Chapter 584: Andros and Jeanne’s Imminent Revival
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Tom inherited... no, seized the lifeti work of Antonidas. The most important legacy was, of course, the great magic circuits. But there were also extensive records about Dalaran itself.
They included not only hidden secrets from that era, but also Antonidas’s ultimate ambition for the city: to make Dalaran the true magical holy land of Azeroth.
So... in this world, Tom decided to fulfill Antonidas’s dream.
At the very center of the city stood a towering black spire, so tall it seed to pierce the clouds. Built from heavy black marble and guarded by six subsidiary towers, its surface shimred with flowing golden lines. One glance was enough to feel the mystery and authority of magic.
Whether they were wizard prisoners working nearby or Dentors supervising them, none dared approach this area.
If Antonidas himself ca to this world and saw the black tower, he would definitely cry out, "Karazhan?!"
That’s right. Tom had transplanted divh’s mage tower, Karazhan, and made it the heart of Dalaran.
Admittedly, it clashed a bit with the city’s aesthetic. The rest of Dalaran was built in white and violet, so the black spire looked sowhat out of place.
Still, Tom could live with that. This tower would beco his personal laboratory and research center. Only a handful of people would ever be allowed inside.
The other two major institutions, the Astra Abyssum Guild headquarters and the various national Ministry branches, were placed in the eastern district. Their architecture followed the style of the original Kirin Tor Council Hall.
In the future, Dalaran would beco the holy land in every wizard’s heart, the capital. A hub for politics, culture, and economic exchange.
What they were building now was only the core functional zone. The residential districts for ordinary citizens could be treated as satellite towns. But that was still far off. Once people gradually accepted the city’s existence, they could think about expansion later.
"Tom, I want to go inside and look!" Daphne started acting spoiled again, hugging his arm and swaying it back and forth. "Are we going to move here later? I think it’s great. Step outside and you’ve got multiple Diagon Alleys and all kinds of snack shops. Way more convenient than our current ho."
"Can we buy now?" Fleur chid in. "I’ll tell my parents to prepare money. We’ll grab a few properties first."
"It’s too early to talk about that." Tom shook his head. "Once the city’s finished, I’ll draw in the shops."
"As for going down there... better not."
"Why not?" Daphne pouted, instantly unhappy.
Tom answered honestly. "Those prisoners don’t really want to see . And I don’t want a crowd begging
to let them go the mont I show up. If I lose my patience and kill soone, that’s one less worker. So I’d rather not go."
The girls were speechless.
That was his concern?
Objectively speaking, Tom felt he treated these prisoners pretty well. Their food and lodging were normal. Sure, they didn’t get paid... but they had gained sacred knowledge of magical construction!
The wizards here had all beco experts at cent-mixing charms, bonding spells, levitation, reinforcent magic... skills like these were incredibly practical. Once they got out, earning a living would be easy.
Tsk! Honestly... no wonder they caused trouble at the World Cup. These wizards had no sense of gratitude.
Tom shook his head, feigning disappointnt.
"Ok, let’s go."
Since they couldn’t tour Dalaran up close, the three stood on the hillside for a while before returning to school.
That evening, the other girls ca knocking one after another, accusing Tom of favoritism. Why had he only taken Fleur and Daphne to see it while ignoring them?
It wasn’t favoritism, really. But if he took all of them, it would be like releasing an entire forest of songbirds around him, chirping nonstop. His head would explode.
So he spent the entire afternoon ferrying them over in pairs, traveling back and forth between the school and Dalaran.
The young witches offered plenty of useful suggestions. Hermione proposed multiple libraries. Ginny wanted training grounds. Penelope asked for a headquarters building for the Elaina Magic Workshop. Luna suggested preserving an outer forest.
Tom noted everything down, then tossed the list to Lupin and told him to supervise the prisoners working overti.
There was less than a month before these people would be released. He needed them to contribute as much as possible.
---
anwhile...
"Where is Tom?"
In the headmaster’s office, Dumbledore looked at Snape, who had arrived alone, with a puzzled expression.
"I don’t know. I asked a few Slytherin students," Snape replied. "They said Riddle never returned to the castle. Delacour and Greengrass disappeared with him as well."
