Nurmengard

After Snape left, Dumbledore stood alone in the Hogwarts headmaster's office, staring blankly at the letter from Newt Scamander on his desk, lost in thought.

It was not until a long time had passed that Dumbledore seemed to reach a decision; he stood up and walked to the other side of the office.

Here, Dumbledore's own phoenix, Fawkes, was dozing. Sensing Dumbledore's arrival, Fawkes opened its eyes and gently nuzzled against him.

"Fawkes, I'm sorry to trouble you!"

Dumbledore stroked Fawkes as he spoke softly.

Immediately, Fawkes let out a loud cry, and with a "pop," the figures of the man and the bird vanished from the Hogwarts headmaster's office.

In Central Europe, in a desolate, snow-covered region, stood a tall tower. Amidst the uninhabited expanse of white, the figures of Dumbledore and Fawkes appeared instantly.

Dumbledore stood before the tower, looking at the inscription carved above the entrance: For the Greater Good. After a moment of silence, Dumbledore walked alone into the tower known as Nurmengard.

Dumbledore climbed the stairs alone until he reached the very top of Nurmengard, where, in a vast, empty room, an old man with a wrinkled face and tattered clothes sat quietly by himself.

Looking at the old man before him, it was hard to imagine that, outside these walls, few would associate him with Gellert Grindelwald, the first Dark Lord who had swept across Europe and America decades ago, striking fear into the hearts of many Ministries of Magic.

Dumbledore looked at the man who had been intertwined with his life for so long, now reduced to this state, and for a moment, he found it difficult to speak.

"Albus, it has been a long time since you last visited. What is it? You come here and say nothing—are you simply checking to see if I am still here, or if I have died?"

Gellert Grindelwald sat upright on the floor, speaking without turning his head.

Dumbledore walked into the empty room and casually conjured a flame.

"Albus, it seems you have grown accustomed to a life of luxury; can you not even endure this little bit of cold? It is truly worrying to leave the wizarding world in the hands of people like you."

Facing Grindelwald's mockery, Dumbledore did not show anger; instead, he retorted like an old friend who hadn't seen him in years:

"I was afraid your eyes were failing you and you wouldn't be able to read the words in the letter!"

With that, Dumbledore took the letter Newt Scamander had sent him from his robes and handed it to Grindelwald.

Grindelwald took the letter with a look of confusion and began to scan it.

He had barely read the opening before he couldn't help but sneer:

"It seems this is a letter from that boy who spends his days wandering around with a zoo in his pocket. I didn't expect that after all these years, you two would still be in contact!"

But as Grindelwald continued to read the contents, his expression gradually darkened, and finally, he tossed the letter back to Dumbledore.

Grindelwald finally stood up and looked Dumbledore straight in the eyes—a pair of eyes that were starkly different from his withered appearance, still deep and bright within the dim tower of Nurmengard.

"So, you came here specifically to see if I had broken our agreement and left Nurmengard, all at the request of that boy? Dumbledore, it seems that with the passage of time, you have forgotten who I am!"

"Staying in Nurmengard was my own choice! Dumbledore, do not forget, it was not you who won back then; it was simply that I, Grindelwald, no longer wished to play!"

Looking at the man before him—both enemy and friend, someone who had once been closer than a brother—Dumbledore said softly:

"Gellert, I have never doubted you. Of course I know you would not break our agreement. The reason this situation has arisen is due to something else. And I know what the real reason is."

Hearing Dumbledore's reply, Grindelwald's expression softened, but he then asked suspiciously:

"It seems there have been some developments in the outside world?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly and said:

"This year, among the new students at Hogwarts, there is a young man named Wentworth Grindelwald!"

"That is impossible!"

Gellert exclaimed, then continued:

"You know that just as the bloodline of your Dumbledore family is naturally gifted with the aid of phoenixes, the bloodline of our Grindelwald family is naturally gifted with the talent of seers. According to my past prophecies, there should have been no more wizards in the Grindelwald family after me!"

Dumbledore said noncommittally:

"His magical talent did appear quite abruptly, but he does indeed possess it; that is beyond doubt."

"Ever since he enrolled, traces of Acolyte activity have appeared all over the world. Even at my Hogwarts, there have been wizards suspected of being Acolytes."

Suddenly, Gellert interrupted Dumbledore's account, frowning as he asked:

"Dumbledore, are you certain that the child possesses the bloodline of the Grindelwald family?"

Dumbledore nodded decisively and said:

"Of course, Gellert. I know what you are worried about. You fear that someone is impersonating a descendant of the Grindelwald family to deceive your followers, using their loyalty to you to achieve some ulterior motive."

Gellert nodded and said slowly:

"Since you know that, you must have verified it."

Dumbledore said as if it were a matter of course:

"Of course, the Acceptance Quill and the Book of Admittance would not be wrong. Besides, the boy looks almost exactly like you did when you were young!"

"Before school even officially began, he had made the entire incoming class remember his name. On the first day, he made the entire Hufflepuff house view him as a lucky charm. On the second day, he displayed a special technique for processing potion ingredients that even my Potions master marveled at."

"Gellert, he is of the Grindelwald bloodline; that is beyond doubt! Furthermore, even my newly hired Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is suspected to be one of your followers, having come to Hogwarts to protect him in secret. You should know your followers—they are not so easily deceived!"

Gellert listened to Dumbledore's explanation, nodded slowly, and after a long silence, sighed:

"That is good, all of that is good. By the way, my brother must be gone by now, but what of Wentworth's parents? If possible, have them leave Europe—go to Asia or Africa, anywhere."

"I once believed that after me, the Grindelwald family would have no further connection to the wizarding world. But since Wentworth has returned to it, my old rivals will surely be stirred into action. His parents are Muggles; it would be best to send them away first."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment before saying slowly:

"According to the new student enrollment records, Wentworth is an orphan. His parents died in a car accident a long time ago..."