A/N:

If you have not seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and you want to be spoiler-free, you definitely shouldn't be reading this. Granted, this chapter is not as spoilerific as the upcoming ones will be where we get back to 1926. But it DOES include something major from the movies. Turn back now if you prefer.

I have new information on Fantastic Beasts. Some of it was released earlier this month, but another, the big one, was released just today. I keep really close tabs on this whole world on my phone, and even though I have a really busy life, I'm able to keep up on it a little each day. New ideas are rolling around my head. I'm kind of freaking out right now.

This chapter features something that others have pointed out since the second the movie came out. People stirred in the movie theater when we got an explanation from Newt on what an Obscurus is. And we all know why. It's because we've heard this before. We just didn't have a name for it.

Red Furry Demon - I was totally not for Gellert being a Seer for that very reason. It just weirded me out at first. Now though, I actually love it, even more than when I last talked to you because it's given me a huge plot bunny.

Sue Clover - You totally hit the nail on the head. Absolutely, I do believe Ariana was an Obscurial. I saw the first showing of the movie, so everyone in the theater were die-hard fans, and everyone shifted in their seats and started muttering when Newt explained to Jacob (and us) what an Obscurus was. This is honestly the first moment the movie truly tied to the books for me. Yes, yes, and yes, Ariana was an Obscurial, and Gellert knew it, and it impacted Albus' relationship with Gellert. I am totally confident on this. And it makes *sense* too. Ariana was able to live older than Obscurials usually do because she was powerful, just like Albus (she was related to him after all). Also, I'm sure Albus' parents knew Ariana's fate if she was found out. That's why they kept her hidden. All that stuff starts coming into play here.

I'm sorry if there are mistakes in here; I'm really rushing this all.

July 1891

When he was little, Albus was easily deceived by his parents. It wasn't too difficult for him to be, actually. He did not know when his mother or his father were lying to him. It wasn't until he was about nine or ten years old that he started to realize how his parents could bend the truth. Sometimes, they could lie outright, but for the most part, they only partly lied to him. It was his mother who explained to him what a "white lie" was. "Sometimes it's okay to lie," she had told him as Albus watched her planting flowers outside on their porch, the one before his family had left for Godric's Hollow, before Ariana was attacked. "It's not okay for you to lie to me or your father of course," she had amended, giving him a sharp sideways glance. "But sometimes, adults need to lie so as to not cause pain. To protect someone. It's for their own well-being. And sometimes, even not saying anything at all is a lie, but a good one."

Ever since that day, Albus had tried to figure out when it was acceptable, righteous even, to lie.

Ariana had been attacked in the early evening. It was summer, so the sun was out longer. The sun was what allowed them to find her. If it had been dark, she probably would not have been found until morning, by which time, she would have been almost surely dead.

His father didn't let Albus or Aberforth see her.

Aberforth had just turned eight, so he was still somewhat easy to fool and overpower. But Albus was turning ten in two weeks.

The two boys were sent away to bed. Aberforth yelled and cried that he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and that he wanted to see his sister. He refused to go to his room. Albus was the one who finally persuaded him to go there, not because Albus actually wanted to obey his parents, but because he knew that his mother and father would speak more freely if they thought both of their boys were out of earshot. So Albus went over to Aberforth, who was then a full head shorter than Albus, gritted his teeth, and whispered a short promise to him. He got a glass of water, gave to Aberforth, and brought his little brother up the stairs, a hand on his shoulders, pretending to console him.

As soon as they were in their room (they shared one), Aberforth had demanded to know what Albus was going to do. Albus had told him to drink his water and pretend to go to sleep and he would do the same. He told him that they had to be patient. "They'll check on us," he had said. "Maybe in about an hour, they'll come by. You have to pretend you've gone to sleep."

It wasn't easy, but the two boys managed to lie perfectly still in the dark for forty-five minutes before Kendra and Percival Dumbledore believed their children were asleep.

Then Albus grabbed the empty glass, crept down the stairs into the room beside the one his parents were in, and he used the empty cup by pressing it against the same wall, so hear what they were saying. He didn't understand everything they said. Their voices were still muffled, and they used words Albus had never heard before. He could hear his own heartbeat thumping in his ears as he strained to listen and remember.

