DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.
AN: This is my second attempt (emphasis on attempt) to write a Grindeldore.
"Albus! Ariana's having a fit!" Aberforth's voice jolted Albus out of his reverie. The seventeen-year-old groaned slightly but made his way to the garden.
Ariana was on the ground, her frail figure shaking, her blue eyes wide and distant. She held her knees tightly against her tiny chest with tremorous hands, lips parted in a silent scream. Aberforth knelt down beside her, trying to soothe Ariana with comforting words.
"Do something!" Aberforth's eyes were wild. "Help her!" Albus shot Aberforth an irritated glare.
"Move over," Albus said, brandishing his wand. Aberforth obeyed hesitantly. Albus crouched down in front of Ariana. "Tranquillo!" He jabbed his wand slightly at Ariana.
A soft blue glow surrounded Ariana, and her violent shaking subsided slowly. Her eyes fell closed, and her lips relaxed. Albus reached out and touched her shoulder gently.
"Is she okay now?" Aberforth hurried forward. He bent down and stroked Ariana's head, weaving his fingers into her dirty blonde hair.
"I think so." Albus shook her lightly. Ariana's eyes fluttered open, gazing at all of them in childish curiosity. "Take her inside and give her a hot cup of tea. She should be fine."
"You act like you don't care about her at all." Aberforth glared at Albus. "She's your sister, too."
Albus rubbed his forehead. "Just do what I say," He tried not to lose his patience. Aberforth opened his mouth to retort, then closed it, sighing bitterly. He helped Ariana get up, allowing her to lean on him for support as they walked inside together.
Albus watched them, then turned around with a heavy sigh. Ariana's almost daily fits were quickly becoming a burden; he was tired of having to take care of his siblings. It left him with barely any time to do anything useful.
He strolled through the old and gnarled gateway, making his way outside. He glanced back at his home, wondering if this was where he wanted to spend his life. Godric's Hollow was interesting enough, what with it being the famed Godric Gryffindor's birthplace, but nothing happened. He had no friends; the other children had no interest in knowledge or power; they simply didn't understand him.
He didn't know how long he'd be able to support his family; his father was rotting away in Azkaban, and his mother… It still pained him to think of her, to wonder that if he had been more responsible, she wouldn't have died. Aberforth was still slightly traumatized from her death, and Ariana, the poor girl, simply didn't know what was going on.
Albus was confused; he didn't know what to do with his life anymore. He could hear his father, his voice enthusiastic and fond, saying, "You can do whatever you want, son. Be you."
"I'm trying, dad. I'm trying," he muttered, head bowed. He veered off to the side as two children ran past him, laughing raucously.
"Hello," a friendly voice greeted. Albus looked up in surprise; he was rarely acknowledged, other than by adults who congratulated him on his academic achievements.
A young boy who looked to be about his age stood before him, waiting for a response. His shoulder-length blond hair was combed neatly, falling down in small waves. His silver eyes analyzed Albus keenly, taking in every tiny detail.
"Good evening," Albus replied, offering the boy a polite smile. He had never seen the boy in Godric's Hollow before; he must have been new.
"I'm new to Godric's Hollow. I'm moving in with my aunt, Bathilda Bagshot," the boy started. He watched Albus intently.
"Oh, that's nice. I'm Albus. Albus Dumbledore." The boy showed no surprise at his name; if he knew about the Dumbledore scandal, he surely didn't seem to care. "And you are?"
"Gellert. Gellert Grindelwald," he answered. "I take it you're from this area?"
"Yes. Where are you from?" Albus asked.
"I used to go to Durmstrang. But I got expelled for some nonsense, so here I am!" Gellert drawled flippantly. Albus stared at him in shock.
"Are you going to Hogwarts now?"
"No, of course not. I'm done with my education." So he was his age. Maybe this was his chance to make a friend.
