The revelation that the fake Lockhart might be a follower of Grindelwald took Charles by surprise.
Most of those old supporters had disappeared after Grindelwald's imprisonment in Nurmengard. And according to Dumbledore, the man had long since begun repenting for his crimes. If that were true, then why were his so-called Acolytes still active?
Was it their own will—or Grindelwald's?
Still, since this was a matter involving "Old Bumblebee," Charles didn't intend to intervene too deeply. But it was only right to notify him. So after sending the fake Lockhart away, he conjured a silver Patronus and dispatched it to deliver his message.
Not long after, a silver phoenix returned, hovering above Charles's head before transforming into glowing words.
"I've already noticed it. Lockhart was likely switched after his last departure. Grindelwald himself seems inactive—this must be the will of his remaining followers. Leave this to me."
When the message ended, Dumbledore's Patronus faded into mist. Even though he knew Charles understood everything about Grindelwald, he still didn't wish to discuss it. His oft-repeated words—'The young can feel the sting of love'—had already revealed more than enough of his heart.
Long ago, in that chaotic duel between three people, Dumbledore's sister Ariana died. Grindelwald fled Godric's Hollow without hesitation, leaving a wound that would never heal. Hatred might fade with time, but remorse only deepens.
Like gray dust settling layer upon layer upon the young Dumbledore's soul, his brief joy and reckless affection had been buried alongside his sister.
Since Dumbledore hadn't asked for help, Charles had no reason to meddle. In his eyes, Grindelwald was no longer a threat.
Perhaps in his youth, Grindelwald had been Dumbledore's equal in power—but so was Charles himself now. And after all those years locked away in Nurmengard, Grindelwald's magic must have waned considerably.
What made Grindelwald truly dangerous had never been his strength, but his ideology and charisma. Voldemort's Death Eaters couldn't compare to Grindelwald's fanatical Saints.
Having no further need to worry about that matter, Charles turned his attention back to the villain organizations at hand. Giovanni had been away from the Nature Reserve for quite some time, training Pokémon in Alola. It was about time for him to return.
Time flew by. Once again, the annual Halloween at Hogwarts – Danger Edition had arrived.
During this period, the exiled Voldemort had been wreaking havoc throughout the international wizarding world. Under Charles's subtle manipulation, Voldemort first attacked the French Ministry of Magic. The birdcage-shaped elevator at Fürstenberg Square was blown to pieces, and after defeating dozens of Aurors, he vanished into the night.
Some claimed he had gone insane after his defeat. Others believed he was searching for Nicholas Flamel's legacy to use against Charles Gold.
Whatever the reason, Voldemort's rampage made his old nemesis even more famous. The man who had once driven the Dark Lord out of Britain—Charles Gold—was again the talk of the entire wizarding world. Voldemort's resurgence proved he was no mere myth, but it also elevated Charles's reputation to unprecedented heights.
The madman didn't stop there. He attacked the Ministries of several other countries in succession, then crossed the ocean to America. There, he hijacked several Muggle airplanes and crashed them into the Pentagon, causing massive casualties among the members of the Magical Congress of the United States. The Congress was forced to cast memory charms on countless Muggles to conceal the disaster.
Voldemort's attacks were anything but subtle.
Just as people wondered why he would cross the ocean, he struck again—this time at Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, home of Ilvermorny. He transformed one of the ancient serpentwood trees into a wand and took it with him.
Many wizards speculated that he was after Slytherin's Wand, and that the attack on the Congress had merely been a distraction. After all, Voldemort was the Dark Lord—nothing he did would ever be considered "normal."
In response, the affected countries dispatched Aurors to hunt him down. The International Confederation of Wizards could no longer stand idle. Too many nations had suffered; the chaos had escalated from a domestic issue into an international crisis.
Even if Voldemort himself appeared, he couldn't hope to face such combined forces head-on. Yet, now alone and unbound, he could strike anywhere. The Aurors couldn't stay together indefinitely—whenever they split up, they became easy prey.
In the end, the Confederation could do little but send a formal notice to the British Ministry of Magic, insisting that since Voldemort originated from Britain, Britain must take full responsibility.
And more specifically—Charles Gold, the man who once defeated him—should capture him again, just as Dumbledore once did with Grindelwald.
Cornelius Fudge didn't even bother showing the letter to Charles before rejecting it outright.
"How amusing! Weren't these same people complaining about Charles and his Pokémon not long ago?"
Fudge laughed as if he'd heard the greatest joke in the world. "Send them a reply. Say that Mr. Gold, considering the international community's ongoing prejudice against Pokémon, has decided not to take his partners outside Britain for now."
Umbridge, his syrup-voiced deputy, fluttered her eyes and nodded eagerly. She was about to leave when Fudge called out again.
"By the way, how's Barty doing these days? He's been ill for quite a while, hasn't he?"
"He returned a few days ago," Umbridge said in her affected tone. "He's definitely getting on in years. I think he's considering retirement, though he still says he might hold on for another two years."
"Ah, poor Barty, my old friend!" Fudge sighed dramatically—but his expression betrayed little sorrow. If not for Barty Crouch's scandal years ago, Cornelius Fudge would never have become Minister of Magic, nor would he now be basking in the wealth and prestige that came from associating with Charles Gold.
Umbridge let out a throaty laugh that sounded halfway between a giggle and a cough.
"If Barty does retire," she asked slyly, "who do you think would be best suited to replace him?"
Not that she coveted Crouch's position—after all, she was already the Senior Undersecretary, technically above him.
"Hmm… there's that promising young man from the Weasley family," Fudge mused. "He'll graduate in a couple of years—perhaps we'll let him give it a try."
On one hand, that Weasley boy was shaping up to be one of Hogwarts' brightest students. On the other, it would make for a useful political gesture—an olive branch toward a certain powerful faction.
After all, even if Fudge now relied on Charles Gold's influence, he hadn't forgotten that Dumbledore still existed. And the Weasley family happened to be among Dumbledore's staunchest supporters.
(End of Chapter)