Many Thanks to Alberto Cervantes for becoming a new Patron! ❣️
xxxxxxxx
"Come on, Albus. Unleash its true power, I can feel your wand soaking up your rage. Unless you want me to kill him right in front of you."
Like the lunatic he was, Gellert kept poking right at Dumbledore's most vulnerable nerve: 'family.' He slammed his foot into the ground, which had turned as soft as cotton, and Aberforth was launched high into the air, flung far away.
At the same time the three nearly devoured blue firebirds that had been tangled with Fawkes suddenly fused together again. They reformed into pure 'flames' and fell toward Hogwarts like a meteor shower.
Dumbledore had just moved to intercept, but Grindelwald whipped out a silver chain that wrapped tightly around him, locking the old wizard in place. The phoenix, Fawkes let out a sharp cry and darted after Aberforth, catching him just before he hit the ground, but the fiery meteors streaking toward castle were beyond his reach.
Professor McGonagall, who had only moments ago been scolding Lucifer for sneaking out, paled. "Everyone, together! We must stop those Firestorms!"
All four Heads of House raised their wands, golden light bloomed at tips as they gripped in reverse, preparing to cast a unified 'Finite Incantatem.'
"Professor, let me handle it. Just don't deduct points later." Moving faster, Lucifer had already lifted his wand and let his magic flow.
"Wingardium Leviopas Maxima."
A ripple swept soundlessly across the battlefield, for a moment the world seemed to freeze. The 'falling fire' meteors halted in midair, then drifted upward again in a strange reversal until they hung motionless in the sky.
The professors stared in shock.
The 'Protego Diabolica', they themselves wouldn't dare claim they could stop, had just been... frozen by one spell from Lucifer?
Flitwick didn't know whether he should grin broadly or steady his wand for any possible incoming.
"Wingardium Leviopas?" Snape looked at him in a daze, "You turned it into a curse? Is this allowed?" This was even terrifying compared to his invention of Dangling jinx Levicorpus.
"Yeah, didn't you see it last year?"
Snape's worldview felt like it was collapsing. Since when did a prank spell he once researched, and told this brat about having... that much potential? He didn't even share the spell's name.
"Cough... cough..."
Fawkes appeared with Aberforth in his talons, the man coughing up blood but alive. When Dumbledore saw both his school and brother were safe, he finally let out a long breath.
Grindelwald chuckled.
"Looks like... you've found yourself another remarkable student. He even stopped my Protego Diabolica, truly amazing, a great teacher, produces great pupils."
Lucifer's pretty face darkened at once, with both Maze bursting into laughter, and her ever so serious sister Makima had a sweet smile on her lips too, giving him lovable stares.
Outwardly Gellert was praising the school's Headmaster Dumbledore, but in truth he was bragging about Lucifer, maybe even hinting at praise for them, "Shameless, Mazikeen when he comes back you'd better knock some sense into him."
"No problem," She grinned with a demon blade playing between her fingers.
Albus Dumbledore, however, was in no mood to laugh, those words and actions had pushed him past his limit. Now that his worries were gone, 'the Elder Wand' trembled in his grip and a golden blade of energy sliced down, severing the silver chain.
It was now Grindelwald's face's turn to be hardened, his wand had vanished, replaced by the one he kept specifically to counter 'Elder Wand.'
Even the air was sharp with Dumbledore's fury. The gold-red magic roared like a tidal wave, packed with countless unknown spells that drove Grindelwald backward step after step.
Lucifer's expression grew tense.
He's serious now, the wand in his hand was muttering old language, amplifying every shred of magic that 'flowed' through it.
The 'Elder Wand' had been born into violence, yet ironically Dumbledore was likely the master who'd wielded it in the fewest real battles. After defeating Grindelwald he became its owner and then spent decades avoiding conflict, even his clashes with Voldemort were brief, probing fights rather than true duels.
Now the 'Elder Wand' was pushing itself to match its master's will, power surging far beyond the norm. And, combined with Dumbledore's fury, if Voldemort were the one standing in Grindelwald's place right now, he wouldn't choose to fight. He'd flee.
[....Deep down Voldemort was a man built on insecurity, he never had true confidence. Only after orchestrating Dumbledore's death through schemes and manipulation had he dared to act boldly---- Author's view ]
"What do you ladies think?" Lucifer asked, splitting off a sliver of his glance towards his wives.
"I'm invincible," Mazikeen replied, full of confidence, "'Dumbledore and the Elder Wand' are stronger than I expected, but not enough to threaten Hell's torturer like me."
"Your headmaster is a master of modern magic. Dark arts, white magic, he excels in both, but talent doesn't follow logic... I can't imagine anyone on this mortal planet who could defeat him."
While they talked, Grindelwald was already being forced backward. Dumbledore's relentless spells shoved aside his swagger and made him fight simply to keep up.
"So, I'm not the only one who's grown stronger. Albus hasn't been tasting Honeydukes all these years either..."
Pressure mounted on Grindelwald, but so did his excitement, his wand was screaming in horror under the strain, yet he ignored it. The Dark Wizard's casting grew faster, louder, a constant roar, everything around was either obliterated or twisted into tools for their duel.
Shields made of steel were melted under flame, Castle stone turned to muddy sludge under transfiguration. The ground had sunk inward, then burst upward in a swelling mound.
"Albus! This is the real you!"
The two figures flashed through dust and smoke, their murderous intent clear in the glance exchanged.
"I won't allow your power to endanger the world again."
Trapping the newly summoned 'Protego Diabolica' with a water prison, Dumbledore made the ground behind his long lost friend rose to form a stone giant. It lifted a rune-covered fist and brought crashing down the runes sealed the local space to prevent Grindelwald from "Apparating" away.
Mazikeen felt her worldview expanding again.
"Hmm..." Grindelwald didn't even look back, just slightly pointed his wand upward. A streak of pitch-black magic touched the giant's arm and spread like a spiderweb. The giant shattered into clumps of earth.
"Power isn't about restraint, it's about using it. The world needs someone who can surpass the limits of common sense. With timid people like you leading it, the Wizarding world will stagnate and die."
A warning bell rang in Dumbledore's mind, he Apparated ten meters back as fast as he could. The moment he landed, a glowing red spike of stone erupted from where he'd just stood, then burst into molten lava.
"Your... fighting style has changed."
He watched Grindelwald carefully, noting he wasn't attacking again.
"I told you, nothing stays the same."
The escaped criminal from Nurmengard who had spent decades alone suddenly sounded bored, as if remembering why he made the decision to stay, "That's enough for today, I'll be back."
He gave Dumbledore one last look, turned, and vanished with a crack of 'Apparition.' magic. Gellert's wand, however, shattered into fragments that scattered across the ground, remaining behind.
The Headmaster had no intention of chasing him, but simply stepped forward, bent down, and reached for the shattered wand on the ground.
The moment his fingers brushed it, fragments crumbled into dust, and the fury in his blue eyes faded, replaced by a heavy, troubled weight.
He had never been certain of Grindelwald's true strength, but now he finally understood, the wizard hadn't grown weaker at all, but had somehow become stronger.
Without 'the Elder Wand', he had already surpassed the Grindelwald of decades past... and surpassed the Dumbledore from back then as well.
Magic, spirit, even his physical condition at its absolute peak, everything about him bothered Albus's long white beard. It was as if time had left no mark on Grindelwald whatsoever.
But he, Dumbledore exhaled slowly, and stopped the trembling of his wand, calming it down. He had held the advantage today, and if the fight had continued he would almost certainly have won. But only if his body could last long enough for Grindelwald to tire out. He was old, magic and skill continued to grow, but his body kept declining, becoming a burden he could no "longer ignore."
"A Horcrux...?"
The thought crept into his mind.
Because of Voldemort, it was the first possibility that came to him. Other dark rituals might have similar effects, but their drawbacks were far more obvious, and he hadn't sensed anything wrong or unstable about Grindelwald's condition.
