"Headmaster?"
The elderly followers looked at him in astonishment.
"Correct, Headmaster – the Headmaster of Durmstrang."
Grindelwald took out his wand, twirling it thoughtfully as he lowered his voice, his gaze settling on Rodriguez. "Rod, if I recall correctly, you also graduated from Durmstrang, didn't you?"
"I was twelve years behind you."
"No, no, no. I was an expelled dropout – a lingering regret in my life."
Grindelwald spread open his palm, and Slytherin's Locket materialised out of thin air. He unconsciously began to caress it:
"You see, Dumbledore served as Headmaster of Hogwarts, Lawrence currently holds the position of Hogwarts Headmaster, while I... I am merely an expelled student."
"Oh, and even that upstart lad has been doing rather well lately."
"In terms of status, the three of us are not on equal footing now."
The followers exchanged bewildered glances.
Where did this sudden competitive streak come from? Was Grindelwald really comparing himself to Dumbledore – even in becoming a Headmaster?
And why was Lawrence involved as well?
Vinda voiced the question on everyone's mind, "Sir, what exactly is your relationship with Lawrence? Is he our enemy?"
Several of them stiffened, instinctively straightening their postures as they awaited Grindelwald's answer.
Many of those present, including the Rosier family, had business dealings with Wayne.
The Celia Store in France was under their management.
In other countries, Wayne had mostly chosen to share profits with these local power players. Though the profits were smaller, the hassles vanished.
If Grindelwald's relationship with Wayne turned sour, they would need to consider cutting ties.
Observing their tense expressions, Grindelwald chuckled softly, "My relationship with him... is rather complicated, wouldn't you say?"
"Friends across generations, companions, collaborators... and, well, soon to be rivals. After all, if I become Headmaster of Durmstrang, I must surpass Hogwarts."
His tone suddenly grew much more serious. "Remember, Lawrence is not our enemy. Do not foolishly provoke him on your own accord, or even I won't be able to save you."
"Have you not seen how even Dumbledore was driven out of the school by him? That's something I never managed to achieve!"
Clang!
A hefty blame was squarely placed upon Wayne's head.
If Wayne ever learned that Grindelwald was spinning such tales behind his back, he would undoubtedly send a Starfall Cascade his way.
Yet the effect was immediate – these followers instantly pictured Wayne as a schemer on par with Grindelwald.
"Continue your collaborations with him as before. Not only continue, but expand them. I need money – vast amounts of money."
A gleam of ambition shone in Grindelwald's eyes: "Taking control of Durmstrang is also for its resources. Rod, go and assess how many academic-type wizards we can recruit. Those who won't come willingly... 'invite' them. In half a month, I want to see them at Durmstrang."
"Yes!"
"As for the others..." Grindelwald scanned the room, "First, occupy several Ministries of Magic. This time, we're taking the official path. Remember, methods must be gentle, not like decades ago. We're not enemies, merely opponents with different paths. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The brief meeting concluded, and the acolytes left the manor to carry out their tasks.
Only Grindelwald and Vinda remained in the room.
Grindelwald sipped his whisky, swirling the glass gently. "I've heard... there's a conference in Paris this Saturday?"
"Yes, just like the old days."
"Interesting. I wonder if we'll see any familiar faces." Grindelwald smiled. "It would be even more interesting if Lawrence attended."
...
Before long, Saturday arrived.
On this day, numerous Ministers for Magic and Department of International Magical Cooperation heads from various countries gathered here for the International Confederation of Wizards conference.
Not just European nations, but several other regions had also sent significant delegations.
Even North America, across the ocean, had sent an important figure. After all, Grindelwald had given them considerable trouble in the past, nearly exposing the wizarding world and even replacing the Head of the Auror Office without anyone noticing.
Mr Chang was also present, seated quite prominently in the vast conference hall. However, following Wayne's advice, he maintained a low profile after arriving, drawing attention only when others initiated conversation.
This conference had only one agenda: discussing how to deal with Grindelwald.
After a brief opening speech by Keynes, President of the International Confederation of Wizards, the Italian representative took the floor.
A tall, thin man stood up.
"I know many still cling to the hope that he didn't escape, that he died in the ruins."
"But I can say with certainty - he has returned. The collapse of the tower was no accident, but a premeditated act."
"Two days ago, one of our Aurors encountered him by chance. It was undoubtedly Grindelwald himself!"
This caused an immediate stir. Many representatives began whispering among themselves, with someone unable to resist asking:
"Such crucial information - why wasn't it revealed earlier!"
The Italian representative's face darkened. "Because it involves certain... embarrassing matters for our country that aren't appropriate to disclose."
But nobody was inclined to indulge him. Under repeated pressure, the Italian representative finally revealed the truth.
It turned out that after encountering Grindelwald, the Auror had attempted to apprehend him, but was instead persuaded to switch sides with just a few words.
The Italian Ministry of Magic only discovered this when the turned Auror tried to recruit a colleague.
Upon hearing this, those present struggled between amusement and restraint, while their wariness of Grindelwald reached new heights.
Never mind his power - his tongue alone could kill.
Another round of discussion followed—if it could charitably be called that.
The conference room devolved into a shouting match, with tempers flaring after just a few words, faces reddening and necks bulging.
Capturing Grindelwald was everyone's consensus, but how to allocate personnel, handle cross-border jurisdiction, and deal with the resurgent followers—these matters became immensely complicated once they involved multiple nations.
