Rest and Recuperate

Over the years, the older generation of Acolyte have either died or grown old, while the new generation of Acolyte has inherited the ideas of their predecessors.

They only recognized Gellert Grindelwald, and neither of them respected the other, nor could they control the other.

Therefore, calling the Acolyte of today a disorganized mess would be an understatement; to put it bluntly, they are fighting their own battles, a chaotic mess.

How many people can you gather here?

"Approximately ten families, mainly located in Germany, France, and Poland."

Tom's question was difficult for him to answer, so he could only vaguely reply, "There are still quite a few people alive, but they live such stifled lives that they dare not show themselves openly."

"Mr. Riddle," Vogel hesitated for a long time before cautiously beginning, "You said before that you could contact Lord Gellert Grindelwald ..."

"Lord Gellert Grindelwald, is he going to return to the fold?" Vogel's voice trembled, and something flickered in his eyes.

"I have a special talent: I can communicate with Gellert Grindelwald's Prophecy visions," Tom casually made up an excuse without batting an eye.

"He saw everything when Macduff ambushed Newt Scamander Scamander, and he even begged me to help you out."

"So even if Newt Scamander refuses to let you off the hook, I'll find a way to let him go."

Upon hearing this, Macduff and the other Acolyte who participated in the ambush instantly had tears in their eyes, their faces filled with emotion.

I never imagined that even though the adults were imprisoned in Nurmengard, they still cared about them.

"So, is the master coming back to power?" Vogel's voice trembled with excitement, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

"We're going to Nurmengard right now! Even if it costs us our lives, we'll rescue the master!"

"Are you out of your mind?" Tom snapped at him, instantly extinguishing his enthusiasm.

"You bunch of old and weak people think you can storm into Nurmengard to rescue people? Do you really think Albus Dumbledore is dead?"

Vogel and the group of Acolyte instantly calmed down, their faces even showing fear.

To be honest, Albus Dumbledore's reputation among the Acolyte was no different from Voldemort's in the Britain Wizarding World; both were figures that people feared.

He was the one who defeated the adults back then; these people couldn't even touch a single finger of Albus Dumbledore.

Tom snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain. "You're a complete mess yourself, and you're still thinking about saving people?"

"The most important thing to do now is to gather all our strength and restore our vitality, instead of thinking about those unrealistic nonsense all day long."

Several elderly people, whose combined age was nearly five hundred, were completely subdued by a teenager, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The younger descendants of the Acolyte dared not cause any trouble, especially since they noticed that when Tom addressed Gellert Grindelwald, there was no trace of servility, though respectful.

It sounds more like an equal partnership, a position even higher than Vogel's.

Seeing that they had all quieted down, Tom continued, "Where is Vinda Rosier? I want that replica Elder Wand she has."

Upon hearing the words "replica of the Elder Wand," Vogel's expression turned serious, and the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.

He was now completely convinced of the relationship between Tom and Gellert Grindelwald.

During the heyday of Acolyte, it was all managed by Vinda Rosier, the "French Black Rose."

To legitimize her claim and to gain the trust of her subordinates, Gellert Grindelwald created a replica of the Old Elder Wand 'Elder Wand, modeled after the original.

He also taught her a special method to outline the Deathly Hallows symbol that carried Gellert Grindelwald's unique aura.

To put it simply, that Replica Wand is the Acolyte's "seal," and only with it can he truly issue commands on behalf of Gellert Grindelwald.

Back then, only the core members of the Acolyte knew of its existence; it was also the trump card Gellert Grindelwald left for Tom to finally prove his identity.

Vogel replied respectfully, "Mr. Riddle, Ms. Rosier is currently imprisoned in the deepest Bastille."

"However, thanks to the Rosier family's influence in France, she's not really imprisoned; at most, she's under house arrest, and her treatment is quite good."

"Oh, what a coincidence?" Tom turned to Macduff, grinning mischievously. "You and your old man were cellmates, weren't you?"

When this hellish joke was uttered, Macduff's face turned green. He opened his mouth, but for a long time he didn't know how to respond.

Britain has Azkaban, and France has the Bastille.

Although the Muggle Bastille was demolished as early as 1791, the Wizarding World Bastille, located deep beneath the original site, continues to function.

The guards there were an army of magical creatures, including Kneazle, fire dragons, and even five-legged man-eating monsters.

Its danger level is in no way inferior to that of the Dementor of Azkaban; France wizards tremble at the mere mention of it.

"Since she's still locked up, it's not convenient for me to see her right now," Tom said after a moment's thought.

"You handle the rest. Whether it's finding a way to get her out of trouble or getting her to hand over the wand to me, I only care about the results, not the process."

He paused, then glared at Vogel, his tone serious.

"Also, go back and thoroughly vet the people around you. Don't bring just any Tom, Dick, Harry, spy, or mole into my life."

"If something like Étienne happens again, you'll have to deal with it yourselves."

"Yes, yes, we will definitely screen them carefully!" Vogel nodded in shame, looking at Étienne, who had been tortured into unconsciousness.

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. This time it was their oversight; they would never let such a mistake happen again.

"If you need to contact me, send the letter to the Greengrass family in Britain. I'm leaving now."

Just as Tom was about to Apparition, he remembered something, turned to look at Macduff, and said sarcastically.

"Don't go looking for trouble with Newt Scamander Scamander again. Aren't you ashamed? It's embarrassing to win, but it's even more embarrassing to lose."

"It will only make people think that the Acolyte can't accept defeat and dare not seek revenge against Albus Dumbledore."

"You only know how to bully Newt Scamander, that honest guy? Is this how Gellert Grindelwald taught you to bully the weak and fear the strong?"

Macduff blushed deeply, his head drooping so low he almost buried it in his chest, unable to utter a single rebuttal for a long time.

Tom glanced at him, said nothing more, and vanished in Apparition.

Vogel and the others didn't dare linger; the commotion from the release of the Fiendfyre and the fighting had been quite significant.

It's estimated that the Auror from the French Ministry of Magic will arrive soon, so it's not advisable to stay here any longer.

Moreover, they also had to deal with Étienne's family.

Vogel had assured Tom that he would get this done tonight without any mistakes.

As for how to meet Vinda Rosier and how to obtain the Replica Wand, the two tacitly agreed and didn't elaborate further.

If they can't even handle this small matter, then these Acolyte are of no use whatsoever.