I would like to thank my beta, Kuilin. After Kuilin's diligent work, I suppose I can update this story twice per week for a while.

Chapter 39.

Nurmengard, Part III, Gellert Grindelwald

9:24 am, July 16th, 1993

Lord Gellert Grindelwald sat by his large oak desk in his luxurious study, and flipped through the preprints of the next month's The Practical Potioneer - after being the one of the world's top magical researchers in secret for almost fifty years, this was what you got as a privilege: access to anything published or to be published.

However, Lord Grindelwald's heart wasn't on the improvements of Soul Healing Potion highlighted in the magazine at all, he was pondering on what the Brits wanted to deliver to him by sending Lucius Malfoy here.

Lord Grindelwald wasn't lying when he said that the reason Albus Dumbledore was locked in Time could be related to the origin of magic. With the blatantly obvious traps dear old Albus set up the year before, which couldn't even stop a first year Hogwarts students from entering, there had been enough foolish and defenseless students entering the chamber where there was a large golden mirror that they could see what they desire on the mirror. Various sources - ranging from the Americans, Russians, to self-aspired dark wizards - had all confirmed the existence of such a mirror. From the description, Grindelwald could only think of one mirror: the Mirror of Noitilov.

Grindelwald had never seen the Mirror, but he had heard and read enough of it: the Mirror of Perfect Reflection, older than Merlin himself, where phoenixes came from, probably a relic from the Atlantis, where it all began.

-The Mirror of Noitilov and the Stone of Permanency, what a typical British trap! So full of ancient relics and mysteries, and so powerful. Just the type of thing my dear old Albus prefers.

-Maybe it is due to the influence of Albus, the Brits are such a hopeless lot! When the rest of the world has moved forward, they are still clinging hard on old glories. During all his monthly visits, Albus didn't even ask me what I have accomplished. He just simply ruled everything as "too cruel to hear about". What a ridiculous lunatic!

Resentments toward old Albus aside, Grindelwald did think the Mirror and the Stone had everything to do with the origin of magic, and he was indeed quite interested in studying them. Although dear old Albus probably had set up some sort of trap there - maybe specifically for him, Grindelwald didn't plan to give up on entangling the biggest mystery in history without even trying.

-If what the Brits said had a single shred of truth in it, the reason Albus disappeared indeed has something to do with Time, - a character both the Mirror of Noitilov and the Stone of Permanency share, Albus got to have invoked some arcane power in those relics. What other things could be "locked in Time"? Secrets of Atlantis? Creators of the Mirror and the Stone?

-Literally for the sake of Atlantis, I would very much like to rescue the creators of the Mirror and the Stone from Time. Albus, sorry, you are just such a small bonus as comparing to them.

A year's time had already allowed Grindelwald to formulate hundreds of plans that he could try on the Mirror and the Stone, yet everything was in vain unless he could actually lay his hands on these ancient relics.

It was not that Lord Grindelwald, currently the most powerful wizard in the world, couldn't escape from the very prison he himself designed that had prevented him from escaping, it was the combined effects of the lack of the Death Stick, the lack of the sacrificing Muggles, and his fading age, that had made Lord Grindelwald unsure of the prospect of facing down the combined forces of half a dozen wizarding lords and ladies. If everything could be managed, Grindelwald would rather prefer to regain his youth first, and to study the origin of magic peacefully (and without the possibly dreadful Unbreakable Vow) later. As for conquering the world, and ruling the Muggles, those could all wait until Lord Grindelwald figured out literally the most important secret in history.

Hence, Grindelwald was quite interested in what Lucius Malfoy was about to deliver.

A beeping sound notified Grindelwald the arrival of his visitor.

Grindelwald strode toward his living room, glanced through the view mirror, and saw the blond new prisoner and the guard trio who were escorting the British aristocrat. Among the guards, was one chubby-faced brown-haired newbie, possibly Alexander Dimitrov.

