Rodrick was not surprised to find himself in another dream... The place didn't look familiar, there was a strange looking doorway in the middle... He turned around, his eyes widened the moment he saw Harry Potter and his friends, as well as Luna at the centre surrounded by what he assumed, were death eaters... He watched as others slowly Apparated in, he only recognised his defence professor and Sirius Black...

He facepalmed himself the moment he watched the dumbass get stunned.

That was the moment his brain had decided to wake up, he groaned when he realised it was still dark out... He had a busy day in the morning... He had Malfoy to deal with... He tried and failed to fall back to sleep, his mind replaying the dream he'd had over and over again, almost taunting him.

...

Malfoy wasn't sure what to expect from the Grindelwald heir, when he'd first heard about him he'd felt conflicted about whether he should make an outreach towards him or not.

At the end he'd decided to go for it, simply because he knew if he didn't, someone else would.

So far the boy's actions had well... He was confused, to put it bluntly, he was confused about the whole situation, he'd originally thought the boy would turn towards completing his grandfather's plans...

What the boy had managed to achieve however turned out to be far more noteworthy. Even without a name, if his son is to be believed and Lucius found no reason why he shouldn't, the boy had taken over Slytherin almost on instinct. Without even realising it...

If someone had told him a nameless boy would somehow take over Slytherin, and by extension a majority of the future heads of the Wizangamot, he would've never believed it. If he was told that boy would do it by his third year... The odds were almost non-existent and yet he had managed it all the same. The earlier you took over, the longer your hold lasted... Grindelwald had managed to do it 3 years earlier then the average.

He'd only managed to by his fifth year...

Oh, the boy was certainly powerful, only an idiot wouldn't see that... But the problem came from the fact that he'd not relied on that power... It was pure cunning, he had somehow torn apart the hierarchy at Hogwarts and no-one had even realised it.

By the end of his first year, he'd shown a level of skill that wasn't possible for the first year, that had gotten the attention of the professors and more importantly the headmaster.

In his second year he'd not only managed to break down Gryffindor but to top it off he'd managed to kill a Basilisk. When he'd found out from his son the fact Slytherin had beaten Gryffindor, with Harry Potter studying and Dumbledore as headmaster... He was left speechless. He knew the old man would've tried anything to give Gryffindor the edge but Grindelwald had made that an impossibility, even for the eccentric wizard. Not only that... He'd even gotten Dumbledore out from his position as Chief warlock... He'd never thought to see the day when that came to pass. When everyone had thought that things would quiet down... The boy went and freed Sirius Black, he'd managed to give Sirius Black his freedom... How he'd ever managed that was beyond the Malfoy lord.

And then as if to make sure that Slytherin was guaranteed the win, the boy went and bribed the headmaster! Albus bloody Dumbledore was bribed by a Slytherin... Sure he might've lost the black fortune, not that he'd ever really had it, he knew the moment Sirius Black was freed it was gone. However, the fact he'd bribed the headmaster to give away the house cup for a couple votes was priceless... You couldn't buy that sort of thing, no matter how much money you had. Yet Grindelwald had done it.

And not once did he have to use his name, wealth or power to do it... He'd used cunning and cunning alone. It was no wonder the grandfather had almost won, if the grandson in his third year could manage all that, who knows what wonders he could manage as an adult.

He was currently in his office, Grindelwald had taken the seat opposite him, he wasn't sure what to expect, he had been surprised when Greengrass had approached him for an invitation, even more, surprised when he'd been asked to forward one to Sirius Black... Of course, he'd initially refused until he'd found out the request was from Grindelwald. Currently, there was an ex Azkaban prisoner socialising with the height of society and the ministry.

"So, is there a particular reason you requested this meeting and the more important question been why Sirius Black was required to attend?" he questioned to the point.

Rodrick sighed, "Before we get to Black, I need you to explain this, so far I haven't managed to come up with anything." he reached into his pocket before he took out a letter.

'Interesting...' Malfoy thought as he took hold of the outreached letter. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the name on the letter. Bathilda Bagshot.

