Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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*****

"Professor Grindelwald! I'm your biggest fan!"

After the last Defense Against the Dark Arts class before Christmas, Harry approached Grindelwald with a small notebook in hand.

"Oh?"

The elderly man raised an amused eyebrow. "Really?"

As a seasoned leader who had weathered many storms, Grindelwald had seen all sorts of people. A mere fan wasn’t going to surprise him.

He decided to test him a little.

"Tell me then, Potter, how did you suddenly become my fan?"

"Until now, I hadn’t noticed."

"That’s because, at the time, I didn’t understand what you’ve accomplished, Professor Grindelwald!" Harry replied quickly. His words were honest. In this strange world, the old information had been thrown out the window. The Grindelwald in J.K. Rowling’s world and the one depicted here were not the same person at all!

"Recently, while browsing in the library, I came across a book titled A Catalogue of Important Events in Modern European Magical History. I was shocked to find that there were only two names in this entire thick volume."

"One was yours, and the other was Professor Dumbledore’s."

"The fact that a formally published book, meant to chronicle such significant history, ended up being a dual biography about the two of you is already an incredible feat. After reading it carefully, I became convinced that you’re the role model I need to learn from and follow."

"You are truly a great and powerful wizard!"

"Heh." Grindelwald paced forward, his back to Harry, his voice as flat as ever, seemingly unmoved by Harry’s words. "And what about Albus? Since you said that book became a dual biography, why did you choose me and not Albus? After all, he’s your headmaster, isn’t he?"

"There's a big difference between the two of you."

Harry shook his head slightly, his tone becoming more serious.

"Albus Dumbledore is indeed a powerful wizard, but in my eyes, he falls just short of true greatness. I’m not questioning his strength, wisdom, or achievements. He’s reached a level that most wizards could never dream of, but it’s still not enough."

"True greatness is about being unmatched in your time, reigning supreme. Only the strongest of an era can claim that title, and that title can only belong to one person."

"In the history recorded in that book, I saw something in you that Dumbledore doesn’t possess."

"And that is the power to lead. Dumbledore is a formidable wizard, but he’s not someone who can shake an era as a truly great leader does."

"You founded the Purist Party and trained disciples. Regardless of your reasons at the time, let’s analyze the Purist Party rationally."

"First, it became a behemoth that spanned across North America and half of Europe’s magical world. The Purist Party, advocating for elite wizardry, attracted a significant portion of the world’s most talented wizards. With your guidance and the resources of the Purist Party, they were able to fully realize their potential. This is something rare in the wizarding world, where internal conflict is the norm. Yet, you achieved this miracle."

"Through your unmatched charisma and immense power, you became a god to your disciples, giving this massive organization a singular will and unified strength. Without you, the Purist Party wouldn’t exist."

"The power of an individual is limited. Even a wizard with extraordinary abilities has their limits. Collective strength is the greatest power in the world, yet few organizations can fully harness it. In fact, for much of human history, this potential has remained untapped."

"But you filled that gap. Even if the Purist Party can only reach its current height while you’re alive, that’s already enough."

"Not bad," Grindelwald said lightly, as though Harry's words didn’t particularly impress him. "But didn’t Albus also form the Order of the Phoenix? What do you think of that?"

"The Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry paused. He knew a bit about the Order. It wasn’t hard to gather information on it—Snape had shared quite a lot, and Hagrid had filled in some details. He had even had casual conversations with Neville and the Weasley twins, subtly asking about it.

"The Order of the Phoenix is Dumbledore’s failure. Its creation only proves that he isn’t a true leader or a competent one."

Harry’s blunt statement made Grindelwald turn around, a flicker of admiration and recognition hidden in his gaze, though subtle.

After all, he thought the same.

But outwardly, Grindelwald didn’t express it.

"How much do you know about the Order of the Phoenix?" Grindelwald asked with a smile. "Albus's achievements are well recognized, and the Order is hailed as the rebirth fire that saved England."

"Those loyal to Albus stood fearlessly at the front lines against the Death Eaters. To crush that dark force, they sacrificed a great deal, all without complaint."

"Even I must admit, those brave and loyal people were remarkable young wizards, no less than any of my own disciples. Anyone willing to burn themselves out for their beliefs deserves to be called a hero."

"Precisely, Professor Grindelwald."

Harry lowered his head slightly, his voice growing more solemn.

"Professor Dumbledore did indeed establish the Order of the Phoenix, but as its founder, he should have done more than just rally troops and raise a flag. A competent leader must do much more. Forgive my bluntness, but besides raising the banner of the Order, Dumbledore failed to do anything else he should have."

"As the leader, after founding the Order, he disappeared for an entire year. That was when Voldemort was first rising, when the wizarding world hadn’t yet been swept into chaos. His fear was only just beginning to spread. Snuffing out a small flame is easy, but extinguishing a raging fire comes with immeasurable costs and sacrifices."

