A/N: If you are confused by this chapter, I apologize. The last two times I posted, I have posted two chapters at once. The traffic suggests that some may have not noticed chapters 28 and 30, which follow this plot line. If you are confused, go back to those chapters, it should help. There is one more chapter in Part III. Part IV, the final part, is written and will go up as soon as I am finished editing. Thank you to all my fans! Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Albus vs. Grindelwlad

Albus walked absentmindedly through the halls of Naumkeag Castle. He had an hour before the duel. He had an hour before he dueled the unbeatable wand. Just like his namesake had. Just like his father had done before him. They had lived, a fact which gave Albus only a little comfort.

He arrived at the central hallway and the devastation of the battle hit him. Inferi and humans alike were sulking and sloshing through the mud and the dead bodies which littered the battlefield. Not all of the bodies were inferi. Albus recognized some of the Americans which he had seen preparing to defend the castle. He recognized some of his friends. He saw Paul Kirk, the sixth year Ravenclaw who had bunked next to him at the castle. Paul had a surprised look on his face and a small cut which had stopped leaking blood down his cheek. Paul was going into his NEWT year. He was going to graduate next year. Now all that was gone. Albus pulled out his wand and cleaned the cut. He had to stop this now before more of his friends met Paul's fate.

"Albus," a voice said behind him. Albus turned around to see James looking at him, a look of almost panic in his eyes. "What are you doing Albus? We had a plan. Just because I said you were a Potter doesn't mean you have to commit suicide!" Albus just looked away. "Albus!" James said, "Look at me!"

"What do you want me to say?" Albus asked. "You knew this was coming. I've been training for this all year. You saw what he did to that door, how are any of our defenses going to stand up to that. The only way is to get him one-on-one and try to defeat him."

"Albus, this isn't the school duels," James said. "You may be the best there, but Grindelwald isn't going to play fair. He'll go for the kill."

"You think I won't?" Albus said. "I'm not that much like my father."

"Yes you are," James said. Albus grinned.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" Ashley Wright said thundering up to Albus. James slipped away. "What are you thinking? What are you doing? Albus you'll be killed!"

Ashley ran up and hugged Albus. "Don't do this, Al, please don't do this," she said. "I can't lose you."

"Ash," Albus said, holding her out and looking in her eyes. "I have to, for you. For all of you. It may be our only chance to stop him."

"But why you?" she said. "Why not one of the adults? Why not your dad?"

"Dad's fighting Voldemort and these adults aren't good enough, even James," Albus said.

"Don't do it, run away. We'll build a hut on some island where they won't affect us..."

"Ash," Albus interrupted. "You know I can't do that, I'd be miserable. You're dating a Potter, it comes with the territory. Come," Albus said looking at his watch, "I have forty minutes. Come take a walk with me."

The couple walked around the grounds, looking at all the beauty and trying to avoid the devastation. But everywhere they went there was another dead body. Ashley finally gave up trying to talk Albus out of the duel but made him promise her he would be careful and smart. Finally, ten minutes before the duel, they made it back to the castle. Ashley went pale and threw up. Finally they walked to the Dining Hall. The hall was set up for the duel. Stands had been erected to protect the onlookers from the spells as much as possible. The center of the hall had been cleared to provide an obstacle free dueling space. However, the bodies of the dead had been lined against the walls because there hadn't been anywhere else to put them. Albus took note that they were still armed. Grindelwald was already waiting in the dueling space. He stood smiling at Albus as they couple entered. Ashley embraced Albus and kissed him. As she walked away Albus had the distinct feeling that was the last moment they would share. He didn't like that feeling.

He stepped into the dueling area, but he wasn't alone. Headmistress Canon stood in the space opposite Grindelwald but facing Albus. "Go to the stands young man, this isn't your duel to have."

Albus didn't move. "Headmistress, I appreciate your concern for me. But they have only agreed to a cease fire until I duel Grindelwald. If you duel him they can attack again. Besides, if I fail, the army will need a commander."

"You've done better at that than I have," she said.

"You've done better than you think," Albus said. "Keep close, the battle will start again after this."

Canon nodded and wiped away a tear as she gave Albus a hug. "You know, I thought all British wizards were horrible punks. You have proved me wrong. Win this for me, ok?"

Albus smiled. "I'll win it for all of you," he said.

"How sweet," Grindelwald said when Canon had cleared the circle. "Seems such a shame to kill you after that. I'll give you one chance to run."

"I didn't come here to run," Albus said, pulling out his wand.

"Very well, you will die a fool," Grindelwald said. Albus only grinned. Grindelwald was cocky which was an advantage for him.

Grindelwald moved before Albus saw him even draw his wand. The spell whipped past Albus' leg. Albus got the message: warning shot. Grindelwald moved again, but this time Albus was ready. A voice emerged in his head; a voice which he had heard often over the past few weeks; the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

He moves to your left first, block there the voice said. Right, left, up the voice continued. Albus was meeting each spell, sensing them before he could truly see them. Shock filled Grindelwald's face. Grindelwald was fast, but he was predictable and no one knew him better than Dumbledore. The Elder Wand could not protect against knowledge which was still the strongest magic of all. There will be an opening to his left, hit it with Flipendo the voice said. Albus saw the opening and struck. Albus was glad he hadn't tried anything longer and more powerful, the opening had been so brief. Grindelwald staggered back, a look of pure panic on his face. He recomposed himself.

"Albus," he said. "There is more coming back from the dead than I thought."

Albus made no comment. He will slow down now, prepare for powerful magic, the voice said. Albus braced himself.

