Chapter 65: Cynthia's Resolve
After discussing Voldemort for a while, Tver and Grindelwald realized that Cynthia had been upstairs for an unusually long time.
"Should tidying a room take this long? Cynthia isn't a house-elf, but it shouldn't take half the day to tidy up."
Grindelwald also seemed puzzled. "Why don't you go check on her?"
Tver immediately set down his cutlery.
Although Cynthia's abilities were not on par with his, she was consistently ranked second at Durmstrang, capable enough to handle danger on her own. Still, he couldn't help but feel worried.
The lights on the second floor were off, the only illumination coming from the faint moonlight streaming through the windows.
However, as he approached the last step of the staircase, he faintly heard a sound—
Someone was crying in the room.
"Cynthia?"
He pushed the door open forcefully. Tver sent a globe of light speeding into the room, revealing the scene inside.
Cynthia was kneeling by the door, sobbing, her wand in hand and her body trembling.
And there, sprawled on the carpet, was Tver—or rather, an image of him. This Tver's face was ashen, his lips tainted with congealed blood, clearly dead.
In the next moment, Cynthia sniffled and waved her wand at the figure.
"Riddikulus!"
The figure of "Tver" animated, standing up in front of her dressed in a grand suit, holding a bouquet of roses.
"I'm sorry."
With a swift flick of her wand, the illusion turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated into the room.
With the disappearance of Tver's Lumos charm, the room darkened again, the moonlight barely revealing the vulnerable side of the young girl.
This was the first time Tver had seen her like this. Usually, no matter the difficulty, Cynthia maintained a confident demeanor.
Of course, given her strength and talent, there were seldom challenges she couldn't handle.
Tver looked around and then helped Cynthia to her feet.
No matter how beautiful a girl is, when her face is streaked with tears and her nose is running, it's hard to see her charm.
"Sniffle."
She failed to sniffle back her tears properly.
Amused by her endearing state, Tver shook his head and chuckled softly.
In the dim room, Cynthia could only see Tver's silhouette, but to her, it was becoming clearer and clearer!
Because Tver was silently moving closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath and the faint scent of him.
"Thud."
The girl's back gently hit the wall.
Cynthia's heartbeat sped up, especially when Tver placed his left hand against the wall and leaned his head toward her small face, her heart nearly leaping out of her throat.
"Let's do something that we can only do with the lights off," Tver whispered in her ear.
"Do... do... what?" Cynthia was very nervous, clutching the hem of her dress tightly, her small face as hot as if it were about to explode.
Whether out of fear or anticipation, the girl tightly shut her eyes, her eyelids still trembling, betraying her inner turmoil.
"Turn on the light."
Tver chuckled softly and pressed the wall switch. With a "click," the room lit up.
He then took the opportunity to survey the room.
It was furnished in a simple, rustic style, with just a basic bed and chairs, but it was sufficient.
For him, elegance and luxury were not necessities.
Only then did Cynthia come back to her senses, wiping the tears from her face. She walked over to Tver with a flushed face, hesitantly asking, "Did I just make a fool of myself?"
"Of course not. On the contrary, I appreciate your concern," Tver waved his wand, erasing traces of magic in the room. "I thought this was a Muggle's house; how could a Boggart exist here?"
Now focusing on the matter at hand, Cynthia regained her usual efficiency.
"Actually, this used to be an old wizard's home, but as he passed away, all the protective spells on the room gradually dissipated, and it was eventually bought by a Muggle family. However, some traces of magic remained, causing the family to move out after living here for two years, and finally, it was purchased by Mr. Grindelwald."
Tver nodded in approval, always satisfied with Cynthia's ability to provide detailed answers to everyday problems.
"And what about the professor, what has he been doing all this time?"
He wasn't surveilling his own teacher, just worried that the teacher's departure from Nurmengard might attract the attention of the Austrian Ministry of Magic, or even the International Confederation of Wizards.
Although Nurmengard was almost a mere formality, and the teacher's presence was increasingly disregarded by the magical community, some old wizards still dreaded the name Grindelwald.
After all, the teacher hadn't dominated Europe by mere words alone!
Cynthia recalled the past six months, speaking quickly yet clearly, "He's been pretending to be a normal Muggle old man. At first, he made a fool of himself due to unfamiliarity, but from the second day onward, he was able to greet and chat with the Muggles familiarly. According to Mr. Grindelwald, he would spend his days wandering around the nearby school, learning about Muggle technological ideas. At night, he mostly stayed in his room. I tried to investigate a few times, either finding him flipping through photo albums or tinkering with Transfiguration, though I think he noticed me."
The girl's face was full of guilt.
Tver displayed an expression of expectation, "I never intended to hide it from the professor, but although he hasn't objected, we should refrain from any further probing. By the way, have you mentioned preparing a wand for him?"
Cynthia's spirits immediately fell. "I've brought it up several times, but he always says he's a failure and there's no need for him to reappear."
Tver nodded, still hoping that the professor would step forward at the right time to help him handle some troubles.
Yet, he hadn't expected that past failures had almost closed off the professor's heart. It seemed that the solution would have to come from the one who tied the bell.
However, who would be the solver and who the bell ringer was yet to be determined? Perhaps in the future, convincing Dumbledore would also require the professor's involvement?
"You've worked hard during this time," Tver retracted his wand, turning to face Cynthia, "but I have one last question. Do you really want to follow me to pursue that nearly impossible ideal, even if I become a leisurely professor at Hogwarts?"
He had only shared his greatest ideology with Grindelwald and Cynthia after coming to this world.
Because he was still struggling for life, focused on exploring the secrets of the badge.
His strength was not yet sufficient to contend with the deeply entrenched ideologies of the wizarding world, at least, not until he surpassed Dumbledore.
Sensing Tver's solemn mood, Cynthia's expression became serious, meeting his gaze with a resolute look.
"I am willing to follow you for a lifetime," her tone was firm, as if filled with endless strength, "even if this world does not accommodate us!"
The thought of overturning the Statute of Secrecy excited her immensely!
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