Ms. Bones left in a hurry. She came here to tell Felix in person that Grindelwald had escaped from prison again. After that, she would rush to the headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizards to hold a meeting to discuss the impact of this incident.
"I checked the information when I came here," she said seriously before leaving: "When Grindelwald's power was at its peak, the Ministry of Magic of various countries was forced to form a coalition to fight against the saints who could gather and disperse at any time - completely different from the Auror team that dealt with Voldemort last time ."
Felix returned to the hall and was then called away by Professor McGonagall. While sorting out Dumbledore's letters, she also sorted out Dumbledore's desk and found a will - to be precise, it was a written resignation letter. In his resignation letter, he thanked everyone who had worked with him and decided to donate most of his property - such as his private library, magic research notes, magic instruments and other personal property to Hogwarts.
"For someone who is about to embark on a journey, it would be too cumbersome to carry these things. Memory is my most precious treasure."
Professor McGonagall read these words in front of all the faculty, and each professor expressed his gratitude and blessings.
After the meeting, Professor McGonagall kept Felix and handed him a letter, "I also found it when I was sorting out the letters." Felix was quite surprised. He thought Dumbledore would never write to him.
After all, all these letters were lies carefully woven by Dumbledore.
After asking Professor McGonagall, Felix realized that this letter was mixed in with many letters. Felix had only picked out the one signed by Gellert Grindelwald and ignored the others.
"He left me one too," Professor McGonagall said emotionally, "I've read it and thanked me for my long-term support. In fact... He also encouraged me during the most difficult time in my life. I will never forget it!"
Felix opened the envelope. The letter was not long and only filled half of the parchment.
"...When I realized that power was my weakness, I tried to avoid it as much as possible throughout my life. But people can't always get what they want. At certain stages of my life, I was forced to be involved in important events related to the safety of the wizarding world. I was entrusted with leading some people who trusted me but didn't know that I was deeply afraid. When you try to achieve a grand goal, your heart will become cold, and you will unconsciously weigh the value of people on both ends of the scale, thus ignoring that they are also living people, and in critical moments, sacrifice is always allowed."
"Maybe one day you will take the initiative to shoulder the fate of countless people - I believe you will do so when necessary - and you will also face the difficulties I have faced. Perhaps you will be more decisive than me, but I never want you to become numb to sacrifice. Have mercy on the living, Felix, even if sacrifice is inevitable."
Felix slowly closed his eyes. He felt that the letter was extremely heavy. Dumbledore used his death to the extreme, and at the last moment he did not forget to make up a lesson: telling him what responsibility is and what sacrifice is.
Dumbledore did it, and he was the only one who sacrificed.
...
Harry glanced at the professors' chairs. The professors seemed unusually silent, as if they had not yet recovered from the news of Dumbledore's sudden departure.
Professor McGonagall chose to sit with Professor Happ instead of sitting on the tall and gorgeous chair that originally belonged to Dumbledore. This gave Harry a strange feeling in his heart, as if Dumbledore had not really left, and he might suddenly appear at any time, with a smug expression on his face as if he had succeeded in a prank.
"I think Professor McGonagall should plan to officially take up the position of headmaster next year." Hermione said softly.
"That's what happened." Ron came to his senses. "The holidays are coming soon, and the students are not in a good mood... It would be better to wait until the next school year. Do you think Dumbledore is sitting in a seaside pub now?"
Harry and Hermione turned their heads and stared at him at the same time.
"What's wrong?" Ron said in confusion, "I've seen posters. It is said that this is how Muggles look when they are on vacation - wearing beach pants and sunglasses, spending an afternoon by the sea, and when it gets dark, they run to the nearest pub to watch a show... Uh, Hermione?"
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes.
"Why, why would Dumbledore leave school when he had a choice? Just like you said, the holidays are coming up soon, and he has at least two months off." Ron looked at her at a loss, but Hermione turned her head away, her eyes blurred with tears.
Harry felt that something was choking his throat, and his eyes were sore.
He tried his best not to blink, fearing that it would squeeze out tears; he didn't dare to speak - as if he was cursed, if he dared to utter a word, or imagine with Ron that Dumbledore was celebrating his first day of retirement in some corner of the world, he would suddenly collapse.
