The moment Aberforth shouted those words, both Theodore and Dumbledore froze.
Theodore silently took several steps away from Dumbledore, as if he had been struck by lightning.
Damn. Had Dumbledore and Grindelwald really played that wildly back then?
Dumbledore's face flushed red.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Aberforth?"
"Isn't he your bloodline?"
"This child has been wandering outside the family for so many years, and you forgot?"
"Or have there been so many of them that you can no longer remember?"
His face filled with grief and disappointment.
"Aberforth, I haven't disciplined you properly all these years. How did your private life become this messy?"
Now it was Aberforth's turn to turn red with anger.
"Bullshit!"
"When have I ever done anything like that?"
"Or are you refusing to admit he's yours and Grindelwald's child because you want to distance yourself from him?"
"After all these years, Albus, you're still so obsessed with protecting your precious reputation. I'm utterly disappointed in you!"
Both brothers looked heartbroken.
One urged Aberforth to think carefully about which drunken night had left behind this romantic debt.
"It's fine to make mistakes, Aberforth. What matters is having the courage to face them."
The other urged Dumbledore to face his own heart.
"I knew you never truly forgot Grindelwald all these years. If you lost your mind for a moment and wanted a child with him, I don't understand it, but I can respect it."
"But you can't just muddle through this without explanation. Tell me, Dumbledore, how exactly did the two of you have a child?"
No matter how fiercely they argued, neither side could reach a conclusion.
At last, they both thought of the same spell.
"Enough talk. Let's use bloodline magic and see whose blood he carries."
Dumbledore looked at Theodore's deeply pained expression and explained.
"Bloodline magic is an ancient spell used to determine bloodline order. It won't harm you in any way."
"And don't worry, Theodore. I won't let you remain lost outside the family. I'll make my foolish brother reflect properly on what he has done."
Aberforth sneered.
"Child, don't worry either. If Dumbledore really did something this absurd, I'll write to the Daily Prophet tomorrow and go to Nurmengard to confront Grindelwald in person!"
Theodore fell into a strange silence.
Use bloodline magic to determine bloodline order?
If it showed that he had no blood relation to the Dumbledore family, that would be fine.
But from what he knew, wizard bloodlines had been stolen from the Old Ones.
The Flint family's bloodline had most likely been stolen from the deep-sea Old One, Dagon.
The Dumbledore family's bloodline had probably been stolen from another Old One.
Judging from its traits, that Old One was definitely stronger than Dagon, and its nature was also different.
It was likely connected to birds, the sky, flames, and perhaps even phoenix blood.
And by coincidence, Theodore now carried an extremely dense aura of the ancient phoenix.
What if the spell produced some unexpected result?
These were two old men over a century old. What if he scared them into heart trouble?
Theodore hesitated, about to refuse.
But at that moment, a line of text appeared on the System screen.
[Detected: the opportunity related to the Off-the-Ground Flame Flag of the Innate Five Direction Flags is extremely close.]
Theodore froze, his eyes filling with disbelief.
The Off-the-Ground Flame Flag?
Wait...
Among the Innate Five Direction Flags, the Off-the-Ground Flame Flag corresponded to fire.
Could the so-called opportunity be connected to the Dumbledore family's bloodline test?
Theodore's refusal immediately stopped.
He only looked at Dumbledore and Aberforth and asked,
"Bloodline magic won't cause anything strange, right?"
"If, and I mean if, something unexpected happens, you two promise not to get angry or anxious?"
"Should you maybe take some fast-acting heart pills first?"
His words made both Dumbledore and Aberforth feel even more heartbroken.
What a good child. Even while feeling uneasy himself, he was still worried about them.
A sharp blue light flashed in Dumbledore's eyes.
Aberforth, that bastard. He really refused to acknowledge his own bloodline.
Once the bloodline magic reveals the result, I'll teach him a proper lesson.
Aberforth's face was carved with deep wrinkles, and his fists clenched.
Albus, that old fool. For the sake of his reputation, he won't even admit to his own child.
Once the spell reveals the truth, I'll break his nose again!
Then, both of them cut their palms and forced out a drop of blood.
They looked at Theodore. Theodore sighed and also cut his finger, letting out a drop of blood.
Dumbledore and Aberforth waved their wands at the same time.
An ancient spell was cast, and the three drops of blood began to tremble, as if resonating with one another.
A moment later, thin threads connected the three blood drops.
Seeing this, Dumbledore and Aberforth both drew in a deep breath. Their gazes toward Theodore became even softer.
He truly had Dumbledore family blood. That much was confirmed.
The only question left was which brother's side Theodore belonged to.
But in the next moment, something happened that neither Dumbledore nor Aberforth had expected.
Theodore's blood drop was not pulled toward either of them.
Instead, it shot straight upward like a rocket.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Aberforth's blood drops were pulled farther and farther away.
Both men stared blankly at the scene.
Theodore asked curiously,
"What does this mean in bloodline magic?"
Dumbledore answered in a daze,
"It means..."
Aberforth stared at Theodore, his face full of shock and confusion.
"We should be calling you... ancestor?"
"Your seniority is even higher than the oldest ancestor of the Dumbledore family?"
"What the hell? Has this bloodline magic gone mad?"
Theodore also froze, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
As expected, his previous guess was right.
The ancient phoenix aura had raised his seniority.
He had said they should not test it. Now look. The entire family hierarchy was ruined.
But at that moment, inside the Hog's Head, from a dust-covered chest that had not been opened in who knew how many years, a gray, strange creature-shaped statue suddenly seemed to come alive.
A red flame-like light flashed in the statue's eyes. It burst out of the chest and flew outside.
A moment later, it seemed to hesitate between Dumbledore and Theodore for half a second before finally landing in Theodore's hand.
A System notification instantly appeared before Theodore's eyes.
[Opportunity related to the Off-the-Ground Flame Flag acquired.]
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