great-warnovel Chapter 419 The Secretly Continued Connection
Chapter 419 The Secretly Continued Connection
Chapter 419 The Secretly Continued Connection
Taking advantage of being in Hermione's arms, Crookshanks brazenly attacked Grindelwald.
But the latter didn't tolerate him at all, and with a powerful spell, pulled him out of the girl's arms, rubbing his head vigorously with her sparking fingers.
Hermione looked helplessly at the baby cat pleading for help, then turned to the old man and asked, "Just how much has Fiendfire affected you?"
I hadn't thought much about it before, but based on my observations over the past few days, it seems that the Dark Lord's condition isn't much better than Dumbledore's back then. He basically doesn't leave New Paris, or even the Eiffel Tower.
To say it was to maintain the existence of the Black Sun would be somewhat unreasonable.
The UMNO did not achieve the same resounding victories as Volgograd year after year. In many battles, the Fiery Blaze and its air force were suppressed by the Soviet Air Force, while the Black Ships and the Hurricane could only watch in the dust behind the MiG-21s. The Tu-95 bomber was no less capable than the Fiery Blaze in turning the battlefield into a living hell.
But no matter how dire the situation, at most the saints would display their might in their respective fields, while Grindelwald would remain in his home base and rarely take action.
The outside world believes that Grindelwald's involvement is due to concerns about the Soviet Union's underground Dead Hand system. It is believed that Grindelwald's involvement will force Muggles to launch another global nuclear strike, dragging everyone down with them, while the goblins watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits.
But now Hermione thinks that the old man is probably also trapped by Fiendfire. He doesn't not act because he doesn't want to, but because he can't.
His spirit, his soul, has probably been largely ignited. Mad thoughts swirl in his mind. Even when sitting at home, he goes mad from time to time. If he were to be provoked on the battlefield, he would most likely become a ruthless demon king who would destroy everything in the world, controlled by raging flames.
The old man pursed his lips and remained silent, as if he didn't want the girl to expose him.
But his grip loosened unconsciously, giving Crookshank an opportunity. With a snap, he vanished and reappeared behind Hermione, hiding and cautiously peeking out to observe.
"Did it start fifty years ago?" Hermione asked, soothing the cat as she continued to press.
"Dumbledore once said that you were no match for him at first, but suddenly your strength has increased day by day, growing stronger with each passing day..."
"You offered your soul to Li Huo?" she boldly guessed.
Grindelwald shook his head: "Don't guess wildly. At least you've done me a big favor."
Even without mentioning the resolution of the Rainforest Fiend Consciousness, which allowed the Dark Lord to gain some degree of liberation, those elite Firewatchers could finally return from their miserable South America, allowing the strength of the Uburi Party to be consolidated once again.
Hermione stared, wanting to press for more details.
But Grindelwald dropped another bombshell: "I was shocked when I was in Malfoy Castle during Lucius Malfoy's incident. What Dumbledore saw was actually real! She thought it was just an illusion caused by the old ghost under the influence of the veil of death!"
"You think I'm really too weak to walk and can only be a third wheel at the top of the tower?" He glanced at the girl mockingly and ruffled Hermione's hair with his warm, large hands.
"Don't be so naive. Even if I'm weak, I'm not trapped in the principal's office like Albus."
Hermione irritably smoothed her long hair, while Grindelwald's palms were burning hot, as if a fierce fire was flowing through his body.
"What are you going to Malfoy Castle for?" She couldn't fathom his purpose for going there.
The old man took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the window.
"That situation was very dangerous, you know?"
Hermione was a little confused. Although Lucius had devoured hundreds of nobles, he was at most a mediocre wizard. Even though he tricked Dumbledore with the Veil of Death, he still failed to complete the Eternal Darkness. But if Grindelwald were to make a move, he could probably burn down that illusory city of blood nobles. It didn't seem like he was in any real danger.
Could it be that the White Wizard might experience something unusual back then? And also turn into a madman? She speculated that Grindelwald had a third eye, and perhaps he saw some kind of bad future.
The old man glanced sideways at the girl and the black orb of light at the top of her staff behind her: "The danger comes from you."
"Why do you think your black ball always fails?"
Hermione was startled, and a cold sweat inexplicably broke out on her back.
Ancient darkness is forbidden magic, and she didn't know much about it before, but the infinitely expanding Light-Eating Celestial had already taught her a small lesson. If Hilmi hadn't arrived in time, the situation might have really gotten out of control.
Could there be something even more dangerous about this magic?
"You've opened another hole in this already scarred world, but thankfully that's all."
Grindelwald spoke without turning his head, and under the dark sun, the new Paris looked like a city living in a black and white photograph.
"The Fiendfire and nuclear bombs have shattered the world, the Winter Curse has buried light and heat, and the magical world has not seen a new prophet for fifty years."
Hermione's face was grim. She recalled the first time she cast the Darkest Hour spell, the inexplicable resistance that abruptly severed the birth of the black hole, and how, in her desperate attempt to cast the spell, she seemed to hear something shatter.
The situation was too urgent then, and she hadn't thought it through, but now that Grindelwald had said it, she realized it wasn't a good thing.
"Do you remember the prophecy I gave you?" The Dark Lord, with his back turned, tapped the table, like a strict teacher and examiner.
Images Hermione had seen before began flashing across the desktop: a shattered sky, a massive, crumbling moon, and a mad and desperate, cold apocalypse. "The last shred of the barrier has been shattered, and the world has been opened to the elements."
In an instant, a massive wave of shock engulfed the witch, who believed that the wizards of this world were unaware of the existence of other realms.
They are focused only on their own little patch of land and are still fighting each other for sovereignty over the world.
But the old man before him seemed to be aware of the existence beyond the world. He also knew that the world had some kind of self-protection mechanism that prevented anything from the outside world from easily invading.
"Being connected with Fiendfire isn't entirely without benefit; at least it makes my own light last longer and expand more broadly," he said.
Hermione tried her best to calm herself and clear her thoughts: "So, my spell shattered the last vestige of the crumbling barrier, leading to what you saw in the future?"
The Dark Lord remained noncommittal; the prophecy was unpredictable, and he could not determine its veracity.
But Hermione knew her own situation. Her existence was deeply connected to the Dark Moon and even the borderlands. If previously certain things couldn't descend due to the world's self-protection mechanisms, then after she unleashed the Ancient Darkness...
There are probably no obstacles left.
So far nothing has happened, and it's probably just a facade of stability. Perhaps in some places, some highly intuitive people have already received some kind of revelation?
No, there's another possibility: her very existence signifies that the Dark Moon has already claimed sovereignty over this world, and no external deity will interfere. However, the Dark Moon's influence will be exerted even more recklessly, which perfectly aligns with the future Grindelwald foresaw—that unusual, ominous full moon. Thinking deeper, Lucius's madness, the ancient magic left behind by the goblins, the hidden death veil beneath the earth—all precisely force Hermione to use the Ancient Darkness to break the deadlock. Isn't this also a destiny guided by the omnipresent stars?