Grindelwald was just as talented as Albus Dumbledore.
"I was deeply attracted to the idea of ruling Muggle by a select group of elite wizards."
Dumbledore's lips curled up slightly, as if he were reminiscing about those wonderful times.
There will never be another tragedy like Ariana's, and there will never be another wizard like Percival who dies in Azkaban.
They had already made all the plans during their vacation.
Albus Dumbledore decided to take Ariana with him to achieve these goals alongside Grindelwald.
But then his willful younger brother appeared.
Aberforth accused him of ignoring Ariana's feelings and stubbornly believing that he was doing it for her own good.
"Our argument escalated to the point where we even pulled out our wands."
Vincent knew that Dumbledore was right, and so was his brother Aberforth.
Were the three Muggle boys in the wrong?
No, the problem lies in the conflict between wizards and Muggle, which arises from ignorance.
"Gellert Grindelwald used the Cruciatus Curse on Aberforth, and my wand was pointed at him."
Dumbledore bent down and, with trembling hands, placed them on Ariana's tombstone.
"We all overlooked one thing: we only stopped stupidly when she collapsed."
But it was all too late; Ariana had already left.
Grindelwald ran away.
At her funeral, Aberforth broke Albus Dumbledore's nose.
"I don't know whose curse it is. I even asked Gellert Grindelwald, but he just smiled and shook his head, saying he didn't know."
Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald parted ways.
From that moment on, guilt and regret about Ariana have haunted him ever since.
Vincent understood.
From that day on, Dumbledore was trapped in the past.
He refused any change, refused anything that would disrupt the status quo.
"Professor, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."
Dumbledore. "What really motivated me to fight against Gellert Grindelwald was not his ideology."
As time has passed, " for the For the Greater Good" has become nothing more than an excuse.
To achieve great things, it's inevitable to face some difficult choices.
Vincent looked at Aurelius Dumbledore's tombstone. "Professor, who is this one?"
"The true master of Fawkes," Dumbledore stood up. "He is another tragedy for our family."
He didn't seem to have any intention of telling this story.
But based solely on Ariana's story, Vincent had already resolved the doubts that had troubled him for so long.
Dumbledore will not initiate change, but he will not oppose others doing so either.
What he opposed was Grindelwald, who strayed from the path midway, and Voldemort, who was wrong from the very beginning.
"Professor, I will not make a decision that I will regret for the rest of my life."
"Very good!"
Three days later, the local court in Surrey accepted Harry's case.
Eric used a few connections to expedite the entire trial process.
On the night before the trial, Harry still didn't know what choice to make.
Forgive?
Or not forgive?
He longed to confide in someone, but whether it was the Wayne family or the Weasley family, all the answers he received were to follow his heart.
"Ron, I can't sleep."
"Please, this is the seventh time you've woken me up."
Harry, sitting on the bed, gently nudged him. "I have to go to court tomorrow, and I haven't decided what to do yet."
"Do what you want to do—" Ron replied listlessly.
"Why don't you flip a coin before you go in? After all, it's up to fate."
Harry stopped.
He didn't seem to be struggling with how to choose; rather, he seemed to be looking for an excuse to convince himself.
9 a. m., Surrey County Courthouse.
Many people attended the hearing, most of whom were wizards.
Celebrity journalist Rita was, of course, present.
Vincent smiled at her.
She returned an even brighter smile.
The judge in charge of the case didn't take it seriously at first, until he received a phone call from a captain.
Such serious cases as child abuse must be taken seriously!
From acceptance of the application to the start of the court hearing, it took less than a week in total.
The Weasley family and Wayne sat in the second row, followed by the Granger family and Diggory.
The people in the front row were not relatives of the Dursleys, but Dumbledore Fudge, and a host of other bigwigs.
"Cornelius, I think there are many aspects of their laws that we can learn from."
"Is this your reason for bringing the entire Wizengamot here?"
"This concerns Harry's future."
Fudge gave Dumbledore a deep look. "Albus Dumbledore, you should know how difficult it is to amend the law."
"I know, but everything is constantly changing."
"We'll talk about it later." Fudge said nothing more and turned his attention to the two defendants.
No matter what excuse you use, it cannot change the fact that Petunia and Vernon are Harry's only family.
"Defendants, if you are unwilling to support the plaintiff, why did you leave him in your home?"
Petunia did not answer the judge's question directly, but Vernon said that he had a secret he could not tell.
"Family, you are family." The judge shook his head and looked at the restless Harry.
"Plaintiff, do you agree with the defendant's statements regarding 'punishment' and other related claims?"
"I—I—" Harry clenched his fists tightly in nervousness.
If he approves, his uncle and aunt will face legal consequences.
If you don't agree, it's equivalent to forgiving them.
"I don't agree!" Harry slowly loosened his fist.
"But they are my only family, and I don't want to see them go to jail for it."
Petunia and Vernon stared at him in horror.
"Your Honor, I believe they will make changes."
After everything that's happened, Harry still considers them family.
Evelyn shook her head slightly at her lawyer friend.
Now that a choice has been made, the same thing should be avoided from happening again.
"Your Honor, I would like to request a supervisory order against the two defendants until my clients reach adulthood."
"Are there people to oversee this?"
"Yes, it's Mr. Eric Wayne."
After issuing a supervision order, the supervisor has the obligation to provide advice, help and support to the child.
In the event of an emergency during implementation, an application for a court order or emergency protective measures can be made.
With it, if the Dursley wanted to treat Harry the same way as before, they would have to get past Eric first.
The judge granted the application for a supervisory order.
"Defendants, are you willing to accept this?"
Petunia and Vernon looked at each other in silence, and finally nodded silently.
They may have anticipated this outcome, or they may have been mentally prepared for it.
But agreeing to the supervision order also means accepting Harry.