A/N My beta is better than anyone else's beta! Big hugs for Maria, aka Minerva Dumbledore1
Static-Filled Star Whoo! A new reviewer!
Linze and Minerva Lea I am glad you are enjoying the story and some of the earlier parts are making more sense now.
Mavidian I assure you, the kitten gets fed plenty. Hunting and curiosity are natural cat instincts so she still does it regardless.
As for who these memories belong to…
Dumbledore gave his pensive to Harry to look into, but Dumbledore remained outside of the pensive remembering those same memories but in fuller detail than what he showed Harry. You, the reader, are seeing Dumbledore's fuller versions, but not all of the memories he is remembering are his own, in fact so far I think none of the memories I have shown you have been Dumbledore's.
"Dumbledore filled his Pensive with all the memories he believed to be relevant. That not all the memories were his own was, he believed a necessity if he wanted to make Harry fully understand why certain events had occurred and indeed were still occurring. Through the years, in his own attempts to better understand things that had come to pass, Albus Dumbledore had harvested the memories of a few others."-Chapter 15 first paragraph.
I'm betting none of that made any sense. Anyways the point is a lot of the story is going to be told from the perspective of different narrators based usually on who has the most relevant perspective or who is/was available/willing to share memories with Albus Dumbledore.
Sometimes your narrator's identity isn't stated straight out, but little hints or clues are given to help you identify them. A fun little challenge, if you will.
Anyways, the next two chapters after this have already been typed and betaed. They are sitting on my hard drive all ready to be uploaded, but are being held ransom for more feedback!
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Moody cursed himself for his own nearsightedness. Now the reason why Grindelwald had been so unsurprised at the news of his wife's murder was clear. Moody had assumed it was the centaurs because of the sheer inhumanity of the act. Now, he realized, Grindelwald had mutilated his wife's body so extensively to hide the fact that she was pregnant. They had only been married three months. Even if the pregnancy started before that, it couldn't have been more than four or five months along. Given the stylish robes Artemisia wore, someone would have noticed it if it had progressed any further.
The three days Grindelwald had spent wandering the forest, he must have been seeking a live unicorn to bring home with him for a constant source of unicorn blood. Not even the most gifted of Healers could have kept an infant that premature alive. That was what the centaur had been referring to.
It also at least helped explain the queerness of Grindelwald having unicorn water in his fish tank. Unicorn water, water from a lake or a pond purified by contact with a unicorn's horn when a unicorn leaned down to drink from it, was often used to neutralize poisons. If Grindelwald was poisoning people by putting poison in the teapot before pouring it into cups, he could use a bit of unicorn water in his own cup to neutralize the poison's effects.
If the house elf had put poison in the teapot at Grindelwald's instruction, it was only by pure luck that the little kitten had managed to transfer some of the unicorn water into the teapot to neutralize the poison.
Dumbledore was right, who else but a Seer claiming to want to read tea leaves could get people to knowingly accept any form of food or beverage in these times? Of course, when people came for readings they could not have taste testers sample their tea, it would ruin the leaves for predictions.
It took considerable time to convince the Minister of Magic to send in a party of aurors to investigate. That the conversation took place shouted through a locked keyhole didn't speed matters along.
It took even longer for the two men to convince the Minister of Magic of the necessity of sending in a large force. If Grindelwald still had his former Seer capabilities, and foresaw them coming, it might prove very difficult to subdue him.
Finally a group of over forty aurors, hit wizards, and Professor Dumbledore, gathered on the edge of the Grindelwald estate and took down the wards protecting it. They apparated into Grindelwald's study with wands at the ready.
Before even the hit wizards with their lightening quick reflexes could respond, a voice called out.
"-mus!"
Grindelwald had been so sure of their arrival, he hadn't even bothered to wait for them to apparate into the room before starting the Expelliarmus spell to disarm them.
Only a second later, the whole party was immobilized.
Grindelwald never even bothered to stand when he cast the spells. It was only once he had all the wands that he rose. After crossing to the lit fireplace, he smiled as he fed them to the fire a few at a time. Even Alastor Moody had to admit, the changes in color when the flames reached the various cores would have been pleasant to view under other circumstances.
"You know what your problem is Mr. Moody? You don't know when to stop. You just can't leave well enough alone. If you aren't going to have what you want, you will make bloody sure no one else will either. You are as bad as Artemisia in that way."
Even if he could reply, Moody didn't know what to say in response. It was only when Albus Dumbledore did speak, that Moody realized he could speak. Still, he didn't really have a response for Grindelwald.
"Grindelwald, what can you hope to accomplish by this? Even if you kill us all, more will come."
Grindelwald was furious.
"Don't you think I know that? That's just it! No matter what I do, you people just keep coming. No matter how many of you I kill, another one always takes their place."
Moody frowned since apparently his lips weren't immobilized like the rest of his body. Suddenly, he wished they had thought to bring Armando Dippet, a centaur, someone, anyone who spoke Seer-talk.
Grindelwald approached the stunned man closest to him and released him from the almost full body bind.
"Show me your hand."
The auror looked at him for a minute before refusing.
With a sigh, Grindelwald uttered a severing charm. After reading the man's palm, Grindelwald looked at the man profusely bleeding on his floor before commenting dryly.
