Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe and all the characters belong to J.K. Rowling.


Harry landed in the memory and not a second later Alberic appeared beside him. There were grey, blurry tones all around them, and Harry couldn't distinguish a lot from the shifting mass.

"The memories that you will see tonight are a combination of my own, and my father's who deposited them into the Pensieve. They can be a bit distorted, but should still function." Alberic calmly supplied.

The memory around them cleared up into more clear shapes, painted with cold colors after his words. Revealing to Harry that they were back in the Hall of the Greengrass manor, albeit in a more darker looking one as a lot of the interior around them was kind of styled like Grimmauld Place.

In the large doorway stood a young man in brown robes, he only looked to be in his early twenties with his clean shaved face and short blonde hair.

"We start from where it is relevant. The nineteen forties, the end of the Muggle WWII, and shortly after Gellert Grindelwald's downfall in trying to end the International Statute of Secrecy. The young man you see is Aeran Greengrass, my father." Alberic said in a bland tone, motioning toward the robed man.

"Sorry, Statute of what?" Harry asked the sudden flux of new names and references leaving him a bit blank. He had no clue what the Statute meant, but Gellert Grindelwald did sound familiar.. It somehow ringed a bell in Harry's mind, but he couldn't exactly place where he had heard the name before.

"Oh. Of course." Alberic said in understanding. "The International Statute of Secrecy was formed more than 300 years ago to safeguard the wizarding people and it's children from the muggle witch-hunts. The story behind it is a bit longer than that, but in plain words, we have it to safeguard ourselves."

"I see." Harry simply said in comprehension before focusing on the memory again.

"Anyway." Alberic began switching back. "Aeran and Ethilia had already been married at this time. Quite contently too, there was little to worry about during their daily lives. Today however, would be one with very unfortunate news for them, serving to upset the balance in their lives."

"Deceased?" Asked a shocked voice, sounding like it came from some sort of cave or closed off space with its slightly echoing and distant tone. "What do you mean deceased!?"

Harry looked back to the man that was Daphne's grandfather and saw that his sudden outburst was directed toward a man opposite from him in the doorway.

"It is as I say. Regrettably the members of the Greengrass and Marude family have lost their lives in the final battle against the resistance group of Germany as Albus Dumbledore battled the Dark Wizard, Grindelwald at Nurmengard." The other, and more older man spoke from the doorway. He wore a dark blue uniform with the polished badge of the ministry gleaming on his chest.

Dumbledore! Harry thought, suddenly realizing where he had heard from Grindelwald before. Dumbledore had briefly mentioned him during their conversation in his office after he had been brought to his office after his battle with Nott.

"The remaining Greengrass members refused to surrender even after the battle was decided. They fell in battle shortly after. You and Ethilia Greengrass née Marude are now the only ones left." The man finished blandly.

"Preposterous! Our families wouldn't have died so easily! The ministry of Germany has them, right!? They're prisoners of war! They must want something from us!" Aeran exclaimed more in panic than anger.

The Ministry official shook his head almost mechanically. "I'm afraid not, you may visit their bodies if you desire proof.. Actually you are required to for confirmation."

"Impossible..." Aeran replied taking a step back in shock and holding the edge of the stone wall beside him for support. "I already knew about the outcome at Nurmengard since a few days, but mother.. father.. everyone.. died?" He said softly trailing off at the end. Briefly staring ahead of him with a distant look as the news of his parents and family sunk in.

"Yes, as such my business here is to inform you of the debts that have been issued against your family through the cooperation of our own Ministry with that of Germany." The official said stone-faced, making Harry wonder how many families he had already visited by now.

Aeran's hand slid down the wall to hank limply as he looked at the man in uniform in confusion. "Debts? What debts? We don't have any."

"You do now. War debts, Mr. Greengrass, for all the collateral damage that has been caused by Grindelwald's faction during his reign. Properties have been destroyed, and family members have been killed during the conflict in Germany. A conflict that initially wasn't theirs." The ministry official said taking a sealed document from his bag and handing it over to a stunned Aeran. "Compensation has been demanded to amend this from both the families that have been involved with Grindelwald as well as the ministry that should have prevented this from happening."

"I- I don't know if we can.." Aeran said frowning at the envelope, whether that was because he wasn't aware of their finances or already knew the sum of the fine, Harry didn't know.

The unknown man closed his bag again with a click. "You should be thankful for the fact that you will not be persecuted by not having been directly involved in the war, at least evidence wise. You will soon be informed by Gringotts of your coming Lordship with the passing of the current head. See to your finances, Mr. Greengrass. Have a good day."

The official tipped his hat and turned heel. Walking back down the small path through the grassy fields to step outside the boundaries.

Aeran remained in a slump for a few second before angrily slamming the door shut with a string of curses. Turning away to walk in a brisk pace toward the spiral staircase.

"Ethilia!" He shouted, rapidly ascending the stairs his tapping footsteps echoing in the Hall. "Ethilia!"

Harry was curious as to how it was going to play out further, but noticed that the memory was distorting and fading to make place for the next one.

"As you heard, my parents, to their luck played little to no role in the war, being young and inexperienced in comparison to the other family members. They were simply unnecessary and remained behind as most of the war raged in another country." Alberic said with an indescribable expression upon his face as he watched his father run up the stairs before the vision completely melted away. "It's a good thing they did or the whole family could have ended back then."

"Si-Alberic, sorry for taking a step back, but Gellert Grindelwald? The official said he was a Dark Wizard, and lost against Dumbledore. Why? Was he like how Voldemort is now?" Harry said slowly. He hadn't heard about this before.. He should've paid more attention to the History lessons in his earlier years. He only had a vague idea now.

