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As the carriage rumbled away, Newt watched Veratia with a complex expression, thinking to himself that she truly lived up to being Gellert Grindelwald's sister—her attitude toward Muggle matters was strikingly similar.
But… he had misjudged her.
Harry followed Newt onto the Thestral-drawn carriage, catching sight of the Hogwarts crest on the door.
"Is this technically misusing public transport?" Harry asked suddenly.
"No," Newt replied. "Because these four Thestrals were raised by me."
Harry leaned back slightly, a gesture of respect.
He knew this Hufflepuff senior was exceptionally gifted with magical creatures, but he hadn't realized that even Hogwarts' Thestral carriages were his handiwork.
"I thought Hagrid raised them," Harry said with a chuckle, settling against the carriage's backrest.
"Hagrid does take on the responsibility of caring for them, since I can't come to Hogwarts just to tend to them," Newt said, lowering his head with a faint smile. "But to look after Aunt Poppy, I'd be willing to come to Hogwarts as a professor."
"With family like you around, I'm sure Poppy will be delighted," Veratia said softly. "At least, among the people she knew back then, there's still Theseus… and you, her close nephew."
"Don't you have Gellert?" Harry nudged her arm with his elbow.
Veratia smiled but didn't respond. She was actually thinking of Cassandra.
Cassandra, whose father and brother had both passed away, was utterly alone in this world a century later—except for Harry and her.
As they spoke, the Thestral carriage lurched into motion, soaring into the sky.
Yet inside the compartment, it felt as steady as solid ground.
Magic was truly wondrous.
They flew from morning until afternoon, finally arriving at the outskirts of Nurmengard Castle.
"I think you should head back, Professor Scamander," Veratia said to Newt after stepping off the carriage. "This is a family matter between me and Gellert. I hope you understand."
"Alright. If you need anything, just call for me," Newt said, bowing his head. "I'll head back."
"Thank you, Professor Scamander," Veratia said, offering a ladylike curtsy.
"See you, Professor Scamander," Harry added, waving.
Nurmengard's security was surprisingly lax. They walked all the way to the castle's edge without spotting a single guard from the Austrian Ministry of Magic.
At the entrance, two men in suits appeared before them.
"This isn't a place for you, young wizards," they said politely.
They hadn't intercepted earlier, assuming the pair were Muggle who had stumbled into the area.
After all, the castle was surrounded by Muggle-Repelling Charms—those without magic couldn't even see it.
But as they approached the gates, the guards finally confirmed their identities.
Not Muggle—likely young wizards who had wandered here by mistake.
"I'm here to find someone," Veratia said softly.
"There's no one here for you to find," one of the wizards said, frowning. "You look like students. Go back!"
"The person I'm looking for is Gellert Grindelwald," Veratia said again. "If you know where he's being held, take me to him."
"Gellert Grindelwald is a high-security prisoner under Ministry guard. No visitors are allowed," the two wizards said in unison. "Durmstrang students, are you? Let me remind you—idolizing dark wizards isn't a quirky way to stand out. It's not cool."
"Can't I even visit my own brother?" Veratia said softly, drawing her wand.
"What brother?" The wizards felt mocked. This girl, barely sixteen or seventeen, was here at Nurmengard, demanding to see Gellert Grindelwald and claiming he was her brother?
Are you playing us?
"Ministry wizards, Harry," Veratia said, raising her wand. "Expelliarmus!"
Harry caught her meaning—Ministry wizards, stick to light magic.
He mirrored her movement, disarming the other wizard.
Then, with perfect coordination, they each cast a Petrification Charm on the guards.
"Let's go. Through the front door," Veratia said, taking Harry's hand. Just as she had a century ago, on that Christmas when she first brought Harry to Nurmengard, she held her head high, radiating pride.
The defenses inside Nurmengard were sparse. From the front door to the first-floor hall, Harry and Veratia only encountered six guarding wizards.
Using Legilimency, they learned Gellert was in the third-floor hall, warming himself by a fire.
They made their way to the third floor, meeting no resistance along the way.
Before the third-floor hall stood a solid wooden door.
Pushing it open, the room opened wide.
By the floor-to-ceiling windows, an old wizard with white hair stood with his hands behind his back.
"Didn't I tell you to knock before coming in?" he said, his tone tinged with irritation.
"You didn't knock when you took my Galleons, Gell," Veratia replied.
At the sound of her voice, Grindelwald's figure froze.
Then he whipped around.
"Sister?!"
His voice carried disbelief, a flicker of joy at reunion, and a trace of unspoken resentment.
"I'm glad you still remember I'm your sister, Gell," Veratia said, smiling as she studied him. "I just didn't expect that after all these years, my brother would become… a prisoner under Ministry watch?"
"A prisoner, yes."
Grindelwald laughed, his gaze shifting to Harry, his lips curling into a sneer.
"Well, well… Scarhead Veela… This is the boy you crossed time itself to find? Doesn't seem all that special—except for that lightning scar on his forehead, growing ever more prominent."
Meeting Harry, Grindelwald's eyes burned with the fire of an old grudge. His white hair seemed to bristle, each strand pointing skyward.
Veratia's gaze turned dangerous.
"Are you angry, dear sister?" Grindelwald noticed her protective stance and chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course, your boy being mocked like this would make you furious. But have you ever considered how I was mocked after you vanished, leaving eight-year-old me behind?"
He clutched his chest, voice heavy with pain. "I had to fight tooth and nail to prove my sister didn't abandon me—that she just… disappeared, or met with some accident."
"Oh, I forgot."
Grindelwald gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. "In your eyes, there's only your golden boy—just because he plucked a crown from a tree for you. Don't tell me that one little act made you fall head over heels for him?"
