The elaborate plan to lure Albus Dumbledore into jealousy through a letter from a love rival had failed to work. Feeling somewhat frustrated, Adelaide finished her reply and followed Albus Dumbledore out of the St Mungos intensive care ward.
As things stood, finding the resurrection stone seemed to be the only effective way to stir the heart of the tranquil Albus Dumbledore.
Previously, Adelaide had dispatched Wizengamot guards to secretly head to the Gaunt House to conduct a search, but to her disappointment, they found nothing even after overturning the very soil; the resurrection stone had already been moved elsewhere by Lord Voldemort.
Adelaide thought to herself that the "Save the Saint" plan would have to be put on hold for a while.
When she and Albus Dumbledore reached the ground floor lobby of St Mungos Hospital, they were met by an elderly female Wizard dressed in emerald green Wizard robes, carrying a large red handbag, and wearing a hat topped with a stuffed vulture. This old woman was also tightly holding the hand of a chubby boy who looked quite timid.
Albus Dumbledore recognized the newcomer at a glance. A kind and warm smile appeared on his face as he took the initiative to greet her: "My dear Augusta, I didn't expect to run into you here. I am truly delighted to see you are still so hale and hearty."
The stern-faced, imposing elderly Witch actually broke into a smile at that moment, while simultaneously reaching out to abruptly pull out the trembling boy who had been hiding behind her.
"Albus, it has been a long time—Neville, what are you dazing for? Come quickly and say hello to your future Principal!"
Under his grandmother's sharp scolding, the boy called Neville's little face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple. He pursed his lips tightly, and a mumble came from his mouth like the buzzing of a mosquito, muttering something unintelligible.
His submissive and cowardly manner made Augusta Longbottom, who was standing beside him, frown in anger, her face full of disappointment at his lack of progress.
"Sigh, I wonder who this child takes after, being so timid all day long, without a shred of manly spirit!"
Seeing that Neville's face was turning almost purple with embarrassment, Albus Dumbledore spoke up to change the subject and bail him out: "If I remember correctly, Neville should be officially enrolling at Hogwarts this September, right?"
"Let me introduce you; this is Adelaide Grindelwald. After Neville starts school, if he encounters any problems or difficulties, he can go to her for help."
"Adelaide, this is Mrs. Augusta Longbottom of the Longbottom Family. Her son and daughter-in-law are true heroes, so you must look after their son in the future."
Good heavens!
Adelaide complained inwardly; wasn't this clearly trying to make her a babysitter!
She also knew that now was not the time to decline or protest, so she could only put on a proper smile and say to Mrs. Longbottom, "Respected Mrs. Longbottom, I have long heard of the heroic deeds of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom—so please rest assured, during his time at Hogwarts, I will certainly do my best to take good care of little Neville."
Mrs. Longbottom scrutinized the elegant and composed Miss Grindelwald before her, and her eyes couldn't help but reveal a sense of envy.
One must know that as Hogwarts students returned home for the holidays, news of Adelaide's extraordinary talent had already spread like wildfire throughout the British Wizarding World.
At this moment, Adelaide was the "perfect child from another family" in Mrs. Longbottom's eyes. Mrs. Longbottom often sighed, thinking how wonderful it would be if her own grandson could possess such great talent and such a mature, steady, and calm attitude!
Albus Dumbledore, in his high position, was busy with affairs, and Mrs. Longbottom was also in a hurry to see her son. The two of them exchanged brief pleasantries and parted ways.
To Adelaide's surprise, after leaving St Mungos Hospital, Albus Dumbledore did not choose to use Apparition to take her directly back to their destination as usual. Instead, he took her onto a train bound for Surrey, intending to send her back to No. 7 Wisteria Road via Muggle transportation.
In the slightly bumpy and noisy train carriage, Albus Dumbledore, sitting by the window, seemed to be suddenly struck by a thought. He turned his head to look at Adelaide and asked softly:
"Adelaide, would you like to see your parents?"
Hearing this, Adelaide was slightly stunned at first, and then a look of bewilderment appeared on her face.
She subconsciously scratched her head. By her count, it had been seven or eight years since she last saw her biological parents in this life... Why would Albus Dumbledore mention this so abruptly?
"Mr. Dumbledore, if my memory serves me right, it seems that shortly after I moved to Britain, you used the excuse that my parents might be threatened by the Wizengamot opposition to cast a Memory Charm on them, making them forget everything about me."
"And you also modified their memories, making them believe they were obsessed with the study of Otago skinks, so much so that they hastily resigned and left Canada with my newborn younger brother to settle in New Zealand."
At this point, Adelaide couldn't help but shake her head slightly, a bitter smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she continued, "Even if I were to see them, they wouldn't recognize me—meeting them would only increase the risks."
After hearing Adelaide's answer, Albus Dumbledore's eyes became full of compassion.
He placed his hand on Adelaide's shoulder and said in a low, apologetic voice, "Child, I am deeply sorry for this matter."
Adelaide shook her head gently, her expression as calm as a lake. She spoke slowly, "You have nothing to be sorry for. From the moment I knew I was a blood relative of Gellert Grindelwald, I was mentally prepared to completely sever ties with the Muggle world."
Albus Dumbledore's approach was undoubtedly wise and correct. Now, in the entire Wizarding World, besides himself and that Gellert, no one else knew that Adelaide was actually the descendant of a Squib.
To ensure the safety of Mr. and Mrs. Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore had even personally performed powerful magic on those in the Canadian Ministry of Magic who knew the inside story, tampering with their memories.
Through his clever manipulation, these people now firmly believed that Adelaide's parents were merely two ordinary Wizards of the Grindelwald Family who were indifferent to fame and fortune.
Because their ancestors were weary of the endless fighting, the whole family chose to move to the vast land of Canada to live in seclusion.
After their peaceful life was disturbed by the outside world, they once again quietly assumed new identities, left Canada, and have disappeared from public view ever since.
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