Chapter 1: Old Friends

It had been several months now that the world, both wizarding and muggle, had known peace. The greatest dark wizard to have ever existed, Lord Voldemort, had been vanquished by Harry, Ron and Hermione, with of course some undeniable help from their Hogwarts Professors. It had felt like an eternity for the trio with endless interviews and events happening since. There was a certain calm that was now felt by the wizarding world at large which had not existed for over 50 years.

Following Harry's triumph over Lord Voldemort, there was a high demand for him to be made the new Minister for Magic. He declined however saying such planning role really weren't for him, however on becoming an Auror he was promptly promoted to a position of authority allowing him to work unassisted on his own abilities and intuition; an honour not usually given to an Auror before they had completed 15 years of service.

Hermione Granger had been approached also to see if she was interested in becoming Minister for Magic, she however thought her skills were far more suited to an education role; where she could teach students who needed to learn rather than teach a ministry who should have always known better. In this short period, and through great support from her former Professors and peers, she was elevated to become the youngest Headmistress the school had ever had. Hermione had taken on this role with great humility, always seeking the advice of others before proceeding with any decision. Rather than lower her perceived position or authority, this had actually elevated her in the public's eye and swelled her support as Headmistress of the school.

Ron Weasley had not been approached to become Minister of Magic. In all honesty, he didn't mind that much as it wasn't a role he aspired to following the corruption he saw through completing his school years; all the same, it stung a little that he wasn't at least asked.

He applied along with Harry to become an Auror however, and given the reputation he had developed in helping lead to the demise of Lord Voldemort, he was currently a rank below Harry, and Harry's Student. This was a bonus to both of them if anything, as they were already familiar with each other's fighting styles when they entered the roles, and meant they could hang out in their spare time.

Harry and Ron were walking down Diagon Alley having just addressed a threat at the Wizarding Bank Gringotts.

"He found more than treasure there this time," Ron mused to Harry. "A whole bloody army of Goblins with their spells and weapons and dragons..."

"Yes," replied Harry. "And no. I mean, yes, he certainly found more trouble than he was looking for, but no - he didn't really seem close to actually reaching any treasure."

The duo laughed as they approached The Leaky Cauldron, looking forward to a few cold pints of Butterbeer to finish their day.

Aurors really hadn't been required at Gringotts, the Goblins running the bank more than had the situation under control with their own security measures. When Harry and Ron had turned up they had found the two would-be thieves trapped up to their necks in a rock wall, with a horde of goblins pointing exceptionally sharp and powerful swords at them. Add to this, the roars of what sounded like a dragon were filling the air around them, neither Harry nor Ron could really blame the two captured felons for being petrified and putting up little resistance to being sent to a holding cell in the Ministry of Magic to await trial.

Harry still had a smile on his face as a green fire erupted beside them both out of a bin. The face of Kingsley Shaklebolt, the new Minister for Magic, appeared in the flames, and the look on his face wiped the smiles clean off of Harry and Ron's.

"Minister?"

"Disaster! Meeting?!" The was a mix of pain and fear in the Minister's voice which sent a shiver down Harry's spine and put him straight into Auror-Mode. They needed a place to talk and devise a strategy of some sort. The answer that came to Harry was plainly obvious, "Hogwarts."

The Minister understood Harry's meaning and his face and the fire disappeared from the bin. Harry and Ron both turned on the spot and appeared at the one ministry fireplace with access to the School, to see the flames within it dying down as the tailcoat of Kingsley vanished through it. The pair each grabbed a handful of floo-powder from the ever-full pot beside them and stepped into the grate throwing down the powder and yelling "Hogwarts!"

As they emerged from the fireplace into the office they both knew so well, rather than feeling the calm that usually settled over Harry in this safe place, there was instead a panic as every former Headmaster and Headmistress looking down at the Kingsley Shacklebolt intently, and the current Headmistress looking entirely shocked by the sudden apparition of the Minister for Magic and her two best-friends in her office.

"Minister!?" Began Hermione, shocked but timidly. "What's wrong?"

"Grindelwald." Stated Kingsley flatly. "Gellert Grindelwald."

"He was killed!" Ron pointed out immediately. "Voldemort killed him!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt's eyes passed over Ron in a grave stare. "Voldemort tried to kill him. It seems however that his soul was not entirely in his body in Nurmengard."

"Horcruxes?!" Exclaimed Harry in disbelief. When was this going to end?

"That's what we think," replied the Minister. "There could be something else though, it's just something this time. Something's different."

"But we can get him now!" Ron jumped to his feet in excitement. "If we start destroying them now, we'll get him before he starts! It took Voldemort years to recover enough strength to become dangerous, and even then he had to use some muppet like Quirrell. We can go and get them now and he'll never come back!" Ron looked up at Harry walking slowly around the office staring at the ground ahead of him with a frown, then over to Kingsley standing steadfast next to a queasy Hermione in her chair.

"But they know, Ron." Hermione looked up at the Minister. "You know he survived."

"His body disappeared from the Nurmengard graveyard. Along with every living prisoner and every enchantment keeping Nurmengard secure. That prison was a fortress, more powerful than even Azkaban, only Grindelwald, it's creator; knew of every spell and secret it held." Shacklebolt seemed to be at more ease now the depth of the problem was off his chest, yet all the weaker for having said it.

