"This Horcrux was created during Voldemort's school years. There is a high probability that it was the first one he ever made. Creating a Horcrux requires committing an evil act such as murder in order to split the soul..."
"Perhaps it was his first time doing such a thing. Even if a young man's nature is cold and twisted, he is still young. Maybe he was a bit too 'heavy-handed' and split off too large a fragment of his soul, to the point that it retained a vast amount of memories and could even use them to reconstruct a body and resurrect itself."
Dumbledore nodded.
"That is very possible. However, the soul fragment inside this Diary has already sealed the core of the Horcrux. Aside from destroying it directly, I have yet to find a way to delve deeper. Gellert, you..."
"I haven't held a wand in decades, much less cast proper spells. In my current state, helping you research a Horcrux would be rather difficult."
As he spoke, Grindelwald looked at Dumbledore with a faint smile, anticipating his reaction.
He wanted to see whether this old acquaintance of his would, for the sake of resolving a new crisis threatening the Magical World, risk allowing an old crisis to re-emerge.
However, Dumbledore's blue eyes remained calm and bright as they met those magnificent heterochromatic eyes through his spectacles.
Before the atmosphere could fall silent, Dumbledore drew a wand.
The moment Grindelwald's gaze landed on it, his eyes froze.
Fifteen inches long.
Distinct nodes.
Elder wood.
Thestral tail hair core.
The Elder Wand.
It was not until Dumbledore extended it towards him that Grindelwald seemed to awaken from a dream. His complicated gaze shifted between the wand and Dumbledore.
He reached out and lightly touched the Elder Wand with his fingertips. This wand, which had accompanied him through a significant portion of his life, transmitted a faint sense of rejection.
Chuckling softly, Grindelwald did not take it. Instead, he pushed it back towards Dumbledore.
"Have you forgotten the nature of this wand? Any ordinary wand would be more comfortable than one that only serves the victor."
The Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows.
Ordinary wands possess a certain degree of loyalty and do not easily abandon their masters.
The Elder Wand, however, is the most emotionless, the coldest, and the cruelest of them all. It acknowledges only ability.
Once its owner is defeated, its allegiance changes.
The Elder Wand belongs only to the victor.
Years ago, after Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, its loyalty naturally transferred to Dumbledore.
Seeing Dumbledore withdraw the Elder Wand and produce another plain-looking wand from his robes, Grindelwald rested his head on one hand and asked in a teasing tone,
"Al, was offering me the Elder Wand a test? To see whether I still possess ambition?"
"Or was it genuine trust, believing that I would never do anything again?"
"Or perhaps because..."
Dumbledore merely put the Elder Wand away and handed him the ordinary wand.
Seeing that the other man had no intention of answering, Grindelwald curled his lips slightly and took the wand, turning his attention back to examining the Diary.
"I have always believed that love is the greatest Magic in the world."
Dumbledore spoke in a calm tone, as though he were making casual conversation, yet the words rang heavily in Grindelwald's ears.
Love.
Of course it was the greatest Magic in the world.
Dumbledore had only used it once, and it had imprisoned the most powerful Wizard in the world.
Both of them.
The crumbling prison of Nurmengard could not hold Grindelwald.
The complex and powerful magical barriers outside could not hold Grindelwald.
The Aurors of this era certainly could not hold Grindelwald.
Only Dumbledore could.
Both men understood perfectly well that if Grindelwald ever stepped out of Nurmengard and the entire Magical World fell into panic, the one standing in his path would inevitably be Dumbledore.
Without looking up from the Horcrux, Grindelwald continued his examination while muttering in a low voice:
"Cunning old man..."
As Grindelwald studied the Horcrux, Dumbledore was also considering his future plans.
If he wished to collect the Horcruxes one by one, tracing their origins would be unavoidable.
He would need to investigate every stage of Voldemort's life, determine when he had created the Horcruxes, and follow those clues.
He would have to begin with Voldemort's past, starting with his mother's family, the House of Gaunt.
He also needed to uncover where Voldemort had gone and what experiences he had undergone after leaving Hogwarts.
It was an enormous undertaking.
But Dumbledore had no choice.
Voldemort's mastery of the Dark Arts alone was enough to threaten the world. Now, with multiple Horcruxes ensuring his survival, defeating him would be impossible unless those Horcruxes were found first.
Dumbledore also intended to inform Snape about the Horcruxes and discuss countermeasures with him.
Having once served as Voldemort's spy and enjoyed his trust, Snape undoubtedly possessed valuable information.
"Speaking of that student at your school, Lucien. He's the one who resolved the crisis at Hogwarts again, isn't he? Hmm... what was the name of the boy who is supposedly the Chosen One from the prophecy?"
Grindelwald's question interrupted Dumbledore's thoughts.
"Harry. Harry Potter."
The answer came automatically, but the moment the words left his mouth, Dumbledore froze.
Indeed, the crisis had been resolved.
Yet Dumbledore had originally intended to train Harry, to nurture the boy's courage and sense of responsibility.
So what was he supposed to do this year?
Seeing Dumbledore's expression, the corner of Grindelwald's mouth curved upwards.
"So, the seer who made the prophecy about Harry Potter being the Chosen One teaches Divination at your school, correct? Has she never made any prophecies regarding Lucien?"
Ever since his previous divination concerning Lucien had failed, Grindelwald had developed a keen interest in the boy.
Adjusting his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore recalled that Sybill Trelawney, who had made the prophecy years ago, had in fact uttered one genuine prophecy.
It concerned the fate of the Chosen One and Voldemort.
The prophecy foretold when and where Voldemort's adversary would be born, the family from which he would come, and that neither could live while the other survived.
One would inevitably bring about the death of the other.
Judging by Lucien's achievements so far, Dumbledore believed that he would surely alter the future of the Magical World and occupy a prominent place in magical history.
But as for prophecy...
Even Dumbledore could not understand the meaning behind the result Grindelwald had obtained during his previous divination of Lucien.
"Hogwarts begins teaching Divination in the third year. Lucien may come into contact with it then. When that time comes..."
Dumbledore spoke softly.
He, too, was curious.
Could someone who could not be divined learn Divination?
Grindelwald returned the Diary and the wand to Dumbledore and closed his eyes tiredly.
"A single session of research will not produce all the answers."
The meaning was clear.
Dumbledore would have to pay him several more visits in the future.
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