"These are troubled times..."
One thing was clear now, defeating
Gellert quickly was impossible, and the Wizarding world would inevitably face years of turmoil, Dumbledore turned and swept his wand in a wide arc. The 'frozen Fiendfyre' meteors overhead collapsed together into a massive sphere of water and were snuffed out.
Once he finished, he walked toward the bridge, where Lucifer was busy teasing his brother Aberforth.
"Old man, you stormed in here all righteous and furious just to take a Cruciatus from Grindelwald? How's it feel? Hurt?"
Aberforth glared at him, with narrowed eyes, showing annoyance openly to him, "Why don't you try it and find out?"
"I'm not into self-harm," Lucifer said with a grin, didn't even need to ask. Grindelwald had definitely hit hard.
"And, you, why didn't you go after him? You could've beaten him!"
"Because I can't hold him," Dumbledore being the eldest answered honestly, "Unlike our duel back then, Grindelwald had no intention of fighting to death today. If he wants to run, I can't stop him."
"It's your fault for not killing him all those years ago. You showed mercy!" Aberforth roared with a sense of deep hatred, "Did you hear the way he talked about Ariana?! He doesn't care at all! Not about her, not about you!"
Suddenly being yelled at, Dumbledore fell silent, staring at the sunflower seed shells scattered on the ground. None of the other professors dared interfere in the Headmaster's family pain, or expressed any interest to share much of it to Lucifer. A strange, heavy silence lingered, until the sound of rushing wind came from the distance.
Several dozen witches and wizards on brooms raced toward Hogwarts.
It was McGonagall who had momentarily recovered spoke first, "It should be the Aurors, I alerted Fudge and Scrimgeour before I came. They responded faster than I expected."
It looked a bit like they were arriving just in time to take credit after the battle ended, but in truth barely half an hour had passed since she contacted them.
Their speed wasn't bad.
The Aurors landed quickly, with Scrimgeour himself leading them, holding over sharp, predatory gaze to sweep the area. He paused briefly when he noticed Lucifer, a student, in the middle of the battlefield, then ignored him completely.
"Where is Grindelwald?"
"He fled."
"Why didn't you stop him?" Scrimgeour demanded at once.
Dumbledore merely blinked his tired eyes, and didn't reply. He just looked at him mildly, once again Lucifer's earlier opinion of Scrimgeour echoed in his mind with painful accuracy, Fudge was smarter than this man. At least he didn't parade his foolishness around with pride.
Scrimgeour, however, displayed it boldly and seemed proud of it.
"Rufus," he said calmly, in his soothing old grandfatherly voice, which held a bit of real magic, "I'm limited by my age. Grindelwald nearly tore me apart, I barely forced him back, but he won't be in great shape either. Do you really plan to chase him?"
Eyes litting up at the thought of earning some glory. Luckily, someone still had their head screwed on straight unlike Scrimgeour.
Kingsley Shacklebolt didn't hold back, grabbed his sleeve and murmured privately, "Sir... look over there."
He flicked a 'Lumos Charm' toward the battlefield, loud shocking gasps rippled through gathered Aurors, and the temperature around them seemed to climb several degrees.
The ground ahead, which should've been a flat stretch of earth, had collapsed into a massive crater. The deepest part sank nearly ten meters below the surrounding terrain. Dark fumes were seepeing from cracks in the soil, carrying a thick, unmistakable stench of dark magic.
That was result of the duel between Grindelwald and Dumbledore.
"Are we really going after... 'him?"
Shacklebolt asked quietly.
In response to this, Scrimgeour said nothing, he actually wanted to nod, to say "You lot go ahead, I'll return to the Ministry and fetch backup," but knew the moment he said it he'd lose what little authority he had. Nobody would even listen, so he cleared his throat instead, "Dumbledore, I will be in need of a full report."
"Alright,, I'll come to the Ministry tomorrow. But tonight, I need to calm the students and the faculty. There are other matters I must deal with. Thank you for coming."
'Leave.' Scrimgeour clearly heard the underlying message, he didn't press the matter. Fudge would be waiting for his report anyway.
Once Aurors hurried off, Dumbledore led group back toward the castle. The halls were unnervingly quiet, every common room doorway had a professor stationed like a guard.
........
"They gone?" Someone whispered.
~Hooot~~!' Of course they're gone, human. Dumbledore has to get back inside to settle the students, he wouldn't chase Grindelwald into dark. What if it was a trap?
Not long after the Headmaster and others disappeared into the castle, a dark figure emerged from a thicket on the Hogsmeade village hillside. Sirius Black slipped off his shadow cloak, staring at the duo of owl and the cat in miserable silence.
Hard to say whether he was unlucky or miraculously fortunate, being an Animagus, (a massive black dog) allowed Sirius to preserve his sanity in Azkaban because Dementors could not fully comprehend such emotions.
After seeing Peter in the 'Daily Prophet' on a Weasely boy's shoulder, a surge of Magic' came into his veins, he tried to cast a Stunner on Dementor, it failed but left the creature stunned which made his cry tears of joy.
....In animal form, he was thin enough to slip through his cell bars, swim to shore, and bypass security to reach Hogwarts undetected.
He had entered Privet Drive simply to get a glimpse of his godson, Harry, before journeying to Hogwarts to hunt down Peter Pettigrew!
Sirius had no intention of harming anyone at the Dursleys' house, but entire school grounds were being patrolled by Dementors to get him kissed, and due to his massive good luck, he found Lily's cat!
'Crookshanks!' That pet immediately recognised him, conversed on lost years and what they knew, even the cat was furious, both were plotting together how to kill 'Peter, the rat!'
But was denied by the Fat Lady's portrait, in his low temper, Sirus's mouth twitched, and he slashed the loud woman's mouth with a knife he had stolen from a shop. Then to increase his chances of getting success, a friendly owl Crookshanks had brought along in murder plan.
Rowena brought good food and a spare wand, that was practically giving Sirius a new life itself, he was looking noticeably healthier. And, then stole a newspaper from a wizarding family and learned that the Dementors had withdrawn.
He had decided that meant Hogwarts was at its weakest, the perfect moment to strike. Sirius crept to Hogsmeade, planning to slip into the school through one of the secret passages. Then blasted Grindelwald showed up, if the battle had shifted just a few meters in his direction, he would've been obliterated.
Sirius didn't dare run or even twitch. All he could do was cower and pray wouldn't be hit by a stray spell. The leaking aura alone had nearly drained the life out of his fragile body that was under recovery, drinking a potion bringing him vitality. These pets were highly intelligent, and he could talk it out when under his Dog form.
'Maoowrr~~!' Still going?
Crookshanks knew this Black wizard might've been insane, but he wasn't suicidal. After what he just witnessed, even a glance from Dumbledore felt like it could knock the human flat.
And after Grindelwald's attack, the castle would definitely be crawling with patrolling professors.
"Then... what do I do, Crooks?" Sirius whispered, exhaling shakily because he had no intention of charging in to die for nothing after long years of prison, motives should be prioritized, Pettigrew needed to be caught!
After drinking that bloody potion, he found he could pass the language barrier without turning into his Animagus.
'Hoooot~~?! Hoott~~!'
'...We find my bratty owner, he'll get your rat in no time.'
Taking a deep breath, Sirius stood properly first, his knees nearly gave out from crouching so long, and had to grab a sapling to steady himself.
"But he's just a boy, Pettigrew knows dark curses! Anyway, let's go first. This place is way too dangerous."
'Tweek! Hooot!'
'Do you think I will deliver letters for a mere human?! Lucifer's the Deity! Crooks, you tell him!'
'Roawrrr!' 'I thought you had grown, idiot dog you remain!'
Rowena shot this Azkaban escapist a look 'full' of disdain, she hated how fixated his brain was on the rat..... Wasn't thinking straight, she grabbed a few hairs on Crooks' head and Apparated them away.
