The witch's eyes widened instantly. "What? How is that possible? How could those goblins dare do such a thing?"
The wizard said, "Not only that—look here! There's evidence that the goblins have been accessing abandoned vaults and seizing the treasures! The Ministry of Magic has intervened and is preparing to investigate!"
The witch covered her mouth. "Merlin's beard... those damned goblins have truly lost their minds!"
The wizard continued reading through the Daily Prophet. Then, his eyes lit up.
"Darling, come quickly! Look—there's a statement from Mr. Erwin here!"
The witch leaned in.
The report used the Cavendish family's latest recording technology. Compared to moving photographs, these recordings produced clearer images with sound, and most importantly, in vivid color.
In the newspaper, Erwin wore pajamas. His face showed unmistakable fatigue.
Rita Skeeter sat opposite him.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Erwin! We apologize for waking you so early! But something truly terrible has happened in the wizarding world. We at the Daily Prophet know that your words carry considerable weight, so we wanted to interview you and share your perspective with everyone!"
Although Erwin looked exhausted, he forced a smile. "It's alright. If there's anything I can contribute, I won't hold back!"
Of course, Erwin's exhaustion was carefully acted. Having slept for ten hours, it took considerable effort to portray this tired state convincingly.
Rita said, "The situation is this—last night, Gringotts goblins attacked Cavendish Tower!"
Rita hadn't finished speaking. Erwin suddenly stood up.
"What? Goblins attacked Cavendish Tower? When? Why didn't I know about this?"
Rita feigned confusion. "You didn't know? Just last night!"
At that moment, Old Tom appeared in the recording, speaking at the opportune moment: "I apologize, Master. I didn't inform you yesterday because you've been so exhausted lately! I wanted you to get proper rest. You've said that compared to the wellbeing of the wizarding world, the Cavendish family's interests are secondary, so I didn't want to disturb your precious rest time. I instructed everyone else that unless something major affects the broader wizarding community, no one is permitted to wake you!"
Erwin rubbed his temples. "Never mind—it's not your fault. I apologize, Ms. Rita; I only just learned about this myself! But I don't think you need to ask me about this. The Cavendish family's affairs are minor matters; this is just our family's concern. You should inform me about the major events happening in the wizarding world. Compared to the wizarding world, the Cavendish family is insignificant."
Every witch and wizard reading the Daily Prophet at that moment was deeply moved.
"This is Mr. Erwin?"
"My God, he's truly extraordinary!"
"He dedicates all his energy to the common wizards of the magical world!"
"This is Cavendish—this is Mr. Erwin. He deserves our respect!"
In Germany, Vinda and Charlotte, having received the Daily Prophet early that morning, smiled.
Vinda said, "I must say, our lord's performance is truly superb."
Charlotte said, "Whatever the lord does, he surpasses everyone else. Therefore, the lord is above everyone; everyone is his audience, everyone is a piece on his board."
Vinda nodded. "Yes, only in this way can he forge a completely different path; only in this way can he succeed. We took the wrong approach from the beginning. Now he has pioneered a brand-new path, and it is the most promising one."
Charlotte smiled. "So, do you now think the lord is even more capable than Lord Grindelwald?"
Vinda glanced at Charlotte. She smiled. "You should be grateful that the person before you now is the mature version of myself. If you had said such things to me when I was younger, I would have drawn my wand without hesitation."
Charlotte said, "I know. You said I'm very much like you. If anyone spoke ill of Lord Erwin in my presence, I would also draw my wand without hesitation."
Vinda said, "So, you should understand my answer. Erwin is the new master of the Acolytes, and I will be loyal to him."
Vinda didn't continue, but Charlotte understood her meaning. Just like herself, she would never betray Erwin, just as Vinda would never truly leave Grindelwald's side.
This wasn't merely loyalty from a subordinate to their master; perhaps it was more about a conviction in their hearts. The path of the truly powerful is solitary; they never dare hope to walk alongside their masters. What they want is simply to be the first among those who follow. Even if they only ever see his back for their entire lives, they would be content.
Charlotte closed the newspaper. She didn't need to read any further. Because regardless of what followed, the final outcome was predetermined. Everything would proceed according to Erwin's design. Erwin had arranged everything meticulously. There was no possibility of the slightest error. Since that was the case, why should she continue reading? Instead of wasting this time, she should do something productive.
Charlotte drew her wand. "Teacher Vinda, so, what is our objective today?"
A faint aura of lethal intent emanated from Charlotte.
Vinda chuckled. "Our objective today is to help you master the Silent Killing Curse. This is different from other silent spells; the Silent Killing Curse requires repeated practice to internalize the intent to kill. I've prepared ample practice subjects for you today! I believe you should be able to master it by evening."
Charlotte's lips curled up. "Of course, I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to demonstrate my progress when school starts next year."
Vinda said, "Then you'd better apply yourself. After all, Erwin mastered the Silent Killing Curse without a wand long ago."
Charlotte wasn't surprised by this. "I believe I should be able to reach that level soon, as long as I have sufficient practice subjects."
Vinda shrugged. "Looks like I'll have to coordinate logistics. But since you're in Germany now, you'll never lack practice subjects."
Charlotte smiled.
The next moment, the two vanished. Two delicate black flowers bloomed metaphorically in the German sky. Roses nourished by conflict are deeper in color and more vibrant, and at that moment, Charlotte was being cultivated by experience.