HP: god of potions

Chapter 77

Back inside, Grindelwald stood before the hushed crowd, his voice commanding as he said, "The moment has come to share my vision of the future that awaits if we do not rise up and take our rightful place in the world." Rosier emerged onstage, bowing deeply as she handed him a glowing skull-hookah. The room fell deathly silent as Grindelwald inhaled deeply from the device, his eyes rolling back. When he exhaled, a mesmerizing display unfolded—a massive, technicolor cloak filled the ceiling with vivid moving images. The crowd gasped as they watched scenes of marching boots, explosions, and men with weapons. The vision culminated in the horrifying image of a nuclear blast, leaving everyone stunned and terrified.

The amphitheater was thick with tension as the vision faded. Jacob, horrified, whispered, "Not another war..." All eyes returned to Grindelwald as he seized the moment, declaring, "That is what we are fighting! That is the enemy—their arrogance, their power lust, their barbarity. How long will it take before they turn their weapons on us?" Meanwhile, the Aurors slipped into the crowd, unnoticed, their presence amplifying the volatile atmosphere. but they were not the only sneaking in as multiple figures hid in the shadows of the mausoleums. Theseus, watching from the sidelines, was clearly uneasy, sensing how dangerously close the situation was to spiraling out of control as the audience waited for Grindelwald's next move with bated breath.

Grindelwald's voice echoed through the amphitheater, calm yet commanding. "Do nothing when I speak of this. You must remain calm and contain your emotions." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "There are Aurors here among us." A ripple of gasps spread through the crowd, heads twisting in alarm to locate the intruders. The Aurors, visibly outnumbered and unnerved, began scanning their hostile surroundings. Grindelwald, unperturbed, addressed them directly. "Come closer, brother wizards! Join us." Reluctantly, under a barrage of hisses and jeers, the Aurors stepped forward, their faces taut with unease.

Among the crowd, Leta turned, her gaze locking onto Theseus. Their eyes met, a silent exchange laden with meaning. "Do nothing. No force," Theseus ordered the other Aurors, his voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air. But one young, jittery Auror couldn't maintain his composure. He had made eye contact with a fiery-haired witch, whose anger and trembling wand betrayed her readiness for confrontation. Grindelwald seized the moment, his voice a seductive balm. "They have killed many of my followers, it is true. They caught and tortured me in New York. They struck down their fellow witches and wizards for the simple crime of seeking truth, for wanting freedom." 

The young Auror's grip on his wand tightened as the witch's fury reached a boiling point. Grindelwald's words struck a raw nerve. "Your anger — your desire for revenge — is natural," he coaxed, his tone laced with manipulation. The inevitable happened: the witch raised her wand, but the Auror acted first. His curse struck her down before she could attack, and her lifeless body crumpled to the ground. "No!" Grindelwald's voice thundered, filled with dramatic anguish as the auditorium erupted in screams. Moving through the parting crowd, he knelt and cradled the young witch's body in his arms. "Take this young warrior back to her family," he instructed her stunned companions, his voice reverent.

As the Niffler slipped unnoticed into the chaos, Grindelwald commanded the crowd. "Disapparate. Leave. Go forth from this place and spread the word: It is not we who are violent." The witch's friends, clutching her body, vanished, followed by most of the crowd. The amphitheater grew quieter, leaving Theseus and the Aurors facing Grindelwald. "Let's take him," Theseus said grimly, leading his team down the steps. Grindelwald, facing away from the approaching Aurors, exuded a dangerous calm. With a flourish, he spun and summoned a circle of black fire. "Protego diabolica," he intoned, his magic forming a deadly barrier between him and his pursuers.

Abernathy, Carrow, Krafft, MacDuff, Nagel, and Rosier moved decisively through the searing flames into Grindelwald's fiery circle. Krall hesitated, fear gripping him, but the encroaching fire left no choice. With a final grimace of resolve, he dashed into the flames, only to be consumed instantly. Grindelwald's voice boomed through the chaos, calling to the Aurors. "Join me in this circle, pledge to me your eternal allegiance, or die. Only here shall you know freedom, only here shall you know yourself." His fiery spectacle grew more ferocious, walls of flame chasing down those who fled. "Play by the rules! No cheating, children," he sneered, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

Nagini desperately clung to Credence, urging him to retreat, but his gaze was fixed on Grindelwald, captivated. "He knows who I am," Credence whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and dread. Nagini's voice cracked with urgency. "He knows what you were born, not who you are…" But Credence, drawn by an undeniable force, broke free from her grasp, stepping toward the flames. Nagini screamed for him, but the encroaching fire forced her back. On the other side of the chaos, Queenie and Jacob huddled together, the flames pushing them against the wall. "Queenie, you gotta wake up," Jacob pleaded, his voice breaking with desperation.

