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ahkaraii · 4 years

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sort too soon (or not enough) [1282 words]

"I don't know why I was sorted into Gryffindor," Poppy sniffed. "I'm nothing but a coward."

"That's a lie and you know it," Minerva said, briskly rubbing Boil-Curing solution onto the mess that was her friend's purulent arm. "Besides, the House Sorting is a load of hogwash."

"What? Surely you don't mean that!"

"I always mean what I say, exactly as I say it." Minerva wrapped the bandage by hand as she spoke, her lips twisted in distaste. "It's ridiculous to categorise children into loosely fitting personality types before their personality has time to fully develop."

"It's not about personality," Poppy said earnestly. "It's temperament, which we're born with. The houses are based on the four Humours--"

"Don't quote Hippocrates at me, Pomfrey, I ate that theory for breakfast and it's almost time for dinner." Minerva patted her friend's arm, now safely ensconced in about half an inch's worth of paste and gauze. "Sanguine Gryffindors, Choleric Slytherins, Melancholic Ravenclaws, and Phlegmatic Hufflepuffs. I read Hogwarts: A History, same as you. As if a person can't be brave and studious and ambitious and loyal all at once! You're all of that and more, Poppy, so don't let one silly schoolyard fight put you down."

Poppy's bottom lip trembled.

"You hear me?" Minerva insisted with her characteristic Scottish accent, shaking her friend's shoulders for emphasis.

"Aye," Poppy said. "I hear you." She mustered up a smile, which Minerva reflected back at her.

"You know, I have often said we Sort too soon."

The two witches startled, badly. "Professor Dumbledore!?"

"The one, and thankfully, only," said the eccentrically dressed Transfiguration teacher with his usual cheery smile. "It is always a treat to hear students so thoughtfully criticise our beloved institution."

As usual, neither of them could tell if he was being ironically genuine or genuinely ironic; it was often the case that he could be both.

"We're, ah-- quite sorry, sir," Poppy said. "Minnie didn't mean any harm by it."

"I am not sorry, Professor," Minerva said bluntly. "It truly is a needlessly reductive system."

Poppy gripped her friend's arm in alarm but Professor Dumbledore merely laughed, delighted. "An apt observation! How, instead, do you propose we should Sort? Or shall we do away with Sorting entirely?"

"Well, I don't know how to fix it," Minerva said stiffly. "But I do know it's far from perfect, sir."

"I quite agree with you," Dumbledore confessed. "It is a heavily flawed method. But, like many of the organisms and organisations that rule our society, it is an inherited burden that we must adapt to, and, if sufficiently dissatisfied, change by well-reasoned increments. To overthrow a system from the start merely because it is flawed without properly proposing a solution is, in essence, an anarchical revolution doomed, I am afraid, to produce more grief than it had at the outset."

Poppy looked overwhelmed, but Minerva looked thoughtful.

"Change by well-reasoned increments," she echoed. "Like one does in Transfiguration?"

Dumbledore beamed. "Quite so! Five points to Gryffindor for a marvellous association."

"You're planning on making Minnie a Prefect one day, aren't you?" Poppy said shrewdly.

Dumbledore's smile turned into something more mischievous. "Oh, but who can say what the future holds? On that note, my Inner Eye says you two should soon be in the Great Hall for dinner. My Outer Nose smells something like pot roast. Off you go!"

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," the two girls chimed, and walked off arm-in-arm. He watched them go with a twinkle in his eye; it was, contrary to popular belief, not a charm-- he had inherited it from his mother who had Selkie blood down her maternal line. It gave his iris its characteristic, reflective sheen; though he did, on occasion, spell it more or less noticeable.

"Renouncing revolutionary action merely because one of it's byproducts is momentary grief," said a high, cold voice, "when maintaining an unacceptable status quo is guaranteed misery -- how un-Gryffindor-like of you, Professor."

"I wouldn't call it miserable," Dumbledore said, tilting his head slightly upward to meet Tom Riddle's, who was casually lounging on the rafters.

"No, of course you wouldn't." Tom neatly slid off the sloping beam, blurring into his cloak like a gust of black wind, reconfiguring on the ground without a single hair out of place. "Such is the mark of your privilege. Sir."

“That was an impressive piece of magic,” Dumbledore said, ignoring the slight. “A shadow-step instead of proper apparition. Did a vampire teach you this, Tom?”

Pride always brought out the boy’s knee-jerk honesty. “It’s my own invention,” he said stiffly.

“Remarkable,” Dumbledore said. “Just like how bats and birds came to have wings through different means, it appears you have converged upon a similar method of flight.”

"You insult me,” Tom said coldly.

“Not at all,” Dumbledore said. “I am sorry if you took it as such. I, myself, fancy a fire-step--” he demonstrated by flickering to the left in a flash of phoenix-flame, emerging unruffled behind Tom’s blind spot, to the boy’s momentary but quickly snuffled alarm.

“It is not subtle,” Tom said.

“Well, no. I am, after all, a Gryffindor,” Dumbledore said, with a quirk of his lips.

“But you use it like a Slytherin,” Tom said shrewdly.

Dumbledore tilted his head slightly to a side. A backhanded compliment?

“Do we Sort too soon,” Tom Riddle asked, softly. “Or not enough?”

“Oh?” There was no more twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes, now. "Would you do away with our Sorting system, then, Mister Riddle?"

"I might refine it," Tom said idly. He met Dumbledore's eyes with the casual defiance of a confident Occlumens. "Though, of course, I am no Grindelwald to dismantle it entirely."

"Gellert Grindelwald would not dismantle it," Dumbledore said quietly. "He would Sort upon birth, before choice is an option." He paused. "Such is his rhetoric."

"I suppose that's a future we all have to look forward to," Tom said drolly. "Seeing as he's winning the war. They say he soon will make an attempt at our shores, and our Ministry will accept him with open arms.”

"Grindelwald will not invade England," Dumbledore said calmly. "Not while I live."

"Is that what you tell yourself? His muggles have already dropped bombs on me! On wizard folk!" Tom's face twisted abruptly with his rage. “His acolytes pervade the Ministry. The children of his followers openly walk our halls. I don't need a bloody Inner Eye to see he doesn't need to touch England to change it—he already has.”

"Grindelwald will not win England," Dumbledore repeated, coldly, "so long as I live."

“How? You while away your time debating rhetoric with children!” Tom seemed, for a moment, desperate. “Don’t you get it? If you don’t fight now, then he has already won. You cannot kill an idea, Professor Dumbledore, until you kill everyone that thinks it.”

“Murder is hardly ever the answer, Mister Riddle,” Dumbledore said crisply. “And you would do well to remember that. Now I would advise you to walk back to your dormitory. Curfew approaches, and I shall not overlook your nighttime wanderings this time.”

Tom Riddle’s handsome face distorted with a passing sneer before it became smooth. “Yes, sir,” he said, in a tone edging on mockery.

Albus Dumbledore watched him go, and, for a brief moment, felt as if he was watching another boy go. The darkness swiftly followed him-- when Tom rounded the corner and disappeared, a flash of fire briefly licked Albus’ beard as his phoenix appeared upon his shoulder, driving away all nearby shadows. Fawkes crooned softly, having been summoned by his human’s sadness.

“Alas, my dear Fawkes,” Albus murmured. “It appears we missed dinner yet again.”

#harry potter #karaii fic #tom and albus #jotted this out without much of a plan #have some 1940's era school kids and professor dumbledore whose doggedly avoiding going to war to face his crazy ex boyfriend

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themysteriousphoenix · 4 years

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Find Your Destiny

Oops....I wrote the days out of order. I forgot to do day 4 and went right on to day 5. So, you get day 5 today and day 4 tomorrow. I figured you would all be okay with that. *shrugs*

Day 5: Find Your Destiny (Found Family/Anti-Villain)

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Pulling her deep purple cloak more tightly around her shoulders, Queenie Goldstein sat on the cold, cement step of a townhouse. The windows were dark and the air around her was chilled. Tiny flecks of snow swirled around her as she sat, but she paid them no mind as they fell into her golden curls, melting on contact. The witch was watching through the windows of the townhouse across the street where the lights in the windows were shining brightly, illuminating the sidewalk below. A small menorah had been placed in the corner of the window, seven of the eight candles lit and shining brightly.

Had she lit her candles alone this year, or had she asked someone to join her?

Queenie pulled her wand out with a shaky hand and tapped it to the top of her head, hard. The feeling of something slimy and cold made its way from her head down, throughout her body. She couldn’t risk being seen, especially by her sister. She had to be careful, Gellert didn’t know she had come tonight. She sighed as she bit her lip absently. He would know soon enough, she was sure.

Within the windows sat the people who meant most to her in the world. Her sister, the only family she truly had left. Her thoughts were the easiest to read after years of practice. Even at this distance, she could hear her clearly without trying. She was happy, content...in love. It wasn’t hard to see why.

Newt adored her. He sat to her left, his right arm draped casually across the back of her chair. His thoughts were swirling quickly, bouncing from one idea to the next in the rapid fashion she was used to hearing from him. What surprised her was how her sister’s name was intertwined with every thought he had. She smiled sadly as she read him. He adored her sister, and she was happy for them. Her chest tightened as she heard a stray thought filter through his mind.

Ring...engagement...love...wedding...Tina…

He would ask her soon. She knew it would happen eventually. Between his letters and his disappointment after finding Tina was not with her when she brought Jacob to London, she knew he cared. She knew her sister cared as well, she had listened to her growing feelings for months before feeling the heartbreak that had been caused by a ridiculous magazine article. She was glad they had worked things out, that they made each other happy. She needed Tina to be happy, and she knew she would be if she had him at her side.

The man across the table was someone she hadn’t seen before. He seemed familiar somehow, but she knew she had never met him. This must be Theseus. He had to be Newt’s brother, they shared enough features and similarities. He was family at least, Queenie could tell that much. She struggled with his thoughts. They were hard to grasp, quiet and flowing, protected. The accent didn’t help. She didn’t know him and had a hard time grasping his lines of thought at this distance. He had a kind aura, though. He sipped a glass of red wine then laughed at something that had been said, his solid hand coming up to clap the shoulder of the man at his left.

Jacob.

Her hands clenching, Queenie felt tears gathering on her lashes, one slowly falling down her pink cheek. Jacob. He had been her everything. Was her everything. She had tried so hard to make it work and had still lost him. She had walked through fire for him and he refused to follow. He called her crazy, but she was only crazy for him. He just couldn’t see it, how much he meant to her. How much love they could have together if he would only give things a chance. Now… Queenie was lost, forgotten as this new family met together for a warm Christmas dinner while she, Queenie, sat alone and freezing on the cement step of an abandoned townhouse. Tears flowed freely now as Queenie tried to hold back her sobs. They couldn’t hear her, it would be disastrous. She couldn’t be found, if they knew…

Gulping breaths of cold air, Queenie willed herself to calm down. She wasn’t sure why she came here. She couldn’t see them, couldn’t go to them. They wouldn’t forgive her anyway, especially now that she had kept her secret from them for so long. She had to continue the fight for what was right. She had to right the wrongs of her Government, she had to be free to live a life with Jacob, safely. She needed to finish what she had started, make them see that it was the only way to be truly free. With him, with their children someday. Gellert had promised her freedom and happiness, and she had to trust him now.

The group laughed deeply at something Tina had said and Queenie saw Newt slide his arm around her shoulders, squeezing affectionately. Jacob held up a glad of wine, grinning happily and saying something to the group before raising his crystal goblet in salute before drinking the last of the red liquid in a single gulp. He was smiling, laughing...and he was not thinking of Queenie. Hadn’t thought of her once since she had arrived. Tina had, briefly, but Jacob hadn’t.

Queenie’s eyes squeezed shut, tears splashing onto her cheeks and running down, down, down before dripping from her jaw. Why had she come, she wondered. It seemed like a good idea when she had snuck out of headquarters an hour ago. She just hadn’t thought that they would have forgotten her so quickly, that they would be happy without her there.

Had she expected them to be mourning her, the loss of her presence? Had she believed that their lives would stop without her there? She supposed that the idea didn’t make sense. Their lives would go on, grow, evolve...but she felt like she was in limbo, between one chapter and another, unmoving. She knew what her next chapter would be now, and she knew that she would have to face it alone. The thought made her sick to her stomach and she muffled the sobs that came, willing her emotions to wait until she was in the safety of her room.

Pushing herself up with difficulty, she stood on the sidewalk, taking one last look at the people she loved through the frost-edged window. She began to walk down the sidewalk, away from the light, her hand curled protectively around her swollen abdomen. She wouldn’t tell Jacob. He would hate her for keeping this from him for so long. Someday, she would make this right and they could be together. The three of them. For now, she would walk back through the dark. Alone. This was her life now, this was what she had chosen. For the greater good.

#found family #anti-villain #Queenie Goldstein #jacob kowalski #jaqueenie #Newtina #angst #sad queenie #tina goldstein #newt scamander #fantastic fanfiction #fbawtft #fbatcog #post-cog #fbweek2020 #ashley writes #theseus scamander

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priorireverte · 4 years

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Congratulations Nik!

Your application for Amelia Bones has been accepted. I can’t wait to see what trouble and frustrations Amelia gets into, so stripped of power and authority. No passed handed out to former Department Heads, sorry Amelia!

Please look to the checklist for the next steps and reach out if you have any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME & PRONOUNS: Nik, they/them

TIMEZONE: ACDT

ACTIVITY LEVEL: Relatively active. At least 3 to 4 times a week

ANYTHING ELSE: Cancer tw, hospice tw.

CHARACTER DETAILS

NAME: Amelia Susan Bones

BIRTHDATE: September 20th 1946

DEATHDATE: July 14 1996

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Cis woman. She/her and they/them pronouns. Bisexual with a heavy preference for women.

BLOOD STATUS: Half Blood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Hufflepuff

OCCUPATION: Former DMLE HEAD (until death)

FACECLAIM: Louise Lombard (i have my own gifs and icons and things of her so dont worry to much about resources :D )

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

POSTBELLUM

The knowledge she died and left her brother and niece alone in the world weighed heavy on her shoulders. It’s something she isn’t coping with well. The knowledge that her death was the final stand the Ministry had, that it was taken over by Voldemort because she couldn’t beat him, was a tough pill to swallow for her. She knew he had his faith around and in the shadows waiting, she could count the amount of people she completely trusted in the Ministry on one hand but she thought that there would have been more of a stand. The knowledge that her failure was the reason the people she served suffered another war sits heavy on her shoulders. If she could do it again she would be more prepared, have an escape plan rather than just hold her ground against him. She wouldn’t have the same faith that the Ministry would hold their own against him without her, she should have known better. The only thing sitting on her shoulders heavier than that is the knowledge that her niece had suffered, that she wasn’t there to stop that and holds herself completely responsible for it.

PERSONALITY

Tough, fair, kind, compassionate. This is how Amelia would describe herself if asked. She is far more gentle on the inside than most people who work around her would think. Stick her in a room with her niece for just a moment and you’ll see the stern blue eyes soften immediately. Amelia is a skilled negotiator and investigator. She has a way with words and a great deal of understanding in how to use them. However, she isn’t very good at using them to describe how she feels. She is compassionate,and hardworking, she much prefers to listen to how others are feeling than share her own feelings. Everyone else comes first in her mind. Will always put the needs of others in front of her own.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY

The oldest of the Bones three siblings Amelia always felt somewhat responsible for them. Constantly looking out for them and keeping their health and wellbeing in mind. Being an Aunt has always been considered her greatest achievement. Holding Edgar’s first child was a life changing experience and laying them to rest with their parents was life shattering.

Her brother and niece were all the family she had left and she cherished them. With the death of her sister in law, Susan’s mother, Amelia truly stepped up to the plate. She never tried or wanted to replace her mother but knew despite her brother’s best intentions, Susan needed someone else to be around. Amelia doesn’t have any children and has never seen the need to have any, when asked if she was planning on having any she’d simply smile and reply “I have Susan. I don’t need anymore children in my life”

HISTORY What was their life before the end of the war in ‘98 or before their death? What was important and formative for them?

Born a few months after the end of world war two and the capture of Gellert Grindlewald meant Amelia grew up in both the bliss of peace and the pain of rebuilding. She’d listen to stories of war from the other children and overheard her mother and father discussing it sometimes. She remembered the celebrations from the 10th anniversary of war’s end and attended many memorials of those who had fallen, both muggle and magical alongside her family.

When war came to the Wixen World once more it was much less kind to the Bones. Her parents were cut down in their family home by Voldemort himself, her brother, his wife and his children slaughtered in their home. She constantly thought back to nights her father would tell her she’d never have to suffer at the hands of another war and swore she’d do whatever was necessary that the last living grandchild of his got to live that promise.

Amelia lived alone in a small home just outside of London. She’d brought it just after the first war as she climbed the ministry ranks. It made the commute to and from work much faster and proved a safe, new home with no memories attached to it.

Most of Amelia’s time was filled with work and family. She had the odd girlfriend here and there but no relationship ever lasted more than a year. She was far too dedicated to her job or her family.

Amelia’s job was incredibly important. She held the line against Fudges conspiracy theory lies. Called him out behind closed doors at every opportunity. Made her dislike and disapproval known. She was a Bones after it, it meant something in the Ministry. There were rumours that if Albus Dumbledore wasn’t going to take the position of Minister, she would. And she might have, had she lived long enough. She was preparing for it, to challenge him, and all other comers. After it was proven that Voldemort was well and truly alive and Cornelius Fudge had wasted precious time denying it out of fear , she had planned to oust him if he wouldn’t resign. Take a vote to the Wizenagemont, remove him due to his incompetence. She was killed the evening before her vote was due to hit the floor.

OOC EXPLORATION

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

The after hogwarts golden trio aspect drew me in first. Then when I read the plot more and more the idea of “returned” got me more and more interested. My favourite AU plots in group rps have always been the “What if a character who has died returned?? What happens to your character?” I adore exploring that whole new side of them. It opens up things, plots, ideas, developments, that a traditional style of RP wouldn’t

EXTRA FOR NON-BIO CHARACTERS

CHARACTER CONTRIBUTION

How do you see this character adding to the community and the plot?

Bringing in Amelia is similar to bringing in Edgar. It brings a Bones from that era to the story and offers connections for Susan and characters in the Marauders Era. Bringing her would also add a character who is incredibly familiar with the structure of the Ministry and a depth of knowledge in her field.

PRESENT One paragraph about your character’s life right now and how they are handling the current events of the game.

