The tower's blackened fingers, dark stony spikes that pierced the prison's walls, flexed in and out, in and out. This prison, Nurmengard, beat with a rhythm, a heart of its own. It expelled dark energy from its bowels but held secrets of old and magic of shadows deep within its core.
But it also held a wizard, a master of the arcane that once gripped the magical society in fear. In a time of world war and a struggle for dominance, Grindelwald fought and was defeated in a duel with one of the greatest wizards of the light.
As punishment, he was placed into a fortress that appeared to breathe death in its walls, echoing cries of agony and pain. It tortured the mind of the defeated wizard. He, for many years, lived—or perhaps died—at the height of the tower. This prison, which he had created to hold his most dangerous enemies, had become a hold for himself.
Anger. The wizard felt so much anger. For years, he harbored a hatred for the world that he had once wanted to reform—to rule! He hated Dumbledore, a friend turned enemy. He hated everything and everyone. But as time passed, anger melted into guilt and anguish. Gellert Grindelwald felt a great sadness inside. How he wished to redeem himself!
The Elder Wand was a curse, he finally surmised. No one should be allowed to wield such a tool. Even when Voldemort, a dark wizard that now caused such terror across lands as he once had, tried to find the wand, Grindelwald did not give in. Even with the Dark Lord threatening, breathing gentle utterances of the Killing Curse at his ear, he did not give in. He lied to the dark wizard. He looked into the madman's eyes and lied.
Energy around the pair crackled and hissed. Voldemort, angered in a manner akin to Grindelwald in his prime, cried out, "Avada Kedavra!" It held no sinister beauty, not like before; it was not as a lover to him—no, it was hatred and suffering that trembled in his voice.
Had he, Gellert Grindelwald, truly been so dark? He sincerely hoped not.
A thud. Dissipating light. The tear on Grindelwald's face glistened green.