My obsession with role-playing seems to have distorted the world's aesthetic.

"Fuji..."

As he slowly uttered this rather unfamiliar name, a hint of solemnity appeared in Grindelwald's eyes.

Sure enough, I have been abandoned by the times.

Throw away the tile!

I need to throw away the tiles myself!

Powerful throw!

The infiltrator in front of them was just one of Fudge's subordinates.

However, judging from the brief exchange, this person's magic is no less than mine.

And what kind of powerful figure is the Minister of Magic who commands this infiltrator?

"That's right, Minister Fudge is invincible. At the end of magic, who can stand at the peak? Upon seeing Fudge, all is in vain."

In this day and age, who dares to claim invincibility or unbeatable status in front of Minister Fudge?

The power of fate's record clearly permeated this world, and upon hearing Voldemort's words, Grindelwald felt deeply inadequate.

A wizard's magic is cumulative, and theoretically, a wizard of my level should not experience a decline in power with age during their physical lifespan.

While he has been living in seclusion in Nurmengard for years, Dumbledore has certainly not stopped striving to become stronger.

Even so, Dumbledore only chose to step back from the forefront when faced with Fudge, and instead focused on teaching and nurturing students at Hogwarts.

Wow, this Fudge is terrifying.

When Grindelwald realized he hadn't done enough, Voldemort seized the opportunity to flee. Going to fight the former Dark Lord to the death was not in line with his style.

What I need to do next is wait for Grindelwald and Dumbledore's battle to end, and then reap the benefits.

During this time, Voldemort also developed his own intelligence network and roughly understood what had happened at the tower.

The irrational Dumbledore, who could return at any moment, had become a major concern for him.

Grindelwald did not choose to intercept Voldemort as he left.

For now, I should go and continue to explore the current state of Hogwarts.

Unaware of how Dumbledore educated the wizards during his years of imprisonment in Nurmengard, or how the strength of his students compared to his own time.

Grindelwald continued his investigation with anticipation, and soon he had chosen a target to test.

There seem to be quite a few students in that classroom.

Looking towards the classroom where the commotion was coming from, Grindelwald, clad in a black robe, raised his wand and unleashed a spell that blasted the activity room door apart.

"Everyone, it's time for a quiz."

Looking at the students inside the door, Grindelwald spoke calmly.

Victory in this battle was inevitable, after all, I am not that weak.

The Minister of Magic's subordinates were indeed not strong enough to hold him off, but in this day and age, surely not even a student could hold his own against him?

Inside the activity room, eighteen of the top twenty players in the arena simultaneously turned their gaze toward the entrance.

So... the challengers have arrived?

Who are you?

The leader of the eighteen spoke in a serious tone, questioning them. Grindelwald glanced at the eighteen wizards standing in perfect unison before him, sensing something amiss, but he calmly responded:

"I'm just a dark wizard passing by. Let me see the power of Hogwarts students these days."

Upon hearing this, the eighteen wizards simultaneously prepared for battle, the leader of the group frowning.

"Aren't you underestimating us a bit? We're among the most capable fighters in Hogwarts, one of the combat units Hogwarts is currently training!"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Grindelwald glanced at the wizards before him. Something was amiss. If this was all the magic they possessed, they couldn't even compare to the top wizards of his own time.

Speaking of which... what is that strange glow on their bodies?

Grindelwald was filled with doubt, when at that moment, the leader of the eighteen students shouted loudly:

"Form a protective array and let this passing dark wizard witness the power of the Eighteen Bronze Men of Hogwarts!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the eighteen students, each wielding a "giant magic wand," charged toward Grindelwald.

They didn't believe Grindelwald was really some passing dark wizard, but rather a teacher who had come to check their progress and had disguised his identity.

"The eighteen bronze men of Hogwarts? Hmph, bronze men or diamond men, this level of magic is truly disappointing."

And instead of running away, Grindelwald chose to charge at me?

Facing the bronze-skinned Hogwarts Eighteen Bronze Men who were coming towards him, Grindelwald snorted coldly, drew his wand, and attacked fiercely.

"Immediately imprison them!"

The underage wizard Grindelwald felt he didn't need to use dark magic yet, and at that moment he only felt one thing: loss, utter loss.

What a disappointment! The current wizards' taunts are so weak. Back in Durmstranger... Damn it, where did these people come from? Are they giants in human skin?

What happened next left Grindelwald completely bewildered. The eighteen bronze men in front of him broke free of the group binding spell by sheer brute force.

"This level of restraint is an insult to the eighteen Hogwarts warriors!"

The eighteen bronze men broke free from their restraints and charged at Grindelwald with their clubs. Grindelwald, caught off guard, immediately cast a silent spell to create a shield with extremely strong magic resistance.

The next instant, the lead student rammed a stick into Grindelwald's abdomen, sending him flying.