What he heard was:

Ariana cannot go to St. Mungo's. They'll kill her.

It wasn't me that killed those Muggles, Kendra.

I am absolutely certain.

You have to cover for her, and I will do the same.

Don't tell the boys the truth about what she is now.

I know those markings on the Muggles.

They raped her and they tortured her.

It's called an Obscurus.

The next day, Albus and Aberforth heard a story that was similar, but there were several crucial differences. Albus could not ask his father what an Obscurus was because doing so would have revealed he had been eavesdropping in the other room. And before he could come up with a plan to get the truth out of him, the Aurors and magical law enforcement officials came and took his father away. Albus never saw him again.

June 1899

Albus quickly learned how to best treat Gellert with all of his strange visions. He suspected that it was possible Gellert was not truly seeing visions of the future, but he did know for certain that Gellert was experience something. His episodes were too realistic and too consistent for it to be something that was only being acted out. Albus considered himself a very careful observer, and even when he was giving Gellert space, he was still watching him out of the corner of his eye, gathering evidence.

Right before a vision, Gellert would always start yawning a lot. This was quite consistent: he would yawn maybe three or four times before retreating to a corner. Once in the corner, Gellert would tuck his legs in close to him, rest his head on his knees, and bring both his hands to his head. He would get very pale and then start sweating. He always looked like he was in a lot of pain. Though Gellert was not dramatic and he didn't make a sound, Albus could tell he was tightly coiled within himself, every muscle was tensed, and he could not make his fetal position small enough. His hands wouldn't be just touching his head; they would be gripping so hard the blood would run out of his fingers entirely and turn a bluish white. His forehead was not just resting on his knees; he was actively pushing his head as hard into his knees as possible. Albus knew this because Gellert always had a large, angry red spot where his head had been pressing against his knees.

The way to treat Gellert when he was having a vision was to give him plenty of space and wait for him to slowly come out of it. Sometimes Gellert seemed a bit confused, like someone waking up from a month-long coma or someone being woken up while they were sleepwalking. Albus didn't envy his visions. It seemed like a major neurological event, and he doubted Gellert knew how awful it was to witness.

Now, Albus sat watching Gellert. He was in the usual corner, just beginning to come out of it. Albus knew because Gellert was not sweating as much. He had these episodes two times last week. This was episode number five total.

Suddenly, Gellert looked up to catch Albus watching him. Albus' eyes flew back to his own hands, but it was no use: he had caught him staring. It didn't seem to bother Gellert though. On the contrary, he looked relieved to see Albus sitting there.

"She was little, wasn't she?" said Gellert, his speech slightly slurred.

Albus froze, immediately uncomfortable. Gellert had never spoken to him like that before, his voice all slurred and sluggish, as if he was awakening from a coma. Gellert's eyes looked cloudy, unfocused. It looked like he was suffering from a stroke.

"I'm sorry," replied Albus. He opened his mouth and took in another sharp breath, fully prepared to keep speaking, but then he realized he didn't have any words to say.

Gellert rubbed his face with his hands. Then he lowered them and looked back at Albus, his eyes less cloudy but still a bit foggy. "Your little sister," said Gellert. "Your little sister, she was little, when she was attacked. Muggles, were they?" An awkward pause. "Of course they were. They were Muggles."

Bewildered, Albus watched as Gellert stood up. His friend's cognitive function was rapidly coming back. Gellert was standing tall and confident once again. He looked angry yet jubilant at the same time. Albus was glad that for once he hadn't taken any clothing off. Or was he disappointed? No, of course not, scratch that thought, why was he even thinking about –?

"Albus!" snapped Gellert loudly, "I'm talking to you!" Apparently, he had already asked a question, but Albus hadn't heard it. Gellert looked both excited and impatient. "This is extremely critical. Ariana, she was attacked by Muggles, for her magic when she was little, wasn't she?"

"Ye-" was all Albus got out before he was interrupted again.