"..." Sirius could only watch in disbelief, even though he had seen the bird doing it before, and ate his dinner showing a dumbfounded look.
xxxxxx
Back in the Headmaster's office
Albus Dumbledore was resting in his soft chair with eyes closed, looking more worn out, than anyone had ever seen him.
"Professor... there's nothing here that needs me anymore, right?" Lucifer still didn't know why he'd been dragged along.
"Lucifer," Opening his eyes at last, the Headmaster leaned forward, putting his palms on either side of the table, "What did you think of the battle?"
"In what sense?"
"Grindelwald's strength, character."
"Do you even need to ask?" Aberforth was close to snap, he was denied a bottle of rum by McGonagall earlier, "He's a bastard, a menace. The world would be better off if he never existed."
Inside Lucifer's space, Grindelwald nodded with hints of regret and spoke thoughtfully, "Still too soft... next time I'll teach him a lesson he won't be able to speak through."
"He's... very strong."
"The 'future' belongs to you, Lucifer," Dumbledore said with a small smile, reason was that boy had helped save Hogwarts Castle this time, he had clearly felt windows, corridors under a tight protection barrier, making what was happening outside blurry, and not getting his, separating away entirely from the battle, "Perhaps one day, you'll be the one to stop Grindelwald and bring him to justice."
Lucifer stared at him. Bullshit, he cursed inwardly, wasn't about to arrest the man he himself had released.
"...Yeah, of course."
"Thank you for stopping the 'Protego Diabolica' earlier," Dumbledore added with a hint of pride, "One hundred points to Gryffindor. When you get back, please help reassure the other students that school is safe, and there's no need for fear."
"Alright, Professor. I'll head back."
Lucifer fed some herbs to Fawkes before leaving the office. At the entrance to Sir Cadogan's portrait, he ran into Professor Sinistra, who nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd assumed he'd snuck out of the castle.
Instead, he explained he had never returned to begin with. When she heard that Grindelwald had already left, Sinistra sagged with relief.
None of the Professors had ever experienced anything like today, had never imagined someone would dare attack Hogwarts while Dumbledore was alive.
Even Voldemort at his most arrogant had never done such a thing, yet today it happened. 'The old generation really did burn hotter!' When he walked into Gryffindor's common room, a pack of lions rushed toward him at once.
Just moments ago, Slytherin' House had practically exploded with panic.
Through group chats and message threads, students learned that the one who had just called out Dumbledore was actually Grindelwald, and that a world shaking battle was happening right outside.
From one side of the 'Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers', you could see the battlefield, but the protection barrier and combo of distance made details blurry, but the height gave them a sweeping view of colours dueling.
Slytherin and Hufflepuff, though? Buried deep underground. Forget watching the fight, half the explosions didn't even reach their ears.
So they could only rely on other students relaying scraps of info. And this was exactly where Slytherin's terrible house reputation came back to bite them. They barely had friends in other houses.
In the end, they only managed to see anything because Daphne and Hermione set up a shaky video call.
...
Now, Gryffindor's wanted full details.
"Lucifer, did Grindelwald get defeated?"
"That fire meteor just now, was that Fiendfyre? But the books say it can't be controlled! And why was it blue?"
"Who was that guy who barged in later?"
"Was that you stopping the Fiendfyre? I saw you swing your wand!"
A barrage of questions hit him from all directions, Lucifer quickly raised his hand, signaling for silence.
"Alright! Stop! Let me talk!"
The noise cut off instantly, dozens of eyes were fixed on him. Only then did he speak, satisfied, "You're all asking random nonsense, I can't answer everything. So I'll cover the important parts."
"First, yes, that really was Grindelwald. Second, he escaped. Professor Dumbledore had the upper hand in the fight... Third, I only blocked the 'Fiendfyre' or whatever for a moment. The rest of the time I was spectating, it had nothing to do with me...."
Harry Potter raised a hand.
"....And stop overthinking it, being scared won't help. Right now, this is the safest place in Britain, maybe the world. If even Dumbledore can't protect you, then 'find' a hole somewhere and wait to die."
"Alright, go do your own stuff, don't block the stairs."
Lucifer waved them off, scattering the crowd under his glare, only then did his girlfriend with bushy golden brown hair, hurried up to him, she was wearing an anxious expression.
She thought he had been far too reckless today, actually getting that close to the battlefield. What if something had gone wrong? Under normal circumstances, Hermione trusted his strength completely, but when it came to Dumbledore and Grindelwald, all reason evaporated!~
Lucifer had to coax her for quite a while before her anger faded, but it didn't end there. His chats were still blowing up nonstop, after entering the boy's dormitory, closing off his curtains, and started video-calling people one by one.
Shockingly, the harder one to calm this time was well behaved Astoria.
Daphne Greengrass, the one who usually caused all the fuss, ended up being handled easily. After that came soothing two pregnant Hufflepuff's who were hugging on tightly to each other, and it wasn't until midnight that his five exhausted roommates were finally allowed back in to sleep.
Even though the boys heard no sound, still couldn't relax in the bed, eyes glued to his shadowy figure.
"Lucifer, next time you could just knock us out with a 'Stunning Spell'," Neville muttered before collapsing onto his bed.
Turning his face to match the voice, Lucifer stared at the position where Neville's bed was for a long moment. He wanted to say, "Every day, I do. I just forgot today."
.......
"Alright, let's watch the duel." Lucifer cut in before Maze exploded, and the memory began to play, this time, they watched from Grindelwald's perspective, 'far more direct.'
.......
"Tsk..." Grindelwald rubbed his chin, dissatisfied with the outcome, "Right there, I backpedaled. I should've cut in through the center instead of defending..."
Shaking her head, Maze gave him a hard look, "You were afraid of him. Your spells weren't fully unleashed."
"It wasn't fear," He disagreed immediately in a bad tone, "I lost to him once, so I chose a safer approach."
"Then you already lost on the psychological level. Even if you see yourself as the challenger, you can't go into a 'fight' thinking you might fail. Otherwise you'll never draw out your true strength."
"....I'll keep that in mind. Now that I've figured out Dumbledore's limits, unknown won't throw me off next time."
Many strong people aren't afraid of stronger enemies, they only fear the unknown because it lies outside their control.
"Next time?" Lucifer shot at him with a mouth full of Chocolate frog just to irritate the man, he raised his brows and frowned, "Gellert, kindly behave. I'd like to finish school without you stirring up drama. If you want to fight, lure Dumbledore out and match you size somewhere else."
Grindelwald let out an exhaled breath, looking incredibly innocent, and wanted to convince otherwise by putting a hand on Lucifer's shoulders, but didn't dare, "Your headmaster treats Hogwarts like a turtle shell. Getting him to leave would require me to push to his limit again. Do you have another 'family' you want me to wipe out?"
He thought for a moment, then clicked his tongue, Lucifer really wasn't that of a vengeful type. The only reason he destroyed 'Picquery' was due to the bounty issue, too many friends, too good of a reputation.'
"Hard to find enemies these days...."
Their conversation stopped as the memory reached half way, Grindelwald was goading both siblings into 'fighting' seriously and the duel erupted in full force.
Unfortunately, memories couldn't reproduce 'the Elder Wand's' true might, all you could see was it's opponent had a harder time holding his ground.
"Dumbledore is an impressive wizard," Makima said, clearly pleased with the battle she watched for the second time, "He has mastered that restless wand, every spell was bending completely to his will. Grindelwald, your fine control over magic is still a little weaker than his."
The rest became her domain. She began pointing out Gellert's weaknesses, Maze too listened carefully, and so did he, opportunities to hear a Demon break down a high-level duel were rare, his expression looked like he wanted to carve every word into the skull.
......