"Well, in terms of brute force, I, Grindelwald, would call you the strongest!"

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Grindelwald looked at the eighteen bronze statues not far away and was sent flying by the impact, speaking from the bottom of his heart.

Chapter 1246: Stop! This isn't magic at all!

Stop! This isn't magic at all!

Although I really wanted to say that, that thought was quickly replaced by another.

As expected of Dumbledore, this level of brute force and attack speed is probably comparable to that of a troll.

How were these students trained? If I had had such methods back then, my followers would surely prosper.

Wait a minute, Saints was already pretty popular, wasn't it?

Never mind, it's not a big problem.

Having assessed the opponent's strength, Grindelwald nodded approvingly. That kind of wand-focused attack style wouldn't be able to withstand many times, even with iron armor.

The staffs of the Eighteen Bronze Men seem to have been regarded by Grindelwald as some kind of magic wand with a special shape.

Looking at the eighteen bronze men not far away, Grindelwald sincerely praised, "A fighting method specifically designed for ordinary wizards? Indeed, Fudge is a great threat."

"If not, Dumbledore wouldn't have needed to train this type of student. However, your power is indeed the strongest I have ever seen among wizards."

In Grindelwald's eyes, the eighteen Hogwarts warriors had become mass-produced, unpromising special-type warriors targeting the Ministry of Magic.

"You don't need to comfort us. We know our own incompetence. Our strength is nothing but a tragedy in the face of Professor Hagrid."

The captain, who was in charge, shook his head and said that in his eyes, Grindelwald was actually a teacher who came to check the training results, and the captain had already seen through his holding back earlier.

“That’s right, ever since our battle with Professor Hagrid, we’ve discovered the feminine side within us…”

Another team member quickly agreed, while the captain responded somewhat speechlessly:

"Wait a minute. Back then, you were the only one who cried because Hagrid didn't control his power properly. Now that you've discovered the feminine side within you, don't drag us into it."

Grindelwald was naturally a smart man. Seeing the attitude of the eighteen bronze men in front of him, he immediately realized that his identity seemed to have been misunderstood.

Instead of explaining, Grindelwald casually asked, "Hagrid, what do you guys think, regarding the teaching?"

Upon hearing this, the captain answered without hesitation:

"As expected of Mr. Hagrid, who often works for Headmaster Dumbledore, his strength is truly unmatched. Alas, it's too difficult for us to reach Mr. Hagrid's level."

Damn, if only I were of giant blood.

Hagrid's height and terrifying strength made it impossible for him to hide his lineage from the academically excellent students, and Grindelwald gasped upon hearing this.

Fudge is indeed incredibly powerful; he's driven Dumbledore to such a desperate situation that he's even resorted to using giants as teachers at the school in order to fight against him.

“Not bad, you guys are real wizard killers when you fight. I’ll get a little more serious now and let me see your limits.”

After realizing he had been mistaken for a professor, Grindelwald, instead of explaining, decided to play along and said...

"Yes! Then, please witness the full power of the Eighteen Bronze Men of Hogwarts! Everyone, the Eighteen Bronze Men formation is definitely no match for the Professor. Arhat Demon-Subduing Formation, activate!"

Having earned the arena ranking rewards, the group immediately began to implement the new formation, and Grindelwald unconsciously smoothed his hair with his right hand, making it more suitable for combat.

"Let me see how you spread your wares."

Just as Grindelwald was about to get serious, the eighteen bronze men simultaneously launched a perfectly coordinated attack.

"Fire Shield Protection!"

Grindelwald had no interest in being beaten up, and without saying a word, he immediately unleashed his most exquisite magic.

A shield of light was formed from azure flames, but compared to his brief encounter with Voldemort earlier, he was holding back slightly.

"Multiple weapons to eliminate you."

Grindelwald had already taken control of the battle's rhythm, and with a calm recitation of the incantation, the Eighteen Bronze Men's staff flew directly from his hand.

For Grindelwald, applying the effects of a spell to multiple people was not difficult.

"While it's not very effective against powerful wizards, it should be fine for dealing with ordinary Aurors in the Ministry of Magic."

Recalling the strength of the Aurors in his era, Grindelwald said with some uncertainty.

???

Upon hearing his words, the eighteen Hogwarts warriors were stunned. What? Deal with the Ministry of Magic? Weren't we planning to deal with Professor Dumbledore until the antidote was successfully injected?

Wait, could it be that without our knowledge, the professor has already secretly reached a consensus to directly target the Ministry of Magic after the deed is done, and then Great Britain will revive King Dumbledore?

The eighteen bronze statues present had no idea that the professors might betray Dumbledore; Dumbledore's prestige in England was ridiculously high.

Without offering further explanation, Grindelwald nodded in satisfaction and left the scene.