A/N: There's a reference in this chapter to my one-shot tie in, Fairy Tales: Make a Wish, for the series the character referred to comes from. That same universe is where the red-faced warlock at the end of the chapter is from, as well.
And, we finally name the Big Bad in this chapter. Never let it be said that I'm not giving Harry and friends a major challenge.
Arsene Lupin created by Maurice Leblanc. Hmm, wonder if he's related to anyone Harry knows?
Chapter Twenty
Walpurgis Night
"As a matter of fact, we are none of us above criticism; so let us bear with each other's faults."
― L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
April 30, 1945, France
Augustus Lupin would have preferred better circumstances for the time he was spending in the country of his birth, but here he was.
He was the son of the notorious French criminal Arsene Lupin and Florence Levasseur, who had married in 1919, but separated just two years later, after Augustus was born, with his mother moving with him to England. The reason for their separation wasn't that his father objected to learning his mother was a witch, but was due to his father's activities. Arsene Lupin had truly intended to retire from his adventurous and often criminal life, but had found himself unable to. His mother didn't want Augustus raised in that world, and, truth to tell, neither did his father.
Arsene's criminal activities had made him a very wealthy man, so Augustus and his mother were well taken care of. It became clear early in his life that Augustus was a wizard, and, before he turned 11, he received his Hogwarts letter.
Those in Britain's magical community who knew of Arsene Lupin were surprised his son was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. But, Arsene Lupin was as known for his daring and even occasional heroism as he was for his criminal brilliance.
Still, many thought Augustus was going to build a magical criminal empire once he left Hogwarts. He had no wish to do that, however. He wasn't his father.
However, one man thought his connection to Arsene Lupin made Augustus very valuable. That man was Ian Fleming, a muggle naval intelligence officer.
The greatest and most terrible war in history was being fought. Wizards called it the Grindelwald War, but muggles, more correctly given its scope, called it World War II. Never had a war brought about so much death and destruction, and on such a global scale. Four percent of the world's population would be dead before it was done.
British wizards generally ignored muggle conflicts as best they could, though that wasn't always possible. This was a magical war, as well. The man behind the war, German Dictator Adolf Hitler, had a fascination with magic and the supernatural. Shortly after the first World War, he and the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald became friends and allies. As Hitler's power rose in muggle Germany, so did Grindelwald's in magical Germany, each using their resources to help the other. As Hitler forged alliances with other like-minded Governments, so Grindelwald brought the dark wizards of those countries on board. Their forces combined, they conquered most of Europe, North Africa, and eastern Asia, both muggle and magical.
Augustus learned of the organization behind it, of which Grindelwald was a member of the High Council, Les Habits Noirs, the Black Coats. The High Council was made of dark witches and wizards, some centuries old, but, as their activities were mostly confined to the muggle world, the magical governments paid them little mind. That mistake had now proven costly.
The Black Coats had many front organizations in the muggle world, some used for operations, others to recruit young muggles to their causes. One such organization was the Thule Society, founded by Grindelwald. Officially, it was a "German study group," its members including Rudolf Hess and Hans Frank. In reality, it was to further Grindelwald's, and the Black Coats', goals. There was a strong racist view in the Thule Society, members having to sign a special "blood declaration of faith" concerning their lineage:
"The signer hereby swears to the best of his knowledge and belief that no Jewish or colored blood flows in either his or in his wife's veins, and that among their ancestors are no members of the colored races."
Not that Grindelwald had anything in particular against either Jews or Negros, personally, though the Mistress the Black Coats served had a special hatred for the Jewish people, only matched by her hatred of the Fae. But, these races, especially the Jews, served as convenient scapegoats for many Europeans to blame their problems on. The Black Coats had always set up such scapegoats, the Jews being their favorites in recent centuries, even more than the Freemasons, so that when the rabble realized something was very wrong, their attention would be diverted from those most benefitting from the problems, the ones that were usually responsible for them, the Black Coats and their muggle servants. An ethnic or religious group was always ideal for the scapegoat role, when they couldn't simply blame things on Freemasons and the like.
Why mess with a formula that worked so well, time and again?
Following Germany's defeat and subsequent humiliation in what was then called the Great War, but now called World War I, the Thule Society sponsored a new political party called the German Workers' Party. The German Army sent an agent, Adolf Hitler, to infiltrate and spy on them.
Grindelwald recognized the young man as a spy, immediately. But, he found himself very impressed with Hitler, who was sympathetic to the Party's views, and had many ambitious ideas of his own. He was extremely charismatic, brilliant, and a great public speaker. This was just the ally Grindelwald needed, with such tremendous potential.
