"You mean they conducted all those tests just to find the strongest organization to deal with me?" Blake asked, surprised.
Ariana nodded. "Exactly."
Blake frowned. "So, in the end, they picked my own organization?"
"Yes."
"In other words, they don't know I lead the Fourth Natural Disaster?"
"Of course not. Who would hire someone to go after their own leader?"
"I did take a mission once that brought me into contact with Chaos Wish," Blake said, stroking his chin. "But I was wearing gear to conceal my identity."
"Right," Ariana replied. "Still… it's strange. You don't even know who the owner of Chaos Wish is or why they're targeting you."
"Exactly. I'd love to ask him that myself."
Blake paused in thought. "Aunt Ariana, didn't we only pass the preliminary exam? The second round hadn't even begun—so why would they skip straight to choosing us?"
"You think they already know about your link to the Fourth Natural Disaster, but they're pretending they don't?"
Blake nodded slowly.
Something didn't add up. The re-exams were abruptly canceled, and his group had been handed the commission without any competition. There had to be a hidden reason.
"I actually know why," Ariana said.
"Really? What is it?"
"Because I showed up running the security company tied to the Fourth Natural Disaster," Ariana replied with a faint smile.
Blake blinked. "Wait—you showed up, and they assumed the Fourth Natural Disaster is your organization?"
"Exactly. They believe I formed it."
"Oh… now I see," Blake nodded.
The security company was never meant to fully hide their operations—only to provide a public front for their activities. Anyone digging deeper could uncover its real nature.
Especially Chaos Wish, a notorious force operating in Knockturn Alley. They likely discovered that Ariana Dumbledore—the sister long presumed dead—was behind the company.
Given Aberforth's loose tongue, news of Ariana's resurrection had begun spreading, no matter how incredible it sounded. Chaos Wish, with their resources, had surely caught wind of it.
From their perspective, it all pointed to one conclusion.
Dumbledore's legendary duel with Grindelwald? A sham.
Ariana hadn't died—she'd been hiding, secretly rallying Grindelwald's old followers and forming a new force.
And now that Grindelwald had re-emerged, Ariana had returned with him, leading a powerful organization.
Too many coincidences. The dots connected too perfectly.
No one would believe this wasn't a calculated conspiracy between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
So why bother with the re-exam? Why not choose the Dumbledore family's force outright?
Blake sighed. "What a wonderful misunderstanding. But… it probably won't last past today."
"Why not?" Ariana asked.
"Because earlier today, Professor Dumbledore acknowledged my connection to him at the Wizengamot Tribunal. That's how I received the Order of Merlin, First Class so easily."
"Wait—so now your surname is officially Dumbledore, at least within the Wizengamot?"
Blake nodded. "Exactly. And if word spreads beyond the Wizengamot, Chaos Wish will realize the person they want dead is a Dumbledore."
"Which means their attitude will shift from cautious interest to outright hostility," Ariana murmured.
"Exactly. They currently think we're Professor Dumbledore's organization, so they're careful. But once they know I am part of the Dumbledore family, we become a threat."
Ariana gave a small, amused smile. "Those Chaos Wish folks aren't easy to deal with… Are you afraid?"
Blake smiled back. "Only afraid they'll die too quickly."
"In truth, I've been waiting for a proper punching bag for some time. But I've never found one that lasted."
Ariana saw a rare glint of excitement in his eyes.
"Aunt Ariana, it's time your elves got to work. We need to find out who these people really are—and what grudges they might have against me."
"They're already on it," Ariana replied. "Otherwise, how do you think I knew they chose our organization?"
Blake chuckled. "I assumed you figured it out yourself."
"Not everyone can guess everything like you," she said, mock-frustrated.
"I've got a wild theory… What if Chaos Wish's leader is someone I pissed off during my time travel days?"
Ariana looked thoughtful. "Honestly? That's very possible. You caused quite a bit of trouble in those few months. From what I remember, you were fighting someone new every week."
Blake fell silent. That… sounded accurate.
If someone tried to bully him, he made sure they regretted it. Digging up ancestral graves and planting lotus flowers wasn't out of the question.
Blake switched topics. "Anyway—every commission comes with rewards. What exactly are they offering for my life?"
Ariana sat up straighter. "That's the odd part."
"There's no deadline. They only require us to make two attempts a month to kill you."
"If we succeed, we get one million gold Galleons."
"But if we keep failing, they'll deposit 50,000 Galleons into our Gringotts account each month."
Blake stared at her. "So even if we fail, we still get paid? And the full reward only comes if we succeed?"
"Exactly."
"Well… that doesn't sound like they really want me dead," Blake muttered.
Even though one million Galleons would drive most groups mad, the steady 50,000 a month sounded pretty good too.
"No one in their right mind would end it quickly. That defeats the purpose."
"So what are they trying to do—kill me or annoy me?"
"Exactly the question I had," Ariana agreed.
"It's absurd," Blake muttered. "Feels like they're just messing with me."
"But why spend so much money just to mess around?" Ariana asked.
"That's your job to figure out," Blake said. "Use your intelligence network."
"Fine… So what do we do next? The commission starts next month. We can't seriously try to kill you, right?"
"Why not?" Blake grinned. "Get the best fighters in the organization to attack me twice a month."
Ariana's eyes widened. "You're serious?"
"Absolutely. And if Chaos Wish cancels the contract before then, it means they've figured out our connection. But if they don't… this is the perfect way to evaluate the strength of my men."
Ariana stared at him. "So even if the commission is cancelled, you still want to test them?"
"Exactly. This method gives us valuable intel and precious time."
Later that night, Blake returned to Hogwarts—not to rest, but to visit Mr. Filch.
"Master Blake," Filch said with uncharacteristic warmth. "What can I do for you?"
"You've done well with the ancient rune cards," Blake said.
"That's all thanks to your guidance," Filch replied, a bit awkwardly.
"How's your magic coming along?"
Filch beamed. Not long ago, he was a Squib. Now, thanks to Blake, he had magic.
"Very well," he said, after a pause.
"Good. I'm glad you haven't stopped practicing."
"I owe it all to you, sir."
"Then I won't hold back. Do you know others like yourself? Other Squibs?"
Filch nodded slowly. "Yes. We used to gather… tried to figure out how to cast simple spells. Even a floating charm felt impossible."
"That's good," Blake said. "I want you to gather them for me. I'll teach them how to use the ancient rune cards."
Thanks to the system, Blake had already logged Filch into the network. No need for secrecy.
Filch hesitated.
"What is it?" Blake asked.
"I can gather them, but… I'm not sure they'll be loyal. It worries me—teaching them such valuable magic…"
Blake smiled. "Don't worry. I have a way to deal with that. Just bring them in. The more, the better."
Filch nodded. "Understood!"
There were more Squibs in the wizarding world than people realized—and they were perfect for Blake's card-based casting system.
Blake had no intention of giving them potions like Filch had received. That would keep their focus on this new magic.
A mutually beneficial relationship: he gave them magic, and they gave him strength.
Later, back in his dorm, Blake avoided his sulky roommates and got into bed.
As he drifted to sleep, one last thought crossed his mind.
"So… who is the master of Chaos Wish?"
Then, a wild idea hit him.
"What if the master… is me?"
"What if… I time-traveled, lived through everything, and hired someone to come back and fight my younger self?"
He laughed.
"No way… I'm not that crazy… right?"
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