"He fell into the river."
Starr reported the result to Griffiths.
Griffiths clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward Starr.
His expression was cold, and his body exuded a low, chilling pressure that made people want to kneel.
Starr silently lowered his head and said, "He was struck by the Bloody Blade."
"It will take the Auror Office some time to confirm what was lost. That person used Dark magic to blow up the office."
As he spoke, Griffiths came closer and closer.
The man's shadow covered Starr's feet.
Griffiths slowly raised his hand and brought it down heavily on Starr's shoulder.
"You did very well, Starr."
The tense and terrifying atmosphere vanished.
Griffiths smiled and said, "Only this way will people understand our resolve."
"Silverhand's capital is destroying this place. We need to let them see the arrogance of money."
He whispered by Starr's ear, "If the remnants of the ruins are not swept away, a new order cannot be built."
"We are building a truly free place for wizards, one without the restraints of houses, where they no longer need to struggle for survival in dark corners."
Feeling the pressure on his shoulder, Starr raised his head, fanaticism burning like fire in his eyes.
Griffiths turned and looked at the windmill on the wall. "I once pursued the greater good, so that the magical world would no longer hide."
"But I was wrong. The strong devour the weak. Wizards who belong to that new world must be selected." He smiled. "If the rotten flesh is not cut away, this disease cannot be cured."
"Some manipulators of power fool wizards. He described me as a madman who would overturn the world."
Stopping before the windmill, Griffiths's smile faded.
"They avoid the injustice suffered by wizards and protect their own rights. That is wrong."
"But I am not angry." He shook his head and picked up the lion ornament on the desk. "The victor is king. During my time in Nurmengard, I thought about it again and again."
"There is no right or wrong, because that is humiliation imposed on the defeated by the victor."
Holding the ornament in his right hand, he spread his arms like a soaring golden eagle.
He said, "My mercy will appear in the new world. You will remain by my side, Starr, and see that new world with me."
"However," Griffiths set down the ornament and chuckled, "first, we must awaken our compatriots."
"What should we do?" Starr had already been brainwashed by that grand ideal.
Even if he were told to set his own body alight now, he would gladly agree, becoming a spark that would create the new world.
And the one he believed in...
Would become the Creator.
Griffiths's hair turned white, and his originally brown eyes were replaced by bewitching heterochromatic eyes.
Grindelwald smiled wickedly and said, "We simply need to let them see."
"We will make magic great, cast off the darkness, and step into the light."
...
In the rushing river, Gus drifted with the current.
At a bend, a hand reached out and grabbed Gus by the collar.
The hooded figure dragged him away.
...
No. 6 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
In the early morning, sunlight shone through the window and fell upon the golden hair spread over the white bedsheets.
The girl's skin was fair, and her face was as beautiful as an angel's. The sunlight brushed a layer of gold over her eyelashes, making them flutter like those of a quiet doll.
A brown teddy bear was diligently tidying things up, carefully folding each piece of clothing to ensure there were no extra wrinkles.
Then it placed them one by one inside the suitcase.
The teddy bear ran to the open wardrobe and tilted its head in thought.
The mistress of this house had bought too many clothes, filling the wardrobe to the brim.
Suddenly, the teddy bear's gaze shifted to the pink bow-wearing teddy bear placed inside the wardrobe.
Its black eyes stared at the pink teddy bear for a while.
Immediately afterward, the pink teddy bear flew out of the wardrobe. The brown teddy bear grabbed the pink teddy bear, threw it over its shoulder, and followed up with a German suplex.
After using the pink teddy bear as a punching bag for a while, the brown teddy bear did not forget its proper work. It picked clothes from the wardrobe, even thoughtfully preparing certain necessary but inconvenient-to-describe private garments.
It pulled a box out from beneath the bed. The teddy bear carefully wiped the dust off with a soft handkerchief, making sure it was spotless before placing it into the suitcase and closing it.
Finally done with its work, the teddy bear grabbed the bedsheet and climbed up to the head of the bed, using its soft wake-up service to wake the angel on the bed.
"Mm..."
Ariana felt the touch on her hand and reflexively grabbed the teddy bear, hugging it in her arms.
The teddy bear struggled twice in her embrace, then shifted its gaze to the pink teddy bear it had beaten away.
It clearly had no change in expression, yet for some reason, it seemed to carry a smug air.
"Ariana, Dad is waiting for you downstairs." Mrs Wick knocked on the door. When she received no response from inside, she opened the door and saw the sleeping girl.
Her gaze swept over the things that had already been prepared, and Mrs Wick guessed that Ariana must have been getting ready until very late.
