The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 85, Section 84: The Covenant of 1984! Snape's Evil!

Inside the dark and towering tower of Nurmengard.

Time seemed to have frozen this long-awaited reunion into a painting. The faint light from the top of the tower pierced through the thick stone walls, casting dappled shadows on the two close friends who were once the giant walls of magic.

Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. Their story spans a century, with half a century of untold tales, and an air thick with complex and indescribable emotions.

It is both a recollection of a long-awaited reunion and a subtle, quiet feeling.

"Please sit down."

Gellert Grindelwald broke the silence first. His prison was dark but not damp.

Although the bed, table, and chairs were simple, they didn't feel shabby at all.

Time and imprisonment had etched deep marks on this ambitious man's face, but he remained handsome, and his dark robes, devoid of any superfluous adornments, and gray hair were clearly well-groomed.

"Did you see me coming?" Dumbledore sat down opposite Gellert Grindelwald, his elegant purple robes a testament to having washed away the grime of the great battle.

"There's no need for prophecy. I just need to wait every day—this moment will always come." Gellert Grindelwald's blue eyes were like jewels in the deep sea.

The emotions in his eyes remained as intense as ever, and the magical chains on his wrists and ankles symbolized his lost freedom, yet they seemed unable to completely lock up his still-boiling heart.

"The man you sent to keep an eye on me is dead. Well, you probably already knew that all along." Dumbledore didn't offer any further pleasantries.

He might not know what to talk about, or he might not want to confront their past.

"Someone notified me."

Gellert Grindelwald nodded, his expression unchanged. He kept staring at the old friend in front of him, while Dumbledore, unusually, dared not meet his gaze.

"Aren't you surprised?"

Dumbledore didn't inquire who had given the order to enter this place where outsiders were strictly forbidden; he knew very well that what had trapped Gellert Grindelwald was never some heavily guarded prison.

"Ronnie Ehrlich was willingly going to his death, but it seems there was a slight mishap—." Gellért

Grindelwald's blue eyes flickered slightly.

One of the pupils seemed to turn white, but then returned to its original state in an instant.

"You want that kid Aurora to kill him at some point, don't you?" Dumbledore had suspected this before he came, but he didn't mention it to Snape.

"On the contrary."

Gellert Grindelwald's lips curled into a smile, and his chilling response made Dumbledore's gaze sharpen, though Dumbledore did not show any surprise.

Perhaps this is the guess that Dumbledore really wanted to verify.

"She was the last hope of the Grindelwald family, and a talented descendant with the same abilities as you, yet you wanted her to die at the hands of your fanatical saints."

Dumbledore sighed softly.

Gellert Grindelwald, however, remained unmoved. "Aurora is a good girl, very obedient, and quite excellent, but being excellent alone is clearly not enough."

"You've probably already figured some things out. Aurora's sacrifice had meaning; that's what you taught me."

Albus—for the greater good.

Outside the tower, the wind howled.

Gellert Grindelwald's wildness and untamed spirit never disappeared.

This even made Dumbledore think the other person was even crazier.

"I will not let that happen." Dumbledore finally spoke to Gellert Grindelwald, and the determination and inexplicable obsession in his eyes made Gellert Grindelwald's eyes tremble slightly.

"We all know that it was just an accident back then—this is different." He seemed a little nervous, as if worried that Dumbledore might misunderstand.

"I understand that perfectly well, otherwise you wouldn't just be here." Dumbledore's tone was blunt, but it actually made Gellert Grindelwald breathe a sigh of relief.

"To this day, I still don't understand how unpredictable fate is, and I have more awe for it than ever before, so I can only tell you one thing."

"Albus, if my blood relative were to die at a certain moment, a prospect far greater than the benefits you and I envision would unfold before the eyes of all of us wizards."

Gellert Grindelwald's expression was filled with amazement... and fervor, as if he were trying to convince his old friend.

however.

"no way!"

Dumbledore gave only a brief but resounding response. Gellert, who had initially been somewhat smug,

Grindelwald's anticipation and longing gradually subsided.

He waved his hand dismissively, looking rather disinterested.

"Anyway, you've already proven that I might not be right. Forget it. Besides, someone stopped me before you did. I'm not going to push this any further."

Gellert Grindelwald made a commitment.

"Actually, when I first came here, I thought you would lie to me, like before, and tell me that you only intended for Ronnie Ehrlich to be sacrificed by the curse of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's eyes had a mysterious, ethereal light.

Snape didn't believe a word he said.

Not to mention Gellert Grindelwald.

but.

Gellert Grindelwald didn't mind.

"We've already suffered the consequences of betrayal, haven't we? So of course I wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

1

Gellert Grindelwald has a charming smile.

He was still as charming as he was in his youth, and loved to joke, "In fact, if you just asked me, your curse of being a hopeless student wouldn't be a problem anymore."