Together, they could dominate the world.
So, he brought Hilter into the Party, who quickly rose in the ranks, becoming its leader. Hitler renamed it the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi Party.
As the Axis powers were combining muggle and magical methods, the Allies who opposed them were doing the same. To that end, Fleming had formed the special task force that Augustus was part of, made up of wizards, squibs, and muggles who were in the know about the Wizarding world. Arcturus Black was in charge of the magicals in the unit, and Augustus was pleased with how well the group worked together through so many dangerous missions. Regardless of where they came from, or which abilities got them recruited into the group, they forged bonds that would never break.
The Yanks and French had similar groups, and now all three were together, preparing for the final assault on Grindelwald's mountain fortress, just as the Soviets were closing in on Hitler in Berlin. Augustus had worked closely with the French, his father, despite his advanced years, being involved with the Resistance. While Arsene Lupin didn't have nearly his old physical capabilities, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he used that against the Nazis.
Part of the responsibilities of Fleming's group was to keep things coordinated between the muggles and wizards each working their side of the war, which meant working frequently with the British Aurors, as well as the volunteers from the Knights of Walpurgis.
The Order of Walpurgis was founded close to a thousand years ago by Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor was an admirer of the Celtic King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, and created a chivalric Order of wizards and witches, dedicated to the English Saint Walpurga. Walpurga's Feast Day was May 1, which was also the Irish Beltane and the Italian May Day, dedicated to St. Mary. The eve of Walpurga's Day is Walpurgis Night, celebrated in Central and Northern Europe with dances and bonfires. Many traditions, given when it happens, have blended with the Beltane and May Day traditions.
The Knights of Walpurgis battled the dark forces frequently over the centuries. One particular Walpurgis Night in Eastern Europe saw the Knights win a pitched battle with a group of powerful dark magi and the demon they had summoned, leading to much folklore in that part of Europe.
Tonight, it would be Walpurgis Night, when members of the Order would be participating in the final battle with Grindelwald. The Knights present were discussing how fitting it was.
Between Arcturus's unit and the Knights of Walpurgis, it was a mini Black family reunion. Marius was a squib in Arcturus's unit who seemed to know everything about everything. Arcturus was named for his uncle, who was the Grand Master of the Order of Walpurgis. While the elder Arcturus wasn't here for this mission, his three daughters, Callidora, Cedrella, and Charis, and their respective husbands, Harfang Longbottom, Septimus Weasley, and Caspar Crouch, all six of them Knights of Walpurgis, were.
For this mission, they would also have one of Britain's most powerful and respected wizards, Albus Dumbledore, who was, among his many other abilities, reportedly very skilled in combat. Arcturus said "It's about time." He thought Dumbledore had been dragging his feet when it came to confronting Grindelwald directly, though Dumbledore had cited his responsibilities to Hogwarts.
Also on hand were some of the Fae, who had been very helpful in gathering intelligence throughout the war. Augustus's distant cousin, Louis Saint-Clair, who was one of the French wizards on this mission, was seeing a Veela girl from Bulgaria, one of the Fae who was participating. They were actually discussing her moving to France and marrying him.
The Veela and the American Fae were who provided the intelligence for this mission. They had not only infiltrated Grindelwald's current base, but had provided a full layout, listed the defences, and made portkeys for the impending attack. Queen Ozma and Princess Dorothy of Oz were leading the American Fae. With them, always at the Queen's and Princess's side, was a pretty blonde named Maria, who had a German accent, and was, by the Ozians' accounts, the most vital in infiltrating Grindelwald's base. She had an amazing memory, able to recount every detail of the place. How she did that no one knew, except the Ozians, who weren't telling.
The American Fae were an interesting bunch. France, though newly liberated, and suffering from the war in every way, from provisions, to building damage, to massive loss of life, was doing it's best to return to being France and warmly welcoming their liberators as only the French could. The night before, they'd enjoyed the French wine, with one of the American Fae, Lulu, she was called, supplying the music and lifting spirits. She supplied the American Jazz music the British muggles loved. Augustus had heard some of it before from his muggle brothers in arms. The records Lulu brought included "The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrew Sisters, "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, who had come to perform for the troops and had died in a plane crash because of his service to his country, and "Sing Sing Sing" by Benny Goodman. Ironically, this most famous version of that song didn't actually have any singing. By the end of the evening, Arcturus was leading the assembled in a rousing rendition of "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball," a song popularized by the British Army.
Hitler has only got one ball,
Göring has two but very small,
Himmler has something sim'lar,
But poor Goebbels has no balls at all.