"Shame really. If you had done as I asked, I would have let you go. You aren't involved in any of this. You were supposed to die naturally in your sleep long before it happened."
With a wave of his wand, Grindelwald banished both the auror, the hand, and the stains on the carpet. Unsure if it was a trick or not, the next auror Grindelwald made the same request of did comply.
Looking at the palm, Grindelwald spoke in outrage before performing the Killing curse .
"One of five stunning spells straight to the chest at her age!"
"Read my palm next!" Moody called out as that auror too was banished.
It wasn't because of a death wish that he made the request, it was an old auror trick. Grindelwald had managed to disarm him along with the others, but Moody carried a second wand for such occasions. If he could just get Grindelwald to release him from the body bind, he could take out his second wand and end it all now.
"With pleasure, Mr. Moody."
Grindelwald raised his wand to utter the counter curse, but paused.
"But first, you don't mind if I take your second wand. Do you?"
Grindelwald took the second wand and laughed as he threw it onto his desk. Again, he raised his wand to utter the counter curse, but paused. This time, he stopped as a little girl in a white cotton nightdress entered the room. Besides the raven hair, the first thing Moody noticed was how unnaturally pale she looked. But then, he guessed if no one was supposed to know she existed, she probably didn't get out to the park much.
Rubbing her gray eyes, the girl complained.
"Da, all the noise is keeping me awake."
Noticing all the people for the first time, she went over to Grindelwald. Moody watched the man who had just viciously murdered two people tenderly lift her up. Wrapping her arms around her father's neck, the little girl questioned him.
"I am sorry, Da. I know I am never to be in your study like this when you have people visiting, but you forgot to tell me you were going to have more people visiting today."
Grindelwald kissed the top of the girl's head.
"Go back to sleep, Minerva."
The girl tried to burrow under his neck instead.
"I want to stay with you."
It was one of the hit wizards who managed to interrupt the moment and bring back Grindelwald's anger.
"Can she do anything special?"
Grindelwald glared at the man.
"Most definitely."
Turning back to the little girl in his arms, Grindelwald spoke.
"Show him what you can do."
The little girl began to squirm uncomfortably in her father's arms.
"Now, now. None of that. Go get your wand and show him what I taught you."
When his daughter still did not comply, Grindelwald carried her over to his desk. Opening a drawer, he took out a small wand. When he tried to hand it to the girl, she refused to take it. It looked like she had given up trying to squirm out of his grasp and was now trying to climb over him.
"Be a good little girl and stop squirming. If you are a good little girl and do as I ask, I will get you anything your heart desires."
Halfway over Grindelwald's shoulder, the little girl paused in her struggling. She was staring at something, but Moody wasn't sure what.
"Promise?"
"By the Wizard's code."
Reluctantly, the little girl took the wand.
"Good, now just like we practiced on Dibby."
The girl was still reluctant.
"Do I have to?"
When her father nodded, she began. Never taking her eyes off of what ever it was that had captured her attention before, the little girl began to cast a series of curses and counter curses on the hit wizard that had inquired about her. Moody found it obscene that a girl not more than seven knew more curses and hexes than he did.
When Grindelwald had finally had enough, he told the little girl she could stop. The hit wizard was too traumatized when she was through to answer Grindelwald's question.
"Is that special enough for you?"
The little girl wandered through the statue-like people to the mirror facing the wall. When Grindelwald spoke, her head reappeared from around the side of it.
"Go tell Dibby I said you could have a chocolate frog and then off to bed with you again."
"My heart's desire is different now."
For the first time that evening, Grindelwald looked surprised.
"What does the mirror show now?"
The little girl crossed back through the crowd to her father and whispered in his ear.
"You are the oddest little creature I have ever met. Do you know that? But I gave my word and a wizard always keeps his word."
The girl did not seem at all phased by her father's response. Instead, she ran from the room as quickly as her bare feet could carry her. Only a moment later she reappeared carrying a hairbrush.
Grindelwald chuckled as he summoned a silver haired man to his desk. Moody tried to remember what the older auror's name was. Laurie? Laurence? Laki? Lucky? Grindelwald removed the binding curse long enough to allow the man to sit down in a chair.
The little girl quickly removed the long silver hair from its ponytail. The girl began to brush out the long locks.
"You have very beautiful hair. Do you know that?"
The auror looked very confused, he didn't answer.
When the young girl put a hand on the auror's neck and lifted up all his hair with her other hand, he gave a gasp.
"Would you like a braid or maybe a French twist? I am very good at twists, Dippy showed me how to do it once. But I am better at braids. We have to make the hair grown on Dippy. Turn your head a little."
Grindelwald altered his spell to allow a bit of motion to the man's neck. As soon as he did, the man tried to pull away from her touch. Moody could see horrid blisters appearing on the man's flesh where the little girl was touching him. The little girl reprimanded him in a poor imitation of Grindelwald's voice.
"Now, now. None of that. Stop your squirming."
As she fixed the man's hair into a braid, she continued reprimanding him.
"Be good and stop squirming. If you are good and do as I ask, I will get you anything your heart desires. I promise by the Wizard's Code"
When the hair was contained again in something barely passing for a braid, the little girl gave a satisfied nod.
"Now you can go look into the mirror. Tell me what ever your heart desires and I will get it for you."