"Well, I can't judge him personally, but I can say that the situation right now is many times worse, unfortunately. As for the war, he fought to bring down our Wizarding law of Secrecy, wishing to rule over Muggles. Multiple families, including mine, liked the sound of that. Desiring to turn the tables of oppression." Alberic replied. "The very same thing is happening again right now. This time however, it's even worse as a crusade for blood-purity has been thrown into the mix."

Harry nodded, gaining more understanding as to why Dumbledore was seen in such a high regard in the Wizarding world. The current war with Voldemort wasn't his first, and he had done more than just help during the battle against Grindelwald. Dumbledore ended it.

Sounds bubbled up again as the next memory formed. A dimly lit study area rose up around them with shelves lined up against the walls, and multiple books and pieces of parchment scattered around haphazardly on the floor.

"There must be some kind of way, Aeran." A women with pitch black hair said supportively, searchingly shifting a few of the parchments around on the already overflowing desk.

Harry surmised that she was likely Ethilia, Aeran's wife, as she appeared to be around the same age as the blond man opposite from her.

"There is no way!" Aeran said snappily at her, making her flinch before quickly recovering. "Everyone knows we are collapsing, and they are right, we are falling rapidly.. As things stand now we have no way to pay off those debts in time.."

"You are correct, sadly. The amount just keeps on growing as more names from the dead keep being added onto the list. The other families show little desire to help us now that we have almost nothing to offer in return." Ethilia replied.

"This entire scenario is ridiculous to begin with. So what if a bunch of worthless muggles died at the hands of our family?! Incomprehensible. I'm sure that half of them aren't even there rightfully! Other families are using dirty tricks to push the blame off of them, and onto us." Aeran said with an accusing tone.

"Either way, I think we should look it through one more time, we might have missed something that we can use." She said carefully, trying what appeared to be the hundredth time.

"Futile!" Aeran shouted angrily swiping a hand across the desk, making his wife jump in her seat as books fell down and parchment flew up before gliding down again. "We need favors, intimidation, connections, and information for any of those loopholes to work. We are stuck! We will soon have to sell the manor at this pace or risk being stripped of our status! And even then we haven't done enough yet! We need to make money somehow, Ethilia!"

"I don't see how, Aeran. My sales and your private lectures won't yield enough in time!" Ethilia retorted sounding to be out of ideas now.

The angry expression on Aeran's face calmed and he sat back down on the dark, high backed chair with a distant look.

"Aeran?" Ethilia asked softly after he didn't reply.

"..We are proficient in both Occlumency as well as the Arts. Our parents taught us well and we have shown to be more than just a little talented in it." He said covertly before bringing his eyes up from his now empty desk to Ethilia's.

"What do you suggest we do with it?" She asked dauntlessly, her husband's words quickly piquing her interest. Making Harry realise that she was confident but very different from Daphne by showing little hesitation on the matter.

"We will make use of my family tome. Learn what we can, and gather dangerous, and illegal ingredients for potions and rituals to sell in places like Knockturn Alley. It's a last resort that has been on my mind for some time now." Aeran said with a look of determination. "Besides that we can research into making new Curses. There aren't many, but I know of a few people that will be interested, we can continue from there."

"Efficient, albeit precarious methods." Ethilia concurred, crossing one of her legs. "Prices of such materials and services will rise now that the war has ended. Coincidentally regulations of the Ministry will loosen as they gain the illusion of control again."

"Not only that, but people are not pleased with the fact that Grindelwald failed, everyone will wait for the next Dark Lord, because there will be one. It's only a matter of time." Aeran replied conspiringly, standing up to pace around the room, occasionally crumbling a few parchments as he stepped on them. Ethilia's dark eyes following him as he moved about.

"During that time they do not wish to sit idle. Alliances will be made again in the meantime, and children will be raised with the same thought in mind." Aeran said, the traces of his frustration still lingering his young face.

"Preparations will be made. Each in their own way... We can make use of that, whether they need ingredients, potions or spells." Ethilia said conclusively.

"Yes. Don't worry, love. We'll get out of this soon." Aeran said softly, ending their conversation and the memory.

Harry turned back when the present Alberic spoke up again. "Long story short; many other families used their political connections and positions so lessen the majority of their debts, but Aeran and Ethilia weren't among those people, unfortunately. The older family members had died, and Lordship was passed on to him before he was ready. Not only that, but the title meant little as they possessed only a fraction of the connections their parents used to maintain, nor the experience in playing dirty politics."

Images around them shifted again and Harry soon saw a much more standard looking Wizarding house.

"Despite their plans, they lost the manor in the coming years. Inventing spells turned out harder than he initially thought it to be. Aeran did manage to keep his lordship however, but that didn't make much of a difference, they now found themselves on one of the lowest ranks, much to their distain." He continued, motioning to the house and entering it.

Harry took another look before following him inside and wondered what the problem was. The house was nothing grand, but should have been satisfactory enough. It didn't show much damage or problems on the outside, and looked to be nowhere near a house like the Weasleys'.

Harry went inside and quickly heard the aggravated, albeit older sounding voice of Aeran reverberate from the living room.

"They are laughing at us! They think themselves so much more better and clever than us, because they were able to use their dirty tricks while we are still plowing through the dirt!"

Harry and Alberic stepped into the room where the voice came from. Once inside the living room he saw many items stacked up on the shelves and stuffed into the corners of the room. They likely came from the Greengrass manor judging by their appearance. Harry surmised that Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass kept it in refusal of their status decline, holding on to whatever they could from their old lives.

