HP: I'm Not Here to Rule the Wizarding World

Seeing that Ariana had completely softened her stance, Dumbledore knew his persuasion was about to succeed. He decided to press his advantage.

"I trust that after accepting Hogwarts' invitation, you must have already made arrangements to step away from your affairs for seven years. So staying to complete your education won't impact things too much, right?" Dumbledore looked at Ariana with a kind, grandfatherly smile.

Even if Professor McGonagall hadn't told her that Hogwarts didn't allow the use of electrical devices, by agreeing to enroll, Ariana had essentially committed to seven years away from London.

Her real issue now was the inconvenience of communication and the inability to promptly handle her business affairs.

But Hogwarts had two major holidays each year. Ariana could always deal with family matters during those breaks.

"Fine. I admit I don't want to lose it." Ariana clutched her thunderstruck wand tightly, as if gripping her own heart.

She knew Draco hadn't been completely truthful, but she also hadn't forgotten that the hundred-year-old man standing before her was one of the most powerful wizards in the magical world.

Since Dumbledore was so adamantly against her leaving, what if he coordinated with the Ministry and truly used her thunderstruck wand to force her hand? What could she do then?

This wasn't the Muggle world. She wasn't familiar with the judicial system here, nor did she understand how the government worked. How could she possibly defend her rights?

But simply accepting their arrangement made her bristle with indignation, so she decided to redirect her anger toward Snape.

"I originally made two requests to Professor McGonagall. The first was to improve the living conditions, which the school has done. But what about the second?" She locked her gaze onto Snape.

Of course, Dumbledore knew Ariana was venting, and when she turned her attention to Snape, he grew increasingly anxious.

If it were anyone else, Dumbledore might have insisted on a change in their teaching style but Snape was the exception.

Snape had betrayed Voldemort for one reason only: to protect Lily Evans. And Dumbledore had ultimately failed to keep that promise, leaving him with a deep sense of guilt.

Moreover, now that Harry had just arrived at Hogwarts and Voldemort's spies had followed, Dumbledore desperately needed Snape to keep constant watch over Harry.

Burdened by both guilt and dependency, how could Dumbledore possibly force Snape to change his ways?

So he skillfully avoided the issue. "Didn't I promise to speak with Professor Quirrell? I'm sure he'll recover quickly, and you'll soon find his lessons truly impressive."

Ariana could tell Dumbledore was dodging the Snape problem and she had no intention of letting him off the hook.

"And what about Professor Snape?" she pressed relentlessly.

Snape had completely lost his patience. If it weren't for Dumbledore's warning glance, he would have already hexed her.

Sneering, he spat, "Foolish little troll. Don't think that just because you've learned a few dark spells, you're invincible. Back in the Potions classroom, I didn't take you seriously because I didn't want to waste my ingredients."

The implication was clear: if he had gone all out, Ariana would already be dead.

Ariana was not about to let this slide. "Don't pretend you held back! The last spell you used was dark magic. Don't think I didn't know there's no counter-curse. If I hadn't dodged it, I'd be dead by now."

Snape had indeed used dark magic, but he had controlled its strength carefully, Ariana might have been injured, but she wouldn't have died.

Yet her accusation made his anger surge again.

"Foolish little troll! Not all dark spells are without counter-curses. Just because you think you're some genius doesn't mean you know everything. In the magical world, you're still a blank slate."

Snape's voice had shot up several octaves, startling the portraits of Hogwarts' former headmasters lining the walls.

Ariana, completely unfazed, turned to Dumbledore and furiously complained, "Headmaster, if Professor Snape continues to insult me like this, calling me a foolish little troll, I don't want this wand anymore. I want to drop out right now."

Though she was loath to part with her wand something that felt as vital as her heart, her survival would always come first.

Dumbledore felt utterly drained. McGonagall had dumped the entire problem on him, and even though he was exhausted, he had no choice but to see it through.

"Ariana, don't throw around the idea of leaving so lightly. Magical education is a rare opportunity. I admit Professor Snape's tone is harsh, but your attitude toward him is also problematic, wouldn't you agree?" Dumbledore's tone had finally taken on some firmness.

Ariana glared at Snape without backing down. "What, you want me to apologize to him? That's not happening. Look at him! He keeps calling me a foolish little troll."

Snape shot her a mocking look. "Aren't you? I've never heard of a first-year student daring to talk to their Head of House like this."

When he was at school, he had treated his own Head of House with the utmost respect.

But Ariana was nothing like him.

