Part Three- Elizabeth

Elizabeth—1912—age 62

Albus was made head of the Department of Mysteries within a year. He was surprised, but I wasn't. At the time, Albus was fifty-five, not yet middle aged, but he was no youngster right out of Hogwarts. He was always a good leader, even when he was a child, and I think people responded to that.

As head of the department he was given a seat on the Wizengamot. He took that responsibility so seriously; in many ways he hadn't changed from the fifteen-year-old Prefect who stood up to Julius Malfoy at the train station. Malfoy, by the way, was also on the Wizengamot, apparently filling the chair appointed to pure-blood buggers who feel that social standing is the only measure for justice.

Albus didn't actually use those words, but I can read between the lines.

Because of one of his foreign connections (not Flamel—I checked), he was nominated to a seat on the International Confederation of Wizards last year. He's modest about this (what a surprise), but it's a pretty big accomplishment. Just because he was nominated doesn't mean they had to approve him. Every member gets voted on, and only about twenty-five percent manage to get the sixty percent approval needed.

Albus got ninety-nine percent. The one hold-out was Arcturus Black, a crony of Julius Malfoy's and the son of our old headmaster.

When I heard that, I ripped off my apron and marched out the door to challenge Black to a duel. How dare he vote against my husband? I could wipe the floor with that inbred candy-arse piece of shite.

But Albus grabbed my arm and pulled me back…roughly. And I got all hot again, until the only thoughts in my head were of Albus. Everything else was forgotten as Albus bent his head to mine and murmured, "My champion," before he kissed me.

And then shagged me right there against the front door. He was a young sixty-five and strong as an ox, and I loved it.

We had been married for twenty-two years, and we didn't have any children. I was disappointed, and sometimes bitter. Albus said I was just mad because it was the first thing I'd ever tried that I couldn't do straight away. He probably had a point.

I did want children, but even without them, Albus and I were happy.

That didn't change; there would be problems, but they were never really with us. The fact was, the world was growing darker and more dangerous. Albus worried about it a lot; his work in the Department of Mysteries gave him insight into a lot of things that other people weren't allowed to see. Don't ask me what—I'm one of those other people. I just know that he would come home sometimes with worry lines on his forehead and a slump to his shoulders that broke my heart.

Filius and I continued to offer workshops and training all over the world. I think we eventually went to every country on the globe because of our work with so many different Auror departments. I am sure that's what brought Will Weasley to our fireplace that night.

Albus had come home that evening in a daze. It was almost funny, really, the way he walked into things and tripped over his own feet. He's usually so graceful and sophisticated, but on this day he was acting more like…well, me.

"Hello!" I said, waving at him cheerfully from the kitchen sink. "How was your day?"

"No, thank you," he said.

Okay, now it was funny.

"Albus!" I shouted to get his attention. "What is the matter with you?"

Albus blinked at me and shook his head. "Oh, please excuse me," he said slowly. "I have just been asked to consider serving as Minister for Magic."

My jaw dropped. "Were you really?" I breathed. He nodded.

I laughed out loud and grabbed a towel to dry my hands. "Your mother is going to love this!" I said. Maybe having her son as Minister would stop the little Floo calls I had dubbed "Mother Dumbledore's Daily Fertility Check."

Probably not.

"Please don't mention it to her, my dear," Albus said earnestly. I rolled my eyes. Like all men, Albus was a bit stupid about his mother. "I haven't decided to accept, and I wouldn't want her disappointed."

I kept my response to myself, but it was difficult.

"You never wanted to go into politics," I said, thinking about it. I had no desire to be a politician's wife, either, but I can work a crowd if I have to. He would be an excellent Minister, even if he were a bit younger than was usual. I wasn't a bit surprised that they asked him.

"No," he said, "I did not. I still don't, to be truthful. But perhaps my skills are needed there. Perhaps it is my duty."

I was about to tell him where he could shove a duty that would make him unhappy when a head appeared in the fireplace.

"Hello, Dumbledores!" it said cheerily. It was Will Weasley, another of my men who was entering middle age with grace. "Can I come in?"

"Of course!" said Albus, smiling at Will.

Will's head disappeared, and a moment later his full self stepped out of our hearth. He and Albus shook hands heartily, and then I jumped up and hugged him around the neck.

He squeezed me back and sighed. "Ah, midget, you haven't changed."

"No, I haven't," I agreed. "I can still kick your arse in a duel, and I can still tell when something's bothering you." I crossed my arms over my chest and studied his face. "What is it, Will?"