She smiled with both helplessness and affection, came to the little sleepyhead's ear, and gently called for her daughter to get up.
"Ariana, we're leaving."
Hearing Mrs Wick's voice, Ariana turned over and wriggled a few times into Mrs Wick's arms, saying in a soft, sweet voice, "Mummy, I'll get up right away."
At that moment, Mrs Wick felt something entirely different.
Look!
Why did she like raising a daughter?
That son of hers had started sleeping on his own before he was even two years old. Not only did he wake up on time, sometimes he even had breakfast ready for you, and he showed no intention of acting spoiled at all!
I want to experience being spoiled by a soft, sweet voice too!
In the end, not only did her son never act spoiled, he even behaved more maturely than his mother and father.
Sometimes, Mrs Wick had even wondered whether they might as well let Watson be their son instead.
Now, this daughter had greatly satisfied all of Mrs Wick's wishes.
She dotingly kissed Ariana's forehead and said there was no rush.
The next second.
"Ariana, darling, we have to go."
Mrs Wick: "..."
Watson's loud voice roared up the stairs. He was somewhat puzzled. Why was there no response when his wife called for someone?
A little while later, he saw his wife come downstairs expressionlessly.
Watson enthusiastically walked up to her. "Is Ariana up? The flight is at nine. We still have some time."
A while later.
Watson sat on the steps outside the door. His phone rang. It was the airline.
"Mr Wick, the flight you booked is about to take off. May I ask if you can arrive now?"
"I'd like to ask, how much is a private plane?"
"Huh?"
The agent disguised as airline staff was stunned.
He quickly reacted and secretly thought in shock, I didn't expect him to know we had deployed agents on the plane.
Yes, that had to be it.
The other party had deliberately waited until the plane was about to take off before buying a private plane to shake off the agents.
As expected of someone listed at the highest level. Truly terrifying.
Unfortunately, in the end, he was still one move ahead.
The veteran agent stopped the agents preparing to board and ordered, "Everyone, stop the plan. Go to the airport and disguise yourselves as flight service staff."
After giving the order, he spoke into the phone in the sincerest tone possible. "Very well, sir. As it happens, we currently have a promotion. There is a discount if you purchase a plane."
Inside the flight that was about to take off, an old man sat in his seat.
Suddenly, the people around him seemed to receive some kind of order.
Immediately afterward, inside the plane that was about to take off, one person after another began to leave.
In the end, only the old man remained.
The old man stared blankly around him. When the flight attendant came out, he raised his hand, intending to ask what was going on.
But the flight attendant unbuttoned her uniform, took it off to reveal the shirt underneath, and said into her headset with a cold expression, "Understood, Director. I'll head over now."
The cabin crew left as well.
The old man sat alone in the empty plane and fell into deep thought.
Had he chartered the plane?
Just as a group of people were using all kinds of methods to go undercover in the airline company, waiting for Watson's arrival, Ariana was sitting in the car, holding her teddy bear.
The big-headed great grey owl Kiki had been stuffed into a cage by Watson and was being carried in his arms.
"Why are you bringing an owl?" Mrs Wick asked in confusion as she drove.
"You don't understand. This is mutual appreciation between kindred spirits." Watson shook his head.
During Christmas, it had just been him and Kiki depending on each other. How could he abandon a friendship like that?
Kiki: Don't talk nonsense. I was supposed to go to Dragon Valley for a holiday.
Kiki expressed that it did not want this kind of mutual appreciation at all.
"Changed flights?" Mrs Wick did not quite understand, but since Watson had made up his mind, there was nothing she could do.
"Oh, upgraded the cabin."
In the end, Watson still did not buy a private plane. The family of three happily boarded the plane and left.
Meanwhile, the agents waiting in full readiness at the aircraft company waited for a very long time, but still did not see the person who was supposed to come and buy a plane.
"Damn it. I didn't expect it to be a scheme within a scheme!" Cold sweat broke out on the veteran agent's forehead.
The other party had actually seen through him and turned his own trick against him, secretly crossing the river under cover.
How could there be such a monstrous person!
Highest level. Truly terrifying!
As for that, Watson would say: That's buying a plane. Do you think it's like buying vegetables?
The Wick family sat happily in first class. Ariana was very interested in this novel experience, pressing herself against the window with her little mouth open as she looked at the clouds.
Mrs Wick tasted the champagne and asked, "Where are we going again?"
The Golden Snitch in Watson's hand flew out a few inches before being swiftly caught. He said casually, "Hungary. Budapest."
____
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