Grindelwald shook his head slightly, a malicious grin spreading across his face. Felix waited for him to stop, and Grindelwald sighed, saying:
"Do you think I only rely on deception to persuade others? I offered him conditions he couldn't refuse, temptations so great that he lost the ability to think rationally—no need for me to waste words, he convinced himself, and acted according to my wishes."
"I'm very curious about this. Can you give me a hint? Perhaps I could use it too," Felix said lightly.
Grindelwald eyed him for a moment, then grinned silently.
Felix's eyes widened.
"An Unbreakable Vow?" he exclaimed, shocked. His gaze instinctively flickered to Grindelwald's wrist, and upon seeing it charred black, he hesitated, then shifted his gaze to the hand holding the wand.
"Not signed yet, of course," Grindelwald said oddly, giving him a strange look. "His statement today is a prerequisite for the oath, but—after our chat, I'll go find him, maybe even run into your little Minister girl. With a bunch of Ministry officials and representatives as witnesses—I believe Akingbade would do that—the binding power of the vow would be unimaginable."
Felix pursed his lips, swallowing nervously.
"Oh, I see," Grindelwald said leisurely. "People like us aren't accustomed to leaving our fate in others' hands, but that's what makes it more persuasive, don't you think? Like now, I've told you, but can you stop any of this?"
"Probably something like not killing indiscriminately, not instigating wizard wars," Grindelwald said vaguely, appearing nonchalant, as if he thought it wasn't worth worrying about.
Felix raised an eyebrow.
"Have you found a way to break the Unbreakable Vow?" he asked.
Grindelwald fell silent for a moment, then curiously asked, "Why would you think that?"
Felix also fell silent.
Is this line of thought wrong?
Does Grindelwald really intend to take the vow? Is he out of his mind? Felix's mind flashed with a thought, tentatively suggesting, "Do you hope Dumbledore gets a funeral he deserves?"
Grindelwald immediately wrinkled his nose as if smelling something rotten, a look of disgust on his face.
"You remind me," he said angrily, his smile hidden in the shadows, "Where did you bury him? There are things I can only say to his tombstone. Don't tell me he's gone into hiding, hiding from everyone, I know everything—but it wouldn't be bad if he were alive, I'd love to see the look of regret on his face."
A moment of silence. Felix raised his left hand, and the emerald ring on it lit up, envelopes flying out from inside, swirling around him.
Grindelwald's expression froze.
"What is this?" he asked cautiously, Felix seeming to sense the heartbeat across from him, but Grindelwald's eyes were like a deep, emotionless well.
"If you were still in Nurmengard, you'd receive one of these every two to three months, for about twenty years. But you don't need them now," Felix said, letting the letters fly towards Grindelwald like pigeon feathers, and Grindelwald reached out, snatching them away in an instant.
Another moment of silence. Felix suddenly asked, "By the way, if I go to Classroom Seven now, can I see a—"
"No need to say more!" Grindelwald interrupted firmly, his nails digging into his flesh, but immediately he regained his composure, as if the momentary loss of control had never happened. "Felix, there's something missing in you, so you can't stop me. I can give you a tip," he said coldly, "You have to burn yourself."
Grindelwald vanished.
Felix fell into contemplation, his steps heavy as he returned to his office, only to find a looming figure by the door. The most update n0vels are published on novel⸺fire.net
"Hagrid? What are you doing here?"
Hagrid stirred from his daze. His face was wet with tears, eyes bloodshot, clutching a dirty handkerchief unconsciously.
"I... I've been waiting for you, Felix," Hagrid said, somewhat bewildered. Then his gaze turned fearful, his voice choked, "I saw... saw it in the papers... Dumbledore... tell me it ain't true."
Felix hesitated. How could he respond? Keep spinning lies? This couldn't be hidden anymore with the unbreakable bond between Akingbade and Grindelwald.
He tiptoed closer, patting Hagrid's shoulder.
Hagrid looked vacant, then suddenly let out a beastly roar, tears streaming down, soaking into his bushy beard. He lunged at Felix, who grunted, casting a suit of armor spell around himself, the incantation faltering; then he cast a silencing charm, to prevent Hagrid from waking the whole castle.
When Hagrid cried himself out, Felix extricated himself as if from water. He led Hagrid to the office, letting him sleep on the sofa. The next morning, Valen and Felix, sleepless from the thunderous snoring, left the office, seeking out Professor McGonagall to tell her about the previous night.
McGonagall's face registered shock upon hearing the news.
But not long after, a message came from Madame Bones: it was all true. The previous night, hundreds of Aurors stood witness, with magic ministers from over ten countries present, to the signing of the pact between Akingbade and Grindelwald.
The next morning, Professor McGonagall sorrowfully (and somewhat relievedly) announced Dumbledore's passing to the entire school.
The students, deeply shocked and immersed in profound grief, listened as McGonagall hastily revealed Dumbledore's final wishes, then steeled herself to prepare for his funeral. Since the secret was out, she hoped to hold the ceremony before the students went on holiday, to allow them to pay their respects to Dumbledore.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Hogwarts was filled with wizards and witches from all over the world, hearing the news previously announced by Akingbade. Many had already set out to bid their final farewells to Dumbledore's body.
That night, the rain poured down in torrents, thunder cracking through the sky.
Hearts weighed heavy, seemingly soaked by the rain. The next day, the sky cleared, Hogwarts' gates wide open, wizards and witches streaming into the school from all over. Felix's gaze swept through the crowd, searching for one person; he knew Grindelwald would surely appear.
Today, all of Grindelwald's schemes would be revealed.
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