Preparations

Sean, who had just lifted his head from the Pensieve, was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with shock.

What just attacked Hogwarts?!

Even through the barrier of memory, Sean could feel a heart-pounding sense of oppression, as if the entire sky was about to press down on him.

He even considered the possibility that it might be a mushroom bomb, but quickly dismissed the idea.

If things have come to this point, Grindelwald must have a deep understanding of Muggle weapons, and he wouldn't allow such a powerful weapon to attack Hogwarts.

Moreover, Sean discovered something very strange.

When he first entered the memory, Grindelwald's exhausted appearance clearly indicated that he had just experienced a great battle, and, as far as Sean knew, Hogwarts Castle actually had a certain self-repairing ability.

This suggests that the battle had only recently ended before Grindelwald recalled that memory.

However, Sean only saw Grindelwald and heard the sounds coming from inside the Great Hall.

No wizards walked by outside the Great Hall, and there were no other sounds that fit the context of this battlefield.

This is unreasonable.

Therefore, Sean tends to believe another possibility, which is very likely...

Everyone is dead...

The culprit was likely the very thing that ultimately attacked Hogwarts.

That must be the key reason why Grindelwald was determined to travel through a century!

"Phew..." Sean let out a long breath. He looked up and made sure that this trip through memories had not caused the awakening of the World Will.

Then he began to reflect on what he had gained from the trip.

The most pressing issue at hand, namely the awakening of the World Will triggered by Grindelwald's journey through a century, has now found a perfect solution.

Sean's task is to persuade the two Grindelwald, one old and one young, to extract their memories and give them something that will increase the Young Grindelwald's magic.

And that thing...

Sean opened his ring, whistled, and soon after, the Aero-Wing Bird flew over, its tail tying a pot of pale red Asparagus Fern to its body.

After taking the item, Sean examined it carefully.

Whether it's the texture, the size, or the unique color, it's exactly the same as the one I remember seeing.

This contains the blood of two adult Qilin...

This asparagus Asparagus Fern was obtained by West from Sean, who also had the same name, Newt. The Magical Creatures breeding expert who shared Hagrid's foul mouth was the grandson of Bunty Dirk, Professor Scamander's former assistant.

Sean spotted the Asparagus Fern the moment he saw it when he was "extorting" his spoils, even though he didn't know what it was for at the time.

But instinctively, Sean subconsciously believed that it was something of great value.

Unexpectedly, this was something Grindelwald brought back from his time travel...

Is it some kind of destiny?

Grindelwald believed that only Sean could handle this matter, and it turned out that Sean had indeed obtained a key item beforehand.

This is amazing.

However, with this, I won't need to make another trip to the east.

He needed to go to the location Grindelwald had given him, where Old Grindelwald was hiding, and where the memories of persuading Young Grindelwald were found at the bottom of the lake.

If everything goes smoothly, then all the steps should be as follows.

Both Grindelwald extracted memories from after 1899. The Young Grindelwald absorbed the blood of the Qilin to gain magical power equivalent to that of the Old Grindelwald, thus enabling the two to reach an agreement.

According to the rules of time travel, it is necessary to wait until 1966, the time Grindelwald travels to, for Young Grindelwald to use the Time-Turner.

This time, we don't need to go back a hundred years; perhaps three hours will be enough.

As long as this step goes smoothly, the World Will will not awaken.

Then he handed over all the preserved memories to Grindelwald, including a copy to Dumbledore.

Once the other party has fully absorbed the memories, the truth about the time travel will be revealed.

Moreover, Grindelwald will no longer be constrained by then.

Of course, a new problem will then arise – the Broken Blood Pact.

Sean's biggest worry was what Dumbledore's attitude would be when the two Grindelwald merged into one and regained their true selves.

And what is Grindelwald's attitude when he possesses all the memories?

In the final moments of his memory, Grindelwald tells Sean, "If things get out of control, then kill me, Sean. Oh, and remember to tell Albus sorry."

It all started because of Grindelwald. Given his character, if killing him could solve the problem, then this man wouldn't hesitate for a second—something Sean could understand.

But that apology to Dumbledore made Sean feel uneasy.

What exactly happened between the two of them in the world before Grindelwald traveled to...?

Sean looked toward the exit, but finally quickly got up and walked toward the wooden door.

He needs to talk to Dumbledore.

Hopefully, the other party is in the Headmaster's Office...

The corridors of Hogwarts were quiet late at night, Sean quickly arrived at the Headmaster's Office.

The Gargoyle glanced at Sean with a stern face, and before he could speak, it said, "If you try to use my passwords for another half hour, I'll hit you with my glued block—why are you taking out that stick?! You, you're pointing at me?! I'm warning you, don't look at me like that, I'm Hogwarts property, damaging school property will get you locked up in detention!"

Sean shook his head with amusement after a two-second standoff with the Gargoyle in front of the wand.

"I was just kidding. Besides, I don't want to test the password either—is Professor Dumbledore here?"

The Gargoyle turned back into a cold, lifeless stone sculpture. After a while, it turned its eyes and spoke honestly.

"The professor said he wasn't here."

Goodness... Sean's eye twitched.

"Sigh... I shouldn't have asked you to pass on my message."

An old voice came, and the Gargoyle jumped to the side.

Dumbledore came out.

"Professor, there's no need to keep avoiding me, is there?" Sean shrugged.

Dumbledore helplessly. "It's unavoidable, Sean. I hope you can understand."

After saying that, both of them fell silent.

The Gargoyle glanced at the two people with its stone eyes, which had no pupils or irises, and finally decided to remain still and be a good statue.

