Lys unconsciously touched her left arm, not responding to Grindelwald's statement.
"I always thought that if I gave something up, then I wouldn't lose anything more, but they just changed form and timing. They want me not only to give but also to lose. Squeeze out every bit of value... everything!"
"I was originally surnamed Black, and now the Black family is dead. What's more terrifying is my brother—my hidden family, my brother."
Lys closed her eyes at this point, her urgent words making two veins bulge in her neck.
"He's the last bloodline of the Black family, a perfect ornament! He's set his sights on my brother!"
"I don't understand, little girl. Everything you're saying is too fragmented—I still can't figure out what you're trying to express."
Grindelwald popped one of the butter candies Lys had brought earlier into his mouth. "Oh! So sweet..."
"My family is your Dumbledore."
Lys's sudden statement made Grindelwald pause his attempt to chew the candy with his few remaining teeth.
"Whether because of some 'love,' or simply because of 'my' need."
"You can imprison yourself in Nurmengard—every brick and stone built by your own hands. I can also play dumb to avoid the Dark Lord's attention, constantly weighing so-called loss and sacrifice just to hide myself and my family. But he's actually set his sights on my brother! This won't do. I named him Fred—Freedom! He carries not only his freedom, but also my hope."
"Everyone's just watching from the sidelines. They know someone will eventually win, and it has nothing to do with them. Originally, I was the same."
Lys's voice grew louder:
"I thought as long as someone won in the end, it would be fine! But not anymore! I can't hide anymore. These jokes being watched with cold indifference might soon involve a price I can't afford!"
Lys suddenly stood up from her simple four-legged transfigured chair, knocking it over. She waved her left arm, emotions running high.
"I can't think of a solution. As long as I still bear his mark on my arm, I can't even find anyone to shelter me. And escape? I know I can't beat him, even after all my efforts... even if I truly risked everything!"
"But Horcruxes! He can still come back! Just the ones I know about—there are three!! And he's already mad. He definitely wouldn't make only three..."
Lys suddenly reined in her desire to pour out everything, fixing her gray eyes on Grindelwald. "Mr. Grindelwald, what should I do?"
Grindelwald finally managed to unstick his mouth from the butter candy:
"This is indeed torturous. The harder you try, the clearer you realize you'll never get what you want. Even when you try to risk everything for what you care about, you discover he can make comebacks countless times."
He pushed the candies away and continued: "Regarding Horcruxes, I don't have good solutions. The realm of souls isn't my particular expertise."
He looked somewhat wistful: "You're still too young. The time spanning between us is too long—this seems to have somewhat mythologized my image in your mind."
"I've been away too long..."
After saying this, Grindelwald fell quiet himself.
He remembered his followers stationed beneath his dark tower, tirelessly telling him about events: Dumbledore, killed by Voldemort's arrangement with a child's scheme...
He also recalled Dumbledore's previous machinations and suddenly smiled.
He didn't believe that young man called Voldemort and a child could truly outwit his Albus.
"Child, if Albus were before you now, though he might not say it, he would definitely understand in his heart."
"People who are constantly arrogant, clamoring, and angry aren't frightening. What's frightening are those who secretly accumulate power." Grindelwald pressed down his palm, signaling Lys not to rush.
"Now isn't the time for your angry resistance. Your weakness is too obvious..." Grindelwald thought for a moment, then pulled the plate of candies back and popped another into his mouth.
Grindelwald could hear Lys's wavering, and this wavering lay in her determination toward her family, her needs.
Not necessarily wanting Voldemort to die.
The problem was right here:
Once conditions were suitable, she might very likely retreat again through weighing pros and cons.
Her wavering would only leave her unable to get what she wanted while losing what she had.
After all, it sounded like she'd done exactly this before, hadn't she?
Always choosing the least costly approach while ignoring the lurking problems behind, finally reaching a point of no return.
"When one should act decisively but doesn't, one will suffer the chaos. When one acts but not decisively, there will be future troubles." These were words spoken long ago by an Eastern wizard representative—unexpectedly fitting for this little witch.
...And fitting for himself too...
Moreover, Horcruxes... Grindelwald snorted with disdain. Someone actually dared create such things.
Having studied dark magic for so many years, even if it wasn't his area of expertise, he clearly knew that those who tampered with souls were madmen—and if they weren't, they would become madmen...
"Do you trust me?" He looked at Lys while laboriously chewing the candy in his mouth.
