Chapter 186: Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald
As the two boys walked, the scene shifted silently—almost imperceptibly. It was as if a new day had begun, and their clothes had subtly changed.
They stood beneath a tree, the orange light of the setting sun glinting in their eyes.
“For a greater cause… I like your way of putting it,” said the golden-haired Gellert Grindelwald, lying lazily on the grass, arms outstretched toward the sky as though he wished to grasp the entire world in his hands.
“Albus, only you understand my thoughts. Only you know what I truly want.”
“I will abolish the Statute of Secrecy. I will make wizards rule the world—let every wizard freely use their abilities, unchained, unhidden, no longer forced to endure the hatred and scorn of Muggles!”
“Remember,” young Dumbledore insisted, “rulers must bear responsibility for all their people—not just wizards, but most Muggles as well.”
“Those greedy, foolish Muggles?” Gellert Grindelwald sneered. “Think about what they did to your family.”
“I know,” Dumbledore frowned. “I hate them too—some of them, deeply. But we must admit: most Muggles are not evil. They possess great wisdom and talent. Even if we gain power, we must preserve peace and treat Muggles fairly.”
“We’re fighting for the future of wizards,” he continued. “We cannot cower in fear—but neither can we resort to blind slaughter. Gellert, we must minimize sacrifice, for both sides.”
“You’re too naïve, Albus,” Gellert said with a wry, almost pitying smile, seeing his friend’s unease. “Of course I won’t become some mindless killer. Muggles have value. If they willingly accept my rule, I can be merciful.”
A soft smile spread across Dumbledore’s face. He wasn’t worried—Gellert wasn’t deceiving him.
“Then Ariana could live freely, not always imprisoned.”
He spoke with quiet hope. “If possible, I’d even try to heal her. Perhaps I could find a way to restore her.”
“If we find the Sacred Relics,” Gellert said with fervent, almost hypnotic optimism, “everything is possible. Imagine: raising the dead, curing the sick, building a new wizarding world—the ideal realm we dream of…”
“Together, Albus,” he whispered, eyes alight, “as long as we stand united… nothing is impossible. Nothing can stop us.”
They dreamed aloud—of seizing power after leaving Godric’s Hollow, of hunting the Sacred Relics, of how they would achieve their destiny.
Their faces were alight with youthful ambition, confidence radiating between them, as if victory lay just beyond tomorrow’s horizon.
Until a voice shattered the moment.
“Albus.”
A gaunt, wiry boy—tall and shabby—glared at Gellert Grindelwald with open disdain, then turned to Dumbledore. “Ariana wants to see you.”
Gellert’s expression twisted with contempt.
Dumbledore’s face darkened slightly, but he rose instantly and walked toward the boy.
“Did she get angry?” he asked.
“Yes,” the thin boy replied. “I calmed her down. She misses you.”
The two walked side by side, departing. Behind them, Gellert Grindelwald’s expression hardened into something cold and bitter.
…
“That’s my younger brother, Aberforth,” the older Dumbledore murmured beside Wade. “Ariana was our little sister. Wade, do you know of the Silent Shadows?”
Wade nodded. “I learned about them from Mr. Scamander.”
“A child with magical ability, if abused and filled with hatred toward their magic, may give rise to a parasitic power known as a Silent Shadow—an unstable, uncontrollable force of darkness.”
“Silent Shadows usually don’t survive past ten years old. They’re not the same as a Silent Shadow, but under extreme circumstances, a Silent Shadow can fully consume a person.”
Wade had seen books on the subject in Scamander’s home. Newt Scamander had once even preserved a Silent Shadow using a rare method—but Wade hadn’t seen it there.
Dumbledore nodded. “Newt is likely one of the few people in the world who truly understands Silent Shadows.”
He fell silent for a moment. “Ariana was a Silent Shadow. When she was young, she accidentally revealed her magic—only to be cruelly tortured by three Muggle boys. After that, she lost all control over her power…”
…
Wade saw her too.
She was older than his current physical age, yet her expression was timid, her eyes—clear, blue as lake water—innocent and childlike.
She crouched in a corner, trembling as the fierce argument erupted between the three boys in the room.
“Impossible! You can’t take her with you! Do you even realize what state she’s in? You’re mad if you think she can survive a journey like that!” Aberforth roared. “You’d better abandon your stupid plan now. I won’t allow it!”
Dumbledore remained silent.
Gellert Grindelwald laughed, mocking. “You’re such a foolish boy. You don’t understand how brilliant your brother truly is. You’re just a stumbling block!”
“Don’t you see?” he sneered. “Once we change the world, Muggles will live in peace. Wizards won’t have to hide anymore. Your sister could live openly, proudly!”
“Shut up, you damned Dumstrang scum!” Aberforth spat. “It’s you—this vile, sick madman—who twisted my brother’s mind into believing your evil scheme is noble! Get out of my house, Gellert Grindelwald!”
“Enough, Aberforth!” Dumbledore snapped.
But Gellert’s face had turned monstrous. Without hesitation, he drew his wand.
“Cruciatus Curse!”
The lean boy was caught off guard. He collapsed, screaming in agony.
“Gellert, stop! Stop this!” Dumbledore lunged forward, drawing his own wand and disarming the man with a forceful spell. He reached to pull Aberforth up—but the boy shoved him away violently, then whipped out his own wand and fired a spell at Gellert.
A loud bang. Chaos erupted.
Dumbledore tried to intervene, but the two enraged boys were beyond reason.
Aberforth, consumed by resentment toward his brother for siding with Gellert, even fired a spell at Dumbledore—further igniting Gellert’s fury.
Spells flashed through the air. Screams of pain and rage tore through the room.
They weren’t listening. They were only unleashing their rage.
“Don’t… please… don’t…”
Ariana, curled in the corner, wept silently. Her body trembled violently. Her eyes were turning white. Her state was deteriorating—but none of them noticed.
Black mist began to seep from her body.
Suddenly, Wade grabbed the older Dumbledore’s hand.
He whispered, “You know… you don’t have to remember this.”
(End of Chapter)
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