Moody could see the man was in far too much pain to move even if he hadn't been trapped by a hex. Moody himself had felt something almost like a burning when the girl had brushed against him on her way to the mirror. Exactly what kind of protective charms or curses were on this child?
"Go on, go look and the mirror will tell you what your heart's desire is."
It was Albus Dumbledore who answered for the silver haired auror.
"He doesn't need to look into the mirror. I can tell you his heart's desire. His heart's desire is to have your father's wand and to have Mr. Moody's wand returned to him."
Grindelwald picked up Moody's second wand and gave a chuckle. When the little girl approached and extended her hand for his wand, he gave her his wand and kissed the top of her head.
"You do thwart me at every opportunity. But a promise is a promise and I will never make you break your word. Give him my wand and I will return Mr. Moody's to him. Then off to bed, just the way you are supposed to be when I have visitors."
Before the girl had a chance to turn over the wand, Grindelwald used Moody's second wand to undo all the body binds.
"I will come quietly with you, but this isn't anything she needs to see."
Moody frowned suspecting a trick as he caught his wand. This man killed for no seeming reason, what did the honor of the Wizard's Code mean to him?
"How do we know it isn't a ruse?"
"Because I know if I struggle you will gladly kill me and I will be of far too great a use in the future to die now. Mr. Dumbledore defeats me, but he isn't the one who kills me."
"The Ministry will take care of that, not to worry."
Grindelwald smiled.
"No, the Ministry will not kill me."
It didn't really matter now. The door had already closed behind the little girl. He summoned bindings around Grindelwald, but still he couldn't help asking.
"Who kills you?"
"You know who."
"No, I don't." Merlin, he hated Seers. "Who?"
Grindelwald just laughed.
Dumbledore and several of the aurors went through the door the little girl had just passed through. They searched the series of rooms past it. A room was found with clothes, blocks, and books for a little girl, but no little girl was in it. All they found on the little girl's bed was her little gray and black kitten curled up on the pillow. Even after a full search of the estate, no little girl was found.
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Armando Dippet entered the cell in Azkaban. When word of Grindelwald's prediction that he would not be executed because he would be of, "Far too great a use in the future," got out, quite an uproar had gone up in the Wizarding community. Eventually, Grindelwald's prediction had indeed proven true. The Dementors were to perform the Kiss on Grindelwald today and as such he was allowed visitors.
He didn't say anything, merely waited for the younger man to speak. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, he began.
"Bloody Jupiter, tell me where she is."
When the younger man just stared at him impassively, Armando came to a realization.
"You don't know where she is, do you?"
Grindelwald gave a small smile.
"It's gone then? The Sight you received from Artemisia."
Grindelwald nodded.
"I lost it as soon as Artemisia died."
Dippet frowned.
"Then how have you been making your predictions all these years? The girl, Minerva? She is a Seer?"
He noticed Grindelwald made a point of looking him directly in the eyes before answering.
'No, she isn't. The predictions were my own."
"Forgive my bluntness, Grindelwald, but your Visions were never that clear before."
"Why do you think I decided to kill Minister Asgard?"
Without waiting for a response to his question, Grindelwald went on speaking.
"As Asgard said, some of the abilities the line is said to carry are considerably more valuable than Seers."
It took Dippet only a moment to figure out the meaning of the other man's words.
"A foci then?"
Grindelwald nodded.
Dippet sighed. He knew this would complicate matters considerably. A foci was just what the word said, a focus, a point where rays of energy came together, became concentrated, clear, distinct, and from which they spread. A foci could take the powers and energies of another and before returning them, so concentrate, so direct them as to make them magnified far beyond what they normally would be. Valuable indeed.
"Did you ever see the 'why'?"
Grindelwald shook his head.
"What was your 'why'?"
Grindelwald grimaced.
"Artemisia could never allow another to be happy. Not even her own child, especially not her own child. I thought maybe that was the 'why'. Something or things Artemisia would do to the child. In the beginning, my intention was to end it all before it began."
"You killed her and took the child?"
Grindelwald looked away from him.
"No, I left the child, I left my own daughter in the forest to die next to her mother. Not three months conceived and when I removed her from her mother, she breathed. It was a horrid noise, a death rattle. I knew she couldn't keep it up for long, but I couldn't bare to hear it, to know what I was doing. I left her."
When Grindelwald fixed him with a penetrating look before continuing, he understood the second meaning to the man's next words.
"You have no idea how tiny she was. Really, no bigger than the kitten they found."
Armando frowned before bringing the conversation back a moment.
"I didn't See her there. Moody didn't find her there."
"No, someone or something moved her. That's what I was doing in the forest, I was looking to see what had become of her."
"You lacked the Sight, so it took you three days to find her?"
Grindelwald shook his head.
"I thought some kind of animal had carried her off to… I had to know, so I searched the forest. I found her that first day; she had been sheltered in some bushes. Still I left her there. I came back the next day again to see and she was still alive. Someone must have been caring for her. I don't know a centaur, perhaps? The third day, I could stand it no longer, I took her home with me."
"And you brought a unicorn with you to feed her blood to keep her alive?"
Grindelwald shook his head again.
"No, don't you understand? All this was to spare her from what we saw her do. Never would I condemn her to a cursed existence, to a half-life. Artemisia must have done it somehow, before I arrived."