But Lys said nothing. Grindelwald amusedly grasped the blackthorn wand in Lys's hand. Lys glanced at him, then after flicking down her willow wand, handed the blackthorn wand to Grindelwald.
The old man stood up. He still wore the dignified clothes from visiting Dumbledore. Now skeletal-thin yet still upright, despite his age he carried an indefinable pride.
His withered fingers gently caressed the decorative Fiendfyre serpent. Standing in place, he whirled his wand—Grindelwald's robes flared in a small arc, just like years ago.
The small serpent on the wand suddenly dropped to the ground, transforming into pure black flames that rose half a person's height around him.
Lys felt somewhat dazed. Even though she could do this too, seeing Grindelwald standing proudly within the Fiendfyre circle stirred something nameless in her heart.
She heard herself say:
"I trust you."
The air above those flames began twisting and spreading as Lys's words "I trust you" fell. Grindelwald's elegant wand arc revealed the strict restrictions set upon the wand:
"Child, Albus seems very worried about you misusing your power."
Lys watched the light twisting according to some pattern in the air and occasional flashes of blue light:
"I know. That's why I can't unleash this spell's maximum power. Unless someday my magical level surpasses Headmaster Dumbledore's, I'll never break through the restrictions within."
"Hahaha, but I think he's wrong about this. If you can't use your power to protect your family, what will you do? He should lift his restrictions on you. That way, after failure, you'll only blame your own incompetence and lament fate's harshness, unable to find excuses to hate and blame those around you. Though..."
Grindelwald took a deep breath. At his age, making long speeches while simultaneously modifying spells was quite taxing.
"Though you're not necessarily that kind of person, this shouldn't be a reason to restrict you. You should be free—free to use your power when needed. Right and wrong will be judged after everything passes."
Right and wrong will be judged after everything passes...
Lys looked at the only real person among her beliefs.
She remembered—he was a seer.
"How is my Freedom?"
"Not bad... except he's not as tall as you. I think he's an excellent young man like yourself."
Lys smiled slightly:
"That sounds pretty good."
When Grindelwald withdrew the Fiendfyre, his body swayed, but he silently shook his head, refusing Lys's outstretched hand, quickly straightening himself.
He clasped one hand behind his back, holding Lys's blackthorn wand before his eyes with admiration: "Albus... perhaps this is our final disagreement."
After changing his clothes back to their original state, he handed the wand to Lys. "You must know that fate is a very magical thing. You're not someone favored by fate, but someone is. Everything will end."
Grindelwald raised the wrinkles on his forehead, cutting off Lys's question before she could voice it.
"I don't know when."
He didn't even know what the outcome would be.
He couldn't see that much—if he could, how would he have come to this...
"But not now. Go back, child. My time is almost up. When one covets certain things, some events are already destined to happen." Grindelwald murmured things Lys didn't quite understand.
Then he looked up at Lys, waving the list in his hand. "Much of this is false, but it looks quite interesting, doesn't it?"
Even so, I've waited all these years for a possibility. What about you?
Little girl, can you endure waiting for your possibility?
Grindelwald was too thin, making his facial expressions difficult for Lys to read.
But looking into Grindelwald's eyes, Lys knew she really should leave.
"Can I still come..."
"Perhaps." The old man's withered mouth corners lifted slightly as he refused another wand Lys offered.
"I'll wait for you to come see me with a smile when you've gained what you deserve as a truly excellent person. But remember, little girl... judge well when the time is right for your angry resistance."
Grindelwald pulled the thin blanket over himself and lay back on his simple bed, listening as Lys hesitated for a while before climbing out the window. He closed his eyes and smiled.
Crazy little witch—unable to beat one Dark Lord, so she wanted to release another Dark Lord in the world's eyes...
As long as she could escape her current situation, she truly didn't care about anything else.
"Hahahaha, Albus, you really are... your students, one by one, really are... hahahaha"
The person he loved seemed to possess some kind of magic.
The more he hoped for world peace, the more he seemed to attract mentally disturbed individuals.
"Hahahaha!"
After laughing, he took a deep breath. "Soon. Yes, soon."
Soon we'll meet again, Albus. I hope this time there won't be another accident like Ariana between us—no escape, no questioning, no disagreements...
I hope we'll shoulder both our responsibilities together, have the chance to walk further side by side.
Connect the starlight in both our thoughts into one piece, let excellent people gain everything they deserve.
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