A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 684 The End and the Beginning of an Era

The funeral was held near the Forbidden Forest by Black Lake. Hundreds of chairs were laid out in an open space, but as more and more people arrived, the professors added many more from nearby. All the chairs faced a clean white stone table. A light drizzle was falling from the sky.

The chairs were almost full, but more people were still arriving, standing solemnly in the back.

Grindelwald did not appear until the funeral began. Felix suppressed his doubts and sat quietly in his seat, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Everyone heard music that sounded like heavenly music.

Near the surface of the clear, green lake, a mermaid choir sang mournfully, their pale faces filled with emotion as they expressed their sorrow in the mermaid language. Felix looked up; the fine, silken drizzle had not yet completely ceased, and a phoenix circled high in the clear sky, uttering a poignant elegy. Amidst the mournful duet of the mermaids and the phoenix, Hagrid appeared, carrying Dumbledore's body. He walked through the gap between the seats towards the front, large tears streaming down his beard and dripping onto the purple velvet draped with gold stars that covered the body.

Hagrid gently placed the purple velvet on the pristine white stone table, paused for a few seconds, his hands still in the position of holding the object. Then he returned to the aisle and walked to little Grop (leaving a large empty space around him), his half-brother, a giant wearing a huge jacket and tent-like trousers, his expression docile, and patted Hagrid's head heavily in a comforting manner.

The music stopped, the mermaid submerged, and her blurred face vanished completely. Only the phoenix remained gliding in the sky. A short man with thick hair, dressed in a black wizard's robe, stood up, walked to the stone table, and turned to face the crowd with a solemn expression. He cleared his throat.

Just then, an accident happened.

A silver lynx landed gracefully in front of Felix and his group, raised its head elegantly, and spoke in Kingsley's voice: "Grindelwald is here! With some men, you'd better—oh God! Too many men!" His voice was filled with panic at the end, and all traces of his usual composure were gone.

The wizards in the first few rows looked at each other in bewilderment.

Babajid Akinbad, president of the International Federation of Wizards, frowned and said, "He brought those saints with him? Is it to show off his strength or to guard against our trickery?" No one answered him. A flash of silver light appeared in Felix's eyes, and his eyes widened suddenly.

He stood up abruptly, and before anyone could react, turned to Professor McGonagall and the three heads of the house, saying, "I'll go first. There shouldn't be a fight, but—" "Of course there won't be a fight! He swore he wouldn't start a wizarding war!" Akimbard said, raising an arm where the skin had some strange markings. Felix didn't look at him, continuing calmly, "But I advise the students—at least the younger ones—to be prepared to evacuate at any time, through the secret chamber."

Professor McGonagall swayed, her face turning deathly pale. She clutched her collar to confirm, "A lot of people have come?"

Felix said succinctly, "Far beyond imagination." Then, like a drop of water merging into the air, he vanished from sight. The funeral attendees immediately began to murmur amongst themselves. Akimbad opened his mouth, as if to say something, but Professor McGonagall stepped across the crowd, raised her arm to signal everyone to be quiet, and said loudly:

"...Hogwarts will protect the safety of all guests. In case of danger, we will be at your front to buy you time. Mr. Filch and Mrs. Pomfrey will be in charge of the evacuation. Prefects and professors, maintain order and await the signal. Evacuation point—Potter? Harry Potter?" she called out.

Harry stumbled over, his face still showing deep surprise.

"You know the place—" Professor McGonagall whispered, "In the secret room, inside the statue of that person is a fireplace that allows for escape. You can open it with Parsley." With that, she hurried toward the school's main gate. But after only a few steps, she stopped in surprise.

Suddenly, a dazzling white light shone from the sky above the school gates. The wizards who looked in the direction of the light felt a sharp pain in their eyes. Every cell in Harry's body was sending him warning signals. Then the sky darkened. No, Harry squinted, fighting back tears. A phantom Hogwarts Castle appeared in the sky, completely enveloping the white light.

The black castle seemed to be illuminated by white light. Those rays were like tiny knives, leaving countless deep scratches on the walls in the blink of an eye. The walls cracked like water bags, as if they would collapse at any moment. Felix turned a page of the book of runes, and tiny runes flashed on the surface of the wall—the cracks disappeared.

Grindelwald waved his wand, and all the light disappeared.

Felix looked up, the lines of the castle faintly visible.

"Dumbledore's moves," Grindelwald sighed. "They impressed me back then, but after all these years, I can imitate them just as well." The two were about two hundred feet apart. Behind Grindelwald, in the open space, stood a dark, silent crowd of people, numbering several thousand, which did not match the information Felix had received at all.

A thought crossed his mind: most of these people were just people Grindelwald brought in to make up the numbers.