Hitler has only got one ball,
The other is in the Albert Hall,
His mother, the dirty bugger,
Cut it off when Hitler was small.
And she threw it, into an apple tree
And it landed in the deep blue sea
The fishes got out their dishes
And had scallops and bollocks for tea
Lulu was rather taken by one of Augustus's group, one of the muggles, Spencer Tonks. He'd become her dance partner, and more, judging from how they'd slip off somewhere to themselves. Lucky bastard...
Augustus's cousin Louis had more ties to the Fae than his Veela girlfriend. His family, the Saint-Clairs, were, centuries ago, closely allied with the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple, referring to the one built by Solomon, including several being members of the Order.
The Templars wore white mantles with red crosses, and were one of the most skilled fighting units in the Crusades. They developed innovative financial techniques that were an early form of banking, becoming a large economic power throughout Christendom. One of their missions was to protect the Holy Grail, establishing their loyalty to Avalon.
Their great wealth and influence created much jealousy. Then, there were those heavily in debt to them, such as King Phillip IV of France. The Black Coats saw an opportunity not to be missed, not only to increase their own wealth and power, but to strike a major blow to Avalon and the Fae.
They convinced Phillip that the most efficient way to get out of his debts and add to his wealth and power (as well as their own) was to use force against the people he owed money to, as well as other selected scapegoats, and steal their property and assets. The first targets of Phillip and his new allies were the Jews, with Phillip arresting and expelling 100,000 of them from his French territories and seizing their properties and assets on July 22, 1306. Next were rich abbotts and the Lombard merchants who had given Phillip extensive loans. Like with the Jews, he expelled them from his territories and stole their properties and assets.
Pope Boniface VIII condemned Phillip's actions. In response, Phillip taxed the clergy for half their income. When the Pope issued a bull forbidding transfer of Church property to the King of France, Phillip and the Black Coats made the Pope their next target. Gathering bishops and nobles to support him, Phillip had Boniface captured, demanding he resign. Boniface responded that he would sooner die. Phillip had him severely beaten, and he died a month later.
The new Pope, Benedict XI, wasn't as cowed as Phillip and the Black Coats expected, however. He excommunicated Phillip's Minister and the Italians who had played a part in the capture and beating of Boniface. After only eight months of being Pope, Benedict died suddenly and mysteriously. Suspicion was poison on the order of Phillip.
To make certain the next Pope would cause him no problems, Phillip and the Black Coats made one of his own family the new Pope as Clement V, and moved the seat of the papacy from Rome to Avignon, an enclave surrounded by French territories.
Now, they were ready to strike at the Templars.
On Friday the 13th of October 1307, Phillip ordered scores of French Templars, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay, arrested. He trumped-up false charges against them, forcing them to confess under torture. He then bullied Pope Clement to issue a bull instructing all the monarchs of Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets. The Black Coats used their dark magic to keep the Fae from rescuing the Templars, summoning hoards of demons to help fight them.
However, Clement then decided to call for hearings to determine the Templars' guilt or innocence. Now freed from the Inquisition, the Templars recanted the confessions made under torture. Phillip had dozens of them burned at the stake, anyway, and threatened Pope Clement with military action if he didn't dissolve the Order. Clement finally did so in 1312.
Grand Master Jacques de Molay and Preceptor of Normandy Geoffroi de Charney were sentenced to be burned at the stake in Paris on March 18, 1314. Defiant to the end, De Molay asked to be tied in such a way as he could face the Notre Dame Cathedral and fold his hands in prayer. From the flames, he called out, "God knows who is wrong and has sinned. Soon a calamity will occur to those who have condemned us to death."
Pope Clement V died only a month later. Before the year was out, King Phillip IV died of a stroke while hunting.
The magical branch of the Saint-Clairs maintained their ties to Avalon, so Louis was who introduced Augustus and his group to the Fae Queen who would, along with Dumbledore, be the one to engage Grindelwald, believed to be the most dangerous dark wizard in the world, directly.
The friendly, smiling, blonde woman with moon-like silver eyes wasn't what Augustus would have expected of Morgan le Fay, the legendary Queen of Avalon who led the Sisterhood that kept and protected the Holy Grail.
Dumbledore clearly didn't like the thought of working with the Fae, in general, and Morgan le Fay, in particular. Augustus found Dumbledore's antipathy towards Queen Morgan and Avalon strange, considering the importance of Merlin to British wizards, and the importance of Avalon to their history. One would think the opportunity to serve with Queen Morgan to be the highest honor for a British wizard, Augustus thought. Arcturus and the Blacks certainly believed it so.
