allendalepharm Chapter 292 The 3rd Boss's Office Conversation
Chapter 292 The 3rd Boss's Office Conversation
Chapter 292 The Three Bosses' Office Conversation
Compared to Snape's eagerness for Voldemort's death, the world seemed to be temporarily at peace after Voldemort's capture.
The uproar subsided once again.
When talking about this, Grindelwald, who came to Hogwarts to discuss the details of the Triwizard Tournament with Dumbledore, also had many thoughts.
Standing with his hands behind his back by the window, he gazed wistfully out the window, one of his heterochromatic eyes flashing.
"The world has changed."
"Yes," Dumbledore said with a smile, flipping through today's Daily Prophet. "People are no longer used to tensions and crave a peaceful life."
Grindelwald scoffed, turning back to his seat. "Is this the result of your decades-long victory? You've made the world conform to your will, causing the wizarding world to lose its fighting spirit and combat effectiveness, with everyone just drifting through life in a daze?"
Dumbledore was used to the criticism of too many people. His overly mild and tolerant attitude over the past few thousand years had made too many people take advantage of him. However, he had always been too lazy to refute these malicious speculations.
But now, facing Grindelwald, he couldn't help but defend himself.
"Gellert, this is different."
He took off his glasses, thought for a moment, and said, "I think you must still remember the scenes from our youth. The Secret Law was more like a protection for Muggles against wizards. Young wizards suppressed their magic, and young wizards dared not fall in love with Muggles. The whole society was filled with the clamor of a war between wizards and Muggles —"
That era was destined to be Grindelwald's stage.
It's said that Grindelwald stirred up the antagonism, but they all know that Grindelwald only ignited the flames; that era was filled with all sorts of repression.
"In the decades that followed, I completely eliminated the conflict, allowing Aurors from various countries greater freedom to cast spells against Muggles, and permitting pure-blood families to engage in deeper exchanges with Muggle nobles from various countries through the Order of Merlin, thus further developing the living space for half-blood wizards and Muggle wizards."
"I think I did a great job!"
Dumbledore's gaze was intense as he mentioned this: "In places many people are unaware of, countless Muggles know of the existence of wizards and tacitly approve of their existence. We will no longer use the terms 'Muggle world' and 'wizard world' to describe them; the boundaries between them have become blurred."
He stood up, walked to the windowsill, and looked out the window with a smile.
"Gellert, do you know how many Muggles, within the Muggle and half-blood wizarding families permitted under the order I've established over the past few decades, have any knowledge of wizarding?"
"They all learned of the existence of wizards legally and reasonably within the scope of such strict enforcement of the Secret Service Act."
From pushing for the legalization of marriage between wizards and Muggles, to allowing Muggle members of mixed-race families to know about wizarding information, to addressing the stigma surrounding Mudbloods, to allowing family members of Muggle wizards to access information —
This continued generation after generation.
The impetus for change was far greater than most people could imagine, but Dumbledore implemented it subtly and gradually.
Grindelwald was finally moved, his voice filled with an indescribable excitement, "I think this is an amount I can hardly imagine."
"Yes," Dumbledore said, his voice low and murmured, "An unimaginable number!"
This is the result of his decades of hard work.
They firmly uphold the Law on Guarding State Secrets.
They are also firmly violating the "Secrecy Law".
The wizarding world and the Muggle world can no longer be completely separated; even the emergence of another powerful magic master cannot change that.
This is an irreversible trend, an unstoppable momentum.
As Grindelwald observed after his release from prison—what might have been a war between wizards and Muggles in the past, but if it were to happen again, it would definitely be a war between one camp of wizards and Muggles and another camp of wizards and Muggles.
Dumbledore —
He remained steadfast in the shared aspirations he had shared with Grindelwald in his youth, only his methods were more moderate.
Aside from Voldemort, who yearned to conquer the world and experienced despair, probably few people truly understand what he's doing; it possesses a cruel beauty reminiscent of the final, inevitable glow of an old era destined to perish.