Grindelwald raised his wand straight into the air. There was a flash of brilliant white light and all the windows in the room shattered. Albus looked around and watched as each of the pieces of glass began to move. They flew up into a large ball over Grindelwald's head. Grindelwald looked at Albus and brought his wand down toward him. The glass streaked toward him; a million small knives ready to tear him apart.

Albus conjured a barrier in front of him. The glass hit the barrier and immediately was transformed into water droplets which fell harmlessly to the floor. Albus kept the barrier up until all the glass was through and then swiped his wand down. The water congealed and ran in a small creek toward Grindelwald. It pooled around his feet and Albus brought his wand up, bringing the water swirling in a cyclone around him. Albus knew that Grindelwald was essentially inside a tornado, but he also knew that Grindelwald was powerful enough to survive it.

Suddenly the water twister turned to fire. Albus straightened. The fire swirled slower and slower until finally it was simply a column of fire. Then a head emerged from the top of the column; the head of a dragon. The fire rose up, forming the body of the dragon behind it and revealing a very much undamaged Grindelwald controlling it. Grindelwald whipped his wand down toward Albus and the fire obeyed. Albus conjured a massive, silver shield and stood it between him and the dragon. The dragon hit the shield with a massive gong and huge explosion. Albus was afraid that the fire might reform on the other side of the shield, but it didn't. Albus lowered the shield. Grindelwald sent a killing curse at him but Albus was long gone.

Grindelwald found Albus. He was standing with his wand at his side. Suddenly eight small yellow birds appeared around his head, then sixteen more, then thirty-two more, then more still. Soon Albus was surrounded by a fleet of small, chirping yellow birds. Albus whipped his wand up at Grindelwald and the entire flock took off toward Grindelwald.

Grindelwald conjured the same barrier that Albus had previously used. Each of the birds hit the barrier and turned into nothing but a lot of dirt. All of the birds passed through the shield and then the dirt began to congeal and form a large vase. Grindelwald pointed his wand at the vase and it became the largest raven that Albus had ever seen, easily seven feet tall. The Raven took to the sky and attacked Albus, meanwhile, Albus could see Grindelwald moving to send another killing curse at him. He didn't have time to move this time and there was no apparating inside the castle. Albus pointed his wand at the bird and transfigured it into the first thing which came to mind.

The Raven's feathers suddenly erupted in flame as its body configured into a six foot tall phoenix. The bird swooped down in front of Albus and intercepted the killing curse, causing it to burst into white hot flames and fall into a huge pile of ashes. Albus looked around, but there was no sign of Grindelwald. Suddenly, he spoke. The sound seemed to be right in Albus' ear. He jumped before he realized that Grindelwald was speaking through the walls of the stands.

"You truly are a great wizard, young Albus," he said. "But I have tricks which Dumbledore could not know about. You're luck runs out now."

"Dumbledore knows you have the cloak," Albus said. "He knows everything you have done since you left Death."

It's risky, but it might be your only chance if he uses the cloak Dumbledore's voice said. Albus took a deep breath.

"I can ask him too, right now," Albus said, pulling the Resurrection Stone out of his pocket. "He'll tell me exactly where you are." He turned it two times and then stopped. "But I don't need silly gimmicks and tricks," he said, throwing the stone about twenty feet in front of him.

Then he waited. He wasn't aware of the crowd which had been looking on. He wasn't aware that every eye in the hall was on him except his own. He was only hoping that there was one pair of eyes which weren't on him. One pair which were focused on the stone he had just thrown. Then it happened, what Albus was waiting for. The stone disappeared.

Albus drew his wand in a flash and shouted "Expelliarmus!"

Grindelwald appeared, crouched down to pick up the stone. The Cloak of Invisibility flew off to Albus' right, the Resurrection Stone to his left. Grindelwald was sent flying into the opposite wall while the Elder Wand flew past his ear behind him. Grindelwald stood up with an anger which Albus had never even seen on his Grandma Molly. He grabbed the wand off a dead wizard at his feet and swiped it at Albus. Albus had no time to react before a hot wind slammed into his chest. Albus fell to the ground, gasping for air, dropping his wand in the process.

Grindelwald advanced on him, the wizards wand pointed at his chest, his eyes wide with anger. Albus backed away from him, crawling backwards on the ground. "That is the last mistake you will make, boy," he said, no playful or condescending tone left in his voice. "I'll have Adam raise you and make you the lowest person in my command." Grindelwald's eyes appeared on fire.

Albus reached out with his left hand and felt a body. He had reached the wall. There was no where left to go. He was going to die like this, on the ground, defenseless, beaten. His right hand felt some wood. It was pointless; the Killing Curse couldn't be blocked. But Albus would not die without at least trying something.

"Avada Kedavra!" Grindelwald yelled. Albus grabbed the wand behind him and pulled it around as he yelled "Protego!"

Albus closed his eyes. There was a flash of green light and the loudest roar that he had ever heard. And then silence. I'm dead, he thought.

Suddenly the air around him burst into cheers. Albus opened his eyes. He was still in the Dining Hall at Naumkeag. Grindelwald was thirty yards in front of him, sprawled out on the hall floor and not moving. The stands were swarming and witches and wizards were starting to jump down to the floor. Albus looked down. In his hand was a long, knobby light brown wand. Albus recognized it at once, The Elder Wand. The unbeatable wand. The only wand which could have blocked the Killing Curse. Albus quickly got up and dodged the people now rushing to get an up close look at Grindelwald. They provided no resistance as Albus scooped up the Cloak and the Stone before finding Ashley in the crowd. But they had no time to spend together, James, John, Hugo, Rose and Lily made sure of that.