Will climbed the stairs one step at a time, slowly making his way up.
The cold inside Nurmengard was biting, its gloom oppressive. A handsome young man like him seemed rather out of place there.
Pushing open the door to the topmost tower room felt like stepping into another world.
The room was warm and bright, filled with the rich aroma of coffee. Books stood in neat rows on the shelves along the wall, and Grindelwald sat at a table with a thick, antique leather-bound book open before him.
Grindelwald looked toward the doorway, little surprise in his mismatched eyes. "Good morning, Will."
"Good morning, Professor Grindelwald." Will took a seat opposite him without ceremony.
"At last, Al hasn't come with you." Grindelwald smiled. "It's rare to see you break the rules."
"Blindly following the rules isn't exactly a good thing." A smile appeared on Will's face as well.
"Indeed. Someone who could come up with the idea of a magical university certainly wouldn't be a slave to convention. How far along is the university?"
"The Ministry of Magic and the Magical Congress have reached an agreement. Construction should begin after Christmas. If everything goes smoothly, it'll be finished by next summer."
Grindelwald nodded. "Now the rotten, stagnant Wizarding World will finally start moving."
"That's not enough." Will shook his head. "Getting wizards to accept something new isn't easy. It takes a great deal of time and influence."
"So, have the Saints proved useful?" Grindelwald rose. "Also, I haven't had breakfast yet. What would you like?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I've simply let them develop freely. As long as they take it slowly, that's enough." Will waved a hand. "I've already eaten."
"Oh? You don't think much of these Saints?" Grindelwald took several bottles of grape juice from a cupboard