Chapter 155: For the Greater Good

    "*Sigh* The incident at Gringotts was indeed my doing," Cyrus nodded.

    "But I initially followed the proper procedure to retrieve some items. Those greedy goblins tried to double-cross me. You''ve reminded me—I can''t let them get away with that."

    Cyrus planned to write a letter to Lucius Malfoy.

    The greedy goblins would pay for their actions, and mere bloodshed wouldn''t suffice. Cyrus intended to seize their most cherished treasure—their wealth.

    Harry had no comment on this.

    "So, what brings you here this time?"

    "I''m here to find something at the school, but I need to cover my tracks first to avoid detection," Cyrus explained.

    He was referring to the Marauder''s Map.

    Although the Athenaeum was in Hogwarts, Cyrus didn''t expect to find its exact location immediately.

    This could take some time, and Cyrus needed to ensure he could stay at Hogwarts without being discovered.

    "Do you need someone to possess?" Harry quickly asked, looking almost eager.

    Cyrus was taken aback.

    "No, I don''t need to possess anyone right now, Harry."

    Seeing Harry''s slight disappointment, he added, "Just don''t tell anyone about my presence, okay? It''s our secret."

    "Of course!"

    Cyrus picked up his wand and, in front of Harry, transformed into another person—Neville Longbottom.

    Neville Longbottom was a chubby-faced boy with a terrible memory who frequently misplaced things.

    Cyrus had interacted with him during his possession of Ginny last year and found him to be a familiar and easy target for transformation.

    The most important aspect was that, given Neville''s poor memory, it was entirely plausible for him to be seen wandering around the castle on a day when everyone else was heading to Hogsmeade.

    No one would suspect anything, assuming he had merely forgotten something and had to stay behind.

    After perfectly transforming into Neville, Cyrus prepared to leave. He noticed Harry eagerly watching him.

    "Want to come along?" Cyrus asked tentatively.

    "Really?!" Harry, as if he had been waiting for this invitation, nodded without hesitation. "Of course!"

    Rather than staying alone in the dormitory, Harry preferred to accompany Cyrus, whether it was an adventure or simply wandering around.

    "Where are we going now?"

    "First, to Fred and George''s dormitory. I need to find a map and erase my name from it. By the way, have you ever heard of the Athenaeum?" Cyrus asked as they walked.

    "Sounds like a library?"

    They quickly reached Fred''s room, and it didn''t take Cyrus long to find the Marauder''s Map.

    Harry was astonished by the utility of the map, never dreaming that such a treasure existed at Hogwarts.

    Otherwise, the security of the headmaster''s office would be a joke.

    ''The password to the headmaster''s office has always been a sweet, but that''s when Dumbledore is in the office and expecting to meet someone,'' he thought. ''But if he''s away and doesn''t want anyone to enter, what kind of password would he leave?''

    "What password would be both unexpected and significant to Dumbledore?" Cyrus muttered to himself.

    Suddenly, an image of a person flashed in his mind.

    —Grindelwald!

    He was Dumbledore''s love and regret; someone he desired but could never forgive. Cyrus didn''t think Dumbledore would blatantly use Grindelwald''s name as a password.

    Dumbledore''s feelings towards Grindelwald were undoubtedly complex, encompassing a difficult-to-confess love during those couple of months and a deep-seated hatred.

    The death of Dumbledore''s sister, Ariana, at the hands of an unknown spell, was a matter too painful to dwell on any longer.

    Dumbledore, Aberforth, and Grindelwald likely all bore some responsibility.

    More heartbreaking was Grindelwald''s decision at that time.

    He left two grieving boys and a cold corpse behind, fleeing Godric''s Hollow on his own.

    After that, there was the matter of Kreston...

    Grindelwald owed Dumbledore too much.

    Cyrus had heard that since Grindelwald entered Nurmengard, he frequently wrote letters to Dumbledore, but despite tearing his bedsheets to shreds, he never received a reply.

    The password couldn''t possibly be Grindelwald''s name; it had to be something else.

    Cyrus looked at the two gargoyle statues and tentatively spoke:

    "For the greater good."

    The door opened.

    Cyrus suddenly realized that this wasn''t merely a password to open a door but an incantation imprisoning two tormented souls.

    In faraway Northern Europe, the gates of Nurmengard prison bore the same inscription in German. Grindelwald willingly confined himself there, while Dumbledore, similarly, created his own prison within Hogwarts.

    "For the greater good."

    This phrase was indisputably correct, but it depended on whose "good" it referred to.

    Grindelwald''s perspective naturally represented the interests of wizards.

    His stance was similar to Voldemort''s in viewing Muggles as adversaries, but his ideology was entirely different.

    Grindelwald neither hated nor underestimated Muggles; quite the opposite, he valued their strength immensely.

    He regarded Muggles as distinct from wizards but equally useful people.

    Yes, "people"! (A/N: People or Humans)

    The magical world had repeatedly revised the concept of "people." Nowadays, creatures like goblins, centaurs, and giants were all classified under the category of "people." However, in the past, they were considered magical creatures.

    _____

    12 Advance Chapters-