Chapter 171: Past Events
Chapter 171: Past Events
Liam looked up at the source of the sound and was surprised to see Headmaster Fernando of the Castroblanco Academy of Magic riding a broomstick, hurrying over.
As Headmaster Fernando flew into the yard and hurriedly greeted Liam before immediately heading towards the Shopkeeper, Liam asked in surprise, "What did you mean by 'one of us,' and that it was a misunderstanding? He brought me here and then ambushed me. Now you say it was a misunderstanding. What's going on?"
At this moment, Headmaster Fernando applied some herbs to the wound and used his wand to treat the Shopkeeper's injury, releasing a strong surge of Natural Power. Soon, the wound on the Shopkeeper's waist began to heal. Just as Headmaster Fernando stood up to answer, the Shopkeeper stopped him, saying, "I'll answer that. My attack on you was a test. The wooden spike only had a common sedative on it."
"A test?" With this explanation, Liam suddenly remembered that the Shopkeeper had seemed to miss several opportunities to attack. At the time, he had assumed the Shopkeeper was too old to keep up, but that didn't make sense for a seasoned warrior. Now, this explanation made much more sense.
"Yes, a test. I didn't expect such a strong reaction from you, and you even had a dangerous magical weapon. I must admit, I'm getting old and a bit careless", the Shopkeeper said weakly. "But I have one question. Your reaction was far beyond what I expected. Can you tell me why?"
"Well, I saw the Saints' symbol in your notebook, so I thought you were trying to eliminate me to cover your tracks", Liam replied, looking helpless.
"Ah, not many young people know about the Saints these days. Yes, I was a Saint in my youth. However, you seem to have misunderstood one thing. The Saints don't need to hide, at least not here."
"What? From what I've read, the Saints disappeared after Grindelwald's defeat. I always thought they went into hiding to avoid being hunted down", Liam said, surprised.
By this time, the elderly Shopkeeper had recovered enough. He supported himself on Headmaster Fernando, slowly stood up, straightened his back, and looked down at Liam, saying, "Before I answer your question, can you tell me what you think of Grindelwald?"
"Grindelwald?" Liam realized the Shopkeeper's question might be important, so he reviewed all the information he had gathered about Grindelwald in both his lives. Then he said, "I think Grindelwald's intentions were initially correct. When the wizarding world's development lagged behind the Muggle world, doing nothing would have led to our downfall."
"From a historical perspective, after the First Industrial Revolution, the Muggle world entered a period of rapid development, achieving more in a century than in the previous few millennia. Grindelwald, living in that era, clearly saw this. In this context, I believe his initial goal was not for personal gain but for the future of the entire Wizarding World."
"Moreover, the overly strict International Statute of Secrecy caused significant dissatisfaction among many wizards. When Grindelwald first proposed breaking the Secrecy Act, he gained a lot of support."
"However, I think his methods were flawed from the start. He believed that inciting a full-scale war between wizards and Muggles would give wizards the upper hand before Muggles fully developed. He thought the war would hinder the Muggle world's progress, allowing wizards to eventually rule over Muggles and solve the problem once and for all. In essence, instead of adapting to the rapid development of the Muggles, he chose to eliminate all possibilities of their progress."
"In his pursuit of this goal, Grindelwald's actions were marked by a desperate urgency: inciting wars, eliminating Wizards who opposed him, and attempting a massacre in Paris. Naturally, these actions sparked resistance among Wizards, and the Wizarding World found itself embroiled in its own world war as the Muggle World was engulfed in a global conflict."
"Fortunately, Dumbledore eventually stopped Grindelwald, preventing Wizards from destroying themselves through internal strife before the Muggles could even discover their existence." Liam, drawing from the extensive research he had done in his previous life, expressed his views on Grindelwald to the former Saint. Noticing the Shopkeeper's slightly grim expression, Liam added:
"However, I don't think Grindelwald's actions were entirely without merit. His actions forced the Wizarding World to revise the Secrecy Act and repeal its harsh regulations, allowing the Wizarding World to absorb new blood and rejuvenate itself."
"I am surprised at how much you know about Grindelwald, especially given your age. But there are some things you don't know. Would you like to hear an old man's ramblings now?" the Shopkeeper asked after listening to Liam's summary.
Liam nodded enthusiastically; such opportunities to learn the secrets of the Wizarding World were rare for him. Seeing Liam's excited expression, the Shopkeeper cleared his throat and said, "I, Frank Skorzeny, am the second-generation Saint. My father was one of the first Wizards to follow Grindelwald and later became the commander of one of the elite squads within the Saints. He even presided over my baptism in 1925."
"In 1926, when Grindelwald attempted to destroy Paris, my father was present. He witnessed Grindelwald's vision of the Second World War and the ensuing conflict with Aurors, which marked the beginning of open violence."
"However, as you mentioned, Grindelwald's policies provoked strong resistance. By the time I joined the Saints in 1942, we were already in a steady decline. Tobruk, Volgograd, Kursk, Palermo, Rome, Cherbourg, Paris, Bastogne—these were the major battles I fought in during the later stages of the war. Our numbers dwindled, while our enemies grew stronger. The initial excitement and fervor turned into a deep sense of fatigue and futility."
"Most importantly, our leader, Grindelwald, realized the biggest flaw in his plan: the Muggles, far from halting their progress during the war, accelerated their development. Meanwhile, his war in the Wizarding World further weakened the Wizarding community. According to my father's memories, from 1944 onward, Grindelwald was no longer the passionate leader he once was. He went through the motions, doing only what was necessary."
"In 1945, he chose to duel Dumbledore because he had already realized that his dream would never be realized. He hoped that the duel would stop the bloodshed among Wizards and provide a way out for the loyal Saints."
"After the duel, Grindelwald chose to isolate himself in Nurmengard. Most of the Saints were granted amnesty and many joined the Ministries of Magic in post-war Europe and America. My father and I, along with some other Saints who had committed too many killings during the war, chose to go into exile and vowed never to return to our homeland."
The Shopkeeper paused and looked at Liam, then continued, "Don't look at me like that. I swear, we only killed in battle and never targeted non-combatants. Otherwise, the Ministries of Magic would not have let us off. However, our testing you is indeed related to those former Saints."
(End of Chapter)
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