"I think..." Lucifer rubbed his chin, throat a little dry with all the talking, "We should factor in physical condition too. Dumbledore can't sustain high-intensity combat for long anymore... If today's fight had dragged on, Grindelwald could've pulled an exhaustion strategy and outlasted the old man."
"That depends on how he chooses to handle it," Makima elegantly poured the boy tea in a cup whose handle was crafted using a kinky aged molestor's spine, "If he's willing to loosen his restraints and touch certain branches of Dark magic, the physical limitations disappear instantly."
"True," Lucifer said with a nod.
Dumbledore was a complicated man, who had experienced far too many turning points in life. Even he probably didn't fully understand his own thoughts anymore. What Lucifer researched, when he was younger, he could say things like "for the greater good" and share ideals with Grindelwald.
....That alone showed hints he supported wizard superiority at the time, and that he had the ambition to announce his existence to the world. But he didn't get written proof of it, and Gellert wasn't the one who liked to share extreme details. Making connections with 'Nicolas Flamel' and a number of influential elder wizards was probably one of his early strategies.
....He became a rising star long before most wizards even made a name. To Dumbledore, Hogwarts was more like a cage, he locked himself inside it, strictly restraining every impulse. No dark magic, no power.
He was terrified of losing control and causing a disaster even worse than the Dark Lord's. 'Would Grindelwald's return push the old man to break his self-imposed rules?'
Lucifer suddenly felt a spark of curiosity in anticipation.
xxxxxxx
In the blink of an eye, a whole night had passed, but the excitement over last night's battle hadn't faded at all. The Great Hall was buzzing with nonstop chatter during breakfast.
At least everyone knew Dumbledore had driven Grindelwald away, so panic never really took hold. Most of the attention was fixed on the devastated battlefield.
The mountainside in front of the school gates now looked like it had been gnawed apart by a pack of wild dogs. That alone showed how fierce the duel had been. 'Gryffindor and Ravenclaw' students animatedly recounted everything they'd seen to the two basement, dwelling houses.
But every few sentences, someone would glance toward the staff table at the Headmaster, he was old, but the very reason everyone felt safe.
Technically, Dumbledore should have gone to the Ministry this morning to speak with Fudge about the incident. But with school uneasy and on edge, he knew he had to be visible, just by presence alone steadied the students.
So instead of leaving Hogwarts, Dumbledore had Fudge come to him instead, and didn't think much of the arrangement. He even went out of his way to explain reasoning to Fudge. But... did Minister see it that way?
Of course not, in his eyes, Albus was getting full of himself, summoning the 'Minister for Magic''like a subordinate. The resentment deepened, though he had no choice but to show up.
"Albus, you truly couldn't hold Grindelwald?" Fudge finally arrived once classes began, he was standing at the window of the Headmaster's office, staring toward last night's battlefield. His voice wavered with frustration, "A man like that.. roaming freely through the wizarding world is 'far too dangerous."
"Cornelius, do you think I didn't want to?" Dumbledore sighed at being left to deal with people with such tiny brains, "I did everything I could. But he had used some kind of magic to restore his youth, Grindelwald's stronger than before and far harder to subdue. But you can ease your worries a little," he added to make himself look important so Fudge wouldn't try anything, "From what I understand of him, he doesn't kill for pleasure. Not 'wizards, at least."
Fudge looked at him as if he'd grown three heads, "The Picquery family, the Polish Minister, and he attacked Hogwarts last night. And you're still defending him?"
"Because he and I have old grudges, you and Grindelwald have no conflict at all, Cornelius, unless you want to?"
Fudge thought about it, and grudgingly admitted the logic made sense. Still uneasy, he asked, "But what if he blames me because of you?"
'Very good,' Dumbledore's mouth twitched, but he said calmly, "He shouldn't. And if he does, his target will be Newt."
"Newt Scamander?" He pictured the beast expert who'd just applied to return to Britain and nodded. That actually did make him feel a bit safer.
"But regardless," Fudge continued with forced resolve, "Grindelwald must be dealt with. I have an international meeting when I return. I'll propose that every country deploy Aurors, and you can lead them to hunt him down. What do you think?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm sorry, Cornelius. Hogwarts needs me right now. I don't intend to leave the school. And Grindelwald is alone, with no 'followers, no base to capture from' Surrounding and eliminating him will not be easy."
They ended the meeting at an impasse, with Fudge leaving with an ugly expression, but Albus didn't have the energy to care about his mood.
As soon as the Minister departed, he went right back to searching records for the magic Grindelwald used to restore his youth, and any corresponding weakness it might have.
xxxxxxx
In 'Transfiguration' class, Lucifer propped his textbook upright to block his WhatsApp while responding to messages from Nicolas and Newt.
Both old men had heard the news almost instantly and sent morning greetings. Well... "it" was generous, they were more like reprimands.
Both Nicolas and Newt scolded him for being reckless last night, for getting so close to the battlefield, for not leaving everything to Dumbledore instead of sticking his nose into danger.
Knowing their personalities, Lucifer didn't argue, obediently agreed to everything, the classic "own up immediately, never actually change."
There was no point butting heads with the two geezers, you don't slap away good intentions from your own people. Save the attitude for strangers.
『Lucifer』: Teacher, Grandpa Newt's already come back to Britain for some peace and quiet. Aren't you coming too? There's plenty of empty land next to his place. You two could even be neighbors.
『Nicolas Flamel』: Live next to him? How is that any different from living alone in the middle of nowhere?
『Newt Scamander』: ....Nico, I'm not that bad, am I?
『Nicolas Flamel』: More or less. Newt, no one's ever doubted your character, and your personality is exactly the same. A person needs to know himself.
『Tina Scamander』: Old man, even if it's true, you could leave him a little dignity.
The group chat was a mess, Lucifer sighed heavily again today, to be honest, he'd created this chat, which in hindsight basically gave a bunch of old men a new hobby. Every day the unread messages hit 999+, keeping his business thriving in ways he hadn't expected. Glancing at his classmates, they all drained and sluggish, this type of contrast was almost funny.
"....Ah, shit, I forgot you are my deskmate."
Hermione was watching keenly.
.....
Even after some coercion, Nicolas still refused to come to Britain, claiming his estate was safe enough, and that even in an emergency he could hold out until help arrived.
Lucifer felt a bit disappointed. If Nico actually came, his supplier and his manufacturer would both be gathered in one place, he'd finally sleep easy. Maybe he could ask Gellert to go scare Nicolas a bit?
The thought only formed for a second before he crushed it and shook his head, 'Way too immoral.'
"Class, hold on a moment."
The bell had just rung when Professor McGonagall stopped them. She adjusted her glasses with a severe expression, "You all know what happened last night. Yes, Grindelwald challenged Professor Dumbledore, but he was driven back."
"The school is capable of protecting you. But once you go on holiday, it's another matter. His strength is far beyond what most imagine."
"So I recommend that you reconsider and stay at Hogwarts for the break unless you absolutely must leave. Wait until the situation is clearer before returning home. It's only a recommendation, not an order. The choice is yours...."
She hugged her books and left.
"Lucifer, are we staying?" Hermione asked once she was gone, packing books into the bag.
"No need." Lucifer shook his head, "Grindelwald is friendly enough to 'pure-bloods.' Honestly, he's friendly to wizards in general, I looked into it. His old goal was to have wizards rule the world.... If he went around killing people at random, who would follow him? He's nothing like Voldemort, that petty wannabe."
He didn't bother lowering his voice, and plenty of students heard him. The word "Voldemort" made them jump especially Ron, but his explanation eased many nerves. Those who had been wavering about McGonagall's suggestion now decided to go home after all.
"Then let's go home, beds here in dorm are too small, Daphne says hers is queen sized, and lot softer.."
"Yeah, let's go." Taking her hand, Lucifer walked outside, bags slung over their shoulders.
That afternoon, Fudge and several dozen 'Ministers of Magic' held a meeting with a single goal: catch Grindelwald. But they had two immediate problems: where he had gone, and how many people it would even take to subdue him?
