Chapter 44: Prison Break

[Third Person's Point of View]

The room was dead silent, with the old man staring into nothingness. His voice, rough and croaky from years of not being used, filled the room once again.

"Aurelius," he called out again, barely above a whisper. But there was no response. The room was as quiet as a grave, with only the faint ticking of a clock breaking the silence.

The old man, with his wrinkled skin, waited patiently, as only someone with a lifetime of experience could. He focused his gaze on the same spot.

Just as he was about to call out the name again, a faint cracking sound echoed through the area.

Out of nowhere, a man materialized from a flash of flame, appearing out of thin air. His long hair flowing down his back gleamed under the dim lighting. Dressed in a sleek black velvet suit with a bright red tie and fitted leather vest, there was an air of mystery and danger around him, while his piercing blue eyes held a coldness that could make anyone's heart beat faster.

Catching sight of the wrinkled elderly man standing in front of him, he immediately knelt in respect. "My Lord Grindelwald, I have been anticipating your call," he spoke with deep reverence in his voice.

The old man, Gellert Grindelwald, the most notorious dark wizard of modern times, wore a small smile upon seeing his favourite pupil - Credence Barebone, also infamously known as Aurelius Dumbledore. His once ambitious and powerful eyes now held a gentle light as he gazed at the man kneeling before him.

"Rise, Aurelius," he commanded, his voice still holding the authority it once did. "There is much we need to discuss."

Aurelius nodded as he stood up, his eyes never leaving the old man's face. "Have you been discovered by anyone?" Grindelwald asked, his voice echoing in the silence of the room.

Aurelius shook his head, his expression serious. "Aurelius Dumbledore has been dead to everyone for quite some time," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Grindelwald nodded in approval, satisfaction evident in his expression. "Good," he said with a hint of contentment. "That's good."

Aurelius looked at him curiously, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Why did you call me early?" he asked, his voice filled with confusion. "You were not supposed to call for me for another year."

Grindelwald smiled mysteriously, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "A few things have changed," he said cryptically. "We need to speed up our plan a bit."

Surprise flashed across Aurelius's face, his heart racing with excitement. "Does that mean..." he trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

Grindelwald laughed softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I can't resume my old mantle until I defeat my former lover," he revealed with a mix of nostalgia and determination. "But the times have changed. I have finally obtained the true legacy behind the mysteries we sought out. And now, I am reborn."

Aurelius looked at him, his eyes wide with excitement. "Have you finally completed your awakening of 'that'?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

His mentor merely grinned "You shall see," he replied teasingly. "You shall see."

With that, he turned away, leaving Aurelius standing in the middle of the room, his mind buzzing with questions and excitement.

Grindelwald's attention was drawn to the only source of light in the room: the full moon outside. As he gazed at it, his eyes grew hazy and distant, almost as if he was peering into a faraway enigma rather than simply looking at the moon.

Aurelius, who stood quietly behind his old mentor, his mind filled with anticipation at his mentor's improvement and excitement for the upcoming future, couldn't contain his excitement any longer. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

Suddenly broken out of his trance by his student's question, Grindelwald looked around the room one last time before nodding.

"Before that, there is one last thing."

With that, he finally flared the magical power that had been locked and sealed by multiple spells and enchantments for 71 years. As he did so, a heavy and frigid aura emanated from him as if it were the epicentre of an earthquake, spreading out in all directions for thousands of kilometres.

"The Congress of Magic never learns. They couldn't have imprisoned me here if I didn't want to be here in the first place."

In a split second, a multitude of chains appeared out of nowhere and tightly bound Grindelwald, resembling slithering snakes. These were put in place as a precaution, a fail-safe meant to eliminate him if he ever attempted an escape. However, before the chains could inflict any harm, they disintegrated into fine particles, as a dark aura emanated from Grindelwald and enveloped him in a protective shell-like cocoon.

After a fleeting pause, the cocoon gave way, revealing a striking man in his prime. He had neatly combed silver hair and skin as pale as the moon's glow. Chiselled high cheekbone and prominent jawline severed as a very memorable feature of his face, meanwhile the intensity of his piercing blue eyes surrounded by a ring of cloudy grey sent shivers down the spine of anyone staring at them.

[Image Here]

Gellert oozed charm and charisma with his presence along with a hint of danger and mystery surrounding him.