“You died, Ma’am”

The words were on constant repeat in her mind. What did they mean she died? She was alive right now, she was breathing, her heart beating. She was here. Except she last remembered it being 1996. They tell her it’s 2002. She died six years ago. Her last memory was fighting Voldemort, a loud bang, stumbling to the floor and then she woke up in the Death Chamber. A room she had both the privilege and horror of recognising. It made sense in a way. The last thing she remembered was being in her home but awoke in the Ministry but it was so hard to understand. How? Why? Everyday was a repeat of the same questions in her mind. She does her best not to dwell on it, knowing that now isn’t the time nor place to do so. Getting herself grounded, back into the world that she had no idea she left. Returning to her family. That was her first goal. Working everything else out will come later.

#prioriacceptance #Amelia Bones

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thorne93 · 4 years

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The Softest Fire (Part 27)

Prompt: Rosaline Vaughan had it all: fame, money, power, glory, a high status job. Until, one day, she woke up, and realized something was missing from her life.

Word Count: 3361

Warnings: fight/violence/near death

Notes: First Fantastic Beast fic! I could NOT have done this at all without @arrow-guy. They have created a counterpart to this fic, writing it from Nora Vaughan’s perspective (Rosaline’s cousin/adopted sister). Fic aesthetic done by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo.

Nora was better. She decided to make an announcement that they were going to merge curse-breaking with the Ministry. I was at the press conference in the crowd to support her, Newt by my side. Theseus and her made the announcement with a handful of others from the Ministry and two other curse breakers in the world.

My time at Hogwarts came to a close roughly two weeks ago. I’d moved in next to Newt’s flat. Not in the same building, but the one next door. It happened shortly after Nora returned. I felt she needed the space back, so she wouldn’t feel as though she was mothering me any more. It also gave her the chance for Theseus to move in, should they act on it.

When things ended for me at Hogwarts, the question on many people’s minds was if I’d return. Children gave me gifts and cards, begging me to come back and teach. The other professors gave me words of encouragement, but they know I’d been through some ordeals in the last few years, so they simply said they would love to have me return and left it at that.

Even I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So, instead of seeking sage counsel from Nora as I normally would, I gave her a break and went to the new source of advice in my life.

I sat in Newt’s flat during lunch time as he took a break from caring for the animals. His sleeves were rolled up, but they were still covered with wetness and muck.

“I’ve been thinking,” I began, a bit unsure.

“Oh? About what?” he asked beside me on the sofa.

“My career,” I said, my tone serious and loaded. “I love working at Hogwarts…”

“Alright,” he said, dragging the word out. “Is there something that’s wrong with that?”

“Not wrong, per se, but it does beg the question about where I am to go next. I have been searching my heart for an answer and I just can’t decide. I love Hogwarts. I love working with Albus, seeing the children, having knowledge at my fingertips. The children keep me on my toes. But, if I made it full time, that would mean I was away from you for roughly ten months out of the year. We’d be forced to all those weekend visits. At the same time though, I loved working with you. These creatures gave me purpose. Working with you, traveling with you felt like I was giving something back in the world, helping helpless creatures, keeping them safe.”

“So come back to work with me,” he offered. “I still need an assistant.”

I nodded, biting my lip. “I know, and I love the work, but part of me is quite practical.”

“Yes, I know,” he said, as if that didn’t make a difference.

Toying with my lips even more, I said, “Well, as much as I do adore working with you, if we are to remain… steady, then I need my own income. I don’t think it’s wise for us to rely on the same income.”

Newt nodded, but I felt I’d hurt his feelings.

“Please, don’t think I mean any disrespect. You know I adore your work, our work together. I think what you do is absolutely vital and noble. But I don’t think it’s safe to rely on possible book deals popping up.”

“That’s...understandable. Although I always want you to reconsider. You always have a place here as my partner.”

I teared up at his words. “Partner sounds more than lovely.” I took his hands in mine. “I have been thinking and… I think I know a solution. It will keep me local to you, it will help me give back, and I can have my own source of income.”

“That sounds fantastic! What is it?”

I held my breath, trying to find the courage to say it. I hoped he would support me, but he might think I was absolutely bonkers.

“I’d like to run for Minister for Magic,” I said evenly.

His eyes went wide as his eyebrows shot up. “Really? Wow, that is um, exciting. What made you think of this?”

“Well, I know I didn’t want it back when I first came to you, but I’m wiser now. I was afraid of being corrupt or not giving back properly, but life experience has changed all that. I’m stronger now. I know how to hold off the Dark Arts. I know how they work. I know things the magic world needs and things it doesn’t.”

“That is true,” he agreed.

I sat there, ready to burst. I had no idea if he supported me or not.

“So? Do you think I should do it? Do I have your support?”

He glanced at me. “Of course you have my support. You have my support to do anything you set your mind to, Rosaline. No matter what. You’ll do every job wonderfully. I’m sure of that.”

I smiled at him. “Really?”

“Of course.”

“You’re not disappointed? Going to call me a cold bureaucrat?” I asked, nervous.

“No, not in the slightest. If anyone should do that job, deserves that job, or is more fit for a job, it’s you. I’d be proud to see you take that title.” He gave me a warm smile and I nearly melted into his arms.

---------------------------------

I went to the Ministry just a few days later, both applying for the position and holding a press conference of my own to announce my decision.

“And so it is with great pride and confidence that I, Rosaline Vaughan, announce to the great magical world, that I will be running for Minister For Magic once more,” I spoke into the microphone. My eyes flashed to Newt’s who was standing in the first row. Theseus was beside him. The two of them were smiling and clapping, as was the rest of the crowd. Nora was off tending to a small curse breaking job, and I didn’t have the chance to tell her.

The press swirled around me for quite some time, asking many questions and people offered to run my campaign, shoving their cards in my hands. Photo after photo was snapped. Finally though, I set off.

Newt and I walked hand in hand outside of the Ministry. I felt alive, empowered, confident. Until I noticed the streets looked odd. There were no passerbys, no cars, no one. A dead streat.

Except for something out of the corner of my right eye.

“Rosaline, running for Minister? What a naughty move... If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a threat to me, but I know you're smarter than that," the voice sent a chill down my spine.

I turned to face the voice, the reason for my nightmares. There, several feet down the middle of the deserted road, was Gellert Grindelwald, flanked on both sides of him with six confidants. Of course, I recognized Vinda, Creedence, and Abernathy. The other three, I did not know.

“Gellert. I would say it’s lovely to see you again, but, I’d be lying and I was raised not to lie.” I stared him down.

“What a pity. I thought you might like seeing me again. After all, we were lovers, soon to be wed. More than I can say for your zookeeper here.” He gestured to Newt and I didn’t respond. I knew he wanted anger, or for me to glance to Newt, or to defend him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“What do you want, Grindelwald?” I called back.

“I want you to call off your campaign.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because, my dear, you know far too much about me and with you in the position of Minister…” He made a face of faux sympathy. “Well, I’m sorry, but that just wouldn’t work out in my favor, and we can’t have that.”

A few moments later, aurors began to slowly step out into the street. I raised my hand slightly, signaling for them to stay back.

“I’m going to have to disappoint you. I will not step down, I will not back down, certainly not to the likes of you.”

He gave an almost laugh, and his followers joined in with a smirk. “You think you can beat me? Darling, you beat my last spell but all that did was land you in my bed, nearly becoming my wife. What makes you think this will turn out any differently?”

“Because I know things about you now. I know how you think and as unfortunate as that experience was, it wasn’t experience wasted.”

“Shame. Because your power as a witch will be wasted, when I’m through killing you.”

He raised his wand but I expected the oncoming blow so I casted a nonverbal multi-shot jinx, knocking back the six of his comrades. By the time he brought down his wand, they were on their backs, moaning, but he kept moving.

Water from a nearby river swirled quickly over my head and I raised my wand to deflect the oncoming attack but it was too late. The water had enveloped me, forming a sphere around me. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to drown if I didn’t get this ball of water off of my body. Either the water would invade my lungs or Grindelwald’s force he was applying would crush my body.

I thought hard and quickly. I saw through the water that the six followers were starting to stand. Newt wouldn’t stand a chance against all seven of them. I tried to raise my arms to claw out of it but the water continued to morph around me, suffocating me.

Finally, I flicked my wand towards Gellert, using Impedimenta to get him to drop his wand and hand. It worked, and I fell to the ground, gasping for air. I didn’t have time to waste. I stood up and casted firestorm at the six followers, keeping them in their place. Following that, I casted expelliarmus at the lot of them, making wands fly at my hands. Using the banishing spell, I sent the wands towards the aurors for safe keeping.

Grindelwald took the moment I was distracted to throw a crucio curse my way but I used Protego to rebound it. It wasn’t effective as the hex was too powerful to rebound, but at least I got it to deflect away from me.

He casted shot after shot at me, forcing me to either deflect or rebound them until I finally casted Everte Statum at him. He deflected it though, sending it back to me, but I jumped out of the way.

I tried to send a confundo charm at him, but he blocked it. I followed it up with stupefy but all we were doing was dancing around each other's charms. We did this for several minutes. It appeared it was a draw, but I couldn’t give up. If Grindelwald won, there would be virtually no one to stop him.

Newt began in on Grindelwald as well, casting Everte Statum on him, sending Grindelwald back. He didn’t expect the attack, so Newt had the advantage. In his stunned moment, I casted Glacius Duo at him, casting him in ice.

I ran to Newt, my hands fawning all over him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Rosaline. Just fi--” His eyes went wide as he looked over my shoulder so I spun to see what had him startled.

Grindelwald had broken from the ice. He was standing before me, his eyes lit with fire.

I raised my wand but he was invariably faster.

The moment I saw his wand and eyes were aimed at Newt and not me, time slowed down. I saw a spark of green cast out of Grindelwald’s wand.

Avada Kedavra

I had no time to lose. I raised my wand and cast a banishing spell at Newt, sending him flying into one of the windows of the stores across the street. It might’ve hurt, but at least he was safe.

In the split second he went flying, I gathered a ball of light quickly and casted it out from me, causing an explosion to occur up and down the street. Every window, every glass, shattered and I sent every shard straight for Grindelwald using the oppugno jinx. He protected himself with a shield charm, every shard falling away from him.

The two of us locked eyes as soon as the shards were done falling before we casted curses on each other. Our wands locked on contact, the spells connecting before suddenly, the beam of light between us wasn’t one color or the other. Rather, it was one gold beam.

Priori Incantatem

I’d studied this effect before. It was rare, but possible. It meant that it was down to the will power of Grindelwald and myself. Our wands had the same core. I’d forgotten he had the Elder Wand in his possession.

My wand felt as if it would explode in my hand, but I couldn’t let go. My heart hammered in my chest. I could hear nothing but a roaring in my ears as echoes of the last spells spilled out around us in a golden cage. No one from the outside could reach us.

If I lost, if I let up, if I let him get the upper hand in any way, I’d surely die. He would cast the killing curse on me and not think twice, and it would only follow with killing Newt and possibly Theseus.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Images began to flicker in my head. I remembered Grindelwald inflicting the crucio curse on Newt in front of me. I remember Newt telling me that Grindelwald almost killed him twice in New York. He nearly killed him in Paris. And he also forced me to attack Newt, ordering me to kill him.

Five times he’d preyed upon Newt’s life. He’d attacked Nora, Theseus. He killed muggles and wizards alike. There was no stopping him. He didn’t think twice before ending someone’s life, it didn’t matter whose it was. He would've ended mine had I not been some form of asset to him.

Suddenly, my rage boiled inside me. He’d caused the world to live in fear, to live in peril. He nearly killed the one person I’d ever loved. He didn’t deserve to get away with this.

This ended now.

I took a step forward, my energy, all my will power, all my anger, all my fear, all my frustration flowed into my wand. Every word of encouragement and confidence thrust upon me came flooding to the forefront of my mind and trickled into my hands. I grabbed my wand with both hands, moving forward ever so slightly.

Grindelwald looked up in surprise and for the first time I’d ever seen -- fear.

Finally, his wand flew from his hand, breaking our connection and the gold cage. He stared at me with total shock. He raised his hand to perform a non-verbal spell but I was quicker. I quickly casted Petrificus Totalus and Incarcerous.

He was forced to his knees before me as ropes wrapped themselves around him.

“Aurors!” I called back to the witnessing crowd. “You have a criminal that I believe needs apprehending.”

“Quite the show, Ms. Vaughan. I must say I’m impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“You nearly killed Newt five times. I’m not like Albus, Gellert, I don’t reason with people -- I stop them.”

“I’d heard you were working with him,” he informed.

“Yes. He asked me to destroy your blood pact.”

“Were you successful?”

“Not yet, so don’t think you can break out of prison to have him killed.” I flashed a smile full of malice just as the aurors came up, all of their wands at the ready to take him into custody. “But, I did ask him to tell me all your weaknesses. I thought it might come in handy, should you ever try to attack me.”

He looked down, as if he should’ve seen it coming. A bit of an amused smile came across his face.

“You should’ve just killed me, Gellert.”

“And waste such a talented witch? No. I’ll live in your memory forever now.” He flashed me a proud smirk as they hauled him to his feet.

I nodded. “You will,” I agreed “as the most evil Dark Wizard I’ve had the pleasure to stop.”

As they walked him by, he stared at me with what I could only discern as a begrudging respect. Once he was out of sight, I finally relaxed. Theseus rushed up to me.

“Are you okay? That was… that was quite something.”

I nodded, taking a breath. “I’m alright. Where is Newt? Is he okay?” I turned, panicked that I’d hurt him worse than I intended. Just as I spun however, he was standing there before me, holding a wand. “Is that his?” I asked, despite knowing the answer.

He bobbed his head. “It’s yours now I suppose. Unless, Theseus, the Ministry will have some objection to this?” He glanced over to his brother.

Theseus shook his head, almost laughing. “No, no, by all means, Rosaline won it fair and square. I prefer it in her hands over the Ministry’s.”

I thanked him and he thanked me before going inside.

Newt looked at me curiously before I laughed and inquired, “What? What are you looking at me like that for?”

“You’re truly amazing, you know that?”

“I suppose I am,” I agreed proudly.

“I thought I lost you,” he breathed, staring at me.

“I know,” I admitted. “I thought I lost myself too. As soon as that water came around me, I thought I was done for. Then he casted the killing curse at you…”

“When your wands connected, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to protect you so badly but I didn’t want to get in the way either.”

I reached up, cupping his face. “You could never be in the way. In fact, today, your attack on him distracted him long enough for me to get the upper hand. I was sure I was as good dead there for a few moments before that. So thank you, for saving my life.”

“It’s the least I can do. You’ve saved mine on numerous occasions while we were capturing animals.”

“I’ll always do everything I can to protect you, Newt. Always. I can’t live without you.”

“Nor I you,” he agreed.

“I was ready to step in front of that curse for you, but I knew that I was the best hope for stopping him, so I couldn’t do that. I’m sorry if my spell hurt you by the way.”

He shook his head. “Quite all right. Just a little bruised, but not bad for interfering with a duel between the two greatest wizards of our time.”

I gave him a half smile before putting my hand on his shoulder and concentrating. A nonverbal spell spilled out of me and I lifted my hand.

“Feel better?” I asked.

“Much. What did you do?”

“A simple healing spell. I actually learned it from Grindelwald.” I smirked, amused at the irony.

“Will you ever stop impressing me?” Newt wondered as he stared into my eyes.

“I hope I never do,” I replied.

“Me too,” he admitted. “Now, we should get you home. You have a campaign to plan and some resting to do. You’ve far more than earned it.”

“Ah, yes, and we should probably tell Nora about my decision to run for Minister,” I insisted as I put my arm through his. The aurors began reconstructing the street as we walked.

“I’ll be sure to mention that, and the fact that you just won the greatest wizarding duel.”

“Yes, but that will overshadow my decision to run, so be sure you lead with the campaign first,” I encouraged.

Newt glanced at me before smiling keenly. “Yes, quite right.”

The two of us laughed before I rested my head on his shoulder, walking along beside him happily, more free and weightless than I’d ever felt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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#the softest fire #newt scamander x oc #newt scamander fic #newt scamander x ofc #newt scamander

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imagine-by-susu · 5 years

Text

Percival Graves x Reader - Promise to never leave me

A/N: This one, once again, escalted. I don’t know, any Percival Graves story I write gets at least 1K words. But Hopefully the dear anon who requested this likes it. Word Count: 3.645 (See....that’s what I meant) Key words: (Y/N) (Y/L/N) = Your Name Your Last Name (Y/H/C) = Your Hair Color (Y/E/C) = Your Eye Color (Y/F/A) = Your Favorite Animal Wanrings: mentions of toture and blood REQUESTS ARE OPEN! GIF IS NOT MINE! _______________________________________________________________________

For how long have you known Percival Graves? Since you were children. Growing up together, because your fathers worked in the same department at the Macusa and your mothers being friends. Both of you attended Ilvermorny, Percival a year earlier than you, but it didn’t hurt the friendship you both shared. Yeah, there were times Percival thought you were annoying, pulled at your (Y/H/C) hair and teasing you, but these were rare times. When other boys teased you, he would protectively stand before you and tell them to mind their own business. Always the gentleman he was raised to be, he started to talk to people first before starting a fight. There were tunes when fights were unpreventable. In his last year in Ilvermorny he fought of a boy from Wampus who thought was a great idea to prank you. The prank ended with you crying which sent Percival into a rage mode. By pure luck he wasn’t kicked out of the school and he could graduate with one of the highest scores that a student could reach.