He ran a hand through his shaggy red hair. Albus and I exchanged looks, and Albus said, "Come, sit down, Will. I'll get you a drink."

Albus snapped his fingers and a dusty bottle of mead floated to the table, accompanied by three glasses. When it was poured, Will took a drink, then smiled wistfully.

"I see Aberforth is still making his own," he said, raising his glass in a causal toast. Albus and I sat at the table on either side of him.

I put my hand on his arm. "What's going on, Will? You look tense."

"Is this house secure?" he asked, nodding toward the windows.

Albus and I looked surprised, but Albus said quietly, "If you are concerned, we will make certain that it is."

He got up and placed the proper security charms all around the house and the fireplace. He could still move like an Auror when he had to.

Will took a deep drink of his mead and waited. He gave me a weak smile, and glanced up as Albus sat down by me so that Will could look at both of us at the same time. Finally, he took a deep breath and began talking.

"I've been doing some investigative reporting," he said. "It's not my usual area, but nobody thinks that sports reporters give a thought to anything but the final score, so it's been pretty easy for me to look into some things."

He took another drink of mead. Albus and I waited, wondering what kind of danger fun-loving, easy-going Will had stumbled into.

"Remember when I sent you that note, a long time ago?"

"Yeah," I said. "Filius and I have kept our eyes open for anything unusual or disturbing, but I'm afraid we don't stay in one place long enough to really get a feel for what's going on."

"I have heard some rumors in my service with the International Confederation of Wizards," Albus murmured, "but nothing that would have been unknown to you."

"Right." Will nodded. "But something else is going on now. I don't think it's going to be limited to the wizarding world." He looked up at Albus, his shaggy hair falling over one eye. "Have you been following the Muggle news?"

Albus leaned back in his chair. "Yes," he said, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. Albus was very clever, and the wheels turned very fast. "Ships sinking, whole tribes of people being slaughtered, rebellions fomenting…are you saying these things are connected to the tension in the wizarding world?"

"Yeah, I think they are," Will said. "There's something going wrong in almost every country in the world, and I can't be everywhere at once. But as far as I can tell, everything I've investigated can be traced back to Germany."

"The Muggle Kaiser?" I asked, frowning.

"No," Will said. "To a wizard behind the Kaiser. But I don't know who it is."

Albus and I were quiet for a few moments. The implications of this news were shocking; if a single wizard or group of wizards was behind most of the tragedies of the last decade or more, that wizard must be very powerful and very adept at keeping himself hidden. And he already had too much control over world events.

Albus laid a hand over mine and said quietly, "How can we help, Will?"

Will blew out a breath. "I need help with this investigation. I'm not the only one involved, but I need other people like me who can travel internationally without arousing suspicion. If several of us can report and compare notes at the same time, we can probably get to the heart of it."

"What are the stakes, Will?" I asked.

He shrugged wearily. "There's going to be war," he said. "It's not going to be avoided no matter what we do. A year, maybe two. But if we know who's behind it all, we can stop it before it gets too bad. The Muggles won't understand what has to be done, but if the wizarding world knows…we could save a lot of lives. Maybe millions."

"What did you have in mind for Elizabeth and me?" Albus asked.

Will gave us another weary smile. "I have to go to Austria next month for the Quidditch World Cup. I think it would be helpful if Elizabeth were in Germany at the same time, and we could arrange to meet and compare notes."

"I think I can do that," I said. "We're scheduled to do a training session with the German Aurors in the autumn, anyway. There's no reason we couldn't rearrange our schedule."

"Just a moment," Albus said quietly. "You're asking her to walk knowingly into danger, Will. What happens if she's caught relating information to you?"

Will hesitated. "I don't know. It depends how close to the inner circle she gets. It's better for us if she can get good information, but the better the information, the more danger there is for her."

Albus steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. I knew what he was thinking; he didn't want me to do it. He also knew I wouldn't appreciate him making the choice for me.

Finally he sighed deeply and said, "And what would you have me do, Will?"

"Italy," said Will. "I've given this a lot of thought, and I need someone in Italy. Maybe you could write another book with Nicholas Flamel or something. He'd welcome you back, wouldn't he?"

Albus leaned back in his chair. "Oh, yes, he would welcome me back." There was an uncharacteristically hard expression on his face and I felt a surge of anger. I didn't know what went on between Albus and the Flamels, but whatever it was had shaken him deeply, so I hated them both on principle. Albus had been content to maintain a long-distance relationship with them, but he never visited them, even if he was in Italy. I knew without question that Will was asking too much.