One country's Aurors definitely weren't enough. The more old records they dug up, the more terrified everyone became. Dozens of countries rushed to sign a new temporary International law. If Grindelwald appeared anywhere, Aurors from any nation were permitted to enter immediately as reinforcements.
"Hundreds of Portkeys" were issued on the spot, it made Evelyn's face go green like her eyes, and worse Amelia Bones laughed so loud, a house elf came to check up on her Mistress.
The joint statement and treaty hit newspapers worldwide, along with a remarkably clear photo of Grindelwald 'facing' off against the two Dumbledores. Gryffindor house's second year Colin Creevey had snapped it with a camera and long lens. The twin streams of golden magic clashing against Gellert's blue arcane force glowed vividly under
'Protego Diabolica!'
Thanks to that photo, he earned seven years' worth of pocket money, plus extra. Ron was so jealous he wished he owned a camera too.
But after the attack, Grindelwald vanished again, that was the part the Ministries hated most, he was like a walking natural disaster, appearing and disappearing without warning. No one knew where he'd strike next or whose life he'd take.
Dumbledore was only one man. Aside from him, who could claim they could stop Grindelwald alone?
In reality, Gellert was still fuming because of Makima's "Wizard of the Century power levels" system built around him, couldn't believe he'd become a unit of measurement!
"Why am I the baseline? Use Maze or Dumbledore. Even that Voldemort 'fellow' would do. Why me?"
"Because if I use my Sister or Dumbledore, you'd be under one. That doesn't sound like you're in the same league. And Voldemort... I have never seen him fight. How would I use him as a benchmark?"
Furious, Grindelwald went to challenge Maze, not to prove he was stronger, but to at least make sure he wasn't a pathetic 1 compared to a 1.9.
Next, guess what, he was promptly crushed by an unreasonable tide of Demonic blades and spiraled into silence for days, Gellert didn't even enter the pocket space.
Lucifer ignored him and went on with his research, over the past few days, he noticed something interesting: Dumbledore's gaze had changed. 'The eyes are windows to the soul, can't reveal everything, but they are enough to make a plotline.'
The Headmaster's eyes had always been calm and restrained, like a still black water lake, until the Giant Squid decided to eat breakfast. Now there was sharpness in them, a spark of renewed vitality. The catfish effect had arrived.
With Grindelwald here now, and Voldemort likely in the future, Dumbledore knew if he kept letting himself stagnate, the world would crumble. Pressure became motivation, and the once supremely confident wizard began rediscovering the drive to study magic seriously.
xxxxxxx
On the 'first' day of December, Hogwarts saw its first real snowfall. Students ran out joyfully to throw snowballs.
Lucifer even summoned Doll-Granger back to serve as the boss for their snow battles. The Highlands had been unusually dry this year, so this was the 'first' proper snow of winter.
For the first day of break, Hermione and Lucifer were working on their homework; more so Hermione because Lucifer got most of his work done after coming back from Hogsmeade.
Ron was eating Peppermint Toads and massaging his stomach. With Lucifer and Hermione were the only ones in the Common Room right now, discussing about Gellert's possible sightings, and where he might be planning to target next.
Harry had eventually come down, moments before Lunch was to be served, and slumped into a chair near the fire, but instantly shot up again when a cat spat angrily at him.
Eve jumped off the chair, and curled up beside the sofa where Lucifer and Hermione were sitting. Crookshanks, who had gotten up from his resting spot in front of the fire after he heard Eve's squeal in distress.
He started licking the top of feline Eve's head to comfort her.
While Hermione slowly peered anxiously into Harry's face, stopping the talk of Dark Wizard's entirely, "You don't look well, you know..."
"Well, I 'found' out that Sirius Black gave up my parents to Voldemort---"
"Don't say the name!" Ron interjected harshly, he was very troubled these days due to Scabbers' poor health, "It's one you-know-who after another! I'm sick of murdering lunatics!"
"---and that's why he most likely escaped Azkaban. To finish what his Master started!" Harry was angry, shaking from his anger, he paid no such interest to Grindelwald, and had nothing to do with him.
"Harry, you mustn't go after Black," Hermione said in total vain.
Lucifer who didn't expect Harry to just let this go, "She's right, you shouldn't go after him," he said.
"I heard dad say what they found of Peter Pettigrew after Black murdered him; a finger, that's the largest bit of him they found, a finger!" Ron said, shuddering slightly.
"Potter, I advise you to not go after him. Black's very clearly a better duelist than you are, he will not hesitate to kill you," Lucifer said, reminding Harry how much better prison escapist should be than him with a wand.
Harry remained quiet, however, then looked at all of them; Lucifer felt like it was one of the misunderstandings on their part.
Then he broke his silence, "D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?"
Ron and Hermione shook their heads, but Lucifer knew it already from the hospital wing, and could only run his brows at the upcoming words.
"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry... And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her---"
"There's nothing you can do!" Hermione said, looking stricken, she had lost so many hairs in the past couple of days, "The Aurors will catch Black and--and he'll go back to Azkaban!" She didn't even sound so sure of it herself.
"You heard what Fudge said! Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are! It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others," Harry explained before he turned his attention to Lucifer, "What about you? What do you hear from them?"
Lucifer stared down at the mattress; he knew what Harry was trying to do, and making him an example, "Our situations are not comparable, Potter."
"What do you hear?" Harry asked again.
Sneering at him with a bored look, he replied, "I just see a petrified victim."
Harry obviously didn't believe a single word, "Then, what about your parents Lucifer? You never talk about them! Why is that?!"
"I am not welcome there." The three of them were silent; not expecting that, and not knowing how to continue after that. Lucifer looked back at Harry, and said in a clear voice, "Revenge for you will only end in your death."
"Malfoy said it himself in Potions class that one day, 'If it were me, I'd want revenge," Harry said back in response.
"So, you're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?!" Ron asked furiously, he couldn't believe his circle of unhinged people, even Colin now had more pock-----
Harry ignored him.
"Malfoy's dad must've told him, he was right in Voldemort's inner circle, so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for---and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip, Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed so he doesn't have to play you at Quidditch!"
Ron yelled even louder.
"Harry, please," Hermione began to use her singing voice, her eyes shining with tears, "Please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants... oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"
"I'll never know what they'd have wanted because, thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," Harry said shortly, which made the girl shut her mouth instantly, and backed down.
"So you're really going to go find Black anyway? Even though there is a one-hundred percent chance he will kill you without hesitation?" Lucifer asked, but the boy didn't answer.
"Look," Ron said, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "It's snow outside! Our holidays are nearly there! Let's, let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!"
Hermione was about to object, but then decided against it.
Harry looked privy to the idea, "Yeah, let's go," he sat up, "and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!"
Ron went wide-eyed, clearly not what he intended. He tried to deter his best mate from going down, but he was adamant about it now, so they all got their Cloaks from dormitories and set off through the portrait hole, ignoring Cadogan's raving, and down the Castle and out through the oak front doors.
They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The 'Forbidden Forest' looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree muttered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake, the man himself was shoveling into a bucket, in good mood apparently.
xxxxxx
Harry's eyes caught a glint of gold on the table, resting right next to an expensive looking heavy glass bottle.
Hagrid beamed, noticing Harry's stare, and gave a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Ah, look at that, eh? Blew me away, it did. Young Blaise Zabini strolled down here right before you lot. Polite as you like! Brought me a whole bottle of aged Ogden's Old Firewhisky. Said he wanted to thank me proper for letting the class examine those Hippogriff feathers last term. Proper gentlemanly behavior, if you ask me."
"Uthhu.. khof--" Hermione coughed twice, she was taken aback, and had to be patted on her back by Lucifer for a bit in the corner, "Excuse us...."
