Chapter 292: Office Conversation of the Three Giants
Relative to Snape's urgent desire for Voldemort's death, the rest of the world seemed to have reached a temporary lull following Voldemort's capture. The previous uproar had quieted down once again.
Speaking of which, Grindelwald, who had come to Hogwarts to discuss the details of the Triwizard Tournament with Dumbledore, also had many reflections. Standing by the window with his hands behind his back, he gazed out wistfully, one heterochromatic eye shimmering.
"This world has changed."
"Yes," Dumbledore replied with a smile, leafing through today's Daily Prophet. "People are no longer accustomed to being at each other's throats; they long for a more peaceful life."
Grindelwald let out a sneer and turned around. "Is this the result of the decades following your victory? Making the world follow your will, only for the wizarding world to lose its fighting spirit and combat effectiveness, with everyone passing their days in a muddle?"
Dumbledore was used to the accusations of many. Over the decades, his overly gentle and tolerant attitude had allowed many to take liberties with him, but he had always been too lazy to refute these malicious speculations. However, facing Grindelwald now, he couldn't help but defend himself.
"Gellert, it is not the same."
He took off his glasses, thought for a moment, and said, "I believe you surely remember the scenes of our youth. The Statute of Secrecy was more like something set up by Muggles to guard against wizards. Young wizards suppressed their own magic, young people didn't dare fall in love with Muggles, and the entire society was filled with the clamor of war between wizards and Muggles..."
That era was destined to be Grindelwald's stage. It was said that Grindelwald incited the atmosphere of opposition, but they both knew very well that what Grindelwald did was merely ignite it; that era was already filled with various forms of suppression.
"In the decades since, I have completely eliminated conflict, allowed the Aurors of various countries greater freedom of spellcasting regarding Muggles, permitted pure-blood families to engage in deeper exchanges with Muggle aristocrats through the Order of Merlin, and pushed for the further development of living space for half-blood and Muggle-born wizards..."
"I believe I have been very successful!" Dumbledore's eyes burned brightly as he mentioned this. "In places many haven't realized, countless Muggles have learned of the existence of wizards and have tacitly accepted them. We no longer describe things as the 'Muggle world' and the 'Wizarding world'; the boundary between them has blurred."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out with a smile.
"Gellert, do you know how many Muggles in Muggle-born and half-blood wizarding families within the order I established over these decades know about the wizarding world?"
"They all learned of the existence of wizards legally and reasonably within the scope of such strict enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy."
From promoting the "legalization of wizard-Muggle marriage," to allowing Muggle members of half-blood families to know wizarding information, to dealing with the stigmatization of "Mudbloods," to allowing family members of Muggle-born wizards to be informed...generation after generation, it went on like this.
The momentum for change was greater than an ordinary person could imagine, but Dumbledore implemented it silently, like a gentle rain.
Grindelwald was finally moved, his voice carrying an indescribable excitement. "I imagine it is a number beyond my imagination."
"Yes," Dumbledore said no more, his tone profound as he murmured. "An unimaginable number!"
This was the fruit of his decades of work. He firmly maintained the Statute of Secrecy, yet he also firmly undermined the Statute of Secrecy.
Wizarding society and Muggle society could no longer be completely isolated from one another; even the emergence of another forceful Magic Master could not achieve that. This was an irreversible trend of development, a mighty tide.
Just as Grindelwald observed after leaving prison...previously, it might have been a war between wizards and Muggles, but in the future, if there ever was one, it would definitely be a war between one camp of wizards and Muggles against another camp of wizards and Muggles.
Dumbledore...still held firm to the common ambition he shared with Grindelwald in their youth, only his methods were gentler.
Except for Voldemort, who had felt despair due to his desire to conquer the world, perhaps few truly understood what Dumbledore was doing. There was a cruel beauty to it, like the final afterglow of an old era destined to perish.
"I still don't quite agree with your methods," Grindelwald pursed his lips, full of criticism. "Too passive. The presence of wizards between the two should be more dominant!"
