The Watch of Souls

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does, and all characters and items used from the books are strictly used in a paradodic matter.

With a swish of a cloak and a crack, a man with auburn hair appeared at the gates of Little Hangleton's Cemetary. Without a second to lose he pulled a long, thin piece of wood from his robes and tapped the lock on the gate. The was a tiny click and the chain fell away and with a mournful creak, the gate opened just enough for the tall, thin, auburn-haired man to slip through. Once on the other side, he turned and promptly placed the chain back in it's place.

Once again he turned and walked into the graveyard. With another sudden crack a man no older than the first appeared thoguh he was shorter and had dark brown hair. "Albus." the man with the borwn hair said. "How could you think of coming here and confronting Grindelwald without telling me? You're so young to take on such a powerful wizard by yourself."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm sorry Nicolas." he said, shrugging his arms with shame. "I should have told you first."

"Don't do it again." Nicolas said, his eyes burning into Dumbledore. "Grindelwald is clever. Yes, you are clever yourself, Albus, but with an ancient like me on your side you will surley win." Nicolas winked cheerfully.

"Thank you, old friend." said Dumbledore. "But forgive me for rushing,but we have an appointment."

"You are quite correct, old friend." said Nicolas, almost absent-mindedly. "Shall we be off?"

"We shall." replied Dumbledore. And the two companions began to walk. Nicolas pulled out his own wand and racked his mind with the spells he had learned over the hundreds of years he had been alive.

o0o0o0o0o

Nicolas and Dumbledore reached the center of the graveyard. The mist silently closed in the area around the small circle theater. At the middle of the cobbled plaza was a statue of The Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus with the Angel of Death keeping watch over them.

Dumbledore came to a stop. He drew in a great breath and shouted. "GRINDELWALD!" The shout echoed eerily over the gravyard and over the village of Little Hangleton.

"Nice touch, Dumbledore." said a voice behind the companions. Dumbledore spun and Nicolas turned slowly. "Although. " said the anicent wizard before them. "You knew quite well I was here." He gestured to himself.

"It's time to stop your reign of terror, Gindelwald." said Nicolas, pointing his wand at the wizard.

"Nice to see you too, Nicolas Flamel." Grindelwald replied as if he was exchanging pleasantries at a party.

"Down to business." said Dumbledore. "Incendio!" A brilliant red flame shot across the plaza and disappeared through the mists. "Damn him and his wits." Dumbledore whispered. Grindelwald entered into the plaza again from Nicolas's right.

"No reason to curse me, Dumbledore." said Grindelwald with a chuckle. "Unless...that is...You're going to do it properly!" Gridnelwald let loose a yellow hex from his wand that missed Dumbledore and shattered the head of the Angel of Death statue.

Dumbledore picked himself up from the ground and scoffed. "A stinging hex? Grindelwald, we're here for a duel, not a schoolyard fight." Dumbledore began to turn in a circle to find where Grindelwald would appear next.

"Adava Kedavra!" A green light flew past Dumbledore's shoulder. He spun and fired back.

"Reducto!" Dumbledore's curse hit Grindelwald back into the mist. Through the curtain, Nicolas and Dumbledore could hear Grindelwald sputtering and cursing. Dumbledore took a sideward glace toward Nicolas. "Shall we go?"

"We shall." They proceeded into the mist.

o0o0o0o0o

They found Grindelwald at the bottom of a hill. He was bleeding severly from the stomach. He took one look at them and raised his wand. "Adava Kedavra!" A small green jet of light hit Nicolas.

"NICOLAS!" shouted Dumbledore.

"I'm fine, Dumbledore." Nicolas said, calmly looking at his accomplice. All he had was a nose bleed. "He doesn't have enough energy."

"Very well." said Dumbledore, turning to Grindelwald. "Crucio." Gridnelwald screamed and squirmed. After a few minutes Dumbledore let up. "Did you like your own medicine?" Grindelwald did not answer, he just glared at Dumbledore, blood now trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Just get it over with Dumbledore." said Nicolas, clearly disgusted. With a sudden green flash of light, Grindelwald slumped over, dead.

"See you at the Hod's Head." said Dumbledore. "I must collect my reward from Aberforth."

"Go." said Nicolas. "I'll be along in a minute." With a sharp crack! Dumbledore was gone.

Nicolas waited for a few seconds and then drew a golden pocket watch from inside his robes. In the center of the golden pocket watch was a large, blood red ruby. Nicolas aimed the ruby at Grindelwald's body and pressed the top button. The ruby glowed a brilliant vermillion and Gridnelwald's ghost appeared.

"Can't you just leave me be?" said Gindelwald, pleading.

"No Grindelwald, I can't." said Nicolas. He clicked the top button again and with a scream of anguish, Grindelwald's ghost was sucked into the ruby. And with a swish of his cloak and a sharp crack! Nicolas Flamel was gone from the Cemetary of Little Hangleton and in the Hog's Head pub, whee the end of Grindelwald's reign of terror was being celebrated.