Harry and Hermione had just taken their seats, when Dumbledore stood to make his pre-feast announcement. Harry struggled to follow most of what he was telling the crowd about the Dementors and about Sirius Black, as he had heard everything from Fudge, but the weariness betrayed by his tired eyes began to make him wander in and out of focus. He started suddenly when Hermione nudged him forcefully in the ribs, nodding he head towards the head table when he swung his head around for an explanation.

"My next announcement is one I take great pride in," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he took in the face of every child, "this year we have a transfer student into the third year."

Harry caught up in the mumbling as the crowd almost missed the doors creaking open to reveal a figure, their face hidden by a large hooded cloak, their clothes a fitted suit and waistcoat, all in black with a small gold chain running to their pocket and Harry assumed in must be a pocket watch. They strode to the front seeming no less confidant than on a walk to class, taking only a short time to get in front of Dumbledore's podium, where they stopped and Harry saw Professor McGonagall rushing from the sidelines with the sorting hat.

"Please," asked Dumbledore, gesturing at the figure to remove their hood and turn around.

The figure did as was bade and through Harry's confusion he heard shocked gasps and a few screams from some students. The boy's face was pale, not in a sickly way but in the way that never sees sunlight, hair even brighter than Malfoy's pulled back from his shoulder with an elegant leather strap, Harry also noted the large ring on his right hand when the hood was removed but even that fell to the wayside when he saw his eyes.

Heterochromatic.

On his right a pale blue eye but the left was a dark black, almost sinister in the way it hid his iris, and both eyes were scanning the crowd, darting back and forth.

"May I introduce you to your new classmate, Gerhard Grindelwald," came the blithe voice from its podium.

It took only a moments silence before the entire hall erupted into chaos, shouting and screaming, people yelling back and forth, many simply pointing at the young boy and demanding he be locked up and it wasn't long before many started drawing their wands. Harry's own blood had gone cold at the news, he remembered so long ago now it seemed that one of Dumbledore's many claims to fame was his defeat of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, he had even seen his photo in a book.

The boy in front of everyone was the spitting image.

"First Sirius Black and now the nutbag child of wizards Hitler," Ron said darkly, shaking his head, "blimey mate you've got no luck."

"This has to be a mistake," Hermione said somewhat shrilly, "Dumbledore would never let someone like that into the school, it must be another family."

Harry shook his head, as he turned back to where the students had begun surging forward, even many from the Slytherin table were standing up the demand retribution.

"Not a chance Hermione," said Ron, dragging Harry's attention back, "Grindelwald in one of the most ancient names of a sole European magical family, hell it's older than the sacred 28."

'What?" he asked when Hermione and Harry stared at him dumbfounded, "hello I'm a pureblood, they do teach you some things you know jeez."

They all suddenly pressed their hands to their ears, when an almighty roar from Dumbledore's voice echoed around the vast hall, grinding everyone to a halt in an instant.

"Sit down at once, all of you," cried McGonagall before ushering the unfazed boy the stool she had set out.

"Now just sit here and allow me to place the hat on your head," she said, after he was seated and after getting a curt nod, she placed it upon his head.

Harry could see the hat come to life and begin its ponderings and unable to hear the hat's thoughts he was suddenly hyper aware of the lack of breathing in the hall, the baited breath and the still burning anger coursing through the student's blood.

And finally, after an age it said a single word.

"Gryffindor."

Harry slumped into bed, calmed by the sounds on Ron's loud snores and stared up into the roof of his bed, pondering everything that happened. The sorting was a disaster, the table of Lions almost having a riot started before McGonagall had swooped in and given everyone yelling a weeks' worth of detentions and stunned everybody by her impassioned speech about how disappointed she was by her Lions unwelcoming attitude. Harry groaned and turned to his side, trying to ignore the very obviously drawn curtains to one of the beds, where the new Gryffindor himself lay, trying to understand what had been going through the Headmasters mind. The grandson of the most vicious and coldblooded dark wizard in all of modern history, a death toll and wave of destruction so vast it made Voldemort seem like a child playing make believe.

Hermione did not know what to think as both a witch and muggle-born. On the one hand it was difficult to associate the studious young man who had taken up a small place in the library with what she had read about his Grandfather but as a muggle-born the way Grindelwald senior had spoken about them being nothing more than cattle was galling.

Gerhard was quite possibly the quietest person she had ever met, his presence flew under every radar she had, he took up the rear positions in class and was the first to leave, professors never called in him to answer question and also didn't seem to apply any kind of deadline with homework. She only remembered he was there when she heard the grumbling of people whispering non too quietly about him ranging from 'scum roaming the halls,' and 'embarrassment to Hogwarts," and some even going as far to write their parents to complain.

"If my being here is disrupting your work, I'll leave," a soft voice spoke, tearing her from her thoughts.