"Will," I said determinedly, glancing away from Albus' troubled face, "we haven't told you our news yet. Albus has been asked to serve as Minister for Magic."

Will grinned, the first real, full smile he'd given us since arriving. "You don't say? Congratulations, mate! Your old mum's going to be right pleased."

"I haven't accepted the position yet," Albus said, "and I do feel that the news of impending war rather changes things. What do you think is best in our current circumstances?"

Will pushed back his chair and began to pace. Albus and I waited in silence while Will assimilated this new information. Finally Will returned to the table and leaned against the back of his chair.

"Can I assume that you're reluctant to return to the Flamels?"

Albus met his eyes. "Extremely reluctant."

Will nodded. It was a tribute to their long-standing friendship that Will asked for no further explanation. If Albus had reasons, that was good enough for Will.

Will shook his head. "I hate to thwart your ambitions, Albus, but I just don't think this is a good time. We need good information from the continent, and from Africa and North America, too. More than anything, we need people who can go abroad and get trustworthy information. There just aren't that many people who can go in and out like you two can."

"Trust me," said Albus wryly, "I shall recover from the disappointment."

Will laughed and returned to his place at our table. I reached out and rubbed his arm, and he smiled at me.

"As it happens," Albus said slowly, "I did leave a program unfinished in Alexandria. Would that be as helpful to you as Italy?"

Will thought about that for a minute. "Yeah, I think Alexandria would be very helpful. Are you thinking of resuming your studies in deep magic?"

"I have been considering it for some time," Albus said, "but this seems like an ideal time to follow up on the thought."

We were quiet for a moment, feeling the weight of the world settle on our shoulders. Then I shook my head and stood up. We'd deal with it as it came along.

"You'll stay for dinner, right, Will?" I said, heading toward the pantry.

"Of course," said Will, grinning. "Unlike my brother, I don't get a steady supply of home cooking."

Filius and I reorganized our schedules and spent the next two months in Germany. Albus resigned from the Department of Mysteries, turned down the Minister job, and arranged to study with a Master of Ancient Arts in Egypt. He was in heaven, having returned to the life of a professional student. Between his connections in Egypt and his work in the International Confederation of Wizards, he ended up being a source of significant information for the spy network Will was a part of.

Things were harder for Filius and me in Germany. There was a Dark feeling in the air there, the tension was almost palpable, and the Auror corps seemed desperate for any help they could get. I didn't blame them; they didn't know yet what they would be facing, and fear of the unknown is much worse than knowing what has to be done and resolving to do it.

I was no longer the pretty young thing I used to be, but I have to say that for a woman nearing middle age, I was still fit and handsome. Some nights I returned home to Hogsmeade, but there were many nights where I accepted dinner invitations with officers or German Ministry officials. I was always faithful to Albus, but I wasn't above using flirtation to acquire information.

Filius did the same thing, though he wasn't married. I always wondered how far he was willing to go to get information, but since he more than pulled his weight, I never asked. And if Albus used his charm and good looks to acquire what we needed, I didn't want to hear about it. I do know that there were some nights when I dined alone in Hogsmeade.

One of my most fervent admirers was a senior German Auror about my age. He was a dark, intense man who insisted I join him for dinner at least once a week while I was working there, and after we finished our training program, he kept inviting me to come back to Germany for follow-up seminars, or simply to go to dinner or the theater with him.

Over the course of the next year I spent a considerable amount of time in his company, and the things I learned about his character made me think he was someone who should be watched.

Albus, on the other hand, was beginning to hate the sight of the black and grey owl that brought one of Gellert Grindelwald's letters.

"I do not understand, Elizabeth," he said in that serious tone he gets, "why you continue to keep company with this man."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Albus," I said in exasperation. "I'm not keeping company with him, not like that!"

"But you persist in accepting his invitations," Albus said.

"Look," I said, trying for the tenth time to make this all clear to him. "He knows something. I know he does. He drops little hints, and he's always trying to get me to comment on politics or politicians, feeling me out…"

Albus growled at that phrase. I just raised one eyebrow until he subsided. "Do I really have to reassure you that I'm faithful to you, Albus? After all this time?"

"Of course not," he said, sitting at the kitchen table and resting his hands on his knees. "I just don't like sharing you with another man."

I laughed. "Albus! You've never shared me with another man!" I came up and sat on his lap, straddling his legs. "You know you're the only one I've ever loved."

He frowned. "I spent enough of my life sharing you with Filius," he muttered. "I thought I would have you to myself now."

