A certain Hogwarts professor of runes.

"Are you referring to Dumbledore, or his sister Ariana and nephew Credence?"

“Aurelius,” Grindelwald said slowly, “I prefer to call him that; that boy helped me a lot.”

Felix made a gesture as if he was all ears.

“Aurelius Dumbledore,” Grindelwald said, “I remember it clearly… just seventy years ago. At the underground gathering in Père Lachaise Cemetery, he chose to join my group under my careful planning. You can’t imagine how much I valued him.”

"Because of his background?" Felix asked.

Credence was Dumbledore's nephew, but for a long time neither Dumbledore nor Aberforth knew of his existence. It was a huge secret at the time, and it must have taken Grindelwald a great deal of effort to find out.

"Not only that, he is also an Obscurial, an Obscurial who lived to adulthood. His potential is unimaginable. Without ever receiving a systematic magical education, he surpasses 99% of wizards just through instinct—I originally intended for him to inherit my work."

Felix was surprised by this statement. He looked at Grindelwald, who had no reason to lie. Felix followed this line of thought and untangled many loose threads.

Grindelwald's biggest obstacle at the time was Dumbledore. Even with the Blood Alliance standing between them, as long as Grindelwald did not give up his dream of ruling wizards and Muggles, they would definitely become enemies, and the whole world would force them to do so.

In the end, it was proven that even the most unbreakable blood oaths were shattered.

“I won’t sit idly by and wait for Dumbledore to come to me. Instead, I’ll take the initiative. My plan is to train wizards who can rival Dumbledore,” Grindelwald said slowly.

“To cultivate a great mage? That idea is too audacious.” Felix couldn’t help but slow his breathing. Even if he were in Grindelwald’s position at the time, he would find it incredibly difficult.

"It was certainly a bit far-fetched, but I eventually found a way—perhaps the only way, the Silent One."

Felix suddenly realized. Grindelwald knew that Obscurials could live past the age of ten, the evidence being Dumbledore's sister Ariana. Perhaps his initial plan was to find a young Obscurial, take good care of him, and help him subdue his dark magic—the Obscurial—but he never expected to unexpectedly gain the help of Credence, a child of the Dumbledore family who had been living away from home.

"A child who rivals the Archmage in potential and emotionally restrains Dumbledore is exactly what I need," Grindelwald's memory said slowly, as if he himself were sitting in front of Felix, calmly discussing past plans and unknown secrets with him.

"That gathering also allowed me to exploit a weakness in the Ministry of Magic: an Auror killed an ordinary citizen who came to hear my speech, which gave me the perfect excuse. It's not that I seek violence; from that moment on, the Saints have been directly confronting the existing order of the Ministry of Magic."

"My power has expanded rapidly. Aurelius and a woman who can read minds played a huge role in this. The former received my teachings while appearing all over the world, defeating the Aurors of various countries. The latter—I remember her name was Queenie—used her innate talent to see through a large number of spies planted in her. Her ability was silent and could be maintained indefinitely."

“Everything is moving in a positive direction,” Grindelwald said calmly. But Felix knew a turning point was imminent, and sure enough—

“I’ve been keeping Aurelius’s past a secret, using it as a trump card, ready to use it at a crucial moment. But a few unexpected things happened. On one hand, the phoenix beside him became famous as he appeared on the battlefield. A phoenix—” Grindelwald clicked his tongue, “There’s a legend in the Dumbledore family that a phoenix appears when a member is in dire need. Perhaps that’s why Dumbledore became suspicious; I had to reduce his outings.”

"His good fortune didn't last long. His health deteriorated, and his abilities became extremely unstable. I tried various methods, but could only watch his body crumble. Perhaps this was the fate of the Obscurials… I was very disappointed, and I believe he realized it himself. He asked to approach Dumbledore, but I refused. He was no match for Dumbledore now. Later… later his girlfriend came looking for him. She was a blood-cursed orc. When they met again, her condition was equally severe; she spent most of her day in the form of a snake. They spent a lot of time together until one day, Aurelius disappeared for a while, returning empty-handed…"

"That woman's name is Nagini?" Felix asked.

"You know her too?"

“I know her, I’ve even seen her once, but in the form of a snake. I think Aurelius released her.”

"Release her?" Grindelwald repeated in a low voice. "I thought she was dead."

