There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, so naturally the Eda in Grindelwald's eyes was different from the Eda in Dumbledore's eyes.
Even if the two men sometimes shared a tacit understanding, their perspectives were ultimately different.
What Grindelwald first came into contact with was Eda's darker side—her dissatisfaction toward Hogwarts, toward Dumbledore, and even toward the world itself.
At that time, the flames burning within Eda wanted to destroy the entire world, to melt everything beneath those flames.
Now that he was seeing Eda again, Grindelwald felt that the flames within her burned even more fiercely.
But this time, the flames were not for destruction, but for protection. Protection of the life she loved, and protection of the companions and family she cherished.
"The flames burning in my heart?" Eda replied jokingly. "Whether there are flames or not, I'm not sure. But I really have been getting heartburn lately. That's a stomach problem though, nothing to do with flames."
"You do not need to admit anything. I am merely stating what I see," Grindelwald said indifferently.
I don't care what you think, I care what I think! Good grief, could Grindelwald actually be the original domineering CEO? Did this gentleman perhaps have another secret identity?
Eda looked around. Everywhere her eyes landed, there was barely any dust to be seen. The armor that had once been rusted was no longer covered in rust, but stood properly beside the walls like guards protecting Nurmengard.
"The Dark Lord has certainly become much more diligent recently!" Eda remarked. Not having to clean the house yourself really was wonderful.
Faced with Eda's praise—or rather, sarcasm—Grindelwald did not argue back. Instead, he calmly asked, "Tell me then. Since you were not sent here as punishment by him, what are you doing at Nurmengard? Surely you didn't come just to see this terrible old man?"
"Oh, you actually got that right," Eda snapped her fingers and exaggeratedly said, "I really did come specifically to see you, this terrible old man. And while I was at it, I brought you some things."
That genuinely exceeded Grindelwald's expectations. In his own eyes, he was merely an old man imprisoned within Nurmengard, with neither power nor influence.
The only thing worth coveting was the knowledge stored in his mind, yet Grindelwald had no intention of passing those things on to anyone. Anyone coveting that was simply dreaming.
Under such circumstances, the girl had actually come specifically to visit him. Was she really this starved for affection? Had such a tiny bit of insignificant help truly made her remember his kindness?
Under Grindelwald's somewhat surprised gaze, Eda lifted the large travel bag by her feet and walked over to the first Dark Lord. Opening the bag, she began taking items out one by one.
Clothes, shoes, food, alcohol—even a mattress!
Grindelwald quickly stopped Eda, preventing the girl from continuing to unpack. Eda had no choice but to stop. Half of a quilt that had already been pulled out instantly fell back into the bag.
Looking at the things spread across the table, Grindelwald suddenly felt his eyes grow dry. These foods and drinks were all things he liked, and the clothes were also styles he used to wear often, though they seemed slightly larger now.
"Who sent these?" Grindelwald's voice was no longer as calm as before. "Him?"
The first person Grindelwald thought of was Dumbledore. But after thinking about it, he felt it could not be him, because many of these preferences had only developed after he left Godric's Hollow.
"Him? Of course not." Eda returned to her usual seat and switched to French as she continued, "A woman. The most beautiful rose in France. Her name is…"
"Vinda Rosier," Grindelwald finished Eda's sentence for her.
Yes, only Vinda Rosier would remember every single preference of Gellert Grindelwald so firmly. But Vinda could only ever be Vinda. She could never become Albus Dumbledore.
Grindelwald muttered something softly in German. Unfortunately for him, Eda understood it this time. What he had said was, "Foolish girl."
Whether in Grindelwald's tone or in his wording, he had not regarded Vinda as a woman in the sense of an equal romantic partner.
Nor had he simply regarded Vinda as one of his followers, because the tone had been too intimate. Perhaps Grindelwald had only ever treated Vinda as a little sister, or as a junior.
Just as Vinda herself had once said, no response was the best response. Vinda's admiration and Vinda's feelings had never escaped Grindelwald's notice. His lack of response was because he did not want to hurt Vinda, nor did he want her to continue any further.