"You attempted to contact her?" Malfoy questioned, he opened up the letter and started reading through it when Rodrick nodded.

Rodrick watched as confusion quickly swept over the Malfoy lord's face. 'Seems he's as lost as everyone else,'

"This doesn't make any sense..." Malfoy remarked as he closed the letter, he was certain the woman had been the one to send Rodrick his letters and the necessary galleons... For her to not remember him was out of the ordinary.

"My thoughts exactly," Rodrick sighed.

"I'd have someone look it over but that wouldn't exactly be safe..." Malfoy spoke.

Rodrick nodded before another thought occurred to him, "Were you responsible for my missing orphanage?" he questioned. He raised an eyebrow when Malfoy had shaken his head.

"I am afraid my wife had found it in the state it was in when she'd arrived,"

"Great..." Rodrick drawled, just what he needed, more mysteries.

"I am afraid I have no information regarding this," Malfoy remarked.

The two set into a small silence before Malfoy spoke up again.

"Is this the reason you requested the meeting?" The man questioned, his expression passive.

Rodrick shook his head. "No, as a matter of fact, it wasn't."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at the boy's sudden stop.

Rodrick sighed, "Tell me, do you still have the dairy?"

If Malfoy was surprised by the question he didn't show it. "Yes as a matter of fact I do. Why?"

Rodrick's gaze didn't budge, "As it so happens, that book turned out to be a Horcrux," he finished, he watched as a look of horror slowly took over the Malfoy lord's face.

Malfoy felt smothered... The book was a Horcrux... Voldemort was alive... 'He'll know... He'll know that I lost it,' He could feel his breathing slowly quicken at the thought. Taking a look at Grindelwald he was surprised to find the boy calm. "I don't see how you could feel remotely relaxed right now... The dark lord is alive... he-" Malfoy was about to finish before Rodrick raised one hand up.

"I have an idea," Rodrick remarked, a steely gaze in place.

Malfoy could only wait as the boy slowly explained his plan... His eyes widened when he'd finally realised why both the ministry and Black were here... Yes, it might work... It wouldn't stop all the damage but... He'd most likely live through the onslaught.

"You really think Black would cooperate?" Malfoy questioned, his mood soured when he realised he would need to rely on the Black family head...

Rodrick nodded, "I am sure I can convince him... I hope so in any case, worst case is you give your lord a dead body when he comes back,"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at that, hints of worry clearly lining the man's face. "You believe he will come back?"

"I know he will," Rodrick spoke in a cold voice.

The sheer look in the boy's eyes unnerved him. "When?"

"Next year,"

Malfoy cursed. It seemed unlikely but he knew if he disregarded it he would regret it. He quickly agreed to the boy's plan. He knew he couldn't even consider attempting to stop his lord's return... He wasn't sure where everything even stood. Following the dark lord was a gamble... a painful one if the first war was any indication but he knew he would need to, lest he died for it.

A thought quickly entered Lucius mind, "Azkaban!" The man muttered.

Rodrick raised an eyebrow at that, "What about it?"

Malfoy could slowly see a plan forming in his head, "The death eaters that followed him are there... If he comes back he will no doubt attempt to free them." He wasn't sure how that would be achieved but if Black was capable of it, then Voldemort definitely was.

Rodrick quickly followed the thought process, "You're going to try and make it look like you had been planning for his return..."

Malfoy nodded, "Yes if I try to reconnect and help make sure those death eaters are ready then I could at the very least be seen as a loyal follower,"

"Are you not?" Rodrick questioned.

Malfoy wasn't sure how to answer the question, yes he believed in the Lord's ideals... but that first war... It showed how unstable things could get. He stared at the boy in front of him, he remembered how the senior Grindelwald had attempted his plans of action... He'd used muggles against themselves instead of attempting to kill them directly like Voldemort had... The idea had almost worked if it hadn't been for Dumbledore. On the other hand, Voldemort died to an infant. Simply out of a lack of patience. There were hundreds of better ways he could've handled the Potter problem and yet he'd elected to go for the one that had gotten his body destroyed.