"I still don't quite agree with your approach," Grindelwald said, his lips curling into a critical look. "It's too passive. Wizards should have a more assertive role in this relationship!"
This is the irreconcilable difference between them.
Dumbledore simply smiled gently and remained silent.
He's over a hundred years old, and he's too lazy to argue about these things anymore.
He only knew that he had won.
Even after Grindelwald's reforms, he was still able to achieve what he wanted.
After his reforms, Grindelwald was no longer able to achieve that wizard-dominated rule.
There is no longer a ship in this world that can carry Grindelwald.
Even Grindelwald, still brimming with fighting spirit, couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment at this moment, wondering, "What's the next step in this world?"
Dumbledore has accomplished everything he set out to do, merging the two worlds in a way that everyone can accept. But what's next?
Even a prophet like Grindelwald might have an idea pop into his head: perhaps next, it will be the stage for the Muggle race.
Only by continuing in this way can wizards and Muggles further integrate.
I'm so unwilling to accept this.
He felt a bit uncomfortable. He turned around and was shocked to see Lockhart in the corner of the office, munching away on matcha ice cream. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
"young people!"
"All you think about is eating?"
Lockhart looked up somewhat innocently, not wanting to wallow in sentimentality with the two old men at all. He blinked. "Is there something I need to say?"
Regarding the three-way battle for supremacy, he still has some suggestions.
"About the new era!" Grindelwald disliked the young man's slickness on this matter. "You first raised this topic at Hogwarts, and it was you who spread it to the whole world through your influence."
Not just in this office, but all over the world, so many people are talking about the new era.
This is all thanks to the internationally renowned writer in front of us.
Lockhart was reluctant to speak, as the two old men in front of him were the kind of people who would listen to advice but would not allow any objections to the fundamental principles, so there was no point in saying anything.
Seeing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were both looking at him, he had no choice but to put down his spoon, wipe his mouth, and offer his opinion: "Enter the magical life!"
He doesn't even need to think.
From the earliest continuation and development of the original romantic fairy tale concept, where "magic naturally blossoms," to later, more in-depth research, the biological nature of magical creatures, the philosophical reflections on self and the world through guardian spells and wands, and the personal insights into self and the world through bloodline magic—
His final answer was this: to step into a magical life.
"In this new era of merging wizarding and Muggle societies, how can wizards further develop? I think the answer lies in a more wizarding, more magical life."
"We need more magic that fits the new era!"
"This kind of magic isn't just a spell; for example—"
"I once discussed a similar topic with Professor Snape, and his answer was Potions, which would make wizards an indispensable and vital part of the entire human race."
"My current research focus is on breeding dark magic creatures, like the fat orange cats you saw before."
"And the Weasley twins, they're inventing something with my funding."
"Oh, I also discussed this topic with Professor Audrey Flamel, the etiquette professor at Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who believes it is modern mysticism."
Upon hearing Lockhart mention Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Grindelwald exchanged a meaningful glance with Dumbledore. Seeing Dumbledore nod slightly, Grindelwald chuckled and interjected, "Modern mysticism?"
Lockhart has a lot to say about this.
This was a blind spot in his knowledge, and everything was so new and exciting to him.
"Modern mysticism is a completely opposite field of magic to mysticism."
""
Simply put, traditional mysticism is essentially about how Muggles perceive magic and wizards as mysterious and bizarre, while modern mysticism is essentially about how wizards perceive technology and Muggles as mysterious and bizarre.
"As you all have seen, the flying car invented by Mr. Arthur Weasley is a result of modern occultism."
"And the electronic owl and magical mail that Professor Audrey Lemaître used."
That makes it clear.
Grindelwald stroked his chin, murmuring Lockhart's words about "entering the magical life," and fell into deep thought.
This is undoubtedly in his best interest. The rapid development of Muggle technology always makes him feel anxious. If wizarding magic also enters a state of rapid development, everything will be solved.
