Volume 7: A World with Bad Consequences Chapter 470: Serving the True Master
Just when the Wizarding Front was launching a fierce offensive against the British Ministry of Magic on the battlefield in Britain.
As their backbone, Dumbledore did not appear in Britain, nor did he stay in France.
In the headmaster's office of Durmstrang, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, making it feel not cold at all in winter.
Grindelwald was looking at the school's Christmas pre-order list this year and ignored the uninvited old man sitting on the sofa opposite him.
"Why haven't I heard about any troubles caused by the MACUSA during this period? Didn't the young man from the Graves family head towards Northern Europe after the Triwizard Tournament?"
As Dumbledore spoke, he pointed his wand at the bookcase on the wall. The door underneath the bookcase opened, and two boxes of biscuits flew out and landed on the coffee table in front of him.
Grindelwald looked up and glanced at him, looking at him as if he was sitting in his own office, without any politeness.
Facing his gaze, Dumbledore simply ate a biscuit and responded with a crisp "crunch" sound.
“Of course he came.” Grindelwald returned his gaze to the pre-order form and signed his name on it. “Not only did he come, he also followed my people. But later he met John. I don’t know what John said to him, but he went straight back to the Magical Congress of the United States. According to my intelligence, he has not appeared in Europe since then.”
Hearing his words, Dumbledore blinked and suddenly spoke coldly.
"You followed your people to England. You made a good deal with Severus."
Grindelwald put down the quill in his hand.
"Did Jon tell you that?"
"He never mentioned much about you to me, but the cooperation between Severus and I is deeper than you think."
"That's indeed your strong point," Grindelwald said without denying it, but it was hard to tell whether he agreed or mocked. "Haven't you always had some understanding of my affairs?"
Dumbledore was eating a biscuit, and he seemed to have thought of something.
"Do you remember the last things we talked about when I went to Nurmengard before you came out?"
"You mean the time I saw you being kicked out of school and laughed at your miserable appearance?"
Dumbledore spread his hands.
"If you think that's the case, then I have no objection. But what I want to say is that as long as what you said to me was true and you haven't forgotten the promise you made, then you can do whatever you want. I won't stop you. Of course, I'm not likely to help you much either."
Grindelwald leaned back in his chair and spoke calmly.
"Even blood oaths can be broken in some way, and you are willing to believe in a few unsecured, empty promises?"
"We are all so old. Sometimes what people say at this age is more reliable than a blood oath."
Dumbledore laughed and took a sip of his tea.
"So, you've been thinking about it for so long. Have you thought about what I said when I first came here?"
Grindelwald paused in his movements. He no longer had that tone that always sounded like he was mocking someone. He just looked deeply at Dumbledore.
"Sometimes I just can't understand what's going on in your mind, Albus."
"The biggest difference between people is reflected in their thoughts. It's normal to not understand what others think. You are not a natural Legilimency, and I will not release my Occlumency on you."
Dumbledore returned his gaze seriously.
"I have already arranged everything, so actually in my original idea, you would agree to this condition."
"What if I say no?"
"Don't forget that Jon is here. Will you still refuse when you face him?"
"Do you really think I have such high hopes for him? What if I reject him too?"
The headmaster's office fell silent, and Dumbledore wiped the biscuit crumbs from the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Then I can only choose to believe Jon."
Grindelwald shook his head.
"Jon Green has always trusted you. He thinks that no matter what decision you make, it will definitely be right, but you put too much on him. Is this the trust you give back to him? People like you are always like this. You like to force yourself to bear many things that you don't need to bear. Even if you succeed as you thought this time, what will happen? Can you live forever and save the wizarding world for the rest of your life? Will someone like Voldemort appear in the future? None of you can guarantee it, but you still pay too much to save those brief people and things in front of you. This is also the point that I am most dissatisfied with Jon. He is very similar to you in some ways, although not as stubborn as you are."
Dumbledore said quietly.
"It's just that you don't like it. When you really become a successful person, you can make a decision about what to do for Jon in the future. "
"Is this really the only solution we can think of?" Grindelwald frowned. He seemed unable to accept some of Dumbledore's words.
"It's not that I can only think of this method, but this is the only possibility now."
"But even if you confirm this possibility, who will deal with him? Jon now? He has great potential, but whether that potential can be transformed into strength depends on the future. He is not qualified yet."
Dumbledore's face turned completely calm.
"The situation before us now is just like eating a chocolate jumping frog. No one would put it in their mouth without peeling off its outer packaging. Some things need to be done step by step. The current step is to peel off its outer packaging. If I'm lucky, maybe I can take a bite. But if I keep waiting, it may never end. I don't know when it will end."
Grindelwald fell silent. He didn't know whether he was convinced by Dumbledore or he no longer had the intention to answer.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"This is the last time I'll help you."
…
Aegina and the others were not surprised to see Jon showing panic.
The prestige that Voldemort had built up among the pure-bloods over twenty years could not be broken with just a few words or in a short period of time.