"Say, could you give me a tour of the place?" Gellert asked, grinning at him. Albus nodded faintly. "Brilliant! Let's get going then, shall we?" They began to amble around, with Albus explaining everything and pointing out places of interest to Gellert, who listened with rapt attention.
Albus found himself liking the boy. Gellert had a merry air about him, and he seemed quite knowledgeable from what he could surmise. He was skilled in duelling and had apparently passed with all Outstandings in his OWLs.
"Are you enjoying your stay here so far?"
"Of course! I was worried I wouldn't find anyone to talk to; the children here seem to be quite mediocre. It pleases me to have conversations with intelligent people like you," Gellert stated.
"It's the same with me. I can't really talk to other people around here; they simply don't understand me," Albus admitted. Gellert nodded understandingly.
"The other students at Durmstrang were… distant. There was no one I could truly be myself with."
"I hope that changes here," Albus murmured, raising his blue eyes to meet Gellert's. The corners of Gellert's mouth quirked up in a small smile.
"I hope it does too."
The two had become inseparable. It was always Albus and Gellert, neither one without the other. Albus and Gellert, who would be the heroes of the wizarding world. Albus and Gellert, who would work for the greater good.
They spent almost every moment together, be it in person, or through letters. Bathilda Bagshot still complained about how Gellert would wake her with the flurry of his owl sending letters in the middle of the night, though it was always with a fond smile that she did.
"Albus? Are you even listening to me?" Gellert' sharp voice asked. Albus glanced up at his friend with bleary eyes.
"It's late, Gellert," he said, rubbing his eyes.
"You're usually not this tired," Gellert remarked, pulling out a chair and sitting down. His face was illuminated by the dim candlelight.
"Ariana had a fit again. It was worse this time," Albus replied, stretching his taut arms and legs.
"Is she fine now?"
"Yes, but I'm worried about her. She's getting worse every time." The distress in his voice was evident.
"Ariana will be fine. You," Gellert said, pointing a finger at Albus, "need to think about your future." He fixed Albus with an intent look. "We have to work for the greater good."
"I know." The only thing Albus wanted for his future was to have Gellert by his side. He couldn't imagine a life without him.
"And the Deathly Hallows. We need to find them," Gellert continued, his eyes lighting up. The Deathly Hallows always ignited a spark in him that made Albus slightly uneasy.
"I know," Albus repeated, slumping back in his chair tiredly.
"Go to sleep. We'll talk more in the morning," Gellert relented, sighing. Albus gave him a grateful smile and stood up, rubbing his aching back.
"Till death do us part," he said to Gellert, grinning. The saying had interested them, and they had decided that it described the pair perfectly.
"Till death do us part," Gellert echoed softly, blowing out the candle.
"Have you finished your homework, Aberforth?" Albus asked sternly. The boy in question snorted.
"Not everyone's a workaholic like you, Al," Aberforth retorted.
"You should really learn to respect your brother, Aberforth. You're lucky to have him," Gellert said from the doorway, narrowing his silver eyes at Aberforth.
"Lucky? You must be kidding yourself."
"Especially since he'll be leaving next week," Gellert continued smoothly. Aberforth stared at him in astonishment.
"What?" He turned to face Albus, looking at him accusingly.
"Aberforth, can we talk about this another time?" Albus pleaded. Aberforth pressed his lips together into a thin line.
"You, our brother and only family, are planning to desert us for some silly quest? You're planning to abandon Ariana and I for the sake of your friend?" His voice was an icy whisper, cutting through Albus like a knife.
"Abe-" he started, but he was quickly cut off.
"And you call yourself our brother?" Aberforth shouted, his eyes raging with fury. "Don't we mean anything to you?"
"Stupid boy, don't you understand your brother's greatness? His power?" Gellert hissed.
"His greatness? Do you mean to say that his abandonment of his family can be called greatness?" Aberforth scoffed in disgust.
"Enough! Crucio!" Gellert yelled, flourishing his wand. Albus gasped in shock, eyes widening.