"I feel the same way, Aeran." Ethilia said in agreement, a bitter frown across her now older looking features. She now also sported a big, round belly, looking highly pregnant. "I suspect that they know about our business. All of it."

"Of course they know, behind their friendly smiles, smug faces fester." Aeran muttered darkly, sitting hunched over in his chair. "They think we've become some petty delivery group to fetch materials, and items for them! Insolent fools..."

"I'm sure that times will change." Ethilia said encouragingly as she rested her hand on her bulging stomach.

"Indeed, I saw how those wenches dared to look at you." Aeran replied in a mixture of sympathy for his wife, and anger at the unknown women. "We'll raise the finest heir the Greengrass family has ever seen. Our son will become strong, handsome, decisive, and smart. We will reclaim what was lost, and show them all who'll laugh last.."

The memory ended quicker this time as their surroundings faded away, Aeran's azure gaze remaining fixated on her stomach until he too disappeared into the background.

"Again, luck didn't strike after I was born. Not only wasn't I gifted in any way my parents had hoped me to be, but Ethilia also became unable to bear any more children." Alberic said dispassionately.

New images and sounds arose before Harry could ask him to explain his words.

They were in a study area, curtains were pulled before the window to prevent a majority of the light from entering and in the back of the room he saw Aeran behind a black desk with a small boy, no older than eight years old in front of him.

Aeran looked to be between his thirties and forties now as his hair had lost some of its shine while a few wrinkles around his mouth and forehead seemed to be permanently edged upon his face. His shaved face had also been replaced for a decent beard. He was scribbling diligently on a piece parchment. Giving little attention to the child in front of him.

"What is the incantation for Fiendfyre, Alberic?" He asked monotonously to the child who Harry now recognized to be Daphne's father.

"Uhm.. I think it was something with.. Uh." The young Alberic began hesitantly in his light and childish voice, shifting slightly in the chair that was much too big for him.

Aeran stopped writing.

"Now." He commanded.

"Bellu.. Bignus?" Alberic squeaked, sounding completely unsure of his answer.

"Wrong. Where can the hairs of dryad be harvested?"

"I-In the woods?"

"That's a given, you fool, I'm asking for a more specific location."

"S-somewhere with lots of water, right?"

"Wrong!" Aeran finally snapped, slamming the quill in his hand down and breaking it, making Alberic jump. "I told you which paragraphs to learn, did I not? Have I been unclear in my instructions? Did I stutter?!"

"You did tell me, father.." The child answered morosely, looking down to his lap with a trembling bottom lip.

"We've been going through chapters for months! Again and again, but you hardly learn anything! How are you supposed to a powerful and worthy wizard someday if you can't even recite the spells from the back of your mind! And stop crying! Only weaklings cry!" Aeran ranted in disappointment. His face uncaring and his voice hard.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Alberic? What reason do you have to explain this?" He asked stiffly, looking down on his son with narrowed azure eyes.

His son struggled to refrain from crying and managed to get his answer out in a tightly controlled voice.

"I-It's just so much.. and the f-family book has lots of complicated words.. I just can't r-remember it all." Alberic hiccupped.

Aeran merely sighed, sank back down, and waved him off dismissively. "Get back to your studies."

Alberic nodded solemnly, slid down the chair and quietly walked away. As if he wanted to be invisible.

They followed the small Alberic out of the office, and ended up at his mother, Ethila, again who had aged in much the same way Aeran did.

She was currently invested in thick books that were stacked upon each other on her desk and neatly assembled documents, detailing intricate drawings. Keywords were written all over the papers with a few erratic scribbles here and there.

Harry frowned when he saw the familiar handwriting and leaned closer over her work, realizing with a small shock that she was currently writing a large part of the manipulation of souls and longevity section he and Daphne would later come to read themselves in the family book. Sections they were still working to get through right now.

Harry did vaguely remember seeing the names of Ethilia and Aeran in the register of family members that had edited it, but it was a bit strange to see the actual pages in the making right now.

"How did your session go with your father?" She asked putting off her reading glasses to look at her son in a more neutral than loving way. Making harry wonder just how much she and Aeran were expecting of their son, she had definitely appeared to be the more caring of the two before his birth.

"He got angry." Alberic said dejectedly, studying the floor at his feet with slumped shoulders.

Ethilia sighed tiredly, and didn't make any move to go and comfort her son, but did give him somewhat of a consoling look.

"You need to lean harder, Alberic, or we will never be able to become a recognizable family again. Your parents have managed to become very knowledgeable and powerful. You need to do the same and learn everything you can if you are to achieve the same."

"Yes mother.." Alberic murmured, looking back up when Ethilia spoke again.

"Keep your head raised and speak clearly, Alberic. It's unbecoming for the Greengrass heir." Ethilia said primly before everything faded into mixed colors and images again.

"Evidently, I was no genius, but they still held hope.. because just maybe I was talented at the practical side of the Arts instead of academically." The older and mature sounding voice of the Alberic beside Harry said slowly. "My first Hogwarts year arrived, and with it my practical lessons on the Dark Arts."

"Horrible? What do you mean horrible?!" Aeran asked looking at his son as if he had grown another head. "Do it again!"

Alberic, looking a few years older now in comparison to the previous memory, did as his father instructed him to and fired off a red spell from his wand, letting it collide against a conjured practice dummy with a bang before slightly shaking his head.

"It still feels the same.. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel good from this.. It doesn't feel right." He said carefully, already looking afraid for the reaction of his father.

"No, no, no! Not this too.." Aeran murmured, turning away and rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand.

"No?" Ethilia repeated curiously, having just entered the room as he said it. "What's wrong?"

