"I've found someone who could prove to be very useful," Albus whispered to the shadows in the back alley of some Muggle town, where he was leaning against a wall.
"Are you already seeking to replace me, Albus?"
The voice was deeper than it had been, like a low rumble of thunder, but still with a playfulness about it. The boy he had met at Godric's Hollow had long since grown into a man. He stepped out of the darkness slowly, broad shoulders emerging first, hands clasped at the small of his back. His hair, which had always been slicked neatly back, had been allowed to fall in curls around his face and down his back like a mane. It was fitting for such a man and quite becoming, despite the patches of gray that were starting to seep into the gold.
"Never, Gellert."
Even as he said the words, Albus felt his face start to warm slightly, thankful for the darkness that encased them. Gellert's mouth twitched into a half-smile. Despite aging, he had never lost his boyish charm.
"He's nothing like you, though he is quite witty and exceptionally talented, even at such a young age. Before he was even old enough for Hogwarts, he had a handle on his magic."
"Am I supposed to be flattered?"
"Not at all." Albus scrounged around in his robes and pulled out a small package of candy. "Sherbet lemon?"
Gellert's eyes looked a stormy gray under the dim streetlights as he glanced at the candy being held out to him. He scoffed and turned away.
"How can you eat those things?"
"They're quite good." Albus popped one in his mouth and let it melt on his tongue for a minute before continuing. "Now, where was I? Oh yes. Exceptional potential in him. He's the descendent of Salazar Slytherin. Took me a while to guide him that way, but he's figured out the secrets of Parseltongue and even opened the Chamber."
Albus looked over at his partner to find that Gellert was staring at him, eyes slightly glazed over, cogs pulling overtime in his mind. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"You missed out on a lot by attending Durmstrang."
"Hardly."
"Needless to say, he'll have to be watched closely. He's stubborn and arrogant, two traits that I'm not altogether unfamiliar with." Albus glanced sideways but was slightly disappointed to find his comment elicited no reaction. "He's also perhaps a bit too cruel for our purposes, but there's no need to rush to snap judgments."
"You're concerned that his power might be greater, even, than ours?"
Albus hadn't said as much, but he didn't have to. They had always proven to be on the same wavelength.
"If we find his use has run out, his paranoia will serve as a convenient way to end things, regardless of how powerful he might get."
"While you've been tending to children and such trivial pursuits, I've already amassed an army," Gellert said in an effort to change the subject. They both shared passion, but it wasn't identical. Gellert favored strategy and discipline, whereas Albus favored people.
"So I've heard. Word travels fast. You're starting to make a ruckus."
"Sometimes feathers have to be ruffled to get results."
"You don't want to draw too much attention to yourself. Not yet. Don't get yourself in a position where they force our hand."
"Do you take me for a dolt?"
"Of course not. I even brought you a present. I made it myself."
Albus pulled a scarf out from under his robes, a dark green color trimmed in black with fringe hanging off both ends, and draped it around Gellert's shoulders.
"It's hideous," he snapped, though he made no motion to pull it off.
"Yes, well, that's what happens when you gift something with no instructions on how to use it."
"You've had decades to learn."
"It's not as easy as it looks. Besides, I quite like it. It suits you."
Gellert sighed heavily as he turned away. "And you're supposed to be one of the greatest wizards of our age," he called over his shoulder without looking back, slipping into the darkness.
Never.
That's what he had said, but they both understood he was lying. They had the same goals and were of the same mindset. When Albus came to a conclusion about what course the future would take, he was sure Gellert must have known it, too.
There were too many questions, too much uproar. They didn't have enough power to carry their plan through. Not yet. Gellert was too eager, perhaps, and Albus' hand was forced.
"It's for the greater good," he said, as he stood before the man he had always considered a life-long partner. His voice was strained, almost as if his throat was trying to hold back the words. This wasn't like at Godric's Hollow all those years ago, though. There were still sacrifices Albus was unwilling to make.
"Is that what you think?" The mistakes he made along the way were laid out in front of him; Albus could see it in Gellert's eyes. It was a rhetorical question. They both knew the answer already.
"I won't make it easy for you," Gellert said, sliding the Elder Wand out from his sleeve.
No, it won't be easy. Nothing will change that.
Albus drew his own wand, pushing the realization from his mind.
You can't really know a wizard unless you've matched him spell for spell.
Albus still believed that, and it was with that thought in mind that he dueled. They were older now. Stronger. More experienced. The dialogue was more intense, and they had much more to say to each other than that first fight. It was a splendid display, the two pouring their hearts out to each other in a language that only they could understand.
Gellert let him win; Albus was well aware of that. In a battle of wits, he emerged victorious every time, but Gellert was the better duelist. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make for the greater good.
To onlookers, it would seem he gave the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald a reprieve, sealing him in Nurmengard to spend the rest of his days. Albus knew the truth; this was by no means an act of mercy. It was perhaps the most selfish, cowardice thing he had done in all his life. In the end, he sentenced the man he loved to a life of hell simply because he couldn't bear the thought of losing him forever to whatever lay beyond the veil.