Chapter 28
"You let them escape?" said Voldemort, in a eerily calm voice.
"My Lord, I assure you we have half our ranks dispatched to search for them right now," sputtered a terrified Peter Pettigrew.
"Why are only half our ranks dispatched? Send everyone you can out hunting! This could ruin everything! We have to find them!" shrieked Voldemort.
Pettigrew nodded, turning to leave Voldemort's tent. "Just one moment, Wormtail," Voldemort said. Pettigrew turned back to face Voldemort.
"It was your job to make sure they didn't escape. You have failed me," Voldemort said, pulling the resurrection stone from his robes. He turned it not three, but four times in his hand. Pettigrew began to glow, along with the stone. Taking his borrowed wand in his hand, Voldemort cried, "Avada Kedavra!" As the blast of green light hit Pettigrew square on the chest, he dissolved, and was dead once again.
"I know who is behind this," Voldemort said with gritted teeth. "Dumbledore and those nasty children. I must contact Grindelwald."
—
"So you mean to tell me that Voldemort has brought us all back to life, after being brought back to life himself, in order to torture us for trying to go against him in the past?" Remus Lupin asked.
"That is correct, Remus," Dumbledore confirmed.
"And you and Grindelwald were also resurrected as your teenage selves, but Grindelwald has turned good and joined the cause to defeat Voldemort again?" Fred Weasley continued.
"Yes, Uncle Fred," Albus said.
"And…you're our grandson?" Lily Potter asked Albus.
"Um, yeah. Nice to meet you," Albus said. "I'm Albus Potter. This is my best friend Landry, her boyfriend, Miles, my other best friend Genevieve, Landry's little sister, Pippa, and my boyfriend, Scorpius."
"Lils, he looks just like that Malfoy kid we used to go to school with! The one who became a Death Eater," James said, referring to Scorpius.
Scorpius laughed nervously. "Um, that would be because I'm his grandson," Scorpius revealed.
"Oh. You're not a Death Eater, I assume?" asked James.
"No, Sir," Scorpius said, shaking his head vigorously.
"I am so sorry about him, Dear," Lily said, rolling her eyes at her husband.
"Ah, so Harry and Ginny got hitched, then?" Fred asked.
"Um, yeah, they're my parents," Albus said.
"Lovely. I'm your Uncle George's better looking twin, though I'm sure you know all about me. These are your grandparents, you've just met them, then that's your dad's Godfather Sirius, his husband Remus, and Remus's baby mama, Tonks. Then there's Mad-Eye, Dorcas, and Marlene. After that there's Alice and Frank, they're Neville Longbottom's parents, I'm sure you know Neville. They died just recently. After that there's, well, basically the entire rest of the Order who fell in battle," Fred explained.
"I know! I mean, I've read and heard all about you. You're all quite famous. It's an honor to meet you all," Landry said, feeling a bit starstruck.
"If you don't mind me asking, do you know my son? Teddy Lupin is his name, he's Harry Potter's Godson," Tonks asked.
"Yeah, Teddy comes round at home often enough," Albus said. "He's engaged to my cousin Victoire."
"How many of your cousins are named after me? I'd reckon at least a dozen," joked Fred.
"Actually, only one. Sorry," Albus shrugged.
"Only one? I'm offended! I'm appalled! I'll be having some words with them…" Fred trailed off, his eyes growing wide. Suddenly, tears began running down his cheeks. "I'll be having some words with them!" he cried, jumping up and down in excitement and joy.
"Yes, if we can get you out of here alive," Dumbledore pointed out.
"I agree, we need to get everyone out of Godric's Hollow as soon as possible. Voldemort has surely realized they're all gone by now, he'll be coming after us any minute," Landry said.
"Where should we go?" Genevieve asked.
"Hogwarts, of course," Grindelwald said. "It's surely the safest place."
"Excellent idea, Gellert!" Dumbledore said. He immediately took out his wand, uttering a spell and waving it. The force field around them flashed blue for a se=plit second before turning back to normal.
"What was that. Mr. Dumbledore?" Landry asked.
"I removed the password from the force field so that it will be easier for everyone to apparate out from under its protection. We won't be using it anymore, anyways."
"Oh, good idea, Sir," Genevieve complimented.
"Thank you, Genevieve," said Dumbledore, before turning to address the rest of the group. "We shall take everyone to Hogwarts. Everyone here knows what it looks like, so they can all apparate themselves. Once we get there, we will secure the castle further, and call in the Aurors. Of course, you'll all have to go to a spot right outside the grounds, because, if you do recall, there's an anti-apparation spell on the castle."
"How about we all apparate to the Shrieking Shack?" suggested Remus.
"Great thinking, Moony!" Sirius cried. "We can lead everyone through the secret passageway under the whomping willow!"
"That sounds wonderful, Remus," Dumbledore said. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he realized. "There is a force field around the castle, so once you run into it, just tap your wand to it and say, 'Spinach soup.'"
"Er, we don't have wands, Professor," Tonks pointed out.
"You're quite right," Dumbledore chuckled. "Here, take mine. It's a loaner, anyways."
"Speaking of, Albus," Grindelwald said, "I've been thinking…why should you be using a borrowed wand when there's a perfectly good wand just laying beside your body?"
"What are you talking about, Gellert?" Dumbledore asked.
"Voldemort is trying to get the Elder wand, Albus. It's a miracle he hasn't yet. You should go claim it before he can. It's yours, after all," Grindelwald said.
