Fireworks for the World

The deep blue Fire Dragon and Phoenix charged toward Dumbledore in a pincer movement. Grindelwald seemed to have completely controlled the fiery flames that resembled Fiendfyre. He drew away most of the power of the spell, and the sea of fire that had enveloped everyone was no longer as active.

In mid-air, the soil and stones beneath Dumbledore's feet twisted and contorted wildly, merging and molding to form a massive shield.

The Fire Dragon and Phoenix crashed into the shield, but surprisingly, there was no huge explosion, only dazzling light, and everyone closed their eyes.

As the light faded, the ground where Père Lachaise Cemetery was located trembled violently, stones and flames flew everywhere, and the stone pillars, which were already mostly broken, collapsed with a crash.

The broken and cracked stone slabs crashed down with a rumble, and Sean, whose vision had been limited, finally saw the whole outside world.

Grindelwald floated silently in mid-air, blue flames licking his body. The night wind and waves of fire made the hem of his trench coat rustle. Raindrops summoned by Dumbledore turned into steam above his head.

He stood amidst the flames and smoke, like a demon king returning home.

Opposite him, Dumbledore stood atop his Transfiguration creation, his expression obscured by the distance, only his raised hand and the wand he gripped tightly were visible.

Dumbledore struck again, brandishing his wand like a whip, and raindrops gathered into a jet of water that spiraled toward Grindelwald.

But Grindelwald didn't move an inch. The water jet burst forth, then evaporated in the flames, leaving only a faint mist when it reached Grindelwald.

Dumbledore's expression remained unchanged. He followed suit and swung his wand forcefully, the yellow and red fire whip suddenly extending and lashing out at his opponent, the sound of the fire whip cracking violently in mid-air filling the air.

Grindelwald then raised his hand, but instead of casting a spell, he calmly extended his hand.

He held the swift and terrifying fire whip in his hand with unhurried ease, as if it were a powerless piece of silk.

A sizzling sound rang out, and the fire whip turned into black smoke in Grindelwald's hand, causing him no harm whatsoever.

"Albus," Grindelwald's face had returned to calm, his voice devoid of any other emotion, "Are you really here to put on an act? Is this petty trick of a spell meant to insult me?"

Dumbledore didn't speak; he simply waved his wand calmly.

The rain intensified, and a massive curtain of water enveloped Dumbledore, forcing even Grindelwald's demonic flames to retreat from his vicinity.

"Let me see, let me see your confidence, let me see just how great the greatest wizard in the world really is," Grindelwald laughed arrogantly.

"Gellert, I am never worthy of the word 'great.'" Dumbledore lowered his eyes, and then a dazzling beam of light shot out from the tip of his wand.

Off the field, everyone squinted their eyes and tensed up at the same time.

Even Sean, who was extremely sensitive to magic, slightly shrank his neck. The magic of this spell was so powerful that even Dumbledore, the hairs on the back of his head stood up in an instant.

Even under the Protego Diabolica, this curse could instantly blast me to pieces... no, it probably wouldn't even leave me with fragments!

However, Grindelwald created a massive silver barrier, and the powerful light spell struck it, producing a terrifying impact.

Everyone covered their ears, and the air nearby seemed to tremble because of the strange and terrifying sound.

"Is that all?" Grindelwald shouted. "My old friend, after all this time as Hogwarts Headmaster, haven't you learned anything but to rust and dull your brain?!"

Dumbledore said calmly, "You'll only know if you experience it for yourself."

Five spells, each as bright as a flash of light, were unleashed in succession. Dumbledore's movements were nothing like those of a centenarian. He swung his wand with incredible speed, the five spells chasing each other, almost sticking to the tails of the spells as they transformed into beams of intense light.

Then, it roared away.

The massive surge of magical energy sent chills down everyone's spines, and even Sean's Protego Diabolica extinguished the flickering flames.

However, something unexpected happened: Grindelwald actually waved his wand and removed the silver barrier in front of him!

Even the deep blue flames that had been surrounding him retreated to his feet!

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, and he seemed to make a gesture as if to raise a spell, but it was too late.

