Chapter 537: The Dark Wizard's Dangerous Game
Chapter 537: The Dark Wizard's Dangerous Game
Ferdinand was taken aback, his teacup trembling slightly, rippling the surface of the tea.
"An heir?" he repeated.
Then, he recalled the wizard in the video who had cast that spell. Riujing hadn’t captured his face from the front, but the figure was a tall, slender young man.
Fiona frowned, her brow creasing with confusion. "Grindelwald is over a hundred years old. Isn't it normal for him to have an heir?"
"More precisely, he's around a hundred and ten", Moody said, his good eye narrowing into a slit, his expression grave.
"You don't understand, Mrs. Granger. For a wizard like Grindelwald, that age isn't considered old."
"Especially for dark wizards, they have plenty of underhanded methods to extend their lives."
"And... with his style, it's hard to imagine he would allow anyone to share his power."
"But..." Ferdinand hesitated, "that young man by his side..."
The way he stood, the magic he used... it really looked like a carefully orchestrated debut for an heir, a brazen announcement of his power and existence to the world.
Moody nodded slowly. "So... if Grindelwald really has an heir, then he must be more than just a follower. He must truly inherit Grindelwald's blood and ideology."
"But such a person... such a powerful person..."
Moody unconsciously gripped his dinner knife, his jaw tightening. "We've never heard of him!"
While the wizarding world is closed and conservative to the Muggle world, European wizarding families are often intermarried and frequently interact, making geographical distances negligible. They are not isolated from each other's news.
A talented wizard might become powerful after just a few years of intense practice in a secluded castle;
But for a true heir to grow, it takes more than just talent and effort. He needs experience and maturity, the ability to communicate and collaborate, and the skills to build a strong network and make sound decisions.
He can’t grow up like a princess in a tower, perfect in isolation.
But what about this so-called heir? Where did he study? Does he have friends? Who did he learn from? What are his interests?
Moody knew many people, including former dark wizards he had captured and acquaintances he had made in the Magi Puritan Party.
But after inquiring around, he found almost no additional information, as if this person had fallen from the sky.
"—Braun. I asked everyone I could, and all I found out was that they call him this. But even this surname might be fake", Moody said gravely.
The Grangers fell silent, a chill creeping over them.
The Magi Puritan Party, Grindelwald—these were once names buried in history. While they had become active again over the past year, they hadn’t sparked a war as they had decades ago. Instead, they targeted Muggles who persecuted wizards.
Some said Grindelwald had repented for his past crimes, and everything he did now was to atone for them;
Others called him a guardian in the dark night of the wizarding world;
Still, others believed the once most powerful dark wizard had recognized the changes in the world and the current state of the Magi Puritan Party, knowing that the tide could not be turned, and so he was using this method to gain the wizarding world's recognition and acceptance.
It seems that the once formidable Magi Puritan Party has become more peaceful, and Grindelwald's domineering ambition has been eroded by time. Like an aging lion, he has lost his former sharpness and is no longer much to fear.
But now, learning that he has secretly nurtured such a person is like seeing an invisible giant net slowly spreading, with even deeper and more colossal shadows lurking in the darkness. The insects gradually being enveloped are utterly unaware.
For a long time, everyone was immersed in this mood, unable to speak.
After a while, Ferdinand whispered, "If that's the case, could the dark wizard in the Cursed Forest... and the dark wizard behind the Cursed Mascot... be the same person?"
His voice was instinctively low, as if he feared waking some terrible thing.
"Very likely", Moody nodded. "We suspect—just a suspicion—that the dark wizard might be another heir Grindelwald has cultivated, though he was a failure in the competition."
His gaze fell on his plate, where the half-cut beef pancake left an irregular gap, the edges slightly charred.
Moody cut another large piece with his knife, his fingers tense, the veins on the back of his hand standing out as if he were exerting force on something.
"They are playing a dangerous game", he said with intense loathing. "They are using innocent lives as stakes in a highly dangerous, evil game."
He stuffed the cut piece of meat into his mouth and chewed fiercely.
Fiona's lips trembled slightly. "I thought... I watched Riujing, and I thought they were protecting the audience inside..."
"They are both protectors and attackers. They just show people the side they want them to see."
Moody's voice was cold. "Fifty years have passed, and Grindelwald has become more cunning. He no longer shouts about violence; instead, he has learned how to deceive the public."
Fiona twisted her fingers, glancing upstairs subconsciously, then said, "In a week, Wade will be returning to school... in this situation..."
Moody's hard expression finally softened a little, and he spoke gently:
"Don't worry, Mrs. Gray. Hogwarts remains the safest place in Britain. Not even Grindelwald's little wolf cubs, let alone Grindelwald himself, would dare to set foot in Hogwarts easily."
Moody paused, then added, "And this year, I will be at Hogwarts."
"Really?" the Grangers said in surprise.
"Dumbledore has invited me to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts, and I have accepted."
Moody continued, "Hogwarts will be the center of the wizarding world this year. With the crisis looming, I cannot stand idly by... I will watch over Wade for you."
He put down his utensils and said seriously, "I won't sugarcoat it, Ferdinand, Mrs. Gray. Hogwarts will be more dangerous this year than ever before, but it will also be safer than any other place."
"I will protect the children in the school and fight to the last moment. Unless I die, your son will not be in any danger—I promise you!"
(End of Chapter)
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