"Something doesn't add up," Blake said, rubbing his chin. "If he can resurrect right after being killed, why didn't he revive immediately when Winsty stabbed him in the heart?"
"Exactly," he continued. "You said his self-healing is so strong he could reattach his own head. Winsty shouldn't have been able to harm him at all. So if he really wanted to turn his daughter into a vampire, why wait until now?"
Grindelwald nodded. "Good observation, Blake. Maybe he has other intentions. With someone like that—immortal, ancient—there's bound to be some twisted logic behind his actions."
He leaned back thoughtfully. "That's why I contacted you. You're strong enough to defend yourself, but remember—villains like him don't always go for the strongest target. If they can't hurt you, they'll go after the people around you."
Coming from Grindelwald, once considered the darkest wizard of all time, the warning carried weight. He knew all the classic villain strategies.
Blake's expression hardened. "You're right. I'll stay vigilant. And now that you mention it, everything you said about Winsty's father… it lines up with how Muggles describe vampires. Which means... maybe we can use Muggle legends to predict his abilities."
He added, "Muggle myths say vampires can turn into bats..."
Grindelwald frowned. "Transform into bats? Like Animagi?"
"Exactly." Blake nodded. "And that could be a problem."
Grindelwald's face darkened. Nurmengard had only recently been rebuilt, and despite renovations, the place was still swarming with bats.
"If he can turn into one and hide in the castle, tracking him down won't be easy."
Blake smirked and pulled a small bottle from his pocket. "This is a potion I use to drive away wild animals during expeditions. Just needs a slight tweak. If we spray it through the castle, we can flush out all the bats."
"Excellent," Grindelwald said. "The last thing I want is a vampire prowling my school halls. That would put my students in danger... and suddenly, I find myself understanding how Dumbledore felt."
Blake blinked. "Where's Winsty now?"
"I sent her to rest in her dormitory. Don't worry—Vita is with her."
After what happened that day, no one could forget the sight. The man had died five gruesome deaths and returned each time. Even Grindelwald, hardened by years of dark magic and war, had felt disturbed. Winsty, a young girl, had endured it up close.
"Thank you," Blake said sincerely.
"Of course," Grindelwald replied. "Anyone you entrust to me, I'll protect."
They approached a tall, weathered tower surrounded by newer buildings. It stood out sharply against the modern architecture.
"This is the place..." Grindelwald said quietly. "A prison. I spent decades locked in the stone chamber at the top."
"I wasn't even sad back then," he admitted. "I had lost all hope... until the day Dumbledore visited me. That changed everything."
He turned to Blake. "Hope can breathe life back into a man. And you, Blake... you're my hope now."
Blake hesitated. "Do you really not miss the past?"
Grindelwald raised a hand. "Keep your voice down. If people knew I wasn't the man I used to be, it could cause chaos. And I don't want that."
He looked Blake in the eye. "Dumbledore may not trust me. But what about you? Do you believe I've changed?"
Blake shook his head. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't know either of you very well."
Grindelwald laughed—genuinely amused. "Good. I appreciate honesty. If you had told me you believed me without hesitation, it would have meant you were just trying to please me. This way, I know our connection is real. Even if there's a gap between us, at least it's not unbridgeable."
Blake frowned. "Why are you so kind to me? Honestly, you don't strike me as the type to go out of your way to make a kid happy..."
"You want a reason?" Grindelwald asked.
"Yes."
Grindelwald sighed. "A father doesn't need a reason to be kind to his son."
Blake was still skeptical. "Is that really all?"
"Yes. That's all."
He lowered his voice. "Believe it or not, I've left those ruthless days behind. I'm done with thankless causes. I once believed I was saving the wizarding world. I tried to abolish the Statute of Secrecy, to stop wizards from hiding like vermin."
"But no one—not even Dumbledore—accepted my vision. Perhaps my methods were too brutal... but how do you change the world without shedding blood?"
Eventually, Grindelwald had grown tired. Imprisoned. Forgotten. His youthful idealism had frozen atop the lonely heights of Nurmengard.
"But now, things are different. Like Dumbledore, I've built a school. I teach. I contribute. I live a life that feels… fulfilling."
He smiled faintly. "I know many still hate me. And if they want revenge, they can come find me—if they're strong enough."
For a brief moment, the old Grindelwald surfaced—sharp, dangerous. But then it vanished, and he returned to his calm, grandfatherly demeanor.
"Come on. Let's go see Winsty."
Nurmengard Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry was built atop the ruins of the old prison. Though summer, the mountain air was cold.
The castle, like Hogwarts, was grand and ancient in style. Some rules were borrowed from Hogwarts, but others were unique.
Night walks weren't forbidden. The library had no Restricted Section. Of course, the librarian was a legendary curse-breaker—likely kept around just to undo whatever curses students triggered by accident.
Blake actually liked it. It felt chaotic, yet honest.
Grindelwald explained, "We don't have separate houses. Every student belongs to Nurmengard Academy. But to manage large classes, we assign students to smaller groups by lot. It encourages healthy competition."
"And we believe in educating without discrimination. Next year, I plan to admit werewolves into a special class."
Blake smiled. "Magical talent is rare. We should nurture it wherever it appears."
Grindelwald beamed. "Exactly! That's the spirit!"
They arrived at the dormitories. Each class had its own twin buildings—one for boys, one for girls. Each student had their own private room.
Blake was stunned. At Hogwarts, dormitories were shared. If he'd had this kind of privacy, he wouldn't have needed the Room of Requirement so often.
Grindelwald noticed. "How about transferring here?"
Blake chuckled. "Would Dumbledore agree?"
"Probably not," Grindelwald sighed. "But it's worth asking."
"Thanks, but I'd miss my friends at Hogwarts. And I don't want you two fighting over me."
Grindelwald led him to the fifth-grade girls' dormitory. "Winsty's student number is thirty-seven. So, she's in room thirty-seven."
As they approached, Blake slowed, scanning for magical protections. At Hogwarts, the girls' dorms had anti-boy charms—the stairs would collapse if a boy tried to climb.
Grindelwald laughed. "We don't have any of that. Each building has a live-in dormitory supervisor instead. Had to create more jobs for all my old allies."
They reached Room 37.
Before they could knock, a wand thrust through the door.
"Whoa there," Grindelwald said quickly. "It's me, Vita."
The wand lowered. Vita Rohir, who looked decades younger than she had during the day, stepped out.
She ignored Grindelwald and looked directly at Blake.
"You must be Blake Green. I'm Vita Rohir, Vice Principal of Nurmengard."
"Hello, Professor Rohir," Blake said politely.
She smiled. "Thanks for the life-extending potion. It works beautifully."
"Happy to help. Let me know if you need anything else."
"Blake! You're here?" Winsty's excited voice came from inside the room.
"Yes, Winsty. How are you?"
"The professors have been really kind. You don't need to worry about me," she said, smiling.
Though a new student, she was personally sent by Grindelwald. No one dared bully her—in fact, most tried to curry favor.
Blake smiled, ready to respond—then his brow furrowed.
"Winsty... is there someone else in your room?"
Winsty's face paled. "What? Who?"
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