Grindelwald was a Dark Wizard, but not the sort of madman who took pleasure in torture.
Using life as bait to force blood relatives to kill each other—such a vicious method was something he'd rather not employ.
But after learning what these individuals had done in the past, his conscience became clear.
In terms of evil, the sins these people had committed surpassed those of ordinary Dark Wizards—even the Dark Lord himself—by dozens, perhaps hundreds of times.
Though they hadn't killed directly, through assassinations, persecutions and other means, they'd caused the deaths of hundreds. They'd even funded armed organisations in Africa, leading to the devastation of an entire small nation.
The indirect death toll from their actions? Far beyond ten thousand.
After all, the population disparity between both worlds was stark.
In the wizarding world, one or two deaths made headlines—front-page news even.
Take Sirius Black—having killed merely thirteen people, he was dubbed Azkaban's most dangerous criminal. His bounty after escaping reached a staggering ten thousand Galleons.
But in Muggle society?
Hmph.
Grindelwald's gaze was cold as ice as he stood atop the highest tower, listening impassively to the arguments below.
The voices gradually quietened. The five seemed to have reached an agreement and began searching room by room for keys.
The castle contained ten identical keys, but only one could open the main gate.
Soon, working together, they found all keys in half the expected time.
"Which one's real?"
"Try them and find out."
They tested all ten keys at the gate. The fifth turned the lock.
Their faces lit up with wild hope, yet the gate refused to open.
Grindelwald's voice descended from above.
"Congratulations on finding the correct key. However, the half-hour isn't up yet. Even with the key, the gate won't open. Rest awhile."
Then silence.
The atmosphere among the five below shifted imperceptibly.
They'd originally agreed the eldest son would survive—strongest, middle-aged, the family's future secured through him.
But now every extra second meant waiting for death.
Strange thoughts arose in each mind.
The youngest son sweated profusely, neck tendons bulging. During the silence, he suddenly lunged, grabbing a hidden candlestick to smash his eldest brother's skull.
The blow to the head made the eldest collapse instantly, eyes rolling back as he fell bleeding.
"What are you doing?"
"Father! I don't want to die! Why should he live?"
"Why not me?"
"He's your brother!"
"I'll honour him every year on this day... all of you!"
Screams, shrieks and the youngest daughter's sobs composed a macabre symphony. Grindelwald simply closed his eyes, savouring his wine.
The half-hour passed swiftly.
Grindelwald descended the stairs slowly, reaching the ground floor.
The ground was already stained crimson with blood. Four of the five had fallen, leaving only the youngest sister of the family sitting silently amidst the gore—the very girl who had just graduated this year.
"Most unexpected. I thought you'd be the first eliminated, yet here you stand as the final victor."
Though he spoke these words, Grindelwald's eyes remained utterly impassive, as calm as still water. He hadn't used his prophetic abilities to foresee this outcome, but in such circumstances, whoever survived last wouldn't have surprised him.
"May I leave now?" The girl still didn't raise her head, staring instead at her hands drenched in her family's blood as she rasped the question.
"Of course."
Grindelwald raised his wand with a flick, and the true key floated obediently towards the lock. The great doors swung open slowly. The girl turned and walked out step by step.
Beneath her dishevelled hair burned eyes filled with madness—a potent mix of hatred and murderous intent. She swore that if she could return, she'd spare no expense to mobilise armies, even nuclear weapons, to reduce this tower and its demonic inhabitant to ashes.
Thunk!
"Ghk—!"
The girl whirled in shock to see dozens of razor-sharp spears erupting from the ground, impaling her through vital organs. Grindelwald stood smiling in the doorway, elegant and composed, even raising a glass of red wine in salute.
"My apologies. I lied to you."
"No one was ever leaving here alive today."
The girl's mouth worked soundlessly, blood frothing at her lips, before her eyes closed forever. The violence of slaughtering kin, the exhilaration of survival, the burning hatred for Grindelwald—all these complex emotions peaked at the moment life left her.
The resentment hanging in the air was nearly tangible.
"This should suffice..."
Grindelwald slowly extended his palm. In the Great Hall, the blood and corpses of others had already been cleared away. Only the last girl's wounds continued gushing blood, which he guided into forming an elaborate magical circle.
As the circle completed, he began chanting the Horcrux creation incantation, Slytherin's Locket clutched in one hand. A vengeful spirit emerged from the circle—the girl's visage—howling as it charged at Grindelwald, desperate to tear him apart.
He stood unmoving, allowing the spirit to collide with him with a dull impact. A fragment of his soul peeled away, drawn inexorably towards the locket where they gradually merged.