Aeran motioned toward Alberic who looked back and forth between his mother and father with a nervous expression on his face.

"He says that it doesn't 'feel right'! Our son, the first in the family line, doesn't have a single shred of potential for the Arts inside of him!" Aeran exclaimed.

Ethilia's face actually went a bit pale from his words. "No that can't be, if so everything will be.."

"It's the truth, Ethilia. It already took much too long to produce anything in the first place, it should have come naturally." He said shaking his head, the wrinkles on his face deepening with his frown.

"Maybe he just needs a bit of time, it might still come to him.. everything else did so too. We will try again later." She said firmly, rather appearing to try and convince them both of the unlikely possibility of success.

Alberic only looked disappointed in himself, disappointed in failing to meet the expectations of his parents yet again.

"Second year, I overheard my parents talk about me, their disappointment was too much to bear, and I decided to dedicate myself wholly to satisfy them." Alberic of the present said as the scene changed again.

Harry stood in a small room, the younger Alberic wasn't present and his parents seemed to be having a private discussion.

"He's decent in terms of magical strength but his connection to the Arts is practically zero, he's nearly a squib in the area! We had originally planned to bring him to competitions between families, but we have nothing to show for like this." Aeran said bluntly, stiffly pacing around in the room.

"I know, but what can we do? Maybe we should just train him in other areas and see what we can do from there." Ethilia tried, but sounding to be just as frustrated as her husband.

"We are already doing that.. he might grow up to be above average with much effort, but what kind of Greengrass will he be if he can't do anything in the most important area! The whole family line has always been capable of it, always had the affinity for it, why did this happen?" Aeran asked to both himself and Ethilia as he continued to pace around briskly.

The doors burst open and in it stood Alberic, looking a bit taller again, he looked at his parents with an unusually determined, but pained look.

"Alberic? Since when?" Began his mother, but her son cut her off.

"-I will give it my everything, father, mother! Please teach me as much as you can, I want to make you proud!" He said abruptly, evidently having heard the conversation of his parents from behind the door.

"Fine." Aeran said with a simple nod. There was no look of pride at his son, only hard expectations.

"Third year, I truly began my practice, my slow, and unfruitful practice." Alberic suddenly spoke up from his side, nearly making Harry jump as he had forgotten his presence for a moment.

The scene changed again and Harry found Alberic with his Father back in the small training room.

"Os Fractionis!" Alberic shouted, firing the cardinal colored beam from his wand to the dummy, making one of its appendages break and fly off.

"And?" Aeran asked with an inspecting look, not appearing to be impressed by the result on the dummy.

"Nothing yet, it's still the same as always, sorry." Alberic answered apologetically, looking saddened by the fact that his connection to the Arts wasn't showing any signs of emerging.

"Then we continue." His father said intently, repairing the dummy with a swish of his wand.

"Fourth year, I continued my practices, but struggled to deliver. I noticed how my parents appeared slightly anxious, but I took little heed to it and continued to push myself forward.. little did I know back then." Alberic commented again, the images around them shifting not a second later.

"Still?" Aeran asked gruffly.

"Still nothing." Alberic replied quietly, having grown considerably yet again with a more tall and filled our figure. His face was schooled, but Harry could see the hardship of having to give a dissatisfactory answer yet again. It soon gone however, as he focused back on his target again with a near hopeful look. Hopeful for something to happen so that his hard work would make his parents proud, and fulfill the goal he had set for himself.

"You must push yourself harder. People are getting on edge, and whispers are starting to circulate." His father said mysteriously. "We too are working harder."

"Whispers about what?" Alberic asked in curiosity, momentarily lowering his wand.

"Nothing. Nothing you need to concern yourself with, not yet. Continue your practice." Aeran answered dismissively.

"Fifth year, I got to know Avelina in Hogwarts, we didn't start in the same year, but I first got to know her by a simple chance of encounter. After that our friendship continued to strengthen and evolve. I felt my resolve to master the Arts crumble as a result, I was torn between satisfying my parents, and my developing feelings for Avelina. She showed me a different side of life. One where I didn't have to work continuously to try and satisfy her. Being near was all that she wanted from me."

"Avelina Marude?" Ethilia asked rhetorically, looking thoughtful for only a moment. "I've heard a bit of them, but they are nowhere near what we should be aiming for, Alberic. Find someone else."

"Wha-?" Alberic said perplexed. "I-I didn't say that I wanted to marry her or anything, I just think that.."

"That what? Be clear on your thoughts regarding these matters. Asked impatiently before continuing with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter either way on this matter though, we are aiming for high class, Alberic. Marude is not what we seek. Forget about her, we will find somebody more suitable ourselves." Ethilia said strictly, looking up from her theoretical documents in annoyance when Alberic continued to silently stand there, processing what she had said.

"Do you have anything else to discuss with me? I'm working on an exceedingly difficult piece here and time is running short."

Harry watched him open and close his mouth for a few seconds, trying to find the words to express his dissatisfaction, and shock on the matter before closing it with a tight expression on his face, and leaving the study.

"Sixth year arrived. Despite the warnings of my parents I continued my friendly relationship with Avelina, and eventually became intimate with her in secret. She helped me choose a path, and I decided to tell my parents that I would no longer try to please them. It was an unreachable goal from the very start, she helped me realise that." Alberic said before continuing in a darker tone. "This was also the year where the rumors and whispers my father talked about earlier became more than just that. Talk of a new Dark Lord was on the streets..."

Harry now found himself in a hallway of the house, behind a nearby door he could the muffled voices of his parents speak secretively.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make the same mistake like our parents did with Grindelwald. We need to be assured that this is the right course, and moment." Aeran's curious, but slightly skeptical voice replied. "We both have been keeping our ears open about this for a long time now, but we have no room for mistakes."