Feeling a sharp prickle of annoyance flare up in his chest, Harry looked from expensive bottle to Ron, who was already pulling a face of pure disgust. The idea of a Slytherin like Zabini who normally looked down at them and spent his time snickering with Malfoy, suddenly playing the model student made the boy's stomach churn, "Zabini?"
He repeated, his voice tight and flat, "Hagrid, you don't actually think he did that just to be nice, do you? He's probably trying to soften you up for a better grade, or Malfoy put him up to somethi-----"
The half-giant only chuckled louder, waving a dismissive, dinner plate sized hand, "Oh, don't be like that, Harry. The boy's alright. Look what else he brought! See that golden apple? Pure solid brass... and dipped in something magical that keeps it glittering. He told me griffins love guarding shiny treasures, so I tossed it to the old beast down by the paddock. You should've seen it—the griffin took to it right away, nudging it into its nest like a giant, golden egg! Zabini really did his homework on magical beasts."
Harry bit his tongue, staring at the glittering trinket and 'feeling' utterly unconvinced.
xxxxxx
Paris, Rosier Manor
Gellert Grindelwald was standing with hands behind his back, wearing a black coat, facing several dozen of his core followers and spoke softly.
"It's time, those who once hurt us will pay. Those who betrayed us will also receive their due. Once... we swept the world starting from Berlin. So we'll walk that road again."
"We depart from Berlin, the target is Warsaw." For any order Grindelwald gave, the Acolytes standing before him wouldn't raise a single objection.
They would simply carry it out without hesitation. And so two hours later, the 'German Ministry of Magic' had been taken over. There was no large-scale conflict, the Acolytes had been infiltrating their former stronghold for years. The few officials who weren't aligned with them were completely unprepared and were subdued almost instantly.
Those "outsiders" made up barely twenty percent. Not that the rest were all Acolytes, Grindelwald wasn't recruiting that casually.
The real reason was that country still longed for its past glory and was bitter about its decline. The 'German Ministry' was still a giant on paper, but its international standing didn't even match that of the small countries nearby. They still hadn't paid off the fines from decades ago and were living year to year on a shoestring budget.
Most of the Aurors who'd been sent to arrest Grindelwald at Gregorovitch's wand shop hadn't even wanted to go. Many secretly hoped he would return, rise to power again, and lead them into one more charge toward prominence. And after witnessing the battle with Dumbledore, Grindelwald had proved his strength, that was why this takeover went so smoothly, like a rehearsal exercise.
Not a drop of blood spilled.
The 'first' thing Grindelwald did after taking control was send people to "invite" Gregorovitch. The people he sent were Ministry Aurors.
Mykew Gregorovitch didn't think anything was off and followed without question, when he arrived at the Minister's office and saw Grindelwald sitting in the main chair with the 'former Minister' standing respectfully behind him, his legs nearly gave out.
"G-Gr-Grindelwald? Why are you here?"
Gellert smiled with amusement.
"From today onward, the Ministry... and all of magical Germany... will be under---" He waved dismissively, one leg over the chair, like resting on his old throne after several decades.
"Forget it, explaining it to you is pointless. Mr. Gregorovitch, the quality of your wands is terrible. They can't even withstand a proper duel."
He gestured lightly with a finger pointed at the old wand maker, "You'll live in the Ministry from now on. Once you craft a wand that satisfies me, I'll let you go. Tell the guards whatever materials you need. They'll fetch them."
"Mr. Grindelwald, I still need to serve other wizards, you can't just---"
Just by raising a hand, the Aurors led the old wandmaker away.
"Reindott," Grindelwald said without showing any kind of blatant rage, he was terribly calm, "start organizing your people. I won't be helping you this time. If you want to reclaim your former glory, you'll prove your worth and your resolve."
The German Minister, Blitz Reindott, bowed deeply, his forehead could have touched the top of the Minister's chair, leaving a bloody trail.
"Lord Grindelwald, you will see results that please you. We've waited 'fifty years' for this day."
"Go."
Grindelwald merely closed his eyes for a nap while Reindott slipped quietly out of the office. Two and a half hours later, the 'PolishMinistry of Magic' had fallen. And entire world was just... stunned.
That night, the 'Ministries' of both countries (Germany and Poland) issued statements declaring their withdrawal from the 'International Confederation of Wizards' and prohibiting all foreign delegates from entering. The Aurors were authorized to detain or even kill intruders.
Of course, if you could prove you were an Acolyte, you were welcome.
Grindelwald spent the night reflecting on the reasons he'd 'failed' in the past. Losing to Dumbledore was only the final blow, it wasn't the whole story.
He realized he'd been too impatient back then, expanded too quickly, his foundations unstable. His ranks were crowded with people who looked loyal on the surface but weren't committed at all.
....Lucifer had done well these past two years, he'd already screened out a group of reliable people. Grindelwald decided he would also advance step by step, spreading his influence across Europe, enforcing elite management, and tightening his grip on the 'foundation.'
It was a wild night.
After word spread, neighboring countries immediately sent people to investigate, partly it was to greet potential new allies and show off their strength. But more to see whether Dumbledore would show up. If he did, they definitely wanted a conversation. Unfortunately for them... dozens of spies had been caught, yet he never appeared.
xxxxxx
The Next day, Hogwarts was practically a satellite meeting hall of the 'International Confederation.' Wizards from all corners of the world kept arriving, Dumbledore had no choice but to head to the Ministry to keep them from disrupting the students.
Not that it helped, students were completely distracted by the news, whispering in every class and speculating about whether a world war was coming.
Professor McGonagall 'finally' used her ultimate method to calm them all down: exams. With papers looming, who had time to worry about a magical world war? Sure enough, the moment she announced it, gossiping little witches and wizards went pale, scrambled to review everything they'd learned that term.
.......
"Lucifer, I can't do it, past week I just feel like nothing but eat and relax in the bed for lots of sleep."
He suspected the truth: Hannah Abbott just wanted to slack off study while giving excuses of bearing his child, then spend the daytime watching cartoons with Susan.
Recently he had conjured a batch of cartoon shows for fun. The girls were addicted, especially to 'The Amazing World of Gumball.' Pair rewatched every single episode over and over in his room on the sixth floor.
Still, if she wanted to slack, he didn't mind. Even if Hannah stopped studying entirely, he wouldn't say a thing. As long as she was happy.
2. Which of these environments is a Hinkypunk most likely to lure you into?
A) A deep, dark cave B) A dense, dry forest C) A muddy, foggy bog D) A crowded wizarding tavern
.....
4. How many rolls of parchment did Professor Snape notoriously assign for his substitute essay on Sphinx?
A) One roll
B) Two rolls
C) Three rolls
D) Five rolls
6. True or False: To properly defend against a Dementor, you must focus your mind entirely on a memory of extreme anger or vengeance.
7. True or False: A Kappas is a dark creature that resembles a scaly monkey with a water-filled hollow on top of its head, native to Japan.
"So? How was it? How much do you remember?"
After giving her a different round of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' quiz, Hannah thought for a moment, then recited a scattered list of details, she knew about in the paper. Lucifer's brows tightened the more she said.
The girl shrank her neck, wanting to disappear in bed, the best if he joined inside the comfy blankets, "Did... did I mess it up? Am I stupid, Lucifer?"
........
Hogwarts also grew peaceful as exams approached, even though storms outside had spread to half of continental Europe, none of it touched the school. Grindelwald wasn't expanding territory anymore, but his call to the Acolytes stirred huge waves. Every day, wizards found ways to travel to Berlin, descendants of Acolytes, idealistic 'followers,' all sorts of people.
Naturally, no magical government was going to sit back and watch him grow stronger. The 'German-Polish border' turned into a battlefield, with new clashes erupting daily.
The German Aurors and Acolytes capturing people from other countries arresting, while some of theirs too obviously in return. But Grindelwald played dirty-picking on the weak.
