— — — — — —
In a single night, Grindelwald's shadow spread across Europe, then surged outward at an astonishing speed, swallowing the entire wizarding world.
All Ministries of Magic fell silent. Intelligence had already reached them, but many refused to believe it at first, scrambling to verify the reports through every channel they had. In the end, they had no choice but to accept the truth.
Four hundred Aurors? More than four hundred, and it still hadn't been enough. The Ministries were stunned.
One spell from Grindelwald had been all it took to overturn the entire battlefield. Was there anyone left in this world who could truly stop him? How had the ICW and the various Ministries managed to win back then?
Driven by those questions, long-sealed archives were dragged out into the light. Elderly figures who had retired long ago, living out their days in peace, were invited back.
People grasped desperately for any weakness, any method that could bring Grindelwald down.
But after listening to firsthand accounts and combing through the records, the old men fell into silence.
Their Victory had come at a price paid in blood, under the leadership of the very best, and, most critically, because of Grindelwald's own choice.
Miss any one of those three, and the war could never have ended.
Back then, Grindelwald had chosen to fight until the end. That was why Dumbledore had been able to defeat him. Now, though, he had no intention of doing that. If he could win, he fought. If he couldn't, he ran.
And as long as Grindelwald stayed alive, every opposing force would live in a nightmare. No one could truly restrict his movements.
And that was only the long-term threat. The crisis right in front of them was already crushing.
By the latest count, 316 Aurors from twenty-two different countries had fallen into Grindelwald's hands. No one knew who was alive and who was dead.
And if they were all dead… Half of those countries' Ministers of Magic would be finished on the spot.
Babajide had already been besieged. With a bitter smile, he announced that he would resign after negotiations. But what good was that? You resign, and then what? Does that magically get us out of this mess?
Right now, there were only two possible outcomes.
The first was the worst. Grindelwald completely lost it and went on a killing spree. In that case, everyone was finished. They'd be torn apart by furious, panicked civilians, maybe even hunted down by the victims' families.
The second outcome was slightly better. The captives were still alive. And if they were alive, there was hope. Room to maneuver. A chance to save them.
So they tried to contact Dumbledore.
"..."
The old man gave no response at all. Every message vanished like a stone dropped into the sea, without so much as a ripple.
---
At Hogwarts, a new week began.
The young witches and wizards had no idea that the world beyond the castle walls had already changed. The news hadn't even reached Britain yet. Fudge, lucky in his own special way, felt that his relationship with the ICW wasn't great anyway, so clearly this had nothing to do with him.
The students were still buzzing about yesterday's competition. At breakfast, you could hear them enthusiastically debating Ginny's and Hermione's chances of winning their year group.
Ginny was a sure thing. The strength she'd shown was completely overwhelming. Even older students from the higher years got chills watching her.
Hermione was the one people worried about. Her advantage didn't look that big, and there was something about her chances that felt… unreliable. Compared to her, Potter or Malfoy just felt safer, but sadly, they lost.
Hearing that, Tom was discussing with Daphne, trying to figure out how to squeeze in some emergency special training for Hermione.
Daphne, thinking way outside the box, suggested heading down to Knockturn Alley to grab a few dark wizards. They had to be the ugly kind, the sort who looked evil at a glance.
If Hermione could get used to facing opponents that disgusting, she definitely wouldn't panic when competing against students from other schools.
Tom was stunned.
At first it sounded like Daphne was just messing with Hermione. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Dark Wizards were scarier than students, and what Hermione lacked was exactly that kind of experience. Training with him every day wasn't helping much at all. She never felt nervous around him.
Just as the boy was seriously considering whether to go "shopping" in Knockturn Alley, he suddenly felt someone watching him from the staff table.
Tom looked up and met Dumbledore's gaze, heavy with worry.
After a brief pause, Tom immediately put on a shy, innocent smile. No one would ever guess that this well-behaved-looking boy had played the role of a Dark Lord just yesterday.
Dumbledore certainly didn't.
Seeing Tom smile so brightly, a wave of guilt rose in the old man's heart.
Was he really going to drag Tom into this whirlpool? Then why had Grindelwald insisted that Tom be brought along, that he act as a witness?
"Albus, as long as you let yourself be chained by moral scruples and that ridiculous softness of yours, you'll never be my equal."
Grindelwald's taunt echoed again in Dumbledore's mind. He realized he had no real rebuttal. If he were willing to ignore everything and storm into Berlin, even if he couldn't capture three hundred followers at once, grabbing a dozen or so would be easy. Do that a few more times, and Grindelwald would be left a one-man army.
After that, the situation would devolve into two men spiraling toward madness, locked in a test of endurance to see who cracked first.
Just imagining it was terrifying. It was something he simply could not do. And so, in the end, he could only let himself be led by the nose.
