that the other party had learned some strange special magic.

Dumbledore knows some special magic that others don't know about, which sounds completely reasonable and perfect.

"I am a coward..." Dumbledore said suddenly.

"I can see that," Aberforth echoed instinctively without any hesitation.

But the two people present were used to it and no one found it strange.

"I was afraid to leave Ariana again, so I found a magic master for help." Dumbledore continued:
"Rowena Ravenclaw, you may think I am talking nonsense, but she was in the castle not long ago."

Aberforth had no expression on his face, he just stared at Dumbledore.

"She used the power of the crown to finally preserve my memory intact, allowing me to steal as much time as possible from Ariana in this despicable and cowardly way."

"Oh, and you, Aberforth," Dumbledore added.

But judging from Aberforth's expression, it was obvious that this sentence did not make him very happy.

If possible, he would actually prefer to be with Ariana instead of with this extra person.

"Tell me what you mean by this."

"What this means is 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 had been as clever as Ariana, he would have known that if Grindelwald didn't want Dumbledore to disappear completely, he would have to enjoy basking in the sun.

Kyle was different from other wizards. Dumbledore believed that if he wanted to, he could 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 other 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 cowardice or meanness, it didn't matter.

Dumbledore swayed his body from side to side in mid-air.

Not to mention, after becoming a ghost and throwing away all unnecessary things, he actually felt much more relaxed, and he gradually came to like this feeling.

There are no unnecessary factors, no interests, no responsibilities, just pure companionship.

Dumbledore floated twice more.

At this moment, he suddenly noticed that a golden toad had appeared in the wine glass on the bar.

Like it came out of nowhere.

"Damn it!" Aberforth also noticed, "What the hell is this? I swear I took out real wine this time."

Dumbledore and Ariana looked at him at the same time.

"Well, it's not about the wine, it's about Nico," said Dumbledore.

"Who?"

"Nicolas Flamel," Dumbledore explained, "this little thing was created by him two hundred years ago. I have seen it before."

He leaned in closer to the golden toad, the size of a snitch.

No one knew what Dumbledore did, but 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's a bit contradictory, but this is how Dumbledore really feels.

"It looks like 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, Diana may have just learned the news like us."

"I guess... yes." Dumbledore's eyes lit up.

"Hurry up, I can't wait to get to London."

The two of them walked outside in tacit understanding 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 nonsense are you talking about?" Aberforth muttered under his breath.

But he still threw the cloth in his hand aside and walked out from 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 do," said Dumbledore, smiling.

Ariana, who was walking in front, also smiled and took the initiative to push open the door in front of her.

The sun shone in from outside, and the Hog's Head Bar didn't seem so dark anymore.

……

(End of this chapter)