Hermione noticed that she had slid out from behind the bookcase she was hiding and now Gerhard was looking right at her, his mismatched eyes boring deeply into her own, she felt her palms go sweaty and tried to discreetly rub them on her robes and every thought on how to respond was dripping out of her head.

"Very well," he sighed, standing up, "I'll make the decision for you."

He strode past her without a second glance and was nearly out of sight when she called out. He stopped, miraculously and waiting for her to job up to where he was.

"Hermione Granger," she said, her cheeks flushed red as she held out a hand, she hoped he couldn't see shaking.

"Gerhard Grindelwald," he responded after a heart stopping few seconds, reaching out and grabbing her hand in a war calloused grip.

After which he let go, spun around and continued off leaving Hermione, flustered and staring at her hand.

Luna's second year was not going any better than her first, everything had gone missing within hours of arriving and her feet were cold. Soon though the hunt for Nargles consumed her and off she went skipping and humming until she came upon a curious sight. The boy with the bright hair was sitting on a lone staircase with a glass of water in one hand and book in the other, the staircase was moving from place to place as they often did and the boy didn't seem to mind.

"Excuse me," she called out from a landing below successfully getting his attention, "have you seen any Nargles?"

The staircase shuddered slightly and shifting its way to her landing and the boy only being on the third step up was soon right in front of her.

"Nargles?" he asked, his voice strangely soft boy she thought, or maybe just not used often.

"Yes, they infest certain areas and can befuddle small minds, I believe it's what was behind all the mess in the hall when you arrived," she sang, pretending not to notice his small smile.

"That would certainly account for such poor behaviour," Gerhard said, "yes I remember now, Nargles like to live in dense places full of people."

"Exactly," Luna squealed happily, "I'm so glad you remember."

His now close book vanished from his hand, along with the glass of water and after his eyes caught her bare feet, they narrowed and after a quick wave of his wand his shoes and socks disappeared too.

"Would you like some help tracking them down?" asked Gerhard, holding out his arm, "I suddenly find my schedule free."

"Well it would be wrong of me to turn down such a gentleman," said Luna, taking his arm and feeling truly happy for the first time since she returned to Hogwarts.

Ronald Bilius Weasley was not happy, especially as he had just been called his full name in front of everyone in his dormitory. After 'darkboy' his nickname for Gerhard had been sorted into Gryffindor, Ron had immediately sent a letter to his mother and father demanding they used whatever influence they have with the Ministry to reverse such an appalling decision. Ron had stalked around for weeks on edge, waiting for when the attack would come, when darkboy would show his true colours and live up to his namesake. Harry and Hermione were cautious but they would never understand, not being purebloods, the collective scar and shame the Grindelwald name had left on wizarding society. After a week Ron was pulling out his hair until he came down to the common room and Errol was waiting with a painfully red letter which was already smoking and before Ron could do anything it exploded and his Mother's voice reverberated painfully off the walls.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" it had begun and that was all Ron needed to know he was in huge trouble. Harry had heard the whole thing when he was coming down the stairs and nearly fell over laughing while Hermione had discreetly slipped past everyone in the confusion to go to the library. She goes there a lot these days, even more than usual Ron thought, before the piercing voice came back and soon Ron's face was as red as his hair.

Gerhard Grindelwald stood at the top of the Gryffindor tower, overlooking the castle and its ground, the cold wind biting any exposed flesh he had and his sigh was lost on the evening wind. His thirteenth year was turning out even more of a pain than he had possibly believed when the old fool had conned him into actually coming to school, reeling him in with talks about the future and how he would need official grading. Gerhard hand clenched so hard his knuckles turned white as he remembered the humiliation of standing in front of everyone and being chained and shackled, his magic boiled beneath his skin, begging to be released on them to show them how he didn't care.

He wasn't stupid, he knew attacking them only showed he did but lately controlling himself had gotten even harder, the long nights of studying ancient tomes and practising with Dumbledore just weren't enough anymore and he could admit that, perhaps even why he had agreed to come to a school. Several people despite being utterly terrified and one case of being utterly insane had come to speak with him and despite his cold shoulder and unforgiving stare they seemed to warm to him slightly.

He spun his wand in his hands, a long black wand with silver runes etched into its handles and large 'G' on its pommelled end, the hereditary wand of the Oldest and Sacred House of Grindelwald, to be passed to the male heir upon the death of the previous, no master in Dumbledore's storage but after he had taken Gerhard in the wand was his. Its power was true and ancient, he could feel it running into his blood, wanting to be used and the darker the magic, the better it worked.

With a final sigh Gerhard closed the window and made his way back down to his bed which to his utmost annoyance was beside a very loudly snoring red-head. Potter was the only one still awake and after giving him a quick nod, drew his curtains once again and cast a powerful silencing spell.