Gold-Devouring Rose

Dumbledore extended a hand, gesturing for Aisling to sit across from him.

"I'm truly sorry to have summoned you so late, Aisling."

Dumbledore treated Aisling with considerable kindness, like a benevolent elder.

Though Aisling appeared cold on the surface, she remained very respectful toward Dumbledore. In a calm voice with a trace of warmth, she asked him why he had called her to his office.

"Did Roy Smee say that I was the one behind his ambush in the corridor? I suppose he also accused me of forming a new Wizard Purist Party in Slytherin."

Aisling spoke of the accusations against her as calmly as if they had happened to someone else. Yet when Roy's name came up, the disgust on her face still betrayed her true feelings.

"Do you believe what he said, Professor?"

Looking at the serious, delicate-featured girl before him, Dumbledore thought that Aisling truly was nothing like her great-uncle.

"I believe you, Aisling."

Dumbledore's tone was firm. From his usual observations, he could tell that Aisling was absolutely not as evil as Roy had claimed.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Aisling suddenly became somewhat emotional. She had felt terribly wronged these past few days as well.

"So you can see how hateful that bastard Roy Smee is now? I showed him goodwill first, only for him to mock me like that. Now he's turning around and accusing me of refusing to accept his apology. That bastard—I only went to the sixth floor because I didn't want to intensify the conflict between students, but he went and beat those two straight into the hospital."

Realizing that she had become agitated, Aisling composed herself slightly, took a breath, and continued.

"He's just a show-off, an immature thug. He has a little strength, so he struts around the world throwing his weight about. Those two idiots deserved what they got, but he himself is practically shoving the words 'come fight me' into every Slytherin student's face."

Dumbledore knew that Aisling's words were fair, but the conflict between the two could not be blamed on only one side. It could only be said that Roy and Aisling had utterly different personalities and values.

This clash of values was most clearly reflected in the divide between the founders Gryffindor and Slytherin. After all, Roy was someone who could wield the Gryffindor Sword. In a sense, he was a true Gryffindor.

Even Dumbledore did not know how to answer that question, so he could only comfort Aisling.

"I understand you, Aisling. You are far more mature than the children around you. But I hope you can understand that Roy is not bad at heart. You do not know how much he has done for the children in his orphanage. Perhaps it is difficult for the two of you to understand each other, but I do not think the attacks between the houses can continue. You are so clever that you will surely understand my concerns."

Hearing Dumbledore's request, Aisling agreed solemnly, no matter how displeased she was with Roy.

"I understand, Professor. It is what I should do. Thanks to your protection, I was able to escape my enemies' pursuit. However, even if I do not provoke him, he will certainly come after me again. I have already seen it."

Dumbledore paused for a moment at Aisling's words, then made her a promise.

"I know you have the gift of prophecy, but the key to prophecies lies in how we interpret them. Sometimes, what a prophecy shows is not necessarily the truth of what will happen. Grindelwald trusted his own prophecies too much back then, and in the end, he met with failure."

Dumbledore spoke as though the matter had nothing to do with him at all. But wasn't it Dumbledore himself who had made Grindelwald fail back then?

Dumbledore took out a huge Hookah carved with a skull from beneath his feet and handed it to Aisling.

"This can help you use your gift of prophecy. When I fought your great-uncle, he relied on this to make moves specifically aimed at me. I am giving it to you now, and I hope you will use it well."

Aisling accepted the enormous bronze Hookah and stroked its smooth surface, looking at Dumbledore somewhat dazedly.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll become the leader of the Wizard Purist Party someday? Why give something like this to me? What if I oppose you?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"If you can ask me that, then I am reassured instead. Times have changed. Some things are already destined to be impossible."

Aisling rose to her feet and gave Dumbledore a slight but deeply sincere bow. Taking the Hookah Dumbledore had given her, she prepared to leave.

Just before she left, Dumbledore called after Aisling.

"It is already curfew. How about having Poppy take you back to your dormitory?"

The house-elf Poppy appeared out of thin air in the headmaster's office and bowed separately to Dumbledore and Aisling.

"Please take Miss Grindelhill back to her dormitory. Sorry for the trouble, Poppy."

As Poppy vanished from the headmaster's office with Aisling, the many headmasters' portraits on the walls that had been playing dead came alive again.

"I remember that being an artifact from the French Ministry of Magic. You just gave it away?"

Dumbledore turned a deaf ear to the former headmasters' questioning.

Armando Dippet even teased Dumbledore.

"Albus, do you rely on gifts to build good relationships with students now?"

At those words, Dumbledore suddenly paused while drinking his sweet beverage.

Aisling was transported back to the Slytherin Common Room. After curfew, the common room was empty.

The Slytherin Common Room was beneath the Black Lake, and its lighting had never been very good. Without lights at night, nothing could be seen at all.

Aisling drew her wand and used blue flames to light the common room's fireplace. She placed the Hookah on the coffee table. Now that she possessed this divine artifact capable of letting her foresee the future, she was eager to try it.

She picked up the Hookah's mouthpiece and put it between her lips, taking a light puff. Blue light glowed in the skull's eye sockets at the mouth of the Hookah. As smoke entered her mouth, an intense hallucinatory sensation washed over her.

With the help of this item, members of the Grindelwald Family who possessed the gift of prophecy could actively control the direction of their visions.

Aisling set her target on the person who frequently appeared in fragments of her passive prophecies—Roy Smee.

"Let me see where you are."

Passing through layers of smoke, Aisling saw Roy sleeping soundly in bed, muttering something under his breath.

"This is what you look like now. What about your future?"

Aisling activated her gift of prophecy and stirred the surrounding smoke, trying to actively see Roy's future.

"Where is this?"

Fine, cold rain swept across a barren plain, while a vast white fog wrapped around a damp, chilly wind that rushed toward her.

Aisling suddenly came back to herself and realized that she was standing in the middle of a misty, rain-shrouded wilderness.

Scattered, blurry figures emerged along the horizon at the edge of her vision. She could not tell whether they were enemies or allies.

That familiar figure appeared before Aisling.

The mist swirling around Roy was thicker and denser than anywhere else, concealing most of his body in the haze. Through the churning white fog, Aisling clearly saw him standing with his back to her, holding a blooming bouquet of golden roses in his outstretched right hand.

"Looks like we can't run. We can only fight them."

His tone was still as flippant as ever.

"If I die, find somewhere to hide. Stall for as long as you can. I think reinforcements will arrive soon."

From beginning to end, Roy kept his eyes fixed on the distant figures. The instant his words fell—

Crack—

His right hand suddenly clenched, crushing the bouquet of golden roses. They turned into countless flecks of golden dust and scattered into the cold rain and fog with the wind.

A vast, scorching golden magic power suddenly erupted from within him, sweeping across the entire plain.

An exquisitely crafted golden skull mask appeared out of thin air over his face. His usual carefree voice changed, and a fierce voice brimming with killing intent rang out.

"My turn to bid!"