"Sir, what should we do?" someone couldn't help but step forward and ask.
Grindelwald took a deep breath, barely suppressing the anger in his chest.
"Go find a magizoologist immediately… I refuse to believe that Newt Scamander is the only expert in the world!" Grindelwald said through clenched teeth. "Also, dismantle all these checkpoints. Put the Dark creatures and magical beasts back into their original cages and resume normal feeding."
Upon hearing his orders, his followers immediately got to work.
"Tch… when you were gathering these creatures for me, did it never occur to you to consult a magizoologist?" Grindelwald couldn't help saying.
They looked at one another, and after a moment, one of them said hesitantly, "Sir… have you forgotten? We did plan to… but you told us that you hate magizoologists the most, and that caring for magical creatures could be learned just by reading books…"
Grindelwald: "....."
"Get out, all of you!" Grindelwald waved his hand angrily.
The group hurried off to carry out their tasks, afraid that if they lingered, they would be scolded.
Grindelwald narrowed his eyes as he watched them busy themselves, along with the Dark creatures being moved out of the tents and returned to their cages.
"Since the plan has already been delayed… perhaps…"
…
Dumbledore received Newt Scamander in his office.
"How did it go?" Dumbledore asked immediately after inviting him to sit.
"About what you expected. They're amateurs… their setup has many safety risks," Newt said, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat.
"I knew inviting you was the right decision," Dumbledore said cheerfully.
"But why did you agree to let him do all this at Hogwarts?" Newt asked with dissatisfaction.
Dumbledore turned and looked out at the Black Lake. By its shore, a few students were strolling in small groups.
"In the past two years, I've learned something… sometimes, it's better to guide than to block. The more you try to stop certain people from doing something, the more determined they become to do it."
"So you simply let him do it?" Newt looked completely puzzled.
"Yes… especially when we know we cannot stop him," Dumbledore continued. "Only by letting them act, and allowing them to understand the cost of their actions, can they gain a deeper understanding. It is difficult to teach a person through words, but experience teaches swiftly."
Newt shook his head. "I don't think Grindelwald would give up just because of difficulties…"
"Then all we can do is make what he does safer. Newt… things are different now. Grindelwald has abandoned his former bloody and brutal methods and has begun to act within the rules. We can only follow suit," Dumbledore said seriously.
Newt understood what he meant. Now that everyone was playing by the rules, the situation was more dangerous in some ways, but for most people, it was at least safer than before.
Bound by those rules and watched closely by Dumbledore, Grindelwald could no longer resort to dirty tactics such as spaming Protego Diabolica and Avada Kedavra.
For example, when the centaurs provoked him before, in the past, they might have been slaughtered outright.
But now, Grindelwald could only provoke them first, forcing them to strike before he would act in return…
"Very well… next time I inspect, I'll be even stricter," Newt said, standing up. "Just now, he even thought I was there to delay him."
"In truth, that was part of my consideration," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I must say, in recent years, Hogwarts' level of education has not been as demanding as before. If the students are to pass these challenges safely, they will need some time to grow. I believe Wade's mutual aid group will make good use of that time."
Newt suddenly understood. The mutual aid group had only existed for a short time.
Dumbledore was buying time so the students could use it to improve themselves…
"In fact, you don't need to worry too much," Newt said. "Although Grindelwald's placement of those magical creatures and Dark creatures is unreasonable, in terms of strength distribution, his classification of danger levels is actually quite reasonable."
"It won't be too easy," Dumbledore said. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have the opportunity to subtly instill his ideas into the students when they encounter setbacks…"
"So you plan to let the students grow stronger during this time. Only then can they avoid setbacks and pass the trials smoothly, leaving him no chance to say much," Newt finally understood Dumbledore's intention in delaying things.
After thinking for a moment, Newt suddenly spoke again, "Dumbledore… you know, I just came out of their tents, so I now have a complete understanding of what magical creatures and Dark creatures they have. So, would you and your students be interested in a reference guide for the trials? Nothing special, just a detailed record of these creatures' weaknesses and the easiest ways to deal with them…"
A smile appeared on Dumbledore's face. "I believe they will need it."
…
Night fell.
At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, three small figures quietly made their way toward the woods.
"Wade! Is it really appropriate for us to sneak into the Forbidden Forest like this? The Marauder's Map is still in Dumbledore's hands!" Tom couldn't help saying.
"Relax. The version covering the forest outskirts was made by me. I have a way to conceal our names," Wade said cheerfully.
"Then can you explain why we have to bring it along?" Tom complained, pointing at the cat following behind them.
Tom the cat was carrying a backpack. When he saw Tom pointing at him, he grinned broadly.
"It's carrying our bags," Wade said flatly.
"That's it?" Tom looked doubtful.
"That's it." Wade shrugged. "We can also take this chance to let it get some exercise. It's been too lazy lately. If it doesn't move around, I'm afraid it'll soon turn into a ball of fat."
Hearing that, Tom didn't press the matter further. They had only come to the Forbidden Forest to catch some snakes, not to engage in anything dangerous. If Wade wanted to bring the cat, so be it.
Before long, the two of them and the cat slipped into the forest.
"Where do you plan to start?" Tom asked.
"Let's go a bit deeper… there are too many of Grindelwald's people on the outskirts, and we also need to avoid Mr. Og," Wade said.
Tom's Parseltongue could summon a large number of snakes, and when that happened, things might get quite lively.
So they needed to act far from any crowds.
Wade had no intention of being discovered by Grindelwald and then dragged off to Dumbledore's office.
After all, Grindelwald now held an official position. If they were discovered, they couldn't just fight him directly.
Much like how Wade couldn't casually fight a professor…
After some time, they went another kilometer deeper into the forest.
Tom said with some dissatisfaction, "What is Grindelwald doing? Wasn't there only one tent before? Why are there tents everywhere now?"
"That's why I insisted on coming at night. But it's not a big problem, we just need to avoid them," Wade said softly.
After a while, they avoided a patrol of Grindelwald's followers and continued deeper.
___
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