“Remember that mind-reading woman I mentioned? She's in trouble too—oh, not because of her sister who's desperately trying to take her back, but for something else—she has a Muggle… lover who wants them to be together openly, but after so long without seeing any hope, her stance is starting to waver. I noticed her slackness, especially regarding the most important task—the assessment of Aurelius's mental state. When I realized this, I knew the original plan was no longer suitable, and I had to speed things up.”

“I decided to run for president of the International Confederation of Wizards that year. In fact, no matter the outcome, I was prepared to wage war against Muggles, but at that time there were still many people who opposed me, and I hoped that they could join my camp.”

"I discovered a clue about the Kirin. Its unique magic could increase my chances of winning the election, so I sent out several teams to search for it. In the end, Aurelius brought it back. I made a puppet from the newborn Kirin and used its blood to see a part of the future... I saw Dumbledore after I warned him. At that time, I had a premonition, and although I gave him the Blood Pact token years ago and he still couldn't find a way to break it, I did have a bad feeling."

"The outcome was just as I expected. I successfully won the election as president of the International Confederation of Wizards using the already dead Kirin, but the trick was exposed. Newt Scamander brought another Kirin; they were twins. It was all Dumbledore's doing, but he didn't know what he was doing. It wasn't me creating division; it was him creating division. At that moment, I finally made up my mind. I drew my wand, and Aurelius stood in front of me..."

Grindelwald's eyes blurred.

"Everything happened just like yesterday. I, Dumbledore, and his brother attacked at the same time, with an Obscurial standing by who was powerless to resist. But the result was completely different. Aberforth was irrelevant. My spell and Dumbledore's spells were linked together, and the chains binding his hands finally broke."

"In a daze, I briefly clashed with Dumbledore, the first time we had fought in over thirty years. When my hand touched his heart, I felt his heartbeat, but I could no longer sense his thoughts. This meant the blood pact was completely dissolved."

"The plan was forced to stop, and we couldn't focus on waging war against Muggles for the time being, because Dumbledore stood in front of us. That was the closest I ever came to success."

"So the blood pact broke because—" Felix asked.

"I don't know either, it was an accident."

"It can't be because of love, can it?"

"Ha, perhaps. Blood oaths are based on blood, but they require a strong emotion to solidify the magic. We have been bound by this emotion for decades, and we have tried everything to break free. The only plausible explanation is that Dumbledore at that time used a stronger love to transcend the limitations of individual emotions."

Grindelwald's memory stood up and walked to the door.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Felix asked.

"Perhaps it's because after today, these will become secrets forever."

Silver light began to emanate from Grindelwald's body, and then his face gradually changed, becoming younger, his back straightened again, his hair was dyed a brilliant gold, and when he opened his eyes, his pupils were a clear blue.

As he said at the beginning, past memories have become a burden, and if he wants to start over, he must let go of unnecessary things.

……

The next day, when the students came downstairs, they found the courtyard filled with a white, cold mist. As Harry and his two friends passed the bulletin board in the foyer, they saw a group of people pointing and whispering below. Judging from their expressions, the notice said something good.

“Let’s go take a look,” Ron said.

“No need,” Harry said. “I know what’s on it. If nothing unexpected happens, it should have the schedule for the first Hogsmeade weekend.”

Ron whistled softly.

“That’s great! I heard that a few new shops have opened in Hogsmeade. I definitely have to check them out,” he said. “But how did you find out?”

“I think,” Harry smiled, “it’s probably because I put it there myself.”

“Ron,” Hermione said kindly, “if you look closely, you’ll also find that the handwriting on the notice is very similar to the papers you usually use for ‘reference’.”

Although he knew in advance, Harry was still looking forward to the short trip three days later. He simply wanted to get out of the house, clear his head, and even if it was just to have a drink with Ginny at the Three Broomsticks and spend two or three pleasant hours.

“Hey Harry,” Hermione said, “you could take this opportunity to meet Mr. Dorge. Didn’t you say you wanted to speak with him face to face?”

Harry glared at him, and after a moment he muttered, "I'll write to him."

"Why don't you make a communication mirror?" Ron asked, puzzled.

“Mr. Dorje isn’t used to it,” Harry said. “He thinks writing letters helps him clear his mind.”

