The flas in the fireplace were burning brightly, warming the room with a cozy heat.
Wade tossed a few pine logs into the fire, stirred them with the poker, then settled into the sofa and began reading.
After helping Moreau edit a video and teaching him how to use it, Wade's treatnt had quietly improved. Delaine not only moved him to a suite with a fireplace but also had several magical books delivered to him.
The downside was that most of the books were in German, and so even used ancient writing styles.
Wade had never learned German, so he asked for a dictionary. He tried to understand as he read, but it was a bit difficult for him.
Fortunately, English and German have similar roots from long ago, and their written forms have similarities. So words are even exactly the sa, making it less difficult than learning an entirely new language.
When Moreau had free ti, he would co to find him. Sotis he helped translate the German books into English, other tis he taught Wade so of the writing and reading styles of German.
When Wade mispronounced a word, he would often see Moreau laughing so hard that he hit the floor, not knowing what strange thoughts had crossed his mind.
At this mont, the book in Wade's hand recorded so famous magical events from ancient Germany, even including incidents that were mistakenly believed to be witchcraft but were actually just Muggle persecution of one another.
In Britain, or more specifically at Hogwarts, books like these were rare, most likely hidden away and banned from students' access and reading. Wade had seen so of them in the Black family manor, but not many.
However, here, Grindelwald didn't mind young wizards learning about the dark history of the past.
For example, in the 16th century, the archbishop at the ti ordered the cleansing of witches, Protestants, and Jews. Hundreds of people from 22 villages in Trier, Germany, were burned alive, many of them local sheriffs, judges, and lawmakers, and even priests were not spared.
The author was a firsthand witness of the witch-hunt movent, and at the end of his record, he wrote:
[Poor Weber's family was the only true witch to perish in this event. When the neighbors knocked on his door, he might have thought they were inviting him for a drink of ale, as they usually did. But instead, he was t by a sharp axe.]
[After Weber's death, his wife and two children, both under ten years old, were not spared either.
Worse still, the neighbor who first attacked them gained no benefit from the betrayal. Instead, he was suspected of being possessed by the devil and was sentenced to imdiate execution.]
[From the capital to the mountain villages, from Trier to Saxony, from the magistrates to the shepherds, no matter the identity or location, anyone suspected of being a witch was sentenced to the harshest punishnt.]
[Hanging, burning, being drawn and quartered, dismbernt, explosion… People used every cruel punishnt they could think of to deal with their fellow humans.
Even if there was only one witch in a thousand, or even none at all, they were determined to carry out this massacre.]
[They weren't worried about killing innocent people, or perhaps that was one of their goals.]
[The executions were brutal and terrifying, but the onlookers applauded and cheered. They laughed and seed to forget that they themselves could be the next victims.
This collective madness fills with deep fear, as if everyone had turned into demons, and the world was a terrifying hell.]
[The Muggle-Repelling Charm doesn't always work; Squibs and those with hidden talents among Muggles could see through the disguise of magic.]
[I dare not use magic anymore. I burned all my magical books and hid my wand in the deepest part of the basent. I barely escaped this round of cleansing, but when will the next one co?]
[The Schmidt family has been out of contact for more than two months. I don't know if they are still alive.
This evening, I accidentally used wandless magic to fix a broken wheel. I'm not sure if the neighbor, Miller, saw it. I keep feeling like his gaze towards is a bit strange.]
[Maybe hiding among Muggles isn't a rational choice. The only real way to protect ourselves is to stay completely away from them, even retreating underground like ancient wizards. Only then can we avoid suffering the sa tragedy.]
[Living away from people will definitely make life very inconvenient, but compared to the fear of the executioner's blade falling, being able to sleep soundly is better than anything else...]
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was knocked on a few tis. Wade put down the book and called out, "Co in!" as he added more firewood to the fireplace.
The house was very warm, but the content he had just read left him with a chilling feeling that wouldn't go away.
"Hi, Wade!"
It was Moreau who entered, smiling as he said, "You're reading again! They're all back, and they're holding a party in the hall. Co join , let's have so fun!"
"A party?" Wade shook his head. "I'm not going."
"I know you don't want to reveal your identity. Don't worry, I've got everything prepared!"
Moreau took out a bottle of Polyjuice Potion and placed it on the small table next to Wade.
