He really didn't like Mordred; the knight was powerful and knowledgable but took great pleasure in jabbing at everything Gellert didn't know. He just couldn't wrap his head around the boundless concept of magic that both Hermione and Mordred seemed to work with ease. There was something unnerving about the way they could just... do things.
And, predictably, Mordred delighted in the fact that Gellert couldn't believe it was possible enough to make it work. Doubting that it would happen was the biggest obstacle to making magic in the way they did.
However, he couldn't deny that Hogmanay was an excellent idea. His feet tapped in time with the singing as he watched Hermione spinning through one of the jolly, bouncing dances. She looked a vision, dressed in her white and gold dress from harvest which had been changed up by a crimson ribbon. Her cheeks were flushed beneath the ancient circlet which flashed in the light of the balls of fire that hung above their heads. She crossed her arms with the two witches next to her and the whole group began to prance sideways in a massive circle, singing something about the wheels of life. Then Lady Grindelwald broke off as they started singing about snakes and the circle formed into a line which wound around to hunt out demons in the shadows.
His mother seemed to be enjoying the festivities as well, taking to her duty to splash 'venom' at anyone who wasn't dancing very seriously. Once splashed with venom, those who had been called out joined the end of the line with good humour. Finally, the circle was formed again and they skipped sideways in a circle once more before everyone broke into cheers and applause.
Hermione skipped over to him, breathing heavily with exertion.
'What do you think? Can Alice hear us?' She demanded, flopping onto the bench next to him.
Gellert didn't doubt it, because of course it wasn't enough for Hermione and Mordred to have created a celebration here. The two Gorlois had decided to make the campers outside extra miserable but plunging the temperature low enough that a thrown bucket of water froze before it hit the ground. Without their special brand of atmospheric spells, it would be a miserable night for anyone not directly beneath the balls of conjured fire.
Alice and her rebellious friends would be sitting in their tents in the gardens, just beyond the line of Hermione's temporary wardstone feeling miserable as the cacophony of singing and celebrating echoed through the sky.
'I very much suspect she can.' Gellert said dryly as someone launched into a rowdy round of 'big blue rat.' Within minutes, half the castle inhabitants were bellowing along and performing some free form rendition of one of the Hogmanay dances. Several people mimed donkey ears with their hands as the blue rat turned itself into a donkey, and he could have sworn the very ground shook as everyone stamped their feet when the rat became a warhorse.
'This entire thing is ridiculous.' Berg huffed past his wide grin as he dropped down on Gellert's other side.
'Its fun though.' Hermione countered, leaning forwards to peer around Gellert.
'Yes, but its still ridiculous. Did you see Frau Fleiss blowing fire during the dragon song?'
'Or Herr Lintzen dancing? He's lethal with that cane.'
'It's the magic.' Hermione announced. 'It makes everyone a little wild.'
And she was right. The air practically hummed with bright, jolly magic which fought off cold, darkness and misery. It was like a powerful cheering charm, without that even being the intent. The more boisterous and cheerful the gathered wixen became, the more powerful the enchantment grew. It worked in a glorious circle, breaking the self-imposed barriers of position and giving everyone a night of joy which lightened what was otherwise a miserable time.
Unfortunately, Gellert's dignified retreat to the refreshment tables was spoiled when Anneken hauled all three of them up for the evening's third repetition of the dance of the dead. He actually liked this one because it didn't require singing. Instead, he could clap and stamp his feet to the thunderous tempo of the dance as Frau Hassel, who had a wonderful singing voice sung the ancient Norse words.
It was midway through this dance when he saw someone slip from the courtyard, firelight shining off gleaming gold. He frowned and glanced up at his mother. She was clapping along to Herr Lintzen as he bellowed the part Odin in the song and didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss. He drew back into the shadows and began making his was around the courtyard.
He was just about to slip through the doors when he remembered the last time he'd decided to investigate something without telling an adult. He'd almost died and not really achieved much of note in the process.
He altered his course, slipping further around the hall. He tapped his mother's arm and she glanced down at him, taking in his expression. A moment later she was following him into the shadows.
Together the two Grindelwalds left the courtyard. The temperature plummeted as soon as they passed through the doorway, their breath misting as they crunched along frozen carpets. It was easy to follow the depressed footsteps until they finally caught up with two shadowy figures in the window that looked out over the distant camp. They were muttering in low voices, one tall, the other short and very familiar. Where Hermione had stashed Mordred's sword during the dancing, Gellert didn't know.