Fortunately, they have another master to choose from. If there has only been one Voldemort from the beginning to the end, and with his current personality change, few of them would dare to carry out such activities in private, which is completely equivalent to betrayal.
"I think your family should be able to tell whether the gentleman in the UK now is the great man who led us through these glorious 10 years."
Hunter stared into Jon's eyes and said, as if he wanted to see all of Jon's inner struggle.
"Of course we must be loyal, but loyalty cannot be blind. The person who now rules the entire UK has obviously changed. He just , but they are actually two completely different people."
Jon's face turned pale and he looked around nervously. Talking about such a topic in a place like this made him feel very uneasy.
"And then? You have been hiding things from me all this time just to tell me this? Even if you discover the master's transformation, what will happen? Do you know why he has become like this? Can you find the real master?"
After hearing Jon's series of questions, Hunter and the other two looked at each other and then smiled.
"How do you know we haven't found the real owner?"
Hearing their words, Jon's face seemed to freeze. Suddenly, his eyes widened, as if he had thought of something, and he looked at the three people standing in front of him.
"That's why you guys stick together? That's why you guys avoid your master's sight and gather together!"
"We did not avoid the master's sight. The madman now is not our master. We have only one master, and that is the one we are obeying and serving now."
Bartolo lowered his voice and stared at Jon seriously.
"Now that we have told you all this, Spike, that means we want to bring you along. How many purebloods do you think don't know this? Those who waver and are stubborn and die-hard will eventually be abandoned by the new era. Only those who are truly steadfast will gain greater power."
Jon swallowed, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the news.
"But now we are in the middle of a war. Is this... really appropriate?"
"Only those with shallow vision would stare at the battlefield of ordinary wizards, Spike." Aegina said, "Why were we able to achieve such a great victory before, and the noble status of pure-bloods was truly consolidated? Is it because we are good at fighting? Of course not, it is just because we are united around the master. As long as the master can keep winning, then of course we can keep winning as well. Similarly, if the master loses, then everything we have now will be in vain."
Henry then tried to break through Jon's psychological defenses.
"You should have heard about how those people from the Wizarding World treated pure-bloods, right? They used the gallows that Muggles use to treat death row prisoners! Think about it carefully, why the war situation has become like this? It's because the master has lost two consecutive battles with Dumbledore! And are these defeats really caused by the master who leads us? These are all the fault of the madman who is in power now! If we continue to follow them, none of us will have a good ending, so the more we get to the point now, the more we have to make the right choice!"
Jon seemed to be completely moved by his words and fell silent.
Of course, Bartlo has to strike while the iron is hot at this time.
"Haven't you noticed that apart from the Parkinsons, there are no other old-school pure-blood families among us? We all know that the Ollivanders are different from other families. You are not a bunch of old-fashioned people who can't adapt. That's why we want to bring you along, Spike. This is a rare opportunity, especially since the Lestrange family has been abolished. The things they have vacated will always need to be divided up. So who should they be given to? Of course, we who are truly loyal to our master!"
His words seemed to have completely moved Jon.
Jon raised his head and looked into the three of their eyes, which he thought were sincere, but he did not agree immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath and said.
"Can you give me some time to think about it?"
When he said this, Aina and the others already knew almost everything about the matter.
No matter how much they talked, as a pure-blood with a brain, it was impossible for him to agree to it on the spot, because Jon represented not only himself, but also the entire Ollivander family behind him.
Now that he has been persuaded, the remaining time he has to consider is just to communicate with people in the family.
In this regard, Aegina and the other two certainly would not stop him, but only gave him a warning which was not a threat.
"Of course, such a big thing needs to be considered, but there are some things we also need to say in advance. If you want to inform on someone, report this to the top. Believe me, none of us will be punished, but the person who tells the truth will be in danger!"
Jon nodded and said seriously that he would not tell anyone.
In fact, what they said was indeed true. Even if the madman Voldemort knew that there were so many pure-bloods secretly colluding with another self, he would not be able to really kill all of them. If this were true, the entire UK would not even have the basis for bloodline rule, unless he later promoted a group of half-bloods as pure-bloods, which would be equivalent to treating his previous theories of more than ten years as a joke.
Therefore, the only person who could be punished in the end is the one who informed on the case.
After completing all the communication with them, they spent the rest of the dinner leisurely, and no one talked about work-related matters anymore.
After the dinner was over, most of the guests had left, and Slughorn's manor was left with only him and Jon. Jon then slumped in his chair.
"Acting is so tiring, even more tiring than fighting with someone directly."
Slughorn brought him a glass of orange juice.
"So what's the result?"
"Basically there is no problem. We just need to wait another three to five days to give them a confirmed reply."
Jon said seriously.
"But people like them certainly don't know what Voldemort is going to do by guarding the Department of Mysteries. We must also contact those who are truly trusted by Voldemort and know some inside information."
"You mean the people who stay in the Department at all times?"
"That's right, because they are the only ones who are really doing things, unlike these idiots who just want to share the profits."
