After Delaine sent Vid back to his own room, he returned to the study and saw Grindelwald sitting in a chair, flipping through a stack of documents.
He knew these were all the information his subordinates had collected on Vid Gray. It not only included his grades at Hogwarts, his collaboration with Aslan Magic Workshop, evaluations from professors and students, but even his assignments from when he attended Muggle Elementary School, including social research and writing, among others.
"Sir," Delaine bowed slightly.
"Have you sent him back?" Grindelwald asked.
"Yes," Delaine said, "Mr. Vorvillet was waiting at the door all the time. He is very concerned about that child."
Grindelwald glanced at him, "Delaine, what are you worried about?"
Delaine hesitated for a moment and said, "Vid Gray is, after all, one of Dumbledore's... With Vorvillet long exposed to him, won't it shake his resolve? After all, he is obsessed with Alchemy, and his thoughts are rather... pure."
Grindelwald smiled.
"Vorvillet is over a hundred years old; it's not so easy to shake him. Betraying me would mean betraying his entire life."
"But Vid Gray... although young, he doesn't blindly follow anyone. He has his own ideas, will independently judge right from wrong, and thereby determine his own stance."
From the multitude of documents, he pulled out a social research assignment and pushed it forward, saying, "Look, this is what he wrote when he was nine years old."
Delaine stepped forward, took it with both hands, and quickly read through it, then raised an eyebrow in surprise.
It was a research assignment on a social hot topic, and Vid Gray chose the subject of "abolishing the death penalty," which was very unsuitable for a primary school student.
Many countries in Europe, like Austria and Germany, have already abolished the death penalty. In recent years, the UK has been hotly debating this topic, and although it hasn't been legislated, there is an overall inclination towards agreeing to abolish extreme punishment.
The Magic World has, from an earlier time, been against killing and death, which, of course, is related to the wizard's protection of the soul. Thanks to this, the several times Grindelwald was captured, he was not executed, and after escaping, he could rise again.
Yet, nine-year-old Vid Gray subtly expressed a contrary attitude in his assignment, writing at the end of the research:
"The premise of protecting individual rights to life is to respect and not unlawfully deprive innocents of their life rights. If this premise is violated, I believe only the deceased have the right to decide whether to forgive, and whether to give the criminal a chance to correct."
Delaine exclaimed in surprise, "Is he suggesting that... criminals should go to Hell to seek forgiveness from their victims?"
Grindelwald burst into laughter.
"Isn't it interesting? That such a uniquely thoughtful child could be raised in such an incompetent family, in a weak and vulgar Muggle Society!"
He asked Delaine with a smile, "Do you still think he is entirely Dumbledore's person now?"
Delaine thought for a while, shook his head, gently put down the paper, and did not speak.
"Dumbledore failed to stop Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort, nor did he squash that brat early enough, and now he's cultivated an even more terrifying one himself... yet he still hasn't realized it."
Grindelwald said mockingly, suddenly frowning, and after a while, said: "Do you think... it's because this child is particularly good at acting and disguising himself, or has Dumbledore grown too old and blurry-eyed to see through people?"
Delaine pondered for a while and cautiously said, "Maybe Dumbledore is just waiting... waiting to subtly mold this child with moral constraints, to understand... the true meaning of love."
He silently suppressed the goosebumps on his arm and said.
Grindelwald sneered.
"Don't be brainwashed by his high-sounding words! Dumbledore doesn't understand what love is at all! He's colder than anyone you've ever seen!"
Grindelwald was a bit angry, he stared at Vid's youthful photo on a document, suddenly realizing something, muttering:
"Perhaps he understands inside... he also wants change, but he can't do it himself... he's bound hand and foot, so he places his hopes on others... once it was me, now it's this child..."
"Dumbledore is so clever, clever enough to always see the darkness in others' hearts, but he can turn a blind eye to it for his own purposes... he was my original supporter, if it wasn't for back then..."
Grindelwald, having grown accustomed to talking to himself in prison, was at that moment lost in some memory, his voice gradually becoming so faint it was inaudible.
Delaine actively blocked out the sound, quietly exiting the room.
Then he grabbed a passing subordinate and said, "Modify that cloak and give Vid Gray one in the morning."
The subordinate was somewhat surprised, "Didn't you say earlier that you wanted to take the opportunity to record some footage to serve as leverage to control him later? We have the video-ready Flow Mirror."
Delaine shook his head and said, "Anyone could use Polyjuice Potion to transform into him; such recordings have little real value unless the British Ministry of Magic is determined to go against him or Dumbledore, in which case these recordings might become leverage. Moreover..."
Moreover, their leader probably has other plans for that child, not simply to control or use him.
At a time like this, using some sneaky means, it's hard to predict what Vid Gray might think, and Grindelwald might be extremely angry.
Delaine paused, did not continue, simply followed his intuition, "Don't ask more, just do as I told you."