- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 101
Why do the Ministries of Magic across the wizarding world fear Grindelwald so much and want to capture him as quickly as possible? It’s not just because of Grindelwald’s power—it’s mainly due to his highly persuasive rhetoric.
Many of his followers, aside from his die-hard loyalists, initially started as neutral figures, much like Newt. However, if he’s allowed to continue unchecked, these neutrals, the largest group, will gradually all turn into Grindelwald’s followers.
Over time, if the number of Grindelwald’s followers surpasses that of the rest of the wizarding world, the Ministries’ ability to control the situation through laws will be completely overturned. This could also ignite a war between wizards and Muggles.
Take Tina’s sister, Queenie Goldstein, for example. She originally leaned towards neutrality, favoring the Ministry, and even held a position as a clerk there. However, the Statute of Secrecy prevented her from marrying Jacob, a Muggle, ultimately leading her to side with Grindelwald. Because only if Grindelwald wins will the Statute of Secrecy be abolished, allowing her to marry Jacob openly.
“Stupefy!”
“Petrificus Totalus!”
“Expelliarmus!”
A barrage of spells shot from the Aurors’ wands, aimed at Grindelwald. Yet, with a mere wave of his wand, Grindelwald effortlessly deflected every single one of their attacks and began walking steadily toward President Picquery.
Witnessing Grindelwald’s immense power, Picquery’s eyes widened in shock. During the last operation to capture Grindelwald, it was Percival who led the charge on behalf of the American Magical Congress, so she hadn’t personally seen Grindelwald’s strength until now. Only now did she understand why so many had failed to apprehend him.
In a one-on-one duel, deflecting someone else’s spell isn’t too difficult—there’s minimal time difference since everyone chants and casts simultaneously. But for one person to deflect spells from over twenty Aurors with such ease, it wasn’t just about how fast Grindelwald could move his wand; it was his incredible spell-casting speed.
Even if Leo’s physical abilities allowed him to move his wand several times faster than Grindelwald, it wouldn’t matter. Properly casting a spell requires precise wand movements and clear enunciation of the incantation; simply waving the wand quickly wouldn’t do any good.
But Grindelwald didn’t need to chant spells, and his casting motions were so minimal that he could deflect over twenty different spells with a mere flick of his hand while still advancing.
“Levitation!”
At that moment, Leo made his move. He pointed his wand at the iron bench Grindelwald had deflected earlier and flung it back toward Grindelwald with a Levitation Charm. Against a wizard of Grindelwald’s caliber, using standard magical spells might be less effective than employing physical attacks.
As expected, sensing the threat from behind, Grindelwald finally paused. He continued deflecting the Aurors’ spells with one hand while using a nonverbal Levitation Charm with the other to stop the incoming bench. Not only could Grindelwald cast spells without incantations, but he could also do so with both hands simultaneously.
“Enough. Fighting you all here is pointless. Since things have come to this, let’s bring wizards out into the open for the Muggles to see. Let’s see how you enforce the Statute of Secrecy then.”
With a sigh, Grindelwald ignored Leo and hurled the iron bench toward Picquery and the Aurors, forcing them to halt their attacks. He then pointed his wand at the Aurors, lifted them into the air, slammed them to the ground on their knees, bound their hands with some form of restraining magic, and sent their wands flying out of reach.
This display of power shocked Picquery and the representatives from the International Confederation of Wizards. It became clear that some of the higher-ups, despite their age, status, and strong backgrounds, had lost much of their combat prowess after years of political work. They no longer possessed the magical skills they had in their youth.
With over twenty Aurors subdued in an instant, Picquery and the others recoiled in fear, unwilling to launch any further attacks.
Grindelwald merely shook his head in disappointment, glanced once more at Leo, and then walked into the magical elevator. He kicked out the goblin operator and pressed the button to the main hall.
“Grindelwald might be heading to attack Muggles and cause chaos. I’ll go down and try to stop him. You need to organize more help quickly!” Leo called out as he ran to the adjacent elevator, pressing the button for the first floor.
Given his current magical abilities, Leo knew he couldn’t match Grindelwald unless he resorted to ninja techniques and close-quarters combat, which might give him a slight chance.
But that wasn’t necessary. He wasn’t alone, and he didn’t need to defeat Grindelwald—just delay him.
The key was to prevent Grindelwald from leaving the Congress building. Once outside, Grindelwald could Apparate away at any time, making it nearly impossible to control the situation.
Unlike in the original events, there was no Obscurial like Credence to hold Grindelwald off, allowing the Aurors to set up defenses and barriers outside.
Due to the alarm, the entire Congress building was now on high alert. When Grindelwald, an internationally wanted criminal, appeared in the main hall, many Congress staff members immediately drew their wands and attacked him. However, aside from the Aurors, most of the wizards were easily overpowered by Grindelwald.
Nonetheless, their resistance did manage to delay Grindelwald’s escape from the hall, allowing Leo to outmaneuver him and reach the exit first.
Leo quickly set down the suitcase, opened it, and called Newt and Tina out.
Although neither of them could match Grindelwald in a duel, Tina, once the strongest Auror in the Congress, was still a top-tier wizard, and Newt had his magical creatures to assist him. With the three of them together, there was a chance they could delay or even surprise and subdue Grindelwald.
“What’s going on?”
Newt and Tina looked bewildered as Leo called them out at the entrance of the Congress building.
“In short, I ran into Percival Graves as soon as I left the office. Fortunately, he turned out to be Grindelwald in disguise. Our task now is to stop Grindelwald and prevent him from launching a terrorist attack!”
Leo quickly explained the situation, pointing to Grindelwald, who was now advancing toward them.