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Chapter 998: Grindelwald's Interlude
Chapter 998: Grindelwald's Interlude
"We're almost there, be careful and keep quiet."
In the dim and silent forest, a team of eight wizards swiftly made their way through a leaf-covered path, their cloaks fluttering in the wind behind them.
After covering a certain distance, the lead wizard would slow down, carefully observing their surroundings before proceeding further, ensuring safety.
However, this action drew scorn from some of the others.
"Andrew, are you being overly cautious? There are eight of us, you know."
After the fifth time he slowed down, a small wizard wearing a hooded cloak could no longer contain his impatience. He stepped forward and questioned, "Are you trying to ditch us and go treasure hunting alone?"
"I'm not like you, I don't have such thoughts."
The wizard named Andrew furrowed his brows, clearly disliking the person before him. Nonetheless, he maintained his composure and replied, "But he is, after all, a legendary wizard. It's better to be cautious; we don't want to fall into a trap."
"Legend... hmph..." The man scoffed, showing his disdain.
"What legend? He's just old, that's all. Albus Dumbledore, a legendary wizard himself, was also killed, wasn't he?"
"Calling him the most terrifying wizard seventy years ago is a joke. If you ask me, I'd say he and Dumbledore made up these titles together, just to fool the Order of Merlin..."
His voice abruptly stopped, and in the midst of the crowd's horrified gazes, the hooded wizard suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon.
In just a few seconds, a living wizard turned into a mere skeleton, his hood falling to the ground alongside him.
"Ah!"
A scream pierced through the group, but before anyone could react, they all came to a halt, their eyes vacant and unmoving.
In the empty space to their right, a man and a woman suddenly appeared out of thin air, both elderly wizards.
"Sir, it's just some trash. You didn't need to personally deal with them." Vandarozil looked at the person beside her, and even though she was over a hundred years old, she felt a surge of excitement.
Grindelwald twirled the magic wand in his hand and said nonchalantly, "Albus hasn't returned for three days. I need to find some small games to pass the time."
"It's their honor." Rozil replied without hesitation.
She was referring to the one who... No, now there were only seven left.
These people were originally her prey, and she had already written the script for their demise, carefully orchestrating suitable endings for each of them.
Grindelwald's sudden action completely disrupted her plans.
However, Rozil didn't seem to mind at all. If Grindelwald wished, he could even take their lives without consequence.
Grindelwald twirled his magic wand again. "What about that witch, the one who writes nonsense in the newspaper?"
The next second, the wizards under the control of the Mind Control Curse suddenly regained their senses.
However, they didn't realize that someone else was nearby, nor did they notice that one of their group was missing. They continued running forward as if nothing had happened.
"If you're referring to Rita Skeeter..." Rozil looked in another direction, "... she's three miles away, perched on a tree."
"She's quite bold," Grindelwald narrowed his eyes, "I've heard she's written numerous articles about Albus, even calling him an old fool..."
This time, Rozil remained silent.
She rarely read the Daily Prophet and certainly wouldn't bother with past issues, so she was unaware of Rita Skeeter's writings.
"Do you want me to bring her here?" Rozil asked.
Grindelwald hesitated.
Rita Skeeter was insignificant; squashing her would be easier than crushing an insect.
But she was Kyle's person.
Grindelwald instinctively touched the photo album in his pocket.
For the sake of certain treasures, he had to consider Kyle's reaction.
The mere thought of this made Grindelwald irritated.
This was the first time he had been manipulated so thoroughly. In the past, if he wanted something, he would just take it by force. Now, he had to exchange... for just a few photos.
But he had no choice; he couldn't just take them by force.
It had nothing to do with strength... Kyle was already second only to Dumbledore, but what of it? As long as he was weaker than Dumbledore, Grindelwald could pin him to the ground.
But the problem was, Dumbledore had warned him more than once that if he dared to lay a finger on Kyle, he would never see him again, not even in a portrait.
Grindelwald felt a surge of frustration.
He couldn't understand why Dumbledore valued a cunning and deceitful student so highly.
In his opinion, Kyle was even worse than Scamander, who at least didn't seem so punchable.
"Oh!"
"It's Nurmengard..."
"We found it, we found it..."
Shouts and screams echoed from a distance, snapping Grindelwald back to the present.