Sean wanted to ask about the Broken Blood Pact, but when he actually stood in front of Dumbledore, he didn't know how to start.

Because, ultimately, this all comes down to Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

Sean didn't know how to get involved, or rather, what role he could play in getting involved in these two people's affairs.

Grindelwald's disciple? Dumbledore's student?

Neither is suitable.

I'm afraid this is something the two of them will have to resolve themselves...

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore spoke first.

"Sean, I think you should have found quite a few clues?"

Sean nodded. "I... I saw a memory—"

Before he could continue, Dumbledore waved his hand, indicating, "No need to tell me, child. Frankly, I'd better not get involved in any of this. You can understand it as, after I saw that memory, I was—"

Dumbledore pointed to the sky. "You're getting more attention, which is one of the reasons I've been putting you in charge. So far, you've done a great job, so good that it makes me a little ashamed."

"You don't have to say that, Professor." Sean shook his head.

"Oh, old men like to feign modesty like that to maintain that profound and benevolent image, but what I'm saying is indeed the truth," Dumbledore relaxed laugh.

Sean sighed and decided to explain his purpose, "Professor, I have found a solution, and I need that memory."

He saw Dumbledore's eyes light up noticeably, and the other man said quite happily, "Oh, that's great, you did a great job, even faster than I expected—I put that memory in the Headmaster's Office, and the password for this period is—hmm, let me think."

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Let's call it 'Memory'. You can take it whenever you need it."

"Okay, I've got it, Professor."

Dumbledore nodded to him. "Then it's time to end this pleasant conversation. Although it may sound hypocritical, I must say that you need to go to bed. Minerva complained to me once that I'm putting too much pressure on you. Mr. Wallop, who loves Transfiguration, even falls asleep in her class."

"Remember to balance work and rest, son." Dumbledore patted him on the shoulder, smiled, and then turned and walked towards his office.

Sean paused for a moment, then said to Dumbledore, "Professor, he asked me to give you a message. He said he's sorry."

Dumbledore didn't stop; he simply waved his hand to indicate that he understood.

The old man's figure was blocked by the Gargoyle.

Sean sighed silently, and as he was about to leave, the Gargoyle hesitantly called out to him.

"Oh, I shouldn't be telling you this... but it's not one of the rules that Hogwarts property has to follow. The headmaster has been away from his office for more than a year, and he usually doesn't come back until late at night. It's strange for a statue to say this, but I can tell that the headmaster is very tired. Sometimes he doesn't even have time to change his charred robes."

"Okay, I'm done talking."

The Gargoyle muttered something and returned to its cold, lifeless stone form.

Sean paused for a moment, hesitated for a second, and then shouted loudly into the office.

"Professor, I have always believed that what you do is for the betterment of the world—this is not a moral blackmail, nor am I testing you, but rather, as Sean Wallerup, I truly believe that you have always been a trustworthy and respectable elder in my heart."

After saying that, he strode away.

The stone corridor was empty, and moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.

The Gargoyle moved its ugly and ferocious face and blinked its stone eyes.

"Oh, I understand now—the headmaster asked me to tell you to thank Sean after you leave."

"The Ministry of Magic's ban remains in effect, and I regret to inform you that you will be spending this Christmas holiday at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall announced loudly.

The students let out sighs of barely concealed disappointment.

Given the current situation, Owl Communications has not yet been restored, so the Christmas holiday is naturally out of the question.

Professor McGonagall adjusted her glasses, softening her tone. "I understand how you all feel, and I'm sorry. All I can do is provide you with a pleasant Christmas holiday. Hogwarts will also provide you with the gifts you desire. I hope you can understand."

After the announcement that he wouldn't be able to go home for Christmas, many students secretly approached Sean.

"Sean, please, please," several students pleaded with Sean, holding up letters.

During the period of isolation, news of Sean's ability to contact the outside world circulated within a few small circles. Given the current situation, many students naturally hoped that Sean could help deliver letters.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it." Sean smiled and accepted the letter.

In fact, Sean was certain that the professors were aware that he had access to the outside world, but they didn't say anything, which clearly indicated their tacit approval.

Sean understands everyone's desire to reconnect with their loved ones, so he's willing to help.

After meeting Hermione and Daisy, the two girls brought a whole bunch of letters.

"Sean, as you said, we can help anyone who wants to contact their family—there are so many people," Hermione said as she sorted through the letters.

"That's normal, it's not a problem for me," Sean said with a smile.

"And what about you?" Daisy blinked. "You're getting ready to go out, right?"

Sean shrugged. "Was I being obvious?"

Hermione and Daisy exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"Okay, I do have to go out, but there's a problem I need to solve..." Sean said helplessly.

He planned to use the Christmas holidays to go to Grindelwald's hiding place and begin all the preparations.

However, Sean realized that he had been overlooking something, which was also the most crucial point.

Grindelwald needs one thing to "become one".

Time-Turner.

Yes, Sean realized that he had forgotten the most crucial element: the Time-Turner.

All the Time-Turner in the Ministry of Magic were destroyed, and he couldn't go back to the Department of Mysteries to see if any intact Time-Turner had been preserved.

Grindelwald should have one, but Sean needs another to give to Young Grindelwald.

This is a big problem.

During this time, Sean contacted West to confirm that the asparagus Asparagus Fern did indeed come from the birthplace of the Qilin. He also asked about the Time-Turner, and West told him that he had never heard of it since he was born.

The information Sean asked Lupin to gather from the various wizarding black markets also indicated that the Time Converter had not circulated in the gray area at all.