Chapter 1 Wizards and Muggles

Chapter 1 Wizards and Muggles

After many years, Dumbledore, who was already the headmaster of Hogwarts, went to the orphanage in the Muggle world again.

This time, he also came to pick up a child with the last name Riddle.

The previous Riddle was his student and also Voldemort, who turned the British wizarding world upside down.

Muggles refer to ordinary people who cannot use magic. They are the opposite of wizards in terms of talent, but the two are not contradictory. However, the previous Riddle, who clearly came from the Muggle world, persecuted countless Muggles and Muggle-born wizards under the banner of pure-blood theory.

What about this Riddle who happens to have the same last name? What kind of child would she be?

Dumbledore had already reached the door of the orphanage he was targeting. He looked up at the plain wooden sign above his head that read "Lamp House". Just as he was about to step in, some tiny sounds reached his ears.

"You monster!" Amidst the repeated curses, there was also the faint sound of something being thrown out.

Dumbledore frowned, and subconsciously used the Disillusionment Charm, quietly turning around the orphanage's simple house and going around to the place where the sound came from. Unlike the spacious place in front of the house, this place was messy and cramped with all kinds of utensils piled together. The only thing worth mentioning was the lush tree, and the farce was happening under this tree.

Several boys, whose clothes had turned white from washing, surrounded the girl who was reading a book under a tree. They shouted "monster" and bent down with their thin bodies to pick up mud from the ground and throw it at the girl. The dense mud dots flying towards the target were deflected in an unnatural arc. The girl didn't even give them a look and just flipped through the thick book in her hands.

"She's a monster!" "Mother Lamp is coming back, we have to hurry!" "Yes, hurry!"

The boys were discussing excitedly. The brown-haired boy in the lead was the first to throw away the wet mud in his hands. He clapped his hands and took a few steps forward. "Don't be afraid. Her tricks are definitely no match for our fists. Let's teach this lazy girl a lesson!"

The brown-haired boy was the tallest among the children. I believe his fists also gave him a lot of say. Under his command, the children looked at each other and finally tentatively followed the brown-haired boy.

Nothing unusual happened at the place where the mud ball was deflected. The boys who were originally hesitant relaxed their minds. They took bigger steps, malicious smiles appeared on their faces, and kept approaching the girl who was still reading under the tree.

When their worn-out shoes had touched the green grass cast by the big tree, countless hissing sounds suddenly rang out, and snakes of various colors hung down from the lush branches and leaves, their bright red tongues almost touching the boys' cheeks.

For a few seconds, only the sound of turning pages echoed in this small corner. After the boys realized what was happening, they screamed and ran away regardless. When they passed by Dumbledore, Dumbledore, who was in shock, could still hear a few childish curses.

"Rita didn't lie last time, this monster really raises snakes!"

"hateful!"

Riddle, the ability to drive snakes, these qualities confirmed Dumbledore's guess. He looked at the girl's profile as she concentrated on reading a book, even her dark black hair became evidence.

This kind of gaze lasted for a long time, so long that the girl's sound of turning pages of the book was heard several times. Before Dumbledore could come back to his senses from that nostalgic gaze, the girl's head, which had never been raised, moved. She looked straight at where Dumbledore was.

Dumbledore's subconscious action of checking the Disillusionment Charm was interrupted by the face that looked like the boy in his memory. At this moment, Dumbledore confirmed that she was the descendant of the previous Riddle, and was the new student who was to be picked up this time - Della Riddle.

The girl under the tree, Della, was still staring at Dumbledore who had not appeared. She closed the book and stood up. The hanging snakes turned towards Dumbledore's direction as she moved. Before Dumbledore used Apparate to return to the orphanage door, several colorful snakes had already fallen from the tree and headed straight for him.

Scolding sounds were heard in the front yard. A woman in a robe was gesticulating and cursing. She raised her arm as if she was going to give the children some physical punishment. Dumbledore coughed twice.

"Hello, Mrs. Lamp, I am Dumbledore, who made an appointment with you before." Seeing the other party lowering his arms in a panic, Dumbledore bent down slightly and gestured, "As I said in the letter, I want to talk to you about adopting Della Doreen Riddle."

"Sir, she is a hateful witch, a monster!" Without waiting for Lamp to reply, the brown-haired boy raised his head and spoke indignantly.

"Rich! Go and tell Della to wait in her room!" Lamp's big skirt trembled slightly because of anger. She finally restrained some of her physical impulses. After watching Richie run to the backyard, she turned to look at the remaining boys and ordered in an unfriendly tone, "I think you should also change your clothes that are covered with mud, and then clean the attic."

"Before we meet that lovely girl, let me show you around our Lamp House, sir."

When Dumbledore finally stepped into Della's room, it was half an hour later. Mrs. Lamp took him to every corner of the orphanage and asked him to donate money in various ways. Dumbledore certainly would not be stingy with his wealth, but he was deeply worried about what kind of person Della would be raised to be in such an environment.

