Chapter 520: Recognition from the Magi Puritan Party
Chapter 520: Recognition from the Magi Puritan Party
"Do you think I deliberately lost to Dumbledore?" Grindelwald asked, his tone edged with irritation. "What are you suspecting?"
"I’m not questioning the authenticity of that duel back then", Wade said calmly. "I’m just curious—could a spell like the Inferno Deity be blocked?"
Grindelwald looked into those calm gray eyes and realized he had overreacted. His anger dissipated instantly.
Since his return, there had been people trying to curry favor with Grindelwald, attempting to whitewash his defeat and cast the past duel in a conspiratorial light. In their tales, it seemed as though Dumbledore had used some underhanded means before the duel, secretly undermining the honorable and dignified Grindelwald.
Others, who had a vague sense of the history between the two, depicted the duel in a particularly sordid manner—though they considered it romantic. It was as if Grindelwald had simply waved a white handkerchief from the tip of his wand and conceded the moment he and Dumbledore exchanged greetings.
In these stories, Grindelwald was portrayed as an incurable romantic, willingly placing Dumbledore on a pedestal while he himself walked into a dark, sunless prison.
To Grindelwald, both of these narratives not only insulted Dumbledore but also gravely insulted himself. It was as if, in some people's eyes, he, Grindelwald, was a fool, a dimwit, a love-struck fool who could abandon his ideals and betray his followers for the sake of one person.
Grindelwald had thrown countless Cruciatus Curses in a fit of rage, ensuring no one dared question him anymore. So, when he heard Wade's question, his anger flared up again.
Seeing only pure curiosity and cautiousness in Wade’s eyes, Grindelwald managed to control his temper and explained, "I didn’t spend the fifty years in prison sleeping all day."
Wade asked in surprise, "The Inferno Deity spell—did you create it yourself?"
The admiration in the young man's eyes pleased the old man immensely, and his eyebrows lifted involuntarily, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.
He coughed and said, "I did draw inspiration from some ancient spells, and inventing new spells is a basic ability for a skilled wizard—nothing special."
"If you want to learn from me, you’ll need to make time to study ancient wizarding languages and various magical creature languages..."
Before he could finish, both of them heard a sharp, crisp sound of glass shattering.
Wade turned his head sharply, seeing that a section of the barrier had broken. Immediately, the entire barrier shattered with a series of cracks, disintegrating into tiny points of light that dissolved into the darkness.
The numerous giant trees, which had numbered over a dozen, were now reduced to just a few, most of their branches and leaves scorched away. Grindelwald and Wade didn’t feel particularly anxious about this.
Even Mihal reined in the fierce fire, to avoid igniting the wizards facing the trees.
Several members of the Magi Puritan Party were flung away by the broken branches, their screams of agony echoing as they flew through the air in wide arcs.
Other wizards rushed over, shouting and throwing Levitation Spells, hoping to catch their falling comrades.
The cunning and smug smile vanished from Grindelwald's face, replaced by a dark scowl. He was furious, his liver aching for what seemed like the umpteenth time over the new generation of the Magi Puritan Party.
Casting spells from a distance had appeared impressive, but the moment they faced unexpected attacks, those young people immediately started making foolish mistakes.
Fortunately, not everyone let their leader down. Many managed to avoid the first wave of attacks by the giant trees and, in unison, pointed their wands at the trees, reciting the spells they had prepared.
A scorched spruce sank deeply into the swamp, its roots sinking further despite its frantic writhing and struggling.
A massive beech tree thrashed its branches and trunk wildly, but it moved as if its limbs were bound, struggling in vain. The spell's light struck it, causing the tree to crack and split continuously.
A poor, half-burned oak tree was somehow hung upside down by over a dozen wizards. No matter how much the roots thrashed, the tree remained immobilized, eventually being consumed by the fiery curse.
Of course, not all spells were successful. Some genius had cast a dancing spell on a yew tree, and the spell's power was quite formidable.
The once-clumsy tree now bounced wildly, sending wizards flying in all directions. It took several times more effort to finally subdue it.
But regardless, the campsite gradually quieted down.
The injured were treated, and the wizards who had been flung away were brought back. The giant tree roots continued to burn in the flames, likely for several more hours.
As the night grew darker, the firelight flickered, and sparks danced like fireflies. When the surroundings suddenly fell silent, Wade noticed that everyone was silently watching him.
Grindelwald gently nudged his shoulder, urging him to step forward.
Then, some wizards approached him, removing their wide hoods as they drew near.
"I am Castor Bank." The thin, pale man smiled. "I'm glad to have you as a companion, Braun."
"Hello." Wade shook his hand, noting the man's unusually cold palm.
"Octa Notte." The young brown-haired witch with a burn scar on her lip waved her mirror and smiled. "I recorded everything. Can I broadcast it?"
"Sure."
"Oh." The witch tilted her head and laughed. "Looks like this isn't your true face... but it doesn't matter. I recognize your strength."
" Ignore her, she's always trying to pry into people's secrets." A sullen-looking wizard extended his hand. "I'm Von Rosen."
Wade shook his hand, his eyes catching the still-bleeding wound on the man's arm.
"Serafina Lam." This was a stern-looking witch with a smooth bun, reminding Wade of Professor Mcgonagall. "I apologize for the poor performance of some of our members."
"Albaric Neil." The burly, gray-bearded man's voice was raspy. "I think you figured out that I'm a werewolf."
Not everyone came forward to shake hands with "Braun", but those who had stood out did.
The burning pine resin crackled, and the firelight illuminated the silent faces of the wizards. Grindelwald's gaze drifted toward the distance, a mysterious smile returning to his lips.
...
Inside the gym, Barty Crouch Jr. stood in the corridor behind a box, unable to resist checking the time again.
The animated giant trees should have burst in and caused chaos by now. Why was the gym still quiet?
(End of Chapter)
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