As you know, all characters, etc., belong to JK Rowling. I initially started this story several years ago, at a very busy time in my life. I have more time to work on the stories now so I plan to update at least once per week. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments, we can always improve so I look forward to your input.

Prologue

Summer 1898:

The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot swung his gavel, bringing everyone back to attention so that he could deliver the verdict that would decide the fate of the two teenagers seated below him in the center of the chamber. Speaking in a slow, somber voice, the Chief Warlock proceeded to shock the wizarding world by imposing a sentence on the young men that had not been used in a thousand years. A punishment so old, it was thought to be merely legend.

The Chief Warlock declared that both young men were to have their magic bound, and would be forced into a magical contract that would ensure that they would never work against this ministry. Historically, this punishment was saved for dark lords that were captured instead of killed, but there had not been anyone deemed dangerous enough to have this sentence imposed on them since before the time of Merlin. These dark lords, often the most powerful wizards alive, were presumed to have such a large control over magic, that attempting to kill them while they still had the ability to manipulate magic was deemed too dangerous. For in their final moments, these evil wizards of untold power, might be able to unleash some last revenge upon the world. Therefore, these criminals, the worst of the worst, were stripped of their magic before either being executed, or serving a life imprisonment in the most secure prisons. The fact that these two young men, who were barely into their adulthood, were sentenced to the same fate as the most dangerous wizards in history caused a shocked silence to descend upon the room.

One of the young men, the one with shining, curly golden hair, stared at the panel of judges above them, disbelief clearly defined on his face. The other one, a teenager with flowing auburn hair and piercing blue eyes, simply stared at the Chief Warlock, appearing to everyone else within the courtroom as if he did not have a care in the world. However, what everyone in the courtroom missed, was the calculating look that came into the second young man's eyes, completely contradicting the slightly extravagant persona he usually displayed.

With the tension rising, several minutes passed, after which the two young men were led into an antechamber at the back of the room where they would forcibly stripped of their magic. Joining them was the Minister for Magic, Chief Warlock, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE), Head of the Department of Mysteries (DOM), and several high ranking unspeakables, along with the most skilled aurors currently working for the ministry. No one else within the chamber uttered a word as the procession left, primarily because regardless of the trial that had just occurred, no one could imagine losing their magic as these two were about to. You see, losing ones magic was essentially a death sentence because the shock of having something so fundamentally a part of you be denied to you typically caused the person in question to die.

The room they entered was fairly small, consisting of just one small, wooden table with two chairs placed on one side facing away from the door. There was nothing else in the room save for a painting of some former minister from years past. The prisoners were immediately chained to the chairs while everyone else stood across the table, facing them. After watching the prisoners for a long minute, the Head of the DMLE placed a piece of parchment in front of each of the men sitting at the table. Indicating that they should read it, everyone fell silent again.

Eventually the taller of the two young men, the one with long auburn hair, started to chuckle to himself. It took several minutes of being stared at like he was crazy before he was able to compose himself, and with one last chuckle he looked up and stared straight at the Minister for Magic and spoke for the first time since he had been captured.

"Come now minister do you really expect me to swear this oath without any questions whatsoever?"

It was a slightly shocked minister who replied as if speaking to a child, "Yes, since you have been found guilty and sentenced within our court of law, you are not expected to get any say in your own punishment." This response caused the young man to chuckle once more.

"Well, you see minister, I have a slight problem with this oath. As you no doubt know, this oath is completely one sided and biased against me and my companion here. I believe that if you want me to swear this oath you should allow us something to make it more...fair" It was unbelievable to the people in this room that the young man could be so persuading, mesmerizing even, regardless of the fact that he was chained to a chair, however only the Head of the DOM recognized the danger of allowing someone like this to roam free. Stepping forward, the lead Unspeakable gave a harsh look to the young man.

"And why do we need to listen to you boy?" Smirking the young man stared back and smoothly replied.

" I am simply trying to make sure that I am able to at least have a life, for this oath would allow for this government to forgo any laws in regards to me. This would allow your aurors to kill me with no consequences, imprison me for nothing, and generally do whatever they pleased. And anyway, I only have one small request...I want this oath, and the binding on our magic, to be immediately broken should either of us be convicted or imprisoned without just cause." Immediately the people in the room, save for the two young men started whispering among themselves. After about half a minute they moved out of the room, leaving one of the unspeakables and the aurors to act as a guard.