Dippet couldn't help but frown. It wasn't that he didn't believe Grindelwald, the man had no reason to lie now, and yet even now he could not reconcile himself to Artemisia slaying a unicorn. Still the facts did not add up.
"That was the 'why' for Artemisia, why all the others?"
"I never did answer the question Artemisia asked at dinner that night. I didn't see a point, my opinion was different than Artemisia's and you of all people know one can never win an argument with Artemisia. It simply wasn't allowed. At the time, I didn't believe the future was set. I agreed with you, it was something malleable, changeable by our actions.
I tried to change Minerva's future. At first, I tried to show her a different way. Never by her actions with me did she ever seem capable of the acts of desolation we witnessed. She was sweet and loving, not wretched like Artemisia. In fact, as Mr. Moody and Mr. Dumbledore can assure you, she always did her utmost to thwart my every malevolent act. But never would the Vision of the future change.
Finally, I tried to eliminate all the people I came across who would affect her life negatively, who would cause her some harm or pain. I thought if I could do that than maybe she would never feel the need to do those horrid things. Easier said than done though, I am afraid. Every time I would do away with one, another came to take the part and still the Vision of the future was unaltered."
Armando could not help but pity the man before him.
"Jupiter, we are Seers, destined always to Watch, to Know, to speak out against perhaps, but never can we actively intervene."
He knew as the other man continued speaking that his words spoken years too late, went unheeded.
"No, my opinion has changed. I see the Future differently now. I believe some things are set, immovable, inevitable. No matter what alterations are made around them, some things must still come to pass. Like dropping a pebble into the sea, it causes ripples that impinge on every drop of water in the sea, but in time it all returns to the way it was before."
"Is that why you taught her all those spells? Where in heavens did you learn them?"
"I Saw her use them. I could not, would not again leave her defenseless to her Fate. I taught her every spell I ever Saw her have need of."
Armando warily shook his head.
"Even her name, Minerva, Jupiter's favorite child, born of no mother. The ferocious and merciless war wager. Carrier of his most devastating weapon, indeed."
Grindelwald sighed.
"You forget Armando, there are other interpretations to the name; wisdom, reason. And she carried not only Jupiter's thunderbolt, but his aegis and buckler as well, items of auspices, protection.
After a moment, Grindelwald almost inaudibly added a last thought.
"Armando, if you find her as she is now, leave her be. She is young. If she hasn't already, she will begin to forget things. Maybe this is the answer, after all; what harm can she do this way?"
After a pensive silence, Dippet spoke.
"The others are here, waiting. Did you want to see them before…?"
"Artemisia made predictions that night for everyone at the dinner. Brynhild and Sigurd heard theirs at the dinner and she showed me mine after. Did you bring the orbs?"
Dippet nodded.
"Yes, Artemisia never put the enchantment on the orbs that prevents anyone but the recipient from touching them. Minister Asgard is dead, but Moody and Dumbledore are here. I will bring them in and we can listen to them."
Since Minister Asgard was no longer available to break his own orb, Dippet did it for him. It was unsettling to say the least, to again hear Artemisia's cruel tone.
"Beware, treachery awaits you from the cup of one of your dinner companions."
"Useful perhaps had it been delivered in a more timely manner," stated Dippet ruefully before breaking his own orb.
"You will not live to see the day all your work will come to naught, but unrest assured, the day will come."
Dumbledore took the orb Dippet extended to him. Dippet knew the auburn haired man had only made the journey to Azkaban in hopes that Grindelwald would offer assistance in locating the missing young girl. He also knew that at least for the moment, he had no intentions of sharing the information he had received from Grindelwald.
Artemisia's voice rose from the broken orb as it shattered.
"Kill the girl, Minerva, while she is still young. If you do not, she will one day have the power to destroy you. Before it is all done, you will kneel before her begging for life. If your plea is answered, you can expect to spend the remainder of your life in bondage and servitude to her and her line. She will have dominion over all that you hold dear."
Dumbledore merely raised an eyebrow at this pronouncement. Moody was the first to speak.
"So that one is mine?"
Dippet shook his head.
"No, it is marked for her daughter."
He watched the young auror frown.
"You brought the orbs, so we know they aren't cursed yet to only be opened by their intended recipient?"
He nodded to the auror who was slowly becoming not so young.
"It might contain something to help us find her."
Moody took the orb and smashed it.
"You shall have two offspring. The first shall be havoc and ruin. Bringing chaos and destruction to all he touches. In the second can be redemption. If he survives infancy, he will be destined for all his existence to reversing the devastation the first has wrought."
Moody's disappointment that the orb was not more useful was clear in his face.
"Well, it was worth a try. Where is my orb?"
Again, it was Dippet who answered.
"That was the last orb I found."
Moody stared back and forth between Dippet and Grindelwald.
"You said she had a prediction for each of the people at the dinner."
Grindelwald gave his last smile.
"She didn't think you were important enough to bother with. Personally, I think you are beneath contempt, but would you like some of my advice for the future?"
Moody looked at Grindelwald expectantly. Contempt was unmistakable in the older man's voice.
"If you want to get everything you so richly deserve in life, make certain you look under the bed."
Grindelwald's final prediction for Alastor Moody were the last words he spoke before his visitors were sent away and the Dementors performed their task.