This was the irreconcilable difference between them. Dumbledore merely smiled gently and said nothing. Being over a hundred years old, he no longer cared to argue these points until he was red in the face.
He simply knew he had won. After Grindelwald's revolution, he was still able to achieve what he wanted. But after his own revolution, Grindelwald would never again have a way to realize that kind of wizard-supremacy rule.
There was no longer a ship in this world to carry Grindelwald.
Even Grindelwald, who was still full of fighting spirit, could not help but feel a hint of bewilderment at this moment. "Where does this world go next?"
Dumbledore had completed everything he intended to complete, merging the two worlds in a way everyone could accept, but what about what comes next? Even a seer like Grindelwald couldn't help but have a thought pop up...next, perhaps, it would be the stage for the Muggle-borns. Only by continuing like this could wizards and Muggles merge further.
He felt quite unwilling. Somewhat disgruntled, he turned his head and saw Lockhart in the corner of the office, busily savoring matcha ice cream. He couldn't help but find everything about him annoying.
"Young man!"
"Do you know nothing but eating?"
Lockhart looked up innocently, not wanting to join the two old men in their sentimental wallowing. He blinked. "Do I need to say something?"
If it was about the Triwizard Tournament, he did have a few suggestions.
"About the new era!" Grindelwald disliked the young man's slipperiness in this area. "You were the first to raise this topic at Hogwarts, and you were the one who spread it to the whole world with your influence."
It wasn't just this office; too many people all over the world were talking about the "New Era." This was all thanks to the "internationally renowned author" before them.
Lockhart didn't really want to speak. Both old men in front of him were the type who listened to advice but were brook no interference on fundamental paths; speaking was mostly useless. However, seeing both Dumbledore and Grindelwald looking at him, he had to put down his spoon, wipe his mouth, and offer his view.
"Entering magical life!"
He didn't even need to think. From his early days of continuing and developing the original owner's theories of "the romance of entering fairy tales" and "magic blooming naturally," to the further depth of his later research...the biological nature of magical creatures, the philosophical reflections on the self and the world through the Patronus Charm and wands, and the personal realizations of the self and the world through blood kinship magic...the final answer he gave was this: entering magical life.
"In the new era of integration between wizarding society and Muggle society, as for how wizards can develop further, I believe the answer lies within a 'more wizard-like, more magical life'."
"We need more magic that fits the new era!"
"This kind of magic isn't just spells. For example..."
"I once discussed a similar topic with Professor Snape. His own answer was Potions. Potions will make wizards an indispensable and vital part of the entire human population."
"My current research direction is the breeding of Dark Arts creatures, like those fat orange cats you saw before."
"And the Weasley twins; they are inventing some things under my sponsorship."
"Oh, I also discussed this topic with Professor Audrey Lemay, the Etiquette Professor at Beauxbatons. She believes it is Modern Occultism."
Hearing Lockhart mention Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Grindelwald exchanged a meaningful look with Dumbledore. Seeing Dumbledore nod slightly, Grindelwald chuckled and cut in. "Modern Occultism?"
Mentioning this, Lockhart had a lot to say. This was a blind spot in his past knowledge, and everything was incredibly novel to him.
"Modern Occultism and traditional Occultism are two completely opposite fields of magic."
"..."
"To put it simply, the essence of traditional Occultism is 'how mysterious and eerie Muggles think magic and wizards are,' while the essence of Modern Occultism is 'how mysterious and eerie wizards think technology and Muggles are'."
"You've all seen it; the flying car invented by Mr. Arthur Weasley is a fruit of the field of Modern Occultism."
"There are also the electronic owls and magical emails used by Professor Audrey Lemay."
This made it clear. Grindelwald rubbed his chin, murmuring the phrase "entering magical life" mentioned by Lockhart, and fell into deep thought.
This undoubtedly aligned with his interests. The rapid, ever-changing development of Muggle technology always gave him a sense of urgency. If wizarding magic also entered a state of rapid development, everything would be resolved.
