The occasion of Ariana Dumbledore's death, and the rupture of the friendship between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.

Albus had hoped that his brother would stay out of his affairs.

Yet there Aberforth stood at the bottom of the stairs, his school trunk beside him. He had already missed the train.

"No one will believe your nonsense about your greater good when you can't even tell what is best for you own sister, your own flesh and blood." Aberforth said, his voice rising. "I'm not going anywhere until you promise me that you'll take care of her."

"Aberforth, I-"

How could Albus explain himself to this brother of his, who raged and brawled and loved so violently? Aberforth could never see past the moment, he would never see that sacrifices were necessary, that sometimes people needed to be hurt to achieve the outcome that would lead to their own happiness.

But Gellert cut him off before he could even begin.

"Don't pretend to understand your brother, Aberforth. He has aspirations beyond this patch of ground and a herd of goats. You're the one who's selfish, who would keep him here-"

"You said it yourself, Albus," Aberforth said, shifting his attention to his brother. "Power gives us responsibilities over the ruled."

Albus looked stunned, then, began to laugh. The sound jarred the tense atmosphere that filled the room.

Aberforth looked puzzled, Grindelwald looked angry.

"I had no idea you read my essays," he managed to say at last.

"Then you'll stay with Ariana?" Aberforth asked.

Albus looked confused.

"But you've read my treatises, you know what I have to do."

"That's not my point! And that's not your point either. Don't you understand what I'm trying to say?" Aberforth yelled. He drew his wand. "This is exactly the reason I avoid debate. It's too bloody subtle."

Aberforth smiled at his brother. "I hope this makes it clear. Petrificus Total-"

Grindelwald, however, was faster and than Aberforth, and he got his curse out first.

"Crucio!"

Aberforth dropped to his knees, his teeth gritted against the pain.

"Aberforth?" Ariana stepped into the front room from the kitchen, drawn by the shouts.

Grindelwald lowered his wand to his side. The younger Dumbledore relaxed and stood shakily, supported by his sister.

"He is fine, Ariana. Go back inside," Grindelwald said.

"That is a lie," she said. Magic was pouring out from her. A window shattered, the shards crashing towards Grindelwald and raking his cheek.

Grindelwald said nothing, but raised his wand towards the pair.

"No!" Albus cried, extending a hand to place on his friend's shoulder, "Don't hurt them, please."

"What, hurt you instead?" Grindelwald said, "Don't be ridiculous, Albus. Don't you realize that once the statute of secrecy is repealed, no one will ever have to suffer Ariana's fate again. Is her sacrifice not worth the hundreds of other sisters and brothers we will save?"

"You bastard!" Aberforth roared, his arm tightly wrapped around Ariana's shoulder, "how can you stand there so calmly talking about the sacrifice of the girl standing in front of you."

Ariana shook her head ever so slightly. "You're all wrong," she whispered. But no one heard.

Aberforth shrugged off the support of his sister and advanced on Grindelwald. He was disarmed in a moment, but continued to come.

"Aberforth, Gellert, stop!" Albus tried in vain to separate the two. The stunning spells he cast were dodged, and hit the bookshelf behind them. Dry pages burst into flames from the residual sparks of magic, fanned by the surge of power rolling from Ariana.

"Ya love Muggles, right Grindy?" Aberforth asked, "that's good, cuz I fight like one."

Grindelwald aimed another Cruciatus at Aberforth, but the smoke had hindered his vision, and the younger boy dodged. His fist connected solidly with Grindelwald's jaw.

Albus was still trying to get the situation under control when he saw Gellert hit the floor. He ran to his friend.

This is not supposed to happen, he thought. We're intellectuals, this sort of brawling is beneath us.

"Protego!" he screamed, leaning over his friend, and the force of the shield threw Aberforth back. The younger Dumbledore retrieved his fallen wand and stood in front of Ariana.

"Leave now, go back inside," he pleaded. But Ariana pushed Aberforth aside and ran to embrace Albus. Her wild magic shattered the spell protecting the two young men on the ground, and Aberforth seized his opportunity just as she threw her arms around Albus. He levelled a stunning spell at the still disoriented Grindelwald. Albus tried to push Ariana back out of the fray. She stumbled backwards a few steps, while Albus took the opening to take down his brother.

But Gellert recovered faster than Albus had anticipated.

"Stupefy!" three voices yelled as one.

Aberforth was so angry he had no time to think about what was happening.

Gellert Grindelwald didn't care how the brawl turned out, so long as his best friend didn't abandon him.

But for Albus Dumbledore, the moment was one of intense clarity that seemed to last an eternity.

I have just attempted to harm my own brother.

I am protecting his attacker, whom

he realized something very startling

I love.

Albus thought about this. He was protecting his best friend, his intellectual guide, the man he loved, at any cost, even at the expense of his own brother. Looking at his friend, he realized that he could not sacrifice Gellert Grindelwald for any price. The flaw in his logic became apparent.

Because I am willing to harm people for the greater good, then I do not love them. If I truly love, I cannot do harm, regardless of the consequences. I have been been disguising my own selfish interest under the pretense of caring.

What a fool I've been.

The three spells hit in the center of the room and ricocheted off in three different directions. One hit Aberforth in the shoulder, and he fell back, hard. The other two disappeared into the smoke. Albus crawled over to the bookcase and drowned the fire with his wand. Sitting against the sodden pile of books, he tried to slow his breathing. He could hear Gellert coughing somewhere nearby.

When the smoke cleared, Aberforth screamed. Ariana lay on the ground in a pool of blood next to his trunk. One of the reinforced corners gleamed red, a few strands of her hair twined around. She was dead.

Albus sobbed.

Aberforth tried to get up, but his wrists, one broken, one sprained, wouldn't support him. Painfully, he rose to his knees. His face was red with tears and rage.

He yelled at Albus. "You killed her! What are you crying for? You wanted her dead. Go on, you're free. Stop crying and get out of here!"

"Petrificus Totalus."

Grindelwald petrified Aberforth in mid scream. He shook his head at the boy. "You'll just make those wrists of yours worse."

Gellert knelt next to his friend and put his arms around him. He was unscathed, the bruise from Aberforth's fist already healing.

"Come on, Albus," he said, "you can stop this from ever happening again. Now you realize how serious our work is."

Albus looked deep into Gellert's eyes. He saw no love. Just cool logic and a master plan.

Albus smiled, tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry, Gellert. I can't."

Gellert frowned.

"I love you. And that's why, I think, I have to oppose you," Albus said.

"I don't understand your logic," Gellert said, standing, "but if that's the way you feel, so be it." He walked towards the door.

"Gellert," Albus called, "If we meet again, at wand's end… I won't kill you."

Grindelwald stopped. "I wish I could unequivocally say the same, Albus. Goodbye."

The door shut behind him, leaving the Dumbledores to grieve for what they had lost.

Author's notes: This was written for a christmas story exchange on the mugglenet beta boards. What surprised me most during the writing was how much I actually enjoyed writing Aberforth, whom I have never written.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review! All edits and comments are much appreciated, and will be replied.