"Go, or you'll just be cooped up in your room all day. I'm worried you'll lose your mind! Besides, Mr. Grindelwald didn't say anything about imprisoning you."
Wade looked at the bottle of potion, feeling a little tempted.
He wasn't interested in the party, but he did need to get out for a while.
Especially after reading that segnt of history, which was more terrifying than any horror story, Wade felt an urgent need for so lively atmosphere to disperse the chill that had settled in him.
He put down the book, sniffed the potion, and then tilted his head back to drink it.
...
A few minutes later, Moreau and a young wizard with brown hair and pale skin walked down the corridor.
"How about it? The guy I picked out for you isn't bad-looking, right?" Moreau said. "From now on, I'll call you Brown!"
"Brown?"
"Yeah, you used to be 'Gray,' now you're 'Brown.' This way you won't forget your na by accident."
They passed through the foyer and entered the hall where the party was being held.
Unlike the bright and colorful halls at Hogwarts, this castle's hall seed gray, with dim lighting and swirling smoke.
Around the hall were several long tables with seats for about ten people, filled with food and drinks. In front of the fireplace, a few people were playing instrunts like guitars and accordions, chatting and singing as they did.
Most people were eating and drinking, so were holding wine glasses and walking around.
Others were smoking long pipes or cigarettes, exhaling smoke, and about a dozen people were dancing in the center of the open space, with so others standing nearby watching and cheering.
Wade had expected Grindelwald's party to be serious, maybe elegant and courteous, but it turned out to have a similar atmosphere to a regular tavern.
"Feel free to eat or go sing, and you can even invite a beautiful girl to dance!"
Moreau leaned in next to him and said, "Today, even if you want to drink a couple of strong drinks, it's no problem. If you get drunk, I'll take you back! Do whatever you want, my dear friend, victory is yours too!"
His voice was a bit loud, and a brown-haired girl holding a plate walked by, just in ti to overhear. She glanced at Wade, gave a small smile, showing her cute little canine teeth.
Wade casually picked up a glass of red wine but didn't intend to drink it. He walked over to the fireplace, found an empty stool to sit on, and leaned against the wall to listen to the people singing.
"The winds of magic blow through the quiet town, the ancient bells shatter the dreams… Beneath the old oak, wizards and elves dance together. Centaurs guide the way, and brave youths embark on their journeys of search… Millennia-old stories are passed down, ancient promises protect the land…"
"What promise is this song referring to?" Wade casually asked the person next to him.
"More than a thousand years ago, who knows?" Moreau shrugged and replied.
"More than a thousand years ago?" Wade asked again.
"This song is probably about rlin's era. I've heard that back then, all races could live in the sunlight, and wizards were highly respected." A nearby witch said, sounding lancholic.
"There's no need to long for the past, Mary." Another person clinked glasses with her and spoke in a carefree tone. "We are creating a new era!"
"So, I will follow Mr. Grindelwald!" A male wizard with a small mustache shouted. "I never want to hide anymore!"
"But recently, those guys have strengthened their defenses. They all know soone's hunting them! The number of injured people has increased too." Mary said, sounding worried.
"Muggle weapons are indeed terrifying, but the young n lack training." An older man said. "Mubby, doesn't your Shield Charm always fall short? Last ti, didn't soone shoot your leg with a gun?"
"That was an ambush! An ambush!" Mubby angrily said. "Can you stop bullets shot from behind?"
"I didn't get injured. Isn't that the best proof?" The previous man shook his head and said, smugly.
Many people laughed and comforted Mubby. "Don't mind it, scars are a man's badge of honor! Or maybe you should apply more scar ointnt?"
"Just getting your leg broken is good enough, though. That idiot Nubel got killed!" Soone else added.
"Casualties are inevitable in a fight with the enemy."
Delaine suddenly appeared from nowhere. After inserting a comnt, he looked at Moreau and said, "I've been looking for you, Antoine. The person you were supposed to watch over—where are they? Why aren't they in their room?"
Moreau slapped Wade's shoulder and said, "See? Everything's fine usually, but just when I manage to get soone down here to have a drink, you have to interrupt."
He casually complained.
Delaine looked at Wade in surprise. When their eyes t, he finally recognized the brown-haired young wizard's true identity.
"Sorry, I have two bottles of Riesling from the Mosel, I'll send them to you later," Delaine said seriously. "But for now, please co with ."