- “I will miss you.” you said one afternoon as you both sat in your garden, watching the sun setting slowly. Percival who laid on the soft grass, hands behind his head, turned to look at you while you swung on the swing that your father had built onto the cherry tree in the garden. “You sound like we will never see each other again.” he rose a dark eyebrow at you and now you turned your head to look at him as well. Only then did he notice the tears that welled in your (Y/E/C) eyes and quickly sat up. “There is no reason to cry.” he assured, taking one of your hands in his, his eyes stuck on your face. It was the first time he realized how soft your (Y/S/C) skin felt under his touch, how the sun reflected the colors of your eyes and how the wind carefully stroked your (Y/H/C) hair. “Promise me, right here and then that you will never leave me.” you demanded with determination in your eyes. “Alright, alright.” he huffed a little laugh, but you only pouted at him before he straightened himself. “I, Percival Graves, swear on my life that I won’t leave (Y/N) (Y/L/N) ever alone.” he said crossing his fingers over his heart, making her smile through her tear glistened eyes. “Thank you, Percy.” you smiled at him, only holding tighter onto his hand. “Anything for you, (Y/N).” - When Percival joined the Macusa you knew all along that it may end horribly and as you joined the Macusa only one year later he got into a big argument with you. Things were said that weren’t meant seriously but the words still stung for both of you. It was the biggest fight you had with him, but soon you both realized that this is a risk that needs to be considered for the safety of the wizard community. Percival knew he couldn’t stop you from becoming an Auror as well as you knew that you couldn’t stop your friend of becoming not only the Director of Magical Security but also Head Director of Magical Law Enforcements. The Graves family has always been involved with the Macusa, being one of the founders of it. It was only natural that he become one of the leading positions of it, just like his father once was. But with that great dangers came. Grindelwald arose striking terror in all of Europe. Around the world his followers came out of the shadows and chaos broke out. All the work it brought with it kept you two busy. No time for sentiments. Of course Percival would be a bit distant, he needed to keep his mind occupied with work and you understood it more than anyone else. But it changed drastically one morning when you walked into your office. You were used to seeing Percival already at his desk. During the hard time and the long overtimes you grew a habit of always bringing a second cup of coffee with you for him. That would be, most of the time, the only interaction you two shared for the day, but both of you were secretly enjoying it. Being separated from each other not being able to talk to one another was something you could never get used to. It changed that morning when you brought a cup of coffee to him and he didn’t even glance at you. Not even a good morning left his lips. Shrugging it off, hoping that his tiered mind just didn’t register your presence you got to work. Only when it went on you grew worried asking him if everything was alright, he would brush it off and kick you out of the office. Sometimes he could be harsh, yes, but never would he kick you out like that. And then when he sent Tina Goldstein, one of the youngest and best Aurors the Macusa could ask for, to the Federal Wand Permit Office you knew that something wasn’t right. No one listened to you. Not even Madam President when you told her that something was wrong. “Because of some indifference you two have it doesn’t mean that something is wrong Miss (Y/L/N).” she had said to you when you declared your suspicious. “Don’t distract your and his mind from the job you two have.” was her only command at that and since you can’t do much to change Madam Picquerys opinion you only nodded and got back to work. - “Revelio.” your heart was pounding in your chest as the British wizard pointed his wand at the tied down Graves. Eyes widen in shock you watched while the black, slicked back hair turned into white blond. The always warm brown eyes you’ve known all your life, now cold and light, one of them turning into an Icey blueish grey. A big smirk adorned the face of none other than Gellert Grindelwald. Two Aurors grabbed the arms of the criminal and dragged him to his feet while he held the gaze with Madam Picquery who only had hatred left for this man. Your mind was numb and your body reacted on its own when your feet started to make their way to the blond man, ignoring Tina and Newt calling out for you. Grabbing the collar of the white shirt that clearly once belonged to Percival, you dragged the man to your eyelevel, noses almost touching. The Aurors who hold him tightly tried to rip you off of the man but you only glared at them before you returned your gaze to Grindelwald. “Where is he?” you whisper shouted, body shaking in anger. The man only grinned down at you with a sickening smile, not giving an answer. “What did you do to him?!” you shouted, tears starting to form in your eyes while you lightly shook the criminal. The people around you watched and held their wands ready to attack when it was needed. “What have you done to Percival?!” your angered voice echoed in the train station. The smile he wore didn’t flatter one bit, not even by the volume of your voice. He only started to laugh as a tear started to drip from your eye. “You know, he never begged for his life.” he told you. “The one thing he begged for was your life. He would call your name, night after night until he couldn’t anymore.” the grin didn’t flatter and the two Aurors holding him, finally snapped out of it and brought him to the staircase that led up to the world up there. But the man stopped beside Newt, eyeing him closely, the grin almost fading. “Will we die just a little?” he questioned before he was escorted upstairs, Newt never daring to look in the madman’s eyes. While you in the meantime had fallen to your knees, a hand clapped around your mouth to keep the sobs at bay, but the tears ran freely down your face. “Miss (Y/L/N).” Madam President called you but you simply took a deep, shaky breath and got up to your feet again before turning to the woman. “It is your fault. If you only listened to me, we could’ve saved him! You killed him!” you screamed at her and she simply down casted her gaze to the ground ashamed about her unawareness and disbelief towards you. Tina grabbed your shoulder and you whipped around only to see her giving you a sad look. “You all make me sick.” you muttered brushing of Tina’s hand and leaving the train station. - Nurmengrad, Austria Percival sat in the cell he was held captive for… He doesn’t even know how long he was locked up anymore to be honest. It could’ve been days, months, by merlin it could have been even an entire year. The chains on his ankles and wrists rubbed against the wounded and infected flesh, but this pain was bearable and long forgotten. All the torture he went through wasn’t as painful as the thought of what the madman would do with you. He only hoped that you were somewhere safe. Hoping you had left New York, even America to go somewhere safe where Grindelwald wasn’t able to find you. His head hang low, the once neatly cut, dark hair was now falling in strands into his bruised face. All hope of help was gone a long time ago and only the memories of better days, days he spent with you, kept his eyes still open. The memories of your childhood, running around in your garden, chasing each other all day long. Your days at Ilvermorny and how you smiled so brightly when he taught you to create a Patronus. How proud you were as you saw the (Y/F/A) fading into the wind and with beaming eyes you slung your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. On that day it was when he realized that he felt so much more towards you then friendship. And now, without any help, he will die all alone. Without any hope of someone finding him, without you knowing about his feelings. If he only had fought of Grindelwald when he attacked him in his own home. Maybe then he could’ve stopped the horror that enfolded, stopped the dark Wizard from taking over the wizarding world once and for all. Maybe, just maybe Percival would’ve confessed his feelings for you, taking the chance of being more than just a friend. Go dancing with you, have nice dinners, spending stormy nights under a blanket together while listening to the radio. The image of you smiling at him in a white dress in front of a church came into his mind. You always wanted to get married, one of your many dreams you had ever since you were a little girl. “But when you get married you will forget me.” he remembered himself saying to you. It was in your garden, after you first told him about your future plans. Both of you were no older than six probably. On that day you gave him a big smile, looking deep into his eyes while you laughed lightly. “You silly, why would I forget my husband?” she smiled brightly at him, making him blush lightly. As a child he was a total mess around her, he remembered. It brought a smile to his face. He missed those times but he will cherish them forever even when this would be his last day on earth. With you in his mind he closed his eyes, awaiting his ultimate dismay… - A loud noise made him snap his eyes open. His heart beating fast from the sudden noise. Surprised that he was still breathing he looked around the cell, but saw nothing. Probably he just imagined…. but there was it again. Sounds of a fight came to his ears. Spells were spoken and footsteps that got closer. Still, fear stroked his body. Maybe Grindelwald returned ready to end Percival’s life ones and for all. Footsteps got closer and closer and voices he couldn’t recognize came to his ears. A shadow finally appeared at the cell door. Quivering with fear for what was about to come Percival hid his face in his shaking arms when that someone burst the door open. “Miss (Y/L/N)! I found him! He is down here!” came a male voice and Percival could sense that the person kneeled down beside him. Another set of footsteps came rushing down into the cell. With a heavy breath the chained-up man looked up from his arms, first to see one of his Aurors, Parker was his name when Graves recalled correctly, but as soon as his gaze landed on the figure at the door his eyes widen. There you stood, (Y/H/C) hair disheveled, blood and dirt covering your once clean face and tears striking your eyes. Without a single word you went up to him, falling to your knees like your coworker did and looked at Percival. Not hesitating for a moment you grabbed his face and placed kissed all over it, not caring about the scratchy beard that had grown on his face, or the dirt on his cheeks. He was still alive, tormented and broken but still breathing. “You are alive.” you mumbled after you placed a kiss onto his lips, your thumbs caressing his cheeks. Now with his own eyes filled with tears he looked at you, not quiet grasping onto the fact that you were indeed here to save him. “I promised….didn’t I?” came his voice lowly and hoarse and you could only cry even more. More and more Aurors came rushing down, freeing their boss from the chains and steading him onto his feet. “He needs medical attention immediately!” you yelled at your colleagues who didn’t hesitate to guide the healer you had taken with you through to examine Percival. - Back in New York Percival received the medical attention he desperately needed and you stayed with him. His left leg was completely covered in injuries that not even the most experienced healers could fix completely. A Cane would always be his companion from now on. On his right hand he missed his ring finger while the other missed its little finger. His entire body was covered in bruises that would heal in time, many bones were broken and not healed probably, a scar would appear on his right eyebrow after the wound has healed. It made him angry, to know that his body will always remember him of what had happened, of what Grindelwald had done to him, of the torture he had gone through. “Look at me (Y/N)!” he shouted at you after you tried to convince him to walk a bit outside on this sunny day. “My body is broken! People will give me looks of pity, thinking that I am weak!” you let him shout at you, let him have his tantrums. He has witnessed and survived things unimaginable and somehow he had to let it out, so you stood there in the room and let your friend scream at you. He calmed down soon after, apologizing for his behavior and you simply laid your hand on his shoulder to make him look at you. “You are not weak, Percival.” you declared making him look into your eyes. “What…what happened to you, no one can imagine, but that you survived it only proves how strong you truly are. All the scars are proof of your strength. So, never say that you are weak.” After you said these words to him, he took you into his arms, holding tightly onto your body, scared that you may vanish, that all of this was only in his imagination, only a fantasy that his mind made up to keep him sane. “You need a haircut.” you mumbled while running a hand through his dark hair. When your eyes met you tried to stop yourself from laughing, making him only raise an eyebrow at you. “And, this beard.” you pointed at his chin. “That needs to be shaved off as well. It only pokes me when I want to kiss you.” a soft smile adorned your lips that made him blush like when he was a child. “Did I make the great Percival Graves blush?” you teased him, trying to lightened his mood, successfully. “Doll, you always had me blushing.” he said before he bent down to kiss you. But instead of enjoying the feeling his lips you tried to get away from his grasp for his beard was unbearable. “Percy stop. The beard is really scratchy.” after a moment he let go of you but for the first time in a long time he smiled. It was a tiny smile but it was a big victory for you. “Then let’s get rid of that beard and then we can take a little stroll.” he suggested and you nodded happy that he tried to get back to his normal life. Yes, you knew it was impossible to get back to the old life he had before but he tried to leave all the pain behind to start over new. Carefully you shaved off his beard and cut his hair back to its length it had before all of it. Slowly you began to hum along with it. Percival watched from the mirror that hang in the bathroom while you still hummed a bit. “Do you remember that one summer day back in your yard when I asked about your future plans?” he then suddenly asked and you stopped your humming to look at him through the mirror. “There were a lot of summer days like that.” you smiled and continued on. “We were no older than six at the time, I guess.” he tried again but you simply listened to his words concentrating on cutting his hair. “You wore that awful dress your mother had made you. I remember you saying how you got it dirty on purpose just not to wear it any longer.” a little laugh escaped your lips at the memory but you let him continue. “On one of these days I asked you where you would be in the next twenty years and then you said that you wanted to marry.” after his last word you stopped mid-way, starring at him through the mirror once again. “You still remember that?” you asked in disbelief. “It is my happiest memory.” he confessed his eyes looking directly into your (Y/E/C) ones. A hint of red crossed your cheeks as you quickly looked away. “And,” he continued, a light grin on his face. “I remember you calling me your…” “Okay, enough.” you said before he could end this sentence. “I am glad that you are in a better mood but let’s focus on the present.” “This is why I told you this, I had a point in all of this (Y/N).” you grabbed his now clean shaven face and turned it to you to lock his eyes with yours directly. “Well then Mr. Graves, tell me what kind of point that is.” Fully knowing that he had nothing to lose he took a deep breath and looked into your eyes. “You’ve always been more than just a friend to me (Y/N). I was stupid for not telling you any of it sooner. I realized it when…” he stopped for a moment and you slowly caressed his cheek. “…when I was imprisoned, I realized that I’m not wasting anymore time when I get out alive. During this time, I imagined how live would turn out if someone saves me or if I never had been captured in the first place.” he had to swallow hard but you still listened closely giving him the time he needed. “…I imagined how it would be to finally tell you that I love you. That I want to take you out for a nice dinner, dance with you the entire night, spending stormy nights inside listening to the Radio and someday, maybe someday waiting for you to walk down the aisle.” he finished with a broken voice, tears in his brown eyes. Some tears had gathered in your eyes as well. Percival never was the man to express or talk about his feelings in that kind of way he did right now. What Grindelwald did to him changed him greatly. And to hell you would go if you let this man go just like that. “I almost lost you once and by Merlin this is never going to happen again.” you said before got on your tip toes to kiss him. “I love you, too, Percival.” you confessed after you pulled away from him with a smile on your face. - Only time healed Percival’s physical wounds. Mentally it will probably never heal, but thanks to you he started to cope with it. After his wounds were healed, he returned to the Macusa. The pitiful glances from his colleagues were soon replaced by looks of admiration. Percival Graves was back and yes; he may never get back into the field but his determination to do his job even better than before had brought him back to his reputation he had before Grindelwald had imprisoned him. He was an example for everyone. Not to give up and keep fighting, that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And as he has imagined, he took you out for dinner from time to time, danced with you despite his injured leg and cuddled up with you on stormy days, listening to the music from the radio. Now, just as he had imagined, he stood in the church, eagerly awaiting you arrival so he could finally be together with you for the rest of your lives.

#percival graves x reader #percival x reader #graves x reader #percival graves imagine #fantastic beasts and where to find them #fbawtft #hp #harry potter #x reader #percival graves

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ante--meridiem · 5 years

Note

Do you think Albus and Gellert practiced duelling together in 1899, and at that point in time would they be tied?

Thank you for the ask anon! I enjoyed thinking about this one a lot.

Do I think they practiced? Almost definitely.

I actually think Albus may have had an edge on Gellert, especially if they practiced before they made the pact not to hurt each other. (I have no idea how said pact would affect their ability to duel each other on friendly terms. It depends very much on how it works; does it demand serious intention to hurt the other or would it stop any combative spell?) I say this because I imagine Gellert's natural fighting style to be a very much no-holds-barred go-straight-for-the-kill style, so he would have to adapt it or hold back a lot when he doesn't actually want to hurt his opponent. Albus, on the other hand, I imagine has always trained to disarm/incapacitate his opponent without hurting them, so he would be able to fight to pretty much his full potential. (I also like to imagine that Gellert would tease him for only using "harmless" spells, only for Albus to show him up and him to be all the more embarrassed afterwards). We know that at the current point in FB canon Gellert considers Albus a serious threat, so yeah, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this happened.

#grindeldore #Asks #My headcanons #I guess?#If someone writes fic with this idea please tag me

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sineluce-velius-tristitia · 6 years

Text

Into the Deep End

Newt didn’t know what possessed him to come.

Maybe it was to see for himself that the most dangerous Dark wizard is properly locked up behind a cage. To assure that the man who had done horrible, despicable things had been properly apprehended; that there was no chance for Gellert Grindelwald to hurt another person.

But it wasn’t because of that.

Righteous, good intentions aside, Newt is terribly curious of this man.

A wizard of great power and influence, of genius and charm that attracts people enough to become his fanatics. A wizard of whose past is intertwined with Albus Dumbledore.

Newt stands there, in the bowels of MACUSA’s holding cells, practicing long acquired skills of stealth to sneak around unnoticed by the guards assigned just for a single—but incredibly dangerous—wizard.

He’d left his creatures with Queenie, not quite trusting but the alternative of leaving his creatures unguarded for any span of time was unbearable. The memory of his case being impounded was still entirely too fresh and a wave of fear at the mere thought made him a bit more paranoid.

Easily getting past the guards, Newt is surprised to find that nothing else is set up as defense. A superficial scan of the wards told him why. They had focused too much on keeping someone in rather than putting just as much effort in keeping unwanted people out. As it stands, Newt wouldn’t have any problems going in as long as he was careful.

It seems finding the cell he wanted wouldn’t be an issue. All the cells are unoccupied except for one.

He stops right in front of it, a frown knotting at his forehead still quite unsure why he had risked sneaking into one of the most guarded part of MACUSA. Pardoned he may be for smuggling his creatures and risking the Statute, he is still on thin ice.

“I don’t suppose staring into nothing would solve your problems, Mister Scamander.”

The voice is raspy and hoarse but lacking none of its confident lilt. Even with a heavily protected door between them, Grindelwald is every bit the wizard who had taunted and tortured him in the subway. Absently, Newt noted that a silencing charm was not one of the spells cast on the cells.

With a side glance to where he had come from, Newt cast a privacy charm around them, one that wouldn’t interfere with the wards.

The silence from the other side of the door was quite unnerving but even then, Newt doesn’t say anything. He stood there, arms crossed and hunched over, staring at the door separating him and Grindelwald.

Newt wonders why he could not muster fear or anger at the man who had taken his creatures away from him no matter how short of a time it had been. Wonders why there’s nothing but curiosity for a man who caused so much unneeded violence.

I’m not one of Grindelwald’s fanatics, he had said to the man. And he wasn’t. But a part of him always had been curious what made them fanatics. There has to be a reason why a single wizard could amass such a following.

Then, quite sudden and out of the blue, laughter full of mirth rang from the other side. It’s surprising, and the malevolent undercurrent of it made Newt shudder unconsciously.

“I seem to have underestimated you, Mister Scamander. But, ah, I see it now; what makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you. Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your creatures?” Here, Newt scowls but still doesn’t talk. “I’ve seen what you do for them, walked through their homes and admired how seamlessly they exist. Danger doesn’t seem to be a word you adhere to.”

There’s a bitter aftertaste in his mouth as he swallowed when reminded by the fact the man had trampled over his case—his home. Nothing had been out of place when he had checked, not even the obscurus Grindelwald had taken out.

“I think it’s time for you to go now.” Newt could hear the smile from the man’s tone of voice. “We will meet again.”

It’s six months before Gellert Grindelwald made his presence known again.

Newt isn’t the least bit surprised the man had managed to escape. What does surprise him is when he finds a herd of thestrals loitering about in the street near his home in London. There’s a young chimaera too, affectionate enough that it lets Newt near without fuss.

“Hello, little one.” Newt coos as it climbs up to his shoulder. It leans on his fingers when he reached up to pet it. Pickett curiously peeks out from the lapel of his coat and climbs up to where the chimaera had settled. They had a staring contest before Pickett huffed and settled back down to his favorite place.

Newt chuckles affectionately, “Pickett seems to like you well enough. Now who might you be?” A small scrap of parchment is stuck on its back and Newt quickly reads it.

His name is Antonio. Keep him with you. You may do as you please with the thestrals.