Kingsley, somewhat embarrassed, said, "There are people in other parts of the school too. They've surrounded the school, but they don't seem to be making a move." Felix looked past Grindelwald into the distance, where some people were pointing at them.

Further away, wizards continued to arrive, the "crackling" sounds of apparitions echoing continuously. The newcomers jostled and craned their necks to look up, seemingly attending a gathering or watching a competition. Felix, however, sensed no pre-battle atmosphere whatsoever.

Grindelwald waved to him.

"We haven't had a proper match yet. We still have some time before Akinbad arrives, so let's take this opportunity—"

Felix's eyes suddenly turned to the crowd. He used Legilimency, and a spell shot out, but a tall, burly suit of armor leaped out of the Book of Runes, instantly deflecting the spell. Felix withdrew his gaze, his mind filled with even more doubts. These people seemed to have come with a mission, intending to stir up trouble.

But unless Arkinbad and the other Ministers of Magic were blind, causing Grindelwald to make a false oath, this couldn't have happened.

"Then I'll grant your request," Felix said calmly. The Book of Runes began to turn its pages with a whooshing sound, and streaks of black lightning shot toward Grindelwald. Grindelwald's eyes widened, and his wand emitted a sharp whistling sound as black lightning flashed before him.

At this point, it became clear who among the crowd behind him were elites and who were rabble. Some stepped forward, joining forces to erect protective magic, but the majority of wizards retreated in disarray. Felix's eyebrows relaxed slightly, but then furrowed again.

"Step back," Grindelwald shouted, seemingly suppressing his anger.

He raised his wand, and a silver firebird with a body covered in blue flames emerged from the tip. The firebird's two eyes were replaced by crystalline flames.

"A guardian deity?" Felix thought to himself. He hadn't been entirely sure when he saw it in the newspaper, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he finally made an accurate judgment.

The castle, conjured in ancient runes and memory magic, transformed from lines into a physical entity, trapping the strange guardian spirit within. Grindelwald waved his wand, and the firebird instantly expanded a hundredfold, rampaging wildly. At the same time, blue and white flowers drifted down from the sky, clinging to the walls of the castle summoned by Felix. In the blink of an eye, the battlefield between the two became a sea of ​​fire.

Professor McGonagall, Sprout, Snape, Burns, and Arkinbard arrived first, followed by more than a dozen ministers of magic from other countries and their accompanying Aurors, all of whom gaped in astonishment.

A look of disbelief flashed in Akimbard's eyes. Unlike the shock and awe of the others, his gaze held doubt and confusion. He rolled up his sleeve and stared blankly at the patterns on his wrist. The unbreakable oath hadn't worked, so neither of them was serious? Or did a one-on-one fight not count as starting a wizarding war?

Professor McGonagall and Ms. Burns looked worried. Felix seemed to be at a disadvantage—the entire castle was shrouded in magical flames, and more than a dozen firebirds, larger than fire dragons, poked their heads out from the towers, hovering high up and spewing flames everywhere.

At that moment, Felix tossed the Book of Runes high into the air, and the Book of Runes transformed into a ray of light that merged into the castle.

The castle instantly expanded more than ten times, becoming almost identical in size to a real school castle, with magical symbols flashing on every brick.

It sounded as if shouts were coming from a distant place.

Figures appeared out of thin air in perfect unison—Hogwarts students and professors, wands in hand, chanting spells in perfect unison. In an instant, hundreds upon hundreds of golden-red spells pierced the air. Grindelwald's flames were forced apart, and then one after another, enormous rune creatures appeared, fearless, charging straight into the sea of ​​fire. A few seconds later, a firebird was shattered, turning into fragments of flame, which were then extinguished by the spells of the students below.

If this is a battle fought with the castle projection as its battlefield, Felix has already begun to reclaim lost territory.

Grindelwald waved his wand solemnly. The two seemed to have reached an agreement, refraining from using new spells and instead competing in their understanding of magic. New firebirds continued to emerge, and fiery petals rained down from the sky, but it was all in vain. The students in the castle—merely images Felix had concocted for convenience, essentially no different from the runic creatures rampaging on the ground—could not die, and were stronger than the real students.

"Is it him?" asked an old wizard with a wrinkled face from the crowd behind Grindelwald.

"Yes, are you satisfied?" Vita Rozier asked. The old wizard coughed twice.

The last flickering flame went out, leaving only the firebird guardian that had appeared at the beginning in the castle. Felix weighed his options in his mind: if Grindelwald only possessed the strength he had displayed so far, could he still handle it…?

Grindelwald has put down his wand.

