Compared to the Elder Wand, which enhanced all aspects of a wizard's power, the Destruction Wand possessed a unique potency when channeling dark magic.
Dumbledore might not have been a wandmaker, but he certainly knew a great deal about wands.The Destruction Wand, like the Rainbow Wand before it, was no ordinary instrument. What truly astonished him was that—despite its strong affinity with dark magic—it did not exude any trace of malice.
To this wand, power was simply power. Unlike other dark artifacts that whispered and corrupted the hearts of their wielders, this one remained neutral—cold and impartial.
"You always manage to produce such incredible things," Dumbledore said tiredly, rubbing his eyes.
Charles accepted the wand Dumbledore handed back."The amazing part is the Pokémon," he replied lightly. "Speaking of which, I should tell you—I got Voldemort's Horcrux from Malfoy. The diary I mentioned to you before."
At the mention of a Horcrux, Dumbledore immediately perked up, his fatigue vanishing.
"The diary," he muttered. "As expected—that should be the first Horcrux he ever created. He murdered Moaning Myrtle for it."The memory was still vivid in Dumbledore's mind.
At that time, he wasn't yet the headmaster of Hogwarts.Voldemort had opened the Chamber of Secrets, killed Myrtle, and nearly caused the school to shut down.To avoid that outcome, he framed Hagrid for the crime—resulting in the boy's expulsion.
Before Charles revealed the truth to him, Dumbledore could scarcely have imagined that Voldemort had begun crafting Horcruxes while still a student.And what was worse—he had succeeded.
"Destroy it quickly," Dumbledore said at once.
But Charles shook his head."I spoke to him," he said calmly.
Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes locked onto him immediately.
He knew well the difference between Charles and Voldemort. Charles understood love—he was capable of genuine emotion. Voldemort, by contrast, worshipped nothing but power and control.
Yet people could change—and it was always far easier to turn evil than to grow good.Just look at Quirrell, now enslaved by Voldemort.Some of his crimes were committed under possession, yes—but he had chosen that path out of a craving for the power Voldemort promised him.
One more corrupted Quirrell hardly mattered; Dumbledore could stomach another Death Eater.But if Charles were ever to fall… then in time, he could become another Dark Lord.Or worse.
Even Dumbledore had to admit—Charles's magical talent was astonishing. Given time, even he couldn't guarantee he'd always be able to keep the boy in check.And how long could he continue holding anyone in check, truly?Even with the Philosopher's Stone Nicholas had given him, his body was still decaying.
Not to mention—Charles possessed those mysterious Pokémon.Just a single feather had held power enough to rival the legendary wands said to be crafted by Death himself. That alone proved that the Rainbow Wand and Destruction Wand were made from extraordinary materials—perhaps from two immensely powerful Pokémon.
That was what truly frightened Dumbledore: the idea of Charles losing his way.
Communicating with Voldemort, therefore, was the most dangerous thing imaginable.
"You're worrying too much," Charles said with a grin. "I'm not the kind of fool who'd get brainwashed by a fifth-year student. If anything, it's poor Tom who's dancing in the palm of my hand."
Dumbledore: …
"…What did you do to him?"
"Oh, nothing much," Charles said casually. "I just told him that, in this timeline, magic doesn't exist—only Pokémon. No wizards, only Trainers. You, Professor Dumbledore, are the headmaster of the Hogwarts Pokémon Academy.
"I also told him he might be from another world—the Reverse World. Two worlds that look alike but are completely opposite in nature."
He chuckled. "Judging by his reaction, he seemed to believe me."
"I even told him that there might be another version of himself here, and made up a few bits of 'shared history.' Actually, I'll need your help with that—we can have some fun with him. When I get the chance, I'll bring you to meet him. You can tell him that the Tom in this world is a kind and righteous man, or whatever you like."
"He's truly wicked!" Phineas Nigellus exclaimed from his portrait.Voldemort might not have been human—but this boy was an absolute devil!
"This isn't a good idea," Dumbledore sighed helplessly.
He could hardly stomach Charles's mischievous streak. But then again, he was only seventeen—still a child, really.And considering who the victim was, well… it was hard to feel much sympathy.
"My goal," Charles said, eyes gleaming, "is to make Tom Riddle completely believe he's really arrived in another world."
It might not have had any practical purpose—but who cared? It was fun.
Charles thought the system ought to reward him with a "Prankster Heart" at this point.
Dumbledore stared hard at him. Charles stared right back, eyes bright and innocent.
A moment later, the old lion gave in.
He couldn't very well claim that he felt no curiosity about how it would play out, could he?
"With this condition—just this once," Dumbledore said, raising a single finger.
"No problem!" Charles clapped his hands in delight, agreed at once, and happily left the office—wand in hand.
But in this world, there was no such thing as just once. Only zero, and countless times.
Before stepping out the door, he suddenly turned back.
"Oh, right—I told him my name was Harry Potter."
Dumbledore: ???Harry: ???
After leaving the headmaster's office, Charles returned to his own.He planned to write a letter to Léonie, inviting Beauxbatons to attend the end-of-term Hogwarts Cup Pokémon Tournament.
Of course, Beauxbatons wouldn't be the only invitation.Most of the other schools still didn't truly understand Pokémon. Even Beauxbatons—though they had heard Hogwarts was offering a new course—had little idea what Pokémon really were, or what a Pokémon battle entailed.
Charles's ambition was to use this tournament to open the "New World of Pokémon" to the rest of the wizarding schools—so that, by the time Harry reached his fourth year, the Triwizard Tournament could be reimagined as a Pokémon Championship.
Though in that case, of course, it couldn't rightly be called the "Triwizard Tournament" anymore.And the Goblet of Fire would make for a rather shabby prize.
Yes—shabby!Unlike in the films, the real Goblet of Fire looked rather plain—its body mostly made of wood, old and worn.
Its only charm was the flickering blue flame within.
But Charles had something far grander in mind.
(End of Chapter)