After all, compared to other shabby places, the dean's office was extremely luxurious.

However, Dumbledore also got some information he wanted. Della was placed at the door of the orphanage when she was about two years old. According to Lamp, Della Doreen Riddle's name was written on a small piece of paper and placed at the door together with the cloth wrapped around the baby's body.

Della is very similar to Riddle of the past, but not quite. Apart from the fact that she is also not liked by children, Della seems to have a very good reputation among adults.

Della's room was more spacious than Tom's room in his memory. The first thing he saw was a large bookshelf filled with books. This made Dumbledore feel a little relieved because he was worried about Della's cognitive condition because none of the children here went to school. However, he soon became worried about the girl's similarities to Riddle.

"Hello, Della, I am Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore greeted the girl sitting motionless on the bed, trying to be kind, "This is a really big bookshelf. Do you like reading, Della?"

"Hello, sir," Della said politely, then stared at Dumbledore with her dark eyes, "Are you here to judge me?"

"Why do you say that, Della?" Dumbledore asked as if he didn't understand. His expression was as tolerant as if he saw a child's prank.

"I think you saw it from behind just now," Della smiled politely, but her eyes were still dark, making her look like a doll being manipulated by others. "Are you here to judge me as a witch?"

"Oh... It seems that I came at a wrong time." Dumbledore noticed the title of the book next to her. The words "Witch Hunting Notes" were written on the worn and cracked spine. He laughed softly, sat down next to Della, and picked up the book. "Wizards are always associated with evil. I am sorry that I came to introduce you to this wonderful world when you are reading this book."

"Wizards, for us, mean a display of talent, Della." While stroking the book, Dumbledore responded to Della's gaze seriously. "Also, I must praise you. Your senses are very sharp. It is not easy for you to detect my presence."

She might have the same extremely high magical talent as Riddle, but I don't know what she is like in other aspects.

"Talent? So you are a wizard too? I hope you can prove it to me, sir." Della blinked.

The words that were exactly the same as in his memory made Dumbledore's heart tremble slightly. He was silent for a while, then he drew his wand, waved it and chanted a spell. A small white bird appeared with tiny spots of light. After circling twice nimbly, it turned into a stream of light and flew to Della's hand, becoming her admission letter.

"Here is your acceptance letter, Della. Hogwarts will teach you to cast magic like you just did." Dumbledore added as he watched Della tear open the wax-coated envelope and look at the acceptance letter and first-year list inside.

"Well, very convincing evidence," Della looked at the notice in her hand carefully. When she saw the line on the envelope, 'Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Albus Dumbledore', she raised her thin eyebrows and looked at Dumbledore. Her expression became much more natural. "But the possibility of a conciliatory policy cannot be ruled out."

Dumbledore laughed twice and continued, "Will you take the risk and accept the letter?"

"Because of my uniqueness, I would be happy for you to be my principal, sir." Della forced a well-behaved smile.

"Because of you? That's an interesting way of putting it." Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then asked, "Then what was your mentality to show your extraordinaryness to other children?"

"To be honest, it's just for convenience. I think I didn't go too far, did I?" Della said with a sigh. "If you hadn't come to the backyard first, I would have been an impeccable child in front of you, an adult."

"Because of your flawless statement, I believe what you say now." Dumbledore raised his hand and touched Della's head. "Then we have reached an agreement now. Let's pack up, Della. I will take care of your future school expenses."

"No, sir, there is one more thing. Please forgive me for being too demanding. I noticed that the list says we can only bring owls, mice or toads." Della once again squeezed out a well-behaved arc, and a small blue-gray snake poked out from behind her. "But Maggie is my family that I cannot abandon. I hope you can allow me to bring him legally."

The snake's eyes flashed with a unique indifference, and Maggie's dark yellow eyes gave Dumbledore an uncomfortable sticky feeling. He pondered and tightened his hand around the wand.

Dumbledore thought a lot. He thought about the previous Riddle, and compared it with the Riddle in front of him, considering it again and again.

He was not a tolerant person, nor was he in the habit of making excuses for sinners, but he couldn't help but project the discrimination Della had just suffered onto Riddle in the past.

Before the boy became a bad boy, had he also been bullied like this?

And before I punish the boy, shouldn't I know more about him?

Dumbledore seldom thought about such meaningless questions, but Riddle was too special. He was the one he brought to Hogwarts, the most outstanding student in Hogwarts at the time, and also the one who was always intimidated and wary by him.

I guess in the eyes of that Riddle, I am also an unfair existence.

The girl in front of him looked too much like her father. Even without any evidence, Dumbledore was convinced that she was Tom's daughter, but she did not have Riddle's previous bad behavior.

This was a different Riddle, Dumbledore finally concluded.

"I have noticed your unusual abilities, and I am willing to make an exception for your Maggie, as long as you promise to control him and not hurt anyone at will."

"Thank you so much, Principal. Don't worry, Maggie is very well behaved." Della smiled widely.