Muggle missiles were terrifying. In ancient times, wizards faced a similar threat...fire dragons. The only difference was that one had an absurdly high speed, and the other had an absurdly high magic resistance.
Today, fire dragons are no longer a threat; they are vital sources of magical materials in fields like Potions, Alchemy, and magical items, or they are guard dogs chained at vault entrances. Wizards even have to breed them artificially to ensure the species continues. And the root of all this was merely that wizards researched a specific magic...the Flame-Freezing Charm. A simple magic that is now part of the basic magic curriculum required for third-year students.
Missiles will be the same. Satellites will be the same. The Internet will be the same! Grindelwald knew that if it developed further, magic was the future!
Having received the answer he wanted, Grindelwald felt much more cheerful. A person like him only needed to know the future plans of the other two Magic Masters, Dumbledore and Lockhart, to know exactly what he should do next.
At this point, another living Magic Master of the present age had to be mentioned.
"Professor Snape is brewing the Malice Potion."
Lockhart took the opportunity to prepare the two giants, checking the wind for Old Snape along the way. He didn't care if Voldemort died or not; he only hoped his friend Snape could completely step out of his life's cage.
This was not a taboo topic. However, Dumbledore remained silent.
Grindelwald made a "tsk" sound and spoke meaningfully to Lockhart. "The Malice Potion will be a success; the Horcrux magic is just that sort of thing. But if you want to kill Voldemort, that won't be easy."
"Not easy?" Lockhart was stunned. He thought he would get some reasons for refusal, but he didn't expect it to be that Voldemort was hard to kill.
"Because Voldemort doesn't want to die." Grindelwald shrugged. "A wizard who has entered the realm of a Magic Master...if he himself doesn't want to die, it is very hard for others to kill him."
He was locked up and appeared completely defenseless. But that was precisely the reality. A Magic Master was just that terrifying.
In the original story, Dumbledore's death was because he had lived long enough; Grindelwald's death was because Dumbledore was already dead; only Voldemort was killed by a "bug" when he didn't want to die. Calling it a "scripted kill" isn't very magical; in Lockhart's phrasing, it should be called "the mockery of fate."
Lockhart felt the same. He asked himself...if he were in Voldemort's current position, he still wouldn't be someone Dumbledore could kill just because he wanted to.
In an instant, he suddenly understood why Dumbledore placed his hopes on Harry Potter.
"The current state is the best state." Dumbledore's voice was somewhat low. "He is locked up, and he will remain locked up until he completely loses the era that fits him."
This approach was based on some higher magical concepts involving the realm of fate. The times produce heroes, and heroes fit the times. Once the hero and the times are completely out of sync, fate itself will arrange for a new hero to eliminate them without anyone else needing to do anything.
Grindelwald had profound insights into this. For a moment, the office fell silent.
"Then..." Lockhart licked his somewhat dry lips. "Snape's potion?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I cannot refuse him. To do so would completely break his backbone. He finally has a longing for life with your help, and perhaps he will become a great Magic Master in the future; I cannot ruin him."
To this, Grindelwald also adopted a tolerant attitude. "This is a necessary investment, even if it forces Voldemort to make some reactionary moves."
No one knew exactly how many terrifying Dark Arts Voldemort had mastered. Dumbledore felt this too deeply; never had there been such a terrifying wizard who made him feel so hard-pressed.
...Decades of relentless pursuit, time and again, yet he couldn't even touch the man's shadow. ...Members of the Order of the Phoenix died at Voldemort's hands one after another, yet he could not save them in time.
Sometimes there was even a sense of powerlessness. If Lily Evans hadn't coincidentally reflected Voldemort's Killing Curse, what kind of scene would it be now?
The most terrifying thing was the curse against the school's classroom right before his eyes; even after such a long time, he could find no way to break it. As Lockhart said, Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard of the century, but not the most "mysterious" one.
