Chapter 184

**Hogsmeade Village, Hog's Head Inn.**

Leo and Newt stepped out of the fireplace, vigorously brushing the soot off their clothes.

"It's Saturday, so Dumbledore is usually here," Newt said as he looked around the pub, his eyes scanning the room. Soon, a smile appeared on his face. 

"Look, there he is!"

Following Newt's finger, Leo spotted a middle-aged wizard with a thick beard, wearing a knitted sweater over a shirt and suit trousers. This was Albus Dumbledore, in his middle years, at the peak of his magical abilities.

Albus had noticed them too. He put down his butterbeer, looking pleasantly surprised, and waved them over.

"Dumbledore!"

"Professor Dumbledore!"

Newt and Leo hurried forward to greet Dumbledore. The way they addressed him revealed their differing relationships with the professor.

While both Newt and Leo's previous incarnation, Tom Fawley, had attended Hogwarts and been taught Defense Against the Dark Arts by Dumbledore, Newt's relationship with Dumbledore was more akin to friendship than a typical student-teacher bond. Thus, Newt called him by his first name.

Newt was a Hufflepuff, and Dumbledore a Gryffindor. Typically, their interaction would have been limited to the teacher-student dynamic. After all, they were from different houses, and Dumbledore only taught one class. Moreover, Newt was expelled halfway through his schooling for taking the blame for his crush, who later became his sister-in-law.

However, Dumbledore had a particular fondness for Newt's character and had a special liking for him. When Newt was expelled, Dumbledore tried his best to help. Although he couldn't prevent the expulsion, he managed to retain Newt's right to use his wand.

From Tom's memories, Leo knew that the original Tom, a Slytherin student, was just a minor figure in Dumbledore's decades-long teaching career. Thus, Leo addressed him with more formality.

"Newt, it's rare to see you willingly come to visit me," Dumbledore said, delighted to greet Newt. Then, turning to Leo, he looked him up and down and smiled, "You must be Tom. I remember you. In the class where we learned how to counter Boggarts, you were most afraid of a three-headed Rune serpent because it frightened you as a child when you wandered into Knockturn Alley."

"Professor, your memory is impressive. It's been so many years, and you still remember so clearly," Leo responded with a smile, feigning surprise.

Dumbledore was indeed correct, aligning with Tom's original memories. However, this did not mean that Dumbledore had a particular interest in Tom's former self. It was simply that Dumbledore possessed a near-photographic memory.

Dumbledore had become one of the world's most distinguished wizards, mastering various forms of magic, alchemy, and almost every human and magical creature language worldwide. Such accomplishments would have been impossible without an exceptional memory. 

By feigning familiarity, he was merely showing interest in Leo's abilities as demonstrated in New York. Though he was known as the "White Wizard," Dumbledore, unlike the naive Newt, possessed not only extraordinary wisdom but also high emotional intelligence. He knew exactly what to say and when to say it.

"Your talent in Herbology was always impressive, but it seems your magical abilities have greatly advanced since graduation," Dumbledore said, patting Leo's shoulder to show camaraderie. He then called out to his brother behind the bar, "Aberforth, three butterbeers and some treacle tarts, please."

Dumbledore was in a rather awkward position. He had to stop Grindelwald, but because of their blood pact, he couldn't confront him directly and was thus distrusted by the Ministry of Magic. He had to find ways to rally all the support he could.

Newt's trip to New York to return the Thunderbird was something Dumbledore had arranged secretly to prevent Grindelwald from finding his possible nephew, the Obscurus. Unexpectedly, Grindelwald was captured and sent to prison by Newt, an Auror from the New York Magical Congress, and Tom Fawley, a wizard whom Dumbledore had never considered noteworthy.

Moreover, Credence, who might be his nephew and carry the Dumbledore family bloodline, was eventually adopted by Tom Fawley. This led Dumbledore to mention in several letters to Newt his desire to meet Tom Fawley. If he could win Tom over to his side, it would increase his chances against Grindelwald. It would also allow him to further verify if Credence was truly his brother Aberforth's son.

So, the three of them sat in the Hog's Head Inn, enjoying butterbeer and treacle tarts while engaging in a lively conversation.

Most of the conversation was between Leo and Dumbledore, while Newt mostly listened; he was not much of a talker.

"Professor, I know you're the only wizard in the magical world who can match Grindelwald. Why don't you confront him yourself?" Leo asked, pretending to be curious now that the conversation had gotten more familiar.

Even Newt, usually content to listen, couldn't help but perk up his ears.

Dumbledore looked at Leo, knowing that to win over this capable former student, he needed to be somewhat transparent. Thus, he began recounting the story of his relationship with Grindelwald, filled with both love and regret, and shared some of his personal experiences.

The story started with his sister, Ariana, who was attacked by three Muggle boys at the age of six, leaving her with psychological trauma that made her refuse to practice magic, eventually transforming her into an Obscurial. Their father, in avenging her, attacked the Muggle boys and was imprisoned in Azkaban for breaking the Statute of Secrecy, where he later died.

As a result, Dumbledore initially had no sympathy for Muggles and even supported anti-Muggle wizardry. After his exceptional graduation, he had planned to make his mark in the magical world but was forced to return to Godric's Hollow to care for his sister after his mother was accidentally killed by one of Ariana's Obscurial outbursts.

During this time, he met Grindelwald, who had come to the valley searching for the Deathly Hallows. They hit it off immediately, formed a blood pact that prevented them from harming each other, and decided to leave the valley together to pursue their grand magical reform.

However, his brother Aberforth, returning from school, discovered their plan. He opposed his brother's neglect of their sister in favor of Grindelwald's reform. Grindelwald cast the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth, and when Dumbledore tried to intervene, a three-way duel broke out.

In the ensuing chaos, his sister Ariana, attempting to help, was accidentally struck by a spell and killed. This left Dumbledore with a lifetime of regret and self-reproach.

After spending several years traveling through both wizard and Muggle societies, he completely abandoned his earlier radical ideas and returned to Hogwarts to become an ordinary teacher.