After learning what the Guardian Necklace could do, along with the equipment that had been issued to the Aurors, all the Ministers and Department Heads had only one thought in mind: Britain's Ministry of Magic had been eating very well indeed.
Especially when they thought back to the Aurors from earlier. If they had possessed equipment like that, not only would their lives have been far better protected, they also would have been able to fight much more freely instead of, like before, fearing Grindelwald's reputation and only daring to cast from a distance.
The way they looked at Crouch grew heated. One Auror could not help asking, "Mr. Crouch, do you mean that all this equipment can be purchased from the British Ministry of Magic?"
"No, not from the Ministry," Crouch said, shaking his head. "The inventor of WhatsApp, Mr. Tom Riddle, has opened a shop in Diagon Alley called Helder's Magic Workshop. They also sell other tools he has made there. Most of those products can be purchased directly from the shop. Of course, the Guardian Necklace is not among them. An alchemical item of that level is difficult to measure in money."
Crouch had revealed this information in order to do the senior officials of other countries a favor and make future dealings easier. Naturally, he had no intention of half-hiding things. He laid out every piece of information he knew without reservation.
Everyone present engraved that important news firmly in their minds, already intending to send Ministry staff to make purchases the moment they returned home.
Those with deep pockets had set their sights on the Guardian Necklace in particular. For the first time in their lives, these great figures of the wizarding world had truly felt how fragile life was.
Compared to their lives, Galleons were not worth mentioning.
No matter how expensive it was, they would still buy it.
When the meeting ended, the representatives of every country left the Woolworth Building and returned to their own nations.
Babajide let out a sigh.
He and Dumbledore shared the same understanding: the most dangerous thing about Grindelwald had never been his magic, but his ideas and his power to inspire others.
Even now, Babajide could not say for certain how many of the people who had sat in that meeting with him were harboring other thoughts, or perhaps were simply followers of Grindelwald already.
And the turmoil of today was undoubtedly impossible to conceal. Once the news spread, if Grindelwald raised his arm and called again, how many subordinates would gather beneath him?
When that time came, the world would truly descend into chaos.
But what could Babajide do?
Grindelwald was far too difficult to deal with now. Alone and moving like a ghost, impossible to predict, impossible to know where he might appear next. Perhaps... only once Grindelwald truly had a base of his own would it become the best moment to deal with him.
...
The next day.
Before the Ministry of Magic had even officially begun work, Fudge had already brought people with him to Hogwarts and specifically demanded to see Tom.
The day before, Crouch had returned to Britain at once by Portkey and personally reported everything to Fudge. Once Fudge had confirmed that Crouch was not treating him like a fool and spinning nonsense at him, he had begun to panic.
This Grindelwald... was a bit too fierce.
Then more and more Ministries began sending letters and WhatsApp communication requests, asking about the protective equipment and about WhatsApp itself. Only then did Fudge finally realize the seriousness of the matter.
So last night, he had dragged Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour into a small meeting. Early this morning, he had come straight to Hogwarts to discuss a response strategy with Dumbledore.
At the same time, he had also come to stock up on goods from Tom.
He wanted everything.
The more, the better.
"The Minister is certainly diligent. It's only a little after seven, and you're already at work," Tom said as he entered the Headmaster's office and shook hands with Fudge.
He had received Bones's warning last night, so he had known Fudge would come today. He just had not expected him to come this early. The smile on the boy's face immediately became much more sincere.
It had to be sincere.
After all, this man had come to deliver money straight into his hands.
Fudge noticed none of the subtle change in Tom's expression. Hearing the polite words, he gave a suitably bitter smile.
"Mr. Riddle, it's normal that you can't feel much of anything here at school."
"But in reality... the magical world, and by that I mean every wizarding world in the world, is about to descend into chaos. Gellert Grindelwald has escaped from prison. You do know who he is, yes?"
Fudge looked grave, and anger entered his voice as well.
"Not only did he escape, he didn't even hide himself. Yesterday, he openly attacked the International Confederation of Wizards and killed the Polish Minister for Magic and a North American official. He's completely lawless!"
The reason for Fudge's anger was naturally not because he had such a close relationship with the International Confederation.
It was because he despised Grindelwald's contempt for authority.
What Fudge hated most was precisely this kind of person, someone who relied on personal strength and refused to respect those in power. At that thought, he secretly glanced at Dumbledore, who was quietly listening beside them.
If Grindelwald could kill the Polish Minister for Magic today, then tomorrow, did that not mean a British Minister for Magic could be killed as well?
This was no ordinary dangerous criminal.
He had to be dealt with using the heaviest possible hand.
Tom, for his part, put on an expression of proper shock.
"Gellert Grindelwald? The dark wizard who was once defeated by Professor Dumbledore has escaped from prison?"
He even turned a questioning look toward old Dumbledore.
Dumbledore, expressionless, cooperated with the boy's performance and gave a small nod.
"That's right. That Grindelwald. After escaping, he first abducted Gregorovitch and forced him to make him a wand, then went on to commit the crimes Minister Fudge has just described."
Dumbledore would not have believed, even if someone beat him to death, that Tom knew nothing about Grindelwald's escape.
Even if Newt and Tina had not told him, Nicolas Flamel certainly would have.