Disclaimer: Would I be writing fanfiction if I owned either of these franchises? Well, probably, just to screw with the fans. Anyway, I don't own either Harry Potter or Smallville.

Up, Up and Away

August 1996-

Albus Dumbledore sat across the desk from his solicitor. He couldn't help the glance down at his gloved right hand which was blackened beyond use from that accursed ring. Albus was in London to set up his will. Severus and Poppy both agreed that there was nothing to be done about stopping the curse, within a year he, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore would be dead.

Alan Fairchilde, Albus' solicitor, bustled into the room with a bundle of parchment and Muggle papers. "Sorry to keep you waiting Professor. Gringotts sent off for some Muggle paperwork related to your estate when you made the appointment with me. I was just retrieving it from the goblin in charge of your account." The man sat behind the desk and set the papers down in front of him. "Your bequests to Messrs. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger have no issue. It is your request to leave the rest of your belongings to your brother that is the problem."

Albus' brow furrowed. "What is the problem? Aberforth is all the family I have left."

Mr. Fairchilde looked at the papers. "Actually, according to the Dumbledore family tapestry at Gringotts, he's not." At Dumbledore's dumbfounded look, Fairchilde continued. "In April of 1900, a girl child was born to Gellert Grindlewald in Geneva, Switzerland. They lived there until the girl was seventeen, she attended Beauxbatons. After graduating, Lisette Grindlewald disappeared from Europe, but a Lisette Grindledore appeared in New York City. She married a squib boy by the name of Leonard Luthor. They moved to Metropolis, Kansas after ten years. Nothing much was known about them until the birth of their son Lionel. When he was twenty, Lisette and Leonard died mysteriously, it was eventually determined to be a potions experiment gone wrong by the Aurors. The muggle authorities thought differently, but couldn't prove anything." Mr. Fairchilde paused to pull out a newspaper clipping with a picture of Lionel Luthor, handing it to Dumbledore. The article also included a picture of the elder Luthors. Dumbledore reverently ran his thumb over Lisette Luthor's image. "Lionel Luthor had built a business empire with the life insurance. He has since married," Mr. Fairchilde handed over another newspaper clipping: a wedding notice, "and they have one child: Alexander Luthor." Without another comment, Mr. Fairchilde also gave Albus two more clippings about the deaths of one Julian Luthor, infant, and Lillian Luthor.

Albus had to take a moment before he could clear his throat. "Lionel, is he a good man?" he asked quietly.

Mr. Fairchilde weighed his options before his oath to not lie to his client kicked in. "According to the Muggle authorities, Lionel Luthor was suspected in the deaths of his parents. And his empire is little more than a front for criminal activities. There are some that despair of Alexander becoming a good man because of being raised by Lionel."

Albus' eyes closed. "Leave half of my estate to Alexander Luthor. Lionel Luthor gets nothing." His eyes flashed blue when they opened. "I want another clause. Upon my death, deliver the information you have given me about Lionel Luthor to Gellert Grindlewald."

Mr. Fairchilde looked confused, but followed his client's instructions. Albus shook the solicitor's hand before leaving to return home to Hogwarts. Once he was behind the door of his chambers, Albus let the tears that had been threatening fall. "Oh Gellert," he sobbed, "why didn't you tell me?" He pulled the school photo of Alexander Luthor out of the stack of papers and stared at the bright red hair of the boy. There was no denying the Dumbledore heritage.

He reverently placed the photo of his great-grandson in his moleskin pouch around his neck that he also kept Gellert's family crest ring that Gellert gave him before their final duel. His family would be with him to the end.

TBC

A/N: All right Smalleville fans, I really need a Smallville beta. I am a fan of the show, but I need someone to help me make sure that the voices of characters stay in-character. I'm fine on the Harry Potter side, but am not well versed in the DC comics characters. Anyone want to volunteer?