Chapter 693: A Grand Lie
Chapter 693: A Grand Lie
Finally, Felix understood that Dumbledore had another ace up his sleeve.
The three Deathly Hallows—aside from Harry's Invisibility Cloak, Dumbledore had possessed the other two in the last few years of his life. Felix had originally thought that with the destruction of the Resurrection Stone, the Deathly Hallows could never be reunited, and the Elder Wand had lost its significance after Dumbledore's invincible reign ended.
"Dumbledore asked you to pass it on to me?" Felix asked softly, more interested in uncovering Dumbledore's true intentions.
"He left the decision to me", Snape's eyes showed a hint of struggle. "He said he hoped the Elder Wand's rightful owner would remain a permanent mystery, but he was also worried about major changes in the Wizarding world... like what's happening now."
Felix scrutinized Snape's face. "I don't think the time is right yet", he said. Snape's expression stiffened.
"The situation isn't that dire—dialogue has opened up, and we can cautiously remain optimistic. Compared to the sporadic unrest in other parts of the world, things here are relatively stable—oh, by the way, Future World Company has opened two new branches."
Snape looked taken aback.
"Dumbledore couldn't foresee what would happen after his death, so he needed a pair of eyes—someone he trusted deeply", Felix remarked. "You can observe for a few more years; you must have more than one candidate in mind, right?"
Snape glared at him, then slowly said, "You're at the top of the list, followed by... Potter", he paused, "I also considered Minerva and Amelia Bones."
Felix helped him analyze the situation with interest. "Dumbledore knew I don't lack for wands—remember the Ebony Wand? I found a way to integrate the Book of Runes into a wand, and I recently acquired another excellent one. As for Harry—well, he still has great potential. The Elder Wand could push him further, but you two don't see eye to eye, and you wouldn't want to give it to him. Minerva... well, she's not young anymore. Amelia might have been powerful once, but now, as the Minister of Magic, she has neither the time nor the inclination to delve into magic. She's probably the unluckiest Minister of Magic in history."
"So don't rush the decision. The next generation, or the one after that, might have someone who fits your criteria perfectly", he concluded.
Snape took a deep breath, his gaunt cheeks flushing with anger.
"Do you think this is a game? The Wizarding world is facing its greatest crisis ever, with Grindelwald stirring up trouble everywhere—"
"Do you know what Grindelwald has done?"
"I read the news, Felix Hepworth!" Snape panted. "Reports say he appeared in the Chaos Zone. He proposed the Ten Wizarding Laws. One of them is about equal retaliation—Wizards are not weak and can't be bullied. Another calls for Wizards to unite and not allow any theft of their powers. And there's the idea that magic should remain the domain of magic. These ideas are gaining traction."
"What do you think of these laws?" Felix asked calmly.
Snape's eyebrows furrowed.
"Too radical."
"But they sound like something Grindelwald would say, don't they? Besides, they can be modified. The relevant laws are still a blank slate—" Felix said lightly, and Snape looked at him with alarm.
"Oh, I mean, Grindelwald can only make empty promises. The ones who have the right to negotiate are us", Felix continued. "By the way, I have something more important to discuss."
"What is it?" Snape's expression was stern.
"If the negotiations go well, there will inevitably be trade, and potions will be a crucial part. But you know, some potions only work on Wizards—"
"Lupin told me", Snape interrupted.
"Right. In the future, we'll need someone to work on potion formulas, laws, and standards for Muggles."
"So you thought of me?"
"Exactly."
"Slughorn would be more suitable."
"He's better at dealing with government departments, smooth and well-connected. He enjoys that. I need someone who can focus on research", Felix said. "And it's obvious that I trust you more."
...
The next day, at the Ministry of Magic.
"Grindelwald has indeed made his move", Amelia Bones said solemnly, spreading a newspaper on the table. Felix, high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic, and several Order of the Phoenix members stared intently at the magical photo showing Grindelwald being attacked by fire and gunfire. The woman beside him was ignored by everyone.
"What's going on?" Arthur Weasley gasped, his concern evident. "Has the war started?" He wasn't yet a high-ranking official, but as the former head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, he was allowed to attend the meeting.
"Not yet, he's still bound by the Unbreakable Vow", Bones said with relief. "He was trying to save someone."
"Save someone?" Ludo Bagman's round eyes widened, pointing at the ruins in the photo. "Save someone? Then who did this?"
"Obviously, the other person in the photo", Bones said, her face grim. "Unfortunately, it's true. He didn't attack anyone. Muggle television captured some footage, more complete than these photos—Percy is fetching the equipment."
