After seeing the Wayne family back to Diagon Alley, Devin returned to the manor and immediately entered his father's study.
Clement was resting with his eyes closed.
"Sit down first."
He seemed to be considering the terms of their recent cooperation, or perhaps pondering the future.
"What do you think of Vincent?"
"Calm, intelligent, brimming with confidence..."
"How does he compare to those two?"
Devin frowned deeply. "The first is an idealist willing to stop at nothing, while the latter is a pure extremist.
His background will draw plenty of criticism, but with his status as Nicolas Flamel's apprentice and his own impeccable talent..."
Clement opened his eyes. "A little excellence invites jealousy. Too much excellence commands admiration."
"Dad, you mean he—"
"Even with his ties to the Wizards' Purity Party, Dumbledore still thinks very highly of him."
If even the acknowledged strongest wizard felt that way, how could Grindelwald, who was said to possess the gift of foresight, remain indifferent?
"Through a contest with Vincent?"
"No." Clement's gaze sharpened. "Dumbledore's intelligence network is even more accurate than the Ministry of Magic's. I am more inclined to believe it is a tacit understanding.
Devin, Muggles have already invented a device that allows long-distance communication. Do you know what that means?"
"I do." Devin's frown deepened. "It means our living space will only shrink further, perhaps even returning us to the dark ages of the Middle Ages—"
"Grindelwald foresaw the future!" His eyes suddenly widened.
"Dad, is that their tacit understanding? Is that why they chose Vincent, a Muggle-born?"
"Don't forget that Nicolas Flamel possesses the world's only alchemical Prophecy Orb."
"Then his reason for destroying the Sorcerer's Stone..."
Clement merely smiled without answering.
The information the Ministry of Magic had gone to such lengths to suppress could only concern that