The handwriting is unfamiliar. He couldn’t think of anyone who would send him anything of the sort and it’s more than suspicious. Perhaps he should send word to Theseus at the least. But contact with his brother isn’t something he wanted to do unless it was absolutely needed.

“You weren’t sent by someone bad, were you?” Newt asked of the thestrals and Antonio.

The small chimaera merely made a high pitched guttural sound at the back of its throat in response.

Newt smiles before clicking his tongue, calling the attention of the thestrals nosing curiously at the potted plants of the neighboring houses. He frowns when he noticed how thin they looked—thinner than how a thestral should be.

“Oh you poor dears,” Newt sighed, nuzzling one of the creatures. “We should get you somewhere more suitable for your needs.”

He leads them to his home where he had spent months in when the Ministry sanctioned his travelling ban. It’s roomier than his case but Newt missed being able to travel, being able to set his creatures free to where they belong instead of cooped up in a beautiful cage.

They may be replications of their home but it was a cage nonetheless.

A cold nose nudged his cheek and Newt smiled wryly. He can’t keep a herd of thestrals in his home. Perhaps he could send them to Hogwarts once they’re in perfect health.

It’s another month before the monotony of scouring through London and getting rid of his tails was broken when Antonio—who had taken residence on his person just as much as Pickett had—suddenly jumped down from his pocket and ran through the streets.

Newt, already used to such behavior from his other creatures, quickly scampered off to follow the chimaera.

He manage to catch up to the creature near an alley and had only managed to cradle him close to his chest, ready to scold him running off, when a hand grabbed his shoulder and the familiar feeling of apparation swallowed him.

They appear on a rooftop of some building, the wind whipping away at his overcoat.

“I did say we will meet again, Mister Scamander.”

Newt barely managed to cover a flinch of surprise but he does back away from the voice. Standing before him, head tilted to the side, is Gellert Grindelwald. There’s no trace of the months he spent in MACUSA’s custody.

It hits him that this is the first time he sees the Dark Lord as himself. Nothing in the Dark wizard’s face or body but the mask of Gellert Grindelwald. There’s nothing to blindside Newt this time, nothing to defend himself with, no barriers of any kind. Except, perhaps, Newt’s own ignorance.

The other wizard seems to be waiting for a response so Newt composes himself, “You did say that.”

In his hands, Antonio wriggles about and peeks up at Newt and then to Grindelwald. To his bemusement, Grindelwald reaches out a hand. “May I?”

Newt stares, unsure for a moment, before he realizes what the Dark Lord wanted. Instinctively, Newt lets Antonio out of his grasp, watching as the little chimaera crawled over to Grindelwald’s hand willingly. It was strange, seeing the intimidating wizard holding the creature carefully.

“I’m glad to see you’ve kept Antonio.” Grindelwald lifted the creature to Newt’s shoulder and let it go. “I’m afraid I can’t keep such a needy creature with me.”

Indignation churned in his gut but Newt tempered it down, focusing instead on the realization that Grindelwald had been the one who sent Antonio and the thestrals. He had to be cautious with what he says to the wizard. He says instead, “Antonio had been a good companion.”

Grindelwald hums, “I can see that.”

“What was it you needed with me?” Newt finally asked, absently petting Pickett and then Antonio.

“Nothing.”

Newt furrows his brows and looked closer at the other wizard. “Yet.”

A smirk tugged at Grindelwald’s lips. “Nothing yet, yes. When the time comes, you will give it to me.”

Newt had no idea what it is. But the conviction in the Dark Lord’s voice kept him from asking. It was curious how despite being cautious, there was no immediate urge to flee. Even lesser was the urge to interfere with whatever the wizard is planning.

“Until we meet again, Newton.”

There was a possibility that Newt refused the Ministry’s deals because he couldn’t seem to muster up the will to fight against the Dark Lord.

He had seen how the man fought, had been in close enough proximity to say that he could not repeat what he had done in that subway months ago. Not for the lack of trying but for the certainty that Grindelwald wouldn’t commit the same mistake twice.

“There would come a time that everyone—everyone—has got to pick a side. Even you.” Theseus had said.

I don’t do sides. He doesn’t. Especially now.

Newt knew that travelling to Paris isn’t such a good idea.

But with Credence alive, Newt couldn’t appease his conscience quite well. And even then, he had to clear things up with Tina.

Going to Paris isn’t such a good idea but Newt will do it anyway. And, glancing at Jacob who was recounting his and Queenie’s romance in the last year, Newt wouldn’t deny the speck of happiness at the familiarity of the situation. He missed his friends and he missed venturing out of the country. This time, hopefully, there wouldn’t be adrenaline of a chase and troubles of Dark Lords.

But considering who and what Credence is, Newt wouldn’t count on it.

The moment Antonio started fussing, Newt knew what was coming.

“Hey Newt-”

“I-I’m sorry Jacob,” Newt turns around to face Jacob, causing the other man to stop in his tracks. “But could you please, uh, hold this for moment-” He hands him the feather that they are using to track Tina, now encased in a clear box.

Jacob takes it with a puzzled expression. “Okay…”

“Yes thank you,” Newt tries to smile. “I’ll be back in a jiffy. Stay here. Or, uh, actually, you can find a café to stay at. I’ll find you.”

Then he walks over to an alley before letting Antonio scamper up his shoulder. “Where to now?”

With the squeaked directions from the little chimaera, Newt finds himself outside a house. He steps up to knock on the door and was greeted by a striking woman.

They look at each other, the woman sizing him up before inclining her head with an unreadable though pleasant expression. “Come in, Mister Scamander.”

Newt does so, brushing off the surprise at her knowing his name. “Thank you.” He muttered.

There’s a surprised gasp from inside and Newt turns to its direction.

“Newt?” Then he was engulfed in a hug that had him shifting in discomfort even as he recognized Queenie’s golden curls and soft voice. “Oh I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been so awful. Is Jacob with you? I’m so sorry I didn’t know what else to do.”

He pats her back awkwardly, spying the black haired French woman smirking at them.

“What – what are you doing here Queenie?” Newt asked as Queenie finally let him go, a niggle of worry finally settling in his stomach.

Her distressed frown brightened up into a smile as she gestures at the woman, “I was lost and she helped me. She’s been so kind to me but I uh…” Her face fell and dismay colored her voice. “You don’t happen to know where Tina is, do you?”

Newt’s shake of head wasn’t really needed but he still did so.

You need to leave.

“Oh, why do I-”

“Newton,” Newt turned just as Queenie drew her wand.

“You stay right there,” Queenie bit out, unconsciously pulling Newt behind her. “I know what you are.”

“Queenie.” Grindelwald strode nearer, arms raised to show that he is harmless. It doesn’t quite work but the man doesn’t put it down. “We’re not here to hurt you.” The man titled his head. “Nor will we harm Newton.”

Newt closed his eyes, resigned that he’s too late to have Queenie escape.

Please put your wand down, Newt spoke in his mind clearly. He may not know what the Dark Lord has planned but Newt didn’t want to aggravate the man though he seems to be more amused than anything else. Pleased, even.

Queenie’s stance wavered and she turned to him, confusion and betrayal clear on her face.

“It’s not what it looks like.” Newt whispered. This seems to amuse Grindelwald even further so Newt turns his attention to him. “Please let her go.”

“We will,” Grindelwald appeased but satisfaction lurked behind his mismatched eyes. “We only wish protect the innocent. To let her know that we are here to help.” His attention drifts to Queenie who is trembling. “It is not your fault that your sister is an auror. I wish she were working with me now to a world where every witch and wizard is able to live however they want. To love freely.”

Before Newt’s eyes, he sees Queenie’s resolve waver. She looks at him, a desperate attempt to keep her head straight. But even Newt isn’t sure what to believe so he grips her hand and moved his gaze away from her.

I’m sorry was all he could think.

“Go now,” Grindelwald said. “Leave this place.”

Obediently, they did.

Queenie tags along as Newt returns to Jacob.

They have a tearful reunion, both apologizing for their actions (and thoughts on Jacob’s part). But Grindelwald’s influence had taken root. Newt can see the determination in Queenie’s eyes.

He smiles, though, because Queenie and Jacob clearly belonged together.

A man passed by and the feather they had been following earlier that day ruffled excitedly and pointed at the man. Newt let it free, watching as the feather zoomed past them and back onto the man’s hat.

“Come on.” Newt muttered as he followed the man.

His reunion with Tina wasn’t quite as touching as Jacob and Queenie’s.

They manage to get Mr. Kama out of the sewers with them and the Zouwu safely inside his case. When they settled in the safe place professor Dumbledore had given him the address to, Queenie had finally gotten irritated enough at the tension between them.

“Tina!” Queenie huffed, glaring at her stoic sister. “Newt here was going to say something important.”

Newt froze from his spot halfway down his case. He slowly turns his gaze up at Queenie’s expectant look to Tina’s equally as expectant look.

“You really are sisters.” He blurted out, nerves having caught up with him. Somewhere in the room, Jacob purses his lips and palms his face. Queenie glared at Newt. “I- I’m sorry. I-” Queenie tapped her foot in impatience. “I wasn’t uh, there had been a misunderstanding, Tina. It’s my brother- Theseus and Leta are the ones who are going to get married.”

Queenie’s happy clap was the only noise heard in the silence filled room. Newt took the opportunity to go down his case to take care of the Zouwu.

Newt sees Credence again in the Lestrange Mausoleum.

It’s only him and Tina this time, having left Queenie and Jacob to guard Mr. Kama. Though they seem to have been unsuccessful.

There’s tension in the air, one born from familial disagreements. Newt felt distinctly out of place as Leta told her story, feeling as if he was encroaching on something he shouldn’t know. It doesn’t shed light to who Credence is and the look of disappointment in the boy caused sympathy to twist his heart.

His attention is broken by Antonio wiggling out of his pocket.

“Antonio?”

His startled whisper called everyone’s attention. Newt followed Antonio to where a passage opened at his touch. The chimaera croaked and scampered up his shoulder and settled there, anticipation making him absolutely still.

Beyond the revealed passageway was a large gathering of wizards and witches.

At once, Newt realized Grindelwald’s plan.

The fire of protego diabolica burned brightly as it danced to the whims of the Dark Lord.

Aurors who were unable to protect themselves got burned, dying with piercing screams that cut off as the curse ate them away.

Newt watched with a horrified fascination, following the motions of his brother as they defended against the flames. Queenie and Jacob were ways away and he could see her crying, screaming at Jacob in despair.

At the other side, Credence makes his way to the flames, barely held back by the maledictus.

Newt is rooted in his spot, watching as Credence crossed over, Grindelwald greeting him with wide arms. His eyes are drawn to Queenie, anguish and desperation clear on her face as she crossed over the blue flames. Their eyes meet and Newt lets out a huff, half hysteric and half resignation.

“Newton,” Everyone seemed to pause at the call. Newt heard Theseus’s breath hitch and felt the way his brother’s hand gripped his arm tighter. “It’s time, I should think.”

Newt clutches his eyes shut, taking in deep breaths as he gripped his case tighter.

“What does he-” Newt pulls away from Theseus’s hold. “Newt don’t!”

He avoids look at anyone, feeling Tina, Leta, and Theseus’s eyes burning at him. Grindelwald’s expectant, triumphant gaze seemed to be the only thing that doesn’t burn. Antonio is purring as his shoulder and Newt reaches up to pet him.

With surprisingly steady gait, Newt walks down the steps.

Time seemed to slow and the distance between him and the platform seemed to be longer than it looks.

“Newt!”

Newt pauses and turns to his brother only to have the flames come between them. Between Newt and everyone.

Leta pulls Theseus back and Newt catches her eyes. For the first time in years, Newt smiles at her. “Please take care of him.”

Then he walked away, towards Grindelwald’s expectant gaze. This time it seemed faster than it should. The flames are warm, comforting even as his heart broke at the screams of his name.

He doesn’t stop walking until he stands close to Grindelwald. So close that there was barely space between them. Antonio jumps from his perch on Newt’s shoulder over to Grindelwald’s. The Dark Lord reaches up and cradles Newt’s face in his palm.

Smugness and triumph swirled behind mismatched eyes.

And then they were gone.

#fantastic beasts and where to find them #grindelnewt #fbcog #fanfic #one shot #lmao i haven't updated shit but i made this #cross posted in ao3

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whysofandom-blog · 6 years

Text

“Little Lady” Part 5 [Percival Graves x Reader]

Word count: 2k

Warnings: None I can think of

Apology: It’s been almost a year since I wrote something so I’m trying to finish my unfinished projects at first. I’m sorry if you were reading this series and suddenly I wasn’t updating anymore.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Magical abilities and skills:

Auror Training- Completed

Non verbal magic- Registrated Level B2

Apparition Training- Completed

Magical characteristics:

Wand- 11", core: tail hair of a Thestral, material: cherry wood

Patrons- previously panther, currently facing

Bogart- unknown

After reading the file Percival was even more puzzled. There was nothing that he didn't already know, but he had hoped to get a clearer picture of what was going on. Just as his informator had told him Y/N had been an auror, just as her brother. She had arrested Grindelwald. Her brother had been sent to Azkaban and she had fought her free. She had been one of the many aurors who made it their personal goal to catch Gellert Grindelwald. Around the time Grindelwald disappeared from Europe, Y/N's brother was announced missing and Y/N gave up her job in the ministry. That was about all that was written there. Absolutely no news.

Percival decided to head home for the night, it was already past midnight. The next morning he decided to go and talk to Madame President about her. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to believe she was innocent.

***

The next morning Percival headed straight to Madame President's office. The problem of Y/N Y/L/N had kept him up all night. It all started making sense to him. That girl had lost her family or at least her brother to Grindelwald and was trying to do anything she could to bring him to justice. From what Percival had heard last night it seemed like Grindelwald had at one point captured her. That would also explain why she got scared so easily when Graves touched her shoulder unexpectedly. After all he had done it without a warning and from behind, so there was no way she had seen it coming. There were a lot of questions to be answered.

"She is alone," said Madame President's secretary when she saw Percival coming in.

"Thank you," he replied and walked into the President's office.

"Good morning Graves, on the rare occasion when I didn't have the need to see you in the morning you find your own way here," she said jokingly when she saw Percival.

"It is about Miss Y/N."

Madame President's face fell visibly. "It was an unfortunate event indeed."

"Madam, I was present almost every training she conducted with the new recruits. There was no harassment. Unless we'd count the way that Hallenby kid was acting harassment. "

"I know, I had no other choice than to arrest her for 24 hours, Mr. Hallenby filed a report on her. In these cases the least we can do is arrest the person for a day and conduct an investigation. I had 5 students write their statement in the event that had occurred and single-handedly decided that she is not to be blamed. Her arrest ends in," Madam Picquery looked at the clock on the wall," 37 minutes. Then she is free to go." She didn't look to pleased with the situation.

"And that is it? She should be getting a compensation for that night," Graves said with a furious undertone.

"Indeed, but that is her's to ask. Would you have time to go free her?" Madam Picquery asked.

"I will."

"Not earlier than in 36 minutes, thank you," the woman finished and handed Percival the same keys she had handed him last night.

***

These 36 minutes were the longest Percival can remember any 36 minute period to have ever been. He was sitting in his office and preparing a form for Y/N. His mind was filled with questions. He wasn't sure if Y/N was in the right mindset to be asked about her past right after being stuck overnight in the company of the other inmates. When he had just 7 minutes until her release Graves decided to leave his office and head downstairs. As was bound to happen, he reached the corridor leading to the cells in a minute or two and had an extra 5 minutes now. He tried to open the lock as silently as he could and entered the corridor, he was greeted with a chilly badly lit part of the building. He stopped and tried to hear anything that the inmates were saying.

"Hmmm... more or less?" a man asked.

"Less," a woman answered.

"I went easy on a pretty thing like you," the same man answered.

"Sure," the same woman answered shortly.

"Oh come on answer me now," the man said almost flirtatiously.

"No, you can guess."

"Less than 50 but more than 25 hmm... 32!" the man guessed.

"No."

"45."

The woman didn't reply for a long time. "No."

"44."

"Almost"

"43?"

There was a long pause once again. "Yes."

"43 scars is not a lot, you should be more hostile with me!" the man flirted again.

"One day I'll decorate you with 43 scars and then we can debate over it," the woman replied coldly. Graves wasn't sure but it could have been Y/N.

"Y/N, Y/N, we had a good time together, no need to get mean," the man and his friends laughed. The conversation died cause Y/N stopped answering completely. Graves decided to finally go in. He walked to Y/N's cell and opened the door of it.

"Follow me," he said to Y/N. He did only get a glimpse of her but it seemed like she didn't look too good. She was curled up in the far right corner of the cell. She stood up and silently walked to the door. Graves locked the now empty cell after her and started leading her out from between the cells.

"We'll meet sooner than you think, doll!" the same man shouted after her.

When Graves and Y/N closed to corridor's door behind them and walked into the more lit part of the building, he finally looked at Y/N. The woman had dark circles around her eyes and her hair was messy. Otherwise she looked fine.

"You have to sign a few papers in my office, is that okay?" Graves asked looking at her.

"Yes," she answered and nodded lazily. The reached the elevator and the both of them reached to the button to call for it at the same time. Their hands touched for a brief second before Y/N quickly pulled her hand away. Graves noticed that her hand was very cold. The more he looked at her the more clear it became that the poor woman was freezing. She was shaking slightly and her lips had an almost blue touch to them. Without asking Percival took his jacket off and offered it to her.

"I'm fine, thank you," Y/N replied and looked down.

"You're clearly freezing. Who's gonna train the aurors if you get sick?" Percival said and was almost surprised by his own words, they sounded childish. The elevator arrived and opened it's doors.

"If I will get sick, then I will. I doubt your coat will undo the whole night," she replied and stepped into the elevator.

Graves couldn't argue with that, she did have a good point. That didn't mean that he didn't feel like he wanted to help her. They stood by each other in silence, Graves was awkwardly holding his jacket in his hands. When the elevator stopped Graves decided to put his jacket around Y/N shoulders anyway. He made sure she saw what he was doing (not like the last time) and placed the jacket on the woman's shoulders. It was stupidly big for her and made her seem even smaller than she was. In that moment the doors opened but neither of them moved for a brief second. Finally Graves gestured to Y/N to stepped out first. As soon as they started heading to Percival's office, Y/N felt many pairs of eyes on her. Percival noticed that too but didn't give it too much thought. Once they reached the office Percival opened the door for her and told her to wait for a minute.