"I'm sure of it, this is our chance, Aeran.. This 'Lord Voldemort' that people have talked about for all this time, he's got it all, looks, intelligence, power, ambition, talent. He will be a Dark Lord like no one has ever seen! We need to secure a position amongst his highest rankest for the most amount of influence." Ethilia said firmly.

"What little hesitation I had is gone now with your confidence. We will have to double our efforts if we want to finish it in time, and present it to this Lord Voldemort. We will surely be allowed into the highest ranks immediately if we manage to strongly impress him on our first meeting." Aeran replied with finality. "We'll rise back to our original power, and restore our pride by becoming his top lieutenants."

"Undoubtedly, I'm convinced that this'll work! It just needs a bit more time, in the meantime you know what to do." Ethilia said with what could only be fascination.

"Yes, more subjects." Aeran said with a cold tone before continuing. "If we get this to work even Alberic might become the heir we always wanted him to be. He could even join if the results end up as we expect them to."

Footsteps were heard on the old wooden floor in the house, and Harry soon saw the Alberic from the memory appear from behind the corner in the hallway he and the older Alberic stood in.

He had matured again, but the most change mostly lied in his posture and expression. The insecure movements and uncertain look that had always been present, were now replaced for a steady march and resolved eyes. He had clearly made up his mind on what he wanted to do, and who he wanted to be in the future.

"Father, mother." Alberic said calmly after opening the doors, and entering the study area with a steady pace. A determined expression upon his face.

"..What is it?" Aeran said looking at him with a searching look, likely wondering if Alberic had heard anything before entering.

"I'm sorry." Alberic said bluntly, bowing his head slightly in front of his parents before looking back up at them again.

"Sorry?" Aeran asked with a frown his bearded face moving a bit. "For or about what?"

"I have decided not to continue my practice of the Arts! I have no desire to do so anymore, never truly had, I also wish to inform you of the fact that I intend to marry someone of my own choice! Again, I'm sorry!" Alberic said in a rush, taking a breath before continuing. "I have tried my best for months- no, years, but everything points to the fact that I simply am not capable of the things you ask of me. Not even if I were to spend a whole lifetime on it. I do hope however, that I can prove myself somehow in the future, but I won't live that for that purpose alone anymore." Alberic finished sounding like it had been on his chest for a long time as he looked quite relieved to have it out of his system.

Anger flashed dangerously before his father's eyes, and Harry briefly wondered if he was going to hit or curse him.

Instead Aeran calmed himself again when Ethilia halted him by putting a hand on his arm. Looking at him with a pointed look that spoke volumes between them.

Alberic in the meantime hadn't shrunk back, and instead stood at the ready to receive anything his parents might do with a stiff posture.

"Very well, Alberic." Aeran said sounding strangely collected.

"I know that I am not the s-what?" The younger man said with a shocked tone and expression, not believing that his parents were accepting it so readily.

"It's fine." Ethilia repeated for Aeran. Making the exchange even stranger by actually smiling. "We understand."

"I-uh. Thanks!" Alberic said looking overjoyed by the news before stepping back toward the door. "Then.. I'll take my leave!" He continued, trying to sound calm and collected while trying to quickly leave, as if afraid that his parents would change their minds if he stayed too long.

"Wait." Aeran commanded softly, making Alberic freeze In his tracks. "There is one condition your mother and I will leave upon you now that you have returned home again for this summer."

"Yes, father?" Alberic asked tentatively, slowly looking back and forth between his parents.

"The basement." Aeran said with a look that nearly froze Harry on the spot too. "Under no circumstances are you to enter the basement. None."

Alberic visibly swallowed and nodded mutely before answering. "I-Is that all? I'm not allowed into the basement?"

Ethilia nodded once. "That is all."

Alberic softly spoke his agreement and closed the door, ending the fragment of the memory with it.

"I was elated at the time. My parents had released me from their expectations, and I was allowed to be with Avelina. I often wondered what was in the basement during my summer at home, but I was too happy, too carefree to care about what was down there. I even ignored the rumors for a while, the rumors of the next great Dark Lord. I simply wanted to be with Avelina, and forget about everything. My family, my duties, my responsibilities… and my common sense." Alberic said with a empty smile behind his beard before letting it fall away.

"I would soon learn the mistake of avoiding problems that were right in front of you." Alberic said quietly. "Seventh year came, and the rumors were becoming too much to ignore, mentions of the new and present Dark Lord were circulating even through Hogwarts itself now with hushed whispers. In the meantime my parents became even more withdrawn and secretive toward me, and the subject of the basement as time passed. Naturally this served to lift the haze of happiness from my eyes, allowing me to see that something was definitely amiss."

Harry saw the blurry tones around them shift into a clear image again. Around them were narrow walls that formed a small path ahead, leading downward to a heavy looking door with a big, iron lock on it.

"Eventually curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to take a look when the night was dark and the house lay silent during the Christmas holiday.." Alberic said with regret in his voice.

"What did you find?" Harry asked quietly.

"Our undoing." Alberic replied simply.

Harry didn't know what he meant but understood that he was just going to have to wait and see for himself.

"Alohomora." Alberic whispered, catching the heavy lock when it snapped open to prevent it from smashing down onto the floor. Carefully putting it down on the ground before opening the door.

They followed the young Alberic into the dark basement, and watched him lit up his wand with a Lumos as he stealthily moved further inside, curiosity guiding him.

