Antoine put away his flippant manner, studied Hawthorne seriously for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Although I do think that in some ways... well, you're quite foolish."
He said it without any courtesy, but there was no mockery in his tone.
"But perhaps... what Mr. Grindelwald values is precisely that somewhat foolish stubbornness of yours."
Hawthorne raised his brows slightly and looked at him.
Antoine smiled. "There are as many greedy, cunning politicians in this world as you could want. But people who can truly settle down and work earnestly for an ideal, even willing to end up with Bleeding Heads... there aren't nearly so many."
"Your character, the effort you've put in, and everything you've done to protect the American Wizarding World... may not have been recognized by the Magical Congress, but Mr. Grindelwald saw it all."
"He believes you did nothing wrong. Your failure was not because you were foolish, but because you weren't ruthless enough, underhanded enough."
"He also understands better than anyone... that some things must be done by someone. Some messes must be cleaned up by someone."
"And someone who once managed the vast Magical Congress of the United States of America, while still retaining a little of that laughable 'sense of responsibility' and 'bottom line'... may be the most suitable, perhaps even the only, candidate for certain matters."
Hawthorne's expression shifted slightly, but his brow furrowed deeply as well. "Certain matters? You mean..."
But Antoine shook his head, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.
"As for what exactly... once you truly make up your mind and are willing to become one of the Acolytes, you'll naturally find out. For now, all I can tell you is..."
He stepped closer, and his tone took on a rare gravity.
"I can assure you, Hawthorne, that