Chapter 339: Grindelwald

The isolated black ancient castle, the faint magical halo in the sky, and Dumbledore's solemn introduction.

All indicated that this place was extraordinary.

"Nurmengard?"

"What kind of place is this?"

John asked in confusion.

"This is a... prison."

Dumbledore looked at the ancient castle and said slowly.

"Ah? Didn't you say before that this was your old friend's temporary residence?"

John was stunned and asked directly.

"That doesn't conflict, does it? Isn't a prison a temporary residence?"

Dumbledore said as a matter of course.

"......"

John was speechless for a while, and had to ask again: "Similar to Azkaban?"

"No, it's different; now there is only one prisoner left in this place, which is my old friend."

"Gellert Grindelwald."

This time, he felt somewhat familiar with the name.

Seemed to have seen it once in some book...

History of Magic or somewhere.

John was about to ask further, but Dumbledore had already walked slowly toward the stone steps leading up to the ancient castle.

The stone steps wound upward, each step seeming to tread in the folds of a hundred years of time.

Dumbledore stopped in front of the fully open gate, looking at the footprints in front of him.

"It seems Draco and his mother really have been here."

Then his gaze swept slowly over the carvings on the stone wall of the gate, said nothing, and stepped into the ancient castle again.

The interior of the ancient castle had not been visited for years, already covered in dust, insects and snakes slithered in the corners, and spiderwebs were dense among the decaying wooden beams.

Only the fireplace had a wisp of blue smoke, as if someone had lit a fire here not long ago.

This confirmed that Draco and Narcissa had been here.

Afterward, John followed Dumbledore all the way up, passing through the spiral stone stairs and mottled corridors.

Arriving at the highest point of this ancient castle, in front of a separate cell with a circular dome.

At this time, the cell door was ajar, and there was no one inside.

Dumbledore looked at this scene and remained silent for a long time.

The situation he least wanted to see had happened after all.

"No one?"

"Did that Grindelwald break out of prison?"

John looked at the empty cell floor, where only a pool of undried ink remained, along with some parchment, some new and some old.

He picked up a scattered, yellowed, and even somewhat cracked page.

The page was filled with scribbled handwriting like a draft of an essay, with lines of crossed-out annotations, the ink depth varying, as if repeatedly deliberated, torn up, and rewritten over countless silent nights.

【To Dumbledore...】 (crossed out)

【To Albus...】 (crossed out)

【To Dumbledore—】

【I am Gellert...】 (crossed out)

【It's me, Gellert...】 (crossed out)

【Hey, it's me, your old friend, Gellert Grindelwald—】

Looking at the content above, it was mostly a draft of a letter to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore also looked at the letter paper in John's hand, his fingertips paused slightly, his eyes drifted, not knowing what distant past he was thinking of.

"It seems your relationship is quite good."

John looked at the scribbled handwriting and glanced at Dumbledore's drooping eyes, unable to help teasing.

Dumbledore nodded slowly, not denying it.

"Yes, we were once the closest comrades-in-arms, and also the sharpest opponents."

"It's just, I don't understand."

"Why, at this point, you still want to leave Nurmengard..."

"Gellert..."

His voice was as light as a sigh, and even John could hear the unusual relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

Immediately putting away his playful expression, he gently placed the letter paper back in its original place.

"So, Draco and Narcissa took that Grindelwald away?"

"Or rather? He took Draco and Narcissa away?"

John asked about the key to this trip.

"I think so."

Dumbledore looked at the empty cell and said.

"No one can forcibly take Grindelwald away from Nurmengard, not even Voldemort."

"Unless he is willing."

Hearing this, John immediately raised his eyebrows.

There's someone even more powerful?

This Grindelwald is so powerful?

Voldemort can't do anything about him?

"Then... do you think he will be our enemy or friend?"

John asked with some hesitation.

Because all signs indicated that this Grindelwald didn't seem like a good person.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been locked up here.

But from the "atonement" and "old friend" in Dumbledore's words, it could be seen that he didn't seem to be a purely evil person like Voldemort.

Dumbledore didn't answer immediately, instead looking at the surging sea of clouds in the Alps outside the iron bars of the cell.

"I don't know..."

This trip with Dumbledore not only failed to find Draco and Narcissa.

Instead, it brought out an even more troublesome variable.

Grindelwald.

The Dark Lord who had sparked a revolution in the entire European wizarding world more than fifty years ago.

Finally defeated by Dumbledore himself, and imprisoned in Nurmengard, the prison Grindelwald had built with his own hands.

After returning with Dumbledore, Dumbledore didn't explain anything to John.

So John went to investigate himself.

He went directly to the Titus house, and in Mr. Claude's small library, finally found the history regarding Grindelwald.

Looking at the records of Grindelwald in the book, John frowned.

Because just looking at his achievements and past.

He was definitely a more dangerous existence than Voldemort.

Even almost ruled the entire European wizarding world.

But it was such a person who was willing to remain silent in the Nurmengard tower for half a century.

The book didn't say why, only knowing that in the end, it was Dumbledore who defeated Grindelwald.

And sent him to Nurmengard.

Grindelwald had never tried to break out of prison for so many years.

In the end, the prison full of prisoners was left with only him, and even the guards were withdrawn.

Only a house-elf delivered three meals to him on time.

Now, Grindelwald had disappeared.

Believing it would soon be discovered by the Ministry of Magic responsible for guarding Nurmengard.

As for whether the news would spread widely, it was unknown.

John closed the book pages; Titus hadn't returned during the Christmas holiday, but had stayed at Hogwarts.

So it was Mrs. Claude who received him.

Mrs. Claude brought a cup of hot cocoa, with a thin layer of milk foam floating on the amber liquid.

"How is it, John, did you find the information you needed?"

"Hmm, found it, sorry to trouble you, Auntie."

John nodded and smiled.

Mrs. Claude placed the tray gently on the oak table and asked him about Titus's recent situation at school.

"How is that child Titus doing at Hogwarts, has he caused any trouble?"

John smiled slightly and responded, telling Mrs. Claude some interesting things about the school.

"No, Auntie, Titus is very well-behaved."

"Except for occasionally doing some abstract things with Luna Senior..."

Mrs. Claude smiled after hearing it, looking at John in front of her, unable to help recalling.

"In the blink of an eye, you all have grown up; thinking back to the first time I sent that child to take the train, he was still like a ball."

"Now he's become a rugby ball, hahaha."

John sweated slightly, Auntie, you are really good at describing...

"Then we heard about the Dementor attack on the train, and anxiously wrote a letter to ask about the situation."

"He was very happy at the time to tell us that he had made three friends, saying how you all played, explored, and caused trouble at school."

"In the blink of an eye, you have already become a core member of the Order of the Phoenix, a wizard who can stand on his own."

Mrs. Claude drank hot cocoa while recalling the past, and for some reason, her tone gradually became heavy.

"If only, without the appearance of You-Know-Who, these days would definitely be even happier."

"You wouldn't have to shoulder such a heavy burden at such a young age..."

Listening to Mrs. Claude's words, which carried a hint of heartache, John smiled slightly.

In Mrs. Claude's view, he should have come specifically to consult ancient books for Voldemort's affairs.

Clearly a teenager the same age as her son, yet he couldn't even rest during the holiday.

Although the facts were about the same, John didn't think so.

"It's not a heavy burden; who hasn't fantasized about becoming a hero who saves the world?"

"I'm just very glad that I can be born in this world and can do something within my power for this world." ===== CHAPTER 340 =====