A deafening-silence filled the office following these remarks. Shacklebolt interrupted it with, "So now we have the second darkest wizard of all time on the loose somewhere, and potentially every prisoner of the most dangerous citadel at his command."

"I thought Azkaban was the most dangerous prison?" Questioned Ron, as he perched down on a small cupboard to the side of the room.

"Azkaban has Dementors," replied Kingsley simply. "Nurmengard didn't need them. Its very walls had been imbued with that sense of death and destruction. It had magic in it beyond what we can imagine."

"But how could this have happened!?" Yelled Hermione in frustration. "How could he have just done this?"

"He had been in that prison for many years Hermione," responded Harry. "Since before Tom Riddle was even born! Who knows what he has come up with since. He could have been plotting his return for a long, long time."

"Plotting a return from the grave?" Asked Ron in disbelief as Harry walked back to the centre of the office.

A wave of thought passed over Harry as he turned to look at his three companions at once. "A return following Dumbledore death. He probably wanted to wait till Voldemort was out of the way too so he could be the strongest!" Harry looked up into the late Albus Dumbledore portrait whose sad face nodded in agreement. He looked across to Severus Snape's portrait next to Dumbledore's whose pointy face was in a similar state of grim concern.

"It doesn't make any sense!" Hermione protested. "If such a fast recovery was possible then why didn't Voldemort do it? How did he restore himself enough to break in and retrieve his body; and if his body was in that graveyard..." Hermione trailed off in exasperated thought.

"Then what in the name of Merlin's saggy left-testicle dug up Grindelwald's body?" Finished Ron.

Harry was staring down at the feet of the desk Hermione was sitting behind. He then looked up into the eyes of his former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, remembering Grindelwald was once his companion.

"I'm afraid I can't help you much with this one Harry. When I knew him we were both much younger. We may have shared some of our ambitions and ideas but... When I came to realize he had far more thoughts of the greater power and dominance it seems he has now achieved..." Dumbledore trailed off with the spark of the legendary battle he had had with Grindelwald in his eyes. "We have gone in separate directions since; it was a long long time ago... On Horcruxes I have some literature that could assist you-"

"We already have it," interjected Hermione.

All eyes turned to her. "I summoned it through your office window at the end of sixth year after... after your fall."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with that same knowledge even in his sadness. "As I expected you to. However there are others. Books with curses and magical procedures so terrible I didn't dare bring them to this castle. These are texts I uncovered when I was looking into the actions of Tom. I only hope you can put them to use."

"Where are they?" Asked Harry immediately. Finally here was something they could find that might move them closer to overcoming this impossible challenge before them.

The answer was simple. "Godrics Hollow".

Harry was walking towards the fireplace at once and Ron jumped to follow him.

"Wait Harry!" Dumbledore called from his portrait. "Gellert does not know they're there so they are safe for now. There are other things you will need however which her may be wanting and in pusuit of immediately."

Ron's face was tired and perplexed. "Like what?"

Hermione jumped up and exclaimed, "The Elder Wand! Harry!"

At first Harry was excited, but then fell back. "If he defeats me, he'll become it's master."

"He'll be it's master whether you fight using it or not Harry," prompted Hermione. "Remember how you won it from Malfoy"

Harry left the office in a dash for Dumbledore's tomb in the grounds, the home of the Elder Wand.

"Do you think the wand will be strong enough to defeat him Professor?" Ron asked Dumbledore's portrait as he sat back on a window sill at the side of the office.

"I'd rather Harry have it than Gellert," he said plainly. "In known magic it will always win, but what you'll face, we really cannot say."

"But Albus!" The voice of the former Headmaster Armando Dippet piped up. "Surely you have some other ideas on how to help them besides a powerful wand and powerful magic! You united the Order of the Phoenix! You must be able to help them more!"

Dumbledore gave a humorless smile and replied, "Oh no, my time has passed for this sort of thing. It will be Harry and Ron, and Hermione if you'll join them, that will need to recruit and work for themselves. Myself, I'm confined to my portrait."

Hermione looked up at Ron as they waited for Harry's return. "Think it's time we reunite the DA?" She asked.

Ron was silent in thought for a moment before responding, "It's Harry's Army now. And most of them are too far away to get a hold of immediately. Nearby we just have... Neville."

Neville Longbottom came storming up the stairs with Harry as they both sped into the office.

"Voldemort's back?!" Neville yelled out in shock. Neville, who played an instrumental role in the DA and in Voldemort's downfall; and in fact had destroyed Nagini, Voldemort's snake Horcrux with the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

"No Neville," said Hermione, still behind her desk as Ron stood up to give Neville a one-armed hug. "Gellert Grindelwald... he's returned."

Neville spent a moment in thought. "Grindelwald..."

"Dumbledore's old friend," helped Ron. "The one he had the big fight with. Voldemort killed him after he said Dumbledore had the Elder Wand. Well... we thought that's what happened anyway."

"He's somehow returned, broken out everyone from the prison he built and we think is looking to take over like Voldemort." Harry said. "We don't know how he did it."

"And," started the Minister slowly, "he's had decades upon decades to plan, so we need to act quickly."

Neville looked at Harry, then Ron and Hermione. "We? The DA? The Order of the Phoenix?"

"No Neville," interjected Ron quickly. "We need to get this done ourselves with people we know we can trust." He caught Harry's eye as he continued. "We need to be led by you Harry. The Stag's Assembly."