"Looks like the actors are in position," he said softly.
"Yes." Rozil nodded, "That Rita Skeeter..."
"Forget about her."
"Grindelwald stated, 'The stage still needs her for the finale.'
'However, I wish she would use more polite language in her future articles,' Andrew added.
'I believe that's the bare minimum of decency,' Rozil said with a smile, 'and I'm sure Ms. Skeeter agrees.'
'I hope so,' Grindelwald nodded, 'and now, it's your turn to take the stage.'
'Oh, and remember, Nurmengard is not open to just anyone. Don't let them proceed any further.'
'I understand,' Rozil acknowledged.
She took a step forward and instantly vanished from her spot.
Meanwhile, in the clearing ahead, the wizard squad had already dispersed. One of them held a stone tablet, while the others pointed their wands at him, creating a tense atmosphere.
Something seemed to stir in the air, and then, one of their gazes changed.
'Hand over the Soulbound Artifact!'
A green light erupted from his wand tip, and chaos ensued.
'That's mine!'
'Damn it, give it to me!'
This hastily assembled squad had no trust among them, and under the influence of the Killing Curse, everyone aimed their wands at each other.
The original text can be found in Chapter 6, Book 9.
Whether they liked it or not, they had to follow suit, as everyone else was doing the same.
Within a short time, the once tranquil forest became a bustling scene.
Meanwhile, outside the battlefield...
'This is different from what you described before,' a beetle flew down from a tree, transforming into the form of a middle-aged witch.
'This is too obvious. How could the blueprint for a Soulbound Artifact be placed in such a visible spot?
And I can guess in an instant that the first person to use the Killing Curse was controlled by your Mind Control Curse.'
'When I arrived, someone mentioned that your plan was perfect,' she continued.
'That was true then, but plans change,' Rozil nodded nonchalantly. 'The important venue has been declared off-limits, so naturally, the plan must adapt.'
She turned to Rita Skeeter, 'I trust you can flawlessly complete the final tasks, right?'
Although Rozil was smiling, Rita felt a chill down her spine and nodded almost instinctively.
'Yes, I can,' she replied.
Only then did she realize that this witch before her hadn't even taken direct action, yet she had managed to reduce a team of fifteen to half its number.
Everything was done with such plausibility that those affected never suspected they were being targeted.
'Excellent,' Rozil nodded in satisfaction.
Indeed, she couldn't help but admire the person before her.
Intelligent, perceptive, and most importantly, dedicated.
Rita Skeeter was terrified of her, yet she never once considered abandoning her task and fleeing. Instead, she stayed close, either taking photographs or jotting down notes with her quick-writing quill.
Rozil greatly appreciated this commitment to her work.
Of course, there were still matters to be discussed... like the suggestion of using more civil language in her articles.
As they spoke, the battle reached its conclusion. Out of the seven, only one person remained standing.
He stumbled over to another person, snatching the stone tablet from beneath them, and then dragged his bleeding leg as he limped back the way he came.
Unbeknownst to him, a beetle had attached itself to the hem of his robe.
Rozil found Grindelwald once again.
As expected, he was still flipping through that well-worn photo album.
'Is the matter resolved?' Grindelwald closed the album.
'Mostly,' Rozil replied truthfully. 'I've altered his memories, and once he safely leaves the forest and is discovered by others, the source of the Soulbound Artifact will be complete. By then, no one will suspect it's a fake.'
'Mhm,' Grindelwald responded nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned.
In truth, he was unbothered.
It was just a Soulbound Artifact, not an Unbreakable Vow. He had agreed to this task merely to obtain a few photos from Kyle.
However, at this moment, Grindelwald suddenly frowned as a strange vision entered his mind when he thought of Kyle—a wedding scene, specifically Kyle's wedding to a witch.
Some wizards are born with special abilities, like the Legilimency of the Thestrals and Kyle's ability to communicate with magical creatures.
Grindelwald, a natural Seer, could see the future—a Prophecy Magic of sorts. This time, the vision wasn't about Kyle but someone else.
A pressing emotion allowed him to witness their future actions.
Dumbledore, a wedding...
For some reason, Grindelwald felt a moment of dizziness, as if a voice whispered in his ear.
In front of Venda Rozil's puzzled gaze, Grindelwald Apparated away from the forest.
(End of Chapter)
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