Dumbledore's view, however, was the more or less official stance of Britain's Wizarding community towards Avalon. Augustus noticed that, for a culture that claimed to revere Merlin, constantly invoking him the way most European witches and wizards invoked God, Jesus, and Mary, and naming their highest honor, the Order of Merlin, for him, there was nothing taught about him in the history classes at Hogwarts, or anything else relating to King Arthur.
Fortunately for Augustus, he had his French mother to educate him on those subjects, having been taught at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, where King Arthur and everything related to him was considered a vital part of their history. Small wonder, considering the school was founded by Eleanor of Aquitaine, and located at Paimpont forest, close to the tree where the Lady of the Lake imprisoned Merlin.
Arcturus made a point of making it clear to Dumbledore that he not let his personal issues jeopardize the mission.
Albus Dumbledore was feeling very stressed.
It was bad enough that he would be facing Gellert in a final confrontation. This was one of his oldest friends that had almost lured him into darkness, when he had ideas of conquering the muggles. There was also the... sinful desires that he had held for Gellert, which fortunately Gellert didn't reciprocate. It all ultimately cost Dumbledore the life of his sister, Ariana, and the love of his brother, Aberforth.
He'd more or less mended fences with Aberforth, but knew that his brother had never fully forgiven him. He'd learned from his experiences with Gellert, and magically conditioned himself to prevent feeling such sinful desires, again. He realized that conditioning was the key to bringing people into the service of the greater good.
This was a confrontation he'd put off, long enough. He needed to face Gellert, and conquer these past demons. He'd been asked, almost since the war began, to bring his skills into the fight. It was when Arcturus Black informed him that this would be the final assault, and that, if he didn't take part, Morgan le Fay and Princess Dorothy of Oz would face Grindelwald on their own after the wizards had secured the base, that he knew it was now or never. He also wasn't going to allow the Fae this victory.
Plus, there was the mystery of how Gellert Grindelwald, who had once wanted wizards to conquer and rule the muggles, came to ally himself with them and the Black Coats. Dumbledore needed an answer to that. Why would Gellert do such a thing?
Several of the older students wanted to go with him on this mission, which, of course, he couldn't allow. To his surprise, the one who, besides Gellert's grandson Xeno Lovegood, most wanted to help bring down Gellert was Tom Riddle, though Dumbledore understood once he explained his reasons.
"The man was partly responsible for my city being bombed steadily for months," Tom said. "I understandably hold a grudge."
Indeed, quite understandable. A Slytherin seeking vengeance was something Dumbledore could accept.
What made the current situation even more stressful was having to work with the accursed Seelie Court, and American Fae, at that. He was currently in a strategy meeting with the Fae, Arcturus, and he squib cousin Marius. The Fae were represented by Queen Ozma, Princess Dorothy, and a puzzling young woman named Maria of Oz, and the woman Dumbledore hated more than any other, Morgan le Fay.
And they had the nerve to chastise him for his rudeness to them. As if these barbaric Americans knew anything about civilized behavior, as demonstrated by that wonton floozy, Lulu, and that noise they called music. Ozma was gentle and serene in her criticism of Dumbledore's attitude towards them, treating him as though he was a petulant child about it. Dorothy, who was clearly in a sinful relationship with her Queen, judging by their open displays of affection, was more confrontational.
She said, "If working with us is that hard for you, you can always go back home. We can do this ourselves, you know."
"I know my duty," he replied, "and will do it."
Princess... As if that common muggle farm girl Yank had any right to such a prestigious title... One day, he decided, he would teach this "Princess" her place.
Her piercing turquoise eyes met his. As if knowing what he was thinking, she said, "Someday, the two of us can settle things, but right now, how about we focus on what we're all here for?"
Arcturus Black actually apologized to them of behalf of Wizarding Britain for Dumbledore's behavior, as if it was unwarranted.
"Need I remind you, Albus," he said, "that these are the women who, at great risk to themselves, gathered the intelligence needed for this mission?"
"No, I'm aware of that. And I'm also aware that Fae are untrustworthy."
"Unlike you, they've been fighting this war from the beginning, and they've fought the Black Coats for centuries."
"Very well. I accept that, for now, we have a mutual adversary that needs dealt with."
Though it would take fifty years, he would gain a small bit of revenge against Arcturus. He'd convince Arcturus's grandson Sirius, due to his bitter feelings towards his horrible mother and weak father, that his family had all been the worst of dark wizards from their beginning, and that his grandfather hadn't actually earned his Order of Merlin for his heroism and leadership during the Grindelwald War, but had simply bribed the Ministry for the honor. Sirius would throw the medal in the rubbish, to Dumbledore's satisfaction.