Still... He would talk to the parents first. If he took Tom along without notifying them, the trouble waiting for him afterward would be no less severe than anything Grindelwald could cause.
Dumbledore made his decision. As for safety, as long as he was there, Grindelwald would not be able to lay a finger on Tom.
---
After breakfast, the students went off to class. Dumbledore contacted Tom's guardians and explained the situation.
Then he was invited to visit them in person.
The turn of events was, frankly, a little absurd.
Nicolas's estate in Dorset had already been completed. It lacked the extravagant grandeur of the palace in Paris, but it sprawled across a large area and had everything one could want. Newt had even transplanted a variety of rare magical plants, keeping the air fresh at all times, with subtle effects that refreshed the mind and body.
Dumbledore had no mood to admire his old friend's new home. He had a strong feeling this visit would not go smoothly.
No one came out to greet him. The gates stood open. When he entered the sitting room, Nicolas was there, but without his usual warmth. He sat with a stern expression, slowly sipping his tea.
Dumbledore glanced around. Newt, Tina, and Perenelle were nowhere to be seen, which made him quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Convincing one person was better than convincing four.
"Nico…"
"Dumbledore."
Nicolas cut him off before he could even get started, setting his teacup down with a heavy thud. "Do you really think this is appropriate? Tom is just a child, and you want him to face Grindelwald head-on?"
"He's clearly plotting something, possibly even something aimed directly at Tom. And knowing that, you're still willing to walk straight into his trap?"
"I don't have another choice." Dumbledore gave a bitter smile. "More than three hundred Aurors are involved, Nicolas. You know what that number means to those Ministries of Magic."
"If they lose that many frontline fighters, even if Grindelwald does nothing, other Dark Wizards and criminal groups will lose their fear. They'll start stirring up trouble, and the wizarding world will sink into even greater chaos."
"What can I do?"
Nicolas's expression softened slightly. He understood Dumbledore's dilemma, but that did not mean he could accept Tom being dragged into it.
"Then how about this," he said slowly. "You go talk to Grindelwald first. Maybe negotiations are possible without bringing Tom along. He can't be the only one setting the terms."
Dumbledore nodded earnestly. "That's my plan. What I've told you today is only the worst-case scenario. If it truly comes down to it and Tom must be present, I can guarantee his safety. You have my word."
Nicolas shook his head with a sigh. "I have never doubted your strength. But Grindelwald's most frightening weapon has never been brute force."
Dumbledore fell silent. That was exactly what worried him most. Grindelwald could plant a seed in someone's heart with just a few words. Once it took root, no one could predict what it might grow into.
In the end, Nicolas agreed not to interfere with Tom's freedom of choice. If Tom was willing to go, he would not stop him. If Tom refused, no one would be allowed to force him.
Dumbledore accepted those terms.
After returning to Hogwarts, he finally began responding to Babajide and the nearly frantic Ministers of Magic, coordinating who would serve as representatives for the negotiations.
In truth, the only ones making decisions would be him and Grindelwald. Still, the formalities had to be observed. Those people needed to be present so that, afterward, no one could pin the blame on him if things went wrong.
They communicated for an entire afternoon. Babajide, knowing he was about to resign anyway, found a sudden surge of courage and agreed to go in person. The other Ministers, however, refused to show up. They either planned to participate remotely or send officials from their international cooperation departments.
Dumbledore did not particularly care. Whoever came, as long as they bore witness, was good enough.
...
That evening, during dinner, he invited Tom up to his office.
"Tom, how was your weekend?" Dumbledore asked.
Tom nodded happily. "Very good. I've made a lot of progress with my magic."
"That is good to hear." Dumbledore smiled, genuinely pleased. "But weekends are also for relaxing and enjoying life. A balance between work and rest is important."
"I'll keep that in mind, Professor. Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about?" Tom asked, fully aware of the answer.
Dumbledore looked troubled, but he still explained Grindelwald's request. "Tom, I won't force you to choose. That's Nicolas's position as well. You have a week to think it over. I'll try to communicate with Grindelwald first."
"No need."
Tom agreed almost without hesitation. "All things considered, Grindelwald is one of my major clients. He's spent a lot of money with me. I doubt he'd do anything to me."
"And besides," he added lightly, "you'll be there, won't you, Professor? You can't possibly protect nothing at all."
Dumbledore's expression turned complicated.
Being trusted like this did make him feel touched. But this child… why did even his compliments hit so hard?
"Tom, thank you for your courage. You really are well suited for Gryffindor."
Now it was Tom's turn to feel uncomfortable. Someone had once said he belonged in Ravenclaw. Now Dumbledore was saying Gryffindor. Why did no one ever think he would be perfect for Hufflepuff?
"Professor," Tom said, clearly disgruntled, "I'm going with you straight into danger. Aren't you going to give me something in return?"
In his sour mood, he started bargaining. "I don't need much. Just casually give me three to five hundred house points."
.
.
.