The office door was pushed open from the outside, and Percy walked in, followed by a set of projection equipment.
Percy inserted a cassette and skillfully pressed a few buttons. Moments later, moving images were projected onto the wall. Everyone stared intently. The footage was shaky, but it still captured the surroundings.
The place looked like a chemical plant, desolate and surrounded by tall walls topped with barbed wire. The gate was tightly shut, and the sound of a helicopter's rotors filled the air. A hand appeared in the frame, then disappeared, accompanied by an urgent and excited voice: "Over there!"
The camera then panned to a corner of the factory.
Black flames erupted from the windows and gaps of a large, flat building that resembled a workshop. These black flames seemed to come from hell, with massive tongues of fire twisting like giant hands. Now, those hands clenched, engulfing anything that could burn within their reach.
"Is this—fiendfyre?" Mr. Weasley said weakly.
Suddenly, a window shattered, and a figure tumbled out. It was a woman, completely blackened, with scraped hands and face, and matted hair. She looked utterly disheveled but was laughing maniacally. The people in the room recognized her as the woman who had stood beside Grindelwald in the newspapers.
Everyone watched in shock as the woman frantically waved her wand, the fire rising to great heights under her command and spreading outward. From above, it looked like an ink bottle had been smashed on the ground. The reporter's sharp intake of breath could be heard in the footage.
"Edith Pandora", Amelia Bones began, "according to reports from the American Congress of Magic, her daughter mysteriously disappeared recently. She sought help from the Magical Congress, but they had already decided to remain hidden and would not change their stance. She vanished for a few days, and no one knew what happened. This morning at five o'clock, she suddenly appeared here and unleashed this terrifying fiendfyre."
"Her daughter... is dead?" Sirius asked, eyes wide.
"Unclear for now—"
"Don't play games with me!"
"I really don't know", Amelia Bones sighed, "but that place—" she pointed to the massive factory building, "is a secret laboratory, likely designed to target wizards. So, her daughter probably didn't survive, otherwise, she wouldn't have—"
The people in the office fell silent, the atmosphere as cold as ice. Everyone watched the footage intently.
Edith Pandora waved her wand with large, dramatic movements, conveying her emotions even though she occupied a small part of the frame. The fiendfyre seemed to come to life, gradually transforming as balls of fire were hurled into the air, scorching the ground black. Some almost hit her, but she made no effort to dodge, instead continuing to control the fire, making it grow even larger.
"She wants to destroy this place", a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Magic observed.
"She can't do it! Her magic isn't skilled enough", someone else said.
"Unless she doesn't care about her own life", another person shouted.
"Where did she learn this magic?"
"According to the investigation—" Amelia Bones said, her face stern, "Edith Pandora had never studied the Fiendfyre Curse before. The American Congress of Magic found that she was a regular wizard, most skilled in household magic."
"Could Grindelwald have helped her?" someone asked, thinking of the two people in the photograph.
"That question remains unanswered, but—ah, Grindelwald didn't appear immediately. He seems to have seen this through a live broadcast. Continue watching."
A small, ant-like group emerged from the edge of the frame, and the sound of intense gunfire filled the air. Edith Pandora turned to counterattack but was soon injured, hiding behind a gray metal drum. Someone in the special operations team called out, but they were met with bursts of red light, and the team systematically spread out, surrounding her from all sides.
Dust and debris flew.
Edith Pandora seemed to have cast an immature hurricane charm. A tornado about thirty feet high spread out from the gray metal drum, temporarily halting the attack and obscuring her from view. Suddenly, a voice near the camera said urgently, "Military helicopters, thank goodness!"
Two helicopters swept past, broadcasting a warning for the reporter to leave immediately, but the reporter ignored them, "They don't even have serial numbers." The armed helicopters dived straight for the target, armed with missiles. Two machine guns emerged from the cabins, their barrels spewing dense streams of fire. For a moment, everyone thought Edith Pandora was finished.
The dust settled, and she was unharmed, but now she was accompanied by Grindelwald. Grindelwald raised a massive shield, blocking the attacks. However, he did not attack further, instead leaning down to speak with the woman.
The scene in the magical photograph matched what was happening now.
"Zoom in! Get a closer shot!" the reporter shouted, the image shaking before focusing on Edith Pandora's face. Despair quickly turned to joy, then to a twisted expression. It was hard to understand these changes unless you were there. She pointed at the factory, speaking intensely.
Grindelwald slowly shook his head, raising his hand to show her, then looking at the black fiendfyre, his lips moving. They seemed to reach an agreement.
