'He was there!' A man in a red robe cried, pointing to where Voldemort had stood only seconds before. 'I swear I saw You-Know-Who right there.'

Gellert looked about frantically. His plan to expose Voldemort had worked beautifully, he just hadn't expected Hermione to go throwing herself into the path of such a powerful dark wizard – biting him or all things. He'd stepped in to save her, and now he was stuck. He considered disapparating, taking the injured Hermione with him but he didn't know exactly what had happened to her, whether she would be strong enough to apparate. Then, before he could make a decision either way he had been noticed.

He'd managed to get away with only his youth as a disguise so far because it was only a rare few that had seen a photo of him before his hair bleached to white and he grew that moustache. It seemed the auror department, in their mission to capture him, had found one of those few images because it was one of their number that pointed him out.

'Seize him.' Cornelius Fudge ordered, his voice cracking. 'Grindelwald and Dumbledore are working together. They've got an apparition of you-know-who.'

There was a bang and ropes shot from someone's wand. Gellert almost dropped Hermione, who had by now fallen limp in his arms, as he adjusted her so that he could burn the ropes away. Albus got there before him.

'I'd suggest you do not attack one of my students again.' The Headmaster advised sternly as Gellert finally managed to shift Hermione so that he could hold his wand. He wouldn't be able to use the correct gestures but that was of little consequence to a wizard of his calibre.

'You-Know-Who looked pretty real to me, Sir.' A witch in a green nightgown added, her blue robes inside out and tied with a scarf.

'Is that Harry Potter?' Someone else commented. Harry was getting to his feet, looking exhausted after the possession but otherwise well. Suddenly the attention was split between the notorious criminal from the history books and the hero of their time.

'If you proceed downstairs to the department of mysteries, Cornelius, I think you will find several of the escaped death eaters trapped by way of an anti-apparition jinx, courtesy of Mr, Grindelwald.' Albus added, speaking over the speculation of the crowd. Gellert had actually had little to do with capturing the death eaters, Dumbledore had seen to that whilst Gellert battled Voldemort, but the details wouldn't matter in the long run.

'Merlin's beard, Dumbledore, you can't just expect me to... Gellert Grindelwald, here in the ministry... certainly not...'

'I suggest you do not try anything, Cornelius. Gellert is a very powerful wizard, currently protecting someone very dear to him. If you decided to take him, there is no doubt that you would not win.' Albus cautioned in a thunderous voice, and Gellert felt a rush of gratitude that his friend was standing up for him. He could have won and escaped but it would be dangerous for Hermione and she was already unconscious in his arms.

'I don't... well... Dawlish, Williamson, go down to the department of mysteries, yes better take Vance with you too... Merlin, what on earth happened to the statue? Dumbledore, you must tell me at once...' Fudge stuttered as he looked around the decimated atrium. Gellert hadn't actually noticed how much damage the cataclysmic duel had done until the minister pointed it out – the gold fountain had been melted at some point, the resulting liquid gold refrozen as it arced over a combatant like a tidal wave. The black tiles up the walls had fallen at some point, shards of terracotta coating the marble floor in a dust. Steaming craters pockmarked the far wall, some noxious looking fluid still oozing from the largest, meanwhile over near the fountain the water had mixed with tile dust to form a thick sludge. Blood and bile was splattered across the floor near the centre, a result of Hermione's encounter with Voldemort and the two filthy teenagers, one carried in Gellert's arms, the other standing awkwardly a little way off.

'I will give you one hour of my time, Cornelius. Once, and only once my students are safe.' Albus bent and picked up a large chunk of tile, pointing his wand at it to turn it into a port key. The shard glowed blue, vibrating for a second before settling. Albus handed it to Harry before turning back to Gellert and Hermione.

'Now see here Albus... You can't just do that... in front of the minister for magic...' Fudge started, but he was interrupted by Albus throwing up his hand and a warning glare that even Gellert would have been proud of. The headmaster turned back to Hermione, tilting her head back against Gellert's shoulder and feeling her pulse. He lifted an eyelid, revealing eyes that almost glowed in the shadow of the two wizards.

'Perhaps to St. Mungos with her, I think this is a little beyond Poppy.' Albus said to him quietly. 'but I think you should have no problems apparating with her, she seems strong enough.' Their eyes met and Albus projected a memory for him – a waiting room that could only be St. Mungos hospital.

Gellert nodded, disappearing with a sharp crack and reappearing in St. Mungos. A nurse rushed over to him the moment she took him in, calling for a healer and demanding an explanation. He explained that he didn't know and asked to speak to the best healer they had. The nurse scowled at him and asked just who he thought he was, so he told her bluntly that Hermione had just fought Voldemort himself.

That had the head healer hurrying towards him in no time, a huddle of less senior healers on his tail. Hermione and Gellert were rushed upstairs, Gellert explaining along the way exactly what had happened. The healer nodded, looking concerned and hurried them into the closest room. Gellert was pushed out of the way as the less senior healers began to examine the young witch, the head stayed with him, quizzing him about Voldemort's resurrection ritual without once asking how Gellert knew such dark details. He added every detail he knew, including Voldemort's heritage, his bond with the snake, his split soul and as a last thing, he remembered Hermione mentioning that the Dark Lord had lived off unicorn blood for a time. The healer's pursed lips were not a good sign.

He didn't know how long he waited; something Dumbledore said must have achieved something for him because no aurors came for him. There was a brief flurry of activity as Ron was brought in, one of the senior medics departing, a nurse whispering to him about brains.

There was a second scuffle a short while later; a nurse hurrying in to ask for a potioneer – apparently the news this morning had caused an influx of people needing calming draughts and they were running out.

Then finally the exhausted head healer was approaching, the others dispersing.

'Her body is exhausted, she should come around soon. We've eliminated all the bacteria and viruses that were transferred in the blood and healed her other injuries. She was suffering from the venom of a Maledictus, which we believe was contained as a component of the blood. She is still experiencing some strange effect with her sight however; she seems to be able to see people but not objects.' The healer hesitated slightly. 'I suspect I know who you are... and if I am right there is a fair chance you know more about the subject than I.'

'Have you got a sample of the blood?' He finally asked and the healer nodded.

'It seemed to be a mixture of several different bloods- what we assume to be his own as well as two others that we suspect to be that of Peter Pettigrew and Harry Potter. There is a trace of what we believe to be unicorn blood and the snake venom. We did however find traces of a powerful protective enchantment unlike anything we have ever experienced, although the enchantment seemed to have no effect on You-Know-Who.'

'Unicorn blood is a powerful substance, usually it has beneficial properties but it come accompanied by some terrible consequences. There are some very unusual effects when the blood is given willingly, but I do not know the effect when it is taken by attacking someone who stole it in the first place.'

'Her sight might be a curse, or perhaps the price of a blessing.' The healer finished for him and Gellert nodded thoughtfully. 'Either way, it is beyond our mortal – or if the rumours about who you are are to be believed – immortal hands. I would suggest taking her back to Hogwarts now, I will send a note to Madame Pomfrey. She will need daily inspections until we decide otherwise.'

Gellert nodded and moved over to pick up Hermione's unconscious figure. The healer helped him adjust her in his arms so that he could reach his wand, then he disappeared with a pop.