Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 1044: Chapter 131: Tempest

”Haha... Hahahaha...”

Grindelwald’s laughter pierced through the rain, exuberant and wild, carrying an almost divine and demonic pleasure!

He even stepped out of the barrier formed by the Jellyfish Poppets, stood amid the storm, and opened his arms to embrace the baptism of the tempest, his silvery hair dancing wildly in the lightning.

Vid didn’t join him in the rain; only his hair was slightly tousled by the fierce wind.

His gray eyes slightly narrowed, gazing at his masterpiece.

Everything had been catalyzed and accelerated.

Originally, it would have taken at least twenty or thirty hours for the destruction to peak.

But at this moment, the wind madly accelerated in the steel jungle of the city, the glass of skyscrapers shattering in a crisp symphony, curtains being dragged out entirely through broken windows, dancing crazily in the wind.

The building’s exterior walls peeled off in patches, the thick trees uprooted and crashed into the parked cars by the roadside; gigantic billboards rolled in the air like broken kites before colliding with bridge piers, unleashing thunderous blasts.

”Crack—”

The collapsing treetops tore apart the intertwined cables, plunging a whole area into darkness, with the lights in most buildings failing to rekindle, except in a few places like hospitals.

Along with the failure of the lighting system, the security systems also collapsed one after another—electronic door locks malfunctioning, electromagnetic locks automatically unlocked, servers shutting down, surveillance screens gradually vanishing, various alarm systems rapidly losing their voices.

A few minutes later, some buildings glowed weakly once more—many affluent families had installed backup generators, which began humming into operation.

But soon, lightning bolts descended from the sky one after another, as if something was precisely guiding them.

”Boom—!”

The deafening thunder seemed to echo in support, the dazzling lightning danced across the waterlogged ground, the newly lit lights extinguished in response.

Vaguely, it seemed like someone screamed in fear, but the sound was quickly swallowed by the larger noise of wind and rain.

Vid estimated the time, looked up at the clouds still roiling with lightning, his gaze slightly hardened.

In the storm, almost no one could gaze at the night sky like him, hence none noticed the fleeting moment—

A massive, unprecedented lightning bolt split the sky, momentarily dispelling the darkness.

In that instant when the entire sky lit up like daylight, Vid saw snow-white birds plummet uncontrollably from high above as if their wings had been broken.

Before reaching the ground, they silently disintegrated in midair, turning into scattered fragments, immediately swallowed by the fierce wind and rain.

Vid pressed his lips and lowered his gaze.

Magic and electromagnetic energy, two fundamentally differing forms of energy, naturally repelled and interfered with each other.

Typically, perhaps due to the concentrated power, magic often prevails in most scenarios. For instance, in places like Hogwarts, computers, phones, and other precise electronics tend to malfunction.

Conversely, intense electromagnetic interference can affect magic, disrupting spells, causing discomfort or even pain to wizards, and rendering magic items ineffective.

Vid knew very well that the Seagull Poppets he mass-produced lacked the finely carved, extremely stable structure of Vilan and others, nor did they possess the hard materials like the Pensieve, and certainly lacked the talismans that shield Flying Broomsticks from thunderstorm effects.

They employed simple and cheap materials, relying on a few ”quick” spells for maintenance, yet had to soar in high altitudes amidst thunderstorm and lightning... which would inevitably lead to their destruction.

He had anticipated this, yet as the flock of seagulls fell from the sky, he still felt a subtle heartache.

Perhaps because these poppets were extensions of his will, a part of him; or perhaps this apocalyptic scene carried a strong emotional impact that involuntarily evoked a sense of majesty.

Just then, Grindelwald turned to look at Vid, his gaze penetrating through flesh and blood, reaching that void.

He offered no comfort, but rather let out a low, soft chuckle.

”Did you feel it, Vid?”

Grindelwald stepped forward, as if something destructive was burning in his eyes.

He surveyed the city below, plunged into darkness, like a ruler examining his domain.

”On the path we walk, everything is merely a stepping stone upward—creations, companions, followers... Even ourselves!”

He turned to stare at Vid, his voice clear in the storm:

”If the damage of a few toys can sway you, how will you face the sacrifice of lives?”

Vid raised his eyes to him.

Grindelwald’s words contained no warmth, only stark reality:

”Your creations have completed their mission, and that’s enough! Do not mourn for tools; let their destruction become your stepping stones to higher ground!”

Vid wanted to ask—

[So what? Have emotions also become steps under your feet? Have these steps helped you reach the summit?]

But on second thought, arguing for the sake of argument, especially striking at the other’s sore spot, seemed pointless.

Grindelwald wasn’t Vid’s enemy at that moment, and what he said... might not be without reason, it’s just people can’t always empathize with one another.

However, Vid didn’t mention Dumbledore, but his silent demeanor immediately invoked Grindelwald’s memory, linking him to his ”old adversary.”

The Dark Wizard let out a cold hum, grinding his teeth gloomily, annoyed at Dumbledore for living as a ”saint.”

Then he said with some satisfaction, ”After dealing with matters here, come with me to the Witch Pure Party! It’s time for you to meet a few more people as your true self.”

Vid blinked: ”After leaving the United States, I naturally want to return to Hogwarts.”

There lie his friends and mentors, his family, and the lifestyle he loves; Vid would be mad to follow the Witch Pure Party and stir things up.

Moreover... Who said they wouldn’t force minors to join the Witch Pure Party?

Grindelwald glanced at him with a smile and asked, ”Do you think... you can still go back?”

Vid sincerely asked, ”Why can’t I go back?”

”Still playing dumb with me, kid?”

Grindelwald pointed at the storm-ravaged city and said, ”This catastrophe is destined to claim countless lives. If it’s discovered that all of this was your doing, would Dumbledore continue to accommodate you?”

”That self-proclaimed Dark Lord Voldemort waged war in the United Kingdom, killing only hundreds. Vid, you might surpass him in one night.”

”If you return to the United Kingdom, waiting for you won’t be a welcome ceremony, but Dementors from Azkaban. Given your alchemy, the best outcome would be life imprisonment by the Ministry of Magic.”

”So in this world, the only place that can accommodate you, that can offer you freedom and glory...” Grindelwald smiled, his tone firm: ”is the Witch Pure Party!”

Vid sighed lightly, his tone carrying helplessness: ”Alright... luckily, I always like to keep things in reserve, never having the habit of betting everything on others...”

Grindelwald’s smile faded: ”What do you mean?”

Vid pulled a small bottle of crystalline white substance from his pocket and handed it to Grindelwald. Reflected in the lightning, it shimmered with a subtle glow.

Grindelwald took it and examined it, puzzled: ”Is this... sand?”

”Quartz sand,” Vid patiently explained: ”Scattering it extensively into the cloud layer forms an excess of condensation nuclei, stabilizing the clouds and making it difficult to generate rainfall.”

”It’s like having a hundred people share a cup of water, resulting in none being satiated—quartz sand has that effect.”

Grindelwald’s smile and confidence had completely vanished, replaced by a gloomy blue.

But Vid didn’t feel fear; he continued to speak calmly: ”So, except in the areas we pre-marked, the rainfall in other parts of the city hasn’t significantly increased, but rather decreased compared to normal conditions.”

”As for those places being baptized by the storm... Well, you may guess what my poppets are doing now?”