All the old wizards were looking at Grindelwald.
Only Severus and Nicolas stood at the edge of the spiral staircase, watching this scene as spectators.
Under the gaze of so many expectant old wizards, hearing their pleas, Grindelwald slowly shook his head.
"Why, Leader? We clearly hadn't lost back then, right? It was only because of Dumbledore! Because of Dumbledore! If you are worried about him-"
"You think I lost my will to fight because I was defeated by Dumbledore?"
Grindelwald softly interrupted his follower's speech and chuckled lightly.
"Necessary strength is a certain prerequisite for realizing our ideal, but it is not an absolute condition. I have always understood this, Carlo."
"Then why do you refuse?" More people asked.
They looked at their leader with immense pain and sorrow.
"We have come here many times before, but we always thought this prison was holding you! That's why we did those things in France, why we wanted to liberate you from here!"
"If you could have left this place all along and hadn't lost your will to fight after that duel, why didn't you come out to lead us again?"
Each of them was once a famous figure in the Wizarding World.
Not all of them came from dark wizard backgrounds. Among them were officials from Ministries of Magic, former professors from wizarding schools, celebrities among wizards, and experienced adventurers.
In the past, they gathered around Grindelwald for the same ideal, regardless of nationality, bloodline, or race.
Now, each of them was weeping bitter tears, begging him desperately to return.
At this moment, the smile finally faded from Grindelwald's face.
He met those pairs of hopeful eyes, his expression neither sad nor joyful, and said calmly, "Do you all still remember what kind of world we wanted to build?"
"Break the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy!" Someone shouted.
"Let wizards no longer live like rats!" Someone wailed.
"Establish a new world ruled by wizards, governing the Muggles!" Someone said solemnly and calmly.
"Right..." Grindelwald spoke slowly.
"You all still remember. Of course, I have never forgotten either. But these are ultimately just fantasies."
His words acted like a mute button pressed in the prison cell, leaving everyone else staring at him in a daze. Even Vinda looked utterly incredulous. No one could utter a word.
They had never imagined that such a complete denial would come from the mouth of the old man before them!
"Since that duel, I have reflected here for a very, very long time."
This silence made Grindelwald's voice exceptionally clear. Everyone, including Severus and Nicolas, listened intently to his account.
"Where did our failure ultimately come from? Was it because we weren't strong enough? Because there weren't enough people who found the Statute so absurd? Or was it because Muggles had surpassed wizards, and our actions were already too late?"
"I pondered many such questions, but ultimately found that the key doesn't actually lie there."
"Our strength was already sufficient at the time. Similarly, the number of wizards who believed the Statute should be abolished and that magic needed to embrace the world was almost half of the entire Wizarding World. The development of Muggle technology was rapid, but it was far from reaching its peak. Moreover, they were experiencing a great war at that time, so it was clearly the best opportunity."
"But during that duel, Albus's words woke me up, making me think ever since."
Grindelwald did not avoid the gazes fixed upon him.
"The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy is not oppressing wizards… it is protecting them."
His statement caused a great stir among those who had been kneeling before him. The old wizards were all shocked, utterly unwilling to believe these words could come from him!
Some even felt a sense of absurdity.
Decades ago, when they were at their most powerful, having nearly split Europe in half, this very prison, Nurmengard, was built to imprison those who said, 'The Statute of Secrecy protects wizards'!
And now, the original master of the prison was also imprisoned here. Like a curse, he too was uttering the same words!
"I... I can't accept this... I can't accept this!!!"
Someone screamed like a madman, turned, and ran out of the room.
Although Vinda was also shocked, she remained composed.
Just as she had said herself, no matter what decision Grindelwald made, she was willing to listen and understand.
"I can understand why you find this absurd, but this is the conclusion I have reached after decades of solitary reflection here."
Grindelwald remained calm.
"If the existence of wizards and magic were completely revealed to the Muggle world, the ones who would truly be harmed are actually us."
"Muggles can produce wizards, even a large number of wizards. They are family, they are friends. Influenced by blood ties and emotions, these people would be subjected to such tests and torments every moment, and most would ultimately choose to turn against their wizard identity."
"But what about wizards?"
"What are the Muggles produced among wizards? Squibs? Would they have any influence in the Muggle World?"
"None. Absolutely none. It seemed we had the support of many people at the time, but if violent conflict with Muggles truly erupted, what we would face would absolutely not be just Muggles, but the other half of the wizards along with the Muggles."
"Could we possibly kill all of them? Or use the Imperius Curse on all of them, control their minds?"
"It's useless."
"The power of magic comes from the heart and will. No matter how exquisite the control, as long as Muggles remain Muggles, and Muggles can still produce wizards, the outcome will not change."
His words left many present with dazed and bewildered expressions.
"If we had not been stopped, if we had truly led everyone to continue pursuing our ideal, that ideal world absolutely could not have been realized. Instead, wizards would have been completely torn apart."
"Pure-bloods, half-bloods, Muggle-borns… their fundamental contradictions would have been exposed, leading to the deaths of many, many people, sacrifices far beyond anyone's imagination."
"There is no better future. Only the destruction of the world. That is not what we envisioned, is it?"
"We wanted to create a perfect world, not a land of despair and sin."
"That is why I stayed here."