Hermione stared at Harry's face, and finally confirmed something, and she burst into tears.
"Don't do this, Hermione. He would never want to -" Harry said hoarsely with all his willpower.
Hermione wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "I'm sorry." She said in a sobbing voice. Hermione buried her face in her arms, one hand covering her stomach, looking like she had a stomachache, but tears flowed from her eyelashes.
No one noticed her yet. No, Harry felt a sharp gaze and raised his head quickly. It was Professor Happ. Harry wanted to see more clearly, but the professor had already looked away.
"Harry." A voice said in his ear.
Harry was startled by this familiar voice and almost jumped up from his seat. He stared at Professor Happ who suddenly appeared behind him, and looked at the long dining table in disbelief. There was another Professor Happ who was still talking to Slughorn, and no one seemed to notice anything unusual, as if this conversation only existed in his mind.
"——Weasley, Granger, you guys come too."
Ron looked stunned. Hermione raised her head, her face was completely tearful, and Felix handed her a handkerchief. "Oh, thank you——what's going on?" She stood up and wiped away her tears in a depressed mood, but she was surprised to find that there was a second 'Hermione Granger' sitting in the seat, and that 'she' was heartlessly stretching out her arm to bring a plate of buttered peas to her.
Hermione's eyes widened.
Felix explained calmly, "I don't want anyone else to hear this conversation."
He walked out of the hall, followed by Harry, Ron and Hermione. They looked back every few steps, worried that they would be discovered, but found that they were completely worried because there was another self feasting at the table instead of them. They were in a strange mood.
The four of them walked to the stone steps outside the castle. The clouds reflected a gorgeous glow against the backdrop of the setting sun.
"Dumbledore hopes that the impact of his departure can be minimized, so in the next few years, you may hear news that he has appeared in a wizarding town, or he may write to his friends to introduce the scenery he saw and the food he tasted during his journey, and then disappear little by little."
Felix said lightly.
"I guessed it," Hermione sobbed softly, "but I still hold out hope, maybe, maybe there's something wrong with his body or something..."
Ron's face was stiff, and he finally realized what had happened. He looked at Harry, but Harry didn't give any response. He found that he would rather go back to the hall and listen to his classmates talking about the holidays and talking about Dumbledore - at least in those people's hearts, Dumbledore was still alive.
"You are Harry's best friends," Felix said to Ron and Hermione, "Harry knows, you can easily guess the truth from his attitude, even if he doesn't say anything."
"So you want us to keep it secret." Ron said slowly.
Felix nodded, then shook his head.
"Including this. This is Dumbledore's wish, he made a great sacrifice, but I'm not sure now whether things will go according to his original idea... An accident happened... In Dumbledore's original plan, I, Professor McGonagall, Harry, and maybe you two, are all the people who know about this."
"Accident? What accident?" Ron looked at Harry and Hermione who were in a low mood and asked proactively.
"Grindelwald." Harry, who was sitting on the steps, said suddenly.
Hermione showed an expression of half understanding and half confusion.
"You should know the true identity of Leonhard Bagshot," Felix said, but his tone was affirmative, "and know what he has done. At least you have some understanding. Not long ago, he proposed a plan - specifically for possible turmoil."
"I," he pointed at himself, "Dumbledore, and himself, the three of us will work together to deal with the complex situation in the future, such as the wizarding world being forced to be public... But Dumbledore refused, because he knew at that time that this plan would never be realized. Not to mention, Grindelwald is missing now..." "
Professor, do you think he will disrupt Dumbledore's arrangements?" Hermione asked sharply.
Harry pricked up his ears. He didn't know what kind of mood he was in now. He hoped that Dumbledore's achievements would be known to others, but he didn't want his plan to be destroyed. His mood was very contradictory.
"Oh, I see!" Ron said affirmatively, "He wants to work alone and restore his past glory. When Grindelwald was transferred last night - Hermione and I were guarding outside the headmaster's office at the time and didn't see the scene - I heard from Seamus that he fainted, which may be a betrayal to Grindelwald."
