Grindelwald was a proud man, so Dumbledore was not surprised that someone like him would make that choice.
He had never changed. He was exactly what he had always been, dazzling and radiant.
Even peeling an apple was captivating when he did it.
Dumbledore's expression turned complicated. When he saw Grindelwald finish peeling the apple, he naturally reached out to take it.
Then he watched Grindelwald stuff it into his own mouth.
"If you want one, peel it yourself," Grindelwald said around a bite of apple. "We're both a couple of old men now. Why act like we're still young? Back then, romance was at least pleasant to look at. Now it'd just burn people's eyes. So don't overthink it."
Dumbledore rolled his eyes and withdrew his hand. He still looked disgusted, but his gaze relaxed quite a bit.
That was true. They were both old men now. No point making a fuss over it. Better to stay honest friends.
"But even friends shouldn't peel an apple for themselves while ignoring the patient they came to visit," Dumbledore said dryly.
"That's just how I am." Grindelwald finished the apple, stood up, and tossed the core away, watching it vanish in midair.
"That student. The one called Leonard," Grindelwald said. "There's something strange about him. And this whole matter with Voldemort... he may have done something."
"I know that much. What I don't know is what exactly he did, or what he's trying to accomplish..." Dumbledore said with a headache. "Can you keep an eye on him for me?"
"I can't. His magic is too strange. I can't track him properly," Grindelwald said.
"Perhaps it's because he's an heir of ancient magic. He is troublesome... ah, forget him for now. He said Voldemort won't make any moves for the moment, so while we have this lull, I need to deal with a few loose ends," Dumbledore said.
He meant Sirius. The Wizengamot hearing was about to begin, and Sirius was still in hospital, which meant he likely would not be able to appear in court. Dumbledore would have to speak on his behalf.
"Hah..." The moment Dumbledore mentioned loose ends, contempt appeared on Grindelwald's face. "You really haven't changed. You hold power in your hands, yet still stoop to reason with disgusting worms."
Dumbledore rubbed his temples in frustration.
"Grindelwald, you..." He started to lecture him, only to be cut off.
"At a time like this, I suggest you stop wasting so much time on trivialities. Focus your mind. With my help, you may be able to go a little further," Grindelwald said seriously. "Even if you can't become an Eternal Wizard, you at least need to be able to hold out for a while against one. Otherwise, you'll just be dead weight."
Dumbledore opened his mouth, then sighed helplessly. "I understand."
Grindelwald was right. He really did not have that much time to waste.
At the very least, before Voldemort made his next move, he had to become stronger.
Meanwhile, within the World Tree at the site of the former Shrieking Shack.
Rows of crows stood side by side on the branches, watching the strangest among them chat with Leonard, the master of the World Tree.
"Why not just capture Voldemort directly? Wouldn't that be easier? You could inherit Death's power yourself," Harris Raymons asked.
"Death's power?" Leonard sat on a branch with his back against the trunk of the World Tree, speaking with open disdain. "If Eternal Wizards had a hierarchy, Death would be at the very bottom. Weak power, huge weaknesses. Why would I want Death's power?"
He made Death's power sound completely worthless.
"At the very least, it's still the power of an Eternal Wizard. With it, you'd at least be able to stand against Odin. Then with Grindelwald added in, we'd have a fighting chance," Harris Raymons said.
Leonard shook his head, clearly unimpressed by the suggestion. "Odin is much stronger than you think. Even in mutual destruction, he can keep his soul intact. Look at Tiamat. Not even ashes were left."
Harris Raymons let out two uneasy cries. "Then you're just going to let Voldemort take the Deathly Hallows and become an Eternal Wizard? He's never going to stand with us. Isn't that just making more trouble for us?"
"Heh. His business isn't urgent. He won't interfere with us for now." Leonard smiled mysteriously. "I'll deal with him."
...
Time passed, and summer vacation arrived before long.
Carrying this term's supply of phoenix feathers, Leonard boarded the train leaving school while Fawkes cursed him the whole way.
Leonard did not stay home for long before setting out for France.
Raven was finished, and Leonard no longer needed to keep such a low profile. He simply wrote to Lehende and asked him to handle the paperwork, then boarded a train to France.
Yes. A train.
"Woo. Woo."
The smoke-belching train cut across the sea. Leonard and Claudia stood at the rear of the last carriage, taking in the view.
White spray flew out to both sides. Claudia reached out curiously to catch it, smiling brightly.
Leonard, in a rare moment of leisure, leaned against the railing and felt completely refreshed by the scenery.
This was a sightseeing train. It departed from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station, crossed the English Channel straight into France, and took three hours total, with a nonstop self-serve cold buffet along the way.
One-third of the journey was above water, and the remaining two-thirds took place underwater. Once submerged, observation platforms opened on both sides of the train so passengers could admire the scenery beneath the sea.
The scenery, naturally, was stunning.
The ticket price, unfortunately, was less lovely.
For example, the Weasleys' Daily Prophet prize money could probably buy four tickets.
The sea view was wonderfully refreshing. Claudia, who had never seen the ocean before, was having the time of her life. Leonard, besides keeping an eye on her, occasionally swept his gaze across the water just in case anything unexpected happened.
Then the train gave a sudden shudder. A moment later, Fleur came over.
"The train's about to go under. Come inside."
"Can we see the bottom of the sea now?" Claudia threw her small body into Fleur's arms, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Of course." Fleur fondly pinched Claudia's cheek. "Come on, let's go to the observation carriage."
She took Claudia's hand. The two beauties, both lovely in completely different ways, drew plenty of attention. As for Leonard, he was naturally ignored.
It was exactly the sort of setup that ought to lead into some idiotic face-slapping scene where a few fools came over to flirt, then got humiliated by the protagonist.
Unfortunately, everyone who approached them behaved like a proper gentleman. Even after being turned down, they politely excused themselves and left, giving Leonard absolutely no chance to step in.