I bent to kiss his neck. "You do have me to yourself, Albus," I murmured against his throat. "You're the only one." I bit into his neck and he gripped my arms. "But I have to do what I can to help." I reached down and lifted his robes, then lifted my own. "I only love you, Albus," I said, as I slid down onto him. "I only want you."

He stopped arguing and gave his attention to shagging me. I always could distract him when I needed to. When we were done, I held him for a while there in that chair, then changed into my dress robes and left for my evening with Grindelwald.

I Apparated near our restaurant in Berlin, to find my escort awaiting me. "Du bist sehr shoen heute, mein lieb," Grindelwald murmured, kissing my hand. He really was very good looking, and very charming, smooth, and polished where Albus, for all his courteous manners, was just a bit wild. "Positively glowing. I am thinking that you have spent time with your lover."

"Mmmm…" I said noncommittally. Grindelwald held my chair for me and beckoned for the maitre-d'. "He is jealous that I spend time with you."

"Yet you are here, all the same," he said, inclining his head.

"I care for him," I said, shrugging, "but he does not run my life. Do you have no other ladies to whom you must give attention?"

Grindelwald hesitated. "Only one, but she is very demanding."

"Are you unhappy with her demands?" I asked, curious. Grindelwald had never mentioned another woman before.

"Of course not," he answered smoothly, and I knew he was lying. "She makes it worth my while to be loyal."

"Then why are you dining with me?" I asked. We might have been talking about a disgruntled lover, but somehow I didn't think so.

"Because she wants me to be happy," he said with such a charming smile that I smiled back.

"Would you choose the wine?" I asked, sensing it was time to change the subject. If I was euphoric at this potential new piece of information, I didn't let it show on my face.

Grindelwald ordered the wine in rapid German, then placed the food orders for both of us. I never would have let Albus get away with ordering for me, but it suited my purposes to let Grindelwald think he was in control of the situation. I was beginning to think that control was very important for this wizard, which only made his comments about his "lady" more intriguing.

"I have news that might interest you, liebchen," Grindelwald said smoothly after the wine had been poured.

I leaned in. The real reason was so that I could hear him better in the crowded restaurant, but if it added an air of intimacy to our conversation, that was all right, too. Maybe if he was comfortable enough with me, he would reveal something else about this lady.

"I have been promoted," he announced with an air of quiet arrogance. "I have been made senior undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Ambassador to the Kaiser."

"Oh, Gellert," I breathed, "how wonderful for you, and for Germany!"

He gave a quiet nod of satisfaction, telling me clearly something I had already suspected: He couldn't read my thoughts. If he could, he would know I was thinking, oh, shit, whose idiotic idea was that? Are we TRYING to start a war here?

"Danke shoen," he said to me with a graceful inclination of his head. The waiter arrived with our first course, and he was quiet while we were served. "Now, tell me, liebchen," he said once the waiter had left, "how did such a feminine madchen such as yourself become interested in dueling? Surely you are not so competitive?"

For the rest of the dinner, I regaled him with stories from Filius' and my competing days, deliberately downplaying Albus' role in that part of my life. Either Grindelwald was charmed or he pretended to be…either way, his attention became more and more intense.

He watched me like I was the only woman in the room, in the world. Sometimes Albus did the same thing, but when Albus did it it was exciting. With Grindelwald, it was vaguely threatening. Though he never made an improper move, I understood by the end of the evening that I would soon be expected to allow him more than the pleasure of my company.

I decided to think about that later. After allowing Grindelwald a chaste kiss, I Disapparated from the restaurant and Apparated in Will's flat in London. He was busy dictating to a quill that raced back and forth across a piece of parchment.

"…and I remain convinced that the central power behind the unrest lies in Germany. Austria, however, is very closely involved, and I feel sure that Britain will not avoid conflict—" He broke off when he saw me. "Elizabeth!"

I kissed his cheek. "Will," I said, "what do you mean by not placing anti-Apparition spells on your flat? If I can just pop in, so can anyone!"

"Er…yeah, sorry," Will said sheepishly. The quill dropped to the table next to the parchment. "Easier for fast returns, you know."

"Fix it, Will," I said. "I mean it. Or I will."

"Yes, Mum," he said sarcastically. "What's up? Why're you here so late?"

"I may have some information for you, Will," I said, sitting easily on his couch. "I had dinner with Grindelwald tonight."

"Again?" Will frowned. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Don't start," I cautioned, pulling out my wand. He held his hands up in surrender, giving me that cheeky grin that I loved. "He's just been promoted—"

"We knew about that," Will said. "Not great news, is it?"

