Chapter 48: Dumbledore and Grindelwald (Part 2)

Nurmengard was the castle Daniel had seen earlier; it was also Grindelwald's prison, built during his uprising as a gathering place for his followers.

In this aspect, Grindelwald was far superior to Voldemort, who didn't even have a base of his own and had to borrow the Malfoy Manor for Death Eater meetings.

"Am I lucky or unlucky?" Daniel muttered to himself as Dumbledore and Grindelwald went upstairs, seemingly to discuss something.

Although Dumbledore was not in front of him at the moment, Daniel had no intention of escaping. Nurmengard was surrounded by a protective barrier, and without spatial transmission, there was no way he could outrun Dumbledore.

Daniel wasn't too worried about his safety. Dumbledore generally wasn't one to kill indiscriminately; his greatest fear was the Memory Charm.

Before long, Dumbledore and Grindelwald came down and positioned themselves on either side of Daniel, forming a triangle.

"Can you tell us your origin?" Grindelwald was the first to speak.

"I am from the East. A spatial teleportation error brought me here," Daniel explained, crafting a plausible story. He couldn't reveal that he came from another world, at least not now. Given his Eastern appearance, pretending to be Chinese was plausible, though it wouldn't withstand thorough investigation. However, claiming to be from the East was different.

Wizards had very little interaction with the outside world. While Hogwarts was renowned worldwide, it was still just a magical school in England. It couldn't possibly know every detail about Eastern magical communities.

Anyone else would likely be exposed immediately by Dumbledore's Legilimency, but Daniel wasn't afraid of it. The magic system of Kamar-Taj was particularly effective against such abilities.

"You should know that wizards are not allowed to use Muggle items arbitrarily," Dumbledore said.

"I know, but I believe this rule is completely irrational. It might have been fine a century ago, but now, this rule will eventually lead to the downfall of the wizarding world."

Daniel knew the core of the disagreement between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, so he tailored his argument accordingly. Under no circumstances could he allow Dumbledore to use a Memory Charm on him, or he might end up living an ordinary life in this world forever.

In theory, with his current strength, a typical Memory Charm shouldn't work on him. Even if it did, he would quickly regain his memories, but Dumbledore was different.

"I think you know that the wizarding world's living space is shrinking, and with the continuous advancement of technology, the likelihood of exposure is increasing. Only by understanding Muggle items can we better protect the wizarding world."

Daniel's words made Grindelwald nod in appreciation.

"This will lead to a war between wizards and Muggles," Dumbledore retorted, opposing Grindelwald's agreement. This was the core of their historical conflict.

"Hasn't this war already happened once? Both sides barely survived the last time, but if it happens again, we might not be so lucky."

Before Dumbledore could respond, Daniel continued, "Don't say you're trying to avoid this war. The current actions of the wizarding world are just escapism. The wizarding world has been avoiding this for a millennium. How much longer can it hide? A hundred years? Two hundred? One day, the wizarding world will no longer be able to remain hidden, and then the war will begin."

"You see more clearly than a child. If we had joined forces back then, we could have changed everything," Grindelwald said excitedly.

"That would have resulted in many deaths. Too many people died back then."

"That would still be better than the complete extinction of the wizarding world."

Both Dumbledore and Grindelwald fell silent. As two of the wizarding world's greatest minds, their beliefs were not easily swayed. It was precisely because of this that they had dueled.

"I believe everything will improve in the future," Dumbledore said after a long pause, raising his wand again.

"Improve? That's a laughable notion. You said that to me years ago. Now tell me, what has changed?" Grindelwald stepped between Daniel and Dumbledore as Daniel retreated a few steps.

"Over the years, the only thing that has changed is the Muggles' weapons."

"The wizarding world does not interact with the Muggle world, yet you expect both sides to have friendly exchanges in the future. Isn't that absurd? If you truly want change, you should gradually reveal the wizarding world to Muggles, letting them know about the magical world instead of using Memory Charms whenever something happens."

"When the East and West first made contact, what was the catalyst? War. Although many died, at least now they can communicate as equals. How can Muggles and wizards communicate if the Muggles don't even know about the wizarding world?"

Daniel's words left Dumbledore in doubt. In terms of magical knowledge, Dumbledore far surpassed Daniel. But in terms of ideology, Daniel was ahead.

He had studied Chinese historical texts and philosophies extensively, albeit initially out of interest in the historical drama "The Qin Empire."

Though these were just grand principles, in this world, they were fresh ideas.

Both Grindelwald and Dumbledore sought to change the wizarding world. As two of the few wizards with top-tier intelligence, they saw further than most.

To most wizards, the idea that Muggles could harm them was laughable. They were content with their superiority, even with international wizarding laws in place to protect Muggles. The term "Muggle" itself reflected a sense of superiority, as it was used even in legal contexts.

They had forgotten the wars between wizards and Muggles in the Middle Ages and the First and Second World Wars.

The reasons for the World Wars in this world originated from the wizarding world.

Grindelwald, being radical, wanted to take control of the entire world, making the exposure of the wizarding world irrelevant.

Unfortunately, Dumbledore, being an idealist, clashed with him, leading to their confrontation.

It was an extraordinary coincidence that the two most powerful wizards, both homosexuals, met. Such odds were incredibly rare, yet they happened. It was fate's twist.

Compared to Grindelwald, the dark lord, Voldemort was merely a powerful terrorist.

"Wait, I think you've misunderstood my point." Seeing Dumbledore still ready to act, Daniel hurriedly said, "My solution to the wizarding and Muggle worlds' problems is different from what you think."

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