At this moment, Neville walked towards them, his face flushed, and he seemed to be a size larger than usual, whether from the cold or from wearing too many clothes, it was hard to tell. They went together to the auditorium for dinner.

Around the same time, Felix appeared at Ivermony School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and shortly after, Horace Greenstinch, the president of the Magical Congress of the United States, also appeared. When they parted, the other two wore particularly somber expressions.

“I will have the Aurors put aside everything they are doing,” Horace Greenstinch said in a deep voice. “The investigation will be conducted in secret and will not affect the upcoming Federation General Assembly.”

The headmaster of Ilvarmoni School of Wizardry also said, "If any young wizards do fall into the hands of the authorities, the most cost-effective approach is not to imprison them or conduct various experiments on them, but to let them grow—whether it's to unravel the secrets of magic or to cultivate their own wizarding force, it's better than simply imprisoning them. Moreover, they can use their wizarding status to gather intelligence..."

They talked for a while, after which Felix appeared at the headquarters of the International Wizarding Federation, awaiting the afternoon's meeting. A vague idea formed in his mind; Grindelwald's words made him realize that he, too, had in fact created a division within the wizarding community, although this trend was not yet obvious and seemed necessary—Grindelwald's identity certainly made things simpler—but there was no doubt that these two forces would eventually have to reunite.

"We need a suitable opportunity..."

---Aside---

Felix and Grindelwald definitely had to meet, but a real-life meeting wouldn't be what I expected, so I changed it to Room 3. Also, out of resentment towards the movie, I modified the plot of the third film with my own ideas and inserted it into the book. I've always wanted to do this, but I hadn't found the opportunity before.

Chapter 716 A Conference Destined to Go Down in History

The meeting was held at 3 p.m. at the headquarters of the International Federation of Wizards.

This was a spacious room, comparable in size to a standard basketball court, but it felt somewhat crowded with over four hundred chairs, not to mention the open space in the middle covered with a purple carpet with gold trim for impromptu speeches. At the front of the room, a long table was deliberately raised; this was the seat of the president of the International Wizarding Federation. Near the president's chair were several fixed seats, belonging to the vice presidents, secretaries, and anonymous seats. The people sitting in these anonymous seats were not fixed each time; invitations were made based on the meeting's theme, and in this case, it was Amelia Borns.

Some people followed Ms. Burns's gaze to the young man diagonally above her. Unlike her, the man's expression wasn't serious; he wore a smile and fiddled with a peculiar hat. The two were conversing quietly. Felix Heap—countless people murmured this name with awe. Akinbad's prestige alone couldn't have gathered these people; this situation was almost entirely his doing.

Felix Heap sat on the other side of Akinbad, seemingly relieved of his stress, and appeared to be in good spirits. He wore a layered, intricately designed robe and sat high on the platform. A ripple of unease stirred in the hearts of the delegates attending the meeting; the position of vice president was still vacant, seemingly reserved for Felix Heap—history had seen instances where the president neglected his duties while the vice president wielded absolute power.

In fact, the previous chairman, Dumbledore, did just that, except he was the one who voluntarily relinquished power.

"You dyed your hair?" Felix asked with interest.

Ms. Burns, who was checking the documents, rolled her eyes at him and snorted, "Hmm." "—You look much better too, did you use a beauty serum?" Burns froze. Felix whispered, "Take a closer look, your hair—" "What about my hair?!" "—It seems to have grown longer, let me check my memory—" After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and said with certainty, "That's right, it has grown longer."

Ms. Burns seemed slightly embarrassed. She said in a low voice, "Felix, this is a very serious occasion!" But she was clearly distracted, flipping through the documents at hand.

"When?"

"What did you say—"

“Great news!” Felix said seriously. “At Bill and Fleur’s wedding last time, I saw Sirius make a Cupid shape out of chicken legs. Hmm, or maybe I was seeing things, it looked more like—”

"Pah, shut up."

……

As the current president of the International Federation of Wizards, Babajid Akinbad tapped his small wooden hammer, and the crowd gradually quieted down.

“Three centuries ago, we enacted the Law of Secrecy, which functioned well until it was fully exposed in the wizarding world. Therefore, I hope that you will adopt the same sense of historical responsibility and enact a guiding and forward-looking law.”

