Grindelwald was momentarily speechless.
And Dumbledore? He simply remained silent.
Sometimes, silence itself was an answer.
"Go on, show him!" Grindelwald urged, still looking rather put out and not because of Ian's sneak attack but because he had been so thoroughly outmaneuvered.
Just as Ian raised his wand—
"I suspect this young man would rather not have you here, Gellert," Dumbledore interjected gently. "It might stir memories best left undisturbed."
His gaze rested on his old friend.
"Alright, alright, the great Dumbledore has spoken," Grindelwald relented, exhaling in mild frustration.
There was something almost comical about seeing the once-feared Dark Lord in such a flustered state. It was unlikely that even his former followers, the Acolytes, had ever witnessed him like this.
"Truly, Albus, heartless and ruthless as ever. Merlin's beard, I didn't even cast that bloody charm," He grumbled as he turned toward the door.
"Professor! The underground chamber!" Ian called out. "We haven't dealt with the underground chamber yet!"
Grindelwald paused mid-step.
"The underground chamber?" He repeated, his tone shifting.
For all his grumbling, the departure was momentarily forgotten.
And just like that, the game was back on.
Albus Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly. As expected, he had already received word from Grindelwald long before Ian had even mentioned the hidden depths of Hogwarts to him.
"Right below here, I found a…" Ian began to repeat what he had told Grindelwald earlier, and as he spoke, Dumbledore's expression grew increasingly grave.
Just as Ian was about to mention the time loop, the old headmaster spoke first.
"So that's it. This is the source of your peculiarity." Dumbledore's gaze settled on Ian with a flicker of surprise, as though something had just clicked into place.
"Be honest with me, child. How many times have you looped?"
Ian was stunned. He had always known that people spoke of Dumbledore as if he were all-knowing, but in this moment, he truly understood why.
"I… I think this is my first loop?"
In truth, Ian wasn't even certain if he was truly looping at all— but the certainty in the headmaster's expression was somehow greater than his own.
"Time is an elusive force, unseen and untouchable, yet it always leaves traces behind. The air around you carries the scent of another time."
The voice belonged to Grindelwald, who had just returned, offering an explanation that clarified Ian's confusion.
It also made Ian realize why this particular professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts had not reacted with shock upon hearing his earlier, seemingly outrageous claims. After all, the two men standing before him were the greatest wizards of the age, there was little that could escape their notice.
In hindsight, Grindelwald's earlier insistence on proof, his feigned skepticism, it had all been a diversion. He had merely been waiting for the old headmaster to return.
And, of course, Ian could now see the amusement in his actions. Teasing him had become something of a pastime.
"..."
A realization struck Ian, sudden and unrelenting.
This was what it must feel like to be a second-rate performer attempting to pass as a leading actor on the wizarding stage.
"I had assumed you had merely gotten your hands on a Time-Turner, but it seems your experience is far more… intriguing." Grindelwald's words offered Ian no comfort.
"This is not merely a matter of time travel, Gellert."
Dumbledore reached out, his fingers brushing against the back of Ian's raised hand as though examining something unseen. His knowledge of time's mysteries, it seemed, surpassed even Grindelwald's.
"What do you mean?"
Grindelwald stepped closer, his voice edged with curiosity.
"I believe there is no second Ian Prince currently attending Hogwarts."
Dumbledore raised the Elder Wand, the very wand that once belonged to Grindelwald himself and gave it a slow, deliberate wave. Before them, a map unfurled in the air, woven from threads of light and shadow. It was more intricate than even the Marauder's Map, showing the names of every student within the castle's walls.
Ian's eyes were immediately drawn to Quirrell's name.
Overlaying it, intertwined yet distinct, was another name: Tom Riddle.
The two names seemed to blur together, as though bound by something unseen, something ancient and sinister. To the uninformed, it might have appeared as if they were engaged in an eerie dance, tangled in a fate of their own making.
"I want to learn this magic, Professor!"
Ian's voice carried an unmistakable awe as he took in the enchanted map.
Dumbledore turned to him, his eyes twinkling with something unreadable. "You will, in time," He said softly. His voice was calm yet laden with meaning.
"Indeed, there isn't another Ian Prince… but the mind of the future returning to its past self is not beyond the realm of possibility."
Perhaps only Grindelwald was truly studying the map, considering the implications. But Ian? He was beginning to grasp just how deep the magic before him truly ran.
Albus Dumbledore gave a slow nod, his expression both contemplative and confirming as he continued speaking.
"But our Mr. Prince is clearly an exception; his thoughts and very being do not belong to this time or space."
His voice carried a quiet certainty.
Grindelwald, upon hearing this, regarded Ian with a glint of surprise in his sharp eyes.
"I find it rather remarkable that, without delving into my memories, you've managed to perceive so much." In truth, Ian had long suspected something was amiss.
When he had checked Marauder's Map in the corridor earlier, he had confirmed that there was no duplicate of himself anywhere in the school. Aside from the ring he had entrusted to Ariana still existing, everything he had crafted and collected beyond this day in his own timeline remained tucked away safely in his pouch.
This was no ordinary instance of time travel— neither a traditional time loop nor a simple temporal displacement.
"You're growing quickly, child. I must say, your height alone is rather telling." Dumbledore smiled kindly, his tone light, but his eyes sharp with deduction.
Just as Ian was about to ask exactly what was happening to him—
"If that's the case…" Grindelwald seemed to come to a realization. With an impatient flick of his wand, he aimed at the sink before them.
A resounding 'boom' echoed through the chamber.
The sink exploded in a shower of debris, pipes bursting as water gushed out in all directions. Amidst the wreckage, the hidden entrance Ian had discovered earlier was revealed once more.
"Uh…"
Ian found himself at a loss for words. He glanced at Dumbledore with an expression that clearly said, 'Are you seeing this?'
"Our esteemed Defence Against the Dark Arts professor has just encountered a reality he cannot abide, which makes this an understandable reaction." Dumbledore chuckled as he watched Grindelwald disappear down the passageway without so much as a backward glance.
"Well then, let us go and meet our resurrected Professor Ronnie Ehrlich." With that, Dumbledore gestured for Ian to follow, repairing the shattered sink and pipes with a flick of his wand as they stepped into the hidden corridor. Cleaning up after his old friend had become second nature by now.
"Would you care to lead the way?"
Dumbledore looked ahead at the winding path.
Grindelwald had already vanished into the darkness.
(To Be Continued…)
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