"Also, you will find your later years far more enjoyable, if you buy a larger trunk."
Static-Filled Star Whoo! A new reviewer!
Linze and Minerva Lea I am glad you are enjoying the story and some of the earlier parts are making more sense now.
Mavidian I assure you, the kitten gets fed plenty. Hunting and curiosity are natural cat instincts so she still does it regardless.
As for who these memories belong to…
Dumbledore gave his pensive to Harry to look into, but Dumbledore remained outside of the pensive remembering those same memories but in fuller detail than what he showed Harry. You, the reader, are seeing Dumbledore's fuller versions, but not all of the memories he is remembering are his own, in fact so far I think none of the memories I have shown you have been Dumbledore's.
"Dumbledore filled his Pensive with all the memories he believed to be relevant. That not all the memories were his own was, he believed a necessity if he wanted to make Harry fully understand why certain events had occurred and indeed were still occurring. Through the years, in his own attempts to better understand things that had come to pass, Albus Dumbledore had harvested the memories of a few others."-Chapter 15 first paragraph.
I'm betting none of that made any sense. Anyways the point is a lot of the story is going to be told from the perspective of different narrators based usually on who has the most relevant perspective or who is/was available/willing to share memories with Albus Dumbledore.
Sometimes your narrator's identity isn't stated straight out, but little hints or clues are given to help you identify them. A fun little challenge, if you will.
Anyways, the next two chapters after this have already been typed and betaed. They are sitting on my hard drive all ready to be uploaded, but are being held ransom for more feedback!
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Moody cursed himself for his own nearsightedness. Now the reason why Grindelwald had been so unsurprised at the news of his wife's murder was clear. Moody had assumed it was the centaurs because of the sheer inhumanity of the act. Now, he realized, Grindelwald had mutilated his wife's body so extensively to hide the fact that she was pregnant. They had only been married three months. Even if the pregnancy started before that, it couldn't have been more than four or five months along. Given the stylish robes Artemisia wore, someone would have noticed it if it had progressed any further.
The three days Grindelwald had spent wandering the forest, he must have been seeking a live unicorn to bring home with him for a constant source of unicorn blood. Not even the most gifted of Healers could have kept an infant that premature alive. That was what the centaur had been referring to.
It also at least helped explain the queerness of Grindelwald having unicorn water in his fish tank. Unicorn water, water from a lake or a pond purified by contact with a unicorn's horn when a unicorn leaned down to drink from it, was often used to neutralize poisons. If Grindelwald was poisoning people by putting poison in the teapot before pouring it into cups, he could use a bit of unicorn water in his own cup to neutralize the poison's effects.
If the house elf had put poison in the teapot at Grindelwald's instruction, it was only by pure luck that the little kitten had managed to transfer some of the unicorn water into the teapot to neutralize the poison.
Dumbledore was right, who else but a Seer claiming to want to read tea leaves could get people to knowingly accept any form of food or beverage in these times? Of course, when people came for readings they could not have taste testers sample their tea, it would ruin the leaves for predictions.
It took considerable time to convince the Minister of Magic to send in a party of aurors to investigate. That the conversation took place shouted through a locked keyhole didn't speed matters along.
It took even longer for the two men to convince the Minister of Magic of the necessity of sending in a large force. If Grindelwald still had his former Seer capabilities, and foresaw them coming, it might prove very difficult to subdue him.
Finally a group of over forty aurors, hit wizards, and Professor Dumbledore, gathered on the edge of the Grindelwald estate and took down the wards protecting it. They apparated into Grindelwald's study with wands at the ready.
Before even the hit wizards with their lightening quick reflexes could respond, a voice called out.
"-mus!"
Grindelwald had been so sure of their arrival, he hadn't even bothered to wait for them to apparate into the room before starting the Expelliarmus spell to disarm them.
Only a second later, the whole party was immobilized.
Grindelwald never even bothered to stand when he cast the spells. It was only once he had all the wands that he rose. After crossing to the lit fireplace, he smiled as he fed them to the fire a few at a time. Even Alastor Moody had to admit, the changes in color when the flames reached the various cores would have been pleasant to view under other circumstances.
"You know what your problem is Mr. Moody? You don't know when to stop. You just can't leave well enough alone. If you aren't going to have what you want, you will make bloody sure no one else will either. You are as bad as Artemisia in that way."
Even if he could reply, Moody didn't know what to say in response. It was only when Albus Dumbledore did speak, that Moody realized he could speak. Still, he didn't really have a response for Grindelwald.
"Grindelwald, what can you hope to accomplish by this? Even if you kill us all, more will come."
Grindelwald was furious.
"Don't you think I know that? That's just it! No matter what I do, you people just keep coming. No matter how many of you I kill, another one always takes their place."
Moody frowned since apparently his lips weren't immobilized like the rest of his body. Suddenly, he wished they had thought to bring Armando Dippet, a centaur, someone, anyone who spoke Seer-talk.
Grindelwald approached the stunned man closest to him and released him from the almost full body bind.
"Show me your hand."
The auror looked at him for a minute before refusing.
With a sigh, Grindelwald uttered a severing charm. After reading the man's palm, Grindelwald looked at the man profusely bleeding on his floor before commenting dryly.
"Shame really. If you had done as I asked, I would have let you go. You aren't involved in any of this. You were supposed to die naturally in your sleep long before it happened."
