Wentworth cast a glance at Christine, whose face was filled with shock and disbelief, then turned to Abernathy, curiosity evident in his voice.
"It seems there's quite a story behind this."
Abernathy slowly nodded, then looked at Christine and said, "I told you before, you're a clever girl, but you've chosen the wrong side. Did you really think I was speaking idly?"
Christine instinctively took a few steps back, murmuring in confusion, "That's impossible… This is impossible…"
Seeing her reaction, Abernathy sighed before beginning his tale.
"Back then, when Lord Grindelwald arrived in New York, your grandfather had not yet joined the Pureblood Party. He discovered Lord Grindelwald's whereabouts and attempted to capture him. Unfortunately for him, he failed."
"Though your grandfather was defeated, Lord Grindelwald did not punish him. Instead, he admired him greatly. After several days of discussion, your grandfather was so impressed by Lord Grindelwald's ideals that he chose to join the Pureblood Party."
Hearing this, Christine suddenly shouted, "I don't believe you! You must be making this up! You're lying!"
Abernathy, however, simply responded with a question: "Now that you are part of MACUSA, do you not know that Lord Grindelwald infiltrated the Magical Congress of the United States for several months back then?"
"To remain hidden in such a place for so long without being discovered requires not only extraordinary mastery of Transfiguration but also an intimate knowledge of MACUSA's internal workings, down to every individual's relationships. Otherwise, wouldn't a single misstep have given him away?"
"Of course, Lord Grindelwald was one of the greatest masters of Transfiguration, able to take on the form of anyone he had seen. But without your grandfather feeding us information about MACUSA from the inside, there's no way he could have maintained his cover for that long."
Christine's mind was in turmoil. She wanted to refute Abernathy's words, but her rational side told her that his explanation made far too much sense.
Even so, she found it difficult to accept. After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "Then where is my grandfather? What happened to him? After Gellert Grindelwald was captured, MACUSA searched for him everywhere, but he had vanished without a trace—like he had disappeared into thin air!"
"To this day, MACUSA still believes that Grindelwald killed my grandfather and took his place in Congress! So tell me, what really happened to him?"
Abernathy sighed again and answered slowly, "We don't know either."
"What?" Christine looked at him in disbelief. She had hoped to finally uncover the truth about her grandfather's fate today, but instead, she was left with yet another mystery.
Seeing her doubtful expression, Abernathy quickly explained, "At the time, when Lord Grindelwald was preparing to infiltrate MACUSA, he set up a safe house for your grandfather as a precaution."
"But then, unexpectedly, Lord Grindelwald was captured! Though he later escaped, by the time we returned to the safe house, your grandfather was gone. The place was completely empty. To this day, we still have no idea where he went."
Upon hearing this, Christine slowly closed her eyes, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Wentworth was feeling rather awkward. Leaning in close to Abernathy, he whispered, "Did you already know who they were?"
Abernathy nodded. "Of course. Rosier knew as well."
Wentworth rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Then why didn't you tell me sooner?! What now? Her grandfather was one of us, and he disappeared because of my grandfather. If I kill her now, that would be… rather dishonorable, wouldn't it?"
Abernathy looked just as uncomfortable. "Rosier and I suspected they were from MACUSA, but we never expected it to be a Graves."
At that moment, Rosier approached, a glint of calculation in his eye. "I think Christine must not be killed."
Wentworth nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yes! Killing her now would be too heartless!"
Rosier, however, waved a dismissive hand and said indifferently, "That's not what I meant. I just think it would be a waste to kill her. If she returns to MACUSA, she could be of great use to us."
Wentworth considered this, his expression thoughtful. "You're suggesting… making Christine our inside agent in MACUSA? But would she agree to that?"
Before anyone else could respond, Christine spoke up. "Can I leave with them?"
Rosier clapped Wentworth on the shoulder before stepping forward with a smile. "Of course, no problem. You may leave now. After all, we must take some responsibility for what happened to your grandfather."
Christine let out a cold laugh. "Oh? Should I be thanking you for that?"
With that, she turned and began walking toward the exit. However, after only a few steps, Abernathy raised a hand to block her path.
Christine turned back, irritation clear in her eyes. "What now? Have you changed your mind already? Your Pureblood Party does go back on its word rather quickly. Good thing you decided before we Apparated away. Once we leave, it'll be too late to regret it."
Wentworth also turned to Abernathy, unsure why he had stopped her.
Just then, Rosier slowly drew his wand. Seeing this, Christine's face paled.
Rosier's voice was calm but firm. "I said you could leave. Not them."
Christine's expression darkened. "But you just agreed—"
Rosier interrupted before she could finish. "No one lays a hand on the Pureblood Party's leader and walks away without consequence. If we're letting you go, someone must stay behind to face our wrath."
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