Yeah, he was beating the other countries' wizards pretty badly, didn't kill anyone, true, but number of battered wizards and shattered wands was incalculable. Grindelwald didn't capture or kill, just tortured you, body and spirit, then let you go with a smile.
xxxxxx
Lucifer jogged to catch up with her.
"You okay?" he asked, as Hermione unconsciously wrapped her arm around his.
"If I have to spend another minute around Ronald today, I might hex him for making trouble for Crookshanks!"
She spat acidly.
"So, where are we going then?" Lucifer asked, brightly.
"You should know this corridor better than anyone," Hermione said as they arrived outside the library, "But you don't have to come with me. You can go back with them if you want..."
"You really think I'd rather be around Potter and Weasely than you?" Lucifer asked, raising his eyebrows in question.
"How am I meant to know who you prefer? You have been avoiding me lately, doing even more homework than me!" Hermione said, grumpily, eyes not meeting his own.
Lucifer stepped forward to kiss her on the cheek. Despite how often he'd done it, she felt her face getting heated, "Does that answer who I prefer?" he smirked, in reality he had been checking over the surge of pending orders to deliver.
"Don't know. Might need another example," Hermione said, nodding her face at him to go further, she hadn't brightened up much yet.
Lucifer shook his head and stepped forward, but this time the girl intercepted him. She turned her face so that her boyfriend's lips connected with her own instead of her cheek.
His eyes widened in surprise at first, and then he seemed to relax into her.
"Pretty substantial evidence there," Hermione said as they broke apart. 'I think you may have given me more than enough to go off!"
"Guess I never have to do it again then," Lucifer retorted back, and his lips disappeared in his mouth.
"Let's see which of us caves to that first shall we?" She winked as she pushed open the door to the library.
xxxxxx
They spent many of the next few days huddled together in the library, pouring over books to prepare for upcoming exams.
For two days straight, Madam Pince prowled the bookshelves nearby to ensure they weren't taking anything or being too loud. But after a while, even she seemed to give up and only came over to tell them off if they started moaning around too loud.
xxxxxxx
Dumbledore had originally intended to wait, watch for Gellert to slip and then strike decisively. But at this rate, magical governments would collapse before any "chance" appeared. Many had already begun pressuring or outright threatening him to step in.
Not wanting to be shackled again like seventy years ago, he left Hogwarts during exam week and intercepted Grindelwald on the 'German-French' border.
When Gellert saw Dumbledore suddenly appear, he frowned and tossed aside the unconscious Auror in his hand, "I'm not in the mood to fight today. If you want to talk, follow me."
And without waiting for a reply, he Disapparated, next second they were in the Vosges Mountains.
Gellert Grindelwald, of course, knew that Darcy's grandmother's Veela tribe lived nearby. So even though he was itching to test Dumbledore again, today was definitely not the day.
Albus too didn't hesitate in the slightest, as soon as Grindelwald vanished, he traced where the spatial ripple had gone and Apparated after him. Moments later, the two of them popped up inside a café in Lyon.
xxxxxxx
"Our last time sitting down for coffee together... was in Paris, wasn't it?"
Grindelwald stirred his cup lazily, a playful smile tugging at his lips, "I honestly didn't expect you to follow me. Let me guess... you're here to make peace?"
Dumbledore shook his head calmly, "I don't understand why you broke out of prison so suddenly. The world still hasn't recovered from the damage you caused.... 'Stop this, Gellert.' Don't let more innocent people die. Your ambitions will never succeed, resistance only brings more pain."
"Ambition?" The smile on Grindelwald's face deepened, "And what do you think it is now, Albus? I told you, people change. Why insist on judging me with a mind stuck decades in the past?"
The man before him was somehow unfamiliar, even in the darkest days long ago, Dumbledore had never felt this uncertain. Back then, because he understood Grindelwald so well, he could predict every next step. But now? Everything was buried in fog, since the escape from Nurmengard prison, his actions 'followed' no restricted pattern at all.
"Albus, I'm planning to live differently."
Grindelwald leaned comfortably against his chair, completely at ease, "Last time, I failed because I tried to resist the world's rules. This time, I'll blend into. Tell me, have I killed anyone these past few days? When two Ministries withdraw from the ICW, is that illegal? What's wrong, Dumbledore? Planning to meddle in another country's internal affairs like those insects in the Council?"
"That's sophistry." Dumbledore's expression hardened at the way he shrugged it off, as if they amounted to nothing, or he would do such evil, "If you hadn't encouraged them, sent people to occupy Polish Ministry, would they have made such a decision?"
"Haha... I gave them courage, Albus. Today's wizards have lost their fire. As long as I don't start a 'full-scale' war, they won't pay the price to take me down. They'll just squabble and flail like they're doing now. And you, what can you really do?"
"I'll defeat you again." His voice was soft but unwavering, as if stating a simple fact of nature, "The world no longer has a place for you."
"No. You won't," The entire presence of Gellert was raging down like a storm, "You're old, Albus. Your magic is stronger, your spellcraft sharper, and you have that wand. But you're exhausted, in heart and body. You can't wield your own power anymore. I'm different, my body is stronger, soul is stronger. And most importantly... 'if I don't want to fight to the death, you can't keep me.' The balance has shifted."
"You made a Horcrux?"
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed sharply, he hadn't touched the cup of Latte', and now it had gone cold.
Grindelwald scoffed and tapped the table in disgust, "Do you take me for Voldemort? That idiot's broken soul left him crawling around like a protozoan. I would never split my soul." As if he even had the ability, couldn't fracture his soul even if he wanted to.
"....I truly don't want to fight you anymore."
"That's not up to you." Meanwhile, Grindelwald already drained his cup and stood up to leave, "You can oppose me, join me, or stand aside. There is no fourth option. Tell those Ministers this as well: 'my appetite isn't limited to two countries.' If they surrender now, I'll give them privileges. Don't wait until I'm at their doorstep to start begging."
When he finished, Grindelwald's body dissolved into the air like a gust of wind. The tourists in café didn't notice a thing.
Dumbledore sat there alone for a long time before finally leaving.
xxxxxx
"Vinda, tally how much liquid funding the two Ministries still have. And send someone to Gringotts, squeeze as much gold out of those goblins as you can. Then use all of it to place orders with Lucifer."
The moment he parted with his love, Grindelwald returned to the German Ministry and got down to business. He hadn't forgotten why he broke out in the 'first place': to help him grow the magical world, which in turn lined up with his own. And beneath it all was a sense of urgency to get strong himself, he wasn't enough in beating that Demon Mazikeen, but refused to 'fall' behind in every other aspect.
His pride would never allow it, needed to level the playing field.
Vinda Rosier didn't leave immediately. Instead, she reported some news, "We checked earlier. Berlin is okay, the cash flow is positive. But because we're still paying reparations every year, we're not exactly wealthy..."
"As for Warsaw..." She gave an exasperated look, "Their Ministry is rotted, every year they only survive thanks to reparations and financial aid from other countries."
Grindelwald frowned, his eyes turning cold, "A bunch of useless fools. They can't even hold on to the one thing they have plenty of money."
Tapping the ring on his finger he thought, "Fine, we'll just bleed Gringotts a bit more. And stop releasing spies you catch. Hold all, make their Ministries pay to ransom."
"Yes, sir."
Vinda left with the orders.
Back at Hogwarts, Lucifer had no idea Grindelwald was now in charge of two bankrupt Ministries. The moment the last exam ended, relieved cheers burst through the classroom. Students practically tossed quills aside and bolted out the door, celebrating 'their hard-earned freedom!'
They had almost a month of vacation ahead, because of McGonagall's reminders and advice from the other Heads of House, this was shaping up to be year with the largest number of students staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, more than half.
The moment Lucifer stepped out of the classroom, his WhatsApp diary vibrated, he assumed it was Darcy or Alexandra messaging him. When he opened it, though, sender was Fudge.