Muggle missiles are terrifying.
In ancient times, wizards faced a similar threat—a fire dragon.
The only difference is that one is ridiculously fast and the other has ridiculously high magic resistance.
Today, fire dragons are no longer a threat; they are an important source of magical materials for potions, alchemy, magical items, wands, and other fields, and are like watchdogs chained to the vault.
In order to ensure the continuation of the dragon population, wizards even had to breed them artificially.
The root of all this was that the wizard had developed a specific spell—the Extinguishing Curse.
A simple spell that is now part of the basic magic curriculum that third-grade wizards must learn.
Missiles will be the same.
Satellites will be the same.
The same will happen on the Internet!
Grindelwald knew that if things continued to develop, magic would be the future!
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Grindelwald felt much more relaxed and happy. Someone like him, knowing the future plans of the other two magical masters, Dumbledore and Lockhart, knew exactly what to do next.
At this point, we must mention another magic master who is still alive today.
"Professor Snape is concocting a potion of venom."
Lockhart took the opportunity to give the two big shots a heads-up, and also helped Old Spielberg sound out what he was thinking.
He didn't care whether Voldemort lived or died; he only hoped that his friend Snape could finally break free from the shackles of life.
This is not a topic that cannot be touched upon.
But Dumbledore remained silent.
Grindelwald clicked his tongue and said meaningfully to Lockhart, "The Vengeance Potion will work, and Horcrux magic is nothing special. But killing Voldemort won't be easy."
"Not easy?" Lockhart was taken aback. He thought he would get some reasons for the rejection, but he didn't expect Voldemort to be so difficult to kill.
"Because Voldemort didn't want to die." Grindelwald shrugged. "A wizard who has entered the realm of magical masters is very difficult for others to kill if he doesn't want to die himself."
They're all locked up, seemingly defenseless.
But that is precisely the reality.
A master of magic is truly terrifying.
In the original story, Dumbledore died because he had had enough of life, Grindelwald died because Dumbledore was already dead, and only Voldemort was killed by a bug when he didn't want to die.
Calling a murder mystery game script is a bit un-magical; in Lockhart's words, it should be called "the manipulation of fate."
Lockhart himself felt the same way; he wondered if he were in Voldemort's current situation, he still wouldn't be someone Dumbledore could kill at will.
In an instant, he suddenly understood why Dumbledore had placed his hopes on Harry Potter.
"This is the best state we're in right now."
Dumbledore's voice was somewhat low, "He is locked up, and will remain locked up, until he has completely lost his place in the world."
This approach is based on some more profound magical concepts, which involve the realm of fate.
Heroes are made by the times, and heroes are made by the times.
When heroes become completely out of touch with the times, without anyone else intervening, fate will arrange for new heroes to be eliminated.
Grindelwald has a deep understanding of this.
For a moment, the office fell silent.
"Then—" Lockhart licked his slightly dry lips, "Snape's potion?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I can't refuse him. It would break his back. He finally has aspirations for life with your help, and he might become a great magician in the future. I can't ruin him."
Grindelwald responded with leniency, saying, "This is a necessary investment, even if it forces Voldemort to do something rash."
No one knows exactly how much terrible dark magic Voldemort possessed.
Dumbledore was deeply affected by this; he had never encountered such a terrifying wizard who made him feel so troubled.
For decades, they pursued the suspect day after day, again and again, but they couldn't even catch a glimpse of him.
—The members of the Order of the Phoenix died time and time again at Voldemort's hands, yet he was unable to save them in time.
Sometimes there's even a sense of powerlessness. If Lily Evans hadn't coincidentally deflected Voldemort's Killing Curse, what would the scene be like now?
l
The most terrifying thing is the curse that is right before his eyes, targeting school classrooms, and he has not been able to find any way to break it for so long.
As Lockhart said, Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard of the century, but not the most mysterious.
"I'll keep an eye on him!"