With a wave of his wand, Grindelwald banished both the auror, the hand, and the stains on the carpet. Unsure if it was a trick or not, the next auror Grindelwald made the same request of did comply.
Looking at the palm, Grindelwald spoke in outrage before performing the Killing curse .
"One of five stunning spells straight to the chest at her age!"
"Read my palm next!" Moody called out as that auror too was banished.
It wasn't because of a death wish that he made the request, it was an old auror trick. Grindelwald had managed to disarm him along with the others, but Moody carried a second wand for such occasions. If he could just get Grindelwald to release him from the body bind, he could take out his second wand and end it all now.
"With pleasure, Mr. Moody."
Grindelwald raised his wand to utter the counter curse, but paused.
"But first, you don't mind if I take your second wand. Do you?"
Grindelwald took the second wand and laughed as he threw it onto his desk. Again, he raised his wand to utter the counter curse, but paused. This time, he stopped as a little girl in a white cotton nightdress entered the room. Besides the raven hair, the first thing Moody noticed was how unnaturally pale she looked. But then, he guessed if no one was supposed to know she existed, she probably didn't get out to the park much.
Rubbing her gray eyes, the girl complained.
"Da, all the noise is keeping me awake."
Noticing all the people for the first time, she went over to Grindelwald. Moody watched the man who had just viciously murdered two people tenderly lift her up. Wrapping her arms around her father's neck, the little girl questioned him.
"I am sorry, Da. I know I am never to be in your study like this when you have people visiting, but you forgot to tell me you were going to have more people visiting today."
Grindelwald kissed the top of the girl's head.
"Go back to sleep, Minerva."
The girl tried to burrow under his neck instead.
"I want to stay with you."
It was one of the hit wizards who managed to interrupt the moment and bring back Grindelwald's anger.
"Can she do anything special?"
Grindelwald glared at the man.
"Most definitely."
Turning back to the little girl in his arms, Grindelwald spoke.
"Show him what you can do."
The little girl began to squirm uncomfortably in her father's arms.
"Now, now. None of that. Go get your wand and show him what I taught you."
When his daughter still did not comply, Grindelwald carried her over to his desk. Opening a drawer, he took out a small wand. When he tried to hand it to the girl, she refused to take it. It looked like she had given up trying to squirm out of his grasp and was now trying to climb over him.
"Be a good little girl and stop squirming. If you are a good little girl and do as I ask, I will get you anything your heart desires."
Halfway over Grindelwald's shoulder, the little girl paused in her struggling. She was staring at something, but Moody wasn't sure what.
"Promise?"
"By the Wizard's code."
Reluctantly, the little girl took the wand.
"Good, now just like we practiced on Dibby."
The girl was still reluctant.
"Do I have to?"
When her father nodded, she began. Never taking her eyes off of what ever it was that had captured her attention before, the little girl began to cast a series of curses and counter curses on the hit wizard that had inquired about her. Moody found it obscene that a girl not more than seven knew more curses and hexes than he did.
When Grindelwald had finally had enough, he told the little girl she could stop. The hit wizard was too traumatized when she was through to answer Grindelwald's question.
"Is that special enough for you?"
The little girl wandered through the statue-like people to the mirror facing the wall. When Grindelwald spoke, her head reappeared from around the side of it.
"Go tell Dibby I said you could have a chocolate frog and then off to bed with you again."
"My heart's desire is different now."
For the first time that evening, Grindelwald looked surprised.
"What does the mirror show now?"
The little girl crossed back through the crowd to her father and whispered in his ear.
"You are the oddest little creature I have ever met. Do you know that? But I gave my word and a wizard always keeps his word."
The girl did not seem at all phased by her father's response. Instead, she ran from the room as quickly as her bare feet could carry her. Only a moment later she reappeared carrying a hairbrush.
Grindelwald chuckled as he summoned a silver haired man to his desk. Moody tried to remember what the older auror's name was. Laurie? Laurence? Laki? Lucky? Grindelwald removed the binding curse long enough to allow the man to sit down in a chair.
The little girl quickly removed the long silver hair from its ponytail. The girl began to brush out the long locks.
"You have very beautiful hair. Do you know that?"
The auror looked very confused, he didn't answer.
When the young girl put a hand on the auror's neck and lifted up all his hair with her other hand, he gave a gasp.
"Would you like a braid or maybe a French twist? I am very good at twists, Dippy showed me how to do it once. But I am better at braids. We have to make the hair grown on Dippy. Turn your head a little."
Grindelwald altered his spell to allow a bit of motion to the man's neck. As soon as he did, the man tried to pull away from her touch. Moody could see horrid blisters appearing on the man's flesh where the little girl was touching him. The little girl reprimanded him in a poor imitation of Grindelwald's voice.
"Now, now. None of that. Stop your squirming."
As she fixed the man's hair into a braid, she continued reprimanding him.
"Be good and stop squirming. If you are good and do as I ask, I will get you anything your heart desires. I promise by the Wizard's Code"
When the hair was contained again in something barely passing for a braid, the little girl gave a satisfied nod.
"Now you can go look into the mirror. Tell me what ever your heart desires and I will get it for you."
