The next chapter! It's shorter than the previous ones, but I hope you like it either way. Please let me know what you think! The next one will be longer again, I promise. But this chapter is very important to the story, so I just ended it there. And there's a hidden quote, maybe you can find it?
I don't own the characters or places!
The next weeks, they continued their routine from before Christmas. Albus and Gellert spent every free minute together and they taught Ariana how to control her magic nearly every day. She was making progress slowly and could even control her magic now when she was upset. Ariana was glad about it since it meant that the risk of hurting someone accidentally was much smaller.
Bathilda visited them for dinner once a week. She liked Ariana very much and they got along very well. Sometimes, Albus and Gellert spent their day with Bathilda too. They were discussing many things and Bathilda even told them about her researches for a book she was writing. She wanted to call it Hogwarts, A History. Especially Albus was excited by the idea since he loved stories about Hogwarts. Just like he loved the castle itself. In his schooltime, he'd also discovered a few secrets of the castle. Gellert was also interested in this since he wanted to see the castle sometime.
Next to helping Bathilda with her research, Albus was doing a few things by himself. He was trying to find uses of dragon blood (Gellert gave him that idea) and he tried to invent something. The idea came to him some time ago. If it worked, it would be an object to control lights. Gellert helped him with the general idea, but the spell which made it work was Albus' own idea. He wanted to call it Deluminator.
Gellert was also doing things, but in contrast to Albus, he was thinking about magic very much. He tried to find useful spells. However, most of the time, he was thinking of the Greater Good. Ever since their conversation that night, Gellert was trying to define good and bad. He'd made it his plan to help people, instead of hurting them. And so he wrote down many of his thoughts. Albus was very proud of him and didn't miss a chance to tell him that. When they first met, he would have never thought that Gellert might change so much.
Because that's what happened in the past months. All the thoughts of the Dark Arts seemed to have vanished from his mind. And also the idea of hurting people or ruling over Muggles. Albus knew that Gellert wasn't happy anymore that he'd given those ideas to others back at Durmstrang.
However, the rumours Elphias had heard weren't confirmed for a long time. Albus and Gellert even thought that it might have really been just the talk of a few people.
Until, one morning, the Daily Prophet arrived.
It had started like every morning. Only that this time, Gellert wasn't there. He'd spent the past evening with Bathilda, so Albus had been alone that night. At breakfast, Ariana told Albus about a new letter from Aberforth in which he'd told her what happened at school. It wasn't too exciting, except for the news that the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would retire in two years from now. It made Albus think of his future again. What did he want to do? The idea of teaching at Hogwarts was thrilling and he considered if he should apply for that position.
Suddenly, there was a crash at the window and both Albus and Ariana jumped in their seats. However, it was just the owl that delivered the Prophet. Ariana stood up immediately to look at her. "She seems to be exhausted." Ariana said when she handed the paper to Albus. Then she went to get some water for the owl.
Albus smiled when he saw Ariana with the owl. Snowflake had entered the kitchen, apparently, the cat had heard the crash as well. She was eyeing Ariana and the owl suspiciously now.
When Albus unfolded the paper, his smile vanished.
Muggle couple found dead in their house the headline said. Under it was a picture of two people who were smiling at each other. They were wearing warm clothes and the house behind them was covered in snow. The picture wasn't moving. It was taken by Muggles.
Albus swallowed and started to read the article. At the headline, his heart had started to beat faster. A dark foreboding crept up on him.
Yesterday, two Muggles were found dead in their house in Siberia. They were a young couple and had married a year ago. Ana and Jim Bach were living separated from others, a few miles away from the next city. They owned a farm and Jim was a hunter, so the couple lived from selling furs and milk. A friend of them, who also was a wizard, had found the bodies when they didn't show up at the market. The reason for their deaths was identified as Dark Magic. No one knows why the Muggles were killed and who did it. The investigations are still ongoing.
Albus put down the paper slowly and noticed that Ariana was watching him. "Something wrong? You're so pale." She said and he heard the concern in her voice.
He shook his head. "It's nothing." He quickly turned to the next page so Ariana didn't see the headline. Albus knew that she wasn't a little girl anymore, but somehow, it didn't seem right that she read this headline now. He would have to talk about it with Gellert. Slowly, he read the rest of the newspaper, but his thoughts kept wandering back to the first page.