"I am honored to have Ms. Amelia Borns with me. She participated in the entire negotiation process with the Muggle government and successfully reached an agreement, the details of which are written in the book 'Promoting the Openness of Magic,' which is right here with you... Mr. Felix Heap, an expert who was also deeply involved in the negotiations, described to me the brilliance of the book. The agreement does not allow for any hasty sentences; every line of text is carefully selected to conform to the moral tone of both parties. You will find that the contents of Parts Two and Three are repeatedly mentioned. He will be responsible for maintaining order in the meeting and arbitrating controversial issues at this conference."

Akinbad paused after speaking, and seeing that no one objected, he looked to his right, "Felix?"

Felix nodded and said briefly, "Amelia, you can begin."

Ms. Burns' calm voice echoed in the empty conference room. She wore her familiar monocle, her face partially obscured by the light and shadow.

"...Part Two mainly records the progress and results of negotiations between the Ministry of Magic and the host country's government, as well as some unresolved debate excerpts; the final part consists of plans that have been implemented or are about to be implemented, which can promote cooperation between the two sides, such as joint law enforcement, magic shops—oh, we chose to sell books with free gifts, believing that this would be a better way to open up the situation..."

“As you can see,” she said, glancing around at the whispering crowd, “I will do my best to provide you with relevant background information and detailed support.” She sat down.

“Thank you, Amelia, thank you, Babajid,” Felix said in a loud voice, his gaze sweeping over every face.

"We will draft a far-reaching law, whose effectiveness is comparable to the Secret Law, and in some places even surpasses it."

"It's not about running for a year or two, but like the Secrets Act, it's about using centuries as a benchmark. That's why we won't spend time discussing specific details, much less trivial matters like 'how much should a drunk wizard be fined for blowing up a trash can, or whether he should be imprisoned'—that's the Ministry of Magic's responsibility. You go and discuss it with the local government, follow local customs, and adapt to local conditions. What we need to determine are emotional, conceptual, and principled issues—what is acceptable and what is not."

"These will become the prevailing norms in the wizarding world in the future, a consensus in everyone's hearts. Once established, no individual or group, or any subsidiary law, can violate them."

"Alright, now everyone is free to speak, express their independent opinions, or ask questions about Ms. Burns' previous remarks."

After a moment of silence, the representatives from various countries began to speak. Seemingly to liven up the atmosphere, a witch with sparse, light yellow hair asked playfully, "Borns, why use the book-selling format? Is it because you think those Muggles urgently need to supplement their common sense?"

Low chuckles rippled through the crowd, but most people remained silent.

“There are two reasons,” Ms. Burns said calmly. “First, my friend and I—” She glanced at Felix, “we believe that magic is mysterious to outsiders, so in the first year or two, whatever we offer will attract a lot of attention. Compared to potions, magical food, and magical items with various special functions, we hope people can understand the culture and beliefs of wizards, and also to prove one thing: apart from magic, wizards and ordinary people are not fundamentally different.”

"The second reason—which is also mentioned in the book 'Promoting the Openness of Magic'—is that the magical world should integrate into the outside world in a gentle way, trying not to cause any impact on the existing systems and social structures of both sides. So the logic is obvious: it's no big deal for an ordinary household to have an extra comic book that can turn pages automatically, but if they have an extra invisibility cloak, it could cause problems."

The questions gradually became more pointed, and Ms. Burns couldn't handle them all by herself, so Felix joined in. He seemed quite adept at it, as if he were answering questions in class—and most importantly, no one dared to be unreasonable with him.

Several new departments are also taking shape during the discussions. For example, the International Magic Technology Cooperation Review Committee—responsible for reviewing cooperative projects between the two parties; the International Magic Trade Association—responsible for reviewing and approving cross-border trade and lists of first, second, and third category items; and the Emergency Investigation Group—responsible for communicating and handling difficult emergencies with potentially huge risks.

The clerk was writing furiously with a quill pen in front of him.

A red-haired wizard mentioned the Pan-Magic Alliance. "Currently, branches have been spontaneously established in various places, and although the progress varies, they are at least in the preparation stage. However, the headquarters of the Pan-Magic Alliance is nowhere to be seen."

“Perhaps we could place it in a subordinate department of the Federation?” a wizard suggested.

“Doesn’t that still mean other races are subordinate to wizards?” the red-haired wizard objected. “We definitely have to cede some rights in exchange for their support of wizards. In this new era, the old methods won’t work. Those races are our natural allies…”