Despite Gellert Grindelwald's hint, Dumbledore firmly shook his head.

"The curse needs to continue so that the person can feel powerful enough to provoke me and expose his hidden weaknesses."

Dumbledore's voice was calm and deep. It wasn't that he couldn't break the curse of Hogwarts; he simply needed to use the curse to achieve some goals that he had to achieve.

about this point.

Perhaps only Gellert Grindelwald was not surprised.

"This is the real you, Albus. I can tell you just killed people, quite a few. The side you've been hiding has finally been revealed once again."

"As charming as ever—can you tell me what has changed you?" Gellert

Grindelwald leaned forward slightly as he rested his body on the table.

"Can't you see it?"

Dumbledore frowned.

"Not everything. We're just human, remember?" Gellert Grindelwald's smile remained unchanged.

He did not hide the weaknesses in his talent.

"I don't plan to let you know. Yes, it's better this way. You can try to guess. It's also a way for you to pass the time on weekdays."

Dumbledore's answer made Gellert Grindelwald's smile freeze for a moment.

His eyes were filled with loneliness.

Dumbledore pretended not to see it and began to change the subject, "You said someone stopped you? I thought Ronnie Ehrlich died at the hands of that little wizard controlled by the Imperius Curse, just as you instructed. There was no poison in his body, only alcohol. He had drunk quite a lot of strong liquor before he died."

It wasn't just a change of topic; this was actually Dumbledore's own question.

"Saints go to their deaths without the numbing effect of alcohol; it is a glorious mission, a dedication to the future." Gellert Grindelwald refuted Dumbledore's words with the saint's loyalty to himself.

"By the way, Ronnie Ehrlich never drinks."

His words seemed like a reminder.

Dumbledore, however, with a furrowed brow, was unable to comprehend it.

"It seems the comfortable life at Hogwarts has made your mind less sharp than mine," Gellert Grindelwald chuckled lightly, teasingly remarking once more.

"Tell me the answer." Dumbledore looked up.

Gellert Grindelwald, who had just opened his mouth, leaned back slightly.

"Ronnie Ehrlich once sent me a letter, and if you can find my reply in his office, you'll understand why Ronnie Ehrlich is celebrating."

Gellert Grindelwald's eye kept switching between white and blue, so frequently that Dumbledore sensed something was amiss.

"Can't you just tell me what the reply says?" He realized that Gellert Grindelwald was making a prophecy, but it seemed that the prophecy had not been successful.

At least.

It was not a complete success.

"I haven't sent my reply yet, look." Gellert Grindelwald took out a letter from beside the table that hadn't been sealed yet.

I looked at the paper in his hand.

Dumbledore's pupils contracted sharply a few times.

"There are no coincidences in this world, Albus. Someone used the Imperius Curse to stop Ronnie Ehrlich's actions, which hadn't even begun yet. He can even interfere with my ability to continue prophesying in some way." Gellert Grindelwald showed neither fear nor unease; his expression even seemed to carry a hint of excitement.

Upon hearing this...

Dumbledore's expression became much more serious. From his youth, he had been entangled in various prophecies, and the accumulation of years had given him a deep understanding of this subject.

"Someone foretold the future you were trying to lead, and then stopped you?" Dumbledore understood the nature of prophecy, and therefore knew all too well how terrifying this matter truly was.

"Someone has thwarted my prophecy and steered the future toward the outcome they desire. In this murder, there are two prophets at play."

"And I'm still the loser. However, it's not like I lost in a completely inexplicable way."

Gellert Grindelwald leaned back in his chair, his voice deep and magnetic, powerful yet relaxed, maintaining his elegant demeanor even as he discussed one of his defeats.

"If a prophecy comes true, there is no such thing as a coincidence; if there is, it is the answer to the question." The silver-haired old man's words stirred a strong sense of unease within Dumbledore.

"Whose coincidences are you referring to?"

He suddenly looked up.

His gaze was fixed intently on Gellert Grindelwald.

"I can't see that clearly. You've seen my situation. That person is very powerful—whoever he is, you might need my help."

Gellert Grindelwald did not respond to Dumbledore's question, perhaps he did not know either; he simply whispered and then extended his hand, which was clad in prison, to Dumbledore.

"Albus, this time, it's still for the future you want to see."

The cold stone wall.

A dimly lit room.

Gellert Grindelwald once again extended a covenant to his close friend.

The next morning.

The chaos of last night didn't seem to affect the start of the new day.

Think about it too.

Even when Voldemort was wreaking havoc everywhere, Hogwarts would still hold classes as usual, as if nothing had happened. How could the little Ash Snake's loss of control affect its operation?

Early in the morning.