Y/N walked in and sat down on a wooden chair with a leather seat, identical to the one on the other side of the table. She let her eyes wander over the cabinet. It looked more like a fancy interrogation room. There were no pictures on the walls or on the desk, no plants, the room was depressingly dark and the light there was cold. Y/N took the jacket she had been given off and walked over to Percival's chair, she placed the jacket on the chair and took her seat again. Before she could investigate the decor more Graves was back.

He sat down on his seat and sighed. "Sign this, I'll fill the rest out myself," he said and handed Y/N the form. Y/N read through the paper fast, signed it and handed it back.

"You can write a complaint on Hallenby for all this," Graves said while filling out the rest of the paper.

"I'd rather not, it would give him even more reason to hate me," she replied.

" Are you sure?" Percival asked.

" Yes."

" Well here is the signed return permit for your wand," he took it from the top drawer of his desk.

An awkward silence took over .

"When can I teach again?" Y/N asked and stood up.

"I doubt you want to do it today but tomorrow is fine, if it's fine by you."

"I won't cancel my today's class," she said and walked out. No one had ever walked out from Percival's office in the middle of the conversation before. He was both agitated and impressed.

***

Almost without having noticed Percival found himself walking into the training hall of the aurors when he knew the class was about to start. He went and sat down in the back of the room in his usual seat.

"I wonder if Miss Y/L/N will be here?" a girl who Percival thinks was in his office the day before asked from another girl.

"No idea," the girl replied.

"Of course she won't, she was thrown to jail! I hope we'll get a proper teacher finally!" David Hallenby, the spoiled kid, said.

"And I hoped I'd have normal students but I guess life is not what we expect or hope," Y/N who had entered the room without anyone noticing said, "today we'll go through the most common dirty moves when it comes to hand combat but first, run for 7 minutes."

The pupils stared running but Y/N walked to Percival instead. " Can you help me today?" she asked.

"In what way?" Percival asked back a bit surprised by the unusual warmness in her voice.

"I need to show them the moves but I don't want be accused of fighting with the students," she said matter-of-factly.

"Good idea," Percival said and followed Y/N to the middle part of the hall. He took of his jacket and vest, loosened his tie a bit, unbuttoned the upper button on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves.

"7 minutes is up!" Y/N shouted in a bit and everyone in the room gathered together.

"Today we have Mr. Graves taking part of our training class more physically than before. So before we start what were the most important things you learned last time? Let's go over them quickly..."

***

When the class ended and everyone had left the hall Y/N noticed that Percival was still in the room.

"Thank you for helping me out today," she smiled and told him.

"It was no problem," Graves replied.

"I didn't want to be completely alone in front of them today," she admitted.

"It is completely understandable," Percival replied and walked out of the door, Y/N followed him and locked the door after herself. Percival found himself thinking that she looked good even when she had been through so much in the last few days. " Can I walk you home?" Percival asked without even thinking.

"Thank you but there is no need for that, see you tomorrow," Y/N smiled and walked away. She left Percival standing in the hallway of MACUSA, wondering if any woman has ever declined that offer from him before.

Part 6

My biggest “Thank you!” goes out to anyone reading this poor part that was posted a year after starting the series. I promise to finish this series this time!

If you want a tag let me know, also sorry if I did tag you and now you don’t remember what the hell even is this story about (probably). If you’re tagged then it means you had let me know you wanted a tag ages ago. Let me know and I’ll take you off the list, no hard feelings :)

Tag-list : @wintersdoll @weasleywickedwarlock @queenie-k0walski @srirachasluts @thenerdinyourclass @geeky-girl-394 @readermultifandem @credencedeservedbetter @aislinsekhem

#percival graves x reader #percival graves imagine #percival graves #fbawtft #fbawtft imagine #whysofandom imagine #little lady #fantastic beasts and where to find them #crimes of grindelwald #macusa #imagine #reader insert #harry potter universe #harry potter imagine #fantastic beasts imagine

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silverynight · 6 years

Text

Dreams

The first time it happens, Krall is mentioning something about the beauty of torture or something like that, honestly Gellert is not paying attention... He doesn't care about torture that much, what he really likes is control, whatever the methods they use to follow his cause, Gellert doesn't give a fuck.

But Krall is still talking about it to some of his followers and Gellert has the sudden impulse of asking them to leave the room.

And the it happens; the slight pressure on his temples when he's about to have a vision. He's used to them; the way everything around him seems to disappear... Although this time is more intense, it's like he's right there in that open space near the mountains. He swears he can feel the wind that's messing up the magizoologist's hair.

Because he recognizes Newton Scamander, he can't forget the man that caused him so many problems in New York. The same he could've killed in the train station and yet he didn't.

He's not going to analyze the reason behind that decision, he has more important things to do.

Newton is looking up at the sky, clearing waiting for something; the golden light of the sun is falling on his face, full of freckles and he has a smile so bright, Gellert is not sure he's seen a grin like that before. Suddenly the word beauty appears on his mind without his permission; he's just looking at his enemy, not his...

A growl startles him, making him look at the dragon that's flying towards Newton.

Is he looking at his death? Why is that mandman still standing there waiting to be killed?

The dragon doesn't kill him though, he lands next to Newton and purrs like a kitten when the magizoologist strokes his muzzle.

"Hi, Charlie! How've you been?"

Despite of himself, Gellert is impressed, he's so enthralled with the scene he bares his teeth at Krall when the wizard insistent calling makes him lose the vision.

"I apologise Sir, I didn't know you–"

"Just get out my sight, all of you!" Gellert snarls, knowing he shouldn't be that irritated because of a magizoologist.

He knows all his visions are important and have a meaning, but Gellert doesn't want to find out what this means... Because surely it's just a one time thing, right?

Wrong.

***

Gellert considers it a victory; he has finally gotten rid of the auror of MACUSA that has been following him and Abernathy is on his side, so he has nothing to worry about, at the moment.

He's already thinking how's going to build the wizarding world under the new regiment when he discovers himself humming that song he has listened a couple of times.

In the last few weeks he has found out Newton likes to sing a particular song inside his case; sometimes he dances to its tune, moving in circles among the mooncalves with the demiguise in his arms, other times he just uses it to ease the Nundu or just to get the baby Nifflers to sleep.

It's not that Gellert finds it quite charming or that he thinks Newton's voice is beautiful or that it has become one of his favorite things to hear when he's alone.

No, that's not the case at all, even if Vinda quirks a curious brow at him, after she hears him hum it for the first time.

Gellert still can't find a reasonable explanation for his visions, but he believes it's nothing he should worry about.

***

"Is that tea, Sir?" Again, Vinda's judgemental brows makes it difficult for Gellert to pretend nothing's happening.

"It is," he says, staring at her, waiting for the question, but it never comes.

Which is worse, because he knows he always drinks coffee whenever he can and he's not sure how there's tea in his cup, especially that Earl Grey with a splash of milk and a little bit of honey that Newton just 'happens' to love so much.

It makes him feel closer to him, even though he doesn't know why would he want something like that.

***

The next time Gellert sees Newton is in a dream that wakes him up almost instantly; he knows the magizoologist is in danger. But he's so far from Gellert he needs a portkey to get to him...

But there's no time for such things, so Gellert apparates and almost kills himself by doing so.

***

With the baby Niffler in his hands, Newt tries to think of the best way to get out of there unharmed, but it seems impossible for the three wizard in front of him look very pissed.

He's already taking out his wand, when they all hear a loud 'crack' that's quickly followed by three killing curses; it happens so fast, it takes a few seconds for Newt to process there are three bodies on the ground and Grindelwald is now walking towards him, with his left hand making pressure on his side.

He's injured.

Newt's first instinct is to help, but he has to hold it back, because Grindelwald has come here to kill him as well, right?

But then, the dark lord asks the unexpected: "Did they hurt you?"

Newt shakes his head, not sure what to make of that glimmer in Grindelwald's eyes or the sad smile on his face.

"What happened to you?" Newt glances at the hand Grindelwald is using to stop the blood.

"Apparition," he says simply almost laughing at himself.

Newt knows too much about apparition to not recognize that's an injured that only happens if you're not good at it or if you apparated from a long distance.

He knows Grindelwald is an excellent wizard so there's only one reason for his wound.

"Why would you do that?"

"I had a vision of you... in danger." Grindelwald admits, looking miserable, almost like he's experiencing all over again.

"But why?" Newt presses; nothing makes sense why he would risk his own life like that?

"I'm not... quite sure yet, if I'm being honest."

Newt sighs, takes one of his hands and puts a protective spell around them.

"Come, I'll patch you up."

It's almost fascinating how the dark lord does as Newt says and allows him to sit him on the bed he has inside his case. He has the wild idea he could take Grindelwald to MACUSA and he wouldn't fight him... But that wouldn't be right, because Grindelwald has just saved his life, even he used methods Newt is definitely not okay with.

"Tell me, Newton... How is this world you've designed for yourself? Maybe I can make them real for you, if you share your dreams with me."

Newt knows the song too well (his mother used to sing it for him when he was a child) not to recognize the lyrics, even if they're disguised as questions.

"How do you know about that?" He says, although he doesn't wait for an answer (he's not if he's prepared for it) and hands him a potion. "Here, drink this."

Grindelwald does, leaning closer when Newt sits next to him, he even touches his cheek, staring at Newt with an expression he's not sure he's seen on anyone before.

"Can I come to see you again?"

"Why?"

"I'm tired of only watching you in visions and dreams," Grindelwald confesses and Newt knows it's wrong to accept something like that, but he looks... so lonely.

"I'm constantly traveling."

"I know."

So... Does he know where Newt is all the time? Or how...

Better not to think about it.

"Okay, but you cannot kill anyone if you're with me."

"But what if–Fine. No more killing." Grindelwald says, looking ridiculously happy.

No, Newt doesn't have anything to worry about, does he? What's the worst thing that can happen?

******

Notes: Yes, the song Newt sings is "A million dreams" from The greatest showman.

#grindelnewt #dreams

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multifandomxdisaster · 5 years

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Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald special features: Distinctly Dumbledore

"They know he has this dark past where he 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 with Grindelwald's ideology." -J K Rowling

"The 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 between Grindelwald and Dumbledore is 𝒌𝒆𝒚 to making Dumbledore, Dumbledore." -J K Rowling

What im getting here is: What makes Dumbledore, Dumbledore is the one person he's ever loved in his entire life, the person that makes him whole and who he is. The one who holds the key to his heart.

"They were both young men, and they had this idea of making the world better. And fundamentally, they basically drifted apart because Dumbledore felt what Grindelwald was advocating ultimately was wrong." -Jude Law

"Their relationship was incredibly 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆. It was 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆, and it was a 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑. But as happens in any relationship, gay or straight or whatever label we put on it, one never knows, really, what the other person is feeling. You can't know. You believe can believe you know. So I'm less interested in the 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆. Though I believe there is a 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 to the relationship, than I am in the sense of the emotion they 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 for each other, which ultimately is the most fascinating part about human relationships." -J K Rowling

YOU HEARD THE QUEEN, FOLKS. IT WAS A LOVE RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS S E X U A L. PASSIONATE. THEYRE SO FUCKING IN LOVE. ALBUS DUMBLEDORE HAS ONLY LOVED O N E MAN IN HIS LIFE AND THAT'S GELLERT GRINDELWALD.

"I am positive that there was a mutual respect of one another's abilities, and I'm sure, especially with Grindelwald, there was a jealousy. Maybe a bitterness for having such 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 and respect for Dumbledore." -Johnny Depp

YOU HEARD THE KING. GRINDELWALD IS B I T T T E R THAT HE STILL LOVES ALBUS SO MUCH. WHICH IS WHY HE CAN'T FIGHT HIM AND VICE VERSA.

"There's scenes in the movie I was very conscious of wanting to try and suggest that Dumbledore 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒅. There was not just regret, but there was 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒏." -Yates

THEY STILL LOVE EACH OTHER, ITS CANON, EVERYONE GO HOME. YALL HEARD IT HERE. THEYRE STILL VERY MUCH IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER. WHICH IS WHY THEYRE SENDING THEIR APPRENTICES TO FIGHT FOR THEM.

"There's a sense of 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 to him. Terrible loneliness and isolation, where i think he's separated himself, and almost imprisoned himself at Hogwarts." -Jude Law

IM SOBBING. ALBUS IS SO L O N E L Y WITH GRINDELWALD. WITHOUT HIS OTHER HALF. HE CANT STAND TO DO ANYTHING BUT TEACH WITHOUT HIM.

"This is a relationship that is 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 and authentic and alongside all of the bells and whistles of adventure and fantasy and beasts and everything else, 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆��𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓." -Yates

LOVED EACH OTHER. AND STILL DO!!!!

undefined

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#the crimes of grindelwald #fantastic beasts and where to find them #albus dumbeldore #gellert grindelwald #newt scamander #grindeldore #gelbus #johnny depp #jude law #j k rowling #harry potter #hp #video

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mister-tom-a-dildo-lover · 7 years

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Strive Pt. 18

{PART 1} {PART 2} {PART 3} {PART 4} {PART 5} {PART 6} {PART 7} {PART 8} {PART 9} {PART 10} {PART 11} {PART 12} {PART 13} {PART 14} {PART 15} {PART 16} {PART 17}

Pair: Tomarry

Rating: M-E(depends)

Tags: Mild Language, Homosexuality, Sexism, Obsessed Tom, Time-Travel/Dimension-Travel, Teacher/Student, Eventual Romance, Teacher-Harry, Grey!Harry, MoD(sort of), Death!being,

For a time we had a peace. And that peace was something none of us would ever trade. But as always, all good things must come to an end. The darkness that settled over Hogwarts that morning was one I would never wish upon anyone. And with it came a most foreboding feeling. An omen.

As if sensing the incoming danger, the sun had disappeared behind the darkest clouds we'd ever seen. And in the distance were lights. None of which any of us were personally acquainted with at least in such magnitude. A single light up close was not a foreign sight but many at once was trouble.

The glowing stomachs of the dragons could be seen from afar off, and it gave us enough time to react to the incoming invasion. I had always believed that Godric's desire for a dragon was ridiculous, yet in that moment I couldn't be any more grateful for his ostentatious attitude. It truly saved the school that day.

We four had stood our ground upon the stone turrets and cast our most powerful protective enchantments around the castle. And the glowing orb alerted our enemies to our knowledge of their coming. But we were ready, and when the fire rained down from above as the winged creatures surrounded us, we unleashed Hogwarts' own defenses.

Godric's dragon and my beloved Basilisk, Isembard attacked our flying foes relentlessly. The sight of dozens of dragons falling from the sky upon meeting my precious Isembard's gaze, was one I will never forget. And with his assistance, we managed to even out the field of battle considerably, leaving the magical humans for us to handle personally, and the rest of the dragons to suffer.

We did not lose children thankfully, but the castle suffered much damage from it being too difficult to keep up the protections and fight at the same time. The rebuilding took years to work through I have been told.

I lost my dear Isembard that day, but in his memory, I hatched my beloved Cici. She was naught but a hatchling when I left the school, but she needed to stay to protect the students. It was the duty I had hatched her for. I miss her.

I miss Hogwarts. But it is better this way.

The morning paper had held unpleasant news regarding the magical war and the actions of Grindelwald. The current European Dark Lord was causing mayhem even more frequently than he'd been before. And to Tom, it seemed almost frantic in a sense.

It was late February and it didn't appear as if the war would end anytime soon. And the students all knew that eventually Grindelwald would try his hand in Britain. He was taking over the continent and it made sense to make Magical Britain his next conquest since Britain had one of the largest and oldest Magical Communities in the world.

Of course there were rumors that the man hadn't invaded the community yet because of Dumbledore. Tom wasn't certain how much stock he could put into such a claim, but he was aware that for the entire time the prodigy known as Albus Dumbledore resided as a teacher at Hogwarts, Gellert Grindelwald never stepped foot into Great Britain. There was an attempt before Dumbledore earned his teaching post, but afterward, there was nothing on British soil, to show that the Dark Lord had been there.

However, now the Daily Prophet was making comments on how Grindelwald seemed to be coming closer. That his mark was being magically burned into buildings and that he and his followers were making their way across the continent in a most jagged journey. Mapping of their appearances were sporadic at best.

The entire Great Hall was full of whispers and even his Slytherins seemed concerned about the happenings.

Grindelwald boasted a desire for Muggle subjugation which was all well and good, but surely he knew that there were too many Muggles to just force them into complacency? The rumors of him controlling Adolf Hitler, the man at the forefront of the second Muggle World War, seemed to hold some truth. His Muggle puppet was busy making the Muggle world cower, but the simple fact of it, was that not everyone was cowering and many were fighting back.

And there would always be people fighting back. This was what made Grindelwald's plan flawed in Tom's mind. Tom didn't like Muggles either, but he would much prefer to ignore them and not think of them at all. He didn't have such a luxury since he had to go back to Muggle London every summer. He had to go and be reminded of just what they could do, which was why he was for keeping them and magic separated completely.

If people felt threatened, eventually those who got tired of feeling scared, would rise up and cause a ruckus. It was best for people to respect those in charge. It was even better for them to think they are the reason the person was in charge to begin with. Less chance for opposition.

Hitler was experiencing some struggles, and Grindelwald hadn't gained control of all of the magical world. Puppet and master seemed to be floundering, looking for something to help them.

Tom looked toward the professors, who were also talking among one another over the current events that would no doubt be history one day. Professor Potter seemed the most distracted despite the fact that his own copy of the Prophet was levitating in front of his face while he sipped his favourite tea.

His eyes were unseeing, taking no note of the words before him as he occasionally lifted his cup to his lips. Tom wondered what he was thinking about.

"Professor Potter seems concerned," Abraxas noted without an ounce of subtlety, much to Tom's annoyance.

Nott and Greengrass nodded their agreement, though Nott seemed more willing to speak his thoughts. "Dumbledore is as equally worried. Though to be honest, unlike the Gryffindors who feel safe because Dumbledore is here, I feel more safe knowing Potter is here. He is far more impressive and I feel he'd be capable of holding Grindelwald off."

All those who heard turned to look at the youngest professor of the school. A chorus of agreements followed soon after. "Too true," Greengrass nodded.

Grindelwald had proven that he would slaughter even Purebloods to get his way, which was why so many were terrified of what he represented. There was no safety for anyone in the magical war. This wasn't being done to make magic what it used to be in the eyes of the world. And it wasn't being done in hopes of bringing back the more forgotten Artes. This was simple greed to benefit Grindelwald alone.

