Old Friends
"Entrace Hall."
A woman's voice spoke coldly from the elevator, and the golden grates opened, revealing Dumbledore and Wade stepping out together.
They hadn't walked far when they saw a large fountain in the middle of an Entrance Hall. At the center of the fountain was a group of pure gold statues. A handsome, noble Wizard held his Wand high, while a beautiful Witch gazed at him adoringly, surrounded by Centaurs, Goblins, and House-elves all looking up at them with infinite reverence.
At the bottom of the fountain were many shimmering coins, and next to it, a small plaque read:
[ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF MAGICAL BRETHREN GO TO ST. MUNGO'S HOSPITAL FOR MAGICAL MALADIES AND INJURIES]
Both of them paused by the fountain simultaneously, looking up at the statues.
"Exquisite artwork, isn't it?"
Dumbledore tossed a handful of coins into the fountain and said with a smile, "Though probably only Wizards and House-elves would appreciate this piece. Centaurs and Goblins might not find it appealing."
"Goblins would like the gold on it," Wade countered.
Dumbledore chuckled and said, "True."
"Will the money here really be used for patients?" Wade asked, "Muggle wishing wells are basically just tools for collecting money."
"You can rest assured on that point; magic tends to make Wizards more trustworthy," Dumbledore said.
So Wade also pulled out a handful of coins from his pocket and threw them in. The glittering Galleons stood out prominently among a pile of Silver Sickles and copper Knuts.
A stream of water, gushing from the ear of the House-elf statue, cascaded down, hitting the water surface in front of Wade. The splashing water seemed to be tinged with gold.
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore sighed and said, "Wizards, Centaurs, Goblins, House-elves—we are actually equal in intelligence and magic… just as Wizards, Squibs, and Muggles are all human."
"All races make up our world and are an indispensable part of society. But the prejudice and arrogance of Wizards always cause suffering for other races, and Wizards always end up reaping the bitter consequences."
"Isn't it the same even among Wizards?"
Wade said, "Pure-bloods look down on Half-bloods and Muggle-borns, nobles look down on commoners, the rich look down on the poor, the intelligent look down on the foolish… Even without racial divisions, the hierarchy of contempt is everywhere."
"But some forms of contempt provide us with the motivation to strive forward," Dumbledore said, "while others, simply because of one's birth, lead to immense hardship."
Wade remained silent.
Dumbledore might have been hinting at House-elves, or perhaps referring to Squibs or Muggles.
He was discussing issues that a child wouldn't typically ponder, but Wade had no desire to openly share his inner thoughts.
After a moment of silence, Dumbledore said in a relaxed tone, "Shall we go?"
"Professor, where are we going?" Wade asked, following him.
"You don't know our destination, yet you're following me to leave?" Dumbledore asked playfully.
"You're Dumbledore," Wade said succinctly.
Dumbledore chuckled again.
This time, his smile seemed much more genuine. The blue eyes beneath his half-moon spectacles narrowed, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.
"I want to take you to meet someone," he said. "An old friend I haven't seen in a long time."
...
Exiting the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore asked, "Have you tried Apparition, Wade?"
"No, Professor," Wade replied, shaking his head.
"Then I can let you try it. You'll need to hold on tightly to my arm." Dumbledore extended his arm and said, "It's not a pleasant feeling, but don't worry, I'll ensure your safety."
Wade gripped Dumbledore's arm.
Dumbledore was very tall, and Wade felt it made him look even more like a child.
"Alright, let's go!"
No sooner had Dumbledore spoken than Wade felt an intense squeeze, as if air from every direction was pressing in on him, as if trying to compress his body into a ping-pong ball…
With a pop, Wade felt as if he had been squeezed out of a narrow tube. His body instantly reformed, his limbs feeling as if they had regrown.
He took a moment to recover, then looked up to see Dumbledore patiently waiting for him.
"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked with concern. "This feeling takes some getting used to."
"I'm fine," Wade exhaled, "I heard that during the war, underage children had to learn Apparition."
"Yes, that used to be the case," Dumbledore said.
Wade looked around. They were in an unfamiliar valley, with a dark, winding path leading into a dense forest.
On a nearby hillside stood an exquisite yet dilapidated old house. Not far away was an overgrown graveyard.
The surroundings didn't look inhabited.
Wade vaguely sensed something. He didn't ask any questions, following Dumbledore silently along the winding path.
Dumbledore didn't make him guess either. He waved his Wand, and a mist rolled in. Immediately after, Wade saw two indistinct figures appear ahead.
He couldn't make out their faces, only that they appeared to be a man and a woman. The man was on horseback, seemingly dressed in fine and elegant clothing; the woman was hunched over, her back somewhat bent, wearing tattered clothes.
They looked so mismatched, yet the man lifted the woman onto the horse, and the two rode off along the shared path.
"Many years ago, there was a young couple here—Tom Riddle, the handsome son of a Muggle family, eloped with Merope Gaunt, the daughter of a Wizarding family. It was an astonishing scandal at the time."
"In people's eyes, Riddle was the local squire, while the Gaunts were a bunch of eccentric vagrants. They were a complete mismatch. So, a few months later, when Tom Riddle returned to the village alone, the villagers weren't surprised in the least."
Through the mist, a man stumbled back, without the girl by his side.
Dumbledore extended his arm. "Come, I'll show you Merope's subsequent fate."
Wade grabbed his arm again.
With a *bang*, the two appeared in a narrow alleyway.
Dumbledore cast a Disillusionment Charm, and as they walked out of the alley, Wade recognized it as a district in London.
There were some Muggles on the street, but they couldn't see Wade and Dumbledore at all.
The mist reappeared, and a blurry, heavily pregnant woman walked with difficulty through the street. Faintly, white snowflakes could be seen falling onto her shoulders.
Wade followed behind her, hearing Dumbledore say, "Merope, having lost her husband, was pregnant but living in extreme poverty. On a snowy, blustery night, she gave birth to a child in the orphanage ahead."
The woman's blurry figure collapsed. People from the nearby courtyard heard the commotion. They ran out from the large iron gate, calling out to each other, and then helped the woman inside.
The scene flickered, and a baby was born.
A woman in an apron held the baby, leaning in to let his mother see him. The woman struggled to say something, then went still, her arm falling limply.
"After giving birth to this child, Merope passed away. On her deathbed, she gave the child the same name as his father—Tom Marvolo Riddle."
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read ***+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский
Or Translate for free at : https:// randomtranslator.com/translate
Join our Discord: https:// discord.com/invite/XXUR9nkjwa
-----------