Why did someone kill Muggles with Dark Magic? What had they done? Or was it just someone who liked to hurt and kill others? When he thought of the article again, he noticed that the couple had lived only a few hours away from Durmstrang. Thanks to Gellert Albus knew the location of the school. But did that mean something?
About half an hour after he'd read the article, the front door opened. Ariana had already left the kitchen to play outside with Snowflake, so Albus was alone when Gellert arrived.
Gellert was smiling widely. "Good morning, love." He greeted Albus.
Albus forced himself to smile back. "Good morning to you too." He stood up to kiss Gellert. When they drew back, Gellert frowned at him.
"Albus, what's wrong?" There was concern in Gellert's voice. Albus had already expected him to realize that something was bothering him.
Instead of answering the question, he handed Gellert the newspaper. When he saw the headline, Gellert inhaled sharply and sat down to read it. When he finished, his eyes were narrowed and he was tapping on the table with his right hand slowly. "What do you think of this?"
Albus breathed in deeply. "Why should anyone kill Muggles without reason? Especially a couple like this, that's so inconspicuous?"
"And that lives far away from others." Gellert muttered and frowned again. "Don't you think that it's strange that the friend who found them was a wizard? Too much of a coincidence, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Looks like it's been planned."
Gellert sighed. "I think so too."
"Did you notice the location of the city?" Albus asked and pointed at it in the article.
"Close to the school." Gellert muttered. "They could get there easily. Kill someone and leave."
"So you really thing that Dimitri's behind all this?" Albus raised his eyebrows.
"I don't know who else would do something like this." Gellert ran a hand through his hair. "Looks like them, after all, their ideas contain acts like this." He sounded frustrated now and Albus reached out for his hands on the table.
"It's not your fault." He said softly.
"But I was the one who gave them these ideas in the first place." Gellert said quietly and avoided to look into Albus' eyes.
"It was their own choice to act on those ideas." Albus replied calmly. "You didn't force them to do anything."
"Without me, they might have never done this."
"Or they might have done it either way." He said. "We've all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. You made your choice a few months ago. And so did your former friends. You're not responsible for their actions."
Finally, Gellert looked at him again. The vulnerability there nearly broke Albus' heart. However, there was something else in his eyes. Albus realized that it was amazement.
"Did I ever tell you that you're a very special person, Albus?" He asked slowly and Albus smiled.
"You're special too, Gellert. Not everyone would make a choice like you did and choose the side to fight for those who need to be defended."
Suddenly, Gellert grabbed Albus' shirt and pulled him closer. They kissed for a few moments, before Gellert let go of him again. "I love you."
"And I love you too." Albus whispered and took Gellert's hands again. Together, they looked at the newspaper in front of them.
"We can't prove that it's them." Gellert said thoughtfully.
"I doubt anyone will find out about this." Albus agreed.
"But we can't just do nothing." He muttered angrily.
Albus sighed. "It seems like that." He squeezed Gellerts hands. "But from now on, we can be more observant."
"Not every death will be in the papers like this." Gellert reminded him.
Albus nodded. "But what about the papers from your country? And maybe there are other ways to get information."
This made Gellert look at him with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"
Albus grinned. "I might know a few people at the Ministry of Magic. And I'm sure that a few of them have contacts."
Gellert shook his head slowly, a smile appearing on his lips. "Are you sure that it will work?"
Albus shrugged. "But it's worth a try." He decided. "I'll see whom I can write later."
"If this is really Dimitri with his friends, more will follow." Gellert muttered. "I already told you about the plans." He paused and breathed in deeply. "When they really want to rule over the Muggles, this is only the beginning."
"I'm sure it is." Albus whispered.
After that, they changed the subject. However, they both weren't in a good mood anymore. When Albus told Gellert about Aberforths letter, Gellert grinned. "I bet you would be a good teacher. Defence Against the Dark Arts. Somehow, that would fit."
Albus chuckled. "I really would like to be a teacher." He admitted. "But you wouldn't be able to join me at Hogwarts."
"We will find a way." Gellert replied immediately. "If this is what you truly want, I wouldn't stand between you and your dreams. Who knows? Maybe I would like to be a teacher as well?" His eyes were gleaming, but then he cleared his throat. "However, I doubt that any school would take me without a graduation."
"I bet they'd take you once they see how brilliant you are." Albus replied sternly.
Gellert didn't seem to be convinced by this, but he kept quiet.