Upon seeing Kaecilius's familiar face, Grindelwald felt a jolt of shock, though his expression remained impeccably composed. His thoughts raced as he observed Lockhart's enigmatic smile.
He had known this encounter was inevitable. When he'd first discovered that Kaecilius bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, Grindelwald had immediately suspected they were counterparts from parallel worlds. This theory had prompted him to gather extensive information about Kaecilius, including his relationship with Lockhart.
His investigation had confirmed his initial suspicion. In the wizarding world, what he had glimpsed through the Eye of Destiny hadn't been his future self as he'd once believed, but rather Kaecilius from this alternate reality. Their identical appearances had created a profound misunderstanding. This also explained why Lockhart had been so startled upon their first meeting, resolving a persistent question in Grindelwald's mind.
None of that mattered now, though. The critical question was why Lockhart had orchestrated this meeting between them—and why now, in this particular setting.
There could be only one answer: Lockhart was preparing to reveal the existence of the wizarding world to Kamar-Taj.
No, "reveal" wasn't quite the right word. After all, Lockhart was now the Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, its legitimate leader. How could his actions be characterized as a revelation or, more accusingly, a betrayal? This was more akin to bringing his people back to his homeland—a homecoming, a return.
Meanwhile, Kaecilius stared at the uncovered Grindelwald with a mixture of shock and alarm. He recognized Grindelwald—they had met before—but not with this appearance. To now see someone wearing his own face was deeply unsettling.
Kaecilius resisted the urge to cast a protective spell, instead looking to Lockhart for explanation. If his friend had summoned him here, there must be a significant reason, especially concerning someone who had somehow adopted his appearance.
His immediate assumption was that Lockhart had assigned him some special, confidential task, necessitating another person to temporarily assume his likeness. This seemed the most rational explanation. Surely this couldn't be some elaborate jest—Lockhart had just assumed leadership of Kamar-Taj and faced far too many pressing matters for such trivialities.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Lockhart gestured for him to take a seat. Kaecilius settled beside Grindelwald, unable to resist studying the man's features more closely.
Aside from their drastically different bearing, their appearances were indeed nearly identical. One notable difference was their hair—Kaecilius's brown contrasted with Grindelwald's white. The disguise, if that's what it was, seemed incomplete.
Surreptitiously, Kaecilius activated the sling ring on his hand, attempting to detect whatever magic Grindelwald had employed to assume his likeness. To his surprise, he detected no magical signature whatsoever.
After brief consideration, he nodded slightly to himself. Of course—any effective disguise spell would conceal its magical traces. If such magic were easily detectable, what purpose would disguise serve?
Grindelwald sensed Kaecilius's magical probing but merely smiled, saying nothing. He could easily guess Kaecilius's thoughts, but considered the explanation Lockhart's responsibility.
"Kaecilius, this is Grindelwald. You've met before," Lockhart stated as Grindelwald offered a cordial nod that Kaecilius automatically returned.
"The difference is that he was disguised during your previous encounter. This is his true appearance."
Hearing this, Kaecilius couldn't help but scrutinize Grindelwald again, disbelief evident in his eyes. How could this possibly be his real appearance? Could they be long-lost brothers? He quickly dismissed this absurd notion, turning to Lockhart with an expectant gaze, awaiting clarification.
They couldn't actually be brothers... could they?
"Kaecilius, I understand your surprise," Lockhart acknowledged. "Nevertheless, what I've told you is the truth. Honestly, I was equally astonished when I first encountered Grindelwald."
A distant look crossed Lockhart's face as he recalled their initial confrontation in a snow-covered landscape. The surprise had indeed been considerable.
Kaecilius waited patiently for Lockhart to emerge from his reminiscence. Years of combat experience had taught him the value of composure.
When Lockhart's focus returned, he continued, "Kaecilius, do you recall our first meeting? My personal introduction then?"
Kaecilius nodded, indicating he remembered.
"I explained that I had accidentally arrived in this world through spatial magic," Lockhart continued. "I mentioned settling in New York with hopes of meeting sorcerers of this new world to exchange resources and knowledge. That's how we became acquainted, which eventually led to my joining Kamar-Taj."
Lockhart's tone carried a note of nostalgia, and Kaecilius nodded slightly, memories of their first encounter surfacing in his mind.
"Kaecilius, after being transported to this world, I continuously sought ways to return to my original realm," Lockhart revealed. "Fortunately for me, I succeeded!"
What?
How is that possible?
Incredulity flooded Kaecilius's thoughts. As guardian sorcerer of the New York Sanctum, he understood the fundamentals of interdimensional travel. Kamar-Taj utilized the three sanctums to maintain Earth's most sophisticated magical barrier, protecting the planet from unwanted intrusions.
Certainly, spatial anomalies occasionally allowed demons from hell or sorcerers from other realms to accidentally reach Earth. However, once arrived, departure was virtually impossible. Was the protective magic array of Kamar-Taj truly so ineffectual? To come and go at will would render Earth effectively unprotected.
One of the primary functions of the three sanctums was precisely to stabilize dimensional boundaries, preventing unauthorized passages to other realms from forming on Earth. While arriving on Earth through chance was conceivable, departing by any means other than Kamar-Taj's designated pathways was theoretically impossible.
This was precisely why no one at Kamar-Taj had been overly concerned about Lockhart's origins. Once here, departure seemed impossible—a life commitment to Kamar-Taj, bound by contract until death.
Though Kaecilius harbored profound skepticism regarding Lockhart's claims, he remained silent, awaiting further explanation.