"And your father went after them, didn't he? That's why he died in Azkaban! It was those Muggles' fault! He was just doing what any father would do." Gellert sounded almost gleeful by now. "And he didn't even get the opportunity to tell them his side of the story, did he? He just got thrown away to the dementors; they didn't care – all they knew was there had been a serious breach in law, and automatically, the wizards took the side of the Muggles rather than their fellow wizards, because we have become so blinded by our love for the Statue of Secrecy, so blind as to not even see that we hurt ourselves in the process of protecting these Muggles, and look what these Muggle do, they rape our little girls, and the Muggles get off completely, of course – oh tell me he at least killed them, right? Albus? Tell me your father at least killed the Muggles?"

Wordlessly, Albus nodded his head. He kept his father's secret. Yes.

"Of course he did!" cried Gellert. "He had to! It's not like the Wizarding world would have given them justice! He had to bring them to justice because he knew – he knew – that wizards protect Muggles and condemn their own kind rather than the other way around. Albus, Albus, I had no idea –" Gellert took a deep breath. "Your story – your father's story – your whole family's story – that might convince people that we're right; Albus, it's got to. This illustrates everything I have been working to fix. Once we overthrow the Statute of Secrecy and create a benevolent government where both Wizards and Muggles live in harmony, that kind of event will never happen again."

"I thought Seers only saw the future," said Albus stiffly. His insides felt strange. He didn't understand what he was feeling right now. All he knew was he didn't like it. He felt like there was some kind of venomous snake coiling around in his intestines, ready to bite.

Gellert ignored this as if he had not spoken. He stared for a long moment at the floor, lost in thought. Albus didn't know how long they remained like that, suspended in thought, Gellert standing, and he still sitting on the bed, looking blank.

Gellert finally met his gaze again. Their eyes were locked. Gellert slowly made his way toward him and sat down beside him, too close, like usual, so Albus backed up, like usual.

"Albus," he murmured. Then he took Albus' right hand. It made Albus extremely uncomfortable, but he liked the touch, so he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He knew that Gellert wanted to ask him something, but he was having trouble stringing the right words together, so Albus just waited, Gellert's hand warm against his. The room, to Albus, seemed to be shrinking. He unknowingly drew himself closer to him and waited, waited for Gellert to make his move, wanting, wanting something but not able to bring himself to admit what it was he wanted –

"Can I ask you something," Gellert finally said in a low, breathy voice. "It is something difficult, but you promise you won't get mad at me for asking?"

"Yes," he breathed back, heart drumming madly.

Gellert's eyes were still locked onto his, and Albus drew closer still, hardly daring for Gellert's touch, closing his eyes.

"What did your mother's body look like when she died?"

Albus' breath caught in his throat. He reopened his eyes, feeling certain he had not heard him right the first time.

"Your mother," repeated Gellert when he saw Albus' stupefied expression. "You saw her body after she was killed, right? What did it look like? Were there any marks anywhere you could see? Anything you can remember that stood out to you at the time?"

Albus was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was leaning in toward another boy while holding his hand, the space small between them. He realized there was a tension in the air and that Gellert felt it too, but Gellert was tense for a different reason. Gellert was feeling tense because his movement was on the verge of a breakthrough. Albus felt tense because... he let go of the blond boy's hand, embarrassed.

"I don't know," Albus said to Gellert for what felt like the millionth time, feeling himself getting red in the face. He couldn't even remember what it was he didn't know. He just knew whatever it was he was supposed to know, he didn't. He didn't know anything compared to Gellert.

It seemed Gellert knew Albus was uncomfortable, but he misinterpreted the reason. He thought Albus was turning red because he was angry, because Gellert quickly said, "Al, I know it's a hard question to answer, and I don't blame you for getting angry, but I truly do need to know because I think I've just realized something, something I don't think you know about your sister –"

Albus decided to play the 'I'm angry at you' card, even though that was not what was bothering him. "Listen," he snapped, "she's my sister, and you've only met her once before, and if you think you know more about her than I do –"

Albus was cut off because Gellert was once again on his feet. He began pacing up and down the length of Albus' room.

"Have you ever wondered what made her kill your mother?" Gellert said as he paced. "Have you ever wondered what hidden power is lurking within her?"

"It was an accident," Albus hissed. "It was just an accident; she didn't do it on purpose; she can't control it –"

"Precisely! She can't control it! But why can't she control it? Do you control your power, Albus?"

"Yes, of course I do," he growled angrily. "What is your point, exactly?"

