Chapter 1489: The Whereabouts of the Elder Wand
Chapter 1489: The Whereabouts of the Elder Wand
Ever since Voldemort employed harsh tactics to temporarily seize control of the International Confederation of Wizards, his every move has been monitored by the Ministries of Magic across Europe. While no one is eager to provoke such an unkillable monster, no country wants to end up in the dire state that Britain currently finds itself in.
Of course, they can afford to say such things because they recognize that Voldemort lacks the manpower to control an entire nation. Ministries like France and Germany can afford to make such callous remarks.
However, upon learning that a large number of Death Eaters and dark wizards are pouring out of Britain and into the European continent, the various nations became agitated, fearing that Voldemort would turn his attention to them.
A single country, by itself, cannot hope to withstand Voldemort's invasion.
The example of Britain in the past years is a stark reminder of this. No one could claim to have handled the situation better than the late Scrimgeour.
In the year following Scrimgeour's abrupt appointment as Minister, the number of Death Eaters and dark wizards eliminated surpassed the combined efforts of the rest of Europe.
Fortunately, Voldemort seems uninterested in the individual Ministries of Magic. His sole purpose in gathering followers is to gain better control of the International Confederation of Wizards in his quest for the legendary Elder Wand. This pursuit is far more terrifying than the invasion of a single nation.
The amount of effort and resources Voldemort is expending to acquire this wand speaks volumes about its immense power. At the very least, the stories and legends surrounding the Elder Wand do not seem to be exaggerated.
The Ministers of Magic across Europe are well aware that there is truth to these rumors; otherwise, Voldemort would not go to such lengths.
If the already formidable Voldemort were to obtain the Elder Wand, who could possibly stand against him? The very thought sends shivers down the spines of everyone.
He must be stopped! This is the unanimous sentiment among the European nations, yet ironically, despite their agreement, no one is willing to take the lead.
Being the one to stick one's neck out is never an appealing prospect.
Doing so would likely paint a target on one's nation, making it the focal point of Voldemort's wrath.
Thus, these ministers devised a plan to push the resistance fighters from Britain to the forefront.
After all, they have been fighting Voldemort for so long that they no longer fear his retribution.
Of course, this is merely a nominal suggestion.
Otherwise, if Kingsley were to deliberately sabotage their efforts, they would all be doomed.
One cannot blame them for their hesitation. Voldemort's actions have struck fear into their hearts, and no one wishes to see their country suffer the same fate as the British Ministry of Magic.
As the two sides reached a stalemate, the Death Eaters began infiltrating the various Ministries of Magic in an attempt to locate the Elder Wand.
However, their efforts yielded little results, as the Ministries themselves had no knowledge of the wand's whereabouts.
The death of its former owner, Loxias, was shrouded in mystery, and the trail went cold with Acus and Livius.
Who could say for certain which of them truly defeated Loxias and took the wand? And then, who among them was defeated, even with the combined might of the European Ministries of Magic? This undoubtedly posed a significant challenge for Voldemort, as failing to locate the wand promptly would make it difficult for him to maintain the loyalty of the dark wizards without proper compensation.
Unless he was willing to offer a substantial amount of galleons as a reward or abandon his covert operations and allow the dark wizards to plunder the wealth of other wizards, he would be fulfilling the mudblood's wishes.
However, Voldemort evidently lacked the necessary galleons and would never consider offering such a large sum. Just as he was agonizing over this dilemma, a message reached him through secret means.
They believed that those worthy of possessing the Elder Wand would be exceptionally cruel and ruthless dark wizards. Perhaps Grindelwald, the previous Dark Lord, had once owned that wand.
After all, Grindelwald was the predecessor of Voldemort. Compared to him, Loxias, Acus, and Livius were insignificant.
It seemed plausible that the former owner of the Elder Wand was Grindelwald. Just as the current Dark Lord was seeking the powerful wand, so too had his predecessor.
Even though the informant who revealed this information despised Grindelwald and sought to use Voldemort to eliminate his rival, Voldemort himself did not place much importance on this personal grudge. He saw the potential benefits of capturing Nurmengard Prison, freeing the vicious inmates within, and gaining their allegiance.
As for the group attempting to manipulate him, he could always deal with them later, after securing the Elder Wand.
Voldemort did not give much thought to the consequences of attacking Nurmengard. He was well aware that once he gained control of the International Confederation of Wizards, the relationship between the two sides would be irrevocably damaged.
But what of it?
Voldemort knew that as long as he remained powerful, the European Ministries of Magic would not dare to make any hasty moves.
When the various Ministers of Magic learned that Voldemort believed Grindelwald might possess the Elder Wand, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The imprisoned Grindelwald surely didn't have his wand with him, but what concerned them more was the fact that the ancient wizard prison still held countless dangerous inmates. If Voldemort were to release them...
No, he would definitely do so.
They dared not imagine the consequences.
Just as the Ministries were steeling themselves to reinforce Nurmengard Prison and bolster its defenses, they realized it was already too late.
The alarm signaling an intrusion into Nurmengard Prison had already sounded throughout the Ministries of Magic in Europe.
To be honest, breaking through the outermost protective enchantments of Nurmengard Prison was not a challenging task for Voldemort. This prison, known as the most impregnable in Europe (a title recently lost to Azkaban), had defenses that were not even as sturdy as those surrounding Hogwarts.
As Voldemort had anticipated, occupying this renowned prison did not present much resistance.
Europe seemed to turn a deaf ear to the situation, and the promised reinforcements never arrived.
"Faster than expected!"
At the top level of Nurmengard Prison, Grindelwald, having consumed the Felix Felicis, retrieved his hidden wand and effortlessly unlocked the chains binding him. He also took the opportunity to change into clean, respectable clothing and tidy up his appearance.
Despite facing imminent death, the aged former Dark Lord showed no signs of fear.
In full view of everyone, he blasted open the door to the top floor of Nurmengard and came face-to-face with Voldemort.
"I knew you would come for me eventually," Grindelwald said to Voldemort.
Grindelwald's demeanor astonished many, as they had only heard that the previous Dark Lord was imprisoned in Nurmengard but were unaware that he was living quite comfortably.
"Hand it over," Voldemort said, his eyes fixed on the wand in Grindelwald's hand. "Your time is over. The Elder Wand now belongs to me." Excitement flickered in his crimson eyes.
He knew he had come to the right place.
"If you want it," Grindelwald said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "then come and take it. It's yours if you can defeat me. If you can't win, the wand will never, ever belong to you—"
(End of Chapter)
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