The five interconnected spells struck Grindelwald without any hesitation!

Sean's senses seemed to suddenly sink into the air, surrounded by clearly audible swallowing and exclamations, the crackling of flames, and the pattering of rain, all of which filled his mind.

He stared at Grindelwald with his mouth slightly agape, his heart pounding.

In mid-air, the flames subsided, and the raindrops turned into water droplets.

Grindelwald remained suspended in mid-air, his eyes closed, making no sound.

Even knowing that this was their enemy, the surrounding Guard Corps held their breath, eagerly awaiting what would happen next.

"Ha—" Grindelwald finally opened his eyes, letting out a hoarse but joyful sound.

Sean saw that the hand holding the strange branch wand was trembling slightly as he raised it.

He pointed to himself.

"Is he... is he stopping the bleeding...?" a wizard asked in a trembling voice.

No one answered him; everyone stared at Grindelwald in mid-air.

Grindelwald pointed his wand at himself, at his nose and the corners of his eyes from which blood was constantly seeping.

However, no matter how the wand was waved, the blood could not be stopped. It looked as if the person was bleeding themselves, making the scene extremely bizarre.

Those around him kept swallowing hard. No one had ever seen Grindelwald in such a miserable state before, but they understood one thing.

Those five terrifying spells struck Grindelwald squarely!

But he really did hold on...

The Guard Corps ' throats bobbed, a chill running down their spines—just ten minutes ago, they were dealing with this man...

This wizard is absolutely terrifying!

Only Sean remained silent, trying to sense the magical fluctuations at the tip of Grindelwald's wand, but he received no information.

The distance was too great, and Grindelwald and Dumbledore too powerful; their magic operated silently, only unleashing its most needed power when absolutely necessary.

He looked at Grindelwald with some concern, unsure how to describe his feelings at that moment.

The bleeding from Grindelwald's face finally stopped, and he slowly withdrew his wand, without even cleaning the blood from his face.

"Hahaha—hahaha—hahahaha—" Grindelwald laughed wildly, his voice rising from low to high.

He laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight; he was laughing so happily.

"Ha— Albus," Grindelwald said cheerfully, opening his arms as if embracing the night sky where fire and sea intertwined.

Fire Dragon and Phoenix made of deep blue flames flew happily into the sky and circled around the two of them.

"Albus— " Gellert wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes from laughing. The tears mixed with blood, forming a pale red puddle that lingered in the mouth of his hand.

Dumbledore didn't speak, he just watched him silently.

"Albus, with this?" Grindelwald's smile was unrestrained and exaggerated. "You think you can save this ugly and corrupt world all by yourself with such power?"

Dumbledore looked up at him and said, "I am not alone. I could not have done this alone."

Grindelwald laughed even harder, "You didn't deny me, you admitted it, this world is ugly and corrupt—ha, I'm so happy, Albus, have you finally come to realize all this?"

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Dumbledore replied expressionlessly.

"No, no, no—" Grindelwald shook his finger mysteriously, "You have to be alone; no one else is worthy to be your comrade-in-arms."

"You..." Dumbledore frowned first, then closed his eyes as if sensing something, and then showed a shocked expression that Sean had never seen before.

"You! Grindelwald! Stop!"

Grindelwald embraced the night sky, and a silver barrier extended around him without any blind spots, blocking the spell that Dumbledore was about to cast.

He wore an expression of complete absorption, his hands gesturing wildly, like the world's most outstanding conductor.

"Boom!" The towering flames illuminated the entire night sky.

Sean and the others turned around in surprise; the fire was not rising from the cemetery, but to their west.

That's Paris!

The crimson flames blended with the black velvet night sky, and the blood-red clouds obscured the twinkling stars.

Beside Sean, a wizard with a French accent gaped in shock.

"That..."

"Where is that?!" Sean asked quickly.

The man swallowed hard and shouted, "I've been to that location! That's... that's the site of the Aiken Family's manor!"

The location of the Aiken Family's manor?!

