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Chapter 237 — The Grindelwald Bloodline!!
Darren lay on Harry's dormitory bed, bored, as he opened the system rewards from his latest mission.
A few scene cards, a disguise card… and a bloodline draw.
But none of it helped with Filch's favorability mission, which still needed five more points to reach eighty.
Still, Darren wasn't worried.
Paggie had already told him that Darren's theoretical method for allowing Squibs to become wizards had passed preliminary review and was about to be published.
And not just anywhere — in the Wizengamot's official academic journal, one of the most respected publications in the magical world.
The moment it was released, he'd be famous again, probably earn another Order of Merlin, and Filch's remaining five favorability points would naturally fall into place.
So he turned his attention back to the other rewards.
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[System: Using Bloodline Draw]
[Ding! Bloodline Draw activated. Congratulations, host—You have obtained the Grindelwald Bloodline.]
Grindelwald Bloodline Effects:
• Leadership Charisma: +80%
• Intelligence: +80%
• Prophetic Talent: +50
This bloodline came from one of Gellert Grindelwald's old experiments.
After the death of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, Grindelwald conducted secret research on bloodline transplantation.
He wanted to see if he could infuse blood into an unborn child—
If he could use the fragment of Ariana's preserved soul and resurrect her through another body.
He had planned to complete this experiment after conquering the world, wanting to present the result before Albus could attempt it.
So he only prepared the groundwork, extracting his own and Dumbledore's bloodlines, and storing the shard of Ariana's soul…
until one day, the soul fragment abruptly vanished.
Grindelwald regretted it deeply.
If only he had acted sooner, maybe Albus could have had Ariana back.
Before his final battle, Grindelwald intended to destroy the prepared bloodline samples—not wanting anyone to use them against him or Dumbledore.
But his spell was interrupted mid-cast…
and the bloodlines disappeared.
(Note: After obtaining the Grindelwald bloodline, the chance of drawing the Dumbledore bloodline in the future increases to 80%.)
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Darren stared blankly.
Good grief… I actually pulled Grindelwald's bloodline?
And judging by that hint…
Am I about to become Grindelwald and Dumbledore's future love-child?
Another innocent victim of "Lily Evans consequences"?
…
Wait.
Probably not.
If Darren ever met Grindelwald in person, Grindelwald would immediately know the truth about his bloodline.
It would clearly have nothing to do with Lily.
And Dumbledore—
Grindelwald understood Albus better than anyone.
He would know Darren wasn't Dumbledore's child.
Still… this bloodline was powerful.
Greatly increased intelligence, charisma, and prophetic talent.
He tested the prophecy ability.
A faint image appeared: him speaking with an old man.
What—is this a day trip into Grindelwald's mental world?
Fantastic.
He was becoming more like a prophet every day.
He clicked his tongue.
Still, prophecy only showed scenes, not explanations.
So…
He would follow where it led.
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[System: Use "Day Tour—Grindelwald's Mental World"]
[Ding! Activated successfully. Please explore freely.
Note: Performing good deeds inside the mental world may produce unexpected effects.]
Good deeds? In Grindelwald's mental world?
That sounded dangerous.
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A blink later, Darren stood in a vast frozen wasteland, snow whipping through the air.
Each step pierced him with bone-deep cold.
So this is Grindelwald's mind…?
Ahead, two men stood beside an icy river, holding a baby.
"This child should be abandoned. No—he deserves to die."
They tossed the infant into the freezing water, leaving him to live or die on his own.
"What are you doing?!"
Darren dove into the river without hesitation, grabbing the drowning baby.
He tried to confront the two men, but they vanished.
The bitter cold soaked into his bones; his thick robes felt heavy and useless.
Still, he clutched the baby protectively.
"Hold on… I'll find you a family. I promise."
He forced himself through the snow.
Ahead, a blond, blue-eyed boy, about seven or eight, was beating another child mercilessly.
Darren grabbed the boy's hand.
"Hey—stop! It's freezing out here—"
But the bullied child disappeared, leaving only the blond boy behind, staring in stunned disbelief.
Darren couldn't leave a child alone in this place.
He lifted him with his free arm and trudged onward, carrying both the baby and the boy.
Farther ahead, he found a young man—blond, blue-eyed, twenty-ish—
Leaning close to another man and whispering warmly:
"Albus… for the Greater Good."
"Enough, Albus. Look at Ariana— you know what she—"
A duel broke out.
Spells flashed.
A girl stood nearby, directly in the path of a misfired curse—
Darren lunged, shielding her with his body.
Everything shattered.
All vanished except the same blond man, now older.
Proud. Cold.
"Careful…"
Darren hesitated but continued forward.
Then—
two middle-aged men dueling fiercely. Others joined in, surrounding the blond man.
"Albus! Then let's have our final battle!"
The blond man roared—yet when a sudden attack came, he didn't defend himself.
Darren leapt in front of him.
The blond man stared expressionlessly.
"Well, little one… who exactly are you?"
At that moment, the baby, the boy, the young man, and the middle-aged figure—all the versions Darren had encountered—merged into a single old man.
He looked at Darren with weary curiosity.
"I sensed your presence a long time ago…
Yet I still do not understand—
Who are you?"
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