After delivering its hate-filled strike, the spirit dissipated unwillingly, the blood circle fading with it.
Grindelwald felt sudden clarity. Indeed, the size of soul fragments split during Horcrux creation couldn't be controlled. Though souls couldn't be quantified, he sensed he'd lost nearly a fifth this time. Worse, the severed portion unleashed a torrent of negative emotions battering his consciousness. Even with his formidable will, suppressing this discomfort was difficult. Should more soul be lost...
"Voldemort... you're truly insane..."
Slowly ascending the stairs, Grindelwald found himself regarding this 'successor' with newfound respect for the first time.
The lad's a ruthless one...
Splitting one's soul even once is terrifying enough, but Voldemort—Lawrence alone has destroyed four of his Horcruxes, and who knows how many more remain hidden.
Doesn't he fear becoming a mindless beast?
What's the point of being a wizard then?
Returning to his cottage, Grindelwald tipped a few drops of Phoenix tears into his mouth, slowly recovering his vitality and healing the wounds inflicted by the soul's tearing.
He had only completed the first step of Horcrux creation; his soul wasn't stable yet.
More time was needed before deeper research could proceed.
The immense vitality nourished his parched body as Grindelwald slowly opened his eyes.
"Dumbledore, are you ready... to welcome me?"
...
London, St Mungo's.
After subduing the Basilisk and making it pay a painful price, Wayne hadn't forgotten his duty to treat the Longbottoms.
The dreams he'd woven for them were nearly complete, but a new problem had emerged—their brains had lost the ability to dream, rendering even magic ineffective.
It was like casting a nightmare curse on a stone; the stone wouldn't have nightmares.
So Wayne's main task now wasn't weaving dreams but repairing their brains to restore their ability to dream.
"That's enough for today. I've reconnected part of their mental faculties. A few more sessions, and they should be able to withstand the full dream."
"Keep up the vitality and energy potions—no breaks in the medication."
After two hours of work, Wayne opened his eyes and addressed Madam Longbottom, who had been waiting nearby.
Though he still had energy to spare, the Longbottoms had reached their limit and needed time to consolidate the progress.
Since seeing hope, Madam Longbottom had warmed considerably to Wayne. Even though he was her grandson's age, her tone carried a hint of respect.
"Mr Lawrence, you've worked hard today. Shall I arrange your return?"
"No need." Wayne rose with a smile. "Since I'm here, I might as well visit an acquaintance."
"A friend in hospital?" The old lady looked surprised.
"Not a friend—Umbridge. I want to see how she's doing."
"Her." Understanding dawned, followed by a peculiar expression.
This wasn't a visit—it was rubbing salt in the wound.
...
Second floor, Creature-Induced Injuries.
After confirming Umbridge's ward, Wayne headed straight there.
"Not bad—a private room?"
Umbridge, lying dazed on the bed, turned sharply, eyes wide with shock. "Lawrence, why are you here?"
Was he here to silence her?
Her hand hovered over the bedside call button, ready to press it.
"Just some business at St Mungo's. No need to be nervous, Professor Umbridge." Wayne leaned against the doorway, not entering, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on her.
"Heard you've got multiple lacerations and burns—needing a week's rest?"
"You seem pleased, Lawrence?" Umbridge narrowed her eyes, her smile saccharine. "Just a week. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"Hogwarts' reforms won't be stopped—not even halfway."
"You must be out of your mind." Wayne chuckled and shook his head. "Have you forgotten? The Ministry's Integrity Department hasn't even started investigating you yet."
Umbridge's face darkened. This was indeed troublesome.
But merely troublesome—she was Fudge's right hand. What could Crouch possibly do to her?
"Professor, you'd better make sure no one discovers you've embezzled school funds," Wayne 'kindly' reminded her. "Even if you avoid Azkaban, the compensation would be tenfold."
Umbridge waved her arm angrily. "Lawrence, you're slandering an upstanding Ministry official!"
Wayne nearly gagged at her words. Seeing the 500 points credited to his account, he saw no reason to waste more time here and turned to leave.
"Oh, one more thing." After two steps, he suddenly turned back, staring at the door. "Forgot to share some good news with you."
"Harry told me you tried to punish him with a quill cursed with Dark Magic."
Umbridge's face paled. Wayne's grin widened. "I've already reported it to the Ministry. The Integrity Department will investigate that too."
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the achievement 'Kicking Someone When They're Down'. Reward: 500 points.]
Perfect.
Watching Umbridge's panicked expression, Wayne finally left, thoroughly satisfied.
Even when she wasn't at school, that pink toad could still be useful to him...