As John walked, his hair gradually turned black.
It made him far less conspicuous.
Some people, however, were destined to draw every eye.
When Gellert Grindelwald stepped onto the stage, thousands of wizards erupted into cheers, shouting his name.
They were ecstatic. Under constant fervent rhetoric, many wizards in parts of Europe had come to see Grindelwald as a savior, the very embodiment of wizarding supremacy.
He stood upon the stage, at once a demagogue and a rock star.
The scene teetered on the edge of chaos. There was no doubt these frenzied admirers could lose control at any moment.
Yet with a single gesture from Grindelwald, the crowd gradually fell silent.
"My brothers, my sisters, my friends," he said, strolling leisurely across the stage. "Such thunderous applause should not be for me. No."
He stopped at the edge of the stage and looked out over the gathered wizards. "It should be for yourselves."
Queenie listened, utterly entranced. Jacob sat rigidly in his seat, uneasy, forced to listen to a follower of Grindelwald speak of how people like him, Muggles, would be subjugated.
Yusuf Kama remained skeptical. Credence gazed at the radiant Grindelwald, while Nagini tightened her hold on his arm.
Leta stood among the crowd. She did not clap, yet she could not help but be drawn in by Grindelwald's charisma.
She failed to notice the young black-haired wizard beside her, studying her with a scrutinizing gaze.
"You are here today because of a desire within your hearts, and a realization," Grindelwald continued. He was a masterful speaker, his eyes filled with restrained intensity and emotion that drew people in. "The old, decaying past must be cast aside."
"You have gathered here today in pursuit of something new, something different…" A pause.
"They say I hate non-magical people. Muggles, No-Majs." His voice rose. "Those who cannot cast spells!"
At the mention of Muggles, the crowd broke into jeers and mocking laughter.
Just as Newt had learned at the Ministry of Magic, many pure-bloods believed they were born to rule the world.
A sharp cry of "vermin" made Jacob uneasy.
Queenie grew anxious and quickly grasped his hand.
"I do not ..hate them," Grindelwald said, and with a single sentence the jeers faded. His voice softened. "I do not hate them."
"I do not fight for hatred. In my eyes, Muggles are not inferior, only different from us."
Tears welled in Queenie's eyes as she listened. In America, wizards were forbidden to marry Muggles.
"They are not without worth. They simply possess a different kind of value," he said earnestly. "They should not be discarded, but treated differently."
"Magic flourishes only within a rare few souls. Wisdom is granted to those who pursue higher callings."
"Imagine the kind of world we could create."
"What we seek is freedom. It is truth."
What captivated people most about Grindelwald was not only his words, but his every movement and the depth in his gaze.
His eyes met Queenie's, and in a voice filled with both temptation and compassion, he spoke the words she had longed to hear.
"And it is love."
The moment Queenie met those eyes, filled with a strange pity for wizardkind, she was drawn into the world of illusion that was Grindelwald.
"That was quite well said. I almost feel like applauding."
"??" Leta had been immersed in the world Grindelwald was constructing, but the remark beside her snapped her back to reality.
John clicked his tongue. Grindelwald was truly a master of manipulation.
"The Aurors are here," John muttered. They were approaching.
He glanced at Leta beside him, then returned his gaze to the stage.
Leta felt something was off. There was a trace of mockery in John's tone.
It was not how a follower of Grindelwald should sound.
"The time has come. It is time for you all to witness my prophecy. If we do not rise now, reclaim what is rightfully ours, then this will be the consequence."
At Grindelwald's call, Vinda Rozier stepped forward, presenting the skull-hookah to him.
Grindelwald inhaled deeply through the pipe, his eyes rolling back to reveal the whites.
Then he exhaled.
A vast, brilliantly colored veil seemed to pour from his lips.
John took one look and frowned. Wasn't this just a cheap imitation of his own?
So the little one had listened back then, only to copy him.
The mist he released began to form images.
Booted feet marching forward in heavy strides.
Explosions.
People running, guns in their hands.
This was war, a display of Muggle power.
A deafening roar followed, and then a terrifying nuclear explosion lit up the amphitheater.
