Chapter 149: For the Greater Good
Grindelwald spoke in English, though his accent was peculiar—almost with a regional lilt.
“Durmstrang admits students from the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe, and even parts of Southern Europe,” Dumbledore explained quietly at the side. “With so many different languages, they usually communicate in Danish or English.”
“Why do you know so much about Durmstrang...” Jon grumbled inwardly. “Aren’t you the Headmaster of Hogwarts?”
Of course, he didn’t dare say it aloud. He simply kept watching in silence.
Ahead, near the wall, Gellert Grindelwald’s speech continued.
“I am honored to be your ‘Fre,’ your leader!” He bowed gracefully in every direction.
Thunderous applause broke out at once.
“My brothers, my sisters, my friends...” Grindelwald spoke calmly. “I must tell you an unfortunate truth. These cheers are not truly for me. No—they are for all of you.”
His voice was not loud, but every word carried clearly to the audience.
“Through the mists of the crystal ball, I glimpse the future... clear, yet far from pleasant!” Grindelwald continued. “Professor Barletta, our Divination teacher, can attest to this...”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
“In the future, muggles will once again discover us. Just as they did a thousand years ago, they will break free of the Statute of Secrecy and reignite their war against us!”
“In the future, our living space will shrink further. The swelling muggle population will consume wilderness after wilderness. To uphold the Statute of Secrecy, we will be forced to abandon our homes—driven into barren glaciers and dense jungles...”
“In the future, Magical Creatures will also be discovered by muggles.They will be slaughtered, treated no differently than common beasts... Materials will grow rarer and rarer. Even obtaining dragon tendons, Phoenix tail feathers, or Unicorn hair to craft a single wand for our descendants will become extraordinarily difficult...”
Grindelwald paused, scanning the crowd.
“With muggle strength, how could they possibly kill a Dragon or a Unicorn?” A mocking voice rang out from a corner.
“Well asked, Daisie.” A cold smile tugged at Grindelwald’s lips.
He waved his wand, and an image appeared above his head.
It was a dragon—specifically, a Swedish Short-Snout, the very same Jon had seen just days earlier in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Blood streaked its wings and claws as it flew desperately—pursued closely by two planes.
The cannons on the planes spat fire as they opened fire on the Dragon. The Swedish Short-Snout let out a pained roar. Its right wing root was struck, leaving it gravely injured...
The Dragon turned, unleashing a torrent of fire on one of the planes. Engulfed in flames, it spiraled down trailing smoke. But the wounded Dragon too crashed heavily to the ground.
If Jon recalled correctly, this speech took place in 1897 or 1898—years before airplanes were even invented.
The image shifted abruptly to a herd of Unicorns fleeing through the jungle. Within moments, soldiers in camouflage surrounded them, armed with submachine guns and assault rifles, unleashing a barrage of gunfire...
Unicorns fell one after another in pools of blood, while the survivors bolted in terror.
...
Jon began to suspect that the woman called “Daisie” was actually a plant Grindelwald had arranged. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?
“Some say I despise those without magic—muggles, No-Majs, the non-magical... But I do not despise them. Not at all.” Grindelwald paused, then a strange smile spread across his face. “After all, I do not fight out of hatred!”
“But I believe muggles should be the minority. They must not consume too many resources—especially as they threaten to take even more. They should be controlled and made to serve us, just like house-elves and goblins. Of course, we will give them rewards they deserve... But not at the cost of us sacrificing ourselves to hide from them!”
Jon thought grimly—if Grindelwald dared say this at Hogwarts, he’d be shouted down on the spot...
But Durmstrang was different. By tradition, Durmstrang forbade admitting muggle-born wizards. So those seated here were either pure-blood or half-blood. The few who might have pitied muggles quickly fell under Grindelwald’s sway.
“The flowering of magic blooms only in the rarest of souls, bestowed only upon higher beings,” Grindelwald said slowly. “That is us... We have the duty to build a perfect world! A world of truth, overflowing with love, without slaughter.”
“But look...” Grindelwald’s tone shifted suddenly as he waved his wand again.
The image changed once more.
A mushroom cloud blossomed, spreading into a wasteland. Massive machines cut down rainforests, reducing them to dust. Glaciers at the poles melted bit by bit, the ice shrinking away...
“Muggles seek to destroy our world—and they are doing it! Now someone must stand up... We must stand up... We can change this world... This world needs us more than ever!”
Jon noticed many in the audience breathing heavily now.
“They are arrogant, greedy, savage, cruel...”
Grindelwald shook his head. “So... we must unite. We must strike first. We must act before they do!”
“For the Greater Good!” Grindelwald cried, his voice rising into hysteria.
“Almost every listener echoed in a frenzy, shouting the phrase as they stretched their hands toward the young man before the wall.
“All right, we should be going,” Dumbledore murmured softly beside him.
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