He was about to step forwards and demand what they were doing when his mother's arm flew out to stop him in his tracks. She held one finger to blue-tinged lips and together they snuck forwards until they were within hearing distance.
'...better not hurt them.' Hermione was grumbling as she jerked on the window.
'It won't, I've told you. It's just a distraction.' Mordred reassured her. He pulled a piece of chalk out of a bag and began to draw on the cobblestones.
'A distraction that won't hurt them?' Challenge the young witch with the air of someone who had already made this point several times. Mordred grumbled and Hermione finally gave up on the window, demanding that they swap. They did, Hermione rubbing warmth into her fingers as she crouched down to take up the sketching whilst Mordred rested a hand against the window and pushed. The icy seal cracked with a snap and the window swung open, shunting a pile of snow off the sill.
'Cheat.' Hermione hissed without malice, then snickered as Mordred lobbed a hunk of snow at her.
Mordred picked something else out from the bag and began adding it to the drawings on the floor, then Hermione dropped the chalk back into the bag and pulled out five candles and set the down in a semicircle. They were setting up a ritual of some sort - a small one from the looks of it. His mother was tense as a rod next to him and he could feel her radiating ire and disapproval.
'That should do it.' Hermione finally announced, stepping back from her circle as Mordred did the same. Lady Grindelwald took that as her cue, stepping into the moonlit corridor and letting her voice ring our through the stone corridor as she demanded to know what was going on. Hermione leapt about three foot into the air, whilst Mordred disappeared suddenly. Hermione glanced around shiftily.
Now that he could see the circle, he realised it was rather simple. There was a triangle, upside down and inside a circle with a line chopping off the nose. There was a semicircle of candles and a sprinkling of salt around the circle. It was a summoning of some sort; well into the bounds of dark magic.
Mordred reappeared suddenly, looming over Hermione protectively. His dark eyes gleamed dangerously, and his dark-fire magic held itself ready to pounce.
'We were going to reopen the floo network.' Hermione finally said, straightening and throwing her chin into the air.
'Reopen the floo network.' Lady Grindelwald repeated in a deadly voice. Hermione, usually so good at playing the adults in her life, somehow misinterpreted the tone and grinned, babbling about how they were going to distract the enemy encampment with a false attack, then use the distraction to slip into the ministry. Lady Grindelwald's expression remained a cold, blank mask.
'What gave you the impression that you, a child, should be conducting such a dangerous mission.' Lady Grindelwald hissed. Hermione paused, finally catching onto the tone.
'Because I can.' Hermione finally answered. 'We cannot hold out here forever. If I can create an escape route, it is my duty to do so.'
'That is not your responsibility. You are a child. Your duty is to grow, learn and live to take on the family honour upon your majority.'
'Respectfully, Lady Grindelwald.' Mordred interrupted, sounding anything but, 'Hermione is the High Priestess of Gorlois. Her responsibility is to the people, regardless of the cost to herself.'
'So this is your idea!' Lady Grindelwald rounded on the dark knight, her magic crackling with fury. 'She is a child, barely even eleven, yet your blasted family would keep her from her childhood with talk of duty and responsibility. She should be dancing with her agemates, not performing some dark ritual in a frozen corridor and planning to head to battle.'
'Eleven is of age enough to be acclimatising to responsibility. She is powerful and intelligent, there is no reason to be holding her back for the sake of a childhood she is not interested in.'
'Because you and yours have filled her head with duty. I will not have her wellbeing forsaken for the sake of the restoration of your family five years earlier. You have waited a century and a half, you can wait a little longer.' Lady Grindelwald spat, her hand making a strange jerking motion as if to pull Hermione towards her.
'Lady Grindelwald.' Hermione suddenly interrupted, stepping forwards with a rustle of skirts. 'This has nothing to do with my family. This is about the people, our people, gathered downstairs. We cannot survive here indefinitely and the longer we wait, the more people flock to join Alice and the harder it will be to escape and regroup. I can act, so I must.'
Gellert made a decision without even realising he had. He'd always bowed to his mother, done his best to please her, but he too was a powerful wizard. If Hermione could stand for her beliefs in front of his mother, he could too.
'She's right, Mother, in that we need to act. It is all of our responsibilities as those gifted with power to protect those with less, no matter our age.' Gellert stepped up to stand next to his mother's elbow, a reflection of Hermione and Mordred across the circle from them. Lady Grindelwald glanced down at him, then back at Hermione before sighing. Her tall form folded slightly.