-Ah, the new boys, always so eager.

Grindelwald checked his protection wards, and pressed a button. It was something ironic that you even needed to be careful when you were locked up in the very prison you designed. In the early days of his imprisonment, Grindelwald went through at least four assassination attempts by both some prison guards and follow inmates, before the Americans and the Russians agreed that Lord Grindelwald's mind was way too precious to be destroyed by some amateur hero-wannabe or avenge-seeker, thus they gradually increased the range of magic that the former dark lord was legally allowed to use.

As the iron door slowly opened, Grindelwald appraised the messenger from United Kingdom. This ex-Lord Malfoy was a fine specimen of a poster Aryan wizard: pureblood, aristocratic, light-blond hair, blue eyes, a long and narrow face, a high nose, handsome, tall, well-behaved, clever, and relatively powerful before whatever happened one year ago. Or, to put it simply, this man had as much resemblance to Lord Grindelwald himself in his youth as an ordinary wizard could be.

-Presenting me with this man, ah, the Brits are seriously up to something.

After the guards were done with untying Lucius's hands from the small opening in the large iron door, and closed it from behind, the younger blond nodded politely to the elder one, and spoke with a clear British accent: "Guten Morgen, Lord Grindelwald."

-Nah, he needs to improve his German.

In order to avoid any misunderstandings caused by the British aristocrat's substandard German, Grindelwald spoke in impeccable English, and gestured to his guest room, "Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. If it were not too bothersome to you, could you change into the clothes I prepared for my guests? - One can hardly believe what the naughty boys might have done to the prison uniforms."

-And the orange color, eww, what an eyesore!

As his guest was changing into proper wizarding robes in the guest room, Grindelwald briefly amused himself by contemplating what the new prison guard Alexander Dimitrov might have tried to apply to Lucius' clothes and his body.

-That guy conceals it well, yet the sense of danger radiating from him is unmistakable. Let me see what kind of entertainment this dark-lord-wannabe would offer me within the next two months.

After Lucius exited the guest room, Grindelwald applied several wandless privacy spells that he could legally use, plus some wordless and wandless extra, and then nodded to the younger blond.

The British aristocrat half-bowed to Lord Grindelwald, "Lord Grindelwald, I am here to deliver our sincere gratitude for what you have done for the peace of Great Britain."

Grindelwald showed Lucius the sofa, and casually said, "Ah, that. I suppose one shouldn't credit oneself too much for what one has done for one's own territory."

The British aristocrat's mask might have cracked a bit, but he quickly collected himself, and claimed, "Lord Grindelwald, with all due respect, we spoke truth about Lord Dumbledore's conditions."

-OK, he is not here to surrender. Farewell, my best case scenario. To be honest with myself, if the Brits are really about to give up on their knees, I suppose the Americans might be a better choice. With seven hypocritic and squabbling lords and ladies, the Brits might be able to wiggle out something in resemblance to freedom.

"And for some reason, the British wizards either cannot or would not extract Albus from Time." Grindelwald pointed out the obvious facts, "From a certain point of view, I suppose Great Britain is indeed safer when the rest of the world has no idea about Albus' true condition, for the unknown is usually more terrifying than the known. However, I wonder how much longer Great Britain can hide behind Albus' reputation."

Lucius smiled bitterly, "I suppose, we can establish some new reputations."

"Such as?" Grindelwald was somewhat intrigued.

-The annoying Brits, you may never know how many ancient relics they possess. In the name of Atlantis, why was Merlin born in Britain?

"Miss Hermione Jane Granger, or the so-called Girl-Who-Revived, bears some great resemblance to a unicorn." Lucius provided.

"Ah, so you are here to claim that the rumor on the side-effects of unicorn blood is true, and you want me to deliver this news to the rest of the world." Grindelwald reasoned. "And why should I believe you? Or, regardless of my personal belief, why should I slip such indications to the interested ears?"

