great-warnovel Chapter 418 Cunning Old Man
Chapter 418 Cunning Old Man
Chapter 418 Cunning Old Man
Hermione returned to New Paris three days later.
The core of the Fiendfire in the rainforest has been destroyed, and the remaining remnants can be cleared and controlled by the fire watchers over some time.
However, they will probably deliberately leave some behind to demonstrate the strength of UMNO, just as they do elsewhere.
As soon as I got back to the library, I saw Grindelwald's annoying old face. He was sitting comfortably in his seat with his legs crossed, reading the Daily Marquis, which Hermione had subscribed to, with great interest.
"Well done." He was playing with a fluorescent blue crystal in his hand, which looked like it was made of pyroxene crystal.
"Your letter." He pointed to the table, where a perfectly intact, unopened letter lay.
She sent the Swamp Witch's child to Hogwarts, and the professors naturally replied. However, since the Ghost Owl couldn't find itself in the Rainforest across the Fiendfire Belt, it simply sent it to New Paris.
Although the old man is unscrupulous, he wouldn't stoop so low as to peek at other people's letters.
He didn't mention the rainforest, and Hermione ignored him, pulling up a stool to sit down and reading the letter while stroking Crookshanks' head.
It was written by Professor McGonagall. In the letter, she said that the child had been settled and that she would be arranged to learn English and would be able to attend school normally like other children when she turned 11.
In addition, she mentioned the titmouse that Hermione had sent back from Volgograd a while ago. The man was no longer a spy; he had retired and become a new city resident, running a mechanical repair shop with many Muggle soldiers in the city, taking orders from Hogwarts to repair and maintain Muggle weapons.
As for the nuclear power plant blueprints he brought back, although everyone knew they were very valuable, the wizards couldn't think of how to use them for the time being, and they also lacked the complete industrial chain to build them, so they were temporarily sealed away.
She also mentioned Hilmi, who had nothing to do after finishing the renovations of his and Hermione's new house. He spent his days wandering around the castle and, with the Weasley twins, orchestrated the shocking Defense Class dung blast incident, using the production line left behind in the Room of Requirement by the Marauders.
Afterwards, the Weasley twins were suspended from class, and James, as a professor, had his salary docked because of the "legacy" from his youth. Hilmi, aside from some criticism and education, was unable to punish Hermione. Seeing this, he clenched his fists, ready to go back and teach this guy a lesson.
However, the last few pages of the letter were written in Hermione's own handwriting. Knowing he had gone too far, the boy sincerely asked Hermione for forgiveness and said that he had made amends.
Professor Flitwick had always hoped that he would follow in Hermione's footsteps and publish papers, believing that this would bring more vitality to the wizarding world.
But without Hermione's consent, and not knowing which spells were suitable for promotion, he chose to develop pyroxene products.
In addition to the previous pyroxene-handled broom, this time there's a new trick: the thing Grindelwald is playing with. It's a pyroxene crystal amulet made by imitating the rhododendron pyroxene from the Borderlands. It can absorb external nuclear radiation and convert it into safer pyroxene magic. In a critical moment, the crystal can be smashed, and the energy stored inside will turn into pyroxene magic pebbles to attack enemies.
It's a practical gadget that even Muggles can use, especially for people living in areas with high radiation levels, as it can extend their life expectancy.
Currently, this craft has been developed by finding senior students who are good at runes in the school and setting up a crystal workshop, just like the perfumery workshop. Hilmi has already negotiated the supply issue with various forces such as Beauxbatons, and even the Daily News has published a report on it.
He said a lot, but what he really meant was, "Please don't punish me; I know I was wrong."
Hermione finished reading the letter expressionlessly. She had only been away for a week, and Hogwarts seemed to have turned upside down. Now she had a deep understanding of Professor Lily's feelings.
"Radiant Stone magic, quite interesting, but the current methods are all too rudimentary." Grindelwald tossed the crystal amulet back onto the table, snapped his fingers, and a point of starlight lit up at his fingertip.
"I've read your paper; there's still a lot to explore."
He asked Hermione with great interest, "Can't you just release the technology of the pyroxene core?"
?
The witch stared at him as if he were an idiot.
"Even if you refuse, given Viktor's performance in the World Cup, the prizes you promised will eventually be ours," the old man said calmly.
"We'll have a mobile castle then, no, let's just put it on the Black Ship and build a giant space carrier that never lands, how about that?" He learned that phrase from a Muggle.
"That's your own business." Hermione hugged the big cat and didn't respond. They were already prepared for the possibility that the Radiant Stone Core, the prize for the World Cup, might fall into the hands of the Lich Party, and that wouldn't change the overall situation too much.
The old man rolled his eyes, then chuckled, "What if I ask you to make another one for me in the form of a cooperative transaction?"
Hermione helps him solve problems, and he helps Hermione find Voldemort—a win-win situation.
Similarly, pyroxene cores can also be used as a trade.
"Then you have to pay me for this first." The girl hadn't forgotten that this guy had promised not to lie to her again. He was just going to put out a fire, but he ended up showing her a whole show.
"Moreover, I exceeded expectations; I solved the problem of the Rainforest Fiendfire from the root." The old man pretended not to hear.
"Finally, I'm afraid you can't afford the price to create the pyroxene core," Hermione replied with a playful smile.
Unless Grindelwald commits suicide now and entrusts the entire Vigilante Party to Hermione, she will not make a Brilliant Core for a force that walks the path of terror.
Grindelwald shrugged: "What a troublesome brat."
"But all in all, you did a good job with the rainforest this time." Hermione had no idea what he was really thinking, but his attitude was definitely one of satisfaction, and he even seemed to be in much better spirits.
A thought flashed through Hermione's mind. She looked up at the old man and asked, "That spark of fire back then wasn't something you accidentally threw away in your madness, was it?"
Grindelwald chuckled and asked, "Why do you ask that?"
"You separated from him on your own initiative, didn't you?" Hermione asked, staring intently into his heterochromatic eyes.
"The Fiery Blaze is eroding your spirit. In order to maintain your limited sanity, you chose to separate a portion of your power, and that portion of power destroyed half of the rainforest."
The Dark Lord curled his lip: "I knew I couldn't hide it from you."
"But it's too late now. You dispersed that raging fire, destroyed the mad will within it, and also improved my mental state considerably." He spoke with a roguish air.
Sending Hermione to South America was ostensibly to control the fire, but in reality, it was to let her witness a real-life scenario of Muggles harming wizards. The deeper purpose was to stabilize his own mental state—a cunning and shrewd scheme that killed three birds with one stone.
Hermione felt her asking price was too low; how could Voldemort, a mere mortal, make her do so much?