To Grindelwald's surprise, Tom didn't seem particularly fazed.
"In truth, while my followers may be somewhat lacking in finesse, their power and reach are by no means inferior to your old guard."
The Death Eaters were now a global network, with influence woven into the fabric of most wizarding noble families. They had their fingers in every pie, controlling aspects of the magical world across numerous nations.
Moreover, many of the old guard within the Death Eaters were now gone.
In terms of sheer combat power, there were countless Death Eaters comparable to Aurors, and those rivaling Elite Aurors included Bellatrix Lestrange, Nagini, Barty Crouch Jr., and Anthony (who defeated Mad-Eye Moody and Remus Lupin in the original timeline).
Even with Severus Snape brought into the mix, he likely wouldn't hold back against the old guard.
While some of the old guard's elite combatants still drew breath, did they truly believe Elite Aurors were pushovers? In terms of numbers and brute strength, they might not even stand up to Snape and his coterie.
And even setting aside their superior individual strength, the Death Eaters' current global reach and sheer numbers would simply overwhelm those old relics.
"So, you need not fret. It is unlikely they will even catch a glimpse of me."
"..."
Grindelwald fell silent. Though he had anticipated this, he had never felt so relegated to the past. "Heh, I suppose I am growing old."
"So, have you decided to come with me?"
"No, I still refuse."
"You won't even accompany me to see Dumbledore?"
"Because of my promise to Albus, I will not leave Nurmengard."
"..."
Tom silently rose to his feet. "Very well, I understand your meaning."
"..."
Is he just not going to insist?
Like kidnapping me to see Dumbledore or something?
Though such thoughts flickered through Grindelwald's mind, he remained silent. As he had said, he would not attempt to leave Nurmengard, held by his promise to Albus Dumbledore.
With this thought, Grindelwald continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, "..."
Then he noticed Tom's hand on his shoulder, but before he could utter a word...
Crack!
Space contorted, and the two figures vanished from Nurmengard.
Outside the castle prison, a landscape painted white with snow.
Nurmengard stood atop one of the jagged peaks of the Alps.
Now, space suddenly twisted in the sky not far from Nurmengard, and Tom Marvolo Riddle and Grindelwald abruptly materialized.
Tom invoked a levitation charm to hover in mid-air, while Grindelwald remained earthbound; Tom simply levitated him.
Whoosh~
The wind, laced with snowflakes, stung his face, and the liberation of the open air filled Grindelwald with a familiar enjoyment.
At the same time, a thought that should have remained dormant resurfaced in his mind.
That "obsession" that had driven him and Dumbledore apart, that grand ambition, was not something that could be so easily erased.
Dumbledore understood this, which was why he had forcibly confined him to Nurmengard.
And he knew it too, which was why he had willingly remained, suppressing his own thoughts, thus setting Dumbledore at ease.
"…"
Though I have failed and vowed to abandon these thoughts, will they still surface once unbound?
Grindelwald pondered this, his gaze fixed on Nurmengard below, when he heard a…
"Thunderclap!"
Turning his head, he saw Tom Riddle brandishing the Elder Wand, unleashing an Explosion Charm of terrifying power.
The yellowish-white incantation sliced through space, tearing through the air before obliterating the black prison castle.
BOOM!!!
The sound echoed and reverberated...
The sheer force of the explosion seemed capable of shattering the very world!
This time, Tom had held nothing back. An Explosion Charm that might merely dent an iron gate in another witch or wizard's hands…
completely annihilated Nurmengard and the mountain upon which it stood!
"…"
The traitorous thought that had just surfaced in Grindelwald's mind was swiftly suppressed.
Indeed, I've aged. The new generation of dark wizards leaves the old guard no room to maneuver…
"What? Still clinging to the past?"
"No, I simply have a few unsent letters to Dumbledore."
"Then deliver them in person."
"…"
Tom placed his hand on Grindelwald's shoulder once more. "Shall we go?"
"Yes."
Crack!
Space twisted, and the two figures vanished into thin air.
Not long after they departed, another group arrived at the flattened peak.
"…"
They were followers of Grindelwald, led by his former right-hand woman—Vendor Rosier.
Though she appeared older now, one could still see faint traces of the stunning beauty she had once possessed.
But now, Rosier looked panicked. "Where is Nurmengard?!"
They had detected a sudden disappearance of the residual magic in Nurmengard, and fearing that Dumbledore had come to settle accounts with Grindelwald, they had rushed to his side.
Upon arrival, they discovered that the lingering magic had vanished, and Nurmengard itself was gone.
"Uh... perhaps... over there?"
They were currently perched on another mountain peak; after all, they couldn't have conceived that Nurmengard was no longer "on the mountain."
"..."
Following the direction the follower pointed, they saw a flattened mountaintop in the distance.
Looking at the charred, cross-sectioned landscape, an uninformed observer might have concluded that a Muggle had dropped a nuclear weapon there.
"..."
Though she hesitated to admit it, Rosier's panic intensified. "Then... where is Gellert?"
"..."
The other followers remained silent; judging from the scene, Grindelwald might have been vaporized into nothingness.
...
Hogsmeade Village.
Tom had brought Grindelwald here.
Gazing at the bustling streets, Grindelwald felt a heart, dormant for years, begin to thump once more.
After soaking in the vibrant magic of the wizarding street for a while, Grindelwald finally spoke, "Didn't you say you were taking me to see Dumbledore?"
"Patience, you're not ready yet."
Tom, walking ahead without turning, commented, "You currently look worse than a beggar."
"..."
Looking down at his tattered clothes and touching his disheveled hair and beard, Grindelwald had to concede that Tom was correct.
If Grindelwald had encountered Remus Lupin, he would have realized that his current appearance was far more wretched than Lupin's upon his arrival at Hogwarts.
"So, why do you want me to meet Dumbledore?"
Grindelwald was curious. According to Albus, he and Tom shared a rather amicable relationship, so why would he drag old Albus into this "trouble"?
---
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