Chapter 367: The King of the World

Dumbledore was taken aback. Retirement syndrome? Although he had never heard of it, the term seemed fitting.

Even the self-destructive tendency in his heart upon closer examination appeared to contain much of this element.

It wasn't just because he had lost his position as headmaster of Hogwarts or the presidency of the federation but because, facing Murphy, he could never find the legitimacy to oppose him. Yet, Murphy's actions were a complete denial of everything he had stood for. Not denying Murphy was equivalent to denying himself.

Unable to firmly see Murphy as an enemy, he had been greatly internalizing his struggles, long since exhausted in body and mind.

To Dumbledore, what was called retirement syndrome was actually an extreme confusion after losing self-identity.

His lifelong career was denied, rendering his life seemingly meaningless.

As an old man, he could hardly feel a greater fear and loss.

Yet, at this moment, Dumbledore suddenly felt somewhat relieved.

"Do you never feel lost, Murphy, because you come from the future, so sure of your correctness?"

"Not exactly..." Murphy said. "As for the matter of gods, I don't know either. In fact, I can't be sure I'm right."

"Perhaps, gods are much more powerful than I imagined, perhaps breaking the Statute of Secrecy is akin to tearing down our walls, exposing us to the risk of extinction."

"However, professor, I can't be omniscient, can't have all the information—at least not now. No one can have complete information, and each of us has to make decisions within the scope of our understanding."

"In fact, we're all gambling, betting that the future won't be much different from what we expect."

"You seem to bear the fate of the wizarding world, thus you must be more cautious. After all, cautious reform is always safer than radical decisions. But I don't have such a burden, I'm only responsible for myself."

"I only need to consider whether the consequences of losing my bet are acceptable to me."

"On this matter, the approach of sticking to old ways and limiting myself is something I cannot accept, even if it means living safely. If development means facing destruction, then I would choose to move forward, to bet on that slim chance. It's in my nature, and I don't plan to change."

"As for the fate of wizards, the fate of humanity, honestly, those are secondary concerns."

"If because of my loss, wizards are exterminated, or even humanity is destroyed. Then I'm sorry, if you can curse people in hell, feel free to curse me."

"You make yourself sound very selfish," Dumbledore said.

"By saying what others might curse me for first, I can shut them up. That's my usual strategy."

Dumbledore smiled, "I understand you a bit better now."

"You're right, Murphy, I might still have things to do."

He stood up and approached the unconscious students, "They've had too much magic drawn out of them, even their souls were nearly pulled from their bodies. The older students might hold on, but these younger ones might not last until you successfully brew the potion."

With a wave of his wand, a magic circle connected him with the students.

Then, he looked at Murphy, "Standing here, I would only hinder you. You will bring more changes to the wizarding world, but that will certainly meet a lot of resistance. They know I opposed you, and as long as I live, they will not give up."

Murphy frowned, "With all due respect, professor, even if you died, the resistance I face wouldn't lessen much."

Dumbledore smiled helplessly, "Perhaps so. But at least I hope to do one last meaningful thing before I die."

"This is the best way to die that I can choose." Dumbledore said.

Death is the last thing in life, and in a philosophical sense, it can be seen as the only thing in life.

Choosing how to die, sometimes, is the same proposition as choosing how to live, bearing the same significant meaning.

In the original story, Dumbledore chose to set a trap for Voldemort with his death. Now, he still wanted to accomplish something with his demise.

Murphy could understand; this was Dumbledore's aesthetic of life.

He hesitated, looking at Grindelwald, "You're not stopping him?"

Grindelwald sighed, "This is his decision."

Murphy frowned, carefully weighing the potential consequences, and finally sighed, "Professor, have you decided?"

"Yes, Murphy, the future is in your hands."

As he was about to activate the magic circle, a spell hit his back, petrifying him.

Murphy, holding Dumbledore's collar, lifted him from the circle and handed him to Grindelwald.

"Sorry, professor, but please find another way to die," Murphy said. "It's more profitable for me to owe them a big favor."

Murphy, with a crackle of lightning, summoned a group of Watchers, gathered everyone in the magic circle, gave each a piece of magical metal to link their magic together, and then connected them to the students.

"Start transferring magic, prepare to save them."

...

"Albus, are you awake?"

In a carriage expanded with an Undetectable Extension Charm, Grindelwald sat leisurely reading a book and sipping tea.

Dumbledore was awake but didn't want to open his eyes. After a while, he sighed and slowly sat up, "He actually... actually..."

Grindelwald smiled, "Have a cup of tea, calm down."

"Why, what benefit is there for him to keep me?"

"Ah, about that..." Grindelwald handed several newspapers to Dumbledore, "He certainly wouldn't miss out on exploiting your value."

Dumbledore took the newspaper, and the front-page headline read: "Dumbledore Joins the Wizarding Union, to Serve as Vice-President."

Dumbledore's eyes widened, and the next headline read, "Dumbledore Withdraws Accusations Against Murphy, Admits Being Misled."

Another read: "Consensus Reached! Dumbledore Discusses Wizarding Development, Supports Union Constitution!"

Another headline: "Dumbledore Calls for Magic Ministries of All Nations to Stabilize Situation, Avoid Muggle World Conflict."

This referred to the tense situation between Great Britain, France, and America after the missile bombings, with Murphy clearly planning to directly intervene in Muggle affairs.

"He's using your name to rally for his Wizarding Union," Grindelwald said.

Dumbledore felt his reputation was ruined, almost wishing he were already dead.

He frowned tightly, then suddenly laughed helplessly, "Let him be. Where are we going?"

"To the French Ministry of Magic."

"Hm?"

"You'll act as the vice-president of the union, persuading the French Ministry to join the union," Grindelwald said.

Dumbledore stared at him, then asked after a while, "Why should I go?"

"He said if you can't successfully negotiate peace, he's planning to wage war on the French Ministry next month."

"..."

"And you..."

"Oh, I forgot to say, I'm now the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the union. We're equals. Later, we'll also go to the German Ministry. I'm responsible for getting those guys on board."

"..."

"What is he trying to do?"

"Clearly, he's gathering allies," Grindelwald said half-jokingly, half-ser

iously.

"And then let everyone crown him as the King of the World."

(The volume ends)

Originally, the outline had the headmaster dying here to save these students. It matched his character and my aesthetic for this character. Plus, the villain turning good has to die, right? It made sense. But as I wrote, I didn't feel right about it. Why bother? Aesthetics and the pursuit of meaning don't really matter. Instead of a grand and tragic death, I prefer letting him continue living. This outcome is more to Murphy's liking, mine too, and I believe you all wouldn't mind, right?

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