In an instant, everyone below was stunned. Some fell silent, while others stared blankly at the old man, their mouths hanging open as he spoke slowly. The old man no longer seemed to have that sharp gaze. He had grown weaker, gentler, more willing to compromise—and somehow, more approachable.
"Because I know what Grindelwald intends to do. I know what he will bring to this world, and I long for those changes just as much."
"You don't need to look so surprised. I know you've all read that article. That's right, 'For the Greater Good' was something I came up with and told Grindelwald."
"It wasn't youthful recklessness, and I wasn't under Grindelwald's spell. I genuinely believed in it."
"..."
To be honest, even Professor McGonagall, who had lived through those events, was stunned. She stared at Dumbledore in disbelief, listening to his account of the past with complicated feelings.
"In short, Grindelwald didn't just bring destruction. He was the one who made the Wizarding World allow wizards and Muggles to marry, which gave Half-blood wizards the right to live freely."
"And on that foundation, I went a step further, giving even more wizards from Muggle families greater possibilities for the future."
"I think that alone is enough for me to say I have a clear conscience. I don't regret what I did in the past. It brought the Wizarding World a brighter future."
"The same reasoning applies to Tom Riddle..."
"Some things are simply difficult for us to accomplish—or even impossible because of who we are. Yet Tom's own plans can make those things happen with ease."
"Truthfully, I shouldn't be the one to finish this. I'm already exhausted. I've given far too much to the Wizarding World, and I long to sleep. But when I look around, I