Quidditch League Challenge, Season 5, Round 3
Position: Seeker
Team: Ballycastle Bats
Word count: 1,431
Promt: Decades-long secret
A Love Most Foul
Albus Dumbledore kept a tight smile on his lips as Cornelius Fudge tapped the side of his wine glass with a fork. At the bright, tinkling sound, people turned in their seats to the long, low front table.
They were in a utilitarian banquet hall at the Ministry of Magic, used mainly for self congratulatory events such as this one, "40 Year Anniversary of Grindelwald's Capture." Guests at the affairs generally listened to the various speeches and presentations with a distracted air, picking thoughtlessly at some bland dish. Presenters, on the other hand, came reluctantly, knowing that with each passing year, the event seemed less and less real to those who had not been there.
Next to Albus, Newt Scamander was doodling some beast or another on a scrap of parchment in his lap. He barely paid attention to the room at these events when it wasn't his turn to speak.
"And now, the man of the hour, Albus Dumbledore!" Fudge said, sweeping his arm in their direction.
Albus nodded to Fudge and got up gracefully from his chair.
He would give yet another speech about his efforts to catch the dark wizard, the importance of the decree of secrecy, the need to protect both magical folk and muggles, so on and so forth.
However, his words were never completely true. While he spoke, he would be thinking of something else. He would be thinking of love most foul.
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He could still remember the moment he fell in love with Gellert Grindelwald.
The two young men were pouring over books and papers, at the Dumbledore home researching their theory that the International Statute of Secrecy could be abolished "for the greater good." Albus turned to his friend, and saw his deeply concentrated face in the warm yellow candlelight-it made his heart leap.
Even when he had first met Gellert months before, when he first came to his aunt Bathilda's house to stay for the summer, Albus had been taken by his blonde, blue-eyed handsomeness. Though he was confident of his own powers, Albus always felt a bit rumpled next to Gellert.
Still, they were inseparable, and Albus' love grew as he watched and listened to the brilliant wizard.
Over time, Albus began to resent their plans. Gellert had become increasingly ambitious and less attentive a a friend. Some of his ideas also seemed rather cruel, aimed to punish muggles rather than to help wizards.
Often he found himself fantasizing about a peaceful life together, untethered to their lofty revolutionary goals. There was a looming issue with this plan-Albus could not bring himself to tell Gellert the truth.
Not that he hadn't tried.
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"We don't have to make sure it's safe Albus. What's really important is-"
"Is that we prevent them from taking control. I know. But, if we could insure safety I think we could make the transition smoother."
Gellert looked sullenly at their overpacked desk for a moment before turning to Albus and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You trust me, don't you?" he asked.
Albus' body had tensed at Gellert's touch. Was this finally the moment he had been waiting for?
"Of course I do." Albus put his hand over Gellert's, breathing in deeply. "You don't know how much..."
Before he could finish, they were interrupted by Aberforth busting through the door.
"Always down here, can't be bothered with helping," he mumbled to himself. "Do you two even care what goes on outside of this room?"
"What do you need, Aberforth?" asked Albus in a weary tone. Another opportunity squandered.
"Our sister is in a state. Have you not heard her screaming for ye?" Albus cringed. His sister hardly seemed real to him when he was with Gellert, but it broke his heart to let her down.
Little had he known that his feelings for Gellert and his love for Ariana would be the clash, the catalyst that would change his life forever. If he had only told him how he felt, maybe it could have stopped the duel.
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It happened on a dusky summer night. Rain from earlier in the day still seemed to linger in the air, giving the yard behind the Dumbledore's Godric's Hollow home a tinny, damp smell. Fireflies danced around Ariana as she sat on an extravagantly carved swing made for her by her brother, Aberforth.
Her finger traced the designs of dragons, goblins and pixies, over and over. That is, until she heard a rustling in the bushes. They twitched for a few seconds before revealing Gellert Grindelwald's long, elegant frame and flowing mane of golden hair. His clothes were unnaturally impeccable, though he wore them as if they were nothing more than old pajamas.
Ariana had seen the man often, and always had a cold sensation in her heart when he appeared. A low moan escaped her throat when he approached. Though he had been in the house, Aberforth suddenly appeared at her side, as though he could somehow hear the nearly inaudible noise.
He was young, but somehow menacing looking, with a stained work shirt rolled up at the sleeves revealing muscled arms, and a disheveled tangle of hair held back in a ponytail.
"I thought I told you to stay away," he said gruffly, stepping in front of Ariana. "Leave us alone."
"I believe your brother is the man of the house, Aberforth," said Gellert with a haughty grin. "Ive no interest with you or your sister anyway." He strode forward, heading for the house's back door, but Aberforth blocked his way.
"Albus may be blind now, but he'll see who you are eventually."
"Oh really? And who do you think I am?" asked Gellert, his lips twisting into a smirk.
"Poison," spat Aberforth. "You want everything just so others can have nothing."
At this, Gellert seemed possessed by laughter.
"A poison!" he gasped. "What a poet you are, Aberforth!"
"What's so funny?"
Gellert turned sharply on his heel to see Albus approaching from behind.
"Oh, nothing. Tell your brother here that he should stop treating me like a sewer rat and let me in the house."
Albus looked from Aberforth to Gellert, trying to figure out how to diffuse yet another one of their fights. Gellert looked particularly beautiful in the moonlight night.
"Aberforth, it's fine. I asked him to come here, we have some things-"
Without warning, Aberforth disarmed Gellert, grabbing the wand in mid-air.
"Albus, you can trust him. I've seen things he's writing, things he hasn't shown you."
The terrible thing was, Albus had seen these things, but his infatuation with Gellert made him refuse to accept them. He kept making excuses.
Albus returned Gellert's wand with a flick of his own.
"Let's let this go for tonight."
As soon as the wand was back in Gellert's hand, a flash of white light flared from its end, hitting Aberforth square in the chest and knocking Ariana off of her chair. Her low moaning now turned into a loud wail.
"Stop!" Albus raised his wand, unsure what to do.
After a few seconds of scrambling, Aberforth raised himself up and aimed another curse at Gellert. Albus blocked it. Soon, he was caught in the middle of the two wizards, blocking their spells left and right. Amidst the chaos, a sparking fireworks show of spells and curses, Ariana's cries reached a crescendo. A burst of untamed magic energy from her knocked all three wizards on their backs.
Aberforth got up first and ran to Ariana. Gellert launched himself up soon after, shouting "Crucio!"
As he saw his brother writhing in pain, Albus' brain went on autopilot. The next thing he could remember was kneeling on the lawn, sobs moving through his body and a sensation that his heart had been removed and replaced with acid.
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If only he could have told him how he felt, maybe it could have stopped the duel.
If only he could have told his family, maybe Aberforth would have understood.
This thought plagued Albus for decades. Any time some witch or wizard attempting thoughtfulness told him they were sorry about her death. Any time he was congratulated for "defeating Grindelwald."
Maybe he had. Grindelwald was behind bars because of Albus' efforts.
Most days it felt as though Grindelwald had defeated him. He took his sister, his relationship with Aberforth, and he took his heart.
As he stood and told the room full of glassy eyed witches and wizards of Grindelwald's horrors, Albus could still see the beautiful face in the candlelight, could still feel a love most foul.