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Veratia hadn't expected Professor Dumbledore to ask such a question.
"I don't quite understand what you mean, Professor Dumbledore," she said.
"You should understand, Miss Grindelwald," Professor Dumbledore replied. "I know how you feel about Harry. Otherwise, you wouldn't have crossed a century to come here… But I heard from Newt that you plan to wait for Miss Malfoy's return before engaging in a fair competition with her?"
"That's indeed my intention," Veratia said with a smile.
Dumbledore didn't quite grasp Veratia's reasoning. Perplexed, he asked, "Why? As far as I know, Miss Malfoy has been Harry's close friend since their first year. Are you truly confident you can surpass her?"
"I'll make Cassandra concede willingly, Professor," Veratia said. Though her demeanor was humble, the pride in her eyes was impossible to conceal.
"I still think you shouldn't be so careless," Dumbledore said, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "If I were you, I'd secure a relationship with Harry first and then work on rescuing Cassandra…"
Truth be told, Dumbledore was a staunch supporter of the Harry-Veratia pairing.
Aside from the mischievous Mr. Flamel and a few portrait professors stuck in the dungeons, Dumbledore was the only member of the "Harvi" faction.
The reason wasn't hard to deduce. Through several conversations and subtle inquiries, Dumbledore had formed a preliminary impression of Veratia.
She was someone whose ambition surpassed even Gellert Grindelwald's—or rather, Gellert was merely a youthful version of her.
Dumbledore was old, and the younger generation had been decimated by Voldemort. Once Veratia completed her plans, there might be no one left to stop her.
But he had always believed in love, believed that love could redeem anything.
That was why Dumbledore unwaveringly supported Veratia and Harry being together—it would anchor her ambitions.
Moreover, Veratia's journey across a century to find Harry was proof enough that love resided in her heart.
Those with love in their hearts wouldn't become like Voldemort or Gellert.
"You needn't worry, Professor," Veratia said confidently. "I've defeated Cassandra once, and I can defeat her again. The final victor will be me."
Seeing Veratia's resolve, Dumbledore knew further persuasion was futile.
"I hope so," he sighed, resolving to discuss the matter with Gellert…
Then he remembered—Gellert and Harry had never gotten along.
Knowing Gellert, he'd likely be dead-set on sabotaging the Harvi faction.
Gellert was nothing if not adaptable—anyone who worked to break up Harry and Veratia would be his new best friend.
No, Gellert couldn't be trusted either. He needed to find someone suitable to strategize with.
Perhaps… Newt?
No, Newt wouldn't do either. His aunt, Poppy… who knew what was going on there?
Dumbledore knew Newt's character—loyal and sentimental. He'd undoubtedly support Poppy's rise to prominence.
Once Cassandra returned, every pure-blood family close to the Malfoys would likely flock to the Harry-Cassandra faction.
At this thought, Dumbledore felt a headache coming on.
Who could've imagined that little Hogwarts would simultaneously host three major factions?
The next morning, Harry received a letter from the Malfoy family.
It stated that the Board of Governors would meet tomorrow, Saturday morning, to formally announce the addition of a new governor.
Letter in hand, Harry strolled to Newt's tent.
"Professor Scamander," Harry greeted.
Newt turned, smiling when he saw Harry. "It's you, Harry. Haven't we said you can just call me Newt?"
"This is school; I should call you Professor," Harry replied, pulling the letter from his pocket and handing it to Newt. "This is from the Malfoys. The Board of Governors meets tomorrow. Where's Poppy? Still at Flamel's?"
"My aunt's taking a walk in the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Flamel's over there," Newt said, pointing in a direction.
Harry looked where Newt indicated, puzzled. "That's the way I came from, but I didn't see any house."
As he turned back, he noticed a two-story cottage standing by the path.
"That's Mr. Flamel's new home, protected by the Fidelius Charm," Newt said with a grin. "I never would've guessed he'd figure out Muggle electricity generation. Their house is entirely self-sufficient now."
"He's a legendary alchemist, after all. It's not surprising he knows a few extra tricks," Harry said, quickly accepting Flamel's many talents. "Why did they move so close to the school?"
"Mr. Flamel said he's getting old and wants to be around children to feel their energy," Newt said, repeating words he barely understood himself. "Plus, he wants to keep an eye on my aunt's condition, to find a way to… well, help her recover."
"Mr. Flamel's such a good person," Harry remarked.
"Isn't he just?" Newt agreed. "People like him are rarer by the day."
Harry chatted with Newt a bit longer before bidding him farewell, heading into the Forbidden Forest to see what Poppy was up to.
As Harry's figure receded, Gellert suddenly appeared behind Newt.
"We need to talk, Scamander," Gellert said, his expression grave.
Newt turned, replying swiftly, "There's nothing to discuss, Grindelwald."
His guard was up. Ever since learning Gellert would be his teaching assistant, Newt had set a rule for himself: don't trust a single word Gellert says.
But far from being discouraged, Gellert took a step closer.
"Hear me out before you decide, Scamander."
Newt was determined to ignore his nonsense. Without responding, he headed into the tent to check on the Zouwu's condition.
This was the same loyal companion he'd acquired in Paris over sixty years ago.