Queenie's face softened into a determined calm. "Jacob, he's the answer. He wants what we want." Jacob shook his head, panic lacing his words. "No, no, no, no, no, no." Queenie simply replied, "Yeah." Jacob's voice grew more frantic. "No." The flames drew closer as Credence stepped through them, unscathed, into Grindelwald's waiting arms. Grindelwald embraced him like a father welcoming a long-lost child. "This has all been for you, Credence," he murmured. Nearby, Jacob tried once more to pull Queenie back to him. "Walk with me," Queenie implored, her voice desperate now. Jacob's heart broke as he cried out, "Honey, no!"

Queenie screamed, her resolve snapping into action as she strode toward the flames. "Walk with me!" she repeated, her voice piercing through Jacob's protests. "You're crazy," he spat, his voice laced with pain. Queenie hesitated for a fraction of a second, then turned and stepped into the consuming black fire. Jacob's cry of disbelief echoed through the chamber. "No! Queenie, don't do it!" He covered his face in despair, unable to bear the sight as she joined Grindelwald's side. When the flames receded, Jacob's voice was a broken whisper. "Queenie…"

The amphitheater roared with chaos, fire licking through the air as Tina called out, her voice a mix of desperation and determination. "Queenie!" she shouted, but Queenie was gone in an instant, Disapparating without hesitation. Tina hurled a curse toward Grindelwald, but the fiery circle surrounding him lashed back with violent intensity, the flames striking like spears. Grindelwald stood at the center, orchestrating the blaze with his Elder Wand as though conducting a symphony, since who was watching all of this silently was so close to the platform, the fire reached him, but as it about to touch him, a wave of anti magic pulse spread in 50 meter radius, disabling any spell or enchantment.

Immediately, the flames surrounding Grindelwald vanished, as did all other spells. Since the pulse had emanated from Gray, all attention turned toward him. The person most afraid in the crowd was Grindelwald, who said loudly, "Who are you?" Gray scoffed and replied, "You know, of all the dark lords I've met, none of them were afraid of humans." He paused as he walked toward Grindelwald. "What is he doing?" Newt whispered as Grindelwald's followers tried to throw curses at Gray. Of course, they couldn't, allowing Gray to walk up to him. Gray continued, "But your fears are valid. Humans are violent creatures, willing to do whatever it takes to gain power, to remain at the top." He paused as he circled Grindelwald, dwarfing him.

"And maybe, 100 or 500 years from now, they'll have technology so advanced it will seem… magic," he whispered the last part, yet it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Some wizards scoffed at the notion. "Yes, humans might be cruel and cowardly, vindictive, and of course selfish. But do you know who else has such qualities?" he asked. Receiving no answer, he pointed at Grindelwald. "You," he said as Grindelwald frowned. Gray moved on, pointing at other dark wizards. "You, and you, and you," he said, continuing until he stopped at Tina. "Maybe not you," he added before turning toward Newt Scamander. "Definitely not you." Grindelwald, seemingly fed up, asked, "What is your point?" Gray sighed.

"If, in 500 years, wizards don't advance like humans, then maybe you should let natural selection run its course," Gray said. This was not something the normal Gray would have said or thought. Realizing how alien his own words sounded, he frowned. Grindelwald, however, responded, "So what? We should let ourselves die out like some sick animals?" The crowd, almost unanimously, agreed. Gray chuckled—not out of happiness, but disappointment. "If you, or any wizard who has magic, can't advance alongside humans or surpass them, then yes. You should get off your high horse and die like the sick animal you are," he said. At that moment, Grindelwald, having had enough, cast the Killing Curse at Gray.

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A/N well, i am not feeling well, so i wont be able to upload like usual tomorrow, so here is a chapter before i get worse.

ps: did you guys notice anything different with grays personality?