Moody could see the man was in far too much pain to move even if he hadn't been trapped by a hex. Moody himself had felt something almost like a burning when the girl had brushed against him on her way to the mirror. Exactly what kind of protective charms or curses were on this child?
"Go on, go look and the mirror will tell you what your heart's desire is."
It was Albus Dumbledore who answered for the silver haired auror.
"He doesn't need to look into the mirror. I can tell you his heart's desire. His heart's desire is to have your father's wand and to have Mr. Moody's wand returned to him."
Grindelwald picked up Moody's second wand and gave a chuckle. When the little girl approached and extended her hand for his wand, he gave her his wand and kissed the top of her head.
"You do thwart me at every opportunity. But a promise is a promise and I will never make you break your word. Give him my wand and I will return Mr. Moody's to him. Then off to bed, just the way you are supposed to be when I have visitors."
Before the girl had a chance to turn over the wand, Grindelwald used Moody's second wand to undo all the body binds.
"I will come quietly with you, but this isn't anything she needs to see."
Moody frowned suspecting a trick as he caught his wand. This man killed for no seeming reason, what did the honor of the Wizard's Code mean to him?
"How do we know it isn't a ruse?"
"Because I know if I struggle you will gladly kill me and I will be of far too great a use in the future to die now. Mr. Dumbledore defeats me, but he isn't the one who kills me."
"The Ministry will take care of that, not to worry."
Grindelwald smiled.
"No, the Ministry will not kill me."
It didn't really matter now. The door had already closed behind the little girl. He summoned bindings around Grindelwald, but still he couldn't help asking.
"Who kills you?"
"You know who."
"No, I don't." Merlin, he hated Seers. "Who?"
Grindelwald just laughed.
Dumbledore and several of the aurors went through the door the little girl had just passed through. They searched the series of rooms past it. A room was found with clothes, blocks, and books for a little girl, but no little girl was in it. All they found on the little girl's bed was her little gray and black kitten curled up on the pillow. Even after a full search of the estate, no little girl was found.
********************************************
Armando Dippet entered the cell in Azkaban. When word of Grindelwald's prediction that he would not be executed because he would be of, "Far too great a use in the future," got out, quite an uproar had gone up in the Wizarding community. Eventually, Grindelwald's prediction had indeed proven true. The Dementors were to perform the Kiss on Grindelwald today and as such he was allowed visitors.
He didn't say anything, merely waited for the younger man to speak. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, he began.
"Bloody Jupiter, tell me where she is."
When the younger man just stared at him impassively, Armando came to a realization.
"You don't know where she is, do you?"
Grindelwald gave a small smile.
"It's gone then? The Sight you received from Artemisia."
Grindelwald nodded.
"I lost it as soon as Artemisia died."
Dippet frowned.
"Then how have you been making your predictions all these years? The girl, Minerva? She is a Seer?"
He noticed Grindelwald made a point of looking him directly in the eyes before answering.
'No, she isn't. The predictions were my own."
"Forgive my bluntness, Grindelwald, but your Visions were never that clear before."
"Why do you think I decided to kill Minister Asgard?"
Without waiting for a response to his question, Grindelwald went on speaking.
"As Asgard said, some of the abilities the line is said to carry are considerably more valuable than Seers."
It took Dippet only a moment to figure out the meaning of the other man's words.
"A foci then?"
Grindelwald nodded.
Dippet sighed. He knew this would complicate matters considerably. A foci was just what the word said, a focus, a point where rays of energy came together, became concentrated, clear, distinct, and from which they spread. A foci could take the powers and energies of another and before returning them, so concentrate, so direct them as to make them magnified far beyond what they normally would be. Valuable indeed.
"Did you ever see the 'why'?"
Grindelwald shook his head.
"What was your 'why'?"
Grindelwald grimaced.
"Artemisia could never allow another to be happy. Not even her own child, especially not her own child. I thought maybe that was the 'why'. Something or things Artemisia would do to the child. In the beginning, my intention was to end it all before it began."
"You killed her and took the child?"
Grindelwald looked away from him.
"No, I left the child, I left my own daughter in the forest to die next to her mother. Not three months conceived and when I removed her from her mother, she breathed. It was a horrid noise, a death rattle. I knew she couldn't keep it up for long, but I couldn't bare to hear it, to know what I was doing. I left her."
When Grindelwald fixed him with a penetrating look before continuing, he understood the second meaning to the man's next words.
"You have no idea how tiny she was. Really, no bigger than the kitten they found."
Armando frowned before bringing the conversation back a moment.
"I didn't See her there. Moody didn't find her there."
"No, someone or something moved her. That's what I was doing in the forest, I was looking to see what had become of her."
"You lacked the Sight, so it took you three days to find her?"
Grindelwald shook his head.
"I thought some kind of animal had carried her off to… I had to know, so I searched the forest. I found her that first day; she had been sheltered in some bushes. Still I left her there. I came back the next day again to see and she was still alive. Someone must have been caring for her. I don't know a centaur, perhaps? The third day, I could stand it no longer, I took her home with me."
"And you brought a unicorn with you to feed her blood to keep her alive?"
Grindelwald shook his head again.
"No, don't you understand? All this was to spare her from what we saw her do. Never would I condemn her to a cursed existence, to a half-life. Artemisia must have done it somehow, before I arrived."