"Stop—" Akinbad shouted at the opportune moment. He stepped forward, raised his arm, and said through gritted teeth, "Grindelwald, do you want to break your oath? Do you want to start a war?"

"It's just to pass the time," Grindelwald chuckled, following Akinbad's gaze to look behind him. "Oh, they're the ones I invited to watch the spectacle. I was worried the funeral wouldn't be grand enough—otherwise, even my old friend Dumbledore would be disappointed."

Akinbad's expression hardened, and he couldn't help but lower his voice and shout, "Grindelwald, you've broken the rules. If you want to negotiate, let them leave."

Grindelwald glanced at him sideways. Felix had thought he would refuse, given the huge commotion he had caused, but Grindelwald actually gave in.

"You heard that too. You can leave now. Do whatever you want," Grindelwald whispered, pointing his wand into his ear. His voice carried clearly to everyone present. Then, one by one, they Apparated.

Grindelwald put away his wand, opened his palm, and asked, "Now that I'm all alone, are you relieved?"

Arkinbad and the professors visibly breathed a sigh of relief. They had been surrounded by thousands of wizards, a dense, dark mass of heads that would have terrified anyone. Moreover, there were thousands of students at the school and people who had traveled from afar to attend the funeral.

It seems that Grindelwald's purpose was simply to demonstrate against them—the International Wizarding Federation and the various national ministries of magic. And it must be said that he achieved his goal. In just a few days, Grindelwald had quietly gathered so many people. Even though most of them were, according to Grindelwald himself, there to watch the show, this appeal was enough to make them think twice before making any moves.

Grindelwald walked over and extended his hand to Felix. Felix hesitated for a moment, then took the outstretched hand.

The two sensed the talismans and something else on each other's arms.

"I know what you're going to do! You'll become the enemy of all wizards," Felix whispered, his eyes fixed on Grindelwald, whose body was riddled with holes. No wonder he was in such a hurry!

Grindelwald paused, then bowed slightly.

“I am deeply honored,” he said. “Oh, by the way—” his hand suddenly became burning hot, “It’s a pity I’ve ruined your and Dumbledore’s plans. But Dumbledore overestimated himself; how can a good person be more intimidating than a thoroughly evil one?”

After he finished speaking, he walked toward Akinbad.

"Grindelwald!" Felix called out to him, "Will innocent people die today?"

Grindelwald stopped in his tracks.

"Innocent people? I think... no." He said without turning his head.

Felix remained where he was. Professor McGonagall called to him, and he lifted his heel. He opened the hand he had just shaken, staring at his palm, where a petal of solidified blue flame lay quietly. Felix silently crushed the petal, and a spell appeared in his mind.

It is magic that summons saints.

Felix let out a long breath.

The alarm was lifted, and there was even one more person attending the funeral. Aside from the Hogwarts students who had spent a year with Grindelwald and felt uncomfortable, the others didn't show much unusual expression. Neville wanted to step forward and question the trickery of the spyglass, but Seamus and Dean held him back firmly.

"Don't be impulsive, Neville," Harry whispered, though his own feelings were also very complicated.

Akinbad said a few words, indicating that Grindelwald had come at his invitation and that further negotiations would take place after the funeral, at which point peace would be within reach. Grindelwald, standing beside him, remained noncommittal.

The funeral continued. When Akinbad returned to his seat in the front row, Grindelwald didn't follow. Instead, he approached the short, thick-haired man in a black wizard's robe and politely asked, "May I ask if it is time to begin recounting the deceased's life?"

"Yes, yes," the short man stammered.

Grindelwald grinned.

"Then leave it to me. I believe there is no one in the world who knows Dumbledore's strengths and weaknesses better than me."

The short man's expression stiffened, and he looked pleadingly at the wizards in the front row, where a group of important figures sat. But no one uttered a sound. The short man awkwardly moved aside. Grindelwald glanced at the body on the white stone table; Dumbledore seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

He turned around and said slowly:

"I met Dumbledore much earlier than you might imagine. He had just graduated, and I had been expelled from school for studying the Dark Arts. Fate brought two troubled young people together in Godric's Hollow. We hit it off immediately, and our relationship quickly became closer than blood brothers, because brothers are only connected by blood—think about how many broken families there are in reality—but we were incredibly compatible in our ideals..."

He had barely begun speaking when he caused quite a commotion. But Harry knew it was all true.

"Dumbledore had many virtues, but setting aside his tedious academic research, his most commendable contribution was his unwavering defense of the rights of Muggles and wizards from Muggle families. Ironically, he himself was a victim of Muggles. Oh, poor Albus, whose family was torn apart by a few Muggles. Of course, our law enforcement agencies and the Act of Secrecy also played a part in this."