'You're right, of course. Both of you are wise and strong, I was wrong to suggest you not do what is right. I almost lost you, Gellert, and I am terrified that next time you might not return at all but I should not let my fears hold you back. I only ask that next time, you not take matters into your own hands. For now, and hopefully many years yet, your responsibility is shared with me as your warden.'
Hermione promised solemnly to do so.
'Mordred, Witch King of Gorlois, I humbly apologise. I should not have accused you of neglect when you were merely fulfilling your duty as a guide.' Gellert's mother curtsied deeply to the knight as Gellert mouthed the title she'd used to Hermione in confusion. Hermione shrugged, equally as clueless as he was and the adults completed their stilted, formal apology. Then, at the matriarch's prompting, Hermione launched into a slower and more detailed explanation of their plan. It was complex yet beautifully simple in a way that only someone with her magical talent and Mordred's bizarre esoteric knowledge could hope to pull off.
Lady Grindelwald had only one improvement; she sent Gellert to go and fetch Frau Fleiss and Hassel.
He obeyed, and when he returned with the two women they all took seats around the circle, linking hands.
He'd done conjoined magic with Hermione before, and he'd used joined magic in rituals but he'd never done something like this. It was a kaleidoscopic blend of all six magics - Hermione's white fire, Mordred's dark counterpart, both wild and uncontrollable. His mother brought her sharp icyness and he brought his dark, cool magic which tempered the burning heat of the Gorlois. Frau Fleiss had magic like cold steel and she brought enviable control, forcing the four unruly magics into the strict lines of the ritual whilst the warm earthiness of Frau Hassel grounded all their magics, somehow binding the five diametrically opposite magics into a cohesive whole that they could weave through the enchantment in powerful, gleaming strands. Then, Hermione reached for the conflagration of magic that was being generated by the dancing public in the distant courtyard, firmly linking that to power the enchantment.
Mordred spoke a long string of harsh, guttural words and the magic billowed out, spiralling outwards to form a dark void. Four massive, pitch black hounds clambered out of the void. Jaws filled with gleaming teeth dripped with viscous drool and fierce eyes gleamed with savage crimson light.
Only Hermione would have even considered summoning a pack of Grims to distract their enemies! If it was bad luck to see a Grim, it was even worse luck to attack one and Hermione's summoned beasts looked like they were begging to be allowed to go and destroy some tents.
Mordred and Hermione stepped sideways so the path to the window was clear, then all six wixen shared a nod of preparedness. Frau Fleiss used a whispered spell to blow the salt away and the four hounds surged through the window in effortless leaps. Baying and howling, the omens disappeared into the freezing darkness and only moments later the first petrified scream drifted through the night air.
Then, Lady Grindelwald picked up the broomsticks that were waiting by the window, passing one to each of the adults. Hermione strapped Mordred's sword between her shoulders and swung astride behind Gellert. Silently, under powerful disillusionment charms they streaked out into the freezing night air.
They landed just outside the old wards, nestled into the darkness behind the towering walls which were already beginning to crumble without the impregnated magic to support them. Gellert took the hand of his mother whilst Frau Hassel took Hermione's. There was a sharp crack and Gellert popped out of the crushing embrace of another plane into the town square he'd stood in only moment ago, hanging tightly onto his mother's arm until the nausea subsided.
'Such an inelegant way to travel.' Frau Fleiss muttered, leaning against a stone column for support as she regained her breath.
'Inefficient too.' Lady Grindelwald agreed with a nod.
'Always takes my magic hours to settle properly afterwards as well.' Frau Hassel huffed, pulling a vial of dark potion from somewhere on her robes and taking a healthy swig, then holding the potion up to the moonlight. 'I wouldn't be able to perform a single wandless charm afterwards if it wasn't for this.'
'Yes, it stirs me up as well but that can only be expected when you magically disassemble and reassemble yourself.' The three adult witches took turns to take a sip of potion, then Hermione and Gellert had a little too. Instantly, his magic which had been thrown into a confused mess of icy shards by the apparition smoothed over and became manageable again. He sighed in relief.
They all readied themselves, drawing their wands. Hermione cast a couple of practice flames in her off-hand to make sure she'd managed to regain control of her apparition-dulled flames. After two or three she shrugged and nodded that she too was ready. Gellert shuffled next to her, taking her hand in his.
'Together?' He asked uncertainly and was rewarded by a beaming smile.
'Always.' Hermione replied, switching the hand she held her wand in so that they could hold hands more easily. Their magic melded familiarly as they followed the adults through the open portal.