The Aftermath

On the night Grindelwald was expelled from Bhutan after failing to become Supreme Mugwump.

Fine snowflakes drifted down from the New York sky, carpeting the ground with a pristine white blanket.

The little bakery at 443 Rivington Street Manhattan was brightly lit, its tiny shop decorated with all sorts of ornaments and brand-new wallpaper—created for Jacob by his wizard friend using Transformation.

The Great Depression of the 1930s had a significant impact on the socio-economic situation in the America, and Jacob's Kowalski Quality Baked Goods was no exception; his business did not fare well during this period.

But what saddened Jacob the most was never business, but the departure of his lover, Queenie Goldstein.

Today, Grindelwald left alone, and Queenie returned to Jacob's side from Grindelwald's camp. Nothing could have made Jacob happier than this.

Jacob became a hero among wizards in the fight against Grindelwald, and many wizards around the world came to know him.

Moreover, Queenie's sister, Tina Goldstein, became the head of the Auror Office of the Magical Congress of the United States. Under these circumstances, the America Rappaport's Law, which prohibited wizards from communicating with Muggle, could no longer stop Jacob and Queenie's love.

Tonight, the two will have a small and exquisite wedding at Jacob's little bakery!

Snow was still falling on the streets outside, and there were few pedestrians, making it very quiet.

On a bench opposite the bakery, Dumbledore leaned back, sitting quietly in the snow.

Snowflakes covered Dumbledore's shoulders and hat, yet he remained motionless, staring silently at his clenched right hand. The surrounding silence contrasted sharply with the bustling atmosphere of the bakery.

"Why don't you go in and attend their wedding?"

Suddenly, a golden halo appeared next to the bench where Dumbledore was, and the voice of the Ghost Xiwen came from behind the halo.

"In fact, most of them aren't that familiar with me, and my presence would only make them feel awkward," Dumbledore chuckled, shaking his head softly.

"Grindelwald is right. I've always been afraid to face him. I've always arranged for others to disrupt his plans, while I've holed up in Hogwarts Castle."

"Isn't this all because of the Blood Pact?" Xiwen asked curiously, looking at Dumbledore's tightly clenched right hand.

"The Blood Pact was just an excuse I made up for myself." Dumbledore spread his palms, looking at the diamond-shaped pendant bottle broken in two, and said as if talking to himself. "In truth, even without the Blood Pact, I often dared not face him, dared not face the past."

"I should have realized this sooner; even a powerful pact like Blood Pact cannot completely imprison two people with different ideologies."

"Back in that summer forty years ago, Grindelwald and I fought a battle when I was torn between protecting my family and pursuing my ideals, and the Blood Pact did not punish our conflict."

"Today, it feels like we've gone back to that summer. I wanted to protect my nephew Aurelius, while Grindelwald sought killing to achieve his own ends. Under these circumstances, the Blood Pact couldn't determine that we were at odds; it only knew that our two hearts had completely parted ways."

"Ultimately, it seemed unable to discern our situation, and shattered under the weight, finally pulling us into a mental space, intending for us to resolve our own problems." Dumbledore spoke softly, a wistful look on his face. "Perhaps this is fate..."

Xiwen silently listened to Dumbledore rambling words, and couldn't help but reveal a hint of emotion.

"But why didn't Grindelwald attack the new guild master Santos, and instead chose to attack Aurelius?" he asked, puzzled.

"Because Aurelius, as an Obscurus can control himself freely and possesses a Phoenix, poses a great threat to him," Dumbledore said earnestly, glancing at Xiwen. "If I hadn't used the Mirror Dimension, which I modified from yours, to limit the Obscurus' power, I probably wouldn't have been able to subdue Aurelius so easily."

"So, after your duel with Aurelius, you persuaded him to help us expose Grindelwald's plot?" Xiwen asked.

"It wasn't me, it was Aberforth," Dumbledore said. "Aberforth and Aurelius have been in contact for a long time. They've been communicating through a method of blood ties. I merely let Aurelius know about Grindelwald's lies."

Xiwen nodded thoughtfully.

Dumbledore then stood up, walked onto the snow-covered street, and left a trail of shallow footprints.

"I guess you came here to ask me about the 'plan'?" He suddenly stopped and turned around to ask.

"If you don't mind explaining it to me," Xiwen quietly floated to Dumbledore's side and replied.

"The plan has been perfectly executed, there's no point in hiding it any longer, is there?" Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Yusuf Kama comes from an ancient Pure-blood families, and people like that are often the most likely to agree with Grindelwald's ideology of conquering Muggle, so I sent him to infiltrate Nurmengard."

"And he accomplished his task very well, using Occlumency to deceive Grindelwald's Legilimency while simultaneously revealing the plan in his mind to Queenie, a natural Legilimency."

"Queenie has been with Grindelwald for so long, she should have realized long ago that he didn't want wizards and Muggle to live together as equals; he just treated Muggle as inferior beings to be enslaved."

"Queenie, who deeply loves Mr. Kowalski, won't work wholeheartedly for Grindelwald. That's why, with her cooperation, Kama was able to send me the necessary information from Nurmengard, allowing me to avoid falling too far behind Grindelwald's precognitive abilities."

"Theseus's mission was to investigate whether the German Ministry of Magic had been infiltrated by Grindelwald, but I didn't expect him to be captured and Erkstag Prison. Fortunately, you and Newt worked together very well and managed to get him back."

At this point, Dumbledore glanced at Xiwen with interest.

Xiwen also thought of the Scorpiontail he had wiped out, and couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.

Dumbledore didn't pay much attention to the prison issue, and continued, "Professor Hicks and Mr. Kowalski's mission is to stop Grindelwald from assassinating the other candidates."

"But what does it mean to give Jacob a magic wand?" Xiwen couldn't help but ask.

"It's just to mislead Grindelwald," Dumbledore chuckled. "This way, we can easily divert Bunty's attention and hide the most important part. Who can resist paying attention to a Muggle?"

"And you've probably guessed what Bunty's task is—prepare six identical boxes, put five fake ones in the Room of Requirement, and have Bunty bring the real ones to the scene."

"I understand Grindelwald. He focuses too much on the talented, often neglecting ordinary wizards with average talent. However, I have always believed that everyone has their place and can play an indispensable role!"

"Hasn't Bunty done something that no one else could do this time?" Dumbledore laughed.

"What a brilliant plan!" Xiwen exclaimed. "I was actually quite suspicious of you at the very beginning, unlike the other members of the Dumbledore's Army who were so trusting."

"It's alright, Doctor Strange." Dumbledore smiled and winked at Xiwen. "You know, trust is built up little by little!"

"Things will be different from now on. I'll probably trust you completely." Xiwen smiled knowingly and teased, "You know, you're the one chosen by the Qilin!"