Harry knew that it was cold in the basement as he saw goosebumps rise up on the arms of the younger Alberic. The walls around them were dark and made out of stone, reminding Harry's of Snape's dungeon in Hogwarts.

The way Alberic carefully moved about and the tense atmosphere in the basement almost made Harry feel like he too needed to sneak around. It made a foreboding feeling rise from within him.

The basement was spread out underneath the house, but wasn't all that big as Alberic soon appeared to have found something as he suddenly inhaled sharply and stumbled back, nearly dropping his wand in the process.

Harry stepped forward, and could clearly see the wild-eyed, shocked expression on Alberic's face in the white light of his Lumos. Making Harry wonder why he looked so startled.

Alberic soon recovered somewhat, and slowly redirected the light back to whatever it was that he had seen.

Harry felt a spike of dread shoot through his stomach when he saw that there was a limp body of a young man propped up against the wall. It was completely slack and lifeless, and had one of his wrists above him shackled against the wall. Showing a limp arm that kept the body mostly upright in a sitting position of the floor. His legs sprawled out underneath him.

"W-what is this?" Alberic asked looking mortified at the corpse before taking note of his clothing. "A.. muggle? What is a muggle doing here?"

The cold and dark room was suddenly bathed in light as the torches around them sprang to life with a flicker, forcing Harry to squint his eyes for a few seconds to adjust to the new intensity.

When he regained vision he saw more bodies lined up against the stone walls, both men and women, their ages seemed to vary from young adolescents to full adults. They too seemed to be muggles and all appeared to be dead.

Between the bodies and in the middle of the room stood a single pedestal. Claw like spikes reached up that proudly held up a blood red orb. The surface was swirly and occasionally a streak of ominous black would glide by before mixing with the crimson colors again.

"They are here to.. help, to help further our goals." Aeran said from behind them, causing Alberic to whirl around in shock. Coming face to face with his Father.

"Father, what is this!? Why are there dead muggles in here?" Alberic asked, taking a few steps back from the imposing figure of his father in trepidation of the whole situation.

"This is the project we have been working on for years." Ethilia answered simply as she too stepped into the room.

Harry saw Alberic's eyes shift between his parents warily.

"T-that doesn't answer my question, why are they even here in the first place?" Alberic asked before his eyes flicked toward the orb. "And what is that thing?"

"Calm yourself, Alberic." Aeran said moving to stand next to the crimson orb, looking at it with pride, and complete disregard for the bodies around him before turning back to his son. "This here, is what we have come to call; The Void Sphere. It took years, nearly centuries, but with Ethilia's knowledge on the Dark Arts, and my expertise in the field we have finally succeeded!"

"It's practically finished and will soon become the instrument to restore our family, our wealth, and our position. It's our salvation to recover what was lost!" Ethilia spoke reverently, her eyes widening to reveal an obsessive gaze in them.

"Father, mother, please! Why can't we just forget about this whole business of trying to climb the social ladder, and just be happy with what we have?" Alberic pleaded desperately. "We don't need it."

Aeran's features consorted in a furious and near mad expression. "Silence yourself, insolent child!" Aeran shouted with fury, whipping his wand out and striking his son down with a malicious looking red beam.

Alberic gave a shout of pain and dropped down onto his knees, clutching his abdomen where he had been struck before looking back up again at his father, surprised that for the first time in his life his father had physically hurt him. His mother looked on, her schooled expression maybe even more frightening than the furious one from Aeran.

"What do you even know about it!? You weren't there when we slowly lost everything! Our wealth vanished, our pride got tarnished, and our very own worth was diluted!" Aeran spat out spitefully. "You have been useless right from the start.. if anything you are a detriment to us."

Alberic looked to be more hurt by the awfully direct words of his father than the actually Curse itself, but lifted himself back to his feet nonetheless.

"But fear not, my son. We will soon be able to fix everything with our invention, and mend what has been broken right from the start.." Aeran said ominously, his voice turning ice cold.

"W-what are you talking about?" Alberic asked fearfully at the behavior of his parents.

Ethilia stepped forward and joined her husband's side. "The purpose of the Void Sphere is to establish a connection to the Dark Arts, or the Gift as some have begun to call it recently, the same connection we, the Greengrass family, have always had and the same connection you now lack.. The first in the family as a matter of fact."

"I- don't-" Alberic began with a glance toward the pedestal between his parents, but was cut off when Ethilia continued.

"But we can repair that now for you after all of our hard work. Ours and that of these muggles.." Ethilia said motioning to the lifeless bodies nearby. "Half of them died to feed our creation with energy to sustain it, the other half died during the experiments to forcibly open their connection to the Dark Arts by using the powers of the Void Sphere. The minds and bodies of mere muggles don't last long however, which Is likely due to the fact that they have no magic to stabilize the connection. It backfired on them, but provided us with sufficient information to complete it. A pity, but little that could be done about it."

"H-how could you? Both of you.." Alberic asked, looking mortified. "Who would want something like that?"

"The new Dark Lord of course." Aeran said seriously, putting his hand on the crimson orb affectionately. "We will soon ask for an audience and display the powers of our creation to him, we'll be accepted instantly into his highest rankings! Imagine how many more talented and capable followers he could recruit-no, create with our invention!"

"We will prove ourselves by giving him the means to build an army he himself can choose and pick! Our family will surely get the recognition it deserves for delivering him this exceptional tool. Everything will we restored to us, and return to how it was always supposed to be."

"No! We shouldn't do this! People on the streets are scared, they say that this man is cruel and ruthless." Alberic said shaking his head.