In her past life, she'd had a serious heart condition. Even though she was an orphan, no one had ever dared yell at her.

In this life, she was exceptionally bright from a young age. The caretakers at the orphanage adored her. By the time she was seven, she was financially independent. Everyone she encountered treated her with respect and admiration.

Her entire life, across both lives, had been smooth sailing.

Suddenly dealing with someone like Snape, who treated her so harshly, naturally left her completely unprepared.

And in her mind, her short temper was entirely Snape's fault.

"You've never heard it because no one's ever dared to point out your problems. I asked the Headmaster some very specific questions earlier. Can you answer them? In your ten years of teaching, how many exceptional Potions students have you produced?" Ariana zeroed in on Snape's greatest sore spot.

"That's none of your concern," Snape snapped, moving toward her in a rage.

"So you can't answer, can you?" Ariana refused to back down, raising her wand as if ready to duel again.

Dumbledore quickly stepped in. "Ariana, since you've now decided to stay, why not enjoy a wonderful weekend? Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and I need to have a very serious conversation one that's not suitable for you or Draco to hear."

Before Ariana could continue venting, the quick-thinking Draco picked up on Dumbledore's cue and dragged her out of the office.

After the two of them left, Dumbledore rubbed his forehead and, finding no sweat, gave his two colleagues a wry smile.

"Is it just me getting old, or are young witches and wizards these days really this troublesome?" he asked, smiling bitterly.

With Ariana gone, Snape quickly calmed down and sneered. "Perhaps it's both."

Dumbledore certainly wasn't young anymore, and this year, not only had Harry Potter arrived, but now they had Ariana a troublesome firecracker. Who could argue that young witches and wizards weren't a handful these days?

As for what was discussed in the office, Ariana had no way of knowing. But even after leaving, she was still fuming.

"You shouldn't have dragged me out. If I'd held on just a little longer, the Headmaster might have agreed to rein in Snape's teaching style. He already promised to speak to Professor Quirrell," Ariana complained, clearly displeased with Draco's actions.

"I think we've gone far enough. If you kept pushing, you'd probably have ended up dueling Professor Snape again," Draco warned.

Ariana wasn't the least bit concerned. "So what? Let's fight. It's not like he really dares to do anything to me."

She was still thinking like a Muggle student, believing that teachers couldn't actually harm their students.

Seeing she still didn't understand, Draco had to be more blunt.

"You're always saying how much you value your life. What if one day they stop playing by the rules and really come after you? It'll be too late for regrets then."

That finally sobered Ariana. Snape had already proved he wasn't above using magic against her. She really needed to adapt quickly to the differences between the Muggle world and the magical one.

"Alright, the dropout plan is officially dead. I need to figure out how to solve the no-electronics issue at Hogwarts. Otherwise, my assets will shrink like crazy, and I'll die of heartache."

Not only was her immigration plan shelved, but now her dropout plan was crushed too. Ariana was beyond frustrated.

This was the golden age of growth. Missing even a single day could mean missing out on millions.

"Let's go to the library," Ariana suddenly told Draco.

Ever since discovering the Room of Requirement, Ariana hadn't stepped foot in the library, and naturally, neither had Draco.

"What for?" Draco asked in confusion.

Ariana answered matter-of-factly, "The reason Hogwarts can't use electronics is probably a magnetic field issue. I could use scientific methods to solve it, but I don't have the necessary books on hand. I'll have to wait until Christmas break to research them at home. But I can't just sit around doing nothing until then."

Draco didn't know what scientific methods were, but he picked up on her mentioning Muggle books, which puzzled him.

"If you need Muggle books, why go to the library? There definitely won't be any science books there."

As her friend, Ariana felt obligated to teach Draco some basic Muggle knowledge, or else they'd never fully understand each other.

"Wizards and Muggles are both human. There's a lot of overlap. Take Potions, for example. Muggles have chemistry, it's very similar in many ways. Science works the same way. I think I might find answers in Alchemy."

Draco nodded thoughtfully, but then remembered something.

"Then you should've asked Dumbledore to borrow some books. You've read all the history books you must know he's friends with Nicolas Flamel, the father of modern Alchemy."

Of course Ariana knew that.

"I don't have any foundation in Alchemy right now. I need to start with some beginner books from the library. Later, I can ask him for more advanced materials."

Still caught up in the joy that Ariana was staying, Draco was too dazed to object and simply followed her to the library.

But as they reached the fourth floor, Hermione Granger blocked their path.

"Corrine, I'd like to have a word with you alone."

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