Gellert Grindelwald was also a Predictmagus, just like him? Joon found the idea difficult to believe, yet since it came from Albus Dumbledore himself, he had no grounds to doubt it.
"Truth be told, at the very beginning, I knew nothing about Predictmagus..." Dumbledore began slowly. "Not until the spring and summer of 1945, after that duel in Berlin. Gellert lost his wand and told me the truth... he confessed everything, then begged for my forgiveness..."
"But I couldn't forgive him..." A faint shimmer of tears appeared in Dumbledore's eyes as he looked toward the portrait. "Because of Alen, because of Yosef... and because of Ariana..."
The girl in the portrait gently shook her head at him.
"It was you who stopped them from executing him, wasn't it?" Jon said softly. "I've read the accounts in A History of Modern Magical History. Minister Leonard-Munn and Mr. Winston-Churchill tried to have him executed... but someone persuaded them otherwise. In the end, the Dark Wizard Grindelwald was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole."
"There are cruelties far worse than death," Dumbledore replied lightly, without denying it.
Jon nodded, saying nothing more.
...
The basement door was shoved open violently, cutting off their conversation. Aberforth Dumbledore strode in, carrying two grimy beer mugs filled with Butterbeer.
He slammed them down onto the table, then cast a sharp glance at Headmaster Dumbledore, who was still sitting cross-legged before the portrait.
"Don't dirty my floor!" Aberforth barked coldly.
"I know... I'll clean it up..." Albus Dumbledore wiped the tears from his eyes as he answered, returning to his seat at the table.
Aberforth was already walking out, not bothering to look back. The door slammed shut behind him.
"My rough, hot-headed brother..." Dumbledore murmured with a sigh as he watched Aberforth's retreating figure. "He's far more worthy of admiration than I'll ever be!"
"Mr. Dumbledore still trusts and respects you," Jon said earnestly. "He just isn't good at expressing his feelings."
"Indeed!" Albus-Dumbledore chuckled. "I nearly forgot again that you're a Predictmagus. In truth, you should understand each other better than we ever could."
...
"Let's start from the beginning..." Dumbledore suggested.
"When I first saw you—at the Sorting Ceremony four years ago—I didn't pay you much attention. After all, you were just an ordinary Muggle-born first-year... even though Godric Gryffindor always believed Muggle-born wizards possessed a remarkable talent of their own..."
"I quite agree with Mr. Gryffindor on that!" Jon couldn't help interrupting.
"...The Sorting Hat told me you refused Gryffindor and chose Hufflepuff instead." Dumbledore ignored the interruption and continued with a smile.
"Forgive an old man's selfishness, but that made me just a little disappointed. And though this might sound like boasting—because I myself came from Gryffindor—in recent years, students who choose Gryffindor voluntarily tend to be slightly more common..."
"But you truly are a perfect Hufflepuff. Diligence and integrity shine through you completely..." Dumbledore gave Jon a meaningful glance.
"You were watching me even back then?" Jon asked, surprised.
"Of course not..." Dumbledore shook his head. "A Headmaster can't watch every student at all times. To me, you were just a young blade of grass growing well—but still far from reaching my line of sight."
"Then the monster in the Slytherin Chamber appeared... Through small hints, you nudged us toward Miss Weasley's unusual behavior and the Basilisk's trail. I must say, you did it cleverly, never letting your presence come into my view. I searched the castle for months, and never imagined the 'culprit' was a first-year student. I even believed everything might simply be coincidence..."
"If not for that Boggart incident... I might have remained in the dark forever." A faint smile touched Dumbledore's lips. "When that happened, and I thought back on everything before, it all became clear."
"To be honest, I was quite shocked myself..." Jon nodded.
...
"You and Gellert are similar. You two share the same rare gift." Dumbledore's expression gradually turned solemn. "Meticulous, hard-working, determined... But unlike Gellert, you aren't cold or merciless. You are far more upright and kind."
"Upright and kind..." Jon blinked, not expecting such an evaluation from Dumbledore.
"To prevent that Slytherin monster from hurting more people... you kept hinting at the truth, kept trying to guide us. Had we been sharper, there might not have been a second attack after Mrs. Norris... but unfortunately, we were too slow." Dumbledore said calmly.
"I don't know what would have happened without you... Perhaps more students would have been attacked. Perhaps someone would have died. Perhaps I truly would have lost my Headmaster's position. Perhaps Hogwarts would have shut down altogether."
"You prevented all of it, Jon." Dumbledore raised his Butterbeer. "So I must honor you—for the courage you keep hidden in your heart, and for your kind and upright spirit!"
"It might sound a bit shameful..." Jon said with a helpless smile. "Honestly, I was only protecting myself. As a Muggle-born wizard, I could be targeted by the Basilisk at any time... When the nest collapses, every egg breaks."
"There are many ways to protect oneself—but you chose the one I admire most." Dumbledore smiled warmly. "And then there was the matter with Miss Greengrass. When she fainted in Defense Against the Dark Arts, the worry and panic on your face..."
"So when I learned you were a Predictmagus, I was genuinely delighted. Because I knew—you would never become another Gellert, even though you resemble him in many ways."