A Little History

AN: After the first paragraph, 'Albus' refers to 11 year old Albus Dumbledore. And I know Grindlewald's first name isn't Gellbert, but that's how I read it, so that's how it is. One of the perks of fanfiction, don't you know.

11 year old Albus Dumbledore stumbled over nothing, as though he had been knocked over by some invisible force. He blinked in the sunlight, suddenly disorientated. "Where am I? When am I? For that matter, who am I?" asked a frightened voice, which he thought might have come from within his own head.

"Firstly, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness; secondly, we're in a town named Lion's Lair; thirdly, the year is 1858; and fourthly, I don't know who you are, but I'm Albus Dumbledore. And, just in case you're interested, I just got my Hogwarts Letter!" The 'Voice' breathed out, and Albus realized he'd been holding his breath without meaning to.

"Thank Merlin. We met up. I can change things, in my own body," muttered the 'Voice.' "Ari! How is she?" The 'Voice' sounded both hopeful and panicky. But it also aroused suspicion in the young wizard. After all, most people called his baby sister Anna. Ari was his nickname for Ariana Dumbledore.

"How do you know what I call my sister? Who are you?" the boy asked the voice, panicking slightly. "How well can you keep a secret?" the 'Voice' asked. "Very," replied 'Albus'. "OK, Albus, I'll tell you. You aren't going to want to believe this. I'm you." "That's not possible!" The younger wizard cried in shock.

"I was sent back in time by a curse. My age is 149. I was the Headmaster of the school you just received you acceptance letter to. Sweet Merlin, that sounds weird. This language was not designed with Time-Travelers in mind, was it?""

"Oooookay, I have officially gone insane." the eleven year old muttered. The older wizard laughed. "Ari's fine? Dad's free? And we still get on well with Abe?" "Yes, to all of them. And why wouldn't he be to the second one? And why wouldn't we be to the third?"

Albus, the elder, started sobbing uncontrollably. "How long is it until we go to Hogwarts?" he asked. "Almost two months," 'Albus' responded. "Why are you so upset?" "I'm not upset," Albus replied. "I'm relieved. Ari's fine and Dad's free. I get the chance to change one of the worst disasters of my former life."

'Albus' enquired as to what his visitor was talking about.

Albus took a slow, deep breath. "Back then, around now, Ari did some accidental magic. Our Muggle neighbours wanted her to show them how she did it. When she couldn't, they tried to beat the weird stuff out of the little freak. She stopped using magic, and it retreated inside her, only to be let out in sudden bursts when she could no longer control it. Often this was during her rages. She and I grew apart, because I was more interested in learning and research than in my baby sister's welfare. And I was scared of her, a bit. Then, when she was 14, and both Abe and I were away, Ari had a rage, and her uncontrolled power killed Mummy."

'Albus' blanched in horror.

"It gets worse," Albus cautioned. "I became friends with the wizard who would one day become one of the worst Dark Lords of the next century. We wanted to take control of the world. I wanted control because Wizards had power, and Muggles didn't, and those with power have a duty to guide and protect those who don't have power. Bertie wanted power for his own sick pleasures. But I was too happy to have someone whom I thought shared my goals to listen, or to pay attention, when people tried to warn me about Bertie. And then Abe tried to force me to listen to some home truths, and Bertie Crucio'd him, and I tried to make Bertie stop, but he wouldn't. And then Ari, with her uncontrollable power, entered the fray. No-one knows who eventually killed her." Albus sank to his knees, sobbing his heart out.

'Albus' stared blankly ahead; trying to process everything he had just been told. "And you've carried all of that guilt around with you ever since, haven't you?" He finally asked.

"I had to learn to live with my guilt and my grief. Bertie fled, leaving me to deal with the consequences of his cruelty and my own stupidity. Poor Ari. Poor Mummy. I tried to help them; I really want to believe I did. But I couldn't help them. Nothing I did was good enough. I couldn't save them."