After breakfast, the young wizards gathered on the school's outdoor lawn. The Ravenclaw wizards attended classes with the Slytherin wizards, who were not favored by the other three houses.

of course.

Compared to Gryffindor.

The young Slytherin wizards were slightly more friendly to their Ravenclaw classmates, but only slightly, depending on the number of Muggle wizards in Ravenclaw that year.

Since it was their first flying lesson, the young wizards were very excited, chattering away in their respective houses. One Slytherin wizard even loudly proclaimed that his mother worked in the relevant approval department and had already pre-ordered the epic flying broomstick Nimbus 2000, which wouldn't be released until next year.

"They say it flies faster than light!"

There's a lot of hype surrounding Slytherin.

Some of the young wizards on Ravenclaw's side even showed envious expressions. Ian seemed to be deep in thought. He felt that in addition to teaching the Bronze Hawk to advanced mathematics, he should also teach it more about physics, so that the young wizards of Ravenclaw could achieve all-round development in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, and aesthetics.

A wizard who can master both physical and magical techniques is a truly powerful wizard!

"I don't envy them. The broom in my house can make the user invisible. Ian, if you're interested, I'll bring it over next year so you can see and touch it."

My good roommate William comes from a family with a long history of learning, so it's normal for his family to have some things that are hard for ordinary people to understand. I wonder what other strange things will come up in the future.

"Wasn't it supposed to be for me?" Ian wasn't actually interested in the invisibility broom; he was just thinking about how he had said something similar to Madam Ravenclaw in the Dreamlike Realm.

Perhaps if he hadn't just told young Ravenclaw to take a look, but instead let him touch it, he could have witnessed Lady Ravenclaw repair the crown and then let him bring it back?

"It's not that I'm reluctant to give it to you, Ian, you have to believe me. If I give you the broom in my house, how am I supposed to use it to do the dirty and tiring work for you and young Grindelwald?"

That makes a lot of sense.

Looking at the serious and righteous William in front of him, Ian realized that he didn't seem to be suited to be a sycophant either; some people are just born to be that kind of person.

"I told you he was a good fit for the Ministry of Magic."

Michael was still remarking on the side.

"He's the only one qualified for Minister of Magic!"

Ian looked around the lawn but didn't see Aurora in the Slytherin area. Instead, he saw an old bat in a black robe hurrying over.

The young Slytherin wizards greeted him, but he merely nodded expressionlessly, continuing on his way to Ravenclaw and grabbing Ian by the back of the collar.

"Uncle Snape, Professor! Put me down! I can walk by myself!" Ian was lifted and carried towards the castle. He felt that he had lost the dignity that a young professor should have in front of his classmates.

"What kind of spell did you cast on Dumbledore?" Snape led Ian to a secluded corner.

He couldn't help but ask Ian the question that had been bothering him all night. He couldn't sleep; before yesterday, Snape thought he was a radical, but who would have thought Dumbledore was even more radical!

"What's wrong?"

Ian asked curiously.

"Dumbledore told me to give this to you—I really don't know what he was thinking. He didn't come back today, but he sent Fawkes to keep an eye on me!"

Snape's hair was somewhat thinning, and the reason for that was easy to find.

His expression seemed reluctant, but he still pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at Ian's chest. Ian quickly hugged the thin paper that smelled slightly of smoke.

"If I catch you, and you dare to learn the Unforgivable Curse in the library, even if Dumbledore comes... I'll make you drink the worst-tasting potion in the world!"

"You'll never forget that taste!" Snape's threat seemed somewhat weak, but it was probably the most convincing threat he could think of that Ian would believe.

"what?"

Ian looked down at the paper and realized why Snape had warned him. It turned out to be a permit that allowed him to borrow books unconditionally from the restricted section of the library.

There are no restrictions!

"I knew Dumbledore was a kind headmaster! Indeed, only truly powerful wizards can understand that in this world there are only evil wizards, not evil magic!"

Ian was overjoyed.

"??????"

Snape was completely bewildered.

He genuinely didn't know what to say.

Do I have to admit that I'm the shallow professor?

"Remember my warning!" Snape always felt that there was some secret between Ian and Dumbledore, and that he, as their blood relative, was an outsider in their relationship.

Blood relatives?

At that moment, Snape seemed to have grasped some blind spot.

"Hiss! What are you doing!"

Before Ian could react, Snape, who had walked away but suddenly returned, plucked seven or eight strands of hair from his head with his bare hands.

Seeing Snape grabbing his hair and rushing towards the castle in such a hurry, Ian's eyes widened in surprise.

"That evil Snape! He definitely wants to look like me and sneak into the girls' restroom to do bad things!"

Ian wanted to go after him.

But today's flight lesson is about to begin.

William and Michael have already come to urge him on Mrs. Hodge's orders. [ps: food, diarrhea, IV drip, tomorrow, 1.5 words]