The Beginning of a New Era (3)

"That's not bad." Ivan nodded. It didn't matter if the effect was weaker. The most important thing was that there was no risk!

This meant that it could be used as a bargaining chip now…

"By the way, President Harls, where's Grindelwald… did you catch the demon?" Horace Slughorn asked, suddenly remembering the demon that had captured them.

"You don't have to worry about that. He's dead!" Yvonne replied succinctly.

"He's dead?! Are you sure?" Slughorn asked in disbelief, as did the other potion masters.

At their age, they had both lived through over fifty years of devastation, and were well aware of Grindelwald's power and cunning. It was like a dream for them to learn of his death.

This time, before Ivan could speak, Walker shouted, "President Harls killed him in an honorable duel! Grindelwald's body is now in the Department of Mysteries…"

Slughorn and the others looked at each other in shock. They all knew what an honour duel meant. It meant that Ivan had killed Grindelwald in a one-on-one fight!

But… how was that possible?

Slughorn was appalled; they had been imprisoned in the French Ministry of Magic for the better part of a year, so they did not know that Ivan had defeated Grindelwald in the Magical Capitol.

They were already surprised to learn that a sixteen-year-old kid had become the acting President of the International Confederation of Wizards, but now they were even more shocked to learn that he had killed Grindelwald.

Slughorn was about to press for more details when an Auror hurried in and interrupted their conversation.

"What, did something happen?" Ivan asked, looking at the Auror in confusion.

"It's information from Mr. Colin Morton. They were betrayed by several fellow Aurors, who, along with more than thirty saints, were holding the President hostage at the Élysée Palace. In addition, Muggle troops have been dispatched and are now surrounding Versailles…" The Auror quickly explained the situation.

Ivan's brow furrowed for a moment, then relaxed. There were over six hundred Aurors in the rapid-response force from all over the world, and they all thought differently. It would be impossible to subjugate them all within a month or two, so it made sense for a few traitors to appear.

He was, of course, well-prepared, as the plan to attack the French Ministry of Magic was kept a secret, and it was only on the day of the mission that these people learned what they were really up to.

Ivan had expected to be able to stop some tactless snitch from passing on the information, and when the war really started, the disparity in strength would make it clear to the treacherous bastards that they were in trouble.

Ivan shook his head to himself, but he wasn't worried. Once Grindelwald was out of the way, the entire wizarding community would be his. France was nothing to him, and he would be able to save it, no matter how bad the situation.

He had fixed the alchemical device that covered the entire city, so he could simply brainwash all the Muggles in Paris.

"Come on, let's go out and see what's going on!" Ivan waved his sleeve, and a burst of white flame engulfed everyone present.

When Fran, Walker, and Slughorn came to their senses, they found themselves on top of a tall building, with Versailles in the distance.

As Walker had said, the perimeter was surrounded by thousands of Muggle troops. Even armored vehicles had arrived, and a dozen helicopters were hovering in the sky.

"These Muggles are really stupid…" Slughorn scoffed. The wizards of Versailles had already been told to perform Apparition and evacuate in advance. The supposed encirclement was a complete joke!

Walker glanced at Slughorn but said nothing; this was not the time for Muggles to be stupid, but to think of a solution to this problem.

"Shall I instruct the Aurors to disperse them?" Flan asked cautiously. These Muggles were not as easy to deal with as civilians, but if two hundred wizards were to form a large circle, raise a magical barrier, and cast a Muggle-repelling spell, they could be sent packing.

"No, it's not going to work. Muggles are entering an informative age, and if you drive them out, the Muggles in charge will immediately sense that something is wrong. I'll do it myself. It'll give some people a good idea of what's going on," Ivan said with a sneer as he looked at the Muggle armies surrounding Versailles, trying to advance.

Seeing this, Ivan understood that the French President had most likely chosen to side with Grindelwald, which was probably the real reason why Collin-Morton and the others had failed their mission.

However, he could take this opportunity to show off his skills as a wizard. This way, he would not have to waste his breath on the Muggle leaders in the future…

"Are you going to subdue these Muggles yourself?!" Walker asked, sounding both excited and surprised.

He had always regretted not being able to witness the epic battle between Ivan and Grindelwald, and had not expected to see Ivan in action again so soon.

Slughorn and the other potioneers also turned to Ivan, curious as to how this man, who had killed the President of the Grindelwald National Union, was capable of boasting about disposing of thousands of Muggles at once.

With dozens of pairs of eyes on him, Ivan stepped forward and pulled the Elder Wand from his belt. He pointed it at the sky and began to read.

"Wind!"

As the incantation was chanted, the originally cloudy sky seemed to darken even more. The layers of dark clouds twisted and formed a huge tornado, as if some terrifying force was rapidly gathering in front of them… Everyone present had the urge to escape.

"Watch and learn, this is the power of the Strongest Wizard!" Flan said proudly, looking at the horrified Slughorn and the others.