"Tom Morfin Riddle can attest to the less than pleasant after-effects of unicorn blood." Lucius' lips twisted into a sly smile.

Grindelwald remembered the rumors about the slayed unicorns in Hogwarts before that night. He couldn't help but smiled to himself.

-Ah, my dear old Albus, always so good at traps.

Grindelwald didn't plan to say that he was somewhat convinced by the evidence. He asked, "Whatever lead to the temporary re-disappearance of this Riddle, I do believe he has recently made another round of return, hasn't he? Or, since you were supposedly there, could you enlighten me on what indeed happened that night?"

Lucius' smile turned bitter again. "Lord Grindelwald, my tongue is tied on this matter. However, I can disclose that there was indeed a sacrificial ritual involved."

Grindelwald contemplated this answered, and wondered what Albus had done. He knew Albus had access to the Hall of Prophecy, and a true seer Trelawney was among the Hogwarts staff, therefore Albus could often make some bizarre movements and somehow let everything go his way. This made deducing Albus' plots very difficult, even for the person who knew him best.

-With the help from the information passed to him by Time, the so-called "sacrificial ritual" could be as simple as an Unbreakable Vow!

-Oh, wait.

Grindelwald eyed the weak wizard in front of him, "Is it an Unbreakable Vow?"

The younger blond answered without a blink, "Lord Grindelwald, with all due respect, I can neither confirm nor deny your current speculation, or any speculation in this nature."

-Hmm, this does sound like an Unbreakable Vow. In the name of Atlantis, how did Albus defeat an enemy by an Unbreakable Vow? You can't simple take a vow and say you will defeat someone, and gain the power from the Vow. No Unbreakable Vow of such nature can stand, hardly anyone tried that survived from it. Or, did Albus discover some advanced-level Unbreakable Vow?

Then, Grindelwald's eyes sparkled: yes, there is indeed an advanced-level of Unbreakable Vow. Every Interdict powerful wizards imposed on this world is an advanced-level of Unbreakable Vow.

-Did Albus throw away his Time to make his Interdict stand? Or, did he use the lives and magic of the Flamels, Monroe, and the Death Eaters to do it?

-Lucius Malfoy's head was mercifully spared, with only part of his magic sacrificed, for he had changed his side before that night. And his wife was also returned to him. Oh, the treatment of Lucius Malfoy is so Albus.

-And what's the content of this Interdict? Anyone with serious attempts to the Stone and/or the Mirror is doomed?

-Or, is it what the Brits want me to think?

Grindelwald pondered on this question, while asking, "Is there any other message that you want to deliver to me?"

The British aristocrat who was busy studying Grindelwald's face answered. "That is all for now. Lord Grindelwald, is there anything that you want me to deliver back to the holder of Line of Merlin Unbroken?"

-Bones? That foolish woman? Or, did he mean Albus? Do they have some means to communicate with Albus?

Grindelwald considered the implications, and motioned his hand. He pointed to a stack of paper floating toward Lucius, and said, "My standard welcome package, of course. It contains some of my research results on magical reproduction. By the way, for your information, blood purity does make sense to a certain extent."

The younger blond's face went blank for an entire second before he could smile and reply, "Lord Grindelwald, I can hardly express our gratitude toward your generosity."

Before the British envoy to Nurmengard could utter more nonsense, Grindelwald told the ex-Lord Malfoy that he should take the current proper garments as a gift as well, and dismissed the talkative British aristocrat.

-Oh, Albus. Why did you never take my welcome package? Is it because you were so afraid that my research might invalidate your beloved political correctness that you refuse to see the truth? Without you meddling everything, I suppose the British wizarding society can finally enjoy the benefits that the rest of the wizarding society in the developed world had already enjoyed for almost fifty years, and see some increase in the number of the newborns.

-My dear old Albus, I would really like to see your face when you welcome the new generation of Grindelwald-method-born students.