Professor McGonagall was restless and tried to stand up, but Felix held her down.

"Let him speak," Felix said calmly, his expression as if he were looking at a dead man.

"...Victims have the right to seek revenge on their perpetrators—in any way they can think of, but Dumbledore gave up. This experience, in the eyes of some, does not diminish Dumbledore's greatness but instead imbues his personal image with a heroic tragic color, cheering for his kindness and compassion. But I saw his weakness and cowardice."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

"We used to talk about everything, so I knew Dumbledore's little secret: he hoped wizards and Muggles could live together in harmony, like one big family—what a noble ideal! Unfortunately, he only wanted the result, but was afraid of the price that would have to be paid to achieve it..."

"...Because of his timidity, he ultimately stood against me. He betrayed his ideals, our ideals! Throughout his life, he dared not take a single step, and even in his final moments, he could only cling to a trembling hope." The expressions on everyone's faces turned angry. Grindelwald looked around without a trace of fear: "This is Dumbledore. Perhaps your views on him differ from mine, but one thing is certain: Dumbledore represented an era, and with his departure, an era has come to an end."

"And a new era is about to begin."

After speaking, Grindelwald ignored everyone else and turned to stare at the stone table. A dazzling white flame climbed the equally pristine white stone table, rising higher and higher. A mournful phoenix cry echoed from the sky, and the flame vanished abruptly, leaving behind a white stone tomb—Dumbledore's remains and the table were both encased within it.

The funeral is over.

After a while, the noise in the arena gradually grew louder. Grindelwald was silent for a moment, staring at Felix. Felix met his gaze, nodded almost imperceptibly, and turned to walk towards the Forbidden Forest, ignoring Akinbad's calls from behind.

Arkinbad and several Ministers of Magic stood up, staring blankly at Grindelwald's retreating figure. "He just Apparated! Doesn't he want to negotiate anymore?"

Felix looked up at the sky. The phoenix had vanished sometime during the night, and might never appear again. Another familiar face had left forever, and he would now—in someone else's words—welcome the arrival of a new era.

"Professor Hep?" a soft, cautious voice said.

"Oh, Miss Granger," Felix glanced to the side, "and Potter, Weasley, Longbottom. Please have a seat. When does the train leave school?"

“An hour later,” Hermione said, glancing at Felix as if pondering something. “It seems the president of the International Wizarding Federation has reached some kind of agreement with Grindelwald…”

"You mean—the two of them swore an 'unbreakable oath' in front of more than a dozen Ministers of Magic?"

Harry and the others were startled; they had no idea about this. Hermione thought for a moment and said, "Oh—I guess that's really frustrating. His behavior today showed he's not one to follow orders… We all recognize the risks, but there's nothing we can do, because any objection means standing against those people—"

"What are you trying to say, Granger?"

"Oh," Hermione said softly, "I was thinking, well, anyone would feel helpless in this situation..."

Felix smiled; he seemed to have cheered up, yet he didn't.

"What makes me feel powerless is not Grindelwald, but the earth-shattering changes that are about to happen to the whole world. I both long for it and fear its arrival. There is no experience to refer to."

"Professor," Harry said, "no matter what changes, we'll stand with you." Ron and Neville nodded in agreement.

Felix straightened up and scrutinized them one by one. "Alright, I'll take it seriously. So from now on, come with me to look at the sky and wait for news from outside. Hopefully, it won't scare you—if I'm not mistaken," he muttered.

Harry and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

Time ticked by, and in fact, less than five minutes later, Alimia Bones walked over, her face drastically changed. She stumbled along, as if she might fall at any moment, her eyes filled with undisguised fear.

Harry had never seen her like this before.

"Ms. Burns?" Akinbad asked, as he discussed the situation with his secretary and high-ranking officials from the Ministries of Magic of other countries. Grindelwald's sudden departure had caught them off guard.

Ms. Burns blushed and stammered, "Mr. Akimbard, and everyone else, Grindelwald—he, he—"

"You found traces of him?"

"Not yet," she said, looking unsteady, drawing the attention of many of the wizards still present. "But we have confirmed the location of the people Grindelwald brought."

"Where did they go? We can't let them gather in such a large crowd. The news Brilliant brought back is that Grindelwald gathered nearly five thousand people. Even if it's a demonstration, that's going too far."

"All over the world," Ms. Burns said weakly.

"What?"

"All over the world!" she yelled. "Led by six or seven hundred core saints, they've openly revealed their wizarding identities! A rough estimate suggests they've appeared in over two thousand Muggle cities. They're using magic without restraint, flying above the cities—Mr. Arkinbard, the wizarding world is completely exposed, beyond redemption!"

(End of this chapter)