"Kaecilius, upon discovering a path home, I naturally returned to my world," Lockhart continued. "A substantial portion of the resources in the Vientiane World originates from my realm. Grindelwald himself comes from my world as well."
Kaecilius frowned, instinctively disbelieving what he was hearing. Yet he had to acknowledge that the resources Lockhart had initially provided had been remarkably abundant. The prevailing theory had been that Lockhart possessed considerable wealth, perhaps even a small pocket dimension containing his students and various materials.
His doubts had seemingly been resolved when he'd entered Lockhart's magical suitcase. After all, they came from different worlds—perhaps the spatial technology and magic of Lockhart's realm were indeed superior.
Naturally, Lockhart hadn't been foolish enough to reveal his ability to travel between worlds at that time. The magical suitcase had provided a plausible explanation, obviating the need for further disclosure.
But circumstances had changed. Lockhart now possessed only one opportunity to travel to the wizarding world, and as the new Supreme Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, he would be a fool not to leverage this situation.
Of course, transporting all of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers to the Harry Potter world was impractical. However, bringing his most loyal followers, recently recruited apprentices, and promising talents would cement their loyalty irrevocably. This brief window of interdimensional travel offered a perfect opportunity to consolidate his authority.
Lockhart harbored no delusions that his succession to leadership had convinced all of Kamar-Taj's sorcerers. His future plans would inevitably face opposition from traditionalists and conservatives. He could clearly foresee that complete control of Kamar-Taj might eventually require blood sacrifice. Therefore, this singular opportunity for interdimensional travel had to be utilized to maximum effect.
Throughout this exchange, Grindelwald listened silently. From the perspective of an ordinary wizard, Lockhart's actions would undoubtedly constitute betrayal—bringing not just one or two people, but potentially dozens from another dimension into the wizarding world. Such an action could easily be interpreted as an invasion, a treacherous undermining of wizarding security.
Had Dumbledore been present, he would undoubtedly have confronted Lockhart immediately. For the safety of the wizarding world, future troubles were best addressed before they manifested.
But Grindelwald harbored different concerns. He recognized that for Lockhart, control of Kamar-Taj represented a foothold in this new world, with the wizarding world serving as his secure base of operations. And any base required stability—one couldn't fight on the front lines while chaos erupted behind.
Therefore, Lockhart needed complete control of the wizarding world to further solidify his position in Kamar-Taj and expand his influence in this new dimension. This trajectory seemed inevitable unless Lockhart were to die.
Though Grindelwald understood this logic, he remained skeptical of Lockhart's approach. True, the world-consciousness of the wizarding realm was relatively passive. Yet he recalled how Voldemort had nearly achieved invincibility with the world's blessing. Despite Lockhart's best efforts, he had never managed to strike a decisive blow against the Dark Lord.
If the world-consciousness targeted someone directly, Grindelwald believed that even the dimensional gods of this new realm couldn't escape its judgment. Regardless of its flaws, the wizarding world still outclassed most gods in raw power. Having experienced the partial blessing of the world-consciousness himself, Grindelwald could only marvel at the vast power accumulated over countless years.
In the eyes of world-consciousness, Lockhart's actions constituted naked betrayal. How could it not react? Indeed, the consciousness had likely already targeted him—why else would Lockhart be moving with such urgency?
Through the Eye of Destiny, Grindelwald had formed certain theories, but kept them to himself. The relationship between them wasn't as amicable as it might appear, and the conclusion of their contract meant Grindelwald had fulfilled his obligation to access this new world. He had no desire to involve himself in the brewing conflict between Lockhart and the wizarding realm.
Grindelwald had established his own ambitions: exploring the vast cosmos and its diverse civilizations, with their unique magical systems, technologies, and power structures. This path offered more than enough challenges on his road to godhood—a journey in which he maintained absolute confidence.
"Kaecilius, I understand your confusion about my ability to return to my world despite the sanctums' barriers," Lockhart continued. "I can tell you that I achieved interdimensional travel through a secret artifact."
Kaecilius listened attentively, eyes narrowed. Based on his understanding of Lockhart, such forthright disclosure seemed uncharacteristic. An uneasy feeling began to form in his mind.
"However," Lockhart qualified, "traveling between worlds exacts a price. No artifact permits unlimited interdimensional passage without consequences."
Grindelwald's sense of foreboding intensified.
Lockhart extended his right hand, raising a single finger as he addressed both men. "According to my calculations, the artifact in its current state can support only two more interdimensional transits—essentially, one round trip."
Grindelwald, who had maintained his composure while resolving to remain uninvolved, frowned deeply. Beside him, Kaecilius's expression shifted, a hint of excitement flickering across his face.
"Lockhart, is there any method to restore its power?" Grindelwald asked, aware of Kaecilius's presence.
Kaecilius also looked expectantly toward Lockhart. It must be said that Lockhart's explanation seemed reasonable, dispelling many of his doubts. The sanctums maintained their protective function; even a powerful artifact required significant energy for interdimensional travel.
"No, we have only one final opportunity," Lockhart stated with calm finality, clearly intending to leave Grindelwald no hope.
He quickly added, however, "It's not entirely impossible. After I advance to the next power level, I might study or replicate the artifact's functions to potentially enable future travel. With my current abilities and knowledge, though, this problem remains beyond my scope."
Grindelwald's dissatisfaction was palpable, but beside him, Kaecilius's enthusiasm visibly grew.
"Lockhart, whatever you require of me, you need only ask," Kaecilius declared fervently. "The New York Sanctum stands ready to fulfill the Supreme Sorcerer's every command!"