Yet in the end, Vinda had stubbornly devoted her entire life to him regardless.
Once some people decide on someone, that choice lasts a lifetime.
"You came from an orphanage and also studied at Hogwarts," Grindelwald asked. "How did you come to know her?"
"To be honest, even now I still find it a little hard to believe. I'm afraid that one morning I'll wake up and discover everything before this was nothing more than a dream," Eda said somewhat dejectedly. Then she continued, "I did indeed grow up in an orphanage, but that doesn't change the fact that Vinda Rosier is my grandmother."
"Is she doing well now?" The Vinda who once stood behind him had already become a grandmother herself… time truly passed quickly.
A bit of concern from Grindelwald—if Vinda had heard it, she probably would have been very happy. But Eda was not Vinda. Vinda would rejoice over Grindelwald's concern, while Eda only felt that this terrible old man was not entirely "heartless and unfaithful."
"She's doing pretty well, but she could have had an even better life," Eda answered. Then she told him about everything that had happened to Vinda over the years, as well as how she herself had reunited with Vinda.
Grindelwald listened quietly the entire time. He did not interrupt, nor did he ask any questions. Many things did not need to be asked aloud—Grindelwald could figure out the answers himself.
"All these things were prepared for you by her, and she told me not to mention her to you," Eda said.
The story had already ended. Eda tried to read something from Grindelwald's expression, but she could not see anything at all.
Grindelwald gave no response. He simply picked up the travel bag and silently turned to head upstairs. No one knew whether the bag felt heavy in his hands or not.
A faint sigh drifted down. Eda could not understand what that sigh meant. Perhaps only Vinda could understand the meaning behind it.
If the magical world could request songs, Eda really wanted to dedicate the song "Always Quiet" to her grandmother.
For some reason, Eda just felt that her grandmother's atmosphere felt strangely like Casablanca —"Someone devoted to a person whose heart belongs elsewhere." It suited the situation strangely well.
Wait, since it was a movie for three people, then who exactly was the third person?
Wait… does this mean Grindelwald and Dumbledore were that important to each other? So... Grindelwald's feelings are not one-sided, right? Than Dumbledore also...
Eda suddenly felt like she had stumbled upon an astonishing piece of gossip!
But after thinking about it again, Eda felt that perhaps the gossip was not actually that shocking after all. It was just… one of those things.
Putting a stop to her wild train of thought and no longer letting her imagination run rampant, Eda picked up her handbag and familiarly made her way toward the room she had stayed in before.
The small loft room was likewise free of dust, maintained exactly as it had been when Eda left.
Eda skillfully made the bed, spreading out the things she had brought with her—blankets, pillows, and so on.
Once she had finished tidying up, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Without even changing clothes, Eda lay down on the bed, intending to take a short nap.
That nap lasted all the way until evening, when the sky had already been draped in brilliant red clouds.
Opening her eyes and looking out the window, the enormous "scar" in the distant mountains was still just as shocking to behold. But at this moment, Eda herself also possessed that kind of power, and she believed that she would grow even stronger in the future.
Probably because her stomach was unbearably hungry, Eda's sense of smell suddenly became much sharper. She caught the scent of meat.
Without any hesitation, Eda immediately walked out of the room and followed the aroma downstairs, where she found Grindelwald, who apparently was also very hungry.
"Your portion is in the kitchen. Go get it yourself," Grindelwald said.
He had changed into new clothes, and even his hair and beard had been tidied up. He looked far more presentable than before, when he had been dressed in rags.
Eda walked into the kitchen and carried out her portion of smoked meat. The delicious-smelling food, however, did not stop her mouth from teasing him.
"Oh? New clothes, huh? Not bad—they fit pretty well!"
"Not perfectly. I've gotten a little thinner recently," Grindelwald replied.
The first Dark Lord of this century could not even be bothered to lift his head, focusing entirely on the food on his plate. It had been a very long time since he had eaten something this satisfying.
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