Tom wondered if Potter knew that the Slytherins held him in such high regard. And Tom was among them though he would never admit such views aloud when surrounded by his minions. It wouldn't do for anyone to entertain feelings of 'equality' when thinking of Tom Marvolo Riddle. They were not his equals.

"Who wants to bet that Professor Potter will defeat Grindelwald?" Abraxas proposed, holding up his bulging coin purse and smirking darkly at the group.

Carrow scoffed. "A fool's bet. Perhaps we should reword it. How about a wager on when Professor Potter will defeat Grindelwald? We can pool our money and the winner gets the whole cauldron."

Everyone seemed keen on the idea and put forth their bets immediately.

Abraxas Malfoy- 100 Galleons. Early August 1944.

Marlo Nott- 25 Galleons. Mid-September of 1944.

Basil Greengrass- 50 Galleons. June of 1944.

Enver Carrow- 20 Galleons. Yule of 1944.

Varvava Carrow- 20 Galleons. Easter of 1944.

Brais Zabini- 50 Galleons. January of 1945.

Nestor Goyle- 20 Galleons. 1 week before Valentine's Day in 1946.

Tavish Crabbe- 20 Galleons. 2 weeks before Valentine's Day of 1946.

Perseus Mulciber- 25 Galleons. May of 1945.

Jubilee Avery- 55 Galleons. 1 week after the summer hols begin in 1945.

Tom mentally added up the numbers and nodded to himself, liking them very much. And because he was around Professor Potter more than the others, he might just be able to convince the man to go after Grindelwald personally. And as Tom intended on applying for a job at Hogwarts once he graduated, he would have even more of a chance to speak with the man. After all, who would turn away Hogwarts' best student?

The gold was placed in a Shrinking Cauldron, so that they could regulate the size of it if more money was added. Each of the participants swore to acknowledge the true winner fairly and honestly, and the Prediction Charm for fair wagers was added to good measure.

Feeling confident, Tom reached into his robes and withdrew his own coin purse. He proceeded to dump 25 Galleons into the cauldron and take up the same Magical Oath as his fellows. "I predict Professor Potter's defeat of the Dark Lord Grindelwald, to come the first week of April in the year 1945."

It was half of what he'd managed to save thus far thanks to the various students coming to him for assistance in tutoring. And if he played his cards right, he would get even more in return.

The others eyed him warily, looking less sure of their presumptions now but being unable to take them back once the Oath and Charm were set. Tom rarely participated in such things, but this he had full certainty that he could manipulate to his liking.

Once all bets were placed, with a few more adding their gold to the cauldron and bringing it out to 500+ Galleons going to the winner, the cauldron disappeared, and would only reappear when the winning prediction came true, as per rules of the charm.

Tom could do a lot with 500 Galleons. And so many books could be purchased that way. Books meant information. Information brought knowledge. Knowledge was power.

He was looking forward to Harry Potter defeating Gellert Grindelwald no matter how it happened.

As March came, Tom was once again made aware of the International Dueling Championship coming up in July and how Professor Potter would be competing for a Mastery. A new bet was going around Slytherin House, and nearly everyone had varying opinions on what would happen.

Some students even offered to help their favourite professor practice by dueling him ten to one.

It might seem unfair to the Hufflepuffs who refused to partake in such a task, but it was actually in Potter's benefit. It would help him deviate his attention properly. The man always won such duels, even when Tom participated in them. He was simply better and capable of thinking on his feet. He had an unconventional approach to magic and Tom made certain to take note of it.

Spells he never would consider using in a fight had been cast. One that made the victim speak only in limericks if they tried opening their mouths, meaning they could only use nonverbal spells if they knew any at all. Another caused the tongue to burn terribly making it difficult to focus one's attention elsewhere and thereby making it almost impossible to cast at all.

The Dueling Club was progressing nicely. More people were capable of casting the Patronus after each meeting. Potter was encouraging and kind. He also informed them that they could get extra points for their O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. DADA grades should they master the charm by then. Extra credit of any kind was always appreciated, making the students work harder.

Potter's class was on the same level as always despite the work no doubt piled onto his shoulders thanks to his additional duties as Deputy Headmaster. The man made multi-tasking seem easy. Tom could only hope to have such skill when it came to his cause in the future.

And he managed to learn something else about the professor that no other student did, and it was all because of Tom bringing back the professor's book on the Founders in order to trade it in for the book on the Gaunts.

Tom had nearly run into a woman coming out of his favourite professor's office. She was on the short side, with a heart-shaped face and a widow's peak. Her dark hair was long and plaited, and her eyes were topaz, if that was possible. Her clothes were an obvious mark of her wealth but she didn't appear to be pompous like most of the rich children he knew.

"Apologies," he murmured, plastering his most charming smile on his face for the woman.

She waved him off. "It's nothing, dear. Are you here to see my sweet Harry?" Her smile was wide, carefree, and all-encompassing.

"Ellie!" Professor Potter's voiced rang from within the office, sounding very much mortified.

'Ellie' turned in the doorway and crooned, "My very sweet and very single nephew!"

So she was his aunt. Tom realised a second too late that this had to be Ella Potter, current Lady of the Potter Family and wife to Charmont Potter. Their son Charlus had graduated in Tom's first year, so he never truly got to know the man.

He also didn't miss the not-so-subtle suggestion at his professor's unattachment to another being. And if he was being honest with himself, he very much liked the idea of being in a relationship with Harry Potter. He was obsessed with the man already and having the man all to himself would make his magic sing.

"Tom is a student!" Potter blustered, much to Tom's pleasure. He liked hearing his name coming from the man. When he looked over Ella Potter's head, Tom could see Potter sitting at his desk, looking as if he wanted the portal to Hell to open up and swallow him immediately. His flushed face was a lovely compliment to his features.

Ella's head drew back so she could cackle, throwing her entire self into it. "Not for long, dear!" She turned back to Tom and extended a hand. "Ella Potter."

He made sure to place a light kiss on the back of her hand, offering his knee-weakening grin again. "Tom Riddle, Lady Potter. It's a pleasure to meet such a lovely woman as yourself."

He got a twinkling wink in return. And unlike Dumbledore who was simply unnerving when he twinkled and winked at people, this felt conspiratorial and teasing. Like Tom was in on whatever she was thinking and she considered him an equal. "Such charms worthy of a Slytherin, Mr. Riddle. I myself was a Slytherin many years ago." She leaned in, pitching her voice down so only he could hear. "As a Dark Witch, I married a Grey aligned wizard and have been perfectly happy for over two decades. A little advice for a fellow Dark individual, that a difference in cores will not get in the way of a romance so long as you don't make a big deal of it," she said, gesturing toward Professor Potter with an insistent tilt of the head.

Because Potter's core was Grey, as he'd once told Tom. And Tom's was Dark.

Ella stepped back. "I need to get going. Harry dear, do Floo us a bit more often will you? And come home for Easter!"

She was gone before either Potter or Tom could say anything.

"I'm so sorry about her, Mr. Riddle, she can be very vocal about what she wants. Years with a Gryffindor have worn away her subtlety as you saw."

Tom shook his head, not really minding a bit. It let him in a little more on the man's life. He seemed to be on good terms with his aunt and uncle. He was 'very single'. And he was a blushing mess when his romantic life became a topic of conversation, which most likely meant he was inexperienced in relationships. It was nice to know. Tom's greedy need to know more was practically pounding at his skull.

"It's fine." More than fine really. "I merely came to return your book." Though honestly he wanted to hoard it for himself. But it wasn't his and unlike some students, Tom didn't steal people's belongings. So long as they didn't anger him. A spoil of war was different in his opinion.

Potter smiled and thanked him. A silver book from the shelf slipped out of place and floated toward Tom. "As promised. Treat it very carefully. It cost a lot to get my hands on that and it worth almost as much as Salazar's book was."

"Thank you, sir." He couldn't wait to learn more about his ancestry. Morfin and Marvolo had next to nothing for him to learn. The Gaunts had been very poor at keeping records of their history.

Before leaving however, Tom felt compelled to ask, "Are you feeling well, sir?" He looked stressed and tired.

The minute look of shock he got in response made him want to smirk, but he withheld the powerful urge. He was a Slytherin! He could contain himself until he was alone!

A slow, and dare he say sweet, smile was aimed his way. "Not really, but it isn't something pressing. Thank you for your concern though."

"If it does become pressing, please see Madam Vinch. The students value you too much for you to become ill."

He took his leave before anything else could be said, feeling flushed and not wanting the man to see his embarrassment.

Tom had mentally included himself in with the student body in his statement. However his value of Potter was a lot higher than what was considered normal.

A/N: I wrote this whole chapter this morning. Adding in some mystery on Harry’s end and giving Tom a leg up over the other students who honestly don’t care enough about Harry to wonder about his home life. Not that Tom realizes that.

#Tomarry #Tom Riddle #HP #Fanfiction #Watermelonsmellinfellon #Strive

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ladyoftheshrimp · 7 years

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Old Friend

There’s a type of fatigue that eats through bones. One that drags muscles into a pliant softness no matter how much resistance is put up to just keep going. It’s the type of exhaustion where even the mind shuts down, focus solely devoted to the act of getting to a safe place. Safety is all that matters, comfort, warmth and darkness all fading into the background. That’s the kind of tiredness Graves was battling as he dragged himself to an alley he could apparate home from. He knew that once he got home if he so much as sat down in a chair to take his shoes off he’d be stuck there until he had a chance to sleep a little. So he pushed himself, forced on leg in front of the other, images of his bed or sofa or even the carpet in front of the fireplace where he could lie down and shed some of his exhaustion kept his upright. It was only a matter of minutes before he could forget the world for a few blissful hours, only to start over again as soon as the sun was up. Work wasn’t normally so bad, but with Grindelwald on the rise there was no time to take a break. Maybe once things had settled he thought about taking a few days off just to sleep.

The footsteps behind him were almost inaudible, just a soft crunch as a pebble skittered from under foot. Graves glanced over his shoulder and hoped it was a fellow wizard. He didn’t want to wait for some fool to pass him by before he could apparate away quietly. The dark figure in the alley approached him and Graves bent down to fiddle with his spats. It gave the stranger a chance to walk by. In the gloom he could just about make out a hand going into a pocket and a wand being pulled out. Wizard then. Graves wanted to smile in relief. It never crossed his exhaustion addled mind to question why a strange wizard would pull their wand out in a dark alley. The murmured “imperio” and pale yellowing green light slammed into him and his mind was his no more.

Once consciousness swam back to him Graves noted that he was in some dark dank abandoned house. His arms were tied behind him, magic supressing cuffs round his wrists. In front of him Grindelwald stood proud.

“Took you long enough to come round. MACUSA running you ragged?”

Graves snarled in defiance. He was beyond knackered that was true but he wasn’t going to engage in a battle of words with a maniac. Grindelwald smiled and there was something eerily familiar about it. Before Graves could place it though his attention was drawn back to the drawling voice of the man.

“Still so stubborn. You’ve been a pain in my ass these last few months. We’ll see if I can’t change your mind soon though. But while you ponder your choices work still needs to be done so…” Grindelwald trailed off and as Graves watched he changed, hair grew darker, thicker, his face filled out and his shoulders became broader. In the matter of seconds Graves was left staring at himself.

“As I said, work needs to be done and you can’t be seen lazing about. Don’t worry, I won’t mess up your precious paperwork system.” It felt like teasing what Grindelwald was doing. How he knew about Graves’ meticulous paperwork system was beyond him. It implied that Grindelwald had spent a long time observing him before striking and that was an unnerving thought.

“If you’ll be so kind, please don’t resist while I make sure you can’t escape. You’ll find the cellar is quite comfortable even if the company is a little tiresome.” Grindelwald ushered him through a door and down some stairs. There was no point in fighting him, Graves was without his wand, magic supressed by the cuffs and his wand taken by the maniac now wearing his face. He’d bide his time though, figure out Grindelwald’s weakness before striking. Plus his aurors knew him well enough to pick up on the subtle differences between him and Grindelwald. There was no way the man was such a perfect mimic to get away with the charade for long. Only someone who’d known him for years could come even close to doing a passable job of being Graves and there were very few people he could think of who knew him that well.

The cellar was dark and damp. When the door closed behind him there were small streaks of light trickling through the coal chute. Graves shivered and tried not to think of the rats and other critters that he had become reluctant roommates with all of a sudden. Grindelwald had alluded to them so no doubt there were plenty of them. He could only hope he wasn’t expected to catch them for survival. Something shuffled in the corner. Something that was definitely larger than a rat and Graves took a step back. Without his magic he was defenceless unless he wanted to resort to physical violence. He frowned at the prospect of it, never having relished the prospect of causing harm in any way to anyone. Especially since the war.

The thing in the corner shuffled towards him, it had a humanoid shape and stretched before stepping into the thin light from the street. Graves’ heart stuttered to a halt in his chest as he took in the horror stood in front of him.

“Caught you too, huh?” Grindelwald gave him a mirthless grimace. Graves stepped back again, away from the creature parading as Grindelwald. He wasn’t going to be sucked into the madness of it all yet his mind was already whirring away trying to figure out what he was facing. The possibility of a boggart flashed up in his mind. Yet it was so unlikely that his biggest fear would be Grindelwald. Not even the pompous, righteous kind that was parading around as him, rather a much more bedraggled one that spoke to him softly with no hints of superiority.

“He’s still wearing my face then?” This Grindelwald sounded tired, resigned. “I suppose I should introduce myself all the same, Gellert Grindelwald at your service.” A bony white hand extended towards him and Graves was torn between manners and survival instinct. The hand dropped with a sigh.

“I’m guessing by your reaction he’s done nothing good with my name and cause.” The snort was filled with bitterness that Graves knew was hard to feign.

“If you’re Grindelwald then who is he?” he eventually bit out. The Grindelwald in front of him sat down and huffed out a cynical laugh.

“The beauty of it is, I don’t know. He came up to one evening. I’d just held a low key talk to a few people interested in my ideologies of wizard supremacy. Needless to say it didn’t go well. Then this chap approached me. He wanted to know more. I’ve never had anyone quiet so enthusiastic about my ideas.”

Graves listened with rapt attention. Any small detail to help him solve the mystery was crucial. Even if the man in front of him wasn’t Grindelwald he still held information that was vital to their escape and survival.

“Tell me, how does the world regard Gellert Grindelwald now?” the man opposite him asked. He had an awkward air around him, one that was at odds with the Grindelwald of the propaganda reels. There was no natural charm, no easy way with words. This was a broken bumbling fool with archaic ideals if that.

“He’s a threat to the world.” Graves decided that honesty was going to be the best in the situation. “Suave, terrifyingly powerful, devious and hell bent on wizarding supremacy.”

Grindelwald snorted and shook his head.

“Does he say why?” The question drew Graves up short. In all his time working on the Grindelwald case never once had the question arisen. Why did Grindelwald seem so hell bent on establishing a wizard rule over the world? The man next to him sighed and tipped his back against the wall.

“We met up for drinks every now and then. He would ask my opinion on things, on plans and how I envisioned the world when I’d conquered it. At the time I basked in the attention, a young man who’d seen the worst of the world shared my vision. It felt nice. To be wanted.” A wistful sigh left Grindelwald’s lips and Graves watched him. “He spoke of the horrors of war he’d witnessed. And said he swore on the battlefield to never let something like that happen again. Being the fool that I was, I revelled in his attention. I never realised just what his plans were.”

“What happened?” Graves asked despite himself.

“At first he coached me, showed me how to be more presentable. How to speak to larger crowds. I felt powerful in a way I never had. With his backing and help I became more influential. No longer did I hold meetings to a small select few in the back rooms of pubs. Suddenly I could hire halls and even fill them as people listened to me. He was never there though. But he’d help organise things, send out the invites to interested parties. I thought we were going to rule the world together.”

“What went wrong?”

“One day he invited me here. Told me I’d done a wonderful job, transitioned from babbling lunatic to a wonderful foundation of his work. Wrapped cuffs around my wrists and locked me down here. Of course he brings me food, keeps me updated on the wonders he is achieving. But it’s not the world I envisioned. My world had no terror. Just the benevolent ruling of wizards over the lower classes of those without magic. A freedom in the world where we didn’t have to hide. All he wanted was to rule with an iron fist over the world. After all, if you’re the only ruler then you can wage no war against yourself.”

Graves nodded and tried to put the information together. Their captor was powerful, had fought in the war, was charming, sly and above all likeable.

“I must admit, your sudden rise in the world was a surprise. At first there were whispers of a madman who wanted to expose the wizarding community to the world at large. Then rumours changed, the madman had collected a sizeable gathering. Powerful wizards who were changing allegiances from state to this rebel. It was a meteoric soar, fear was spread through cruelty against those that opposed you. I suppose it wasn’t you by that point though, was it?”

Grindelwald shook his head, eyes closed and what looked dangerously like tears clung to his lashes.

“I’ve been here for I don’t know how many months.”

Graves hummed in response. Months. He wondered how Grindelwald felt that nobody had realised he’d been quietly swapped out by someone else. With a pang of fear Graves hoped he wouldn’t have to find out first hand just exactly how it felt.

Silence descended over them. There was nothing left to say and both men got lost in their introspections of the future. Graves never realised he fell asleep. He woke to the sound of two tin plates falling to the ground. They had been floated down from the top of the stairs, their captor not deigning to grave them with his presence that day. Together he and Grindelwald ate the food. It was filling but bland. Days passed like that and each evening a little more hope slipped from Graves and his rescue. Perhaps he’d trusted his aurors too much.

In his forced captivity he discovered Grindelwald was more likeable than he’d ever suspected. He was a fumbling man with no social graces. How his original followers could have thought this was the same man who was now a threat to wizarding-kind he couldn’t fathom. Yet his mind screamed at him that perhaps this was a clever ploy to recruit him to Grindelwald’s cause. Endear Grindelwald to him so he was easier to manipulate, more lenient towards his cause. It was a genius idea. Yet with more time in Grindelwald’s company it became more and more unlikely. The man wasn’t a powerful wizard like the one in the outside world seemed to be. He wasn’t blood thirsty and hell bent on the superiority of wizards. Well, he was but in an almost benevolent way. This Grindelwald accepted that wizards could do more than those without magic. He wanted the population at large to accept wizards as they are, not persecute them out of fear. To make them accept that wizards were better than them. But he didn’t want to rule over them, enslave them. It seemed all he wanted was acceptance and a sense of accomplishment over someone else – something he’d seemingly never had before. Which left a question burning bright in his mind. Just who was the man now wearing his face, and before that Grindelwald’s?