『Cornelius Fudge』 :
Mr. Morningstar, could you come to the Ministry? Someone wishes to meet you. I've already requested leave for you from Dumbledore. You can use the fireplace in his office to travel directly here.
Lucifer laughed when he read it. Only at Hogwarts would he go see a professor or his beloved headmaster in their office and that was normal, since he was a student. 'But Fudge? He thinks I will come just because he asks? Who did this man think I was?'
He replied with a simple "No" and closed the notebook. Then continued downstairs with Hermione; they were going to ask Professor Sprout for some "Bubotuber seed pods" to plant at the Greengrass estate and at Lux.
What he absolutely didn't expect was that Fudge would show up that very night, dragging the "important visitor" along with him.
xxxxxx
Headmaster's Office
"Mr. Morningstar, this is Robert Graves, 'Head of Security for the International Auror Office'. You can think of him as... the ICW's version of Scrimgeour."
Fudge was all smiles, as if the boy's flat refusal earlier that day had never happened. Graves looked like he'd been carved from the mountains of Gaul, tall, broad-shouldered, long brown hair hanging loose, a high nose, and sharp, predatory eyes.
From the moment Lucifer stepped inside, man stared at him as if trying to peel him open, he nodded with a dirty expression, "Ah, so you're that Graves. The one whose wife slept with Wilkinson, and whose 'niece's fiancée' ran off with him afterward."
Fudge's goofy smile froze, a flash of murder flickered in Graves's eyes, though his face stayed eerily calm, "Mr. Morningstar seems to hold quite a bit of hostility toward me. Is it because Rouse Wilkinson once drank in your pub? Looks like he left a deep impression. Even after so long, you still remember him fondly."
Lucifer stared at him like he was an idiot bigger than Scrimgeour, no wonder 'Minister for Magic'' introduced him in a parallel way.
"What exactly are you talking about? Who said my problem with you had anything to do with Wilkinson? First, I told Minister Fudge earlier today that I didn't want to meet you, and you still showed up. That's bad manners... Second, you started glaring at me the moment I walked in. Also rude, so tell me, why should I show any courtesy to someone with such lack of elegance and oh right, a ridiculously inflated ego?"
"...."
"Small reminder, It's not like Wilkinson became a legend just because he 'cuckolded yourfamily, twice.'"
Okay, Fudge had no idea why things turned hostile so fast, he was stunned. And Dumbledore, as the host of this meeting, acted as if he couldn't hear a word. He stared at his desk like something rare and precious sat on top of it.
Graves's expression finally cracked, face was twitching as he fought to keep his temper, "Examining strangers is my professional habit, Morningstar. Please understand. I'm not here to quarrel."
"Whatever."
Lucifer waved a hand dismissively and sat on a single sofa. The moment he did, a glass of chilled lemon juice appeared on the small table next to him, lifted it slightly in Dumbledore's direction before taking a sip.
"So? What did you want?"
Graves took out a sheet of parchment.
"Morningstar, the Security Office hopes you will be more cautious with the sale of your WhatsApp notebooks. We ask you 'fully' restrict their circulation within Grindelwald, controlled territories to prevent the Acolytes from gaining instantaneous communes In exchange, the ICW is prepared to offer compensation."
"No need, Graves."
The man blinked twice, surprised at how agreeable Lucifer sounded, but then he continued, "If you have suggestions, feel free to list them. I refuse to accept any." Then stood up putting down his empty glass, and headed for the door. "Anything else? If not, I'm leaving."
"Morningstar are you planning to help Grindelwald wage war against the wizarding---!"
A sharp red flash streaked across the room. Graves was slammed into a bookshelf so hard that half the covers crashed to the floor. The portraits gasped in horror, "M-Merlin...."
Dumbledore let out a silent sigh. 'Why did this feel familiar? Ah, right. The last person to get hit by Stupefy in this office was Severus...' And he had been the one doing the launching. In that case, everything was fine. Right?
Robert Graves took a nasty hit. To make it worse, Lucifer cast a gravity charm on the books that had fallen, making them crash down on his head with loud thumps. He was dizzy and dazed, but somehow still conscious.
"I need the damn ICW's approval for my business? What a joke." Under Fudge's stunned stare, Lucifer turned around with a mocking smile, "Since you're insisting... I'm working with Grindelwald, fine, let's say I am. What now? Sending people to arrest me? Minister Fudge, what he means is I, Lucifer Morningstar, am a criminal?"
"I..." The Minister's words stammered in his throat, and he decided to bring down the hammer to calm these people down, "Morningstar, Graves didn't mean that... he just... he only doesn't want you 'funding' the enemy. Your alchemy can influence the war in ways that aren't exactly... small."
"Cutting off someone's income is worse than killing their parents. Oh wait, I don't have any," Lucifer shook his head with a smile that didn't reach eyes, and they suddenly glowed red, "But still if someone stops me, that person is my 'enemy.' Headmaster, what do you think?"
"Lucifer, go back and rest." Dumbledore gave Fudge a meaningful glance, then said to him, "Leave the rest to me. I'll make sure you get an answer you're satisfied with."
Nodding off, he ignored Fudge entirely, and walked straight out of the office. Somehow this wretched human was even more disgusting in real life than he'd been told by Rouse. Clearly his own tongue wasn't quite reliable.
"That kid's got attitude. Hah, serves them right." Phineas Nigellus watched Lucifer's retreating figure with schadenfreude; he found it refreshing, now this was a proper Slytherin. 'Their blood was noble; what was wrong with being a bit arrogant?
What? You say boy is Muggle-born?
So what? With his achievements, give it a few generations... and he becomes the very founder of a pure-blood line, a famous one at that. Who would dare say he's not?'
Once Lucifer left, Dumbledore felt tired again, he got up, walked over to Robert, crouched down, and asked with concern, "Mr. Graves, are you alright? Do you need to be treated?"
"Dumbledore... I want..." Robert shook his head, managing to stay conscious. His voice was dripping with hatred, "I want an explanation."
"Alright, looks like you need some rest first." Dumbledore waved a hand in front of his eyes, and Robert instantly slumped over, fully unconscious.
"Albus! What are you doing?" Fudge shouted loudly, he was convinced everyone in Hogwarts was insane. 'A student assaults an official, then the Headmaster immediately knocks the victim out. What was this?! Murder and cleanup?'
The Britain Minister's hands and feet totally went cold. He bitterly regretted not bringing a few dozen Aurors as bodyguards. 'Dumbledore must be planning a coup.'
"Cornelius, Mr. Graves let his anger take over. I had to calm him down so he wouldn't interfere with our discussion."
Honestly, Graves wasn't the one who was affected, it was Dumbledore. Ever since seeing Grindelwald again, he'd been carrying a knot of dark frustration with nowhere to vent it. Years of practiced serenity were close to collapsing, and his style had gotten noticeably more forceful.
Fudge fell silent, unwillingly so.
"I don't know what you were thinking, you and Lucifer were on decent terms before today. After this, he will definitely hold a grudge. Why pick a fight... with a young man who has a brilliant future?"
"How is this picking a fight?" Fudge protested deeply, he was scared out of his mind past couple of weeks, "Do you want him selling those alchemical tools that can block Killing Curses, or those instant notebooks, to Grindelwald? Have.... any idea how much that would change the war? He has been able to send reinforcements to weak points instantly because of the WhatsApp! We've lost more than twenty Aurors!"
Finally he had something to criticize Dumbledore for. The more he spoke, the more triumphant he felt.
xxxxxxx
Author's Note
New Month!
If you want to Read 45+ Advanced Chapters ahead of everyone. Support this novel, join me on Patreon!
Link - patreon.com/SmutDxddy
We have a stockpile upto Chapter 360 for you to binge-read!
Krum trying to assault Hermione and more scary content for you on Patreon! 🤐
xxxxxx
1 Extra Chapter - 125 Power Stone's! 😈