The holiday ends

Because of the students' presence, this year, Tewell received more gifts, almost filling his wallet to the brim.

Most of them were chocolates for Christmas, with various flavors, and even some infused with love potions, which were promptly disposed of.

Next were books, as it seemed everyone thought he was an avid reader.

That wasn't entirely wrong, but Tewell had already read the books that were useful to him and readily available in bookstores.

Now, what he lacked were the obscure, even forbidden books, the ones that people couldn't or shouldn't know about.

So, he only took a few interesting ones and left the rest with the teacher.

Even so, this Christmas break felt more relaxing than ever before.

Previously, he only took a break on Christmas Eve, but now he had learned to enjoy this leisure time.

With Cynthia's meticulous care, the teacher also took this opportunity to chat with him about many things—magic, past experiences, and even methods of enchantment.

It wasn't just him who relaxed; Grindelwald did too.

Having spent over half a year in the Muggle world seemed to have given this first-generation Dark Lord a clearer view of his past experiences.

"Only by learning to enjoy life can you have the motivation to move forward," Grindelwald remarked.

On the last morning of the holiday, after Tewell and the teacher finished breakfast, they strolled together through the University of Vienna.

Since it was Christmas, there weren't many students around; most of the people walking there were professors.

"That person who just passed by researches astrophysics. He often shows me star charts that I can't understand. Honestly, I can't even tell that they're star charts,"

Grindelwald remarked, referring to a hurried, contemplative old man.

Modern star charts were indeed quite different from what wizards described, or rather, they operated on different levels.

Wizards studied only the celestial bodies within the solar system and the objective laws governing these planets.

But the issue was that Muggles, with the help of various instruments, had long surpassed the solar system and begun exploring the secrets of the universe!

Every time Tewell walked in the Muggle world, he couldn't help but marvel at Muggle progress. He also vividly remembered what the Muggle world would develop into in twenty years.

For wizards, that would be akin to another kind of magic altogether.

"The overall progress of the magical world is too slow, and the efficiency is too low. In just a few years, wizards will realize that learning magic is not as useful as learning science. At least the latter can help you survive in a broader world," Tewell sighed.

If given a choice, if this were the world twenty years from now, he wouldn't be interested in becoming a wizard compared to integrating into Muggle society.

After all, what fun is being a wizard if you can't read novels, especially ones where you can send small gifts to authors or nudge them for updates?

"That person studies philosophy," Grindelwald suddenly pointed to a distant, bookish old professor. "He once said something quite reasonable—'The development of things is a spiral ascent.'"

"So, you don't need to be too anxious. Just slow down appropriately, prepare yourself adequately before taking action. After all, you have plenty of time now, don't you?"

Tewell smiled faintly.

They had discussed the issue of the curse last night, and the teacher was amazed to learn about his encounter with Helga's will at Hogwarts.

Of course, after the surprise came more joy for the weakening of the curse.

"So, I need your help," Tewell said.

"I'm just an old man who wants to rest," Grindelwald asked in confusion, "How can I help you?"

"Of course, it's about targeting Headmaster Dumbledore. You don't want us to fight each other to the death, do you?"

"Let's talk about it later," the old man's expression darkened, shaking his head gently.

Seeing this, Tewell didn't dare say anything more.

The knots in their hearts had to be resolved by themselves; it wasn't something a junior like him could meddle in.

"So, are you planning to stay here all the time?" he asked casually.

The teacher clearly had thoughts of relaxing and recuperating, and as a student, he naturally supported that.

However, the teacher always needed someone to take care of him, and Cynthia now had a new mission, so she couldn't stay here all the time.

Seeing the students' concerns, Grindelwald smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, living here alone suits me just fine, and my strength has recovered a lot by now. Even if my identity is exposed, they won't be able to harm me!"

He tapped his cane heavily on the ground, as if the earth beneath represented the various arrogant Aurors of different countries, all easily subdued under his feet!

Tewell only now noticed the special nature of this cane. No wonder the teacher had refused his offer of a wand; it seemed he had already prepared himself.

"Is this the first time you've seen a wand integrated into a cane? Did you make it yourself?"

"This?" Grindelwald smiled meaningfully. "This is custom-made by Gregorovich. We go way back."

"And for an old man like me, using a cane is quite normal, isn't it?" He subtly pulled at the top of the cane, suggesting there was something hidden there.

Tewell chuckled as he realized the design's potential for catching people off guard, especially since the teacher, being an elderly man, could suddenly produce a wand. Most people would be bewildered by it.

It seemed Tewell didn't need to worry about the teacher's safety after all. Thus, the last matter of the Christmas holiday was finally settled. They returned home around noon after wandering around.

During these days spent together, they had ample time for conversation.

Unexpectedly, the teacher's understanding of the four elements wasn't any less than Headmaster Dumbledore's. It seemed more like a competition as he constantly criticized the headmaster's annotations and presented his own insights.

For Tewell, both perspectives were valuable, and this was much better than he had anticipated; he wouldn't have to figure things out on his own.

This was perhaps his greatest takeaway from this Christmas.

Back at the house, Cynthia had prepared a sumptuous lunch. It was their final meal together in this house.

"I just received a letter from the International Magical Cooperation Department. I can start my job there this week."

Cynthia eagerly displayed the parchment in her hand, a letter from the British Ministry of Magic.

Tewell nodded in satisfaction. Even with Cynthia's abilities, securing a job so quickly must have required considerable effort.

"In that case, I'll leave it to you to stay there."

It was a department responsible for communication between the British Ministry of Magic and foreign counterparts, including various magical ministries around the world.

Crucially, it also housed the British branch of the International Confederation of Wizards, the institution responsible for enforcing the International Statute of Secrecy.

After lunch, Tewell bid farewell to Grindelwald and left the house where he had stayed for over a week. Cynthia headed to the Ministry of Magic, while he returned to Hogwarts to continue his teaching duties.