There seemed to be no answer. Grindelwald described the man as tall but stocky, freckled and hair the colour of sun kissed bricks. But without a name, even a hint of identity it was hopeless. The door to the cellar opened and heavy footsteps descended the stairs. Both men stood up to greet their captor who still wore Graves’ face.

“What do you want?” Graves bit out as he tried not to be put off by seeing himself stare back at him. Grindelwald glanced between the two of them.

“Uncanny.” He said. “I thought you did a good job of copying me but this? There’s some other quality underlying your imitation. Tell me, did you know him before?”

“Shut up.” Their captor snarled. “Your office is a collection of hapless idiots Graves. Nobody has even the slightest of inkling that you’ve been replaced. Which is a benefit to me but at the same time none of them are really worthy of being in your office if they are so blind. Tell me, why do you keep them around when you could easily run the whole thing with a hand tied behind your back. Why are you merely Director when you could be President? Don’t you want to achieve glory? Have the world run as you want it. No war, no suffering, no maimed bodies lying abandoned in the field as you fight a war that has nothing to do with wizards yet threatens our very existence.”

“I will have nothing to do with your egocentric plans you maniac.”

“Name calling?” The man snorted. “I thought you were beyond that, Percy.”

The name had Graves stilling. Very few people ever called him that. It didn’t sit right with him. There was something eerily familiar about the man, the way he sneered, a slight uptick of his mouth no matter what shape his body. Yet he couldn’t place it.

“Never mind that.” Not-Graves said. “You’ll be grateful for this eventually. You always were slow on the uptake so treat this as a favour. When my plan comes to fruition you will be heralded as one of the original founders. Something your ancestors will be proud of no doubt. One of the original twelve and now you will be one of the originals few. Quite the upgrade to your name. You’re welcome.”

“What do you want?” Graves raged. Newt to him Grindelwald stood with wide eyed curiosity.

“The same as anyone else.” The answer was accompanied by a bitter laugh. “Peace. Comfort. Love.”

Their captor turned on his heels and strode up the stairs.

“You’ll understand when the time comes, old friend.”

The door shut with a firm thud behind him and Graves turned to look at Grindelwald. He shrugged helplessly and settled back down against the wall.

Similar visits became more frequent. Their captor would rant and rave at how hapless the world at large was. How nobody seemed to care as much as him about the welfare of the world. In fact, he was certain half the governments were secretly oppressing wizards not for the benefit of the population but for their own benefit, to stay in positions of power over the clueless masses. There were half bitten off sentences about wars, the horrors and brutality of those without magic. Their propensity for violence against each other just because they were different. Disbelief at the sheer intolerance of human kind and that’s why he needed to step in, show the world how to live with tolerance. Once Grave challenged him in his methods of inciting violence and hate. He was left with a bruised jaw from the punch and Grindelwald shaking his head.

It seemed that there was no reprieve, no hint to their captor’s identity. Their disappearance from the world kept secret by their impostor. Once again the door opened, this time if bounced off the wall as Graves swept down the stair in clear agitation. He didn’t even wait for the other two to look at him, he was already muttering under his breath, each word building in volume as he approached.

“I swear I’m the only one with true dedication to the cause. I will sacrifice everything for the benefit of others. Why can’t anybody else see that? I give my life, my time, my own flesh and blood. When they see that I would sacrifice my own brother to their benefit then they’ll understand.”

“Your own brother?” Graves interrupted and got a scathing look in return.

“I am willing to do anything to stop another war. Even sentence my own brother to death because he’s a threat to the cause now. I put everyone else’s needs above my own. So yes. My own brother had to be removed because he was an obstruction and couldn’t be swayed. Now you understand how dedicated I am. Now you see just how much I want the best for everyone. No more wars. No more misery. At the price of my brother.”

“What was his name?” Graves asked softly. The question took the wind out of his impostor’s sail.

“Newt. His name was Newt.”

The world stilled for Graves. That was a name he knew. He’d heard it many times in the trenches. In crazy stories he’d thought half made up but the freckled man he called his best friend. The little details fell into place, where he’s seen the lopsided smile, how his impostor knew so much about him.

“Theseus.” Graves gasped. The man looked at him and his hair bleached at first, layers of spells peeling back. The transition from Graves to Grindelwald to Theseus was mesmerising. Once his features had settled a familiar smile flashed at Graves.

“Hello old friend.”

#percival graves #gellert grindelwald #theseus scamander #brotp #dark theseus #i wrote this?#really?#i have no memory of this

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thorne93 · 4 years

Text

The Softest Fire (Part 16)

Prompt: Rosaline Vaughan had it all: fame, money, power, glory, a high status job. Until, one day, she woke up, and realized something was missing from her life.

Word Count: 3305

Warnings: aaaannngst, heartbreak

Newt, Theseus, Nora, and Dumbledore entered the room. Newt stood beside Nora as she sat across from me, and Theseus stood beside Dumbledore when he sat.

I peered up at them, my usual bite giving way to general curiosity.

“What’s going on?” I asked, no threat or malice in my voice.

“We… We have something we need to tell you,” Nora started, gesturing slightly to Dumbledore.

“What could it possibly be?” I questioned, wondering why it took four of the best wizards I knew to address it.

“Rosaline,” Dumbledore began, huffing out a breath, “you’ve been cursed.”

My eyebrow twitched up. “Cursed?”

Everyone nodded.

“It appears Grindelwald put you under a series of complex curses. He toyed with memories, he put you under the Imperius curse, along with other loyalty spells and charms. The love you feel for him, the loyalty, it’s all a farce.”

I peered at them, my gaze saying nothing.

“I…” Was all I could get out. I wanted to argue, to say he was my true love, but something in me felt they weren’t lying. My memories felt far too fuzzy for me to confirm nor deny their claim. With sorrow in my tone, I asked, “So what now? I’m imprisoned?”

“Absolutely not. We’re going to work to get the curses out of you. So long as you don’t fight us, it should be relatively easy and painless. We have to be careful not to destroy your mind in the process. I’d like to give you your memories back.”

I nodded gently. “Whatever you think is best,” I stated, feeling violated and exposed. “Let’s just get this over.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t fighting us more,” Theseus coolly remarked.

“Either you’re wrong and this is a waste of our time, or you’re right and I won’t want to be cursed any more. It’s all the same to me.”

Everyone nodded, leaving the room, except Newt. He held onto the door and turned back to me and said, “We’ll fix this, Rosaline. Everything will be okay.”

All I could do was nod and smile faintly at him. I truly hoped he was right.

---------------------------

For the next few weeks, I felt like a lab rat. Sometimes Dumbledore visited me, sometimes Nora did, sometimes it was an auror I’d never met before. Other times, it was two or more. They stuck their wands against my temple and they worked on me for hours at a time.

As the first spells fell away, my hatred and anger melted away. I no longer said hateful things to anyone who came in. I didn’t give anyone extra grief. I didn’t demand my wand. My memories were still fuzzy and I still missed Gellert though, but the desire to be right next to him had fizzled.

At first it was rather easy, not uncomfortable, but I suppose it was the easy spells out first, because everything that followed was hell. After the first six or so spells, they got worse.

A blood curdling scream erupted in my holding cell. Nora shut her eyes, trying to ignore how it pierced her ears.

“Fucking hell, Rosaline!” she admonished, pulling her wand away, breathing heavily.

I glared at her. “It hurts,” I informed with malice. “Sorry, I’ll try to keep my screams of agony down for you.”

“Thank you,” she said, a small smile playing at her lips, and despite myself, one came to mine too before we were laughing together. A fit of giggles completely took us over as I laid on my cot and she leaned on the edge. Finally, we gathered our wits and wiped our eyes of happy tears.

“Are you done for the day?”

“Not nearly, but I’m exhausted trying to pull this spell from you. I need to get back to the bookstore and you need rest. Someone will be back tomorrow to try again.”

I nodded while she stood and started to leave. She spun to face me.

“Thank you, for being so cooperative,” she said with a solemn smile.

“My pleasure, Nora.”

And so, the spells continued to get ripped from my mind. Feeling as if my brain was on fire and being axed simultaneously. The team worked and worked until suddenly, the ties to Grindelwald fell away nearly entirely. I no longer wanted to be his wife, be near him, or help him.

I pulled off my engagement ring and sat it on the table one day. Nora was pleasantly surprised to see that, I believe.

“What’s that?” she asked as she walked in, sitting across from me, curious. She picked it up. “Ah, your engagement ring. Wait, does this mean...?”

I peered at her, my thoughts unsure. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it means. I just... I feel like if Grindelwald was in this room, I would obey him, but I have no desire to be near him. How is that possible? I still remember being in love with him? I still…” I trailed off. “My mind is so muddled.”

Nora gazed at me sympathetically, reaching across and squeezing my hand. “We’ll get there. All that’s left is the Imperius curse. Then you’re free.”

“One curse? The imperius?” I frowned, thinking. “That’s what’s holding me?”

She nodded. “Yes. I think that’s why you still feel obedient to him.”

“I wish I could just… shake this last spell lose. This is ridiculous,” I remarked, crossing my arms. “I should be a match for Grindelwald.”

Nora smirked. “You are, but the Imperius curse is powerful, so is he. You’ve also been under its influence for months. It’ll take a lot to bring you out of this, Little Rose.”

Her words made me frown for half a second. I was about to ask her what she called me, but somewhere in the recess of my mind, I could hear Aunt Cecelia saying that to me when I was five. They were chasing me in the backyard, I had a hold of Nora’s wand, and I was running with it. Nora was laughing hysterically from the patio while Uncle Joshua smiled at me.

That was all it took for the floodgates to open. Every memory Grindelwald had blurred and distorted restored to their previous clarity. Nora was never unkind to me. Sometimes we didn’t see eye to eye, and our idea of fashion differed wildly, but she was an amazing cousin. She had my back and I had hers.

Uncle Joshua and Aunt Cecelia were nothing but loving to me, raising me as their own, buying me the finest goods for Hogwarts. They checked in on me regularly and we always spent Christmas together, happily.

And Newt… Oh god… All the love hit me like a wrecking ball. The patience, the compassion, the care, the kindness, the courage. I fell in love with Newt for everything Grindelwald wasn’t.

“Oh god,” I suddenly gasped, and Nora peered at me.

“What is it?”

“I… loved Newt.”

The more the memories came in, the harder it was for me to breathe.

Her eyes assessed me, she wasn’t sure what was happening.

“You were always kind to me. You-- Oh my god, oh my god,” I gasped, my hands flying to my face. Horror painted my expression. “Oh god, Nora, what have I done?” Sobs came before I even realized it. I didn’t even know why I was crying, to be honest.

Within a second she was out of her seat, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting hug.

“Shh, it’s alright. You remember, don’t you?”

I nodded, still sobbing violently. My breathing was rough, I couldn’t catch my breath. “I remember it all. I didn’t join Grindelwald. I went in there to end him. He--He cursed me!” I cried out. “I lived with him! I was going to marry him and be happy about it! Nora… I gave him everything! He stole my mind, my memories, my…” I stopped, saying the words was too much. “How could he do that to me? How could I let him do that to me? The things I did for him. I--”

She continued to stroke my hair, shushing me, trying to comfort me but I just kept babbling.

“I told you awful things. I told Newt awful things.”

“You weren’t yourself, we know that,” she assured.

“I did everything he said, without question, without fail….”

“You had no choice.”

“He exploited me. Newt broke my heart and that son of a bitch turned that against me.” My hands clenched into fists. Sorrow gave way to raging fire.

The door opened, revealing Newt, and the sight of him made my chest nearly implode and a harder sob rocked my body again. Once he saw my reaction, he simply said, “My apologies,” and left.

-----------------------

Nora had told everyone to give me space. She informed them that I was curse free and had no desire to see Grindelwald. She was reluctant to give me my wand back and I didn’t blame her. She said that Theseus and his team would probably be in the next day to question me on what I could give them about Grindelwald. I told her I would be ready for it.

Night had fallen, but the room was brightly lit from a full moon.

Thoughts had consumed my mind ever since the last spell broke. I relived old memories, happy to remember the good times, but more than anything, I wept. Tears flowed down my face as I lied, staring, thinking about how badly it must’ve hurt Nora while I was gone. No doubt she searched for me day and night. And Newt, left to take care of all of his animals, and his heart undoubtedly hurting from losing Leta. Theseus’s pain I couldn’t even begin to imagine. He and I were never close, nor did I suspect we ever would be, but he didn’t deserve to have his fiance killed in front of his very eyes. And what I said to him… I was cruel.

To top it all off, I joined the man who caused pain to those I love. I joined the man who tormented Dumbledore, a man who I held dear to my heart as friend and mentor. I let him twist my mind. For Merlin’s sake, he ordered me to kill my cousin and the love of my life and I complied without hesitation. He inflicted unspeakable pain to Newt and I stood by and watched.

What kind of a monster lived inside me?

The door to my holding room creaked open. My gaze shifted from the window to the door, breaking my thoughts from hating myself. When I saw who my visitor was, my chest constricted all over again and tears threatened to flow.

“Rosaline?” Newt said quietly into the dark, his silhouette lit by the light in the hall.

“Yes?” I croaked out.

“I wanted to check on you. Nora said you broke to the last curse.”

“Mhm,” was all I could say.

He came in, shutting the door behind him. “May I sit?”

“Sure,” I said, failing to keep the tears at bay.

He grabbed a chair and pulled it close to my cot.

“How are you doing?” he asked softly once he got settled.

“I--Not well,” I admitted.

“I guess that’s to be expected. I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

Silence fell between us, I wasn’t sure what to say to him, or what he wanted me to say.

“So what do you remember?”

“Everything,” I whispered before the first sob broke from me and Newt immediately left his chair to sit on my cot, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I remember falling in love with you. I remember working alongside you. I remember being best friends with Nora. I remember walking into those blue flames to kill that son of a bitch and now…. He took me because I’m powerful. He wanted me for my magic, nothing else. He took how I always felt like second best and twisted that. Do you know how demented that feels? To have the memories in my head. Happy memories of Grindelwald?”

“I’m sure it’s very hard.”

“The worst part is he said everything right, he did everything right. All in all, he was never cruel to me, other than cursing me. All I’d wanted from you, he had done for me. He put me on a pedestal, gave me power, worshipped me. All so I would be his obedient little pet.”

I shook my head, wiping my tears as I laughed without humor. “All my life, I’ve felt like I was never good enough. Nora always had her friends, making them everywhere she went. At school, every professor seemed to admire my wit but, I think in all reality only Dumbledore liked me. Leta Lestrange, well, you always had a soft spot for her and she was nothing but a troublemaker. Not to mention Tina. At the Ministry, they liked my power, but I wasn’t anyone’s friend. Do you know what I mean?” I asked, peering at him. “People like me, people respect me, but no one notices if I don’t show up to the party.”

“I do,” he quietly said.

Again, I laughed. “Newt… You love Tina. I did everything I could for you and you still fell for Tina. I thought I did everything right. Speaking of, how are you and Tina?” I didn’t really want to know, but I was trying to be kind. The idea of them together sent me reeling, but I didn’t have any room to request him to be mine.

Newt’s gaze dropped as his hand fell from my shoulder.

“I… We aren’t…”

A perplexed frown found my face. “Together?” I finished.

He nodded meekly.

“What ever for?” I demanded. “You tormented me for over a year with pining for her and yet you are still not with her?”

“She’s not the one I want to be with,” he breathed, his eyes looking at me, his gaze pointed.

My face and heart betrayed me. The tiniest of grins tugged at the corner of my lips, while my heart fluttered at his words and his expression. A feeling of relief washed through me, finally, I knew he cared for me too, maybe even loved me.

This is all you’ve ever wanted, this is what you wanted to hear right? So why does it hurt so bad? Maybe because you know he deserves better. He shouldn’t love you. He can’t love you. It would only end up getting him hurt.

I peered at him with a sudden panic in my chest. I knew what I had to do, what I had to say. I had to let him go. I had to make him see that being with anyone elsas the best option for him.

“Oh, Newt… no,” I objected softly. “You don’t want to be with someone like me. I’m not good for you. I don’t deserve you, Tina does.”

“I don’t give a damn who deserves me,” he slightly snapped. “I know the pain of watching the person I love love someone else.”

“Welcome to the club.” I wanted to roll my eyes. Chagrin wrapped around me like a familiar cocoon. The pain he felt wasn’t news to me, he should be more sympathetic of-- And then it hit me.

He just said he loved me, for the first time. I never knew he loved me. I suspected he might care, and I hoped for love… But to have him admit it… My heart softened more at that confession.

“Rosaline,” he said as he turned more towards me, taking my hand in his, “watching you love him, hearing about your engagement to him, that nearly killed me. It would have destroyed me to see you with anyone but me, but to know it was Grindelwald… You’re so pure and loving and he’s so vile and awful. I worried I had pushed you into his arms. I thought it was my fault for being so stupid for not telling you I loved you back at Flamel’s.”

I pressed my lips together as I listened. “You didn’t do anything,” I assured. “I didn’t choose him. But you do deserve someone better. When I first started working with you, I told you I wanted to help the world, make a living at doing something kind and productive, not sitting on my behind making legislative decisions.” I paused, biting my lip. “But the truth is… I think I left because deep down I knew I was capable of the things Grindelwald had me do.”

“Rosaline, no--”

I held up a hand to stop him. “I’m not being dramatic, Newt. I’m serious. I worried that if I came into power, some other part of me would take over. I worried I’d be corrupted, coerced, or even become terrible all on my own. Grindelwald didn’t make me powerful, I was already that. He didn’t do anything but make me loyal to him. The hurting, the rage, the loneliness, that was all there, he just twisted it to use it as a tool.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re good. I’ve seen you. You care about every living thing with all your heart.”

“I do,” I agreed, my gaze falling. “But what if that changed? I like power, Newt, I’m not going to pretend I don’t. I like respect. I like knowing I’m the most powerful person in the room.”

“We all know that,” he assured with a soft smile.

“But what scares me more, is what kind of person I became with Grindelwald is who I am deep down. What if that’s really who I am?”

“If you really thought that, you wouldn’t have let us lift the curses. You would be running back to him right now.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I know I did unspeakable things, and I should’ve been strong enough and smart enough to get out of it, and I didn’t. What does that say about me? What kind of evil lives inside me?”

He took his hand and swept my blonde locks behind my ear. “Rosaline Vaughan, if anyone in this world is deserving of love, it’s you. Damn Grindelwald. He did nothing more than manipulate your memories and emotions. You are a good person, to your core.”

“I’m not so sure any more.”