Aeran ignored him and simply smiled, but it only ended up looking dangerous and slightly mad. "Come Alberic, you will have the honor of being the first successful subject. We will mend your little problem right here and right now. "

"With this you can become the heir and successor we always wanted you to be." Ethilia said spreading her arms to him comfortingly with the same small smile that reflected her inner state of mind. "You want that too, don't you?"

Harry could see a million thoughts race through Alberic's head and a whirlpool of emotions swirl within him as he was torn between his morals, and satisfying his parents now that the chance had arisen.

Alberic took one, then two steps forward to his parents before suddenly stopping with a pained look.

"Avelina wouldn't want me to do this.. and neither do I. I can't do it, mother, father.. I can't. I won't try to change myself anymore, and I won't join Voldemort with you either." Alberic said growing more assured of his words toward the end.

"That girl again.." Ethilia said disdainfully, slightly turning her head to her husband. "She's a negative influence, Aeran."

"It would have come down to this either way." Aeran said softly as he maintained eye contact with his son and shifted to a dueling position, his features darkening.

"It's a pity that you have developed yourself in the wrong way, Alberic." He said threateningly before firing off a new Curse.

Alberic's eyes widened in surprise but this time he was better prepared, and erected a barrier just in time to deflect his father's Curse.

"You dare?" Hissed Aeran, firing off new Curses to see his son defend himself by raising shields much to his anger. "You dare hide behind a shield? You dare defy your parents until the very end? The audacity! At the very least you fight back like a man!"

"Father, please stop!" Alberic pleaded desperately from behind his shield that was beginning to break apart. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Of course you don't, because you're weak.." Aeran said snidely, abruptly stopping his assault before exchanging a meaningful look to Ethilia. "If you do not wish to fight me then maybe you'll fair better against other opponents.."

Ethilia stepped forward and gave a swish of her wand, causing the chained bodies along the walls to be released from their bonds and slump down onto the floor lifelessly. She continued with her wand movements before Alberic could question her actions.

"Aut Surgent Umbrae!"

"No.. don't.." Alberic tried making Harry wonder what she was doing.

His answer was quickly answered as the bodies on the floor stirred and slowly rose to either a crawling or standing position. Their heads hung slack upon their bodies as if no strength or control was in their neck muscles, arms dangled in either a weird angle or limply by their sides while their feet dragged themselves across the floor closer to Alberic.

"Seize him." Ethilia said simply, standing back as the Inferi hurried their pace after the command of their mistress.

"I'm sorry." Alberic said apologetically before firing a Incendio toward the nearest Inferius that moaned deliriously at him, lighting it up in flames.

He quickly started to fire combinations of Reducto's to keep them at bay, and Incendio's to finish them off completely as their broken bodies would only work themselves toward him again despite their physical state.

Luckily for Alberic there weren't that many of them and he managed to pick them off one by one in his routine, making each Inferius cry out in unnatural screams before finally slumping down as their bodies shriveled and crumbled from the effects of the all-consuming fire on their flesh.

Harry could see Alberic struggle in regret for attacking and further maiming the bodies of innocents, and disgust as the pungent smell of burning flesh quickly filled the large, but closed off basement room. Harry was glad that unlike Alberic, he was unable to smell it in the safety of the memory.

For a moment Ethilia seemed to be ready herself to deliver more, but Aeran halted her with a hand.

"..You impress me in the wrong way again, Alberic, I would have expected you to have given up by now." Aeran said discouragingly toward his ailing son.

"W-we can still turn back, let's just destroy it.." Alberic replied with a strained voice actually looking ready to give up despite his own words.

"Destroy our life's work? Never.." Answered Aeran, the fanatical gleam in his eyes telling Harry that he found his son's question simply funny. "Crucio!"

Alberic had no time to react shocked and dived out of the way, letting the torturing Curse blow a hole in the floor where he stood moments ago before returning fire for the first time against his father with a light blue and red spell.

Aeran slightly leaned away letting the blue beam pass him by narrowly, and batted Alberic's red spell away with a grin before sending a volley of spells back. "Dolore! Premere! Crucio!"

Alberic raised a shield again to absorb the first two, but was thrown back against the cold, stone wall of the basement after the Unforgivable obliterated his shield. His chest and arms convulsed slightly, likely having suffered a bit of the torture Curse after it blasted through his defenses.

"Give up, Alberic, you have no chance at winning this." Ethilia advised as she looked down on her tired son. "Only if you embrace it can you become as strong as us."

Alberic slowly pushing himself up with trembling arms, and ragged breaths.

"I know that I have no chance at winning, I wasn't planning to either.." He said with a exhausted look, indicating behind them.

"Aeran! The Sphere!" Ethilia shouted in a panic after she followed Alberic's gaze. "It's been hit!"

"What!? When?" Aeran asked wildly, whipping his head back to see that it had multiple cracks upon the once smooth surface. Ethilia was already inspecting it frantically, weaving her wand in complex patterns.

"Expelliarmus!" Shouted Alberic using his father's lapse of concentration as an opening for his disarming spell.

Aeran's wand was ripped from his hand and caught by his son, forcing him to turn back with an expression so consorted in rage that it was almost inhumane.

"YOU!" He said lividly, veins making themselves know upon the sides of his forehead. "Do you have ANY idea of what you've done!?"

"I do.. father is a skilled and proud dueler, I knew that you wouldn't block my spells. Forcing you to deflect it with your wand was a feat in itself.. But I had been aiming for the Sphere from the start." Alberic said with an apologetic and weak smile. "...I will destroy it for everyone's good."

"You fool!" Aeran shouted before whirling back to his wife. "This is our hand-made perfection in physical form! Ethilia, stabilize it. Now!"

