Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading,
xoxo Leviosa
"I'm asking you, Miss Laurena Kama, for your permission. May I marry your daughter, Leta Lestrange?", he asked as they were sitting in the living room of her moms house. . Leta wasn't a person for traditions, but Theseus loved doing these totally cheesy things. "I suppose the tradition says to ask for her father permission, but I'm glad you asked me. Of course. You may marry my daughter Leta Lestrange, if that's the correct traditional sentence", her mother said. She laughed, but Leta could see the tears in her eyes. Tear of joy. "Thanks, ma'am", Theseus smiled.
"So what are your plans for your engagement party?", Laurena asked. "A what, maman?" "Your engagement party. I'll have to throw an engagement party for you, honey" Leta exchanged a look with Theseus. He nodded. "Fine", Leta whispered. "It will be great, Leta. With lots of guests, dancers, fireworks, beautiful dresses... It will be wonderful, dear, it will be absolutely fantastic"
Don't think about it and it will get better. But it doesn't. It never did. It all stayed the same, even as Albus taught at Hogwarts. He learned so much, he was wiser now, he shouldn't... He shouldn't feel so sad and lonely and angry at the same time. It was his fault, he was sure about that. His students never noticed anything, nor did the other teachers. Who would expect that he, Albus Dumbledore, would have such a dark secret? Technically, it all didn't matter that much. Grindelwald was sitting in a cell, and he wouldn't get out there in the next months. Why would he? But Albus couldn't see Gellert Grindelwald keeping quiet, he didn't believe in this new peaceful, silent person. The one he knew had been a rebel, he would have rather destroyed the world and built it up again, than doing nothing. He was convinced that the world was totally corrupt, that everything would go wrong. And if he didn't fight for a greater world, no one else would. You don't get chosen to save the world. You have to choose to be chosen yourself. Grindelwalds words didn't leave him, they never did. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't teach, he couldn't do anything without thinking about it. He had done too much, he had talked too much. Albus was known as a wise man, the minister asked him for advice. And Dumbledore hated himself too much for this. There were too many reasons why he had never wanted to be minister for magic. But he still couldn't keep quiet. Don't kill Grindelwald. He was pathetic. But a second later he regretted his thought. Every time he thought this he had to think about Grindelwald dying too. And every time he remembered that he could not live with himself if he would be responsible for Grindelwalds death.
"GRINDELWALD ESCAPED FROM PRISON!", it echoed through the great hall. So many children had gotten howlers from their parents with just this one message. Too many. Dumbledore didn't even have to read the articles about it. He just started to write a letter to Newt.
Grindelwald is back, he wrote on the front page, the most important message.
Dear Newt, I know your history with Grindelwald, we've talked about it before, remember? I dearly wish that you immediately leave America. I'll meet you in London and tell you my plan. You know that the press and the minister will want me to duel Grindelwald. You are the only one who can help me get Grindelwald. No one knows about him what I know, therefore this is the only chance we'll have.
Yours, Albus Dumbledore
Credence didn't understand the joy of traveling. You saw lots of people, they sometimes stared at you, sometimes didn't. He slowly got seasick and the longer he was on this boat, the more he wanted to go back. But there was no home, to which he could return to. There was no one that cared about him anymore. His family was gone, his adopted mother dead and Modesty was probably in an orphanage now. He was alone and had no money. The only thing he wanted was to get to Paris. Everything would get better there. Nicholas Flamel would help him and even if nothing else could, the philosopher's stone could heal every disease. He hated the obscurus. He didn't hate himself nor did he hate the surrounding people. Credence hated this darkness, it had destroyed his whole life. Your mother was a wicked and unnatural women. His mother had been a witch and he could have been a wizard too. He could have lived a life filled with magic but the obscurus destroyed all his dreams. Credence wanted to be normal: either a non magic human or a wizard. It was cruel, being both and at the same time being neither one of them.
"Hey! What are you doing there? Keep of my food! Get away, you bastard!", he heard them say. None of them had ever lived with the darkness inside, none of them had murdered their adopted mother, they had never wanted to be normal. They were not left by their parents and abused by their new ones, they didn't know the power of anger. Credence never wanted to be angry again, he never wanted to see the black magic inside him again, it was too much. He didn't believe that someone could use it for good and the only way for him to feel really alive again was being healed. If any of the passengers would know who he was, they wouldn't try to scare him away. He had seen too much pain, felt too much, to care about them, to be angry at their words. So he rolled his eyes at them and turned away, looked at the skyline, saw the coast of France. He would survive, he would survive because he had come too far to give up now.
