"Mm... Not yet. To be honest, I've been too busy," Will answered, sounding a little helpless. "I'd almost forgotten about it."
Lately, his time had been almost entirely consumed by research into the Water of Despair. He had barely done any Prefect duties, leaving most of them to Sylvia.
Sylvia occasionally roped Draco and Astoria into helping as "temporary" Prefects. On that count alone, Will and Sylvia were probably the strangest pair of Prefects Hogwarts had ever seen.
Grindelwald frowned slightly. A flicker of disapproval passed through his mismatched eyes.
He was about to tell Will that, however busy he was, he could not neglect the art of winning people over.
"Gellert."
Dumbledore spoke up just then, calmly cutting Grindelwald off at precisely the right moment.
Grindelwald turned to him in surprise, expecting Al to be displeased again. Instead, to his astonishment, Dumbledore wore a gentle, gratified smile.
Relief shone in his bright blue eyes as he said lightly:
"The fact that Will doesn't care about being a Prefect, and has nearly forgotten he is one, is a good thing."
Grindelwald paused, plainly not expecting that answer. He glanced at Dumbledore, puzzled.
Dumbledore took a sip of tea. "Will has only so much energy. He's a sixteen-year-old boy preparing for his O.W.L.s. He knows his own mind and can tell what matters most. Compared with vague promises of power, a solid foundation in magic and a clear sense of self are far more valuable to him."
Dumbledore sounded pleased. He had worried that Will might lose his way in the struggle for power, or follow the same path as Grindelwald. Now that worry seemed unnecessary. Will was still the boy who had devoted himself to pursuing magic.
Grindelwald fell silent for a moment. Of course he knew what Dumbledore was