Hermione was carried off the altar by the two drummers as Lady Grindelwald completed the ritual, the formal words sounding hollow after the raw magic that had torn through the gathering only minutes earlier.
Even before it was acceptable to talk, people were already muttering. Some understood what had just happened and were awestruck, others were concerned and still others were frightened. All Gellert could remember was the agonising scream she'd made when the coven magic joined with hers. He remembered the towering wall of fire that had swept out in a circle of blinding white, the howling wind that had sent everybody but him staggering, and he was afraid for her.
He had been taught the old ways; stories of fey, demons and spirits. He recognised when someone other had stepped in and taken control of his witch. No mortal could walk on air like that, no ten year old could hold that much power and no mortal could channel a ritual without the correct words. The question was which one Hermione was playing host to, and was she always playing host to it?
He left the ritual before his mother had even finished scattering the blood, slipping to the back of the crowd and out of the barrow circles. He skirted around the outside to where Hermione was being laid out on the grass by the two drummers. They looked up at his approach and moved to shield her, twin wands drawn.
'It's okay, I'm Gellert, her brother.' He raised his hands, shifting impatiently. One of the witches lit her wand and waved it in his face, then nodded, having ascertained his identity.
They allowed him through and he dropped to his knees beside her. She was ghostly pale, her skin cool to the touch. Her lashes were dark against her cheeks, and it was a relief to feel a breath stir against his cheek. Then she was gone, the beautiful dress that she'd worn collapsing to the ground. One of the twins cursed and pushed him aside, the other stuck her wand beneath his chin viciously.
'What did you do?' The woman hissed. She would have had smile lines, but her face was pulled into a terrifying snarl.
'Nothing, she's gone home. She always does that.' He defended.
'It's okay, he's telling the truth.' His mother's voice came from behind and he almost sighed in relief, catching himself at the last moment. The twin that held him relaxed her hold and returned her wand to it's holster.
'Apparition, after that? I was expecting her to have burned out her core.' The one on the ground marvelled.
'Do you know what it was?' Gellert asked quickly, trying to distract slightly from further interest in Hermione's unusual abilities. He might have imagined it, but there seemed to be a glimmer of pride in his mother's eyes at those words.
'No, I don't.' His mother said, sounding slightly defeated. 'But we should be able to discount a malicious possession at least. It wouldn't have finished the ritual otherwise and the blessing seemed effective.'
The four of them turned to look at her empty pile of robes on the floor.
'Poor girl. First that duel, now this. Certainly not an ideal first time as channel' One of the twins tutted.
'Although, I wouldn't want to be that Tunninger girl. I imagine she's not feeling so confident after that.' The other pointed out.
His mother knew more, he was certain of it but for whatever reason she didn't want to discuss the matter in front of an audience. He turned away, cutting across the deserted ritual area towards the fire, where people were already dancing. His mother scooped up the dress and joined him, her longer legs meaning she didn't have to look undignified as she caught up.
'You know what it was?' Gellert demanded, then winced when he realised how disrespectful that had sounded. He almost expected a blow and was surprised when instead she regarded him calculatingly and replied.
'I do. I believe that was family magic.'
'Family magic?' Gellert asked. He'd heard of it referred to in old stories, usually in combination with powerful sorcery and magic. He'd never heard of it beyond the confines of the family cave otherwise, and that magic was nothing like what Hermione had performed earlier.
'Yes, family magic; the magical residue of our ancestors, channelled through the family head.' His mother confirmed.
'But she isn't the family head.' Gellert pointed out. His mother was, the glittering sapphire signet ring on her finger proved it.
'Not of our family.' Lady Grindelwald pointed out and Gellert paused, considering the implications of that.
'So she's from some other family? She's not a Grindelwald?' He asked. He didn't know enough about it, but he wondered if the ancestors of her true family would be annoyed that they'd taken her in. Then again, she'd completed the ritual in the cave without any issues.
'Come now Gellert. I have taught you better than that. The family magic accepted her, so she is family. Do you think Frau Kollmann left the Tunninger family when she joined the Kollmann family?' His mother showed the first hint of irritation. Gellert shrugged, he really hadn't thought on it. He supposed not.
'Is there a limit?' He asked finally.