Dippet couldn't help but frown. It wasn't that he didn't believe Grindelwald, the man had no reason to lie now, and yet even now he could not reconcile himself to Artemisia slaying a unicorn. Still the facts did not add up.
"That was the 'why' for Artemisia, why all the others?"
"I never did answer the question Artemisia asked at dinner that night. I didn't see a point, my opinion was different than Artemisia's and you of all people know one can never win an argument with Artemisia. It simply wasn't allowed. At the time, I didn't believe the future was set. I agreed with you, it was something malleable, changeable by our actions.
I tried to change Minerva's future. At first, I tried to show her a different way. Never by her actions with me did she ever seem capable of the acts of desolation we witnessed. She was sweet and loving, not wretched like Artemisia. In fact, as Mr. Moody and Mr. Dumbledore can assure you, she always did her utmost to thwart my every malevolent act. But never would the Vision of the future change.
Finally, I tried to eliminate all the people I came across who would affect her life negatively, who would cause her some harm or pain. I thought if I could do that than maybe she would never feel the need to do those horrid things. Easier said than done though, I am afraid. Every time I would do away with one, another came to take the part and still the Vision of the future was unaltered."
Armando could not help but pity the man before him.
"Jupiter, we are Seers, destined always to Watch, to Know, to speak out against perhaps, but never can we actively intervene."
He knew as the other man continued speaking that his words spoken years too late, went unheeded.
"No, my opinion has changed. I see the Future differently now. I believe some things are set, immovable, inevitable. No matter what alterations are made around them, some things must still come to pass. Like dropping a pebble into the sea, it causes ripples that impinge on every drop of water in the sea, but in time it all returns to the way it was before."
"Is that why you taught her all those spells? Where in heavens did you learn them?"
"I Saw her use them. I could not, would not again leave her defenseless to her Fate. I taught her every spell I ever Saw her have need of."
Armando warily shook his head.
"Even her name, Minerva, Jupiter's favorite child, born of no mother. The ferocious and merciless war wager. Carrier of his most devastating weapon, indeed."
Grindelwald sighed.
"You forget Armando, there are other interpretations to the name; wisdom, reason. And she carried not only Jupiter's thunderbolt, but his aegis and buckler as well, items of auspices, protection.
After a moment, Grindelwald almost inaudibly added a last thought.
"Armando, if you find her as she is now, leave her be. She is young. If she hasn't already, she will begin to forget things. Maybe this is the answer, after all; what harm can she do this way?"
After a pensive silence, Dippet spoke.
"The others are here, waiting. Did you want to see them before…?"
"Artemisia made predictions that night for everyone at the dinner. Brynhild and Sigurd heard theirs at the dinner and she showed me mine after. Did you bring the orbs?"
Dippet nodded.
"Yes, Artemisia never put the enchantment on the orbs that prevents anyone but the recipient from touching them. Minister Asgard is dead, but Moody and Dumbledore are here. I will bring them in and we can listen to them."
Since Minister Asgard was no longer available to break his own orb, Dippet did it for him. It was unsettling to say the least, to again hear Artemisia's cruel tone.
"Beware, treachery awaits you from the cup of one of your dinner companions."
"Useful perhaps had it been delivered in a more timely manner," stated Dippet ruefully before breaking his own orb.
"You will not live to see the day all your work will come to naught, but unrest assured, the day will come."
Dumbledore took the orb Dippet extended to him. Dippet knew the auburn haired man had only made the journey to Azkaban in hopes that Grindelwald would offer assistance in locating the missing young girl. He also knew that at least for the moment, he had no intentions of sharing the information he had received from Grindelwald.
Artemisia's voice rose from the broken orb as it shattered.
"Kill the girl, Minerva, while she is still young. If you do not, she will one day have the power to destroy you. Before it is all done, you will kneel before her begging for life. If your plea is answered, you can expect to spend the remainder of your life in bondage and servitude to her and her line. She will have dominion over all that you hold dear."
Dumbledore merely raised an eyebrow at this pronouncement. Moody was the first to speak.
"So that one is mine?"
Dippet shook his head.
"No, it is marked for her daughter."
He watched the young auror frown.
"You brought the orbs, so we know they aren't cursed yet to only be opened by their intended recipient?"
He nodded to the auror who was slowly becoming not so young.
"It might contain something to help us find her."
Moody took the orb and smashed it.
"You shall have two offspring. The first shall be havoc and ruin. Bringing chaos and destruction to all he touches. In the second can be redemption. If he survives infancy, he will be destined for all his existence to reversing the devastation the first has wrought."
Moody's disappointment that the orb was not more useful was clear in his face.
"Well, it was worth a try. Where is my orb?"
Again, it was Dippet who answered.
"That was the last orb I found."
Moody stared back and forth between Dippet and Grindelwald.
"You said she had a prediction for each of the people at the dinner."
Grindelwald gave his last smile.
"She didn't think you were important enough to bother with. Personally, I think you are beneath contempt, but would you like some of my advice for the future?"
Moody looked at Grindelwald expectantly. Contempt was unmistakable in the older man's voice.
"If you want to get everything you so richly deserve in life, make certain you look under the bed."
Grindelwald's final prediction for Alastor Moody were the last words he spoke before his visitors were sent away and the Dementors performed their task.
"Also, you will find your later years far more enjoyable, if you buy a larger trunk."