"Was that person Aiden's ancestor?" Harry asked as they emerged from the memory.
"I believe so. The Prewett family's dragon bloodline manifests in very distinctive eyes," Dumbledore replied.
His words made Harry recall Aiden's heterochromatic dragon eyes. Those striking eyes combined with Aiden's features were truly... charming?
"Ahem." The Discerner disguised as Dumbledore coughed twice, pulling Harry's attention back.
"We still have time today. Let's view another memory."
This absolutely isn't extra work because Harry got distracted, the dragon thought defensively. It's simply because it's still early.
As the second memory dripped into the Pensieve, the surrounding silvery mist dispersed. Harry opened his eyes to find himself on a London street.
Young Dumbledore wore an elegant velvet suit in deep purple-red.
Combined with his striking auburn hair and piercing blue eyes, passersby on the street cast appreciative glances his way.
"You were quite dashing in your youth, Professor," Harry observed, watching the distracted men and women along the roadside.
"Those blessed with powerful magic often possess an extraordinary presence. The same applies to you."
Aiden-as-Dumbledore couldn't help recalling his youngest sister at home and her reaction whenever she saw Harry.
Young Dumbledore knocked on the Wool's Orphanage door. The matrons and nurses inside regarded him with obvious admiration.
Convinced such a handsome man couldn't possibly be dangerous, they simply granted Dumbledore free passage throughout the building.
They escorted him to meet young Tom Riddle.
"We found a young woman in the rain eleven years ago. She died shortly after giving birth to Tom. According to her dying words, we named the child Tom Marvolo Riddle."
The matron chattered beside Dumbledore as they walked, eager to tell him everything.
"This child is fond of cruel pranks. He once hung another child's rabbit from a beam so high that even adults could barely reach it. He also led other children to strange places. After those two returned, they seemed hollow, as though they'd lost their souls. Everyone here fears him. If you're considering adoption, please think carefully," the matron said, issuing a solemn warning.
Approaching the door, Dumbledore raised his hand, stopping the matron. "This is sufficient, miss. May I have some time alone with young Tom?"
"Of course. Here's my telephone number. Do call me."
The matron tucked her number into Dumbledore's suit pocket, patted it meaningfully, then departed with exaggerated grace.
Dumbledore pushed open the door. An eleven-year-old boy sat reading on the bed. He had beautiful dark hair and strikingly handsome features.
"Hello, Tom," Dumbledore said, reaching toward the wardrobe.
"Don't!" Following Tom's sharp command, magic instinctively surged toward Dumbledore.
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and dispersed the magic effortlessly.
A flicker of surprise crossed Tom's cold gaze. "You're not a doctor?"
"No, I'm a professor from Hogwarts," Dumbledore replied.
"I don't believe you. They all think I'm mad, but I'm not. I'm different from them. I can make things move without touching them."
Little Tom's attitude brimmed with rudeness and arrogance.
"I can understand what animals say. I can make children who bully me suffer misfortune."
"I possess the same abilities, Tom. Hogwarts doesn't admit the insane. We accept children who can perform magic and teach them to control their gifts."
Dumbledore's tone grew heavy. Clearly, the young professor already sensed something troubling about Tom.
"I don't believe you. Prove it!" Tom's attitude remained defiant.
Boom!
The wardrobe behind them erupted into flames. The blazing fire made the arrogance and conceit in Tom's eyes fade to uncertainty.
"I believe you still have items in that wardrobe, don't you?" Dumbledore's eyes glanced back meaningfully.
Tom approached. The flames extinguished automatically before he arrived, and the cabinet remained undamaged.
Only the lingering heat proved that a fire had occurred.
Tom retrieved a box from the cabinet containing his stolen trophies.
"At Hogwarts, we don't tolerate theft. I trust you'll remember this."
As a skilled Legilimens, Dumbledore had glimpsed Tom's thoughts and deliberately exposed them as a warning.
Dumbledore produced a small bag of money and handed it to Tom—scholarship funds from the Hogwarts Board for underprivileged young wizards.
"Now, come with me. I'll take you shopping in Diagon Alley," Dumbledore said, extending his hand.
But Tom refused. He insisted on going to Diagon Alley alone. Dumbledore could only reluctantly hand over both the ticket and the school supply list.
"If you persist in going alone, seek out the Leaky Cauldron in London. The owner is also named Tom. He'll assist you."
Dumbledore stood to leave, but displeasure crossed young Tom's face.
Before Dumbledore could exit, Tom stopped him. "I can speak to serpents. They seek me out and whisper to me."
Harry recognized immediately that Voldemort had deliberately saved this revelation for last, hoping to shock Dumbledore.
"Indeed? We have several people with that particular gift."
Dumbledore saw through his intention, deflating Voldemort's dramatic moment, then departed.
The silvery mist dissipated. Harry sank down onto the floor.
"What conclusions have you drawn?" Dumbledore asked from his seat, regarding Harry thoughtfully.
"Uh, he's proud, arrogant, cruel, skilled at deception and concealment," Harry answered tentatively.
"You've omitted too much, though fortunately we have time," Dumbledore said, shaking his head.
"What you've described is merely Tom's personality. Consider deeper implications: when Tom learned he shared a name with the pub owner, he showed disgust. This reveals he abhors anything ordinary. Secondly, when discussing others, he consistently adopts a condescending, disdainful tone, suggesting both he and his parents lacked empathy for common things. Finally, and most importantly, Tom collects objects, particularly valuable items."
Dumbledore settled back at his desk, pouring Harry a cup of tea.
"Did you know you were meeting the most dangerous Dark wizard in history?" Harry asked, recording the information in his notebook before engaging Dumbledore in conversation.
"No. But even if I had known, I still wouldn't have acted against him."
This insight came from what Aiden had gleaned from Dumbledore's innermost thoughts. Dumbledore was like this, always shouldering the blame himself.
Dumbledore still carried deep regret that he'd threatened Tom with flames during their first meeting.
This incident was also why Dumbledore could no longer enter the Mirror of Erised to face him.