Chapter 82: The Era of Wizards Will Not End!

'My ideal—what is it?'

Grindelwald's gaze suddenly became somewhat dazed.

A young boy asking an elderly man about his ideal seems absurd. Normally, it's the elderly who ask the young about their ideals because the elderly's dreams are either unachievable or already realized.

However, this question is profoundly serious.

Facing the young Wilson, Grindelwald, who had weathered many storms, did not want to give a wrong answer, as any answer could potentially alter the gray-haired boy's destiny.

"I once wanted to change this world."

Grindelwald's eyes looked out at the sea under the dark night. His voice gradually became gentle as he casually recounted his youthful dreams: "I always believed the direction this world was heading would lead to our destruction. I wanted to change the world, to steer it towards its rightful path."

"And now?" Wilson couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Young man, I'm old now."

Grindelwald gazed into the distance, continuing softly: "For an old man, discussing current ideals is more disheartening than talking about unrealized past ones... If I must say, I hope the day magic vanishes never comes, though how can that be avoided?"

As Grindelwald spoke, his voice faintly carried a sense of helplessness: "Even back in our time, Muggles were becoming smarter. Their knowledge and culture gradually surpassed ours, and their weapons grew increasingly powerful, gaining the potential to destroy the entire world."

"Back then, I didn't know what else I could do. The wars among Muggles were almost over. If the magical world got exposed to them, we'd be at their mercy, and we couldn't do anything but wait quietly for Dumbledore's challenge, awaiting the demise of wizards..."

"Even though Dumbledore's students later caused a lot of trouble, many disgruntled wizards joined him. They could only attack a village, a street, or a city. To the numerous Muggles, the trouble they caused was insignificant."

"In ten thousand wizards, there might not be another Dumbledore. Even if every wizard were as powerful as Dumbledore, they couldn't withstand Muggles' city-destroying weapons. Muggles keep progressing, while we can only hide deeper until the day wizards cease to exist."

"Wait a moment."

Wilson interrupted Grindelwald suddenly: "So, Mr. Grindelwald abandoned his dream because Muggles invented world-destroying weapons?"

"Kid, trust me."

Grindelwald glanced at Wilson, a touch of pain and focus in his eyes: "You would never want to experience that feeling—knowing the end and feeling powerless."

That feeling...

Grindelwald had experienced it firsthand.

When he was still commanding forces around the world, even under pressure, he wanted to continue waging war between wizards and Muggles. But his subordinates informed him that the prophecy of 1927 had come true.

The American Ministry of Magic reported that Muggles had developed a weapon capable of killing hundreds of thousands and destroying an entire city. Grindelwald, regarded as a pioneer in the magical world, immediately understood one thing.

The war's victor...

Would never be the wizards.

Wizards could never rule Muggles.

Even if a wizard were strong enough to destroy a city with magic, it wouldn't change the outcome, as only Dumbledore and Grindelwald could do that, while Muggles could endlessly produce such powerful weapons.

"Just because of these?"

Wilson watched the somewhat aged Grindelwald and continued softly: "So, Mr. Grindelwald believes that since wizards can't defeat ordinary humans, they will eventually perish?"

"I've always stayed in the tower."

Grindelwald sighed, looking at the sea: "Kid, you should see more than I do. The Muggle world progresses rapidly. Perhaps they have already surpassed wizards. One day, wizards will no longer desire magic and will choose to become Muggles..."

This is an inevitable trend.

Any wizard can disguise themselves as an ordinary human at any time.

In the future, wizards will increasingly envy ordinary human lives. This trend is already beginning, and eventually, they will leave the magical world and integrate into the ordinary human world.

Some tools invented by ordinary humans are even more practical than magic. The Ministry of Magic has already set up a department to regulate the misuse of Muggle artifacts, even though its head, Arthur Weasley, loves Muggle items.

In Grindelwald's view, when wizards start longing for the human world and wish to abandon magic to become ordinary humans, that will be the day the magical world meets its end.

This viewpoint is indeed accurate.

Grindelwald watched Wilson fall into thought, wondering if he had said too much. Perhaps this young boy wouldn't understand any of this...

However, Wilson understood it better than he did and softly said: "Then why not change the magical world? We can learn human technology, but humans can never learn wizard magic."

"We are wizards..."

Grindelwald couldn't help but frown.

Even at Grindelwald's level, he valued the heritage of wizards highly: "If everything we do is the same as Muggles, can we still be called wizards?"

"You are narrow-minded, Mr. Grindelwald."

Wilson spread his arms nonchalantly and softly said: "For us, the difference between wizards and ordinary humans lies in our magical power, not in whether we use magic or technology. Strictly speaking, we should be classified as a race based on whether a person possesses magical power."

"..."

Grindelwald fell silent.

Do youngsters nowadays talk this obscurely?

Wilson pointed to the beach and continued softly: "Just like humans, they belong to the country where they are born; wizards belong to the magical world if they have magic in them. This is innate and can never change."

"Kid, you mean..."

Grindelwald's eyes became serious as he looked at Wilson and asked solemnly: "Your future will not be like other wizards. What do you... want to do?"

"Seriously speaking..."

Wilson's expression remained calm as he tried to make his eyes clear: "Just like Mr. Grindelwald once wanted, I will become a protector of all wizards."

"Allowing all wizards to freely choose their lives, whether to enter human society or follow wizard traditions in the magical world, whether to learn Muggle technology or Hogwarts magic..."

"As long as they still have magic in them..."

Wilson's voice finally became firm as he mentioned the most crucial condition: "As long as they are willing to follow my rules, I will become their protector. I am not protecting magic, but those who have magic in them."

Wilson watched Grindelwald's widening eyes and continued solemnly: "Mr. Grindelwald, just like you once did, the wizarding world still needs a pioneer to guide them through change."

"..."

Grindelwald's expression was shocked for a long time, and his breathing became somewhat rapid: "We cannot see the way ahead. You don't know whether you will lead them to a bright future or into an abyss of destruction..."

As a wizard skilled in prophecy.

Grindelwald couldn't accurately foresee the future.

This somewhat elderly dark lord instinctively fiddled with his hand and continued solemnly: "And it's not easy to change this. The Ministry of Magic won't be willing to change, and Dumbledore won't agree..."

"Someone has to stand up for change."

Wilson looked at Grindelwald and continued softly: "If the magical world's future is as Mr. Grindelwald envisions, someone has to do something... Just like back then, would you choose to make a mistake or do nothing?"

"..."

Grindelwald fell into prolonged silence.

"Mr. Grindelwald."

Wilson slowly stood up and dusted off the sand.

The gray-haired boy from Hogwarts looked at Grindelwald, his young face filled with determination: "Remember, as long as people like us exist, the era of wizards will not end, and the magical world will not perish!"

Just a few words...

Wilson had become a pioneer willing to stake everything for change.

"Truly... what boldness!"

Grindelwald's eyes couldn't help but show admiration.

This former dark lord watched the young boy in front of him and sighed softly: "Kid, I once had many companions like you. The Death Eaters recruited by Dumbledore's dishonest student were nothing compared to them. They had the same persistence as us."

Grindelwald stood up, and his clothes were automatically cleaned by a Scouring Charm. The old man looked down at Wilson and continued solemnly: "You're right. As long as there are those who strive for the magical world's survival, the era of wizards will not end!"

(End of Chapter)

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