69.Shocked

Grindelwald finally noticed the movement in the carriage.

You can label him as cold or crazy, but that doesn't account for his ideals and persistence.

When facing Credence, the Squib, Grindelwald could have discarded him, but for the wizards who truly followed him, Grindelwald showed kindness without hesitation.

As the prison van traveled across the fast-flowing Hudson River, Grindelwald waved his hand and touched the surface of the river.

The entire prison car seemed to transform into a whirlpool, and the cold river water flooded the interior of the car in an instant.

The Six Thestrals felt significant pressure, however, under Grindelwald's control, they lift the water inside the carriage into the air again.

The sudden surge of water gave Abernathy a chance to resist. The rushing water broke free from the grasp of the Auror and Rudolph, and Abernathy, along with the panicked sheep-eating beast, struggled in the water.

Nevertheless, Abernathy seized the pendant and placed it in his mouth.

The Aurors pursued him relentlessly, which displeased Grindelwald who didn't wish to be cruel.

Dark clouds covered the sky above the city!

Grindelwald raised his magic wand high, and thunder and lightning descended from the heavens as if divine power had arrived!

Unfortunately, one unfortunate individual happened to be struck by lightning. Instantly, they lost consciousness and fell from the sky, unaware of their fate.

The terrifying electric arcs forced the Aurors to resort to their weapons but to no avail.

The Aurors continued their pursuit as the lightning showed no signs of stopping!

One after another, the Aurors were struck down.

Science informs us that a lightning strike is not confined to a single point. A range of five to three thousand meters is still in danger!

After evading his pursuers, Grindelwald finally had his hands free.

He clasped onto the corner of the prison van with one hand and climbed over to the side door of the van.

With a wave of his wand, Grindelwald dismantled the prison van door, allowing the raging river to escape with the two Aurors.

"You have joined a noble cause, my friend," Grindelwald said as he took the pendant from Abernathy's mouth and placed it in his pocket.

Abernathy felt his new tongue in a daze. It was now long and forked, resembling that of a lizard or snake.

His tongue, tortured and severed, had miraculously regrown!

Is this something magic can achieve?

The regeneration of severed limbs remains a problem in the wizarding world. Otherwise, Mad-Eye would not have a prosthetic leg or a magic eye, and Professor Kettleburn wouldn't be a half-human.

However, it seems that some powerful wizards are unaffected by this issue.

Grindelwald clearly falls into that category. Turning his head, Grindelwald looked at Rudolph, who was still being bitten by the sheep-eating beast. He stretched out his hand to take down the sheep-eating beast, which was pretending to be a tiger, and kept baring its teeth and claws at Rudolph. The blood on its mouth and claws made this behavior very convincing.

However, the sheep-eating beast didn't resist for long before being soothed by Grindelwald's gentle voice. "Yes, I know, I know, I understand, Antonio..."

The little sheep-eating beast named Antonio felt aggrieved and kept rubbing Grindelwald's neck and cheek with its bloody mouth, seeking comfort and a hug.

Despite the owner's comforting words, Antonio became even more aggrieved and kept whimpering, potentially annoying Grindelwald. His gentle face was filled with disgust as he exclaimed, "You are too noisy."

Let go.

Unprepared, Antonio was instantly sucked away by the powerful wind pressure. Grindelwald, indifferent like a superior king, pulled up the sluggish Rudolph. He knew that all his subordinates might be dead and he might be next. Terrified, he held Grindelwald's hand tightly, refusing to let go. 

However, Rudolph didn't expect Grindelwald to drag him out of the car like this, with the strong wind and rain threatening to pull them down at any moment. In a panic, Rudolph discovered that he was holding the wand he had just lost in Grindelwald's hand.

Grindelwald let go, and the wand fell freely in the storm. Rudolf was so frightened that he kept repeating, "No, no! No! No!"

Grindelwald had heard many such wailings. He waved his arm expressionlessly, and Rudolf's hand slipped—— "ah!"

Grindelwald couldn't help but tilt his head. The old guy's shouting made him upset! On his deathbed, Rudolf found his only hope – the magic wand!

Desperately, Rudolf reached out his hand to grab the wand, but the close distance seemed as far away as the ends of the earth for ten moments. As he was about to be swept away by the river, he despaired and even began to contemplate his life.

Unexpectedly, Grindelwald slipped a magic wand into Rudolph's hand and shot a shock-absorbing spell, saving him from being flattened. Science tells us that falling into water from a certain height can be just as deadly as falling onto a cement floor.

Grindelwald saved him? Yes. Grindelwald has never been a murderer. What people fear about him is his power to incite people's hearts and his paranoid evil dreams. Even to preserve the spark of war between wizards and Muggles, they would not kill him if they had the option.

Rudolph, now saved from the turbulent waters, looked at the retreating carriage with lingering fear. He seemed truly frightened. He didn't dare to apparate away immediately. Instead, he stayed in the river until the carriage was no longer visible.

"The most dangerous dark wizard in history! Grindelwald escapes from prison!"

"Shocked! That man is back!"

"The influence is truly terrifying. In just one day, everyone knew about it. Even the French newspapers were talking about Grindelwald's prison escape." Aurelius put down the newspaper and took the letter from Nagini, pointing at the news.

"I've heard about him. At the circus, some people admire him, while others are afraid of him." Nagini looked at the news, frowned, and asked, "I heard that when we went to New York, he caused a disaster there and was arrested. Is he really that terrible?"

Aurelius smiled and shook his head. "He's not that bad. His character is average."

"Oh? Have you met him?"

"Not only have we met, but we were together for more than half a year," Aurelius said with a smile. "He doesn't believe in the theory of blood, but he advocates for classification. As long as you can cast spells, regardless of whether you're seen as inferior, he accepts you. And if you can't cast spells, regardless of noble status, he despises you."

"He believes that wizards are the masters of this world and should rule over Muggles. This appeals to many people who are dissatisfied with the Statute of Secrecy. It's also why he has countless followers."

Nagini thought for a moment and nodded. "It's very tempting, but I can tell you don't agree with him."