Grindelwald had exhausted all his strength, and his flaming bat burned even more fiercely.
However...
Even though Dumbledore's fire phoenix did not appear as intense as the fire bats, it still firmly blocked their invasion. The fire bat, infused with excessive magical power, began to lose control and crack, yet it remained powerless against the fire phoenix.
Seeing that Grindelwald still refused to give up, Dumbledore sighed softly and gently flicked his wand.
The fire phoenix tilted its head slightly, and in the next instant, a large section of the fire bat's wing was torn off!
Grindelwald's magical power had always been slightly inferior to Dumbledore's in the past. Only with the help of the Elder Wand had he been able to match him. But now, facing a Dumbledore who had just attained enlightenment, the gap between their magical abilities was unmistakable.
In this head-on confrontation, Grindelwald was continuously at a disadvantage. No matter what tricks he tried, he could do nothing to resist Dumbledore's overwhelming power. He could only watch helplessly as his fire bat was devoured by the fire phoenix. Then, a wave of weakness washed over him…
"Puff!"
As the fire bat was completely consumed, Dumbledore waved his wand, and the now-gargantuan fire phoenix vanished instantly.
At the same time, a wand spun into the air…
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
In the secret chamber, all the conscious spectators silently bore witness to this historic moment.
"Pah…"
Dumbledore reached out and gently caught the scarred wand—the Elder Wand!
Grindelwald stared at his empty hands, his eyes dull and unfocused, as if all the strength had drained from his body along with the departing wand.
"I... I lost… I actually lost..." he muttered in disbelief.
"Gellert… let it go. The vision you once foresaw has proven to be false. Why are you still so persistent?" Dumbledore walked toward Grindelwald slowly.
"You… you stop! Don't come any closer!" Grindelwald roared.
Dumbledore halted, his gaze shifting from cold detachment to one filled with pity.
Grindelwald weakly raised his head, his eyes meeting Dumbledore's. His words had struck a fatal blow to Grindelwald's resolve.
From the very beginning, Grindelwald had sought the Three Deathly Hallows because of a vision he had seen in his youth, a prophecy granted by his unique gift. In that vision, he had become the supreme ruler of the magical world.
Thus, he had devoted his life to acquiring the Three Deathly Hallows.
It was this obsession that had led him to Godric's Hollow, where a Peverell was said to be buried. There, he had met a young Dumbledore…
And now, the very person who had once been his closest companion had shattered his lifelong belief, telling him that his vision was nothing but an illusion!
"My prophecies are never wrong, Dumbledore! You know that!" Grindelwald insisted, panting.
"No one is infallible, Gellert. Let it go… You've already lost, and the Elder Wand is in my hands. That alone is proof," Dumbledore said compassionately.
"My personal failure does not mean my prophecy was wrong! The vision I saw will come true! I will reclaim the wand you took from me! Even if you have the Elder Wand, it proves nothing!" Grindelwald snapped.
"Then there is nothing more to say…" Dumbledore murmured.
"I know you don't want to kill me. You want to arrest me and put me on trial. But even though you are stronger than me now… if you refuse to kill me, do you really think you can capture me?"
Grindelwald grinned, and suddenly, a large black shadow burst out of his pocket!
Dumbledore frowned and swiftly swung his wand. The shadow exploded in midair with a sharp, piercing scream.
The dark mass turned into a massive black veil, enveloping Dumbledore!
By the time he tore through it, blue blood splattered onto the ground.
But Grindelwald had vanished.
Dumbledore's expression darkened as he chased after him…
For a moment, the once chaotic secret chamber was silent, leaving only three conscious children behind.
Anne immediately turned to where her aunt had been lying, hoping to find a way to rescue her. But then she realized that Vita Rozier had vanished without a trace!
Anne felt both shocked and relieved, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Robert smirked and said, "Tom, take note. Whether you're a bad guy or a good guy, when you win, don't talk too much! As they say… villains die because they talk too much. Well… the same goes for heroes! Look, Professor Dumbledore wasted time talking, and Grindelwald escaped, didn't he?"
Tom glanced at Robert, not daring to refute him. In his opinion, Robert was the one who talked the most.
Because every time Robert finished something—whether it was good or bad—he always had to make a speech about it.
Still… it was a lesson worth remembering.
Tom thought to himself, When I become stronger than him in the future, I definitely won't waste time talking!
After a brief silence, Tom asked, "Are you really that happy about Grindelwald escaping? You've provoked him so much today. Aren't you afraid of retaliation?"
"What's there to fear? Tom, stand tall. We're under Professor Dumbledore's protection! We have nothing to be afraid of!" Robert declared.
Then, with a delighted grin, he turned to the unconscious members of the Witch Party and stretched out his hands.
"What… what are you doing?" Anne hesitated, wanting to stop him.
"They were knocked out by Tom and me. So, everything they own now belongs to us!" Robert said, patting Tom on the shoulder. "If you don't plunder after the war, you will be struck by lightning!"
Tom stiffened. "No… It has nothing to do with me! You knocked them out… You mixed the potions… You made the bomb! Everyone knows my potion only knocked me out! So, these so-called spoils are all yours. I have nothing to do with it!"
Robert was fearless in the face of Grindelwald's possible revenge, but Tom was still terrified.
Anne had been sent by Grindelwald himself. If she reported back that Tom had helped capture the Witch Party members, he was doomed!
He had barely survived Grindelwald pointing a wand at his throat with a flash of green light. Just thinking about it made him tremble…
Before he became strong enough, he had to avoid unnecessary risks at all costs.
"Tom, I never realized you were such a coward. Do you think denying it will prevent Grindelwald from seeking revenge? Didn't you see how crazy he was just now?" Robert taunted.
As he spoke, he pulled a large gold watch from a witch's pocket.
"This is a fine piece… Do you want it?"
"No, I don't need it," Tom quickly refused, his face pale.
"Then it's mine!"
Tom and Anne watched helplessly as Robert continued looting. Meanwhile, he began tying up all the unconscious witches with thick ropes.
"Huh? Why are you just standing there? There are so many fainted professors at the door! Shouldn't you be helping them?" Robert said impatiently.
Anne and Tom rolled their eyes. Wasn't he the one who got so caught up in looting that he forgot about them?
Still, they didn't argue.
While Robert secured the Witch Party members, Anne and Tom attempted to wake the professors. But they struggled, unsure what kind of magic had been used against them.
When Robert finally finished his task, he noticed their helpless expressions.
"Alright, alright… Let me take a look."
Robert examined Headmaster Dippet carefully.
After a brief inspection, he understood the nature of the spell.
A flick of his wand sent a purple spell onto Dippet's forehead.
The headmaster took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
"You… woke me up?"
"Yes. I happen to know a thing or two about this magic," Robert replied with a grin.
Dippet studied him for a moment, then sighed.
"Young people are truly formidable…"
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