The sheer destructive force was chilling. It was something magic could not achieve.
Seeing this, Jacob murmured to himself, "There can't be another war."
Only those who had witnessed war could understand what he felt.
It was a brutality one would never wish to experience again.
The proud pure-bloods screamed. When the vision faded, they muttered in fear and unease.
Then their gazes returned to Grindelwald.
They became even more fervent.
The end of the world was approaching, and their savior was Grindelwald.
"That is what we must stand against. That is the enemy. Their arrogance, their hunger for power, their barbarity."
Grindelwald held them all in his grasp as he asked, "How long before they turn those weapons on us?"
The anti-Muggle sentiment had already been stirred. Now, Grindelwald needed only one final step.
The arrival of the Aurors completed it.
Amid anxiety and anticipation, he spoke gently, preparing them all.
"There are Aurors among us."
Theseus, who had just led the Aurors inside, was exposed, and hostility surged from all around him.
This was exactly what Grindelwald wanted. He spread his arms and said generously, "Come closer, my wizarding brothers. Join us."
Recruiting Aurors right in front of the Ministry of Magic.
Laughter and jeers rose from the crowd.
The Aurors had no choice. They could not keep hiding.
They had to reveal themselves before everyone.
"With just this handful of Aurors, what do they think they can do?"
John clicked his tongue. "Setting aside whether these wizards would act because of Grindelwald, his followers alone are enough to deal with this lot."
Perhaps Aurors could intimidate ordinary wizards, but that only applied before they were stirred up by Grindelwald.
Now the crowd was fired up. Sending people in like this was practically asking for trouble.
Leta glanced at the nearby wizards. Her fiancé was the leader of those Aurors.
"We should move a little closer. I don't want Nagini getting caught up in this."
John started forward. Leta finally lost her patience and demanded, "How can you be so sure it will turn violent?"
"It's obvious. If Grindelwald didn't intend to escalate things, he wouldn't have singled out the Aurors," he replied flatly as he walked ahead.
Sure enough, just as Grindelwald began describing the suffering he had endured in New York, a red-haired witch raised her wand.
It was neither the Imperius Curse nor one of Grindelwald's people.
It was simply an impulsive act, driven by emotions stirred by his words.
However, the person her wand was pointed at was an Auror who had recently lost a close friend.
Without a second thought, he reacted on instinct. A deadly green flash shot out in retaliation.
"No!"
Grindelwald cried out to stop it, yet he made no move to draw his own wand.
The green light flared, and the witch collapsed.
Screams erupted. Grindelwald stepped forward and lifted her up, speaking in a voice filled with deep pity. "Return this young warrior to her family."
As he played his part, he failed to notice a Niffler slipping past his feet. His objective achieved, Grindelwald stood and announced, "Apparate. Go."
"Leave at once and spread the word. We are not the ones seeking violence."
From this moment on, Grindelwald would ensure all of Europe believed he was the victim.
That it was the Aurors, the Ministry of Magic, who were brutal and oppressive, striking down their own kind.
At his command, the pure-blood wizards began to Disapparate one after another.
Soon, the amphitheater was left with only Grindelwald and his followers.
Used as a pawn, Theseus was in no mood to hold back. Through clenched teeth, he gave the order, "Arrest him."
Grindelwald stood with his back to the advancing Aurors. At the center of the stage, he drew his wand and turned in place.
A ring of blue flames sprang up, sealing off the exits.
His followers stepped into the circle, and the flames did them no harm.
One wizard hesitated for a moment, then gathered his courage and ran into the fire, only to be burned to ashes.
"Aurors, step through the flames and join me. Swear an Unbreakable Vow to me, or you will die."
Even now, Grindelwald continued to sway hearts. "Only here will you understand freedom. Only here will you understand yourselves."
Some Aurors attempted to Disapparate and escape, only to be intercepted by the wall of fire and burned to death.
Their numbers dwindled further.
With so few people left, John, who should have blended into the background, no longer seemed so inconspicuous.
"What a massive stove."
He sat to one side, commenting casually as he watched Grindelwald with interest.
Grindelwald noticed him as well.
"And you, my friend, will you stand against me?"
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