Colors inside the orb swirled dangerously, crimson red and pitch black swirled inside ominously. A thick, black liquid was starting to ooze out from the cracks on the surface despite Ethilia's efforts.

"I don't think that I can.. there too much magic is disarray!" Ethilia said with panic in her voice, the prospect of losing the orb instilling her with fear. "It's becoming too much!"

Dark pulses of unstable magic started to pulse from the Sphere, and reverberate through the entire room of the basement. Rattling torches in their holders, and causing their lights to flicker haphazardly.

Alberic seemed to realize the true extent of the power that the Sphere wielded and started to reach out to his parents in concern. "We need to get out of here! That thing is going to explode any moment, there is no saving it! The magic leaking out of it alone is harmful!"

Aeran's eyes nearly seemed to glow as he harnessed the raw Dark Magic from the very air around them, and blasted Alberic away by thrusting his hand out, without the use of his wand. Launching his son out of the room, and against the stone wall with a cracking sound upon impact.

"Get away! You've ruined everything!" Aeran shouted resentfully, madness looking ready to take him over as he rather risked his life to save his invention than live without it. "Such is the way! Darkness shields as much as it threatens!"

"Close the fractures! I will contain the magic!" Aeran commanded wildly. The magic pulses around them thundering through their bodies.

"I'm.. trying!" Ethilia ground out desperately as a trial of blood began to stream out of her nose, and down her chin. The magic she tried to control destroying her from within.

Even Aeran, despite being the powerhouse of the two, couldn't withstand the devastating magic either as his condition worsened rapidly in his attempt to try and control the Dark magic that ran amok from the Sphere. His eyes became bloodshot, his hair greyed, and blood soon started to flow out from his ears and nose while his skin quickly started to lose its pigment.

"Stop it! It's impossible!" Alberic pleaded with his obsessed parents, clutching his chest is pain. His wands out of reach, having lost them during the blast of his father.

"I-I can't.." Ethilia said weakly as her eyes slowly rolled back and limply fell down, having finally lost against the onslaught of magic destroying her body.

"NO!" Shouted Aeran desperately, whether it was in genuine concern for his wife or the fact that her support in controlling the dangerous Sphere fell away Harry didn't know.

The fractures quickly became big ruptures, causing the black liquid to pour out in an unstoppable flood and flow down the pedestal. The tremors intensified in an instant, making Aeran grunt in pain while cracks appeared on the floor and walls.

The orb exploded.

A flood of impenetrable shadows sprang forth from within the Sphere with an unearthly, shrill roar. Quickly extinguished all sources of light in the basement.

Aeran hastily jumped back and ran toward his wand in an attempt for protection, but suddenly tripped and fell during the way.

His bloodshed eyes reflected his fears when he saw that one of his legs had been caught by dark appendages of the shadows that still continued to pour from the orb in a rapid tempo, latching on to anything that they could find and disintegrating it into nothing.

"Release me!" He said with an angry but tired voice from the damage his body had already suffered as he clawed as the incorporeal substance that bound him.

His efforts quickly proved fruitless however, as it quickly continued to crawl up his torso. His face became ashen and his will seemed disintegrate alongside his body when he saw the rapidly crumbling body of his wife not too far away.

"I- I can help!" Alberic said as he desperately hoisted himself to his feet, frantically looking for a way to help in the dark dungeon.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Aeran shouted at him mustering the last bits of strength inside of him. "Be useful for once in your life.. and make sure.. that the family line doesn't end!"

"Aeran Greengrass.." He wheezed out as chips fell down from his pained face. "Doesn't die a peaceful death!" He exclaimed with finality, grabbing one of the sharp shards from the broken orb nearby and promptly slamming it down into his chest, right into his heart.

Harry could hardly see anymore, but vaguely saw the form of Alberic scramble away in a rush of fear and adrenaline to escape the encroaching shadows while Aeran's body became the central point of a swirling vortex, sucking in everything around him.

Alberic stumbled a few times as he ran with his broken ribs, his ragged panicked breaths coming out in a frantic pace. He made a final sprint when he saw light shine through the basement door from behind the cracks on the sides, crashed through it, and slammed the door shut behind him.

Behind the thick door, Harry could swear that he faintly heard the wails of anguished souls echo in their sweet release and fulfilled vengeance.

Alberic slid down the door in exhaustion and trembled continuously. His face was white, and his hair lay flat against his forehead in cold sweat as he took deep breaths to try and calm himself.

"Mom, dad.." Whispered Alberic as the memory ended and faded to black.


More gets explained in the next chapter.

Events with the war against Grindelwald are obviously with differences here, namely the scale of people that were involved, outcome and location. There is no storyline of Deathly Hallows between Dumbledore and Grindelwald (since they don't exist here!) but the general events leading up to it stayed the same.


Spells and their names. (not official ones)

Bellua Ignis: The Beast Fire. Fiendfyre

Aut Surgent Umbrae: Dead Arise. Creating Inferi

Premere: Squeeze. Self-explanatory

Dolor: Pain. Self-explanatory


References:

Dumbledore! Harry thought, suddenly realizing where he had heard from Grindelwald before. Chapter:20

Harry frowned when he saw the familiar handwriting and leaned closer over her work + Harry did vaguely remember seeing the names of Ethilia and Aeran in the register of family members that had edited it. Chapter:23


Zxynwin: Great that you enjoy it. Thanks for letting me know about the peron, it's platform now. Sorry about other mistakes, I would like to remove them, but the problem is that I can't see them. My Beta is currently working to improve my first chapters though so hopefully I will be able to Beta my chapters one day before I release them. The catching up will take time though.

Thanks for your thoughts people, what do you think this time? Hope that you enjoyed either way.