Grindelwald

July 18.

Just last night, Dobby showed up in his dorm room.

"Young master, Dobby has received an urgent message. An old woman named Vinda Rosier wants to see you. She says she is your great-aunt, and you will definitely see her," Dobby said respectfully.

"Oh, it's her?" Skylar frowned slightly, wondering to himself what she wanted to see him for. Then he felt relieved. With his current strength, he could go anywhere. He would know the answer when he saw her anyway, so there was no need to sacrifice sleep in the middle of the night to make pointless guesses.

Skylar stopped thinking about it and asked directly, "Where should I meet her?"

"Although the Rosier Family is defunct in name only, their ancestral home hasn't been reclaimed by the Ministry of Magic and remains under their name. It's currently being temporarily occupied by this Rosier family," Dobby answered clearly, as if he had rehearsed the words countless times in his mind. He then handed over a folded piece of paper. "It contains the password to open the door. Dobby has never opened the paper before."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Dobby. It's so late at night, and you still have to make this trip. Do you want some snacks or something?" Skylar said gently. This was something Skylar and Dobby often did when they were little—hiding to share snacks. Most of the time, it was when Skylar was punished by her parents and locked up, and Dobby would secretly bring snacks to Skylar.

"No need, little master, this is what Dobby should do." A hint of hesitation flashed in Dobby's eyes, then he shook his head vigorously and said.

Little master, thank you, but you are no longer a child, no longer the little master you once were. Dobby can do now is give his life for your ideals, for your great cause.

"By the way, young master, since you're here, I'd like to inform you that Runcorn has successfully become a prosecutor and is now gathering manpower to form his interrogation team. However, the matters concerning Mr. Carrow and Mr. Bletchley Family still require a little more time to process. Director Amelia asked me to inform you, and I hope you understand."

Skylar nodded, showing no surprise at the result.

Runcorn's position was a completely new department and title, and it was under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement headed by Amelia, so it was very easy to operate.

Skylar's plan for Mr. Carrow and Mr. Bletchley Family was to place them as the head of one division of the Department for the Control of Fantastic Beasts and the head of one division of the Spirit Division, respectively. These positions were not within Amelia's purview and were more important, meaning they would face much fiercer competition from other factions.

But Skylar had confidence in Amelia. He believed that given enough time, Amelia would definitely be able to complete the task. Moreover, he wasn't without his people in the Department for the Control of Fantastic Beasts; the two directors of the Beast Division and the Beings Division were people Skylar could trust.

After Dobby left, Skylar lost all interest in sleeping and read until dawn.

Rosier home is hidden deep in a dense forest. The towering stone walls are covered with dark green moss, and the iron gate is inlaid with an ancient family crest—a black rose intertwined with a gleaming short sword.

As night fell, the entire manor appeared eerie and imposing, like a forbidden place isolated from the world.

Upon reaching the gate, Skylar read the code from the note, and the gate opened with a low creak.

Skylar stepped across the leaf-strewn path toward the main gate of the ancestral home. The two demonic stone statues at the entrance, their eyes seemingly tangible, coldly watched his every step. Vinda Rosier had been waiting for a long time; she stood on the porch, dressed in a deep black robe, her white hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

"Skylar," she smiled slightly, her voice carrying a meaningful gentleness, "You really came, just as I expected."

Skylar's gaze swept over her, his eyes steady yet wary. "Since you personally invited me, Aunt Vinda, I certainly cannot be negligent. I hope you will not disappoint me."

Vinda smiled and gestured for him to come in, "Of course not. I assure you, this meeting will be more meaningful than you expect."

As soon as the two stepped into a spacious reception room, Skylar's gaze was immediately drawn to the figure in the center of the room.

It was a tall, thin man dressed in a long black robe, standing with his back to them by the fireplace. His short, silvery-white hair gleamed with a cold light, and his figure was shrouded in an atmosphere of intertwined firelight and shadow. He slowly turned around, revealing a deep and sharp face, his eyes burning with an incredible fervor and an all-knowing calm.

Although it was their first meeting, Skylar recognized him at a glance.

Who else could possess a temperament that simultaneously embodies madness, domineering nature, and profound depth?

Gellert Grindelwald.

Skylar's expression froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He stepped forward, nodded slightly, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, "Nice to meet you, Grindelwald. I am Skylar Malfoy of the House of Malfoy. It is an honor to meet such a legendary figure as you."

"So you're Skylar Malfoy, the most prominent figure in Great Britain these past few years? You're quite young indeed." Grindelwald's greyish-white eyes gleamed with a strange light as he intently examined Skylar.

Skylar knew that Grindelwald was actually a prophet, and one who could fully control his abilities. His current actions were likely an attempt to use his Divination talents to foresee Skylar's future.

Skylar wore a half-smile. Grindelwald was only wasting his time. Even after Professor Trelawney took Skylar's potion, his Divination skills were second to none, yet he still couldn't glimpse a single aspect of Skylar's fate.

Sure enough, Grindelwald's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "How could this be? You don't have a fate line? Is there really such a miracle in this world?"

Skylar smiled and said calmly, "There are many things in this world that you cannot imagine, and even Divination is not omnipotent." Skylar continued, "You went all the way from Austria to Great Britain, and even went through Aunt Vinda to find me. You didn't come here just to do my Divination, did you?"

The dim light cast their shadows onto the ancient carpet, and the only sound was the faint crackling of the firewood in the fireplace. A subtle sense of oppression hung in the air, as if the entire space was bearing witness to a historical gamble.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, all in one look!

Grindelwald's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, were fixed on Skylar, his voice low and powerful. "The Philosopher's Stone. That's the only reason I've brought you here today. I need it to restore my peak power."

I see.

Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nurmengard for nearly 50 years, inevitably facing the aging of his body and the decline of his magic. Although he escaped, apart from his talent for Divination, he was no different from other ordinary wizards; he was no longer the formidable Dark Lord he once was.

Skylar knew that everything Grindelwald had experienced was irreversible, which was also Dumbledore's original intention in imprisoning him, because losing his magic was the most painful punishment than killing him.

But he overlooked one point, or rather, he deliberately ignored it—magic has rules, but there are always exceptions.

The Philosopher's Stone is precisely the kind of thing that can create exceptions.

And coincidentally, Skylar happened to have one.

No, this is no coincidence. You see, Grindelwald is a prophet. He may have planned all of this before the escape—escaping, infiltrating Great Britain, meeting up with Vinda, and finally coming after me.

He knew that Great Britain possessed something that could restore his magic; he knew this thing was the Philosopher's Stone in Skylar's possession; he also knew that his Aunt Vinda could help him.

Skylar could only say that, at the level of strategic planning, the abilities of a prophet are truly terrifying.

Happy New Year!