The woman no longer cared about the threats behind her, and her wand once again directed the fiendfyre. Everyone could see that she lacked the ability to control this magic, relying only on her resentment to fuel the flames. This could lead to a loss of control, but with Grindelwald present, they couldn't be sure of the outcome.
The sound of machine guns ceased briefly at Grindelwald's sudden appearance, then resumed firing. Two beams of light suddenly erupted from below the helicopter. Grindelwald glanced back and waved his wand, causing the missiles to explode mid-air.
Then, a fine blue light, resembling liquid fire or burning water, surged from the tip of his wand. The blue light vanished into thin air after flying a foot from the tip, as if it had been redirected elsewhere. No one knew what magic Grindelwald had used.
But the next second, the people in the meeting room witnessed its effect.
Missiles launched one after another, but they exploded automatically a few hundred feet from the two figures, as if they had hit an invisible wall. "There must be an invisible magical barrier in the air!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly.
For the next half-minute, missiles exploded around the two, but none managed to penetrate the barrier.
Grindelwald seemed to be doing this casually. After confirming that the helicopters and ground forces couldn't interfere with them, he turned his attention to Edith Pandora. Under the nourishment of extreme emotions, the fiery blaze reached its peak, transforming into a monster made of black fire.
These monsters, inheriting their master's mindset, appeared mad and brutal, trampling the ground and charging in all directions—Edith Pandora lay on the ground, watching with satisfaction.
People in the Ministry of Magic realized that the spell had gone out of control.
Sure enough, the fiery blaze monsters lunged at the only two living beings in the area, repeatedly charging at them but being held back by an invisible force.
Grindelwald pulled the woman to her feet, raised his wand, and instantly regained control of the fiery blaze. The black fire became docile in his hands, and the fire creatures were reshaped into a single, monstrous form, squatting on the site of the former factory.
Then, he swung his wand again, and a hurricane far more powerful than anything Edith Pandora had conjured appeared out of nowhere. The whirlwind seemed to connect with the clouds above, and the black fiery blaze was torn apart by the wind, condensing into a single force that surged toward them.
The fiery blaze merged with the hurricane, expanding rapidly. The helicopters in the sky hurriedly dodged, but the fire's target wasn't them. The entire factory was enveloped and burned to the ground. Grindelwald, standing amidst the inferno, locked eyes with the camera. Then, the fire vortex abruptly contracted, erasing the factory from the ground, along with Grindelwald and Edith Pandora.
The helicopters slowly approached, revealing a massive crater at the site.
The scene ended there, and the meeting room fell into a long silence.
"The International Confederation of Wizards and the American Congress of Magic have dispatched teams to track down the two, but they've found nothing. They fear this incident could lead to greater conflict and opposition", Amelia Bones said dryly.
"Let them find Grindelwald, then", Felix said, uninterested.
...
The burning of the secret laboratory sent shockwaves around the world. The footage seen at the Ministry of Magic was analyzed frame by frame by various departments, and it was clear that Grindelwald hadn't used his full power. Yet, the conclusions drawn were still chilling.
"If this magic had appeared in a city, it could have destroyed dozens of blocks."
Grindelwald's past was no longer a secret, reported repeatedly by journalists and the media. As a result, the Unbreakable Vow and the Ten Wizarding Laws appeared openly in Muggle newspapers, sparking waves of debate and criticism.
A few more newspapers received 'student letters.' Two of them maintained a neutral stance, while the others heavily criticized the letters, perhaps hoping to attract the protests of disgruntled wizards. Naturally, they received no further correspondence.
But these were minor issues.
After selecting the students for the special afternoon tea, Felix immediately began their specialized training. The Ministry of Magic also sent experts to train them in etiquette and oratory skills, teaching them which questions to answer and which to avoid, and how to handle provocations.
The students noticed that Professor Hep seemed to have developed a new habit. He often looked up at the moon, appearing lost in thought. Of course, Hermione saw this as a dangerous sign.
"Professor, you're not thinking of going to the moon again, are you?"
"Hermione Granger, do you think there are any traces of ancient wizards on the moon?"
"Well, it's unlikely. If ancient wizards had really lived on the moon, they would have left some architectural remains that modern telescopes could detect..."
"But what if they used magic to conceal their presence?"
"Professor, there's no proof of that!"
"Alright, I read about it in an ancient text..."
"Professor, your tone is strange. What's the name of the text? Can I see it?"
"… No, you can't. But I'll bring back some antiques from the moon next time, and then you'll believe me."
Felix was preparing to tell a grand lie—maybe more than one.
(End of Chapter)
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