"It didn't strike me that way," I said, moving a stack of Daily Prophets off a chair and sitting down. "In any case, he let something else slip. It may not mean anything…but that's not how it felt."

I told him about my conversation with Grindelwald. "I think it might mean that the central power behind all this is a witch, Will. She'd have to be a really Dark and power-hungry witch, but that's not unheard of."

"I don't know…" Will said, shaking his head. Purely out of principle, I whipped out my wand and Petrified him before he knew what was happening. He goggled at me, but he couldn't move.

"I'm sure you weren't about to tell me that a woman couldn't do all that, were you, Will?"

He didn't say anything, of course, so I released him. "No, I wasn't," he said, scowling at me, "but you have to admit it's less likely."

"Maybe less likely," I said, "but not unlikely. If I wanted to take over the world, I could do it, don't you think?"

"Are you going to hex me again?" Will asked. I raised my wand and he held up a hand. "Sorry, sorry…sure you could. But you're exceptional, midget. Most women aren't like you."

"Neither are most men," I said, shrugging. "But it doesn't take most women. It would only take one."

Will nodded. "Then we've got to follow Grindelwald's trail, haven't we?"

"What do you have in mind?" I asked suspiciously.

"I would just need to get into his flat," Will said, "maybe his office…look around…"

"I can keep him distracted, Will, but how will you get into either of those places? Do you have an Invisibility cloak?"

"No," Will said. "But John does. Maybe I can use his."

"I'll let you know the next time Grindelwald owls me," I said. "But you'd better be fast. I don't fancy going back to his rooms with him just to buy you more time."

"I'll be fast," Will said grimly. "I don't fancy having to tell Albus that I was too slow to protect your virtue."

Another two weeks went by before I heard from Grindelwald again. Albus was watching me very closely during that time, and we made frantic love several times a day. I'm still not sure what was unspoken between us in those days; perhaps Albus wanted to protect me or persuade me not to go. Perhaps he wanted me to remember whose I was—he was possessive enough to express it that way.

But I had to go, if only for that one last meeting. I had to give Will a chance to find any information we might need. Lives depended on my fortitude; I couldn't decline a dinner invitation just because my companion made me uncomfortable.

And hadn't Albus said I was brave?

So I dressed as nicely as I could in a red velvet Muggle-style evening gown. I wore jewelry and perfume. Albus watched me get ready, his blue eyes blazing.

"I do not like this, Elizabeth," he said. "He is going to expect more than your company this time."

"I'll be fine, Albus," I said, masking my own nervousness behind exasperation. "I don't like it much either, but we got our first clue into what's really going on. I have to give Will the chance to follow up on it, don't I?"

"No, you do not," Albus said stubbornly.

"Please, darling," I said, rolling my eyes in the mirror. "You wouldn't walk away if Will needed you, would you?"

He didn't answer, because we both knew the answer already. Albus would never walk away if he could help someone. I kissed him, fixed my lispstick, and Disapparated.

Grindelwald and I were meeting for a light supper, then going to the opera. He looked stunning in his Muggle evening dress of white tie and tails; the man really knew how to wear his clothes.

His grey eyes darkened when they rested on me, and I knew he was deliberately letting me see more of his desire than he had previously done. It chilled me, but I reminded myself that it was only for one more night, and managed a charming smile for him.

The opera was lovely, and I regretted that I was not watching it with Albus, who had a deep love for music. I knew that Albus, instead of experiencing the beauty of the opera, was home pacing the floor. I promised myself that when this was over, I'd make it up to him. I'd take him to Berlin or to Rome for an evening at the opera, and we'd get away from everything—the espionage, the danger, the impending war—and simply be on our own for a few days.

My daydreams about Albus were interrupted when an usher stole silently into our box and handed Grindelwald a note. He took it and perused it quietly, a frown forming on his handsome face.

"Will you excuse me for just a moment, mein lieb?" he said courteously. "I'm afraid an emergency has come up. I won't be more than ten minutes."

"Of course," I said, batting my eyelashes for good measure. "Hurry back."

Grindelwald kissed my hand then left the box in a swish of red velvet curtains. He was angry. I don't know how I knew, something about the flash of his eyes and the set of his jaw. I had years of experience in reading opponents' intentions a split second before they acted on them, and I was sure that Grindelwald was building up a towering rage.

Maybe Will had been caught. Or maybe it was nothing. But I had to find out, didn't I?