Aurelius stood in awe, his eyes shining with wonder as he observed the events unfolding in front of him. As Grindelwald approached, Aurelius couldn't help but exclaim, "You truly have mastered it."

Grindelwald responded with a mysterious smile before saying, "It's time for us to leave Nurmengard." Aurelius nodded in agreement as Grindelwald placed a hand on his shoulder and they disappeared in a burst of flames, erasing any trace of their existence.

___________

[International Congress of Magic Headquarters, Unknown Location]

Inside a large room, a circular conference table dominated the centre, surrounded by chairs filled with magicians. All eyes were focused intently on the magical projection screens floating in the middle of the table. The tension was thick, broken only by hushed whispers. This was the emergency response room of the International Congress of Magic.

Breaking the tense silence at the circular table, a stern-looking woman with sharp features asked, "Has this report been verified?" Her voice was serious and grave.

A man with a long white beard and piercing blue eyes nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, it has been verified," he answered promptly.

Whispers broke out around the room and the tension escalated with each passing second. Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a middle-aged man walked in. His presence alone was enough to hush the chaotic room.

That man took a seat at another table adjacent to the centre circular table, which in contrast to the filled seats around the circular table; was empty with only the middle-aged man taking a seat.

As he settled down, he addressed the room in a stern and confident voice. "I have been briefed on the situation." His voice echoed in the now-silent room. "The Supreme Council will convene shortly to handle this matter. In the meantime, I want you all to alert the Ministries of Magic worldwide about Grindelwald's escape. Tell them to stay vigilant at all times."

The room fell into silence again at his words. Then, a member spoke up, voicing his concern, "But sir, notifying all the ministries means that news of Grindelwald's escape will reach the public. It could cause widespread panic."

But the middle-aged man refuted the argument with a stern voice. "Mass panic is preferable to giving Grindelwald time to amass his forces again." With a sight to pause his statement, he added, "And this time, it's different."

The others around the table nodded gravely in agreement. "Yes, Lord Archmage!" they chorused loudly.

___________

[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland]

The next day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry started bright and early. The sun's golden rays painted the sky in warm shades of orange and pink, giving the age-old castle a magical glow. The view of Hogwarts, with its majestic spires and expansive grounds, was truly breathtaking. But instead of the usual peaceful beginning, there was a tense atmosphere hanging in the air.

Instead of happily strolling with their friends to class, the students gathered in small groups, their faces displaying fear and worry. The usually lively Great Hall was strangely quiet, with an unmistakable tension that everyone could feel. The only sounds heard were sporadic whispers breaking the silence.

Amara Potter, a fifth-year student, walked into the Great Hall amidst all this commotion. As soon as she entered, all eyes were on her. The chatter and conversations momentarily ceased as students discreetly or openly glanced at her before returning to their activities. Amara paid no attention to the curious gazes and confidently made her way to sit next to her best friend, Hermione Granger, at the Gryffindor table.

But something just didn't feel right. Amara was used to people staring at her all the time, either because of her fame as the 'Girl-who-lived' or because of her stunning looks, which she was unabashedly proud of. But this time, her gut feeling was confirmed when she noticed Hermione, her best friend, so engrossed in reading a newspaper with a worried expression that she didn't even notice when Amara plopped down next to her.

Concerned, Amara leaned in closer to Hermione and playfully whispered in her ear, "What's the matter?"

"Oh, Amara!" Hermione exclaimed, startled by someone whispering in her ear like that. But she quickly relaxed when she realized it was her best friend.

"What's troubling you, Mione?" Vibrant green eyes showed genuine concern as they looked at the ginger-haired girl.

"You don't know?" Hermione asked Amara with surprise, assuming that with her popularity, she would have heard the news by now.

"Am I supposed to know?" Her friend asked her quizzically with a cute tilt of her head, as Hermione slid the newspaper towards her.

"Hmm?!" 

The bold headline of the Daily Prophet was enough to get Amara's eyes wide like saucers.

[Dark Lord Escapes Prison! Grindelwald at Large!]

*******************************

If you guys want to read the next chapter, and two weeks' worth right now, go visit my Patreon account.

[Link: Patreon.com/Midwintersnow] ['P' lowercase ofc]

And, don't forget to VOTE as many Powerstones as you can!

See y'all tomorrow :)