As Newt entered the tent, Gellert followed.
"Let me put it this way, Scamander," Gellert said. "I'm willing to work with you to separate my sister from Scarhead…"
Newt let out an awkward, polite chuckle.
You? Break up your sister?
Newt didn't believe a single word of it.
"You should trust me, Scamander. I don't think my sister and that Scarhead are a good match," Gellert said, his tone persuasive. "That Scarhead… lazy, arrogant. I don't know what my sister sees in him. Let's work together, hm? I think Miss Sweeting would be a fine match for Scarhead—though her current situation isn't ideal."
Newt said nothing, rummaging through a cabinet for a cat teaser.
The Zouwu, a magical creature native to China, resembled a giant cat but was as large as an elephant. Its body shimmered with five colors, and its long, feathery tail surpassed even a python's length.
Capable of running a thousand miles in a day, the Zouwu was a marvel.
As for the "cat teaser," it was actually a bird-shaped toy Newt had made—the Zouwu's favorite, delighting it like a regular cat with a teaser wand.
"I know you don't trust me, but you've seen the situation, Scamander," Gellert continued, undeterred by Newt's silence. "A woman of my sister's caliber isn't someone Miss Sweeting can handle. The only one who could stand against her is that missing Malfoy girl… But from what my sister's said about Miss Malfoy's personality, if she were even slightly normal, my sister wouldn't stand a chance."
"Since we don't know where she is, we can't let my sister get ahead. We need someone to challenge her. I think Miss Sweeting is a good choice—after all, she has deep feelings for that Scarhead, doesn't she?"
Newt's movements paused slightly.
Sensing an opening, Gellert pressed on. "Come on, Scamander. Don't you want to fight for your aunt's happiness? Think about it—my sister isn't invincible. Are you really willing to let your aunt live with lifelong regret because of your hesitation?"
Newt stopped searching for the teaser.
He had to admit, Gellert made a compelling case.
Though he didn't want to trust Gellert, he couldn't ignore Poppy's happiness.
After all, Poppy's current state was because of her feelings for Harry.
As her nephew, he had to prioritize her wishes.
"Why should I work with you?" Newt asked.
Gellert's heart leapt—finally, a response!
Seizing the moment, he added fuel to the fire. "Because we want the same thing, Scamander," he said with a hum. "I want my sister away from that wretched Scarhead. You want Miss Sweeting with Scarhead—which means getting my sister out of the way. Our goals align."
"I won't deny that," Newt said.
"Then we share a common interest, Scamander," Gellert said earnestly. "Our core desires are the same. So what are you waiting for?"
Gellert's eloquence was undeniable—a remnant of his days as a formidable figure. Newt was already half-convinced, seriously weighing Gellert's words and considering whether to bring him into the Harry-Poppy faction.
In a mental whirlwind, Newt analyzed the situation. Miss Grindelwald held a massive advantage, having seized the initiative in "recharging her magic." It was hard to see how she could lose.
Given this, she had no need to send her brother as a spy.
Plus, her pride would never allow such a degrading move.
So… there were two possibilities.
First, Gellert was acting on his own.
Second, Gellert genuinely wanted to separate his sister from Harry.
"I'll put you under observation, Grindelwald," Newt said cautiously, not fully trusting him. "If you pass our evaluation, I'll formally bring you into our inner circle… but for now, you're on probation."
"Understood," Gellert said with a meaningful smile. "I get your skepticism, Scamander. After all, she's my sister. No one would expect me to want to break them up."
Newt struggled for a moment before offering an assessment.
"You're really… something else," he said, his expression complicated.
Gellert laughed.
"If I were a good brother who respected my sister's choices, would you still achieve your goal of securing your aunt's happiness?"
Newt fell silent, conceding the point.
But he didn't feel morally burdened. After all, Harry and Miss Grindelwald weren't officially together—it wasn't truly "breaking them up."
It was just fair competition, even if the starting lines weren't equal.
Newt resolved to fight for Poppy's happiness.
In that case, a temporary alliance with the nefarious Grindelwald wasn't such a big deal.
"I recall Miss Grindelwald saying she'd wait for Miss Malfoy's return before competing fairly," Newt said suddenly. "Where's your Seer's Eye? Tell me, when will Miss Malfoy return?"
"Didn't I tell you? Not until next Christmas," Gellert said leisurely. "Why the rush?"
"You never told me," Newt said firmly.
Gellert let out an "oh." "My mistake—must've mentioned it to Al at Nurmengard. Brace yourself, Scamander. You've got one year to make that dim-witted Scarhead realize your aunt's feelings."
"Dim-witted?" Newt asked, puzzled. "Why call him that?"
Gellert sneered. "Merlin's beard, if you knew the story between Cassandra Malfoy and that blockhead Scarhead, you'd agree he's utterly hopeless!"
After venting, Gellert launched into a dramatized retelling of the tale he'd heard from his sister, laced with personal grudges—an embellished saga of "Miss Malfoy Wanted Me to Confess" starring a clueless teenage Harry.
As Newt listened to the century-old tale of love and rivalry, his expression grew increasingly complex.
A blockhead like that… could he really…?
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