The answers they gave carried a deeper meaning.
That meaning was something only the two of them could truly understand.
Albus Dumbledore calmly wrote his answer on the blank paper.
Tom Riddle, who already had his suspicions, frowned.
At this moment, he was almost identical to his seventeen-year-old self, both in appearance and personality.
"Dumbledore chose B, answer correct. Do you wish to view the answer analysis?"
The sudden appearance of the text drew Tom's attention.
His gaze fixed on it, his tightly furrowed brows refusing to relax.
He had never considered that possibility.
Judging others by his own standards, he had always believed that Dumbledore's strictness and prejudice toward him came from jealousy.
Or perhaps from a desire to personally cultivate a Dark Lord, a thought that had only just occurred to him when he saw option C.
As for option B, the idea that Dumbledore acted out of fear seemed absurd to him.
Dumbledore, afraid?
Yet the truth was completely unexpected.
Dumbledore had been strict and vigilant because he feared the rise of another wizard like Gellert Grindelwald.
For a moment, Tom didn't know whether to feel pleased that he had been taken so seriously, or angered by it.
"You're on the wrong path, Tom."
"Whether my path is right or wrong is not for you or me to decide. Professor, in the end, everything is decided by strength. Just like with Grindelwald, you only proved his path was wrong after defeating him, isn't that right?"
Tom's reaction to having his path questioned was far more intense than expected.
Throughout his life, he pursued only two things.
Immortality.
And proving that Dumbledore was wrong.
What he later became was merely the result of power struggles and calculations with the older generation of pure-blood families.
Dumbledore understood some of this.
He knew how Tom's personality gradually twisted, how he became bloodthirsty, how he used fear to control others.
Whether it was the result of studying Dark Arts or the influence of pure-blood families was open to interpretation.
But the outcome was clear.
Those families failed.
They were forced to submit to Lord Voldemort, and some became his most loyal followers.
Ancient family libraries were opened to him.
Forbidden knowledge was placed in his hands.
Later, he abandoned the name Tom Riddle and began his reign of terror in the British wizarding world.
Yet deep down, his ultimate goal remained the same.
To defeat Dumbledore.
To prove that Dumbledore's beliefs were wrong.
This was Tom's lifelong obsession.
"You are very right, Tom. Perhaps I was truly wrong. I have often wondered, if I had another chance, would things have turned out differently?"
"Stop. Don't say things like that, Professor. If you lose to me like this, I won't feel any sense of accomplishment."
Dumbledore tried to guide Tom's thinking.
The Tom before him was not yet the fully twisted Dark Lord.
In Dumbledore's eyes, there was still hope.
But Tom saw something else.
To him, Dumbledore's words felt like mockery.
Their distrust had already taken root long ago.
Dumbledore may have changed, but Tom had not.
His memories, his thinking, his understanding, all remained fixed in the past.
Dumbledore noticed this.
His words carried both meaning and intent.
They were also a test.
The result surprised him.
But it also made him want to try.
To see if Tom could still be brought back.
After all, what did Lord Voldemort have to do with Tom Riddle?
With that thought, Dumbledore continued probing.
Compared to Dumbledore's experience, seventeen-year-old Tom was still somewhat naive.
He failed to notice the deeper purpose behind the words.
He only heard the surface meaning.
He dismissed it with disdain.
Dumbledore, however, seemed to grow more certain, his blue eyes shining brighter.
"In the end, what decides everything between us is strength."
"That is indeed simple and direct, but you are not my opponent, Tom."
The words were simple, yet they carried undeniable weight.
Even someone as proud as Tom fell silent.
"Open analysis."
Seeing Tom lost in thought, Dumbledore activated the explanation.
"After Dumbledore saw Tom Riddle's talent, why did he always treat him strictly and constantly restrict him?"
"A. Dumbledore possessed extraordinary talent himself, and his pride would not allow jealousy, therefore this option is incorrect."
"B. When Dumbledore saw Tom's talent and behavior, his first reaction was fear. He feared Tom would become another Grindelwald, therefore this option is correct."
"C. Since his awakening, Dumbledore wished for peace in the wizarding world. Having ended Grindelwald's rise, he did not want another Dark Lord to appear, therefore this option is incorrect."
"D. Although Dumbledore was strict, he did not dislike Tom, therefore this option is incorrect."
After the analysis appeared, silence filled the space.
Tom's expression remained calm, but the flicker in his eyes revealed his inner turmoil.
Dumbledore, meanwhile, received a message that the reward would be issued after the next question.
...
📢 Author's Note
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