The air rippled like water, and the corner by the bookshelf seemed to be rapidly washed over with color—Vid's figure appeared there.
He dispelled the Disillusionment Charm and walked over to sit on the sofa at Grindelwald's side. A House-Elf hidden who knew where instantly cast Magic, sending a steaming cup of coffee onto the table before him.
He pondered for a moment before saying, "I saw it… He's desperate to display his loyalty to you, terrified that a single misplaced word will cost him the position he currently holds."
After a brief pause, Vid asked again, "Why choose Bullet? The Witch Pure Party has plenty of members more capable and more loyal than him. Even within Congress, there are choices far more suitable than he is."
Grindelwald wore a faint smile. "You don't like Bullet?"
"He reminds me of Fudge." Vid frowned. "People like that can grovel and castrate themselves for the sake of power, but once they have the means, they can't wait to claw back the dignity they sacrificed—ten, a hundred, a thousandfold."
"Then never let him acquire the ability to rebel."
Grindelwald draped his arm over the armrest, speaking with casual indifference:
"It's not just Bullet or Fudge. Put anyone in that position, and you must be prepared for them to bite back."
"So don't expect to pick someone who is competent in every respect, intelligent and powerful, and yet will remain loyal under all circumstances—you need to ensure that he never has the ability to resist."
"Bullet is the new Congress President, but he will not possess an independent armed force—the newly promoted head of the Auror Office and several of the mid-level officials are my people;"
"He also has no financial base of his own. The sum he can direct is enormous, but in reality, every single Knut of his transactions is subject to our scrutiny."
"He won't even have a solid bureaucratic network, because the trusted aides around him who are truly usable are also my people. The instant there's the slightest sprout of betrayal, it will be cut down at the budding stage."
Vid let out a sigh. "Bullet is well aware of this himself, so his fear runs marrow-deep; he doesn't even dare let the thought of betraying you arise."
"Exactly." A satisfied curve tugged at Grindelwald's lips. "He's a weak and inept man, and so he lacks the courage betrayal demands. He has no nerve for risk. He knows that if he fails, I will make him—and the people he cares about—pay the price in full."
He glanced at Vid and said, "So don't lump me together with that heavy sugar addict, Vid—I will not repeat his mistakes."
"Fudge was initially obedient to Dumbledore's every word, then turned against him. That wasn't an accident. Do you know why?"
Vid had long since pondered this question, and answered in a low voice at once, "Because what Professor Dumbledore used to influence him was only personal prestige and morality. When Fudge no longer wanted to be bound by those things, the only person still shackled by morality was Professor Dumbledore himself."
Grindelwald gave a short, derisive laugh. "You're putting it too delicately, Vid!"
"Dumbledore is simply too protective of his feathers! It's not that he doesn't understand the workings of power; he just refuses to use them. That doomed the fragile relationship between them to collapse!"
"Look at Bullet—his power stems from our support, his leverage lies in our hands, and every decision he makes cannot be separated from our 'assistance.' It's ugly, but it's solid."
He leaned forward slightly, locking his gaze on Vid's eyes. "I know you're fond of Dumbledore, Vid—he taught you, sheltered you, appreciated you; and you respect him, look up to him, even love him."
"But remember this: you can learn his Magic, but don't learn his way of doing things; you can let others learn from Dumbledore's personal virtues, but you yourself… child, you must be adept at exploiting the weaknesses and darkness in human nature."
"Dumbledore is an idealist. He is like a lamp, hoping to bring others light and warmth. But when that lamp illuminates the filth and ugliness on people, or lights up an abyss that everyone would rather not see, their first impulse is not to cleanse the filth or confront the abyss, but to put out the lamp."
"And furthermore," Grindelwald said slowly, "when Fudge first gained power, he depended on Dumbledore's support and of course felt deeply grateful to him, but the essence of that feeling is indebtedness. The more he owes, the heavier the interest, and the harder the debt is to repay."
"Yet every debtor longs for release, and the only way he can be freed is for the creditor to disappear."
His blue eyes fixed on Vid; there was no warmth in them, only an icy lucidity:
"Vid, Dumbledore might tell you that love, trust, and generosity are the foundations of a leader, an unparalleled source of power, that you should treat others kindly and believe in them."
"But what I'm telling you is this—do not dispense favors blindly. Doing so does not create followers or friends; it creates debtors."
"And don't put your faith in grateful tears or in vows that someone will never betray you as long as they live. That is the cheapest currency, and the quickest to evaporate."
"You must ensure that you yourself hold enduring, crucial value, and you must let others feel that you need them;"
"Learn to bind interest to loyalty, so that the cost of betraying you far exceeds anything they are capable of bearing."
"Of course, the most important point is to seize 'handles'—not scandal used for threats, but shared secrets."
"If you and your companions have once been shrouded by the same shadow, that shadow becomes the toughest bond between you."
As he spoke, the smile on his face suddenly seemed a shade more genuine.
"I've heard… you have a few close friends at school? Including the fact that now, in the United States, you can move freely—aside from the Poppet, it's also because those kids are covering for you at school?"
Vid nodded. "Yes."
"Then I'd wager that you must have gone through certain experiences together… things deeper and more unforgettable than doing homework together, skipping class together, or even getting into fights together."
Grindelwald said with quiet certainty, "Experiences that tread the edge of some dangerous line, so that whenever you recall them, you feel from the bottom of your heart that your relationship with that person is different?"
In an instant, Vid's mind filled with the memory of that day—how they trekked through desolate hills, the cold wind knifing down his collar, and that inhuman, eardrum-rending shriek echoing from the depths of the cave.
He said, "Back then… we hid it from the professors at school and dealt with one of Voldemort's Soul Artifacts together."
As the words fell, a brief silence settled over the study.
Grindelwald had never imagined such an answer. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, then he sank back against the chair and let out a low laugh:
"Remember that incident, Vid, and deliberately cultivate similar, unbreakable bonds. But don't squander them—"
"You must forge each person into the most reliable keystone of your future edifice. Make them feel that what you have with them is different."
"And make sure they see with absolute clarity that their personal ambitions, ideals, even their safety are all deeply woven into your path and the blueprint you are constructing, inseparably."
"If you succeed, only then can they reach their desired shore; if you capsize, they will sink with you."
"Let them love you more than they love themselves, and let them willingly entrust their ideals, their convictions, even their lives and souls, to you."