Chapter 17
Two weeks later, Miles and Landry were cuddled up together by the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room. Miles was working on an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts class, while Landry was chipping away at 'Advanced History of Magic; Volume 27.'
She was turning the pages of the book with one hand, and holding the odd black stone that her friends and herself had found in the forest in her other hand. Landry often did this ever since it had been found, for she was very intrigued by it, and she wanted to make sure it was nearby in case she was to find something about it in her book. Today she had reached a chapter all about the first Wizarding war, and about the defeat of Grindelwald by Albus Dumbledore.
"Babe, listen to this! Did you know that Dumbledore and Grindelwald used to date when they were teenagers?" Landry exclaimed.
Miles raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't. Wow, that must've been a messy breakup."
Landry giggled, flipping the page of her book. There was a large photograph of Dumbledore and Grindelwald together, with Grindelwald's arm slung around Dumbledore's shoulder. Below it, it was labeled "Gellert Grindelwald 1882-1998 (left) with Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, 1881-1997 (right) in Godric's Hollow, in Summer of 1899."
Dumbledore, who had been 17 when the photo had been taken, had long, auburn hair, round glasses instead of the half-moon shaped ones he had worn later in life, and had not yet begun to grow his trademark beard. Grindelwald's hair was dirty blonde, and his laughing face in the photograph showed no signs of what he would become. Landry imagined what it must've been like for Dumbledore to defeat someone who he had been in love with. Landry shuddered at the thought of it. She felt as though she would rather be crucio'd a hundred times than have to hurt Miles. "Hey, please don't ever turn evil. I don't want to have to defeat you, ever," Landry said to Miles.
"I don't plan on it," he replied, kissing her on the tip of her nose. She smiled.
Landry turned back to her book and continued watching the Dumbledore and Grindelwald in the photo smile and laugh. She fiddled with the odd stone with her free hand. She turned it over in her palm once, twice, three times…suddenly the stone began to glow. "Miles, look!" cried Landry, holding out the stone to him.
"What's happening to it?" he asked worriedly.
In the far corner of the room, two glowing shapes began to form… growing from to small spheres at first, larger and larger, until they were the size of a person. In fact, it almost looked like they were people. Landry gasped as the two shapes became fully formed. There, in front of them, were two teenage boys. One blonde, one redheaded.
Landry screamed. Standing before them were none other than Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.
"It cannot be…" said Grindelwald, staring at his own hands with a sinister gleam in his eyes. He took a deep breath in, sniffing the air. "The mortal realm. I have returned…" He looked around, and was shocked to see Dumbledore standing beside him.
"Albus," he said darkly.
"Hello, Gellert," said Dumbledore, calmly. "You look well."
"Stop your flirting, old man. We may be in our young bodies, but much has changed since then."
"Indeed it has," agreed Dumbledore. "But one thing has not. I defeated you once, and I can do it again."
Grindelwald cackled. "Not if you cannot find me," he said. He then turned to Landry and Miles with a terrifying grin. "Thank you, children, for my life and youth back. It is quite a shame I'll soon be destroying you both."
With that, Grindelwald disapparated. Dumbledore immediately turned to Landry and Miles.
"How did you do this?" he asked them.
"I-I'm not quite sure, Mr. Dumbledore, sir. I was just looking at your photograph in my history book, and…" Landry gasped. "The stone!"
She held out the small black stone that was still clutched in her hand. Dumbledore's eyes widened.
"The resurrection stone," he said. "How did you come about this?"
"We found it in the woods," Landry responded. "Wait…you mean to tell me that this stone right here is the resurrection stone? One of the Deathly Hallows?"
Dumbledore nodded grimly. "The woods, you say…oh, that boy!"
"What boy?" asked Miles.
"Are you two familiar with Harry Potter?" asked Dumbledore.
But before he could respond, the door to the common room swung open, and Professor McGonagall entered with a grim expression on her face.
"Miss Beckett, Mr. Chester, I have just received the results from the Morse code spell. I'm afraid this is far worse than any of us could have…" she trailed off as her eyes fell upon Dumbledore.
"Hello, Minerva," he said.
"What kind of trick is this? Who did this? It is not funny," said McGonagall shakily.
"I'm afraid there has been no trick, Minerva. It is me. It seems that Harry lost track of the resurrection stone. These students found it in the forest, and accidentally brought me back," he explained.
"Is this true?" McGonagall asked the teenagers, in shock.
Landry nodded, holding up the stone.
"Bless my soul…Albus, you're back!" McGonagall, in a rare loss of composure, ran to Dumbledore and flung her arms around him.
"I am extremely pleased to see you as well, Minerva, but I'm afraid we have a situation on our hands," Dumbledore said.
McGonagall released him, and wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes. "You're absolutely right, Albus. As I was saying, I got the results from the Morse code test. After reading through them, I have come to the horrifying conclusion that…well, see for yourself…"
McGonagall handed Landry the parchment she had been holding.
Not long now, soon he will return
Acknowledged. Dark Lord will rise again
Soon as we take the girl's cloak and get wand, no stopping us
He will will bring Lord Voldemort back.
Landry's head spun as she continued reading more translations, every word making her feel more sick. There was truly only one thing this could mean, of course. "This means…" Landry trailed off.
"I'm afraid so, Miss Beckett," McGonagall said. "There are Death Eaters within Hogwarts, and they've seemingly found a way to bring back Voldemort."
"I'm afraid that isn't all, Minerva," said Dumbledore apologetically. "Unfortunately, I was not the only wizard that was brought back to life this evening. Gellert Grindelwald disapperated just before you arrived. It seems he is still on about enslaving all Muggles."
McGonagall, who was usually as iron as they come, was now struggling to remain calm. "Very well," she said with a wavering voice. "Children, Albus, it is not safe for you here anymore. You should take refuge in my office until further notice."
McGonagall rushed them out of the room and towards her office. Along the way, she was practically interrogating them. "I think our most likely scenario here would be that the Death Eaters have found out about the resurrection stone being on Hogwarts grounds, and have been waiting until they had what they needed to go looking for it. I'm afraid that you've led it right to them now. Is there anyone else who knows about the stone?"
"Our best friends," Miles replied. "Genevieve Malcolm, Scorpius Malfoy, and Albus Potter."
Dumbledore choked on air. "Albus Potter?"
"Yeah," Landry said. "Harry Potter named his son after you."
Dumbledore's expression could not be read, but Landry was no longer paying attention to him anyways, as suddenly she realized something else. "Wait!" she cried. "The cloak they mentioned in their messages, could they have meant Lily Potter's invisibility cloak?"
McGonagall thought for a moment, and nodded. "Yes, I am almost certain this is what they meant. I fear that the Death Eaters are trying to obtain the Hallows."
"Professor, my little sister has that cloak! She rented it from Lily!" Landry cried in horror.
"I see. I will fetch her as well, then. Albus, I'm leaving them with you. I trust you still know the way to your own office?" McGonagall inquired.
"Of course, Minerva," Dumbledore replied.
McGonagall parted ways from them, hurrying off to rescue the others.
All of a sudden, Landry stopped in her tracks. "Wait! Oh no, oh no!" she gasped.
"What's wrong?" asked Miles, terrified.
"I…I left the stone in the common room."