The two young men looked at each other and the shorter of the two, this one with blonde hair, smirked slightly and whispered something too quiet for the guards to hear, but nonetheless caused the auburn haired young man to smirk as well. Straightening, the two prisoners sat still and waited for the leaders of the ministry to return from their private discussion.

After about half an hour, the people who had left the room returned and the Minister for Magic stepped forward again with a slight smirk on his face. "We have decided that we accept your request, on one condition. You Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore will from this day forth become a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you will be required to educate our youth to the best of your ability, following along with some ministerial guidelines. Also you may not take any full time position outside of the school. And you Gellert Grindelwald, as you are not originally from our country, will have one day to gather your belongings and leave Britain, never to return."

Quickly glancing at his companion, a young Albus Dumbledore turned back towards his captors, and gave a slow nod to show his acceptance. Turning away from the young men to rewrite the contract, the ministry employees all missed the look of fury and hatred that quickly passed across the young boy's eyes.

After the contract was signed, the group of wizards all withdrew their wands and started to chant, a golden light pooling at the end of their wands. Long was the incantation, and powerful was the magic building within the room, powerful enough no single wizard could hope to achieve its result. However the two young men, bound to the fate of this spell watched. They watched, and they remembered.

Winter 1926:

Albus looked up from his plate at the head table in the great hall of Hogwarts as a wave of magic passed through the hall. The noise immediately died and the few students who had stayed at the school for the winter break stared at the head table wondering what was happening. Albus leaned over to Headmaster Dippet and spoke softly, "Headmaster I need to leave and take care of something for the ministry."

"Would this have anything to do with that wave of power we all just felt Albus?" Albus took a minute to stare at the Headmaster before muttering, "Everything." Albus stood and strode from the hall heading towards the front gates of the school. As soon as he passed the gates he turned on the spot and quickly disappeared, letting the feel of that immense power guide him to his destination.

Arriving in an alley beside a muggle orphanage, he quickly disillusioned himself and strode around the corner towards the front door. Once inside he sought out the room with the newly born infant and arrived just in time to hear the mother name her child before falling unconscious.

Albus stared at the newly born child and started waving his wand in an intricate pattern over the baby while mumbling quietly. After several minutes of wand waving there was a soft flash around the child, signifying the spell was complete. Albus stared down at the child, who would be condemned to live with a fraction of his true self, and placed a hand upon his head. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, when the time comes, I will teach you...everything."

Spring 1945:

Albus Dumbledore raged around the great hall of the German castle he was currently visiting, destroying everything he set his eyes on. His long time lover, on the other hand, calmly sat at the table at the head of the room sipping his coffee. Albus rounded on his companion and yelled, "How can you be so calm about this Gellert? They have ordered me to end your reign as a dark lord. They want me to kill you for Merlin's sake. And you and I both know that I cannot refuse a direct order from them."

At this Gellert smirked and put his coffee down on the table. Standing up he then slowly walked over to where Albus had fallen into a chair and took his hands in his own and spoke softly, "Albus all you need to do is ensure that my reign ends. The minister might have implied that you kill me but he never stated it explicitly, therefore it was not a direct order you overly emotional Gryffindor. Now I want you to take my wand so that it will not be discovered, for it cannot fall into the wrong hands, as you well know, and then you will lock me into Nurmengard. I will then wait for the last child of the prophecy and when the time comes, you will come to free me. It's quite simple really Albus."

"As you wish" Albus whispered with a tortured expression on his face. Fighting an overwhelming sense of despair, he raised his wand and the room turned red.

Summer 1980:

Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his desk in the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts reading a book on ancient transfiguration spells that most, if not everyone had forgotten. It was a gift he was planning on taking to Gellert once he had finished it. It had been too long since he had visited, but with Tom currently running around the country like a hippogriff with its head cut off, he did not have much free time.

Just as he was getting ready to go to bed, a familiar wave of magic, one he had not felt in over fifty years washed through the office. With a sigh of relief Albus turned, set down his book, and looked out of the window.

"Finally, the last Heir has been born," he muttered with a smile. And for the first time in nearly one hundred years, he had hope for their future.