HP X LOTM : Please Call Me Mr. Error.

Dumbledore stood in front of his frenemy mirror with a dull expression on his face.

"Great Arrodes, could you zoom in on the facial expressions of the person playing 'Tom'?"

The great Arrodes complied without question while seeming overly excited about what it was currently doing.

The scene being displayed on the mirror dimmed as it zoomed in but Dumbledore suddenly frowned.

But he didn't stop Arrodes yet.

Instead, Dumbledore carefully observed many things as he made several references and drew outstretched but very detailed connections.

"That boy…he's not Tom..clearly…a very poor imitation too…"

"He has his mannerisms down…the pauses, the gaze that loves to bask in the spotlight…the slight terror that it makes you feel as if the boy lives in his own world where everything around him is in his control…"

"But it fails at something fundamental." Dumbledore commented.

"This Tom's gaze lacks the fundamental authority of worthlessness…the casual dismissing of human life like it has no value."

"It is humane…"

Dumbledore continued to look at the scene, making soft remarks as he studied the boy he had known so well he had watched and manipulated his path enough so that he'd become his muse to success.

"Harry destroyed the diary…rather thoroughly…I made sure of that…but…"

Dumbledore leaned in closer. His eyes glimmering as he studied the boy for a few seconds longer.

"Kind Arrodes, could you show me the point when Tom sees this child?"

Arrodes complied once again as he zoomed in on Voldemort's expression, showing no fear for the dark lord who could use this as an opportunity to corrupt him.

In fact, the demented mirror seemed a little gleeful regarding the 'chance'.

But obviously, Voldemort did not take such a chance, instead, he calmly ignored provoking the great 'White Lord'.

"Has Tom changed?" Dumbledore asked after seeing Voldemort feel confused about seeing his younger self.

Arrodes then continued to scrub through the 'footage' of the 'crime' that was taking place.

"I guess Mr. Sparrow is a decent actor afterall…" Dumbledore commented after watching 'Tom' push Voldemort.

Words formed on Arrodes mirror as it asked Dumbledore a practiced question-

"Truth or Punishment?"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows lightly, but not from the choices he was given or even the memories of the past few times flashing in his head.

Instead, Dumbledore spoke kindly, making the best use of his grandfatherly tone to issue his next command, "I was not done yet. I wish to see student Loki's reaction through all of this."

Arrodes froze for a second, its delay noticed or not went uncommented on by Dumbledore before Arrodes quickly complied with the request.

The view of the scene displayed on Arrode's magical mirror surface shifted, pivoting around Voldemort to glance over several people that Dumbledore recognised easily-

The Lestrange couple, Death Eaters whose postures were enough for Dumbledore to determine their identities, even briefly on Voldemort himself even though he had just examined him, but Dumbledore seemed much more interested in a figure that was hidden by darkness.

A figure that seemed elusive and forgotten.

Dumbledore's attention was on Loki himself.

The entire series of events began to play through from the beginning as Arrodes made sure to play everything from Harry and Loki teleporting to the graveyard, Bellatrix's untold assault-

Dumbledore raised his hand to pause Arrode's retelling of the events.

Dumbledore leaned in closer to the mirror as he closely examined Loki's expression while he was under the cruciatus curse.

He nodded every few seconds as if understanding something different and making note of simple things while mumbling out loud.

"....a high pain tolerance…"

"Non verbal, wandless casting of an advanced confundus charm to avoid cognition of pain…"

"Quick thinking."

"Hmm…"

After a few more seconds Dumbledore dropped his hand again, indicating for Arrodes to continue.

Arrodes did as asked and the scene soon stopped once again when Dumbledore lifted his hand, the mirror had turned hazy and cloudy for a second as the crimson moon shown through the clouds, making Dumbledore shiver a little as he watched a botched up version of Voldemort's revival ritual.

Dumbledore didn't stop there however and continued to watch Arrodes divine the scene, making it play out in front of his eyes as if he were actually there.

He watched Loki pretending to eat something when Tom and Voldemort were speaking.

Dumbledore frowned, a little confused but he only popped in a cockroach cluster into his mouth, making sure to bite the last limb of one of the critters as it tried to escape by slipping in between his lips.

"A potion or alchemical item to heal the body after intense damage from suffering the cruciatus curse?"

"But that would mean student Loki expected the attack…"

"I suspect his reasoning of possessing something as dangerous to be something along the lines of preparing for the third task…"

"But he is smart enough to know that the teachers would've stepped in before things ever got that dangerous…even me, myself."

"So either student Loki was afraid of our dearest Professor Moody using the cruciatus curse on him to torture him…or he predicted something like this happening?"

"Could it not be both?"

"With the help of the Great Sage?"

"He realised the true identity of his professor and expected him to attack him?"

"The child didn't seem very surprised when he saw his professor turn into a different man after all…"

"If I remember correctly, his eyes held apathy and disinterest."

"....how similar."

"....does the boy hold Tom's potential?"

".....Hmm…but as long as Tom's around, I don't need him for now."

"Not that I can do much while 'She' stands guard around the boy like a hawk."

Dumbledore stayed frowning for a few seconds until he urged Arrodes to continue.

But the mighty mirror suddenly shivered.

"Arrodes apologises for the inconvenience but it will not go further. A higher being is watching its every move to evaluate its life and death."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.

There was only one being that he knew who could gaze at something so near 'Him' while hiding its gaze from 'Him'.

Dumbledore's lips thinned and he nodded.

"I guess 'She' still wants the boy for something important in the future."

"But what could it be…"

"Her work only involves the balance between chaos and order…"

"But the child is protected not only by her but also the hidden sage…and the Ravenclaw ghost."

"Is he related to Rowena?"

Dumbledore was left stumped by Loki's clear aparant worth that hinted that the boy held important secrets…

Yet no matter how he had tried, the boy he hadn't revealed much apart from frightening talent for runes and magic in general.

"...a Melee Scholar…I suppose his acting principles involve scholarly studying his opponent and then acting by mapping out the perfect plan…"

"Perhaps that is why the boy remained hidden in the shadows to find the oppourtune moment…?"

"Should I assign him the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor for the next year?"

"That would pit 'His' curse on the boy and it would try and manipulate the boy to any extent it could…trying to lead him to death…"

Dumbledore paused as if carefully considering the rough plan but then quickly shook his head.

"No…I cannot let my plans go awry because of a hunch…"

"The boy is very tempting though…"

"I'm sure Gelert would be very interested in him."

"A very kind child though…he feels very deeply for the loss of heiress Greengrass."

"Another child that still hasn't seen the ways of the world…"

Before Dumbledore could move on to anything else, however, the scene of the mirror was covered by a thick fog as words formed on its shiny mirror.

"Truth or punishment?" Arrodes asked curtly. And it seemed to be very annoyed for certain reasons.

Dumbledore sighed and then spoke, "Punishment."

The fog within the mirror swirled once again, this time projecting an uplifting mood filled with mischief as words appeared on its surface again.

"Conduct a ritual involving The Primordial Demoness and asking 'Her' about 'Her' experiences as a man."

Dumbledore first frowned lightly, thinking it was a joke, but when the words never changed he paled visibly.

_______________________________________________

A/N : Join my Patreon ([email protected]/hooin_kyoma_au) to read 24 chapters ahead for just $3.