Chapter 129: The Aftermath of the Incident

The night Grindelwald failed his bid for Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and was driven out of Bhutan by the masses, fine snow drifted over the New York sky, laying a pristine white carpet upon the ground.

Inside the small bakery at 443 Rivington Street in Manhattan, the lights were blazing. The tiny shop was adorned with various ornaments and brand-new wallpaper—conjured by Jacob’s wizard friends using Transfiguration. The Great Depression of the 1930s had dealt a heavy blow to the American economy, and Jacob Kowalski’s Quality Baked Goods was no exception; business had been lackluster for some time. Yet, what had pained Jacob most was never his business, but the departure of his beloved Queenie Goldstein. Today, however, with Grindelwald gone and Queenie returning from his ranks to Jacob’s side, nothing could make Jacob happier.

In the process of opposing Grindelwald, Jacob had played the hero among wizards, becoming known to many across the world. Furthermore, with Queenie’s sister, Porpentina Goldstein, now the Head of the Auror Office at the Magical Congress of the United States of America, the Rappaport’s Law—which prohibited wizard-Muggle interaction—could no longer stand in the way of Jacob and Queenie’s love. Tonight, the two were to hold a small, exquisite wedding in Jacob’s little bakery.

Outside, the streets were still dusted with snow, and with few pedestrians passing by, it was remarkably quiet. Across from the bakery, Dumbledore leaned against a bench, sitting silently in the snow. Though his shoulders and hat were covered in snowflakes, he remained motionless, gazing intently at his tightly clenched right hand. The surrounding stillness stood in stark contrast to the lively atmosphere within the bakery.

"Why not go inside and join their wedding?"

A golden circular portal suddenly shimmered beside the bench where Dumbledore sat, and the voice of the phantom, Xiwen, emerged from behind it.

"In truth, most of them are not that familiar with me; my presence would only make them feel constrained," Dumbledore replied with a soft, gentle chuckle. "Grindelwald was right; I have always been afraid to face him. I have always arranged for others to disrupt his plans while I remained huddled within the castle of Hogwarts."

"Isn't that all because of the blood pact?" Xiwen asked, looking curiously at Dumbledore’s clenched right hand.

"The blood pact was merely an excuse I made for myself," Dumbledore said, opening his palm to look at the shattered pieces of the rhomboid vial, as if speaking to himself. "In reality, even without the blood pact, I often dared not face him—dared not face the events of the past."

"I should have realized long ago that even a powerful contract like the blood pact cannot permanently restrain two people whose philosophies diverge so greatly."

"Forty years ago that summer, Grindelwald and I engaged in a battle. Back then, I vacillated between protecting my family and chasing my ideals, yet the blood pact did not punish our confrontation. Today, it was as if things had returned to that summer. I sought to protect my nephew, Aurelius, while Grindelwald sought slaughter to achieve his ends. Under these conditions, the pact could no longer judge us as being in direct opposition; it only knew that our hearts had truly parted ways. In the end, it seemed unable to distinguish our circumstances, shattering under the strain and pulling us into a mental space, intending for us to resolve it ourselves." A melancholic nostalgia touched Dumbledore’s face. "Perhaps this is destiny..."

Xiwen listened silently to Dumbledore’s uncharacteristically loquacious words, feeling a sense of poignancy. "But why did Grindelwald choose to attack Aurelius instead of the newly elected Supreme Mugwump, Santos?" he asked, puzzled.

"Because Aurelius, as an Obscurial who can control his own power and possesses a phoenix, poses a significant threat to him," Dumbledore said, looking at Xiwen earnestly. "If I hadn't used the Mirror Dimension adapted from your techniques to restrict the power of the Obscurus, I likely would not have been able to subdue Aurelius so easily."

"So, it was you who persuaded him after your duel, convincing him to help us expose Grindelwald's conspiracy?" Xiwen asked.

"Not me—it was Aberforth," Dumbledore replied. "Aberforth and Aurelius had been in contact long ago. They utilized a method of bloodline tracing to converse for quite some time. All I did was ensure Aurelius knew of Grindelwald’s lies."

Xiwen nodded in contemplation. Dumbledore stood up and walked onto the snow-covered street, leaving a trail of shallow footprints.

"I suspect you came this time to ask me about 'the plan'?" he suddenly stopped and looked back.

"If you don't mind explaining it," Xiwen said, floating quietly to Dumbledore’s side.

"The plan has been perfectly executed; there is no point in keeping it hidden any longer, is there?" Dumbledore said with a smile. "Yusuf Kama came from an ancient pure-blood family, and such individuals are often the most likely to resonate with Grindelwald’s ideology of conquering Muggles, so I sent him to infiltrate Nurmengard. His task was performed well: he used Occlumency to deceive Grindelwald’s Legilimency while simultaneously leaking the plans in his mind to Queenie, a natural Legilimens."

"Queenie had stayed by Grindelwald’s side for so long that she must have realized early on that he did not intend for wizards and Muggles to live in equality; he simply viewed Muggles as inferior beings to be enslaved. Loving Mr. Kowalski as she did, Queenie would never work wholeheartedly for Grindelwald. Thus, with her cooperation, Kama was able to send me information from Nurmengard, allowing me to stay ahead of Grindelwald’s foresight."

"Theseus’s task was to investigate whether the German Ministry of Magic had been infiltrated by Grindelwald, though I did not anticipate him being captured and thrown into Erkstag Prison. Fortunately, you and Newt worked well together to rescue him." At this, Dumbledore cast a look of keen interest at Xiwen. Xiwen thought of the Manticore nest he had wiped out and offered a sheepish smile.

Dumbledore didn't dwell on the prison issue, continuing his explanation: "Professor Hicks and Mr. Kowalski were tasked with preventing Grindelwald from assassinating the other candidates."

"But what was the point of giving Jacob a wand?" Xiwen couldn't help but ask.

"Merely to confuse Grindelwald," Dumbledore chuckled. "It easily diverted attention away from Bunty, hiding the most important piece of the puzzle. Who could resist watching a Muggle capable of casting spells?"

"And Bunty’s task, you have likely guessed—to prepare six identical cases. She kept five fakes in the Room of Requirement, while the real one was taken to the scene by Bunty herself."

"I know Grindelwald. He is so focused on exceptional talent that he often overlooks ordinary wizards with average gifts. Yet I have always believed that everyone has their own place and can play a role that cannot be ignored. Did Bunty not accomplish what no one else could this time?" Dumbledore smiled.

"A truly remarkable plan!" Xiwen exclaimed. "I even had my doubts about you at the very beginning, far less trusting than the other members of Dumbledore’s Army."

"It does not matter, Mr. Strange," Dumbledore winked at him. "Trust, you see, is something that is cultivated slowly."

"It will be different from now on; I shall likely trust you one hundred percent," Xiwen laughed knowingly, teasing him. "After all, you are the destined one chosen by the Qilin!"