When Grindelwald meets Tom Riddle in the orphanage, the dark-haired boy fits perfectly with the ominous sight he saw. His lover and partner, Albus Dumbledore, stopped him from using his magic on young Tom. The blue fire deflected, and the wardrobe instantly turned into ashes. When fear and admiration flashed through the boy's dark black eyes, he became the adopted son of the two most influential black and white wizards of this century - they decided to keep him under their monitor.
He is not the first orphan to have such a unique situation. The Potters disappeared in a magical accident two years ago, and Albus adopted their son. Harry was curious about their new family member. This handsome boy always stayed quietly in his adoptive father's library and never went out playing with other children. Yet he was always gentle and polite to everyone.
Of course, this has nothing to do with the very first thing of real Tom Riddle. He was much more satisfied with this home than the orphanage and carefully pretended to be good to avoid being sent back the way he came. He talked most when Grindelwald came home, sending him cautious compliments and showering him with questions about magical techniques. Harry thought he admired Grindelwald more than Dumbledore, yet the dark wizard was always wary of him.
Soon, Dumbledore personally brought the admission notice. Two legendary boys frequently attracted attention at Hogwarts. They are all extremely talented and have lived up to their family name.
Perhaps as that little bit of the fledgling complex dissipated, Tom began to resent the interest in him due to his family fame, especially those for Grindelwald. But he also ordered Malfoy to push anyone who said terrible things about Grindelwald down the stairs. Also, when he took the power of Slytherin into his hands, no one in the entire House dared to criticize Harry and Dumbledore.
In detail, Harry's impulses are more like Grindelwald's, but his pure heart comes from Dumbledore. In contrast, Tom is almost the opposite; he has Dumbledore's incredible patience, but his soul is even darker than Grindelwald's. And, just like his adoptive father, he mesmerizes and manipulates others with just a few words. Dumbledore sternly warned him not to create white terror in Slytherin. Still, he just cleverly turned his ruling methods into psychological violence.
Grindelwald reminded him often: "You are too gentle and reasonable, Al, that's why you can't handle him."
In the fifth grade, a large number of students were injured inexplicably, and rumors of the basilisk spread like wildfire. Grindelwald stormed to the school from Nurmengard. It couldn't be called a back-and-forth duel between father and son, since it was stopped by Dumbledore and Harry, who hurried over. Half of the teachers and students who came to watch this legendary family drama were frightened away by the Slytherin prefect's warning glance, and the dark wizard's fierce fire forced back the other half. Tom looked at his almost broken wand with a pale face. When Grindelwald said, "Catch up with your father first before talking about your great cause of destroying the world!" he disappeared into blue flames.
Grindelwald knew exactly what Tom was about: fists always bring immediate results. After that, rumors of the basilisk came to an abrupt end. Later, in the face of Dumbledore's concerns, Grindelwald said calmly that he didn't mind being a target; it was better than the whole world being targeted by this troublesome boy.
After graduation, Tom joined the Ministry of Magic as the resident representative of the Nurmengard wizard-Muggle joint government. The Order evolved from the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club at Hogwarts and developed into an extraordinary non-government organization. Dumbledore nominally heads it. But its actual leader is the new Director of the Department of Legal Enforcement, Harry Potter. The two forces compete with the official Ministry of Magic of various countries to check and balance each other, delicately maintaining the balance of the magical world.
Tom accidentally came across the name of Merope Gaunt while checking up on Borgin-Buck. After learning how his Muggle father abandoned her in London, he went to Nurmengard. He had a sharp quarrel with Grindelwald, claiming that his soft policy towards Muggles was intolerable. His adopted father nearly kicked him out of the office.
"Nonsense! Let's not consider that pure blood accounts for a tiny proportion of the magical world. Just say your father and brother are also half-blood wizards, 'Anyone who has anything to do with Muggles should die'? Are you going to kill them too? " Grindelwald roared.
"I didn't say that." Tom's tone was outraged but cold. "I only said that your policy is too mild, Father. Those purebloods will not sincerely support you."
Father and son are not on good terms and often talk about nothing. At that time, Tom had decided to flee away and join the pure-blood circle he had formed during his student days to start a new venture. However, he bumped into Harry, who was coming after hearing the news. The Director of the Department of Legal Enforcement, who has never been called gentle when it comes to such urgent matters, meets the spokesperson of Nurmengard, who cannot hide his true self even though he has inherited the Dumbledore family's talent for patience. One can imagine. The two brothers threw the spell at each other, and the two twin wands bounced away, causing a considerable magic explosion after the flashback.
Then, Tom had a long dream. One moment, Merope screamed and asked why he came to the world. The other moment, Old Riddle abandoned him and Merope in a deserted station, like discarding useless garbage. For a dreamless person like him, this is a rare occurrence.
It doesn't matter. Tom felt the cold sweat on his back yet thought calmly, they are not his family, no longer.
When he woke up, he was in St. Mungo's bed, exhausted both physically and mentally. Three familiar eyes were looking at him, each with their thoughts.
Harry, also bandaged, looked at his cheap brother with guilt and lingering anger.
Dumbledore frowned deeply and scolded them that if they could only throw spells at each other, they should stop communicating and try to stay calm in the first place.
Grindelwald, leaning against the door with his arms folded, said nothing.
Seeing Tom wake up, everyone breathed a sigh of relief; even Grindelwald's expression relaxed slightly.
He moved his dry lips and was about to speak when he saw Dumbledore's "Explain what's wrong with you" written on his face, Harry's worried green eyes, and Grindelwald's "dare you talking nonsense and I'll kick your ass off" with a warning look. Still, suddenly, he was too lazy to say anything.
They will know anyway, with Dumbledore's insight, Grindelwald's knowledge of his dark side, and Harry's concern for his brother from beginning to end. After so many years, the three of them have long known him well, and each one is so difficult to deal with that it will cost him half his life. In the past, it was his two ridiculously strong adoptive fathers. Still, now, with Harry, who Dumbledore himself taught, they were like four corners evenly matched. He had to suspect that Dumbledore had an ulterior reason for cultivating Harry so carefully.
This is family, he thought—people who must be overcome to gain freedom, both the shackles and the mountain before them. But he did not hesitate to admit that he was glad that his family was no longer the woman who was not even willing to give birth to him and the stupid Muggle who had nothing but his face. His family were at least decent opponents, for Merlin's sake! He looked up at Grindelwald's back, just like Harry looked up at Dumbledore, but not quite the same. His brother looked up at the mountains but was ambitious enough to level them.
Tom closed his eyes and thought with cold and cruel anger, good, don't you want to trap me? You ought to be prepared for the price.
But now, he is exhausted both physically and mentally. Before he could come up with a concrete plan for his bloody resolution—perhaps after Christmas—he fell asleep amid the discussions of his adoptive fathers and brothers.
For Merlin's sake. This time, he didn't have any dreams. Just like after his adoptive fathers took him away from the Wool's orphanage, he had never been overwhelmed by that dark and void feeling again. Not even once.
Very good. He thinks. That feels much more like himself.