"I'm leaving now", Newt announced. He didn't say much, he would not have known what to say. There was too much he could have said, but he wasn't a fan of words. Words did't solve problems, deeds did. "Why? You just arrived. Oh, it's because of Grindelwald, right?", Queenie read his mind again. "We're coming with you", Tina said. "No, I don't... um... I don't want you to risk your life again, just because of Grindelwald" He should have not said that. There was nothing (except her job) in which Tina was better than trying to discuss things. Her willingness to risk everything had often caused Tina her job. And she always managed to get back there again. "We don't have time for any discussions right now. You risk your life for others almost every time you have the chance to, so why can't we do that too? By the way, I know Grindelwald far better than you do and Queenie is the best Legillimens in America. Queenie, follow me. We're going to London" Newt didn't even try to question her. If she really wanted to, he couldn't stop her anyway.
It felt so special, yet it was self betrayal. Being here, with Theseus and her mother and feeling so happy. The dancer in a gorgeous white dress, spinning around and the magic turning with her. Newt should have been here. He was her best friend, she should not leave him behind. But was he really? When had she met him the last time? And even after all, after everything she had said to him, after everything he had done for her, she still wanted him to stand next to her. She should not be so happy without him. After everything, she should have invited him to the party. But she didn't and nor did Theseus. She was finally free, without all the self blaming. And yet it all came back to her. "You deserve it", Theseus whispered in her ear and kissed her. Did she really? How could she do these things to Newt? Theseus was his brother, she couldn't marry Newts brother after all the pain she made Newt feel. "I love you, Leta Lestrange. I love you more than anyone" But she loved Theseus. And that was the difference between her and Newt: Leta had realized that she had to be egoistic sometimes.
Grindelwald had thought that being free would make him feel free. The happiness would come, he tried to persuade himself. But he knew that it wouldn't. How could he feel so empty, asif there was nothing left to feel. He had done everything he could. He had to find Credence and the door to a better world would be open for him. Grindelwald was about to get everything he had dreamed of. There was nothing keeping him from ruling the world. The aurors wouldn't find him, besides they were all to afraid of him. He had never thought that words could destroy so much and make so much. He had become a legend while he had been imprisoned, a dark legend, the darkest wizard of all time, but still a legend. There were so many people behind him, so many that believed in the greater good. But they all were just here for him, for the greatest wizard in history. Was he really? Possibly. And he slowly realized that he could never save Credence, nor could he take revenge for Ariana. Ariana wouldn't have wanted him to start a war for her. And if he couldn't do it for Ariana, for whom should he fight? He couldn't fight for himself, he was too lonely, and he hadn't deserved it. He chose to be chosen but that didn't mean that he really was. Grindelwald couldn't give up now. Grindelwald could not stop, it was too late. He was not able to betray the greater good, he had to sacrificed too much for it. Grindelwald looked around, Vinda explained the Eiffel tower to the others, no one seem to notice him. And in this second, he swore to himself, that he would fight. Fight until the end, not because of Ariana. Grindelwald had made too many mistakes in his life. He couldn't undo a single one. He had spent enough time in prison to know that none of his followers really cared about him. The only person that had ever cared about him, had probably forgotten him by now. But he would fight and even if he would go down while trying, he would have fought for the right thing. The silence was still there, but Grindelwald no longer tried to fight it. He felt the pain, he let the memories in for the first time. Even though they drowned his other thoughts and his brain filled with regrets, he still knew what he had to do. Heroes were chosen, because they were good, brave, strong and all of these honorable things. The heroes always survived the story and lived happily ever after. Grindelwald had never wanted to be a hero. He sacrificed everything he had for a better world, he was the only one brave enough to say the things others kept silence about, and he was strong. Stronger than most. He did not give up, even after years of prison. Grindelwald was almost corroded by doubt and regret, he had done so much evil in the world, and he knew that there would come a time in his life, where he would be regretting all of it. But if heroes could get away with mass murder for their sense of good, why was he not a hero?