"I actually don't like drinking," Wade replied as he put down the untouched glass of red wine. He stood up, and asked, "Has sothing happened?"
Seeing the curious gazes of people around them, Delaine said, "It's a matter related to... weapons."
He carefully avoided calling Wade by na or even ntioning the word "alchemy."
Even though they all knew that Wade preferred not to reveal his real na and appearance, wanting to return to his forr life, none of them exposed him. They even helped cover for him.
This respect and consideration gave Wade the illusion that he had already beco a companion to them.
The two of them walked through the crowded room, and Delaine casually brushed aside a few drunkards. So young people gathered together and laughed loudly, they sang cheers of victory for their recent success.
In contrast, Delaine, with his always cold expression, seed almost like an outsider. Wade appeared to blend into the current environnt better than him.
Behind them, Moreau lagged a step behind. He finished his drink and then hurriedly followed.
They exited the hall, and Moreau took a deep breath of the cool outside air, shaking his head as if suddenly rembering sothing.
"Mr. Grindelwald didn't co to the banquet... Is he injured? Or is he unwell?" Moreau asked.
Delaine gave him a cold glance and said, "That's not sothing you should ask, Antoine."
Moreau, however, wasn't intimidated by his cold expression and pressed on, "What do you need Wade for?"
"It's none of your business," Delaine replied. "You can go back and continue drinking."
"No way, you made responsible for watching over him, so I'm his temporary guardian!" Moreau insisted. "If you're causing trouble for my person, how can I just stand by?"
Delaine shot him a cold look, and seeing Wade also staring at him, he paused for a mont before finally deciding to reveal part of the story.
"Tonight's operation... we encountered unexpected resistance..."
…
Except for the first day, Wade had not participated in the attacks by the Alliance, but since he helped Moreau edit the videos every day, he had a rough idea of what they were doing, and in fact, knew more than most of the participants.
After the island that gave birth to the Obscurus was flattened, the person in charge committed suicide. The Ministry of Magic thought the matter was over, but the escaped Grindelwald disagreed.
He personally led a team to capture the subordinates, families, and friends of the person in charge, went through their mories one by one, and finally discovered the base where they had taken Wade to attack.
Using the sa thod, they found a second, third, and fourth base... After attacking five bases in total, they temporarily ceased their activities.
During the attacks, the Alliance even encountered werewolves and vampires. However, these two dark creatures, which ordinary wizards feared greatly, had almost no resistance against Grindelwald.
In the past few days, it seed like the Alliance had quieted down, but in reality, their activities had beco more covert. The targets of their attacks had shifted to individuals, but these were people of significant status and identity.
Stars, politicians, moguls, well-known judges, university professors... Many of the people Wade was familiar with were actually mbers of that Organization.
Wade stood by the window of his bedroom, and not for the first ti, he saw familiar faces being dragged into the castle like dead dogs, their once immaculate appearances now either fearful or distorted.
These people not only provided a large amount of intelligence but also contributed considerable wealth, which was one of the reasons why the Alliance was in such high spirits recently.
They had also changed their thods of killing and no longer boldly proclaid that it was the work of magic, but instead, after extracting all the intelligence, they used the Imperius Curse to control the person into committing suicide.
Both the Legilincy and Imperius Curse left no trace on the body, and even with magic, it was difficult to accurately detect the use of the Imperius Curse.
As a result, aside from the participants directly involved with the Organization, who knew that their people were disappearing in large numbers, to others, these were just individual incidents.
People would only sigh at the imnse pressure in today's society, without raising any further doubts.
Originally, these operations, where only a few Muggles were captured, were not very dangerous. Most of the difficulty ca from avoiding others' attention and modern surveillance technology, as well as accurately locating the target.
But in tonight's operation, the Alliance encountered an unexpected failure.
Wade followed Delaine through several corridors, down many flights of stairs, and finally arrived at a spacious underground room where he saw Grindelwald.
At the sa ti, he also saw seven or eight corpses lying on the cold black stone floor. Grindelwald was placing a white cloth over one of the bodies, covering a terrified face beneath it.
"Sir," Delaine said, "Wade Grey has arrived."
At that mont, Wade's attention was drawn to sothing in Wovilette's hand next to him..
It was a small crystal vial, glittering with faint golden light.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 235 Chapters
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