Veratia's gaze softened.
Even Harry turned his head, looking out at the distant snow-capped mountains.
He felt a twinge of guilt. Sure, Gellert had emptied Veratia's vault, but Veratia had abandoned her young brother for him. She was in the wrong too.
Noticing their guilt, Grindelwald felt a small wave of relief.
It seemed… playing the emotional card was working.
He pressed his advantage. "I know, once you became a white swan, soaring high above, you couldn't see your pitiful brother below. That's fine. It's in the past. I had to try my luck in Britain, searching for any trace of you."
"When I learned my sister left ten thousand Galleons in Gringotts, do you know how overjoyed I was, sister?" Grindelwald gave another bitter laugh. "But reality dealt me a crushing blow. I searched that vault frantically for any message you left me, but there was nothing—nothing but cold Galleons."
"Yes, nothing, sister," Grindelwald said, lifting his head, sniffing as if fighting back tears.
"Gell…" Tears glistened in Veratia's violet eyes.
"This is my revenge, sister," Grindelwald said, his smile bitter. "Seeing you this angry brings me joy—because I've finally made you feel pain, sister."
Veratia was consumed with guilt.
She admitted she hadn't been a good sister, abandoning her brother for a boy.
"It's just two million, seven hundred sixty-three thousand, two hundred fifteen Galleons. It doesn't matter," she said.
A flat, emotionless line ran through Grindelwald's mind.
You remember it down to the last coin and say it doesn't matter?
He decided to push further.
"Of course it matters, sister," Grindelwald continued. "I know you earned that money by fighting from poacher camps in the British Isles to the lairs of the Ashwinder gang, and by clearing out rebel goblin stashes. That was your life's blood—and I, Gellert Grindelwald, take pride in avenging myself by trampling on it."
He spoke with his hands behind his back, leaning forward slightly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"You knew it was your sister's life's blood?" Harry instinctively felt he should defend Veratia and countered.
"Oh, Scarhead," Grindelwald said, eyeing Harry as if discovering a new continent. "Revenge tastes sweet, doesn't it? I want my sister to feel the pain I endured. Only then can I find a shred of solace…"
He turned back to Veratia.
"What are you waiting for, sister? Don't tell me you've gone soft—facing the brother who trampled your life's work, shouldn't you raise your wand and hurl some curses at his face? Like you did to Hydra and her ilk?"
Grindelwald's voice was soft and slow, his expression infuriatingly smug.
But the more he acted this way, the guiltier Veratia felt.
She let out a soft, murmuring sigh.
"What's wrong, sister? Has a century passed, and you've forgotten how to torment someone with curses?" Grindelwald laughed. "Oh… I forgot. I'm the one who's lived a century without you. For you, it's been but a moment."
Those words hit Veratia like a sledgehammer. She swayed, tears streaming down her face.
She grabbed Harry's arm, steadying herself.
"No, Gell, I…"
"Enough. No explanations, sister."
Grindelwald finally relaxed. He stepped forward, approaching Veratia.
"Come now, raise your wand…"
"I…"
Tears glistened on Veratia's cheeks.
Grindelwald's face still wore that calm, unhurried smile.
"I've lost my magic, Gell," she said.
Lost her magic?
Grindelwald's heart skipped a beat.
"Of course. Time travel always comes at a cost," he said casually. "Perhaps you should let me join you, help you reclaim your magic."
"It's no use, Gell," Veratia said, shaking her head gently. "But… I was a Squib until I was fifteen. I'm not unaccustomed to this life."
She extended a hand to Grindelwald.
Skeptical, Grindelwald took her hand. After a moment, he sensed no trace of magic in her.
"Such a pity, sister," he said.
As he spoke, his hand behind his back subtly reached for the wand tucked at his waist.
If sister's lost her magic, no one can save you now, Scarhead Veela!
I'll hang you from Nurmengard's rooftop, let you freeze in the wind for a day!
Believe me, I'll make sister watch you dangle!
The moment he touched his wand, he whipped it out.
"Expelliarmus!"
Grindelwald's wand spun through the air, landing in Veratia's hand.
He stared at her, stunned. He'd sensed no magical aura—just like a Muggle or a Squib…
How had she suddenly regained her magic?
"Gell."
The corner of Veratia's lips curved upward.
She handed the wand to Harry and said softly, "I'm your sister, Gell. How could I not know what you're thinking?"
"Sister, I…"
Grindelwald was filled with regret—deep, bitter regret.
Why had he believed her nonsense?
He'd even double-checked, probing her magic with a spell…
This was bad, he thought, his final realization.
Then he felt his body lift, slamming hard into the ground.
Just as he thought his old bones would shatter, he realized his sister had thoughtfully cast a Cushioning Charm beneath him.
But before he could feel relief, he realized the charm was worse than nothing.
His bones wouldn't break, but the muffled impact against the floor was maddening.
"Gell~" Veratia's voice was soft and slow, as gentle as his had been. "Who in this room will mourn for you?"
"No one," he said honestly. "But Mother and Father surely wouldn't…"
"You dare mention Mother and Father!" Veratia sneered. "Today, I'll send you to meet them, you disgrace to the Grindelwald name! All you do is drive up the price of potatoes!"
With a flick of her wand, Veratia sent Grindelwald crashing into a nearby wall.
The wall thudded loudly, and even the chandelier above began to sway.
The force was clearly immense.
"You took my money, and if you'd succeeded, I might have let it slide, Gellert Grindelwald!" she said, her voice cold with mockery. "But what I can't accept is that you didn't just fail—
You got yourself locked up in this castle like a hamster!"
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