Lockhart rarely makes promises on his own initiative.
"Relax, young man," Grindelwald smiled. "Trust in destiny; if necessary, he can also be a force for advancing a new era."
His previous small moves, whether leveraging Muggle movies or the Purifiers, had already allowed Grindelwald to understand Voldemort's true nature—this was the composure of an old artist.
In this new era, there will always be some clashes. If we can't keep Voldemort in check for the time being, it's still very useful to let him jump out and act as the bad guy when necessary.
At least Grindelwald was much more relaxed than Dumbledore.
So be it.
Lockhart was no longer concerned about whether Voldemort would do anything wrong; he was just a little worried. "Snape said that if you don't allow him to kill Voldemort, he plans to leave Hogwarts—"
"That awkward young man!" Grindelwald grumbled. "He's already made a decision, but he always prefers to be passive, as if it's so difficult to take the initiative."
"You all forced me to do this!" He mimicked Snape's unique, half-dead tone.
Lockhart chuckled. "That seems to be the case."
The office was filled with cheerful laughter, and even Dumbledore wore a sly smile.
As he laughed, Grindelwald suddenly stared straight at Lockhart, "You should probably start packing your bags too."
"Huh?"
"Hey, stop pretending to be confused. You have too many distinctive personalities. If Hogwarts keeps you here any longer, you and Dumbledore will inevitably have a falling out sooner or later."
"The formation of a student wizarding army, immense influence, and ideologies different from Dumbledore's —"
Grindelwald waved his hand. "Why don't we get ready now, in the most dignified way, to go to Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? They'd love to have you there."
As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow. "I will have Orim Maxim submit his retirement application to the Board of Trustees, and together with Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, recommend you to the Board of Trustees to serve as Headmaster."
Compared to the mild-mannered Dumbledore, Grindelwald was clearly much more assertive.
But this assertiveness is not annoying; although domineering, it is often a way to give someone a push.
"Otherwise, why are you sitting in this office right now?" Grindelwald casually grabbed a pile of cockroaches from the office plate, threw it into his mouth, then spat it out with disgust, clicking his tongue in disdain. "We're discussing the details of the Triwizard Tournament."
Dumbledore glared at Grindelwald, but also acknowledged some of the points the other made. "The British wizarding world has a great influence in the wizarding world due to historical reasons. Here, I hope to see more tolerance towards Muggle wizards."
"It's a pity, Professor Lockhart. Your development of fairy tale theory is admirable, but in practice, we find that purebloods have a greater advantage."
This is a fact.
Especially Lockhart's Duel Club, which, apart from Hermione, is full of children from old-fashioned pure-blood families.
Harry, Draco, the Weasleys, Neville, Goyle, Crabbe, Cedric, Luna, Ginny —
This is clearly not what Dumbledore wants to see.
In comparison, the classical atmosphere of Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry might actually be a better fit for Lockhart's development.
Moreover, Beauxbatons does indeed need a master magician.
Lockhart thought for a moment, "Can I take Vincent Crabbe with me?"
Grindelwald laughed. "You'd better take everyone from the Dueling Club with you. I think Dumbledore would be happy to, oh, except for Harry Potter."
is it?
If Lockhart really took all these outstanding children away, Hogwarts would really have nothing left.
"Take them all, take them all, maybe that will make things easier for me." Dumbledore laughed, saying nonchalantly, "I'm talking to Sirius and Lupin, hoping they'll go to Beauxbatons too. I think Harry might be willing to transfer there with his godfather."
Such an overbearing arrangement, which hardly considers the thoughts of the original board of directors and professors of Beauxbatons School of Magic, can be said to be preparing for some upcoming changes.
Lockhart could sense some changes in Dumbledore's mindset; he was more positive, more proactive, and more self-assured.
But these are all secondary matters.
Serving as principal —
Lockhart couldn't help but start to feel a little hopeful.
It seems like I'm really entering a new phase of my life.
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