"Look, look at this beautiful sight," Grindelwald exclaimed. "Albus, this is my gift to you. Are you satisfied with tonight's fireworks?"

"Ha--"

The unrestrained laughter lingered in the night breeze and drifted into the distance.

In the suburbs of Greece, amidst towering flames and black smoke, a figure coughing violently was dragged by a small body across a patch of grass.

The middle-aged man coughed as he kicked the House-elves beside him, then roared in Greece, "And now, go!"

The House-elves bowed timidly, then disappeared with a loud bang, rushing back into the terrible fire.

The middle-aged man's eyes were filled with confusion and despair. He looked at his family's manor and the sea of fire that had engulfed it. He seemed to see through the flames to the symbol deep within the manor, which had turned to ashes in the fire—the surname that had been passed down from his ancestors for thousands of years: Prossos.

He collapsed helplessly onto the grass, gazing westward into the distance where firelight could be seen on the horizon.

"The Calchas family..." he murmured unconsciously.

The flames were still flickering, and the whole world was dyed red.

Italy.

Spain.

Denmark.

Sweden.

Bulgaria.

Germany.

Romania.

More,

More.

The disease has spread throughout Europe and even to North America.

Flames burst forth like the most perfect fireworks across half the Earth's surface, then were adorned with ashes and cries.

Père Lachaise Cemetery has been completely destroyed. In the center of the ground is a large hole, and people trapped in flames at the bottom of the hole are looking up into the air.

This was the first time Sean had ever seen Dumbledore so furious; his voice had transformed into trembling night rain, and a torrential downpour descended upon the world.

"Grindelwald — Grindelwald! Do you know what you're doing?!"

Grindelwald waved his right hand, which was in command position, and gave it a slight twitch. He then closed his eyes in blissful contentment.

"Listen, my old friend, can you hear it? That sound coming from afar, oh, oh, all kinds of languages, all kinds of tones, that undulating cry, that soaring roar, listen, it is so beautiful—"

He pulled on the twisted wand in his hand, and from above the rain curtain above Dumbledore's head, "Boom!", thunder roared and lightning ripped across the sky.

"Albus, a downpour without lightning and thunder is not perfect."

The lightning seemed to mark the end of the symphony, Grindelwald gracefully touched his chest in acknowledgment, a satisfied smile on his face.

Dumbledore, gripping the wand, trembled slightly as he stared intently at Grindelwald: "You are destroying the foundations of this world, you are—committing a crime..."

Grindelwald casually waved his wand, pacing leisurely in mid-air. "Albus, doesn't betrayal feel bad? I apologize—oh, I shouldn't have kept these arrangements a secret from you. You've thought I'd repented all these years. But I must say, I learned this from you, better safe than sorry, ha!"

"And over the years, I've finally learned more—wizards are naturally superior, we are of a nobler bloodline, and I naturally believe that every wizard's life is precious. However, I must now change my mind, not just because of the blood and sacrifices needed for reform, but because there are too many people, far too many of my Albus." Grindelwald laughed merrily. "Too many people don't deserve the status befitting their bloodline. I've realized I was too kind before. Fools aren't scary; what's scary are greedy fools who pretend to be clever. So I choose to clear the obstacles for you."

"Grindelwald ..." Dumbledore's voice trembled.

"They don't deserve to be your comrades, and without them, your dream world full of love is easier to reach. Shouldn't you thank me? And—" Grindelwald's laughter stopped, his voice as chilling as ice, making it hard to breathe.

"I've always held grudges, extremely so. Ha, plotting against me? Considering the previous scheme against my students, this is just a small return gift."

He revealed a wicked smile.

"My apologies—"

Don't worry about a bad ending. You'll see from the beginning that Harry already has both parents and a sister. Why would I change the tone of this book? Everyone has their own troubles in life and studies. I will write about some darker aspects and conspiracies, but I don't like to use tragedy to upset you. Relax.

You'll find out as you read on—but my WPS had a problem yesterday, and I didn't save the detailed outline... I almost lost it. I have to stay up all night to rewrite the detailed outline, sob sob sob, I'm so annoyed.