"What about you? What will you do once he returns?" Malfoy suddenly questioned, odds were Voldemort would very likely accept him into his circle of followers, he had the name and power for it... Only he doubted Grindelwald would cooperate as well. From what he'd learnt from his experience with the boy and the information his son had, the boy prefered to lead than follow. Something that would no doubt spell doom for everyone if he'd even considered following Voldemort.

There was a glint in the boy's eyes as he slowly processed the question, a look that sent chills down Malfoy's back.

"Honestly, I have no idea"

"Would you follow him?" Malfoy questioned, he knew it was extremely unlikely, considering the boy didn't even seem to hate muggles... Or muggle-borns at any case.

Rodrick didn't immediately answer. "You said you knew nothing about my mother, correct?"

Malfoy nodded warily, "I don't believe we ever encountered a Grindelwald during the first war,"

Rodrick's gaze didn't budge. "Yes, you didn't encounter a Grindelwald... But did you encounter a Lenora Grace?"

The look of shock that dawned the Malfoy lord's face confirmed it for him. The man seemed to stammer slightly as he recalled the Divination professor. "So she's?"

Rodrick nodded.

Malfoy expected the boy to start demanding information regarding the woman.

"What do you want for that information?" Rodrick questioned.

Malfoy almost chuckled, "You won't demand it? even if I said there wasn't a price?"

Rodrick shook his head, "I am not a Gryffindor."

Malfoy shook his head, "No you certainly aren't... Although I am afraid I don't know all the details, what I am sure of is that there was a prophecy... One Voldemort believed your mother to have given..."

"Because she was a divination professor?" Rodrick asked incredulously.

Malfoy shook his head, "No, but the fact was that when that Prophecy had been given out, your mother had suddenly changed from teaching Divination to Defence... Your current one replaced her."

Rodrick's eyes slowly widened as he realised what had happened... "So the woman currently teaching was the one who gave the prophecy... Dumbledore had them change positions in an attempt to protect her... Voldemort took the fact that my mother had switched as a sign that she was the one who'd made the prophecy..." That certainly helped explain Dumbledore's reaction... He was essentially responsible... But he knew he couldn't hold it on him, no one could've expected Voldemort's reaction, the man was insane.

Malfoy nodded slowly, "That is the assumed verdict..."

"What happened to her?" Rodrick questioned, his voice on edge.

Malfoy wasn't sure how to answer, "Voldemort killed her... The only one who knows the exact details is currently dead, Barty Crouch Jnr... Died in Azkaban."

"My grandfather told me there were 4 of them, 4 who chased her down..."

Malfoy's gaze didn't budge, "The Lestranges, Bellatrix, her husband and her brother in law," he answered passively.

Rodrick nodded, thankful he finally had some names. He felt his mood drop, however, when he'd realised that if he even attempted anything, it would put the crosshair on him and more importantly the Greengrass family.

"What do they look like?" Rodrick suddenly questioned.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow before he took a photo out from the drawer, "This is Lady Lestrange, the one in the middle. I am afraid I don't have a picture of the others," Lucius pointed towards the estranged woman, it was a picture his wife had kept.

Rodrick closed his eyes as he recognised the woman, the Greengrass family had helped him understand the family tree... As twisted as it was... Rodrick shuddered, he was glad his Grandfather hadn't been from the country.

The room entered another silence after that before Rodrick sighed, "I suppose I'll leave you to deal with the ministry while I handle Black, just make sure the man's ready when we need him,"

Malfoy nodded, uncertainty clouding his face. As Rodrick was about to leave the room, he voiced his thoughts.

"You could've made a rather effective Dark Lord,"

Rodrick didn't turn around, instead, he asked his own question. "Malfoy, what do you think of when you hear the word Dark Lord?" His grandfather had asked him the same once.

Malfoy brows furrowed at the question before he answered, "A powerful Dark Wizard, a man who dwells in the dark arts", Malfoy gave the textbook answer.

Rodrick nodded, "And what do you think about when you hear the word Lord?"

Once again the bemused Malfoy lord answered... "A man who control-" however he couldn't finish it as he understood the boy's meaning.

