Green light flashed!
Wade had already cast the Killing Curse.
However, Grindelwald remained calm and composed, not even losing the smile on his face.
At some point, his coat had detached itself from his body, turned completely rigid, and suddenly lunged backward toward Wade!
Thud!
The green-lighted curse struck the coat with a dull sound, unable to penetrate it at all.
And the coat, now flying toward Wade's face, also momentarily blocked his line of sight.
Whoosh!
At the same time, a red Stunning Spell shot out from beneath the coat, aimed straight at Wade!
Crash!
To Grindelwald's surprise, the coat hit nothing but air, and the Stunning Spell naturally missed as well.
Wade had somehow reappeared at his side without him noticing.
"Crucio!"
Grindelwald casually blocked the Cruciatus Curse.
"You little brat, you've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve now. And you're pretty good with Dark Magic too. Was it Dumbledore who taught you? Or did you sneak off and learn it on your own? Hhaha~ Ah, now that's interesting. I wonder what he'd think if he found out?"
"Well, if I kill you, he won't find out," Wade said coldly.
"Haha, you want to kill me?" Grindelwald laughed like he'd just heard the joke of the century.
Zzzzap!
Still grinning, Grindelwald tilted his head slightly to the side—just enough for another Killing Curse to graze past his head.
"Looks like you really want me dead today. Unfortunately for you, that's not going to happen."
"Die, old man! Sectumsempra!"
Swoosh!
"Hmm… impressive spell. I haven't seen that one before. Did you come up with it yourself?"
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Not bad, but your aim's still a little off… You've got real talent, no doubt about that, but the gap in our power isn't something you can close just by learning a few Dark spells…"
"Crucio!"
"Bombarda Maxima!"
"Reducto!"
Grindelwald strolled leisurely through Wade's barrage of Dark Magic. "What if I told Dumbledore you've been using Dark Magic? Oh… his most promising, most beloved student turning to the dark arts… I'm already looking forward to the look on his face."
Whether it was Grindelwald's words or not, Wade finally stopped, standing face to face with him.
"If you're that eager, then I'll call him back. The two of you can have a nice chat. See if he believes a word you say."
Grindelwald smiled faintly, spreading his arms as the coat he'd thrown off earlier flew back onto his shoulders.
"Your dear Professor Dumbledore won't be back anytime soon. I've found him a rather interesting side job… But you're right about one thing—he won't believe me. What a pity…"
He glanced down at the unconscious followers strewn across the floor.
"These subordinates of mine were carefully trained. In past operations, even if not invincible, they've rarely suffered real losses. I didn't expect them to fall to you… That knockout gas trick of yours was quite clever. Hmm… don't tell me… all of this was your doing?"
Wade glanced around the chamber and replied, "I don't really know what you mean. I came here tonight to look for that mysterious magical power. I never expected to run into any of you… If I'd known you'd show up, I wouldn't have come even if someone dragged me here."
"Oh? Is that so? Then what about the sleeping gas...?"
"My sleeping gas was actually meant for tomorrow night—I was planning to use it on a troll in the Forbidden Forest. I just didn't expect it to work so well here too," Wade replied smoothly, without a single flaw.
Grindelwald glanced again at the unconscious wizards on the floor and couldn't help but sigh. "Getting outwitted by a first-year… Honestly, they really aren't much different from trolls."
After saying that, Grindelwald's mind began working quickly.
At first, he'd assumed this was all a trap set by Wade.
Maybe the boy had seen through Anne's disguise early on and deliberately played along, using the magical energy here to lure Grindelwald into a trap.
But after hearing Wade's explanation, he began to doubt that possibility.
If Wade had really seen through Anne's inner thoughts, why wouldn't he have told Dumbledore?
As a first-year student, where would he get the confidence to believe he could stop Grindelwald's entire group on his own? It would've made far more sense to tell Dumbledore.
And if Dumbledore had known, then waiting here tonight wouldn't have been Headmaster Dippet—it would've been Dumbledore himself, well-rested and ready, with a team of Aurors.
Besides, Grindelwald had personally given the order for Anne to bring Wade and Tom here.
His original plan had been to use this magical power to tempt Wade and Tom into joining his cause.
He had seen firsthand the hunger for power in both of them.
After experiencing the thrill of such a power boost, he didn't believe for a second that the two boys would be able to stay calm when faced with so much magic.
But unexpectedly, things had gone off script.
While he had been busy dealing with the headmaster and professors of Hogwarts, all his subordinates had been taken down by Wade using sleeping gas…
With that, Grindelwald believed he had grasped the full picture of what had happened tonight.
"Ahaha~ Truly brilliant, my young friend. Since your goal is also this magical power, why don't we stop fighting and make a deal?" Grindelwald said with a smile.
"What kind of deal?" Wade asked.
"You and Tom join us… No need to make it public, joining in secret is enough. That way, even if I fail someday, you won't be implicated," Grindelwald smiled. "As long as you agree, you'll receive half of the magical power here. I noticed your spells are stronger than before—I assume you've received my earlier gift. So you must already understand just how wonderful this kind of power is… Well? What do you think of my offer?"
Tom, ever since the start of the conversation, had been standing off to the side, following the guidance of the Felix Felicis—pretending to be nothing more than a statue.
Even Tom felt a flicker of temptation after hearing Grindelwald's offer.
If he didn't already know that kind of magical power might come with side effects, he might've jumped out and agreed on Wade's behalf.
But for now… it was best to stay silent.
Meanwhile, Anne—who had gone pale with fright after seeing nearly all the Grindelwald followers, including her own aunt, taken down—looked a little aggrieved upon hearing Grindelwald's terms.
Wade and Tom hadn't done a single thing for the Grindelwald faction, yet they were being offered such a massive reward…
And she—after working so hard—seemed to be getting nothing in return…
If she hadn't secretly absorbed a good bit of the power for herself, did that mean she'd end up with nothing at all?
No… impossible!
There was still half left!
Once they returned, Mr. Grindelwald would surely reward her with a portion too!
Anne shook her head, trying to reassure herself.
At this moment, all eyes—Grindelwald's, Tom's, and Anne's—were fixed on Wade, waiting to see what he would choose.
"Half? Huh? You are really going to give me half of it?" Wade tilted his head and said to which Grindelwald eagerly replied, "Of course! So do yo—"
"Pfft—What a joke! Why would I settle for half? Once I take you down, it's all mine!"
Wade said, hurling another Avada Kedavra.
Grindelwald dodged the Killing Curse with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Where do you get the confidence to think you can take me down?"
"When people get hit with the Killing Curse, they die. You're a person too," Wade replied, perfectly matter-of-fact.
Grindelwald couldn't help but laugh out loud. Wasn't this little brat supposed to be smart? Why did he keep saying such ridiculous things tonight?
"Heh… fine. Come on then. I'd really like to see if you can actually take me down."
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