The Beginning of Every Conspiracy-Dumbledore!

Dumbledore was telling the truth.

He knew very well that Andy had exchanged magical knowledge with Grindelwald.

Andy had obtained some spellcasting techniques from Grindelwald, while Grindelwald had learned the secret of Mind-Magic Fusion from Andy.

Once Grindelwald completed the fusion of mind and magic, his strength would increase dramatically.

Dumbledore felt that... the odds between the two were probably even.

Yet to Scrimgeour, Dumbledore's words carried an entirely different meaning.

If they could not capture Grindelwald as soon as possible?

What that meant was: Don't be fooled by how thoroughly prepared I am; this capture operation is bound to fail! Even I am no match for him?

What that meant was: After the capture operation fails, I will remain locked in a stalemate with Grindelwald for a long time.

Scrimgeour was profoundly shaken, his hands turning cold.

Looking at the kindly, benevolent Dumbledore before him, Scrimgeour felt as though a world-shaking conspiracy was hanging over the Wizarding World.

And the beginning of that conspiracy—was Dumbledore! "Hoo—"

Letting out a soft breath, Scrimgeour's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he began sorting through every piece of intelligence concerning Dumbledore.

First, Dumbledore and Grindelwald had been close friends in their youth.

During the period when Grindelwald ravaged the European Wizarding World, Dumbledore had remained holed up at Hogwarts, turning a deaf ear to everything happening outside.

Only after Grindelwald had built up overwhelming momentum did Dumbledore step forward to stop him.

However...

According to the intelligence, the year Grindelwald was defeated happened to be the year Voldemort—Tom Riddle—graduated.

It was Dumbledore himself who brought Voldemort into the Wizarding World! And not only that.

Scrimgeour recalled the last wizarding war—he had taken part in that battle.

During the war, Dumbledore had actively resisted Voldemort and had even formed a civilian organization called the