'Of course not. You are a Grindelwald on my side, but your father was from the Oberlander family. You are the last of the Oberlander family, but they are not an old family so they do not have their own family magic. Should I have failed to raise you, you would have been taken in by my mother's family, the Lintzens, and inducted into their magic. If Anneken died without children, you would become head of both the Lintzen family and the Grindelwald family. If your wife were to be, perhaps, Mareike, your son might become head of all four families, or perhaps you may have two children and spread the burden.' She explained, Gellert nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed.
'So Hermione is Grindelwald, and this other family as well.' He confirmed an his mother nodded her head. 'What family is it?'
'That, I do not know. I suspect she is descended from a squib, but she could be the first magical in the line in centuries. Perhaps she will attend the Samhain ritual with us, and we will learn.'
Gellert doubted that would be happening soon, as Hermione had made it very clear that that, along with the day of the new year, were dates that she celebrated with her family in England. He had a plan however; Hermione could never turn down knowledge. He just needed to pique her interest in her first family, and he was certain Anneken would be more than willing to help him.
'May I share this with Anneken?' He asked his mother. The older witch looked at him sternly.
'Perhaps, if you believe she will keep this to herself. I believe she has Hermione's trust?'
'She wishes to join Hermione's coven.'
Lady Grindelwald gave a delighted laugh and gave him her blessing to share the news with Anneken. They parted, Lady Grindelwald heading over to the dark cluster of robes that was the rest of the coven. He spotted Anneken by her dress, which was of course daringly cut and made out of shining crimson fabric. She was dancing with her fiancée, a tall and muscular man with dark complexion.
She stopped as soon as she saw him, dropping her fiancé's arms as though she had forgotten he existed.
'Is Hermione okay?' She demanded, pulling him out of the way of the rest of the dancers who were spinning and clapping around the bonfire. Her fiancé followed, a somewhat bemused expression on his face.
He explained the situation in an undertone. Anneken was a society witch, with her daring dresses and circles of female minions but she was also incredibly intelligent and had studied ancient magic for far longer. She also didn't seem hindered by Gellert's assumptions.
'It must be an extinct family, or she wouldn't be the family head.' Anneken pointed out, 'an ancient house too; that was incredibly powerful and you need a lot of generations to have that kind of reservoir.'
'Do you think there's a list of ancient families somewhere?'
'Perhaps the British ones, they're so obsessed with genealogy.' Her fiancé interrupted with a deep baritone. Anneken and Gellert jumped slightly and drew apart.
'Gellert, this is Andon Krum, my fiancée. Andon, you may have met Gellert Grindelwald. He is Hermione's brother.' Anneken introduced smoothly.
They shook hands.
'You share a dormitory with my younger brother at Durmstrang.' Andon informed him. Gellert politely hid his sneer. Viktor Krum had met Gellert's expectations entirely - he had a voracious appetite and an inability to keep his belongings tidy. Gellert had jinxed his underwear more than once when it had strayed into his area. Thankfully it seemed that tidbit of information hadn't reached home.
'My mother said we should see if we can persuade her to spend Samhain with us.' Gellert turned back to Anneken, not quite dismissing him from the conversation but certainly letting him know that he wasn't included.
'That shouldn't be hard. More importantly, we need to make sure she knows how to use that magic... or perhaps more importantly, not use it, considering the duel - I heard it was to be this spring?'
'Yule, yes. Your father is the warden.' Anneken rolled her eyes at him, suggesting that she was very aware of her father's role.
'He bought her as much time as possible, yes?' Krum pointed out. Gellert glared at him. He really didn't like either Krum. Perhaps his judgement of the family had been somewhat skewed by that incident with the toy broom at Yule several years ago, and it certainly hadn't helped that Krum hadn't changed in the slightest. He considered the complete lack of discipline to be as much a failing of the family as his year mate.
'Your mother really will push her. Perhaps I should visit more often, see if I can provide some relief.' Anneken murmured thoughtfully and warmth flooded through Gellert, even as a scowl fixed itself on Krum's features. Her fiancé clearly wasn't as keen on her spending more time with Hermione. Gellert couldn't think of anything better; Anneken had a point. By agreeing to the duel, Hermione had placed an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders, and Gellert's mother would expect her to rise to it. He did not envy her the private duelling lessons his mother would inflict on her.