Though Grindelwald possessed extraordinary talent and intellect, he spent his days thinking about human nature, political maneuvering, and reform. He was neither a poor student nor an academic star.
Unlike him, Dumbledore had spent decades presiding over the treasure trove that was Hogwarts, reading widely and acquiring a truly encyclopedic knowledge.
While Grindelwald was still struggling to devise a way to kill his opponent, Dumbledore called out a helpful suggestion from afar.
"Gell, don't block him with dark magic. Use white magic fueled by positive emotions. Bind a Patronus Charm to an ordinary stone shield, for instance, and it will block Soya's sword, which counters magic and evil."
Grindelwald did not doubt him for a moment. He also understood why Soya had chosen merely to keep Dumbledore occupied while targeting him as the weak point.
Still, his dear friend's suggestion posed a slight problem.
Who was Grindelwald? A renowned dark wizard of the highest caliber. He had even instinctively imbued his earlier earthen shields with corrosive dark magic.
Sighing, he retreated while using plain Transfiguration Spells to raise towering stone shields, delaying Soya's rapid advance.
Grindelwald had extensive combat experience. Rather than standing in a straight line, his stone shields were arranged in a crooked, irregular formation.
That meant Soya had to spend time changing direction after breaking through each shield. In a battle where life and death could be decided in an instant, every second was precious.
Sure enough, Soya's advance slowed.
As Grindelwald raised more shields, he struggled inwardly to muster the spell. His old face was almost red with effort, yet he still could not conjure a Patronus.
He resented Soya for exploiting his lack of expertise in white magic, but he could only consider other options, such as switching places with his dear friend.
*Let him