Aberforth fell to the ground, writhing in agony. His mouth was open in a strident scream, eyes rolling back. Albus watched in horror, speechless. Gellert looked upon Aberforth's pain with cruel satisfaction.
"Gellert! Stop this instant!" he cried out, holding his wand tightly in his hand. Gellert released Aberforth from the curse, breathing heavily. Albus rushed to his brother, kneeling down beside him. Aberforth was still quivering slightly, and his breaths came out in large gasps.
"Aberforth? Are you okay?" 'What are you playing at, Albus? Of course, he's not okay! Oh, Merlin, how could I let this happen?' The thoughts ran through his mind in a frenzy.
"The brat had it coming," Gellert stated, his lips lifting in a cold smile. Albus glared at him.
"How could you? I trusted you!"
"I told you, Albus. He's no good for you," Aberforth rasped, getting up on shaky legs. "Stupefy!" The spell shot out, wavering and weak. Gellert dodged it easily, smirking.
"Bombarda Maxima!" Albus cried, following his brother. The wizards began fighting furiously in a three-way duel.
"Crucio!" Gellert said again, his wand directed at Albus. Albus ducked almost instantly, and the curse missed him by a hair. Aberforth was hit by a powerful "Crucio!" again and collapsed, screaming once more. He lost his consciousness after a few moments under the Cruciatus.
"It's just you and me, now." The two wizards circled each other, firing curses with speed. Albus hesitated for a moment then made his decision.
"Avada Kedavra!" he murmured, his heart heavy with regret. He had never imagined that he, Albus Dumbledore, would use the worst Unforgivable curse. The green light flew towards Gellert, who rolled to the side.
"Using Dark curses, now, are we?" Gellert jeered, letting out a cold laugh. A long gash ran down his arm.
"You started this, Gellert," Albus said, trying to stem the flow of blood from a cut on his leg. He fired another hex at Gellert.
"Al? Abe?" a soft voice called, unheard by both wizards. Her words became more persistent, though broken and clumsy. "Al?" Ariana made her way to the door, stumbling.
"Ariana!" Albus yelled. "Go back to your room!" Ariana opened the door, and her blue eyes became wide with frantic worry. She spotted Aberforth lying in a crumpled heap by the table and grew hysterical.
"Abe!" She crossed the room in small steps and tried to shake Aberforth awake. Gellert watched Ariana in amusement, and he bared his teeth when she succeeded in reviving Aberforth.
"Don't hurt her!" Aberforth said protectively, pushing a confused Ariana behind him. The three wizards commenced their duel once again, shooting a mix of curses and hexes.
"Please, Gellert. Don't betray me like this!" Albus begged. Gellert stopped his advance, panting heavily. Aberforth reluctantly ceased his attacks at a beseeching glance from Albus.
Albus surveyed the wreck around him, and his eyes caught notice of a dishevelled heap on the floor, lying lifelessly. His eyes were flooded with tears as he realized that it was Ariana. He ran to her, sobbing.
"Ariana!" Aberforth cried, sitting down beside Albus. He lifted her into his arms tenderly, burying his head in her blond hair. "She's not dead, right, Al? She can't be dead!" Aberforth hadn't used his nickname since he was a toddler. His voice was frenzied, and tears were already making their way down his face.
Albus hugged his sister tight, checking for a pulse, a sign that his Ariana was still alive. He found nothing. "Abe, she's…" Aberforth didn't let him finish; he let out a mournful howl.
"One of us must have…" Albus's voice was dazed, shadowed by grief. He turned to meet Gellert's eyes. "You. Get out. GET OUT!"
"Albus…"
"Consider this the death of friendship. Leave me, and never come back!" Albus whispered icily. "Go." Gellert exchanged one last glance with Albus, then turned and fled.
'Till death do us part,' they had said. And death had torn them apart. The death of a friendship, the death of a beloved sister. There was no till anymore.
AN: Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is appreciated!