He Came…
A Harry Potter FanFiction
1
I was seventeen when he came, and fresh from my final year at Hogwarts and the head of a broken family. I was spending my days trapped inside the home filled with memories of my mother, attempting to calm my poor, troubled sister while my brother ran amok. I was trying to forget my dreams of grandeur and world travel that I had held in such high regard - that had been so roughly snatched away, but occasional pangs of hopeless longing rose to the surface when I received those detailed letters from Doge's owl. I had sunk into a deep sort of depression. I was reserved to my fate- bitterly accepting that I, the talented boy destined for greatness was going to stay at home babysitting my younger siblings for the rest of my life.
And then of course, he came.
Gelert Grindelwald. Never had I met someone so bright, so talented, so charismatic, so handsome. When the neighbor introduced him, we locked eyes at once and a sort of understanding passed between us. I could tell that underneath those golden curls was a brilliant mind, and I could tell he had made the same assumption about me. He was tall, about the same height as me, and a year younger. He had been expelled from Durmstrang, despite his talents, something I found both curious and exciting. He had a sort of loping arrogance, the same I had once donned in my final year at Hogwarts, and I soon regressed back to it when I was in his presence. We were on top of the world, two arrogant boys carried away by our own cleverness.
We did not spend a waking moment apart that first week. If I had to go see to Ariana, he came with me, fiddling and tapping his foot impatiently. As soon as she was calm we would dash upstairs, giddy with excitement over our plans. And what plans they were!
The Deathly Hallows. The very thought of them consumed us. The tantalizing idea of being the Masters of Death… he had told me all about them. They were more than rumors and legends, he insisted, and he had irrefutable proof to back it up. He had come to Godric's Hollow to see with his own eyes the birthplace of the Hallows, and the cracked and weather monument beneath which their final possessor now remained. The idea spread throughout me like wild fire. I listened avidly as he explained the three different Hallows, and their individual powers to thwart death. The Elder Wand fascinated him the most- he was enthralled by its powers. Just think of the spells we could perform, Albus! Think of the power! I smiled and nodded around with him, but really, I was captivated by the Resurrection Stone. The idea of my mother coming back, to help me, to give me advice, to take care of Ariana and leave me free to achieve my dreams.
And while we whiled away the hours researching the Hallows, carried away by a pointless fantasy, my sister was sitting at home alone, entertaining herself. Aberforth would come home from school for every holiday, staying with her all during the day. When he wasn't there she was ignored. She would sit quietly in the corner of her room, humming and mumbling to herself while Gelert and I were at a table, comparing data and working on complex theories. While I was trying to trace the path of the Hallows throughout history to where they could be now, Gelert was fixated on what we would do once we had found them. (He had no doubts I would be able to trace them to their present owner.) He had fantastical ideas of a utopia where wizards no longer had to hide, where muggles respected, even revered us, and Gelert and I were the supreme leaders over all, spreading wealth and happiness over the world.
One thing Gelert was never clear on was the how. How would we use the powers to thwart death to control the world? I never asked for the details- I was too wrapped up in him. Gelert was the most charismatic of people- he could convince anyone to do anything, and I, like many others, was snared by his charms. When we weren't talking about the Hallows, or our utopia, we sat together in my room, talking about Quidditch and school, and complex magical theories we had heard about over the wireless. We could go on for hours, and sometimes he would get off on a tangent, and I would just listen and watch him- his exuberant, excited voice, his mischievous grin, and his dark, almost black eyes. Gelert didn't like to talk about his parents, and I only spoke about mine on occasion. Once, on one windy October evening while we were sitting in the living room sipping firewhiskeys, he asked why my father had been sent to Azkaban. I glanced cautiously over at Ariana, who was mumbling in her sleep, curled like a cat in an armchair. Gelert followed by gaze.
"It has to do with why she's like that, doesn't it."
It was not a question. I nodded, and took a sip of the firewhiskey, feeling it burn down through my throat. He watched me closely, waiting for a proper response. I fiddled.
"He… well… she…." And then the whole story came out. How my poor sister, unable to control her youthful magic, had been playing innocently in the backyard when the muggle boys came… How they had tortured her to get her to show them how she did it… How my father, blind with rage, had gone after the boys for destroying his only daughter. Gelert listened with a blank expression, his eyes on his firewhiskey while he swirled it around. When I had finished he downed the red mixture in one and looked up at me, gasping. His eyes were darker than usual.
"They caused all of this!" He exploded.
"What?"
"The muggles! Everything we do as wizards and witches- they are afraid and jealous and violent- even to the most innocent of us." He gestured helplessly at Ariana. "They must be controlled!"
I had never seen him angry like this. It was frightening to say the least. I moved the bottle of firewhiskey away from him cautiously, but he didn't take notice.
"Albus," His voice was hoarse and he leaned close towards me. "They did this to your sister. They are the reason she is like this. They are the reason you can't go on your trip or achieve your dreams. They are why your father is in prison. Why your mother is dead."
I nodded. I made sense, really. The firewhiskey was making my ears ring, and Gelert's voice seem excruciatingly loud. He was right. What he was saying was true. Without muggles, my family could have bee happy. I felt a slow boiling anger in my stomach, a rage that had been fermenting for months.
"You're right." I said aloud. "After all they've done to us… and we are the ones who are truly in power."
He nodded excitedly. "Albus. Albus! With the Hallows… the Hallows, we can control the muggles. We needn't hide if they know who we are. If they are kept in their rightful places, where they can do us no harm, rip apart no more families. This has gone on long enough!" His voice rose, and Ariana stirred, whimpering quietly in her sleep. I glanced at her for a second or two, but my attention was riveted on Gelert and his speech. A world where no more families are ripped apart… I took another sip of firewhiskey, and closed me eyes. It would be a perfect world… and Gelert and I would build it together.
…
Alright guys I hope you liked it! You know what IIIIIII like? Thats right- REVIEWS! How'd ya guess? You know me so well ;)
Next chapter coming real soon! I promise!
~Lizzy88