Chapter 325: The First Lesson

Early the next morning, Wentworth made his way to Gellert Grindelwald's chamber, only to be taken aback by what he saw—or rather, what he didn't. The grand bed, sofa, and other furnishings that Grindelwald had conjured the night before using Transfiguration had all vanished without a trace. All that remained was a bare wooden cot.

Before Wentworth could ponder this for long, Gellert Grindelwald began his first lesson. However, contrary to Wentworth's expectations, he did not start with the Unforgivable Curses. Grindelwald explained:

"The Unforgivable Curses? Those are the sort of spells you can figure out on your own during a quiet evening. They're absurdly simple—do you really need me to teach you?"

Wentworth blinked in confusion.

"???"

Before he could gather his thoughts, Grindelwald went on:

"In truth, the only real use of the Unforgivable Curses is to incite fear. In my eyes, their practical value is astonishingly poor."

"To cast them, you must summon genuine malice or rage. But a truly gifted wizard must always keep a calm and composed mind. That is far more important."

Startled by Grindelwald's dismissive tone toward such notorious spells, Wentworth couldn't help but ask:

"Then what spell should a wizard use when facing an enemy?"

Grindelwald glanced sideways at Wentworth and said, with quiet gravity:

"Any spell."

Wentworth stared at him, bewildered. Grindelwald elaborated:

"Remember this, Wentworth: Magic is a craft of killing. If you're in danger, the simplest solution is to eliminate whoever poses that danger."

"Here, I'll teach you more than just incantations. I'll teach you how to kill."

Wentworth swallowed hard at those words, an involuntary gulp betraying his anxiety.

Grindelwald continued without waiting for a reply:

"Tell me, Wentworth, which spell do you think is best suited for killing?"

Had he been asked a few minutes earlier, Wentworth would have answered "Avada Kedavra" without hesitation. Now, he paused.

Grindelwald didn't seem surprised by the silence. He raised a single finger and said:

"In truth, any spell can be lethal. Even the simplest—Accio."

As the words left his mouth, Wentworth suddenly felt something pressing sharply against his temple. A split second later, he heard the telltale whoosh of something slicing through the air.

Heart pounding, Wentworth turned his head with great caution—only to find a small stone hovering in the air beside him.

He swallowed again.

Grindelwald continued:

"Do you remember the Transfiguration I performed yesterday?"

Wentworth nodded quickly. But as he lowered his head, he suddenly felt something cold slithering around his neck.

Looking down, he saw a slender green snake coiled loosely around his throat, flicking its tongue in the air.

Wentworth barely managed to stifle a scream. A second later, the snake transformed back into his necktie.

At that moment, Wentworth silently swore to himself that he would never wear a tie again.

Breathing a long sigh of relief, Wentworth looked up—only to find that Gellert Grindelwald had vanished.

In his place stood a figure with kind blue eyes and half-moon spectacles: Albus Dumbledore.

Wentworth rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked again. It truly was Dumbledore standing there.

After a long silence, Wentworth asked hesitantly:

"Is this… human Transfiguration?"

The figure nodded—and the very next second, reverted to the form of Gellert Grindelwald.

Seeing this, Wentworth nodded slowly, deep in thought.

Though he had not learned any powerful new spells that morning, Wentworth had begun to understand: Gellert Grindelwald had opened a door to an entirely new world for him.

So magic… could be used like this.

At midday, Wentworth followed Grindelwald into a spacious hall where a massive dining table stood. At a glance, it seemed comparable in size to those in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

Grindelwald took his place at the head of the table. Wentworth sat at his right.

Moments later, two plates of food appeared before them. Though not as lavish as Hogwarts fare, the meal still exceeded Wentworth's expectations.

As Grindelwald began to eat, Wentworth leaned in and asked softly:

"Grandfather… where did this food come from?"

Grindelwald replied casually:

"Prepared by those assigned to watch over me."

Wentworth instinctively glanced around the room, even hurrying to the window to peer outside—but saw nothing unusual.

Watching this, Grindelwald paused for a moment, then said:

"Don't bother looking. They're not at Nurmengard. When I returned here years ago, the International Confederation of Wizards tasked the Austrian Ministry of Magic with guarding me. Ha…"

He let out a cold laugh before continuing:

"Did they really think I built Nurmengard in Austria by coincidence? Perhaps they know exactly why I chose this location—but they still went along with it anyway."

"The International Confederation of Wizards… they always prefer to do what is easy, rather than what is right."

Hearing this, Wentworth finally nodded in understanding. A thought struck him, and he asked:

"Then… does that mean they know I've come here?"

Grindelwald cast him a glance and said:

"Didn't you send letters to Rosier and the others?"

Wentworth nodded slowly, not quite grasping the connection. Grindelwald merely added:

"The Minister for Magic of Austria—or perhaps I should say the former Minister—once swore allegiance to me."

Then he fell silent for a long while before adding quietly:

"I wonder what's become of him now…"

...

At that very moment, in a picturesque valley in Austria, Muller—Head of the Auror Office at the Austrian Ministry of Magic—strode briskly into the courtyard of his father, the former Minister himself.

"Father, just now I personally…"

Muller recounted how he had ensured, with his most trusted men, that the food for Nurmengard had been properly arranged.

Old Muller listened calmly, nodding as he spoke:

"I trust your judgment."

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