But now… with the Ministry already deeply infiltrated, even if Dumbledore wanted to step into politics, there was little he could do.
The feeling of knowing he had the ability to stop it, yet being unable to act, weighed heavily on him.
That was why, upon hearing Wade's question, Dumbledore had reacted with such self-reproach and hesitation.
Wade couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration. "That old man… he really thought everything through. He's sealed off every possible escape. As expected, Grindelwald after changing his approach is far more dangerous than before."
Dumbledore sighed, gripping the Elder Wand tightly. "If it truly comes to that… then I will have no choice but to…"
Wade quickly pressed down on his hand. "It won't come to that. Not yet. At the very least… the design of the challenges is in my hands now, isn't it?"
With Grindelwald's intelligence, he would certainly have anticipated that Dumbledore might resort to desperate measures. Wade didn't believe he had made no preparations at all.
So even if Dumbledore were willing to risk everything to eliminate him, success was far from guaranteed.
And if Dumbledore failed after going all out, the situation would only become worse.
"Mm… yes, that is indeed good news." Dumbledore's tense expression finally eased a little.
At this point, Minerva McGonagall, who had been listening for a long time, finally managed to understand part of the situation.
Although she still couldn't make sense of the two Grindelwalds mentioned earlier, she grasped the latter half.
"Wade, since you're the one designing the challenges, can you remove those dark creatures?" McGonagall asked urgently.
She simply couldn't imagine her young students facing such powerful dark creatures, utterly helpless.
Moreover, the most terrifying aspect of dark creatures wasn't just their aggression, but the fact that many of their attacks carried potent dark curses.
With the slightest mistake, those students might be left with scars they would carry for life.
And even scars would be considered fortunate. If they were crippled… losing an arm or something similar, that would last a lifetime.
Ordinary disabilities weren't a big issue in the wizarding world. Regrowing lost limbs was possible.
But that only applied to normal injuries.
If the damage was caused by dark curses, regeneration was impossible.
In the Harry Potter books, the legendary Auror Alastor Moody was a perfect example.
Years of fighting dark wizards had cost him an eye and a leg.
Because those injuries were inflicted with dark magic, neither his eye nor his leg could be restored. Even the horrific scars on his face could not be removed.
Wade thought for a moment before saying, "Although Grindelwald requires that the difficulty not be reduced too much, it's not completely impossible. First, we can make some adjustments to the dark creatures he prepared. For example, we can seal or weaken the curse effects of their attacks, or reduce their overall combat strength. Alternatively, we could replace some of the more dangerous creatures with combat constructs."
"What if Grindelwald finds out?" Minerva McGonagall asked.
"There's no need to hide it. We should approach him openly and discuss it," Wade said.
"That's right… we can talk to him," Albus Dumbledore nodded.
"But… how could he possibly agree?" McGonagall asked in surprise.
Wade explained, "Professor McGonagall, Grindelwald may be a villain, but his goal isn't to harm students. That would serve no purpose for him. His educational reform is meant to gradually strengthen the combat ability of the new generation of wizards, not to create a large group of crippled individuals who can't fight. So he will agree."
McGonagall hadn't fully adjusted her thinking yet, so when she first heard of Grindelwald's plans, she had instinctively assumed he intended to harm the students.
Now, hearing Wade's explanation, she finally felt relieved.
What Wade said made sense. Grindelwald's plan could not be about harming students. That would be meaningless to him.
"I'll go speak with him," Dumbledore said.
"I'll go. After all, I'm the one designing the challenges now," Wade replied.
"Then I'll be there as well," Dumbledore said, picking up the Elder Wand with a serious expression. "As you said, my presence alone serves as a deterrent. If I stand by, he won't be able to think calmly."
"That makes sense." Wade nodded.
When the time came, as long as Albus Dumbledore stood to the side, Grindelwald would have to devote at least most of his attention to him.
That old man was always on guard against Dumbledore making an unexpected move.
After Wade finished his report, Dumbledore picked up the Elder Wand Wade had brought and asked, "Wade, this wand… you should know its legend?"
"Yes… I've read the tale of the three brothers," Wade replied.
"Then you understand the nature of this wand… so, it has acknowledged you as its master?" Dumbledore asked.
Wade nodded. "I took it directly from that Grindelwald. By the rules, I'm its master now."
"Good." Dumbledore handed the Elder Wand back to Wade with a pleased expression.
The moment Wade took it, he once again felt the immense power contained within the wand, along with a faint sense of affinity, as if the wand itself relied on him.
"With this, your strength will increase further. That puts my mind more at ease," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Professor, may I take a look at your wand?" Wade asked after a moment's hesitation.
"Of course." Dumbledore passed his Elder Wand to Wade.
Wade accepted it. This was his first time holding the Elder Wand of this world.
It felt warm in his hand, and at the same time, he sensed an identical surge of immense power.
However, unlike the wand that had acknowledged him, Dumbledore's Elder Wand gave him a clear sense of rejection.
In truth, if Wade had not already obtained a wand that had submitted to him, he wouldn't have noticed such a subtle difference. It was a rejection hidden beneath the surface.
Wade was certain that while he could feel its power, he would not be able to wield it to its full extent.
He nodded inwardly. No wonder Lord Voldemort had always believed himself to be the master of the Elder Wand. Having never held one that truly acknowledged him, he could only sense its strength, not its resistance.
However… although the two Elder Wands from parallel worlds looked identical, they were in fact two different wands.
At the very least, they recognized different masters.
Wade had thought there might be some overlap between them. Perhaps Dumbledore's wand would show some reaction to him as well.
But the truth proved that even identical objects from parallel worlds still had their differences.
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