Chapter 610: Dueling the Dark Lord
Sean possessed an advantage that no other wizard could claim: he understood the
sensation Gellert Grindelwald had described.
He knew the feeling of the world bowing to a wizard's will.
He had experienced it in the Lands Between, during that cataclysmic struggle
against the dark mists. Though much of the detail had faded upon his return, the
memory of that absolute freedom remained etched into his soul.
On this particular morning, while the rest of the McGonagall farm was still lost
in sleep, Sean headed for the lake. He had grown accustomed to practicing his
magic by the water, where the cool breeze and the morning mist provided a
serene, isolated sanctuary.
Stepping across the soft, water-logged earth, Sean reached the shoreline.
"Mr. Green!"
He turned in surprise to find Zoe McGonagall rubbing her sleepy eyes, having
practically trailed him to the water's edge. The young witch was puffing as she
ran toward him, her wand held high. Her amber eyes brightened with every step.
"I did it! Look! Lumos!"
Zoe's bushy brown hair bounced as she skidded to a halt. With a look of intense,
prayer-like concentration, she spoke the incantation. A steady, warm glow
erupted from the tip of her wand.
She was officially the first of the "Little McGonagalls" to succeed. It made
sense; she was the most studious and disciplined of the three.
"Well done," Sean said.
It was his first time acting as a primary teacher. Usually, he was the
Assistant, following a Senior's lead. He wasn't entirely sure how to guide a
student this young, but he felt an instinctive urge to encourage her.
"Do you really think I'm making progress, Sean?" Zoe asked. She scowled and
tried to look solemn, mimicking the weight of an adult wizard. "You're one of
the greats. I bet you mastered simple spells like this in seconds."
Sean allowed himself a small smile. "Perhaps you'll surpass me one day. When I
first learned the Levitation Charm, I had to practice it hundreds of times. If
you like, I can show you the trick of it now."
He paused, noticing the collar of her nightgown was lopsided. "Did you sneak out
without telling anyone?"
"Oh! Zoe knew she couldn't hide anything from Brother Sean." She cast a nervous
glance back toward the farmhouse. Fortunately, Grandpa Marcus wasn't currently
chasing after her with a heavy overcoat.
Despite the clearing skies, the Highland mornings remained bitingly cold and
thick with fog. Catching a cold was a near-certainty for a child without a coat.
"I tried to wake the others, but they're hopeless," Zoe muttered, turning back
to him with a look of fierce determination. "I'm ready, Sean!"
Teaching a child the mechanics of Wingardium Leviosa for a few minutes didn't
disrupt Sean's schedule. He watched her and felt a strange sense of deja vu.
She was a miniature version of Professor McGonagall—younger, smaller, but
possessing that same core of meticulous caution. Sean had been taught by the
elder Minerva; now, he was mentoring the younger.
He found himself curious about what Zoe's Animagus form would be. It was a rare,
non-magical thought; usually, Sean's mind was entirely occupied by equations and
incantations.
"Brother Sean... I... can I..."
Zoe was still a novice. While Sean was a titan by comparison, the strain of
casting multiple spells in a row was already taking its toll on the
nine-year-old. Sean flicked his wand toward a fallen log, which promptly
transformed into a comfortable wooden chair and trotted over to her.
She sat down cautiously, watching as he shaped a gout of fire into a small
salamander that curled around her feet, its magical heat drying the sweat on her
brow.
Brother Sean is a very thoughtful wizard, Zoe thought, her face turning pink.
"Can you... what?" Sean prompted.
He was surprised by her progress. She was on the verge of lifting the target on
her first try. Are all the McGonagalls naturally gifted? he wondered.
"If you're willing... I want..." Zoe's face turned even redder. She gave herself
a mental shake. Zoe, you're nine now. You aren't a baby. You're a young lady...
don't be a burden. He's a very busy man.
"It is difficult for me to find free time," Sean said gently, sensing her
hesitation. "I am only a student myself, in many ways. I don't believe I am
quite on the level of my own professors yet."
He thought of the giants who had taught him: McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore,
Grindelwald, and the Lady Rowena. He didn't feel worthy of being mentioned in
the same breath.
"I understand..." Zoe looked at the ground, her lip trembling piteously.
Sean wasn't a master of social nuances, but even he could tell she was on the
verge of tears. The Master of the Dark Arts found himself momentarily panicked.
"What I mean is... I practice here every morning at five. If you're awake and
you don't mind the cold..."
Sean let out a soft sigh. The lines of his face softened.
"I'LL BE HERE! PROMISE!" Zoe shouted.
Her voice was high and squeaky, but it carried a weight of absolute joy.
Sean arrived at the Grindelwald estate to find the Dark Lord busy pruning the
hedges. From a distance, Sean noted the man's attire—a set of robes in vibrant,
clashing colors that somehow didn't look garish, but rather emphasized the old
wizard's otherworldly aura.
"Good morning, Professor Grindelwald," Sean said politely.
"Tell me, Green... what does a twenty-nine-hour day feel like?" Grindelwald
asked without looking up.
Sean hesitated. The Time-Turner had provided him with the necessary hours to
master the Master-tier Dark Arts, but the cost was etched into his face. The
deep, dark circles under his eyes were a permanent fixture now. A full year of
temporal distortion had reached the point where even the thrill of magical
advancement couldn't mask the crushing fatigue.
"When I first 'liberated' one of those trinkets..." Grindelwald straightened his
back, his eyes lost in memory. "I used it to sleep."
Sean went silent.
