Final Objective

Faced with the helplessness Grindelwald had displayed, Dumbledore ultimately chose to remain doubtful.

However, he did not question him outright. Instead, as he had in their youth, he wore a faint smile and deliberately provoked him.

"What? Has Gellert Grindelwald run out of ideas? That doesn't sound like you—the man no problem could ever stump!"

That expression, those words—they were back! Everything was back!

In that instant, Grindelwald seemed to return with Dumbledore to that hazy midsummer.

Back then, he and Dumbledore had still been two ambitious young men pursuing their ideals in Godric's Hollow...

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years had passed. Even with Grindelwald's iron will, he still wished only to lose himself in memories of the past, unwilling to wake up.

But for the sake of the plan, Grindelwald ultimately answered with a trace of pride on his face.

"I knew you'd see through me. As expected of my old friend!"

"That's right. The advancement of Muggle technology and the collapse of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy are inevitable!"

"I've been thinking: before wizards are exposed to the eyes of Muggles, what should we do?"

Without making it obvious, Grindelwald had grouped Dumbledore and himself together, turning it into "we."

Seeing that Dumbledore did not object and was instead listening attentively, Grindelwald laughed even more gleefully to himself.

He continued, "There are no more than four possible outcomes for wizards and Muggles:

Peace;

War;

Mutual scheming, followed by war after a brief peace;

War breaking out, followed by peace talks after both sides suffer immense losses, leading to peaceful coexistence."

Grindelwald laid out four possibilities. Dumbledore nodded as he listened, hoping in his heart for only the first—that wizards and Muggles could coexist peacefully.

But Dumbledore also knew that was merely his hope.