"Oh, Gellert, but it isn't mine. The wand's alliance is currently with Harry Potter," said Dumbledore.
"I'm sure Mr. Potter would be happy to let you disarm him so you could use it again. Besides, even if you don't use it, we would still be protecting it from Voldemort," Grindelwald persuaded.
"That is a very good point. Alright, Gellert, we shall retrieve the Elder wand," agreed Dumbledore.
Landry's jaw dropped. She no longer cared that Grindelwald helped them rescue the prisoners, or that Dumbledore trusted him. This had to be a trick! Landry immediately pulled Dumbledore aside. "Sir, I know you think that Grindelwald has changed, but please reconsider," she warned. "I mean, he just straight up suggested you get the Elder wand! Does that not seem suspicious to you?"
Dumbledore's face fell. "Now, Landry, I thought we discussed this. I fully trust Gellert. It's an excellent idea to claim the wand so that Voldemort cannot."
"But, Sir, don't you think it's weird that Voldemort hasn't gotten the wand yet? There has to be a reason for that, he seemed very set on getting it whenever he was first resurrected!" Landry cried.
"I don't know why Voldemort has not claimed the wand yet, but I hardly see how that is relevant," Dumbledore retorted.
"I just-"
Dumbledore cut her off. "That's quite enough, Landry. We are done discussing this."
She sighed, walking back to her friends. When she approached, she suddenly noticed that Miles's eyes were beginning to widen in fear. "What's wrong, Babe?" she asked him.
"Everyone quiet! Now!" Miles shouted. Silence ensued. "Listen. Footsteps," Miles said.
Sure enough, they could hear the slow crunch of footsteps walking on the fallen leaves nearby. They all looked around for the source of the noise. The footsteps grew louder and closer, and the terror levels of everyone at the campsite shot upwards. That was when they saw him. Two red eyes became clear in the shadows. "I know you're here, though I cannot see you. Return to me what is mine and I will cause you no harm," Voldemort said.
Suddenly, chaos ensued. "Albus, you take everyone else to Hogwarts, now!" Grindelwald cried to Dumbledore. "I'll hold him off! We'll meet at The White Tomb in fifteen minutes!"
Immediately, people began apparating left and right. Landry had a very bad feeling about Grindelwald being the one to hold Voldemort off, but there was no time to protest.
"Are you ready?" Miles asked his friends, through the chaos.
"What about the tent and all of our supplies?" remembered Scorpius.
"I'll get it, you children leave! Now!" Dumbledore yelled, running off towards the tent.
"You heard him! Let's go!" Albus said.
"Yes. See you at the Shrieking Shack. Let's go straight to McGonagall's office from there, we have to warn her right away!" Landry replied.
"Sounds good," Miles said, and, with a wave of his wand, he disappeared.
Landry closed her eyes, bracing for the nauseating sensation that comes along with apparating. She waved her wand, and the world around her dissolved.
—
Grindelwald couldn't help but laugh as he walked toward Voldemort. The bald, noseless man was stumbling around in a very un-Voldemort-like way, trying to locate the outer wall of the force field. Grindelwald knew exactly why Voldemort was here, of course. He chuckled to himself at Voldemort's foolishness. He was even more daft than Grindelwald had originally thought. Grindelwald positioned himself to a spot right in front of the unsuspecting Voldemort, then stepped out from under the force field. "Hello, my Lord," he said to Voldemort, deciding to keep up his act for just a moment longer.
"Ah, Grindelwald. I was hoping I'd find you,' Voldemort said. "It seems that my very important prisoners have gone missing, and I suspect that Dumbledore and his little minions are behind it. Of course, since you are meant to be with them, I thought I'd try and locate you, to ask you why you defied me."
"I'm not sure I understand, my Lord. I was merely doing as you ordered and gaining their trust by helping them do what they wanted to accomplish," Grindelwald said, feigning confusion.
"I'm sure there were other ways you could have done that, Grindelwald," Voldemort said through gritted teeth.
Grindelwald knew that the jig was up now. There was no point in faking alliance anymore. He began to laugh. It was a deep, wicked laugh, straight from his core. Voldemort sneered. "I knew it! I should not have trusted you, traitor!" he cried.
"It really was quite foolish, Tom," Grindelwald said.
Voldemort gasped. "How dare you call me that filthy name! I'm going to send you back to Hell where you belong!" he shrieked, whipping the resurrection stone out of his robes. Turning it four times in his hand, he cried, "Avada Kedavra!"
"Not today, you won't," Grindelwald said, blocking the spell with ease.
"I seem to have underestimated you, Grindelwald," Voldemort said.
"Indeed you have. We are both great Wizards, there is no denying. But we also both seek ultimate power. We cannot share it," said Grindelwald.
"On that I agree with you. What do you propose?" Voldemort asked, intrigued.
"You have the stone, and I will soon have the Elder wand. I propose that whoever can obtain the Cloak of Invisibility first shall be named the sole Dark Lord, and whoever loses will have to go back to the Spirit Realm, free and clear," Grindelwald said.
"I see. I accept your proposal. You are right, there is no point in dueling with our wands, for we already know that we are both skilled in that area. This shall be a battle of cunningness. To see who has the superior mind. Whoever loses will concede," agreed Voldemort.
"Then it is settled. I will see you when all is said and done," Grindelwald said. With that, he disapparated, leaving Voldemort alone in the garden, mentally plotting his strategy.