Rodrick raised his head at that, "Yes, Dark Lords are known for their capabilities at fighting, the same can be said about your average Auror, if you asked anyone, they'd likely give you the same answer... You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who would tell you it's about leading and controlling a significant part of the world..." He continued on towards the exit.

"The greatest Dark Lord is the one who convinced the rest of the world he was a mere lord, just like Slytherin," Rodrick finished as he left, intent on finding Sirius Black.

...

It took some time and effort but he'd finally managed to get Sirius Black away from everyone else, he'd quickly found out that Harry Potter hadn't tagged along but had instead decided to spend the time with Lupin, something about learning the Patronus charm?

The two were in a secluded room, one bottle of fire whiskey between them, the man had apparently stolen it from Lucius personal stash.

"I'd much rather spend as little time here as possible so I'll cut to the point," Rodrick remarked to a chuckling Black, the man felt the same about the manor.

"Yes, I can understand the sentiment," Sirius Black quickly poured two drinks for the two of them. "So to what do I owe the pleasure? besides my charming personality I mean," He spoke, causing the boy in front of him to roll his eyes.

"I have a question, what is your greatest desire right now?"

A look of surprise quickly took over the man's face, "To raise Jarry,"

Rodrick's gaze slowly narrowed, "I am serious,"

"So am I," Sirius couldn't help himself... The words seemed to irritate the boy.

Sirius sighed, it wasn't a good thing but he knew what the boy was referring to. "You know what it is,"

Rodrick nodded, "I am willing to give you that opportunity," he remarked earning a surprised look from the man.

"Really now?" Sirius questioned, his eyes held a look of greed before he remembered the boy's personality. "In exchange?"

"Two things..." Rodrick started.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that but didn't say anything.

"One, you can't break the law... Not openly, if you know what I mean," Rodrick remarked.

Sirius Black scoffed at the thought, "I don't really see much of a point then..."

Rodrick had a small smirk on his face, "I am willing to give you an hour... Just don't do anything... Permanent?" he finally found the word.

It took a while before Sirius would agree but eventually, he decided to go along with it.

"Why?" The man suddenly questioned.

"It's a matter of insurance", Rodrick shrugged.

Sirius took it for what it was, the boy had no intention of telling him... Well, what he didn't know couldn't hurt him... As long as he had his fill first in any case... He was already picturing exactly what he wanted to do... 'Should I invite Moony? or would he try to stop the whole thing...' Sirius shook his head, he would mull over it later.

"And the second thing?" Sirius questioned.

Rodrick felt himself grow uncomfortable before he decided to answer. "Don't taunt your cousin..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at that, "Cissy?" he questioned, it was a bit late for that... His brows furrowed when the boy shook his head. "Andy?" he tried again, he never really had problems with the oldest... Once again Rodrick shook his head. "Bella?" he questioned confused, the surprise quickly increased when Rodrick nodded his head. "She's in Azkaban..." Sirius pointed out.

"So were you,"

"Fair point," Sirius remarked, while confused he figured taking the boy's warning wouldn't hurt.

"Jarry?" Rodrick suddenly questioned.

"Ah" Sirius replied, a grin on his face. "I kept mixing up Harry's name with his father's so I figured I'd just call him Jarry." He'd expected the boy to find that amusing...

"Make that three things, never do that again and make an effort to remember," Rodrick remarked icily, his eyes narrowed.

Sirius Black didn't understand the reaction.

"Just don't... I doubt he'd appreciate it all that much, I certainly wouldn't,"

Sirius Black sighed. "It's not easy..."

Rodrick shrugged, "Deal with it,"

Sirius rolled his eyes before reaching out for the fire whiskey and poured two more drinks.

"Black you have the subtlety of a transformed werewolf," Rodrick quipped before he started laughing.

"You know!" Sirius suddenly exclaimed... He knew he screwed up the moment Rodrick raised an eyebrow at him.

"Know what?" He questioned innocently.

"Never mind, forget I said anything" Sirius quickly stammered before downing a whole cup.