"I'll keep an eye on him!" Lockhart rarely took the initiative to make a promise.
"Relax, young man." Grindelwald smiled. "Please believe in the arrangements of fate; when necessary, he can also become a catalyst for the new era."
With his small move earlier, whether leveraging Muggle movies or the Scourers, Grindelwald had already seen through Voldemort's true nature. This was the composure of an old artist. In a new era, there will always be some collisions; if Voldemort cannot be locked up for now, letting him jump out to play the villain when necessary is quite useful. At least Grindelwald was much more relaxed than Dumbledore.
Very well. Lockhart stopped focusing on whether Voldemort would cause any trouble and just felt a bit worried. "Snape said that if you don't allow him to kill Voldemort, he plans to leave Hogwarts..."
"That awkward young man!" Grindelwald complained. "He has already made his decision, yet he always likes to be passive, as if taking the initiative to do something were so difficult."
"You all forced me to!" He mimicked Snape's unique, half-dead tone.
Lockhart was amused. "It seems that's how it is."
Thus, the office was filled with cheerful laughter; even Dumbledore showed a mischievous smile.
As they laughed, Grindelwald suddenly looked straight at Lockhart. "You should also be about ready to pack your bags."
"Gah?"
"Hey, don't play dumb. Your way of doing things has too much distinct self-character. If you stay at Hogwarts any longer, you and Dumbledore will clash sooner or later."
"Organizing a student wizard army, having extreme influence, holding philosophies different from Dumbledore's..."
Grindelwald waved his hand. "Better to use this moment, in the most dignified way for everyone, to prepare to go to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. They would welcome you very much there."
Saying this, he raised an eyebrow. "I will have Olympe Maxime submit a retirement application to the Board of Governors and, along with Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, jointly recommend you to the Board to serve as Headmaster."
Compared to the gentle Dumbledore, Grindelwald was clearly much more forceful. But this forcefulness wasn't annoying; though overbearing, it was often a way of giving a push.
"Otherwise, why are you sitting in this office now?" Grindelwald casually grabbed a Cockroach Cluster from the plate in the office and tossed it into his mouth, then was disgusted and spat it out, making a very disdainful sound. "We are discussing the specific contents of the Triwizard Tournament."
Dumbledore glared at Grindelwald but also agreed with some of the content he mentioned. "Because of historical reasons, the British magical world has great influence in the wizarding world. Here, what I hope to see is more tolerance for Muggle-born wizards."
"Regrettably, Professor Lockhart, your development of fairy tale theory is admirable, but in practical operation, we find that pure-bloods hold more of an advantage within it."
This was a fact. Especially in Lockhart's Dueling Club, except for Hermione, it was entirely composed of children from old-line pure-blood families.
Harry, Draco, the four Weasley brothers, Neville, Goyle, Crabbe, Cedric, Luna, Ginny...this was clearly not what Dumbledore wanted to see. In comparison, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, with its thick classical atmosphere, might truly be more suitable for Lockhart's development. And Beauxbatons did indeed need a Magic Master.
Lockhart thought for a moment. "Can I take Vincent Crabbe with me?"
Grindelwald laughed from the side. "You'd better take everyone from the Dueling Club; I think Dumbledore would be very happy. Oh, except for Harry Potter."
Is that so? If Lockhart really took all those top-tier children away, there wouldn't be much left of Hogwarts.
"Take them all, take them all; perhaps I can be a bit more at ease." Dumbledore also laughed, speaking dismissively. "I am talking with Sirius and Lupin, hoping they go to Beauxbatons too. I imagine Harry might be willing to transfer with his godfather."
Such a domineering arrangement almost didn't consider the thoughts of the original Board of Governors and professors at Beauxbatons. It could be said they were already preparing for the changes to come. Lockhart could sense some changes in Dumbledore's mindset...he was more active, more proactive, and his goals were clearer.
But those were secondary matters.
Serving as Headmaster...Lockhart couldn't help but start looking forward to it.
Life really was entering a new stage.