The sound of a mirror hitting the floor startled the person sleeping on the bed. He stirred, turned to his side, and opened his eyes.
A small mirror lay on the ground, face up, reflecting the faint light in the prison cell. It looked like a small, cold puddle.
The old man lying on the bed was as thin as a skeleton, and looked frail and aged. Yet, his eyes still carried a cold, sharp power.
It was as if he were still the leader of the wizarding revolution, the one who had orchestrated countless tragedies—Gellert Grindelwald.
He noticed the mirror but made no attempt to get up. He simply squinted at it for a while before letting out a hoarse voice:
"A two-way mirror? Who sent this to me?"
From beyond the bare stone wall came a respectful voice:
"Sir, this is not a two-way mirror. It is a recent invention popular in the wizarding world—a device capable of transmitting images and sounds, somewhat similar to Muggle televisions."
Although the wizarding world had always been hidden, it was not entirely disconnected from the ordinary world.
On the contrary, most wizards lived in secluded villages alongside many Muggles, and the Ministry of Magic was typically concealed within cities. As such, wizards had some familiarity with the television sets popular among Muggles.
Before Grindelwald was imprisoned, many households already had black-and-white televisions, although color televisions had not yet been invented.
Upon hearing the person's first words, the faint glimmer in Grindelwald's eyes disappeared, replaced by boredom and impatience.
"I believe I told you not to disturb me again."
The person outside the wall still spoke respectfully: "We are not here to persuade you to leave this place. It's just... perhaps you would like to see what the world looks like today?"
Grindelwald closed his eyes again and coldly said, "Get out!"
There was no response, but his magic told him the person had left.
He lay there for a long time, his mind seemingly filled with countless thoughts and yet none at all. It felt as though, in a fleeting moment, the darkness faded away, and sunlight streamed in through the narrow crevice.
On his veiny, gnarled arm, he could feel a faint warmth.
A house-elf appeared with a loud pop, bowed to the man on the bed, placed a tray on the low stone table, and vanished without a word.
On the tray were a bottle of water and a piece of bread.
Supporting himself on the bed, Grindelwald sat up. His body had grown so weak that even this small movement felt exhausting.
Despite his gnawing hunger, Grindelwald did not reach for the food brought by the house-elf. Instead, he casually extended his hand. This text is hosted at NovєlFіre.net
The mirror flew into his grasp.
He initially intended to throw the mirror out through the narrow crevice. However, when he caught sight of the aged face reflected in the mirror, Grindelwald hesitated.
The long and solitary prison life might have gradually drained his vitality, but it had not extinguished his spirit.
—I'll just take one look.
Grindelwald told himself.
—One look, then I'll throw it away.
He turned the mirror over in his hands and examined it thoughtfully.
The Streaming mirror functioned much like an old-fashioned television. It was simple to operate, with only a power button on the side and a volume adjustment knob. There wasn't even an option to change channels.
With a casual press of the button, moving images appeared on the mirror, accompanied by the excited voice of a young man:
"Look! The third team is about to reach the core area! The enraged ball python is standing by, ready for action! Will they be eliminated in five minutes, just like the previous team...?"
A chubby ball python and a group of nervous students holding wands appeared on the screen.
At the edge of the frame, wizards riding brooms patrolled the skies. A hedge wall separating the students and the ball python had a Bowtruckle perched on it.
But not the Hogwarts Grindelwald knew.
"Perfect, perfect! Your tie goes beautifully with this sapphire—it makes you look noble and elegant. Don't style your hair too neatly; a slightly tousled look is much better…"
A tall mirror emitted a noisy voice, and the gray-eyed boy reflected in it looked somewhat exasperated.
He ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly, ignoring the mirror's loud suggestion to wear a hat. Instead, he walked to the window, transformed into a bird, and soared into the sky.
Not long after, Wade landed on the rooftop of a tall city building. Returning to his human form, he used an unlocking spell to open the locked iron door and descended the stairs.
After stepping out of the building, he found himself on a quiet city street. A bus, carrying a small number of passengers, passed by in front of him.
As the bus moved away, Wade spotted a figure across the street—it was Professor Murray, dressed in the same gentlemanly style.
He walked briskly toward the professor and said softly, "Professor."
Professor Murray took out his pocket watch, checked the time, and nodded. "Right on time. Let's go."
The two walked side by side along the street. Wade assumed they would enter a phone booth or an abandoned toy store along the way, but to his surprise, Professor Murray led him into a small museum on the street corner.
As the glass door was pushed open, Wade heard the sound of a bell. A young girl who had been sitting behind the counter stood up.
"Sorry, the museum is closed today. No visits are allowed—"
"We're here for the magic performance upstairs," Professor Murray interrupted her.
The girl's expression shifted slightly, then she led the two toward the elevator nearby.
As Wade stepped inside, he noticed the girl curiously sizing him up. He smiled at her warmly.
The girl lowered her head and pressed a button on the elevator panel for them.
If I am not mistaken, she just pressed the emergency call button, didn't she?
The elevator doors closed, and the cabin jolted slightly before beginning to descend.
"Professor, why can't we use the Floo Network or Apparition to get there directly?"
Only then did Wade voice his question.
"Because the exhibition includes many valuable magical artifacts. Apparition and the Floo Network are prohibited to prevent theft or robbery."
Professor Murray answered seriously, then added with a smile:
"Of course, more importantly... alchemists are almost always fascinated by Muggle inventions, and the organizer this time is no exception."
Professor Murray was taking Wade to attend an exhibition of alchemical works. It was said that ancient magical artifacts would be featured.
Naturally, such private exhibitions were not open to the public. If not for Professor Murray's connections, an ordinary student like Wade would never have even heard of it.
He had been looking forward to this for a long time.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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