"Dumbledore’s first mistake was delaying when he was needed most."

Harry might not have known why Dumbledore remained at Hogwarts for that year, but Grindelwald understood. He and Dumbledore had once shared a dream—the quest for the Deathly Hallows. After 1945, Grindelwald had given up on the idea, but Dumbledore had persisted.

During that time, Dumbledore had obtained the second of the Deathly Hallows. It was because he chose to study it that he disappeared during Voldemort’s initial rise.

"And the second point?" Grindelwald asked.

"The second point is that Professor Dumbledore never treated the Order of the Phoenix as a team he was leading. Instead, he used it as a disposable tool."

"He didn’t see himself as a leader because he never considered himself responsible for the people in the Order!"

"Let me ask you, Professor Grindelwald, what is the most important thing that keeps the Purist Party united, aside from their voluntary loyalty and recognition of your will?"

Without hesitation, Grindelwald replied, "Interest."

"Exactly. Interests. Even saints need to eat, and heroes can be brought down by poverty. How much more so for ordinary people?"

"Dumbledore didn’t provide any meaningful benefits to the members of the Order. In fact, not only did he fail to offer them rewards, he didn’t even ensure that the most basic compensation for their sacrifices was prepared."

"The Weasleys, one of Dumbledore’s most loyal supporters, still live in a ramshackle stone house they built themselves. A family of nine survives on Mr. Weasley’s meager salary. Maybe they once had a little inheritance from their ancestors, but I suspect that’s long gone by now."

"And then there’s the Longbottoms. Neville’s parents were tortured into insanity by Voldemort’s followers, and they still reside in the long-term care ward at St. Mungo’s, waiting for a miracle. But what about Neville? His parents gave everything to resist Voldemort. And what’s become of their son?"

"If I were the leader of the Order, I would at least make sure that those who sincerely followed me received proper compensation after everything was over. The Weasley family could be living better. Mr. Weasley is not an ordinary man. He deserves a higher position, one that would make it easier for him to support his children."

"I would also make sure Neville was cared for. If I couldn’t help his parents recover, I would ensure their son received the best education and guidance. Even if his talent isn’t as exceptional as theirs, if I were a wizard as powerful as Professor Dumbledore, I could and would promise him a bright future."

"But what did Professor Dumbledore do? Nothing. He could have done all of this, and yet he didn’t. May I be so bold as to say it? Is Professor Dumbledore inherently cold-hearted?"

"He’s not a capable leader. He lacks responsibility. As a man who walks a lonely path, he may be powerful, but he will never be great."

"To be honest, this question has bothered me as well. Before I came to the wizarding world, I asked Hagrid: ‘Do my parents, and those like them, who made great sacrifices for the peace of the wizarding world, have a monument dedicated to them?’"

"People call me the Boy Who Lived, treat me as someone extraordinary, but the glory I wear doesn't belong to me—it belongs to those who have been buried by time and forgotten by others!"

"Professor Dumbledore could have done all of this. He was hailed as the greatest white wizard in Europe! But does he truly deserve the title 'great'? He doesn't!"

"Someone who doesn’t understand the strongest and most unbreakable force in the world cannot be the person I admire. That’s why, in that book, the only name I saw was yours."

"Professor Grindelwald, I want to become a truly great wizard like you."

"When that time comes, I won’t have to 'ask' the Minister of Magic, 'Could you please build a monument for those worthy heroes?'"

"When that time comes, if he doesn’t do it willingly, I’ll kill him and build a new Ministry of Magic!"

"Ha." Grindelwald let out a brief chuckle. "Killing isn’t something to be spoken of lightly."

"But those scum don’t count as people," Harry replied, unmoved. "They only look like it."

"Well said."

With a smile, Grindelwald lightly clapped his hands for Harry. "Indeed, there are many things in this world that merely resemble people. And when I was young, I killed quite a few of them."

He made no attempt to hide his history as an executioner. In the early days of the Purist Party, Grindelwald had brazenly assassinated and killed numerous high-ranking officials, striking fear throughout the magical world of Europe and paving a smooth path for his followers.

In the regions touched by the Purist Party’s influence, many of the upper echelons were now members of the movement. With their support, the wizarding world outside of England had taken on a vastly different shape. Grindelwald was playing a much larger game now, a game even grander than before.

"So, Harry."

Grindelwald looked into Harry's eyes. "What is it you wish to gain from me?"

"I’ve built a warband. I brought in people from Hogwarts' Quidditch team, leveraging my absolute dominance in the sport to build a group of useful people—not just to make Quidditch more exciting and fulfill my passion for the game, but also for the..."

"...unpredictable tomorrow."

Harry gazed out the window. In the cold winds of late winter, the seeds of spring's vibrant life were already stirring.

(End of chapter)