"Why don't you do the same, boy?" Grindelwald turned to look at him. He seemed
to find Sean's obsession as foolish as Dumbledore's "Order." "You're as
thick-headed as your Headmaster. His standards for talent are clearly dropping
if he let you end up this ragged."
He stood tall, brushing dirt from his hands. "Come. Today is a lesson in Applied
Combat. I hope your performance is satisfactory."
Sean's gaze sharpened instantly. His pupils, once round, contracted into the
cold, vertical slits of a predator. Since mastering Soul Transfiguration, he had
struggled to suppress these biological tells. It was an instinctive, primal
shift he couldn't quite control.
"Follow me."
Grindelwald was brief. He looked like he was admiring his roses, but his
attention never left the boy. Sean knew this would be a defining lesson. He had
been chasing the "Legendary" sensation for months without a breakthrough. He had
assumed it was a lack of power; now he realized it was a lack of opposition.
In the Lands Between, he had been hunted by a tidal wave of sentient darkness.
In his bedroom, there was no such threat. He lacked the desperate, driving need
to command the world to obey him.
Grindelwald was about to provide that need.
"The unknown," Grindelwald said, sweeping his robes as they both vanished from
the garden, "is a wizard's most lethal enemy."
They reappeared in a vast, desolate plain. It was a specialized form of
Side-Along Apparition, punctuated by a dramatic flare of blue fire.
特效 (Special Effects), Sean thought dryly. He realized that soon he would have to
sit for his Apparition license. He wondered if Professor McGonagall would have
the time to teach him the standard version, or if he was destined to always
travel via Warp Gate.
"You face an unknown opponent, Green. To keep things fair, I haven't bothered to
watch your practice sessions. We are equals in ignorance." Grindelwald clapped
his hands, and a massive, transparent veil of magic descended over the field,
sealing them in.
"If you don't give me everything you have, you'll be crawling back to the farm,"
Grindelwald sneered playfully. "I trust Albus taught you the proper etiquette?"
Sean nodded solemnly. This was a rare opportunity. A duel with a Dark Lord was
the ultimate preparation for the inevitable confrontation with Voldemort.
"I will hold nothing back, sir," Sean promised.
They touched their wands to their chests, walked a set distance with their backs
turned, and spun around to offer a formal bow. Grindelwald's gesture was elegant
and cavalier; Sean's was precise and deadly serious.
"FLAMMA!"
Grindelwald's voice was a low growl. A torrent of blue fire erupted, encircling
Sean instantly. The heat was blinding, and the shimmering wall of flame
effectively hid whatever silent hexes Grindelwald was casting behind it.
Sean felt the pressure. It was unlike anything he'd faced at Hogwarts.
Grindelwald Apparated directly into the center of the ring, his wand weaving a
flaming dragon that roared as it lunged for Sean's throat.
"ELEMENT VITALIZATION!"
Sean didn't panic. He pointed his wand at the ground. The boulders of the plain
rose as jagged shields, and the turbulent current of Grindelwald's fire seemed
to be... subverted. At Sean's command, the flames turned and began to flow back
toward the Dark Lord.
A look of genuine shock flashed across Grindelwald's face, followed by a wide
grin. He vanished.
The moment he disappeared, two massive stone hands burst from the earth,
slamming together over the space he had just occupied. Dust and stone shards
exploded into the air.
"CONFRINGO!"
A massive explosion erupted within the circle of fire. As the shockwave cleared,
Grindelwald spun around to find a figure draped in green flames standing behind
him, wand raised.
Sean had used his Warp Gate to perform a localized jump. Since he couldn't
Apparate, he had pushed the gate's mobility to its absolute limit—utilizing the
properties of the Diricawl to allow the gate to manifest and transport him
within a ten-mile radius instantly.
"A clever little toy," Grindelwald noted, his interest piqued.
Then, the real Dark Arts began. Grindelwald's Fiendfyre roared to life,
consuming everything in its path, including Sean's counter-flames. It took the
form of a hungry serpent, driven by Grindelwald's absolute will. Sean was forced
to retreat, his Warp Gate clicking as it reached its cooling threshold.
This is going poorly, Sean thought.
"Snowy! Now!"
With a sharp call, the Wizard's Tome at his waist flew open. A piercing, avian
cry echoed across the plain. As the white owl burst forth, Grindelwald turned
his head in shock.
His heart gave a violent thud. What was that? An owl that turns into a Basilisk
mid-flight?!
He had lived for over a century, but he had never seen anything so absurdly
powerful.
Sean gasped for breath, his face reflecting the orange and blue firelight.
Facing an unstoppable force like Fiendfyre, he realized that defensive magic was
a waste of mana. He had to meet force with force. He had to be just as
"unreasonable" as the Dark Lord.
He unleashed a barrage of silent spells that made even Grindelwald work to
maintain his footing. Flitwick's high-speed combinations, Dumbledore's
structural mastery, and Snape's raw, lethal intensity all flowed through Sean's
wand in a single, devastating stream.
Sean's magic was no longer just precise; it was overwhelming.
Grindelwald laughed as he dodged a series of Master-tier hexes, his own robes
scorched and his beard singed in several places. He looked more alive than he
had in decades.
"This is the moment!" Sean whispered to himself. He stood his ground against the
encroaching inferno, his voice gaining a terrifying resonance. "FIENDFYRE!"
I call you by my will!
Sean realized he had finally accepted the Dark Arts. He didn't view them as a
"sin" or a "curse" anymore. He understood Grindelwald's point: the wizard's will
is the only thing that stands above the magic.
[You have practiced Fiendfyre at a LEGENDARY standard. Proficiency +10,000]