Felix glanced at him,
"It's not ruled out - but the relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore is very complicated, and no one can say for sure what he really thinks." Maybe the book "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" records some of Dumbledore's true thoughts.
"If Grindelwald really regards Headmaster Dumbledore as an enemy," Harry said thoughtfully, "In addition to gathering the saints, he must do one more thing - publicize the news of Headmaster Dumbledore's death!" After saying this, he showed a shocked expression.
Felix thought silently, he was also worried about this. And even if Grindelwald understood Dumbledore's difficulties, would his mind change? From the information Felix has learned from all aspects, Grindelwald has always been a very opinionated person. Even with Dumbledore's fear of Grindelwald, it is very likely that Grindelwald was the leader in their relationship when they were young.
The greatest white wizard in the world may be the first believer of the black wizard Grindelwald. This idea will make people shudder.
Even if half a century has passed, Grindelwald can cultivate his mind and become weak? Felix doesn't think so. These people who have experienced wars or led wars will not give in when they need to be cruel.
He has not forgotten the content of the letter Dumbledore left for him.
Felix hopes that Grindelwald has not given up the previous idea. Although one of the three has lost one now, his magic can create an identity of Dumbledore, which is enough to be real as long as he does not take action. And the real him and Grindelwald have achieved a balance with each other. On the surface, they are tit-for-tat, but they communicate with each other privately.
Peaceful and gentle wizards support the International Confederation of Wizards and Dumbledore (Felix), who represent the existing order, while radical and ambitious wizards join Grindelwald to eliminate hidden dangers. If they can reach a tacit understanding, Felix doesn't mind supporting him to form a new saint. Anyway, Grindelwald has destroyed the confinement spell in his body.
So Felix did not leave the school, which was also a signal: he was waiting for Grindelwald to find him.
"Harry, you should know that the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets has been transformed into a spacious playground by me. There is nothing to do in the school these days. I suggest you organize a few club activities..."
...
Salzburg, Austria.
This historic city is located in western Austria, close to the German border. Baroque-style ancient buildings can be seen everywhere in the old city, churches and monasteries are lined up, gardens and fountains compete, and people living here can see the beautiful scenery of the Alps when they look up.
In a spacious theater, thousands of wizards gathered together. They looked different and were in different moods. If one had to find a common point, it was that they were all old and had wrinkles all over their faces.
Everyone stared at the man on the stage.
"My brothers, my sisters, my friends—" Grindelwald's deep voice echoed in the empty room. This was the opening speech of his speech in the past. After he finished speaking, it was as if he had crossed a long time and brought them back to that fanatical era. But everyone knew that everything was different. The man who once dominated the world was now old.
Many people shed tears.
"I'm not sure... whether I am still qualified to call you like I used to. You were my most staunch supporters and trusted me immensely... but I failed." The crowd was restless. "The future I promised you was half a century late. If you are disappointed, shaken, or change your mind, I can fully understand, because I have also been disappointed, shaken, and changed my mind..."
Grindelwald stretched out his hand behind his back—the saints exclaimed—his left hand was charred.
"Don't worry about me," Grindelwald said softly, "This hand is the price I paid to escape from the cage, and it also represents my determination." Balls of blue flames flew out from the tip of his wand, setting the entire stage on fire, and a high-pitched phoenix cry came from the flames.
"...But if you still hold on to the last glimmer of hope, then follow me, and I will show you that future."
The flames obscured his figure, and while the wizards in the crowd were still hesitating, a wizard came out without hesitation. This was a witch with white hair. If Felix was there, he would definitely recognize her. She used the alias Nicole Noel.
She threw herself into the flames, and the flames did not hurt her at all. Grindelwald welcomed her with his intact hand.
"Welcome back, Vita."
More and more people came out, and soon, the flames were dim and even crowded. Their figures became blurred in the flames, and they could only be seen from their movements. They all looked at a few companions.
In the flames, Grindelwald spoke hoarsely.
"We were close, so do me one last favor: tell Felix Heppe that we will meet soon, but not in the way he wants." After saying this, he bowed slightly, and then stood straight.
He waved his wand violently, and the flames suddenly shrank and turned into nothingness.
Everyone on the stage disappeared.