In the special care ward on the top floor of St Mungos, perhaps because Adelaide was not there to be a third wheel tonight, the two old men felt much more relaxed.
Dumbledore enjoyed the delicacies while chatting casually with Gellert across from him.
"That Wizengamot member, Heinz Rommel, actually took the initiative to claim responsibility for the deceased in Chinatown and denied that the dead person was August Locket, insisting it was his cousin Erich Rommel who was touring Britain. Did you instruct him to do this?"
Dumbledore looked up, gazing at Gellert with those wise and profound blue eyes, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.
Gellert shook his head, meeting Dumbledore's gaze directly, and replied, "No, this was not my idea. I have been busy planning how to spend an incredibly romantic Christmas with you, I haven't had any spare energy to focus on these trivial little matters."
After saying that, he winked at Dumbledore, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
Hearing this, Dumbledore couldn't help but feel speechless.
Good heavens, he treated the Chinatown incident, which had stirred up the entire British Wizarding World and caused a huge uproar, as an insignificant trifle, while considering the effort to trick him into coming over for a candlelight dinner as the top priority!
...But looking at Gellert's smug appearance, Dumbledore couldn't help but feel an indescribable warmth rising in his heart.
In this complicated world, having someone treat you with such dedication was quite a rare thing.
Dumbledore frowned slightly and continued, "If it wasn't instructed by you, then it must have been Adelaide—I have to say, this youngster bears some resemblance to you from back then. At the time, Chinatown was crowded with Muggles, the situation was sudden and extremely chaotic, and the Wizard responsible for identifying the deceased wasn't entirely sure if he had misidentified the person."
"Fudge seized this opportunity to cremate the body, then unhesitatingly handed the ashes to Heinz Rommel, staunchly proclaiming that the matter was due to an old grudge between the German Wizengamot and the opposition faction, having nothing to do with the British Wizarding World; subsequently, The Daily Prophet published photos and reports confirming Azkaban was safe, and the matter was completely glossed over."
Gellert snorted upon hearing this, saying sarcastically with a hint of mockery, "Only when his position is threatened does your 'great' Minister for Magic in Britain manage to get his mind working quickly."
Dumbledore's face showed complete disapproval, and he refuted with a serious tone, "Although Fudge is indeed somewhat self-centered usually, we cannot completely disregard his persistent and firm loyalty to the British Wizarding World. At least I can confirm he would never side with Lord Voldemort."
Gellert's previously cheerful expression darkened. He frowned, looking at Dumbledore across from him with slight dissatisfaction, and said in a low, suppressed voice, "Albus, it took me so much effort to secure this opportunity to have dinner with you."
Dumbledore looked bewildered; he genuinely didn't understand what he had said to make Gellert so unhappy.
He tried to explain, "Gellert, I just felt that since we are gathered together, sharing the latest news about the British Wizarding World with you is quite necessary..."
Before Dumbledore could finish, Gellert interrupted him unceremoniously, his tone filled with mockery and sarcasm: "Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Albus Dumbledore. I, the leader of the Wizengamot faction, am truly ignorant. Without your information delivery, I am like someone isolated from the world, knowing nothing about the British Wizarding World."
"My useless subordinates are also deaf and blind. They spend all day scrambling in the Wizarding World yet cannot obtain a single piece of news! Only you can tell me the current state of the Wizarding World, the great know-it-all Dumbledore!"
Dumbledore shook his head helplessly, sighing inwardly at this inscrutable man, throwing a childish tantrum despite being so old.
Although he felt somewhat speechless, when he noticed Gellert's eyes burning with rage, he decided to temporarily avoid topics concerning current affairs.
Dumbledore cleared his throat slightly, trying to keep his tone more even, and continued, "Since that's the case, perhaps we should switch to a lighter topic. Oh dear, time flies; the Potter boy will soon be preparing to step into Hogwarts..."
What Dumbledore never expected was that his attempt to divert Gellert's attention by bringing up the topic of the savior would backfire.
That sentence seemed like a fuse, instantly igniting the long-suppressed flames of anger deep within Gellert's heart.
Gellert's lips curled up into a mocking smile, maximizing his talent for passive-aggression: "Oh, is that so? Another Potter brat this time... Let me guess, surely another reckless and impetuous fellow who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth—of course, by your selection criteria, he will definitely be groomed to be completely loyal to you and a Little boy brave enough to face death."
"Heh heh, Hogwarts is indeed Britain's best magic school; it truly produces talents and is never short of Albus Dumbledore's favorite students!"
Hearing these sharp and caustic words, Dumbledore's previously calm expression finally became difficult to maintain.
His brow furrowed tightly, a hint of undetectable annoyance showing in his eyes, and he raised his voice to question, "Gellert, what has gotten into you today?"
Gellert leaned forward, his heterochromatic eyes fixed intently on Dumbledore's bright blue eyes, and said word by word, "Albus, we haven't seen each other in three weeks! Now that we finally have some time alone, you keep talking about other people. Can't you dedicate this rare time entirely to each other?"
"I..."
For a moment, Dumbledore actually didn't know how to respond; his throat felt as if it were blocked by something, unable to emit any sound.
He simply gazed quietly into Gellert's eyes, trying to decipher his true inner thoughts from that deep gaze, yet afraid of what he might find and unable to respond.
The two stared silently at each other as time passed minute by minute, but neither broke the gaze first. The air around them seemed to freeze, as if this silent confrontation would last forever.
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