“Maybe you don’t see it, but I do, Nora does, Dumbledore does. I know you may think you had to fight to be appreciated, but I assure you, Nora did nothing but fret over finding you. You are her world. All the students envied you at Hogwarts, believe me, I know because I was one. And I think the professors were frustrated that they couldn’t teach you anything new,” he teased, a smile touching both of our lips. “Theseus always spoke highly of you while you worked at the Ministry. It is a workplace and favoritism would be frowned upon. As much as I hated it, and I’m sure you do too, the most powerful Dark Wizard in history wanted you to be his bride. Regardless of why, he chose you out of everyone. He thought your power, over anyone else’s, would be his best shot at ruling the wizarding world. In an odd way, it’s a big compliment.”

I smiled slightly.

“Friends are overrated anyway, look how many I have,” he remarked.

This made me laugh, for the first time in I had no idea how long.

“This is true, and you’re a remarkable man.”

He gazed down at me with kind adoration. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Thank you, Newt. I needed to hear that.”

He nodded, patting my hand. “I’ll let you rest now.”

“Goodnight,” I said as he got up to leave.

“G’night, Rosaline.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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hallowsnothorcruxes · 7 years

Text

At the same time in a completely different place in the universe

Mr Supreme Mugwump,

I was contacted by a fellow countryman of yours. Little brat with some stupid made up name. Asked me about you.

Thought you'd might like to know that someone manages to talk to me at least.

- GG

Dear Gellert,

after out last encounter I was under the impression that you never wished to talk to me again.

I must ask about that fellow you mentioned. This made up name wouldn't happen to be Voldemort, would it?

My apologies, I seem unable to come up with something else to write at the moment. I hope you are well.

Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore,

never talk to you again! You are a fool, Dumbledore! At the same time in a completely different place in this universe we have never stopped talking!

We're out there, the rulers of the new world! The revolutionists! Masters of death! Like it was supposed to be!

You pretentious airhead, sitting in your castle, hiding from your own greatness, from OUR greatness! You were never good at pretending to care.

But, of course, omniscient as you are, you're right. The name's Voldemort. Lord Voldemort to be precise. He's boring me.

- GG

Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium and Poland were part of their alliance.

There was not a child in the world, who didn't shudder at the sound of their names - or rejoiced upon hearing them.

There had been fighting, of course. There had been killing and prisoners. But by now the countries had found peace. Each country had a wizarding government, which included muggle advisors - Albus had insisted on that. Insisted on giving the muggles a voice as well. And they had given the alliance one constitution, right at the beginning.

Hospitals were installed, where healers and doctors worked together. Shops - muggle and wizards alike - were open to all, just like sport events, theatres, operas, bars, clubs and public transportation. Education was still kept separate, though children were being taught about both cultures.

There was a common court of justice and a common prison, as well as a common currency. The muggles had had to give in a lot. They had to give up their currency and had their prisons warded by enchantments and aurors.

Albus had lied, had he said he wasn't feeling guilty about the blood on his hands, but when he looked at the world they had created, he calmed himself, thinking it had been for the greater good.

"Scheiß americans!" Gellert entered their mansion dramatically, threw his papers on the table and his cloak over a chair. His eyes were glowing with anger.

Albus looked up from the draft the French government had sent them concerning a new marriage law. The countries of their alliance each had an autonomous government, but before any law was passed it had to be send to them for approval. Just like every proposal for constitutional amendments.

"I take it, Madame Picquery hasn't changed her mind."

"No!" Gellert glared at him as if he had personally insulted him.

"Next time, I'll talk to her."

"Good luck with that. I haven't heard so much reactionary nonsense since that meeting with Herr Russland-doesn't-need-allies."

"I hope you didn't break a glass this time."

"Didn't even offer me a drink."

Albus had to force himself not to smile at their childishness.

"Well, you've never been the best of friends."

"Are you mocking me?"

"I'd never dare,” he said dryly.

Gellert narrowed his eyes, so Albus went on: "I've told you: let me talk to her. Kaufmann's adviced you to let me talk to her. But you insisted. She can't stand you, my dear. It was rather obvious that she wouldn't listen to you."

"Then why didn't you insist that you go?"

Albus smiled. "Because in this case you just needed to see that even if you're hell-bent on getting your way, it doesn't always work. And since you're seldom listening to me when I tell you so, you had to learn it this way."

Gellert frowned. "I hate when you do that. That parent lecture thing."

"Next time, just let me do the talking with the difficult nations." He stood up and showed him the draft he was working on. "The French want to legalise all kinds of marriages."

Gellert raised an eyebrow, took the parchment and looked it over quickly. "At least someone's got the right ideas. You know, we should make this a constitutional amendment."

Albus smiled. "That's what I thought."

"Maybe we should marry, then."

Albus stared at him, speechless - and that didn't happen often.

"Marry?"

"It would be the right signal. For all, who doubt that decision."

"Look at you, what a romantic you are. Let's marry, because it's strategically an advantage."

Gellert rolled his eyes. "I don't need marriage to know that we belong together. But it'd be for the greater good."

Albus took his hand with the Elder Wand in it and twirled it thoughtfully. "Of course it would be."

Gellert,

I wasn't aware you have come to believe in the universe. But if such a place exists, I do hope there is another place, where we have not stopped talking and where we haven't headed down the dark path you have chosen in this time and place.

I hope that nobody had to die, because of our connection. I hope I was able to see clear enough to stand up to you and I hope, in that place, you find satisfaction in your own brilliance and in love, not in power and atrocities.

As for your remarks regarding my mental abilities: Although many think me omniscient, you of all people should know that often I know far less than I seem to do. Many of the things I seem to know are merely theories and assumptions that tend to prove to be right. You see it is much more my distinctive ability to assess and conclude - and maybe a talent for pretending to be sure of myself - , which makes me seem omniscient than omniscience itself.

I think Tom Riddle - that is his real name - will soon prove to be a lot of trouble. If he is boring you, I suggest you end contact with him.

I must go now. There are children, who still have a lot to learn.

- Albus

Old friend,

I am well aware of your ability to pretend. I am also aware of what people think of you. Of the great Albus Dumbledore!

After all it's always been this way, even when we first met. You were already popular and well loved by the academic world. Hogwarts' star student. And you were already pretending to know what's best for your siblings, to be in control, on top of things!

But you were only a boy, resentful of your situation. I opened up the world for you! I showed you what you could really be! What we could be! We shared something!

And you abandoned me, blamed me for an accident, when you and your brother lost control just as much as I did! And now you lecture me so passive aggressively about how you wish we'd never have shared, what we did. And how you wish my fulfilment could fit into your Moralapostel view of the world.

But we are the same, Albus! We are brilliant! That much you can't change!

- Gellert

Dear Gellert,

be sure, I have no intention to lecture you. What you say about that brief summer is true. I was resentful and you did spark me. But our loss of control cost so many people so much, how can I not regret that?

And as much as you feel like I abandoned you, I feel like you were the one to abandon me. Maybe we abandoned each other and maybe if we hadn't, history would be different now.

But now, all is said and done and it does not do dwell on that.

I hope that in this other place in the universe we managed to overcome our differences and stay together. I hope in some place we didn't leave each other alone.

Be well.

- Albus

Albus had never been violent, not even as a young boy. His brother had had a tendency to get himself into barrels and often ended up with a black eye or something similar. Albus had always stayed well out of that and if anyone had ever tried to pull him in, Aberforth - with his protective strike - had picked up the fight for him.

He didn't like that, but he simply preferred to solve conflicts with words or magic, if it had to be a fight.

He had never understood his brother's liking for sheer violence, but there were a lot of things he hadn't understood before that summer.

When Ariana died, they were in shock. All three of them. It had been so loud before, yells and curses flying around so much that none of them could tell which one belonged to whom, anymore. And when his little sister collapsed on the ground, suddenly, it was so quiet.

The silence wasn't just heavy, it was oppressing, like a thick blanket intending to suffocate them.

Gellert bolted away without another word, leaving them with her corpse. None of them talked to the other, Aberforth went back to Hogwarts in September and Albus felt more miserable than ever.

He didn't dare ask Bathilda where Gellert was, he didn't do or feel anything for a long time, but when he opened the door one afternoon in October and found himself staring into Gellert's face, a flash of emotions overcame him, so powerful it almost knocked him over.

He loved Gellert, even after all that had happened, but in that moment he was just so, so angry. He had never been that angry in all his life and never that desperate as well.

He was speechless at first, but when Gellert opened his mouth, something broke inside him and all emotions he hadn't been able to feel during the past few weeks broke lose inside him.

They yelled at each other, in front of his house, so loudly, that all the neighbours had to be able to listen to every single word they said.

It was both their fault, they both had fought, neither knew whose curse it had been, that had killed her, but whosever it was, Albus knew, he was guilty anyways. Guilty for neglecting his sister.

When Gellert screamed this to his face, though, voicing Albus' feelings, he did something for the vert first time in his life: he punched him.

Off all things, Gellert apparently didn't expect that, so he stumbled back in surprise, holding his jaw. He stared at him for a few moments, then something lit up in his eyes and before he could react, Gellert had him pinned to the wall.

They beat each other bloody and only stopped, when Bathilda called Mr Highland and Mr Cemetery - two friendly wizards, who lived nearby - to tear them apart.

Surprisingly, when he lay in bed that night, his whole body hurting from the remaining bruises that weren't easily healed by a few potions or ointments, he felt relieved.

He still felt anger burning inside him - mostly directed at himself - and sadness and desperation. But at least he was feeling something.

After two days, he was the one standing in front of Bathilda's house and Gellert the one staring at him.

"I know it's my fault, too."

Gellert nodded slowly. "I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"No, you shouldn't have. But I should've seen it coming."

It was his fault. And it hurt so badly that tears clouded his view. Gellert stepped forward and pulled him into a hesitant embrace. Albus leaned in, hid his tears in Gellert's shirt.

"I'm still angry," he whispered, his voice thick with tears. "You cursed my brother and you ran away. It's our fault, she's dead."

Gellert pulled him closer. "I know."

It was a struggle all their lives to keep on the light side of magic. They were brilliant together, but they could be dangerous - almost toxic - too.

They managed rather well. They were great, they did travel, they did a lot of research, they discovered things that helped a lot of people, but that could never make up for the guilt they felt over Ariana.

Aberforth refused to talk to him ever again and although he missed his brother, he couldn't see a way to consolation.

Albus ended up at Hogwarts, Gellert stuck with science all his life. They were well-respected, every child in their world knew their names, they looked up to them, without knowing about the battles they fought behind closed doors or at night in their dreams.

Albus Dumbledore,

you still love me! I must say I am surprised, even after all this time? After everything that's happened?

Is that why you never visit?

Do you wish to forget me? Your secret sin? Do you wish we'd have never met?

- GG

Gellert Grindelwald,

Do you?

- AD

Dumbledore,

You're the best and the worst thing that's ever happened to me.

You enlightened me, you shaped my way, you gave me the very words that are caved in my prison now. You created the conditions of my confinement.

Without you I'd never have reached my greatness, without you, I'd never have experienced certain kinds of magic. They call me a madman, but I'm not mad enough to try blood magic with someone incapable or someone I don't trust. I'm not mad enough to let just anyone use legilimecy in bed.

You are the more powerful of us, I can admit that - at least concerning dueling. And If I submit to anyone, I submit to you.

You are the only equal, the only friend I've ever known. You are the only one I've ever trusted.

And you betrayed me, you abandoned me. But you cannot turn back time, you cannot undo what we have done together, what we have been together.

I'd rather live with that, than never know what greatness feels like.

- GG

At the same time in a completely different place in the universe Albus Dumbledore had become the youngest ever Minister for Magic.

He'd traveled the world with Elphias Doge, had found twelve different uses of dragon blood, had worked on alchemy with Nicholas Flamel and history with Bathilda Bagshot. He had written more front-page articles for Transfiguration Today than anyone else and had been awarded withe the Order of Merlin, first class in 1928, when he had tracked down and killed - as there was no other way, he had been more powerful than anyone else Albus had ever met - a man called Grindelwald, who was on his rise to power in Europe, spreading fear among wizards and Muggles alike.

Grindelwald had been more ruthless, more atrocious than Albus had ever imagined anyone could be. He hadn't even established a regime and had already killed hundreds of people in his path. And even when he stood in front of the man, Grindelwald had only laughed at him coldly, had been completely void of emotion except for cruelty.

It was something Albus would never forget, especially when he proved to be so powerful. He had wondered many times how someone so obviously clever and talented could become so dark. How anyone could ever become so indifferent. He wondered what kind of life that man had had to live.

Ariana had died aged 18 from the Obscurus inside her and had taken their mother with her. Aberforth had suffered and for a while, Albus had feared his brother would follow them.

He'd never married, never had had a relationship even that went further than sex and dating. Sometimes, he thought, he'd never really loved. He'd just never found a man that he found intriguing enough to spend more of his rare free time with. Sometimes, he thought, he didn't really know human connection. But he was content nonetheless.

To his immense surprise he had won the elder wand from Grindelwald and was still looking for the other two hallows. He was powerful, he was a popular minister, he had his friends, his brother, he had a hallow and the means to find the others, too.

He had everything he had dreamed of since he was a little boy. There was nothing he could miss, after all.

Dear Gellert,

I suppose it won't surprise you to hear that the Daily Prophet just recently labeled me madman as well.

I think you would be rather amused by all the names my students make up for me.

I must admit, I am tired. And I am exhausted of contemplating my feelings concerning you. You have tangled my heart and you have always known that. But we are old now. You sit in your high tower and I sit in mine.

There are more pressing affairs I have to deal with. Tom is proving to be even more dangerous than I had expected.

Love, An old fool

My dear Albus,

You should just go ahead and show the stupid boy how boring his wanna - be dark lord attitude is. You could beat me after all and I was much smarter than him.

He doesn't even have a purpose, does he? Just his hunger for power - how trite!

I'd be tired of dealing with something like that, too. I am tired of putting up with the dumbness of the wards here. I am sure, I will die of boredom one day!

You know, in another place in the universe, she never died and we have never parted ways and neither of us is tired or bored now.

I will go to sleep now and think of that. Good luck with your ascending dark lord.

- A bored madman

Since he could think, everyone had always told him he'd be famous one day. That he'd be great and bright and people would look up to him.

He'd believed it all his life until the day his mother had died and he'd seen all his dreams shattered.

If somebody had told him at the time, that a good part of the witches and wizards he looked up to would know his name even before he turned 21, he'd never have believed them.

But these days they knew him. Him and Gellert, because of their progress in research of Obscurials.

That hadn't been a selfless venture, initially. They had only tried to find a way to be able to travel, to search for the hallows, to become invincible. They had tried to find a way to cure Ariana, so that they could take her on their journey, but somehow along the way it had become something different.

Ariana was relatively stable for a year now - stable enough to travel anyway, but they hadn't run off, yet. They stayed in Godric's Hollow, they kept working together, they published their discoveries. Leading witches and wizards in their respective fields contacted them, wanted to talk to them and work with them, sometimes even invited them to congresses and galas.

He knew Gellert was still toying with the idea of mastering death and establishing an empire, but most of the time he was too busy to dwell on it.

"One more week." Gellert hugged him from behind, pushed his hair aside and kissed his neck.

One more week until the end of school term. One more week until Aberforth graduated. One more week until they were free to go wherever they wanted.

Albus grinned, turning around to capture Gellert's lips with his own.

"Which is good, since I am invited to the European Congress for Transfiguration and Ms Appleburn said I should bring my handsome comrade, too."

Gellert smirked. "And for your birthday, we'll already be in Brazil with the Obscurus Research Organisation."

Aberforth was glad to take care of his sister and let them run off together.

They traveled the world for almost a year and at the end of it Albus felt like he'd learned more than in his seven years at Hogwarts.

They had found a way to tranquilise an Obscurus using a mixture of the venom of a Tibetan Swooping Evil and Phoenix tears and were awarded for it in the same year.

More of an accident, although that seemed hard to believe, was their stumbling over the Elder Wand at Gregorovitch's in the Black Forest. In an impulsive course of action Gellert broke into Gregorovitch's office and stole the wand. Albus felt slightly guilty for that, but the thrill, the excitement of possessing a hallow got the better of him and Gregorovitch hadn't put it to good use anyway.

Following that incident, they continued their search for the hallows.

It took them five more years, but in the end, they found the other two in British pure blood families and it was easy enough to manipulate the right relative into giving it up for either money or favours.

They decided Albus would use them first but when he stood there with the stone in one hand and the wand in the other and the cloak around his shoulders he didn't feel like the master of death. He didn't feel anything special at all.

He turned the stone and mother and father appeared in front of him. He was so happy to see them again he almost started crying. His mother smiled at him lovingly and his father nodded, a proud glimmer in his eyes. But when he reached out he couldn't touch them, not really. They weren't ghosts, but they weren't real either. They were something in between, but it wasn't enough.

He spent days and nights, turning the stone again and again, sometimes even with his siblings. He could barely think of anything else, but to see his parents again, when he had lost them so early on, but it was never enough. Each time he couldn't touch them, he wanted nothing more than to try again. And again. And again. And again.

He hadn't even realised how much he had missed them until he had seen them again now and it was making him sick.

"You have to stop." Gellert told him very seriously one evening. "You're wasting away and I can't watch this. The damn fairytale was right. It doesn't work."

Albus could only shake his head staring at his parents, who now looked as sad and desperate as he did. Gellert sighed angrily, took the stone despite his protest and threw it into the nearest river.

They kept the wand and returned the cloak to the Potters and then they went on with their lives.

They spent some more years with their studies until Gellert started doing politics in Austria and Albus applied for a position at Hogwarts.

Dear Gellert,

Although we were so captured by the deathly hallows, by the prospect of mastering death, you and I were never afraid of dying. Once you even told me that death is but the next great adventure.

Maybe you were right and this great adventure just takes place in a different place in the universe. Or in a different universe.

I do not know, but I am ready to find out. I think we will meet again rather soon.

I have missed you most of my life. I am a patient man. I will wait for you to start the next adventure and I hope we will get it right this time.

I love you, my dear. But you already know that.

Be well.

- Albus P. W. B. Dumbledore

Al,

Maybe in this different place, maybe on this next adventure I will be able to love you, too. Properly.

Looking forward to it.

See you soon, Gellert

#hp #harry potter #Albus Dumbledore #life and lies of albus dumbledore #gellert grindelwald #fanfiction #ff #grindeldore #this is a bit of tragedy #but also kinda happy #something in between #inspired by skam #if you squint

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