That logic was sound. Otherwise, Grindelwald would not be so troubled by the problem Tver was facing now.
But that did not mean he was willing to accept it. That was the student he had placed such high hopes in.
"That was before, Dumbledore. On the path of exploring death, Tver is destined to go farther than either of us!"
"Or has your failure back then scared you so badly that even Death has broken your courage?!"
In that instant, Dumbledore actually felt a familiar, razor-sharp intensity from Grindelwald, just like back then, gradually overlapping with the figure in his memories…
That realization left Dumbledore momentarily dazed.
Only this time, Grindelwald was not aiming that edge at him, but at Death, the very thing they had once been powerless against.
After a while, Dumbledore's eyes slowly regained focus, but they also became deep and complicated.
"So you intend to collect the Deathly Hallows and have Tver explore the mysteries of death, just as we once did?"
Dumbledore's voice returned to calm, leaving even Grindelwald unable to read him.
He had looked so discouraged just now, so how had he become this calm all of a sudden?
After thinking for a moment, Grindelwald gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
"If it is to let Tver live, then in principle, I have no objection to giving him the Elder Wand. I can even help borrow the Cloak of Invisibility from Harry."
Dumbledore spoke as though he were discussing business, and that matter-of-fact attitude made Grindelwald somewhat uncomfortable.
"My only condition is… tell me, what exactly does Tver want to do?"
"!"
No matter how deep his composure ran, Grindelwald's pupils still widened for an instant when he heard that question. But he quickly forced the reaction down.
"What sort of joke is that? Isn't Tver's goal to eliminate Voldemort and protect the peace of the wizarding world and the Muggle world…"
As he spoke, his voice trailed off.
Because from the moment Dumbledore began speaking, his fingers had been interlaced on the desk, his face calm, his eyes fixed on Grindelwald without a word. It left Grindelwald even more speechless than if he had flown into a rage.
Fawkes watched the two fall silent. Unused to the heavy atmosphere, he let out a soft cry.
"Enough with those excuses. Tver controls the Ministry of Magic, drives the Wizards' Confederation to establish Joint Operations Offices all over the world, and even…"
Dumbledore suddenly opened a drawer and took out an exquisitely wrapped box.
"He dilutes Beautification Potion, mixes it into Muggle products, and sells it all over the world!"
"Do you know?" He shook the box, and the face masks inside made a soft rustling sound.
"This face mask is wildly popular in the Muggle world. Almost everyone, men and women alike, takes pride in being able to buy it!"
Seeing that Grindelwald could not refute him, Dumbledore's anger suddenly erupted beyond restraint.
"Again and again, I have been willing to trust you. To trust all of you. Yet you used my trust to trample The Statute of Secrecy without the slightest restraint!"
"Go on, speak! Aren't you very good at finding excuses for yourselves? Come on. Are these face masks meant to defeat Voldemort? Answer me!"
By the end, he finally drew the wand they both knew so well and raised it in front of him.
"You want the Elder Wand, don't you? Defeat me. As long as you can kill me, this wand will be yours!"
Dumbledore's face was full of fury. His voice was not particularly loud, but every word struck Grindelwald's heart like a heavy blow.
When it came to betraying Dumbledore's trust, it seemed that he and his student had both picked it up without needing to be taught.
"Albus…" Grindelwald lowered his head and spoke in a hoarse voice. "Tver has absolutely never wanted to hurt you, or anyone else…"
"So?" Dumbledore raised his wand and pointed at the face masks on the table. "With the Philosopher's Stone in his possession, is he short of money? Does he need to make money by doing business with Muggles?"
Looking at Dumbledore's resolute face, Grindelwald knew there was truly no way to brush this aside anymore.
But once he understood that, his mood actually relaxed.
"Haven't you already guessed it?" Grindelwald adjusted his posture, making himself look a little more at ease.
"Tver intends to overturn The Statute of Secrecy. To tear down that damned cage that you and I both once wanted to destroy!"
"That was when I had been deceived by you!"
Dumbledore immediately raised his voice in rebuttal, but then gave a bitter smile.
"Hah. It really isn't surprising at all. All I can say is that Tver truly is worthy of being your student."
Even though he had already sensed this in his heart, hearing Grindelwald admit it out loud still left him feeling exhausted.
In the past, he had personally defeated Grindelwald. Now he was in the middle of a war with Voldemort. But in the future, it seemed he would have to face a younger Tver, one whose methods were even more seasoned.
Did he look that easy to bully? Was that why all these Dark Lords insisted on coming after him?
"What, are you preparing to fulfill your mission as the First White Wizard and oppose a newly born Dark Lord once again?"
Now that Grindelwald had completely let himself go, his manner was utterly unrestrained, as though Tver's existence had given him far more confidence.
"Albus Dumbledore, you are already over a hundred years old. Sooner or later, there will come a day when you no longer have the strength."
"Moreover," he leaned forward, facing Dumbledore directly, "the one who so strongly demanded that The Statute of Secrecy be overturned back then…"
"Was you."
Dumbledore's hand tightened around the wand, his knuckles white from the force. It made one worry that the slender elder wand might snap under his grip.
Noticing this, Grindelwald pressed the advantage.
"You and I both know that as long as The Statute of Secrecy continues suppressing the freedom of wizards, sooner or later, a powerful wizard will stand up and resist that unreasonable cage!"
"Dumbledore, from the perspective of history's development, you are the Dark Lord standing in the way of the magic world's progress!"
"Bullshit!" Dumbledore could not help roaring.
Not only Fawkes beside them, even the portraits on the wall were seeing him in such a near-hysterical state for the first time.
"Don't think that by finding some grand-sounding reasons for yourselves, you can absolve yourselves of the crimes of harming the lives of wizards and Muggles!"
"Grindelwald, I don't care who will resist people like you after I die, but as long as I am still alive, I will never allow your evil desires to come true!"
"What about Tver?"
Grindelwald did not deny his own past mistakes. Instead, he shifted the focus to Tver.
"Tver does not want to harm wizards or Muggles. He does not want to become a ruler over them. One could even say he has no desire for wealth."
"He only wants to overturn the law that suppresses wizards and allow wizards and Muggles to live together in friendship."
"As far as I know, he is in Geneva today, preparing to sign a cooperation agreement with the Muggle governments to ensure that wizards and Muggles can work together in a peaceful environment."
"And you?" Contempt appeared on Grindelwald's face. "You are like a turtle hiding in its shell. You know perfectly well how unreasonable The Statute of Secrecy is, but all you do is hide in the Headmaster's office and meekly endure it all."
After being scolded by Grindelwald from head to toe, Dumbledore's eyes flickered uncertainly. He found that he could not say a word in rebuttal.
He had once wanted to fight against The Statute of Secrecy, to fight against the shackles it had placed on the Dumbledore family.
Only, at some unknown point, he seemed to have forgotten that it was The Statute of Secrecy that had prevented his sister from playing freely with Muggle children.
"I…" He licked his dry lips, somewhat unable to meet Grindelwald's contemptuous gaze. "I will not simply believe your words so easily…"
"That's fine." The corner of Grindelwald's mouth lifted into a faint smile. "Tver will absolutely be happy to talk with you and hear your opinions."