"I know you do," said Gellert softly, ignoring the question. His pacing stopped, and he gazed at Albus as if he was in a trance. "I have seen you. I've dueled with you. You are… exceptionally powerful. More powerful than I think you even know…." Gellert snapped out of his hero-worshipping of Albus' magical abilities and resumed his pacing.

"Have you ever seen her when she's dangerous?" Gellert went on. "Have you ever seen what it is that springs out of her – that hurts people? What does the magic look like?"

"I've only seen the beginning," said Albus grudgingly. "I've never seen her completely out of control. She just needs to be calmed down. Sometimes we simply put a spell on her to make her go to sleep. Then the storm clears, and she's fine when she comes about. But if she goes too far gone… it looks like… it looks like utter devastation." Albus shook his head. "Everything falls apart... What happened with my mother," he explained, his voice calmer now, "was not typical. The whole house was destroyed. It had to be put back together by magic. It looked like a hurricane went through. My mother's body was buried underneath the rubble. Her skin was gray, and… and there were marks all over her face. Scratches running down from her face to her neck, and her eyes… almost grayish circles but mostly gray lines… her eyes were wide open, staring, as if her death had happened so fast, she hadn't even had time to blink or comprehend what was happening to her. It looked like she had been ripped almost... on the inside." His voice shook slightly on the last sentence, so he had to stop there.

Gellert swallowed hard. Albus watched his Adam's apple jump up and then back down.

"Was she powerful?" pressed Gellert. "Your mother, was she?"

Albus shrugged. "Yes, I suppose. More powerful than usual, definitely, but not… not quite like me," he said grudgingly.

"And your father? Was he powerful?"

"Yes," Albus said with more confidence. "He was more powerful than my mother." Then he clicked his tongue. "Or, at least, I thought he was when I was ten. I was just a little boy when I knew him, so of course he seemed very powerful to me. He didn't try to put up a fight when the Aurors came to take him away. I wish he had. I don't know if he could have taken them in a fight. I thought he could have, but maybe I was just a boy idolizing his father and he was just average after all."

"Perhaps," Gellert said, chewing his lip. "But we know you are extremely powerful at least. It would not be surprising if Ariana was as well. Aberforth," he snorted, "I don't know what the hell happened with Aberforth, but maybe your mother had an affair with a neighbor, no offense, because he is so very different from you, nothing compared to you, Albus…."

Albus felt bizarrely warmed by Gellert's words, even though he had just insinuated his mother was sleeping around and having other men's children.

"And, Ariana is, what, thirteen?"

"Yes, but she's turning fourteen next week."

Gellert nodded, accepting his answer. "There's never been one recorded above the age of ten, but if she is anywhere as powerful as you… oh, it's possible."

"One what?" asked Albus.

Gellert smiled at him. They searched each other's faces.

"Just a small obscure branch of old magic," replied Gellert finally. "If I am right… well. Ariana may be extremely valuable to the cause, Albus."

Albus felt frustrated. He wanted to talk to Gellert about Ariana being an Obscurial, but he was also afraid to. He was afraid to even say the word. He knew his father would have killed him for telling a stranger the Dumbledore family's deepest, unspoken secret. But if Gellert already knew what an Obscurus was, if he already could tell Ariana was one, then it wouldn't really be Albus' fault, right? It wouldn't be his fault because he can't control the fact Gellert gets visions of the future... and glimpses of the past.

"What is this obscure branch of old magic called?" Albus pressed.

Gellert looked at him carefully, as if he were sizing him up, trying to decide if he could take the truth. Albus felt impelled to press the issue, to open his mouth and speak again, but something told him to wait, so Albus kept his mouth shut and his face blank.

"She's got an Obscurus, Albus."

Albus felt a chill go through him. No one knew this. No one. Aberforth didn't know. Fallon didn't know. Elphias didn't know. Mrs. Bagshot didn't know. The Ministry didn't know. No one. With his mother's death, Albus had found himself to be the last one in existence who knew there was currently an Obscurial residing in a teenage girl in Godric's Hollow – an Obscurus who had broken free and killed three Muggles and one witch – an Obscurus who could kill again. Once an Obscurus was attached to a witch or wizard, there was no cure. Being an Obscurial was a life - and death - sentence. There was no detaching it. An Obscurial witch or wizard would always be a danger to both the Wizarding and the Muggle worlds. The remedy for dealing with an Obscurus was always the same: Kill the host. Only killing the host could destroy an Obscurus. There was no other way. Ariana would be marked for certain death by the Ministry.