Snape gave Aberforth a slight nod, then took a seat across from him.
Dumbledore looked a little disappointed, but there wasn’t much he could do about Tom. "Never mind. Tell
your thoughts first, Severus."
Even Aberforth, who rarely set foot in Hogwarts, had co. The topic was obviously Ariana.
Her performance today had been stunning, and both brothers were thrilled. But the Obscurus had already taken two Dumbledores in the past.
Even if Ariana showed no signs of being affected now, eliminating the risk entirely would be far more reassuring.
And when it ca to unconventional magic and potions, Snape was the expert.
Snape hesitated. "Dumbledore... my understanding of Obscurials is limited to what’s written in books. I’ve never studied one in depth. Yesterday was the first ti I’ve seen the real thing."
"You’re asking
to co up with a solution imdiately. That’s not realistic. Give
ti. Ideally, I’d need sothing to study before I can be confident."
Aberforth frowned. "Sothing to study? You an... find another Obscurus?"
"It’s not that simple. Obscurials were largely a product of the Church’s oppression. Muggles don’t believe in that anymore, so they’ve basically gone extinct. I still have so materials. You can look through them first."
Snape shook his head. "It would be best to have a specin."
He wasn’t thinking only of Ariana. He also wanted to research the Obscurus itself. The power Ariana displayed that morning easily qualified for Arcane Wizard rank. The phenonon was terrifying, allowing a wizard to unleash incomprehensible levels of power.
Dumbledore listened quietly, deep in thought. At last, he stood.
"Severus, co with . Perhaps Newt has what you’re looking for."
Snape’s eyes lit up, and he imdiately rose to follow.
...
..
Tom only learned about their visit to Newt the next morning.
The result, naturally, was disappointnt. Newt had once kept an Obscurus separated from its host, but after so many years without magical nourishnt, it had long since exhausted itself and dissipated.
Tom couldn’t help noticing how well Grindelwald understood Dumbledore. The old man’s need for control really was strong.
Grindelwald had already told him the Obscurus wouldn’t affect Ariana now, but Dumbledore still couldn’t rest easy. He insisted on separating Ariana from it, according to his own judgnt.
Thinking about it, Tom felt fortunate he had grown strong quickly. Before Dumbledore could react, he already had the power to step outside the man’s control.
Dumbledore’s need to control things might not co from malice, but that forced "it’s for your own good" attitude was exactly the kind of kindness Tom disliked.
Using the study space, Tom relayed the news to Ariana. She ended up half amused, half exasperated. At the sa ti, that old suffocating feeling crept back.
When she was little, Albus always had the final say. Even her daily walks was strictly controlled. After all these years, she thought he might have changed. Apparently not.
"Oh, so he wants to control ?" The young witch’s temper flared. Magic surged around her, blonde hair whipping wildly. "Then I’m going to flip his desk!"
Tom grabbed her before she could storm off and quickly soothed her.
"Easy. Getting angry makes you age faster..."
"B-But Albus is going too far."
Ariana’s eyes turned watery as she threw herself into his arms. "He keeps saying it’s for my own good, but he never considers my feelings. He doesn’t respect what I want. Just because he’s eaten a few dozen more years’ worth of sweets, his opinion has to be right?"
"And Aberforth’s siding with him too. Tom... you’re my only good brother left."
The words sounded nice, but the tone carried a hint of calculated sweetness. It snapped Tom fully awake. He gently patted her back.
"I’m not stopping you. I’m saying wait a bit. Grindelwald can’t hold Dumbledore down by himself. But don’t worry. Jeanne and Andros will be revived soon. When that happens, bring them along and give the headmaster a proper lesson. Make sure he never dares raise his voice at you again."
"They’re finally going to be revived?" Ariana looked up suddenly, eyes sparkling with excitent.
After getting confirmation, she happily leaned in and planted a quick kiss on him.
Out in the world, background mattered. And she always felt her current backing still wasn’t enough. But add her best friend Jeanne and her teacher Andros, and with those two as her guardians, who in the wizarding world could touch her?
If Tom hadn’t been right in front of her, Ariana would probably have burst out laughing without a shred of dignity.
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