The world wasn't all harmony—countries had their own grievances with one another.
Most importantly, they had once paid a heavy price to subdue Grindelwald. No one wanted their own country to suffer too great a loss; everyone hoped others would contribute more effort so they could sit back and watch from the sidelines.
Mr Chang watched coldly, feeling that these high-ranking wizards were no different from the elderly ladies scrambling for discounted vegetables in Muggle society.
But he was destined not to be merely an observer at this meeting.
Many had long since set their sights on Britain's two top wizards.
"Director Chang, why haven't Dumbledore or Lawrence attended this meeting?" A Minister for Magic from a small country was the first to attack: "This is a global crisis. Does Britain not take it seriously at all?"
The clamour faded considerably as representatives from various nations turned to look.
What they most desired was for Dumbledore or Wayne to step forward and directly crush Grindelwald, so they wouldn't have to worry anymore.
Mr Chang had long been prepared for this. Facing the gaze of nearly a hundred people, he remained calm.
"Dumbledore is currently missing. We are still considering whether to revoke his wanted notice, and no one can reach him.
"If you have the ability to find him, go and talk to Dumbledore yourselves."
"Then what about Lawrence? He's not wanted, is he?" another person asked.
Mr Chang glanced sideways at him: "Lawrence is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, not an employee of the Ministry of Magic. He does as he pleases; we have no authority over him."
"How can that be!" someone exclaimed indignantly, slamming the table. "If the Ministry orders it, how dare he disobey?
"Even Dumbledore—you issued a warrant for his arrest just like that, didn't you?"
"It seems to me they just want to watch the fire from across the river," the French representative said sinisterly. "Sit back and watch as Grindelwald depletes our strength, playing their so-called continental balance strategy.
"Understandable, really. It's standard British procedure."
His provocation ignited a storm of verbal and written condemnations, all criticising Britain's inaction and demanding they resolve the Grindelwald problem.
Some even suggested that if Wayne refused to go, he should be removed as Headmaster of Hogwarts, detained, and imprisoned in Azkaban.
Mr Chang glanced at the representative who threatened to imprison Wayne in Azkaban but said nothing. He lowered his head, giving the impression he was buckling under pressure, which only made the criticisms grow harsher.
But what no one knew was that he was merely complaining internally.
'How did this kid guess so accurately?'
Before coming, Wayne had warned him about the situations he might face.
There were essentially two possibilities.
The first was polite flattery, hoping Britain could persuade Dumbledore or Wayne to stand against Grindelwald.
But the likelihood of that was slim. These people were accustomed to privilege and high status; they wouldn't easily lower themselves.
The most probable scenario was moral blackmail.
You're strong, so you have an obligation to protect us, fight the Dark Lord, and eliminate him.
Sure enough, judging by their coordinated efforts, they had likely conspired in private long ago.
Ah~
Mr Chang sighed inwardly.
Thankfully, aside from his wife and daughter, he had never lost an argument.
"Have you finished?" Mr Chang suddenly looked up and asked.
The representatives who had been enthusiastically ranting froze, and the entire hall fell into a brief silence.
"Since you're done, it's my turn now. While I'm speaking, if anyone dares to interrupt, I'll leave immediately, and Britain won't participate in any of your future meetings."
Mr Chang rose leisurely, looking at the group of stunned hypocrites in fine attire, his inner disdain growing stronger.
He cleared his throat, placing his wand against his throat.
"In the country where I was born, there's an ancient saying: 'At thirty, one stands firm; at forty, one has no doubts; at fifty, one knows the Mandate of Heaven.'"
"Of course, you probably don't understand what that means either."
Mr Chang revealed a contemptuous expression of intellectual superiority. "Now let me explain it to you."
"Someone who can defeat thirty Aurors - you should stand at attention and listen to them."
"Someone who can defeat forty Aurors - nothing can confuse them."
"Someone who can defeat fifty Aurors - you should understand who truly holds the Mandate of Heaven."
"Lawrence alone can turn dozens of Aurors into Muggles. I'd like to ask all of you present here."
"How many divisions do you bloody have, to dare be this arrogant?"
"Control Lawrence? Why don't you go control Grindelwald? If you had that capability, would you still be here pretending to be humble?"
The conference hall fell deathly silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the powerfully commanding Mr Chang. They never expected he would dare to point at their noses and curse them like this.
Even the nations they represented were being insulted along with them.
"Chang! What do you mean by this!" The French representative jolted. "This is the International Confederation of Wizards' decision! Do you intend to defy it?"
"What bloody decision." Mr Chang snorted dismissively. "I'll make myself clear right here - dealing with Grindelwald has nothing to do with Britain. Unless he reaches our homeland, don't bring up this Confederation nonsense, or Britain will withdraw immediately!"
"If you want to ask for help, then adopt the attitude of someone asking for help. Do you really think everyone owes you something?"
Having said this, he sat back down and closed his eyes to rest.
The other representatives looked at each other, uncertain what to do.
No one had anticipated Mr Chang's reaction would be so fierce. He had directly overturned the table, leaving them unable to continue cursing yet unwilling to back down either.
Just as everyone desperately needed a way to save face, inappropriate applause suddenly broke the silence.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."
Everyone followed the sound to its source—the Germanic representative, who was applauding with an amused smile on his lips.