And now, Gellert Grindelwald knew. Gellert knew, and he was looking at Albus with a crooked smile on his face.

"Don't be preposterous," Albus said uneasily, even though he knew it was no use to try to dismiss the idea. Regret and fear were flooding him. He shouldn't have told Gellert anything; why did he think that would be acceptable to do so? "There hasn't been an Obscurial in so many years, and she's too old to have survived this long and to have an Obscurus festering inside of her."

"Don't lie to me," said Gellert softly. "You know. Of course you know. I underestimated you. I knew you were brilliant from the moment I met you, of course, since I read what you wrote in Transfiguration Today before I ever even set eyes on you, but I assumed you were just that: intelligent and nothing more. And then I found out you are one of the most powerful wizards to ever exist." Gellert's voice was getting softer with each word, quieter. Albus had a strain to hear him. "And now, I know you read about dark magic. I never would have guessed you would know what an Obscurus was. And here you are; you know it, and your little sister is an Obscurial." Gellert was getting closer to him once again, and Albus' breath had slowed almost to a stop. "What other kinds of secrets are you hiding from me?"

Albus swallowed, too afraid to speak.

A slight scowl appeared on Gellert's face. He moved away from Albus again. "I'm not going to turn her in, Albus," Gellert said with a bit of a growl. "I'm your friend, remember?"

"I – I know."

"Well then? You've read about Obscurials? Dark magic?"

"… Yes. I've read about Obscurials and... dark magic. I – my father…" he winced, feeling as if his father might send a lightning bolt down upon him for telling Ariana's story to this boy, "my father knew she was an Obscurial. He knew she developed an Obscurus that evening she was attacked for her magic. I heard him talking to my mother."

Gellert put a hand on Albus' shoulder. Despite his doubts, it made Albus feel reassured.

"Do not be afraid of what you have told me, Albus," he said carefully. "I would not ever betray you."

How do you keep something secret from a Seer, thought Albus, if that Seer can sometimes see glimpses into the past?

He was not completely certain if it had been the past Gellert saw. He never asked Gellert what he saw or how he got his information.

July 1899

"I've Seen this."

Even though he said it out loud and Albus couldn't see it in print and it was something people say a lot every day, Albus understood that Gellert was talking about his visions. He understood the word needed to be capitalized.

It was night. Aberforth had long returned home and gone to bed. Ariana had been asleep for over four hours. They were no where on Albus' mind though.

Albus and Gellert were holed up in Albus' room. Around them was a scattering of books and papers and quills. Coffee. There was even coffee, to keep help keep them awake. Gellert always said it helped him think. Albus had never been a coffee drinker before this, but he was now because he knew he did not have to go to work tomorrow. He was determined to stay up all night and not waste it. On the papers were an odd collection of writings. Speeches. The words "The Greater Good" had been written at the top of one of them with the letters retraced by Albus over and over again. Lists. 'Elder Wand Possibilities' was the longest list of all. It looked like Albus' room was a library, a study, being used while a small group of individuals plotted out their plans for world domination. It was.

And sprawled out in the middle of all these books and all these papers were two seventeen-year-olds, the blond one on top of the auburn-haired one, kissing him and whispering things in his ear, some of which were true and some of which were not true.

"I've Seen this," Gellert said again against Albus' lips.

Albus didn't really understand why Gellert felt compelled to tell him this. He was annoyed by it even at first because it was an interruption. But then as he considered it, he found he liked hearing it. What was more reassuring than knowing that this had all been meant to be, foreseen?

It's easy to lie when you're a Seer.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing, favorite-ing, and following! I see all you silent people out there. Next time, we're going to 1926.

I just realized some people might be confused over what the difference is between the words Obscurus versus Obscurius. An Obscurus is the parasitical magical force, the black violent thing that busts out and attacks. An Obscurial is a witch or wizard who is hosting the Obscurus inside their body.