After Grindelwald finished reading the entire process described by Anne in the notebook, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Vita, you've read Anne's description as well. What do you think of this child, Robert?"
Vita pondered for a moment before replying, "He seems like the type of student Dumbledore admires the most."
"Oh? Why is that?" Grindelwald asked with interest.
"Because everything he says and does is positive. The slogans he promotes align with Dumbledore's ideals. Overall, he fits the image of a 'righteous' student that Dumbledore tends to favor." Vita analyzed.
"Yes... Dumbledore certainly thinks so. And it is precisely because of this perception that he has lowered his guard..." Grindelwald smiled knowingly.
"Huh? Did Dumbledore misjudge him? Did Robert deceive him?" Vita asked in surprise.
Grindelwald smirked. "Don't you see? He's subtly gathering followers under the guise of noble intentions."
"Followers? But he's just a member of a student club..." Vita sounded doubtful.
"The first step in gaining followers is getting them to identify with your ideology. That boy, Robert, I recognized his ambition the first time I saw him. But I never expected him to act so soon. He's already laying the groundwork for his future influence, cleverly disguising it as a simple club." Grindelwald had a playful glint in his eyes.
"In other words, Robert is quietly building his own power in a way that even Dumbledore approves of?" Vita asked in astonishment.
"Exactly."
"But he's only eleven!"
"It is precisely because he's only eleven that Dumbledore remains unsuspecting. This boy is not simple. He understands that now is the best time to establish such a group. If he were older, Dumbledore would be watching him more closely."
Grindelwald continued, "Have Anne keep a close eye on Robert. As for the location mentioned in the notebook, since there have been no results, we can put it aside for now."
"I understand." Vita picked up the notebook and turned to leave.
As she walked away, Grindelwald gazed after her, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"Albus... you've become far more confused than before..."
Hogwarts
The first meeting of the mutual aid society was a tremendous success.
Every member eagerly raised their hands in agreement with the society's principles.
When Professor Slughorn later introduced a point-based reward system, excitement surged through the group. Initially, they believed mutual assistance was merely a duty, but now, it came with tangible benefits.
The prizes Slughorn arranged were highly valuable—ranging from Felix Felicis to beauty potions. Even if members didn't use these items, they could sell them for a considerable sum of Galleons.
Of course, the most coveted rewards were reserved for the top 20 members on the leaderboard. However, even those ranking 20th and below received consolation prizes—premium candies, rare Chocolate Frog cards, intricately designed wizard chess pieces, and more.
Though the consolation prizes weren't as valuable, they held sentimental worth, as members could choose their rewards freely.
Soon, students eagerly began seeking opportunities to help one another.
Robert had meticulously prepared for this moment. He carefully screened everyone's skills and weaknesses, pairing students who could complement each other's strengths.
However, he made sure to present this as a mere suggestion rather than a requirement. Anyone was free to choose their own partners.
To facilitate this, Robert designated a blank wall in the club's activity room where students could post requests for help.
While this wall served as the society's primary method of pairing students, Robert's true strategy lay beneath the surface. By reviewing every member's information, he gained an in-depth understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and potential.
With his exceptional memory, he could now easily identify who possessed true talent and who had the potential to become key figures in the future.
Over time, the mutual aid society functioned more efficiently.
Professor Slughorn even provided temporary funding to help sustain operations.
After all, no matter how influential Slughorn was, a newly established group couldn't generate profits immediately.
Two Weeks Later
The weather turned colder as autumn deepened.
Robert received word from Professor Slughorn—Levitra's beauty potion had finally started making a profit.
With the society now on stable ground, Robert planned to pass leadership responsibilities to Tom.
However, before stepping down, he had one final task to complete.
In the corner of the club's activity room, there was a small office area where Robert and the society's core members handled affairs.
Seated at his desk, Robert faced a nervous Slytherin student.
This student, Yake, was the same non-pure-blood who had once asked Robert if joining the society would protect him from bullying.
"Yake, now that the club is running smoothly, it's time to address your issue," Robert said in a calm tone.
"My issue?" Yake looked confused.
Ever since joining the society, responsible senior students had helped him improve his grades significantly.
More importantly, ever since he became a member, the pure-blood students who used to bully him no longer dared to.
His life at Hogwarts had drastically improved.
"Have you forgotten?" Robert reminded him. "When you first joined, you asked me if you'd stop being bullied after joining the club."
"Yes! And you were right! No one bothers me anymore!" Yake said excitedly. "Uh, Captain, why are you bringing this up?"
"Because justice still needs to be served," Robert replied with a smile. "Now, tell us who bullied you."
"You... Captain, are you planning to take revenge for me?!" Yake was stunned.
Although he no longer suffered from bullying, the pain of the past still haunted him.
But now that he had found a safe haven within the mutual aid society, he had buried those painful memories.
However, that didn't mean he had forgiven his tormentors.
"Hey, don't say it like that. We're not seeking revenge. We're educating them," Robert said seriously. "They need to understand that their pure-blood supremacy beliefs are misguided. And more importantly, they still owe you an apology."
Yake hesitated. He longed to hear an apology from those who had tormented him, but he also feared that the club might get into trouble because of this confrontation.
"If the club gets shut down because of me..." Yake trailed off, nervous.
"Don't worry, Yake. This isn't just about you. We will seek justice for every club member who has been wronged. Bullies must face consequences. And every single member of this society is standing behind you," Robert declared firmly.
The Reckoning
A few weeks after the mutual aid society was founded, the group took decisive action.
Robert, alongside the core members, led a group of students who had once been bullied to confront their tormentors.
This time, Robert didn't bring just a few supporters—he brought dozens.
And most of them were senior students who were more than capable of defending themselves.
From the very beginning, this wasn't a fair negotiation.
Faced with Robert's overwhelming force, the former bullies cowered, some even bursting into tears.
One by one, they issued sincere apologies. Some, fearing further repercussions, immediately pledged allegiance to the mutual aid society.
However, Robert didn't allow them in so easily.
Just like he had done with Abraxas, he demanded that they prove their change of heart. Only if the victims forgave them could they be considered for membership.
Under Robert's relentless influence, Hogwarts—especially Slytherin—underwent a dramatic transformation.
The once-dominant pure-blood supremacists found their power steadily diminishing.
Even Professor Slughorn, who had long sought to reform Slytherin, was pleased with the outcome.
But while Hogwarts changed for the better, the parents of these reformed pure-blood students were far from pleased.
Soon, countless angry letters flooded the headmaster's office…
(End of Chapter)
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