Chapter 184 "His Struggle"

"I contemplated numerous possibilities, Horace..." Grindelwald casually waved the old wand he held, transforming it into a plush armchair.

He then seated himself comfortably in front of Slughorn.

Slughorn remained unperturbed throughout, savoring his delicious pineapple compote.

Their interaction felt more like old friends reminiscing about the past than enemies.

Grindelwald continued, "I've had suspicions about many individuals at Hogwarts—Frios, Pomona, even Aurora—all of them had motives and possibilities for betrayal. However, you, Horace, I never considered the possibility of your betrayal."

"Betrayal?" Slughorn scoffed, rising to his feet. He opened a new bottle of mead and poured himself a glass.

"From the day I set foot in Hogwarts, were you already a covert spy for the Order of the Phoenix?" Grindelwald inquired with curiosity.

"Of course!" Slughorn nodded naturally. "From the moment I learned of Armando Dippet's demise, from the instant I witnessed Yusuf Kama's death before your followers, from when I saw Albus Dumbledore's every trace erased... Horace Slughorn had already made his decision."

"It appears you hold a significant position within the Order of the Phoenix?" Grindelwald asked with interest.

"The status within the Order of the Phoenix is neither high nor low," Professor Slughorn replied, spreading his hands. "I have only one contact online, and rest assured, you will not find that person. Simultaneously, Minerva is the only other person on this line, and you needn't trouble yourself interrogating her; you won't get anything from her."

"Of course, I am aware of that," Grindelwald acknowledged.

"Thank you," Professor Slughorn murmured before sipping his mead.

...

"Speaking of which, Horace, you have truly caused me a great deal of trouble over the years..."

Grindelwald conjured another goblet and was about to pour himself some of Slughorn's mead when he stopped him.

"You'll drink from this bottle!" Slughorn tossed the previously untouched mead bottle to Grindelwald, then poured himself a generous glass from the newly opened bottle.

"Very well," Grindelwald's expression shifted slightly, but he seemed to accept it.

While pouring himself a glass of mead, he continued, "In hindsight, there indeed were many challenges, the invisible hand behind you, Horace..."

"It's akin to the informant fifteen years ago. Now that I think about it, that may well have been your doing, Horace... Remus Lupin came to me with the children's plans. When I ordered the teachers to seal off all exits at Hogwarts, mainly the secret passages, to prevent anyone from escaping, you must have sensed something amiss and alerted the children."

"Of course!" Slughorn responded proudly. "Honestly, I had little hope that they would manage to escape from Hogwarts at the time. I didn't expect them to surprise me. The invisibility cloak passed down through the Potter family is truly remarkable. However, I still can't fathom how they all fit beneath that small cloak."

"It is indeed an exceptional invisibility cloak!" Grindelwald remarked, squinting his eyes.

"I presume that cloak of invisibility is now in your possession, Grindelwald... After your apprehension of Potter..." Professor Slughorn teased.

Grindelwald did not respond verbally but indicated his acquiescence.

"Those young, newly recruited members of the Order of the Phoenix, I believe they all came through you, Horace... In truth, when Evans spoke out against me, I should have been alerted. Young souls are like blank pages; they only require some guidance to follow the righteous path. They possess boundless vitality and unwavering faith, needing only a proper goal."

"It's commendable!" Grindelwald couldn't help but give a thumbs-up.

"If I didn't do this, how could I deceive your eyes?" Slughorn countered, praising in return. "Especially the eyes in your heart..."

"I can indeed see the future..." Grindelwald shook his head. "Yet, I've never believed in it. The future is merely a warning. Treating it as a guide would be the act of a fool!"

The Headmaster paused, then inquired, "Dirk Creswell, is he also part of your Order of the Phoenix?"

Slughorn was momentarily taken aback and fell into silence for a moment.

"No need to blame yourself, Horace," Grindelwald consoled. "A few hours ago, even before I guessed your identity, the Ministry of Magic's Aurors had already arrested him. As the director of the Fairy Liaison Office in the Department of Fantastic Beasts Management and Control, he guarded and stole but secretly fomented rebellion among the Fairies. Once the fairies in Gringotts calmed down, his identity was inevitably exposed."

Slughorn inquired in a hushed tone, "Dirk... what will happen to him...?"

"Azkaban... life imprisonment... no possibility of parole!" Grindelwald stated without hesitation. "Not just him, all the participants in this rebellion share the same fate, be it Dirk Creswell, Potter, or Shafiq..."

...

Both fell silent for a moment, drowning their sorrows in mead.

"The number of wizards is exceedingly small," Grindelwald suddenly commented. "Every wizard is valuable. I have never desired to rob any wizard of life, regardless of their actions. In my eyes, they are akin to wayward family members or children who have erred."

"Yet you send your family members and children to Azkaban to be with the Dementors?" Slughorn retorted sarcastically.

"But you can put a stop to this, Horace!" Grindelwald's expression abruptly turned grave.

He openly voiced the true purpose of his visit.

"Tell me... tell me what you've done over the past year, what you're concealing," Grindelwald implored softly.

"You know it's impossible, Grindelwald..." Slughorn's tone was resolute.

"Of course, I'm aware... Any memories tied to the event have likely been altered long ago by you, and your Occlumency skills are excellent... As for Veritaserum, it's futile against a Potions expert like you."

Slughorn said nothing.

"Only you can divulge it, and I will forgive you for everything," Grindelwald continued. "Whether it's Dirk Creswell, Elaine Shafiq, Minerva, or you... especially for the three of them, they can be free. I can pardon whatever you did. I assure you, I believe my words still hold some credibility."

"...Horace... I beg of you..."

Slughorn shook his head with a blank expression.

"That's impossible!"

...

So, he was unequivocally rejected.

Grindelwald did not express anger but calmly poured himself another glass of mead.

"To be honest, over the years, I've grown accustomed to this," he commented composedly. "You members of the Order of the Phoenix, at least those I've had contact with, are as resolute as Albus... evidently, you are all as mad as him."

"Indeed, he was right about you, Grindelwald!" Slughorn suddenly remarked.

"Oh?" Grindelwald raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"He said you're a lunatic!"

"That's accurate," Grindelwald concurred unexpectedly, offering a smile. "It's not just me; he sometimes shares that madness as well!"

...

Both bottles of mead were nearly empty.

The conversation between Grindelwald and Slughorn drew to a close.

After a moment of silence, Slughorn reclined in his chair, slowly closing his eyes as if drifting off to sleep.

Observing his colleague, who had been a companion for almost fifty years, and the mead bottle in his hand...

Grindelwald sighed with a tinge of regret and shook his head.

"Farewell, Horace!"

He emptied the last drops of mead from his bottle onto the floor before turning and exiting his office.

Rosier awaited him outside Slughorn's office.

"How did it go, Lord Grindelwald?" she inquired promptly as he emerged.

Grindelwald sighed once more.

Then he shook his head again and replied in a low voice, "The Dean of Slytherin, Professor Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn... has just accidentally ingested poison and passed in his sleep."