Marvel, start by marrying the Scarlet Witch

On an uninhabited mountaintop outside New York, Grindelwald extended his hand toward Carl, his expression warm and thoughtful.

"May I know your name, my friend? It's not often I encounter a wizard of your caliber."

Very few individuals could earn such respect from Gellert Grindelwald. But the man standing before him wasn't just anyone—he was exceptional.

He had single-handedly broken into the Magical Congress of the United States, subdued ten elite Aurors in the blink of an eye, and immobilized over two hundred wizards using an unprecedented area-wide spell. Such power and precision were rare, and Grindelwald was deeply impressed.

Carl, ever composed, accepted the handshake. "You can call me Carl."

"Carl," Grindelwald repeated with interest. "A strong and simple name. Since you seem to resonate with my ideals, would you consider joining me in reshaping this world?"

There was a subtle gleam in Grindelwald's eye as he extended the invitation, but Carl didn't answer immediately. Instead, he met the offer with calm deliberation.

"Mr. Grindelwald, I won't deny I'm intrigued by your vision," Carl replied evenly. "But I can't align myself entirely with all your methods. If I were to join your cause, I'd have to do so on certain conditions."

Grindelwald raised a brow, then nodded, unsurprised. "Speak freely. As long as it's within reason, you have my word."

As a leader, Grindelwald understood people followed for many reasons: conviction, admiration, or sheer ambition. He didn't care about motives—as long as the talent was useful.

Carl's voice remained steady as he listed his terms.

"First, I have my own affairs to manage, so I won't always be at your disposal. I'll come when I can."

Grindelwald gave a subtle nod.

"Second," Carl continued, "while I'm willing to carry out missions, I won't kill innocents—wizard or Muggle. I'll fulfill the objective, but without unnecessary bloodshed."

Grindelwald's gaze sharpened slightly but didn't waver.

"And third," Carl said, "I'm deeply invested in studying magic. I'd like the opportunity to learn from you—exchange knowledge, share insights, and grow stronger."

While the first two conditions were largely posturing, it was the third that held Carl's real interest. Grindelwald was one of the most formidable wizards of the era, and Carl aimed to absorb everything he could—especially the darker, more powerful branches of magic.

Grindelwald paused for a few seconds, then smiled.

"All acceptable. You'll have the freedom you need, and the knowledge you seek. I welcome you, Carl."

In truth, Grindelwald had hesitated not because of the conditions themselves—they were reasonable—but because they revealed something else: Carl was not the kind of follower who would bow or obey without question. He was independent, possibly unpredictable. But that only made him more valuable.

With time, Grindelwald believed, he could earn Carl's complete loyalty.

After their discussion, Carl excused himself, claiming urgent business elsewhere. Grindelwald handed him a secure address in France and invited him to come once his affairs were settled.

Before leaving, Carl made a final request. "There's one spell I'd like you to teach me—Occlumency."

Grindelwald's eyes narrowed slightly. "Worried about Legilimency?"

Carl nodded. "I prefer to keep my mind my own. Especially with people like Dumbledore around."

Grindelwald let out a soft chuckle. "Wise. Occlumency it is."

Unlike Grindelwald, who rarely relied on Legilimency, Dumbledore was known to subtly peer into the minds of those around him. Carl would have to meet Dumbledore eventually—and avoiding eye contact forever wasn't an option. Mastering Occlumency would allow him to protect his thoughts even from the most skilled Legilimens.

Having received the spell and some personal advice from Grindelwald, Carl altered his appearance again and traveled to a low-key wizard pub—the Minotaur Bar on Magic Street—where he spent the night.

As expected, by dawn, the entire magical world was ablaze with news.

Every major wizarding newspaper screamed headlines about the unknown wizard who had shattered American magical security, defeated Aurors, and broken Grindelwald out of prison using astonishing water magic.

One article even included a magically animated photograph, clearly taken by someone high above using a wizard camera. Though blurry, the spellwork was unmistakable.

The Magical Congress of the United States had officially declared Carl an international fugitive, dubbing him The Mysterious Man. With no name, no traceable history, and no known affiliations, he became the second-most wanted wizard in the world—second only to Grindelwald himself.

In their desperation, the Congress even offered separate rewards for any information about this "Mysterious Man."

But no one knew anything. Carl had appeared as if conjured from the air—and now, he had vanished again.

Even Grindelwald, despite dispatching his inner circle to investigate, found no leads. Carl was an enigma.

While the world speculated, Carl was already back in London. Disguised and traveling via a black-market Portkey, he had avoided all detection. But he didn't return home immediately. Instead, he headed for a quiet corner of the city—to a place few would expect: Wool's Orphanage.

Carl wasn't there by chance.

If his memory served him right, this was where a boy had been born in December 1926—one who would go on to become the greatest dark wizard London had ever known.

Tom Marvolo Riddle. Known in later years as... Lord Voldemort.

And Carl intended to meet him.