The Boy Who Cried Wolf -- [Tom Riddle]

16 - The Girls' Bathroom

Goldie followed Professor Dumbledore into Hogwarts, and to his office behind the Transfiguration classroom. Once there, she took a seat, cringing at the mud caking her robes and shoes.

His office was large, but cluttered with a range of random objects and collections. Scrolls and parchment lay askew on the other desk in the room, many of them abandoned on the surrounding floor. Many sets of drawers were left opened or placed in confusing positions. The pine flooring was dented in many spots, the windows on one wall enchanted with a stained-glass image of a mermaid.

"Miss McCulain." Dumbledore started with a clearing of the throat, taking a seat opposite her. "I'm glad you reappeared when you did."

Scamander shifted awkwardly around the table, standing beside the professor.

"You said you wanted to speak about Grindelwald?" She prompted.

"Yes." Dumbledore chuckled sheepishly. "There have been... developments."

"Developments?"

He cleared his throat yet again before explaining. "As I suspect Newt told you, there are magical creatures being found bewitched across all of Europe. I know undoubtedly that Grindelwald is causing this."

She furrowed her eyebrows in concern. How did he know Scamander had spoken to her about that? "How can you be sure?"

"When you were a young child, most likely in the orphanage," he continued, "Grindelwald had an ingenious ploy to become the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. That is the highest government position that currently exists in the wizarding world."

"What?" She scoffed, finding the idea laughable. "Why did he even try? He would never have been allowed."

"He was." Scamander spoke up, then winced. "He, er, had... inside connections."

"The current Supreme Mugwump at the time, Vogel, was turned to Grindelwald's side." Dumbledore elaborated, opening a history textbook and showing her the diagrams of the event. "He cleared all crimes and charges from Grindelwald's name and allowed him to run for the position."

She grimaced, gazing over the portraits of the three magic-users that had been running.

"Right before these events took place, Newt had been aiding a Qilin, which is an extremely rare magical creature. Two had just been born." The professor skimmed through the book, showing her a photograph of the little thing.

It was beautiful. With the build of a fawn, its torso was lined with shimmering scales that reflected green under certain light.

"The young are able to see into the hearts of people." Scamander spoke up, clearly comfortable speaking on the topic. "They bow to those they consider pure of heart."

"What? Did Grindelwald steal them?" She questioned, admiring the photograph.

"One of his ex-followers, who was still loyal at the time, stole one of the two that were born." Dumbledore sighed. "He then killed it and bewitched it to bow only to him."

Reading through the book, Goldie figured that the wizarding world used the Qilin to determine their leader. Going on from that, she spoke, "So he won?"

"I had the other baby." Newt spoke up quietly.

"We tricked Grindelwald and presented the true baby to the crowd." Dumbledore continued. "It chose Santos, and Grindelwald was disqualified."

"So..." She murmured. "Your point is that Grindelwald knows dark magic that can cause killed creatures to appear alive."

"Yes. Good." The professor nodded, leaning back in his chair. "He is planning something again."