I waited until Grindelwald had gotten a head start, and then I followed him. I put a silencing charm on my shoes so they didn't clatter on the marble floor of the theater vestibule, but Grindelwald had taken no such precaution, and his steps rang out clearly as he strode purposefully toward the gilded front doors.

It seemed to me to be a mark of his arrogance that he never considered that anyone would question where he was going.

Or perhaps a mark of his power that he didn't need to be afraid of anyone who might question him. None of the truly great witches or wizards that I knew would worry in the least if they thought someone was following them. Albus wouldn't, and he was the most powerful wizard in the country. Albus would stop, turn around, and invite the follower to walk with him.

I didn't think Grindelwald was about to do that, though. I hurried after him through the double doors, and saw the edge of his black satin cloak whip around a corner. I ran to follow him, but before I had him back in my sights, I heard the pop that signaled that he had Disapparated. There was no way to tell where he had gone.

I stopped hurrying and sat down on a bench along the sidewalk, wishing I wasn't wearing these beautiful and completely impractical shoes.

It was curious that he would leave the theater in the middle of an opera. He did say he'd be back in ten minutes, but if he had to Apparate somewhere, I was betting that it would be more than that. I was pretty sure I had time to Apparate over to Will's and give him this information; maybe he could set someone to watch Grindelwald after I left him this evening.

I stood, Apparated, and blinked to find myself in the hallway outside Will's London flat. It took me a beat to realize that that must mean that he had, indeed, placed the anti-Apparition charms I had nagged him into placing. I raised my hand to knock—I really did need to hurry—when I heard voices coming from inside. I froze.

Grindelwald was in there. With Will.

"She's just using you, Grindelwald," Will said in disgust. "She'll start a war worse than anything we've seen before, Magic or Muggle, and she'll sacrifice you along with everyone else."

"I do not know what you are talking about," Grindelwald said. "Now, please, return my property to me."

"You don't have to play it this way, mate," Will said, and I could hear the rare intensity burning in his voice. "You make a good choice now, we bring her down, and you are set to become the Minister for Magic."

"You do not know what you are talking about," Grindelwald said. "Crucio!"

Will began to scream and I think I screamed, too. I tried the doorknob, shook it, cast Alohomora on it, but it wouldn't open. Will was being tortured, but I couldn't get in to help him. I realized dimly that it wasn't Will who had cast the anti-Apparition charms on his flat, but Grindelwald, so that Will wouldn't escape.

Will's screaming abated, and there were no sounds from inside the flat except his rasping breaths.

"I must ask you to return my property, Mr. Weasley," Grindelwald said calmly.

"Can't," Will panted. "Gone. Sent it off."

"That is unfortunate," Grindelwald said, and from the tone of his voice I didn't think he thought it was unfortunate at all. He sounded like he was smiling.

That scared me like nothing ever had and I threw caution to the winds. He was going to kill Will and I had to do something about it.

I began banging on the door and shouting "Will! Will! Let me in here right now!"

The voices on the other side of the door stopped but nobody was coming to let me in. Fuck this, I thought desperately. Stepping back into the hallway, I pointed my wand at the door and yelled, "Reducto!"

The door was blasted away, along with a good part of the wall around it. Will was lying on the floor covered in blood and dust, his brown eyes staring at the ceiling. His neck was bent at an unnatural angle, and I knew he was dead. And Grindelwald hadn't used a quick and painless Avada Kedavra, either.

Grindelwald sent a purple jet of light at me and I ducked. The sight of Will's body sent me into a rage, and I pelted Grindelwald with every curse I could think of, many of which would not have been legal in a tournament. I had never killed anyone in my life, but I would have killed him.

I should have.

I finally hit him with a curse so strong that he was blown back through Will's window, where he floated in the air for a moment, his black hair flying and blood streaking from the cuts on his face, then with a crack he Disapparated before he could fall to the street below.

I sank to my knees next to Will. My lovely red velvet dress was covered with dust, burn marks and blood. I picked up Will's hand and brought it to my cheek, where the tears flowed over it as my body was wracked with sobs. Will had been my friend for fifty years, and I couldn't save him. I may even have gotten him killed.

A popping sound behind me alerted me, and I grabbed my wand. But my position kneeling on the floor was awkward, and I only had a glimpse of Grindelwald's bloody face before the purple jet of light struck my chest in the shape of a flaming X and sank into my skin. As I lost consciousness, I saw Grindelwald give me a mocking bow and raise his wand again.

Everything went black as I fell to the floor next to Will.