Some, he would realize, would call it petty. But, he would assure himself, it was important for Sirius's continued conditioning, and thus would serve the greater good, as all of Albus Dumbledore's actions would. Besides, Arcturus Black was a Slytherin, and therefore evil, so he certainly deserved it.
As everyone was preparing, Queen Morgan took Dumbledore aside.
She said, "Do you realize today is the anniversary of when we first met?"
"Yes. How could I forget?"
"I know you hate us, and hate me, in particular, but we're going to have to be able to trust each other on this mission. I can't afford to worry that you plan to curse me in the back."
"I would never curse someone in the back. You needn't be concerned about any treachery from me. You're the treacherous one."
"Why do you say that?"
"What the Lady of the Lake did to Merlin comes to mind."
"Unlike you, I know both Merlin and Niniane. Merlin was old and tired, and ready to lay down his burden. Why do you think Niniane was accepted as Merlin's replacement as Arthur's advisor? Merlin knew his time on this plane was almost done, and prepared his successor. Also, I revere Merlin. He was not only my greatest teacher, but one of the greatest people I have ever known. But, he was no more a saint than you or me. But, that's not your real issue with me."
"No," he acknowledged.
"This is about Ariana."
"You tried to take her from us, to Avalon."
"I tried to save her. I wanted to bring her to Avalon to heal her."
Of all the many things that haunted Albus Dumbledore in his lifetime, the biggest was his sister, Ariana.
She was the youngest of the three Dumbledore siblings, Albus the oldest. The Dumbledores were one of England's oldest magical families, dating to the Anglo-Saxons. Albus's father was named Percival, after the Grail Knight. His mother was Kendra, a muggleborn, though she did her best to hide that fact. For the Dumbledores, how others perceived them was everything.
The year before Albus began attending Hogwarts, tragedy struck the family. Ariana, age six, was seen by three muggle boys performing magic. They panicked, and attacked her. The trauma was so severe that she never recovered. She could no longer control her magic. She refused to use it, but it would sometimes explode out of her. It drove her mad.
Albus's father hunted down the three boys and maimed them. As he wouldn't explain the reasons for his actions, knowing that if Ariana's inability to control her magic came to light, she'd spend the rest of her life in St. Mungos, he was sent to Azkaban. He'd die there.
Their mother was equally determined to keep Ariana's condition secret, keeping their neighbors at a distance, before finally moving the family to Godric's Hollow. There, she kept the family isolated, refusing visitors.
The next year, on an unusually misty Walpurgis Night, 1892, at twilight, a visitor managed the seemingly impossible, charming their mother and gaining entry.
She was a beautiful blonde woman with large silver eyes that shined like the moon. She radiated power like the 11-year-old Albus had never experienced. He felt true fear.
He hated that feeling.
She introduced herself. Her name was legendary: Morgan le Fay.
Albus was, even then, a brilliant child. He'd read accounts of this woman, her family being a favorite subject of his father's. The stories were often contradictory, especially between the early accounts and the later ones. Given his name, Albus's father preferred the earlier accounts, and Albus had to admit they were likely the most accurate, if also the most mysterious.
Still, even if it was Walpurgis Night, one of the times the veil between this world and the Otherworlds was at its thinnest, how likely was it that Morgan le Fay would visit a random family of wizards? Albus was about to ask that, when his mother beat him to it.
Kendra Dumbledore asked, "Why should we believe you're who you claim?"
A young voice was heard. Ariana had slipped into the room when Albus, and as near as he could tell, his mother and Aberforth, weren't looking.
"You came," said Ariana.
"Of course, I did, Ariana," said Morgan, gently.
"How does she know you?" Albus asked Morgan, suspiciously.
"I wished for her," said Ariana.
"You... wished for her?"
"Yes... Daddy told us stories, remember? He said she was the greatest healer in all the land, and she ruled a beautiful magical kingdom... And, I've been sick..."
Albus said, "That's a fairy tale, Ariana."
Morgan replied, with a warm, amused, smile, "And I'm a fairy."
"Can you make me better?" Ariana asked.
Morgan knelt before the girl, and placed her palms on each side of Ariana's head. Albus wanted to stop her, but somehow couldn't. Neither could his mother or Aberforth.
Morgan and Ariana closed their eyes, and remained still. All Albus could do was watch, as if entranced. After a few moments, Fae and young witch opened their eyes, and Morgan released the girl.
Morgan said, "Yes, I think we can."
For the next weeks, Morgan became a regular visitor to the Dumbledores. Despite the family's initial scepticism, Ariana was showing a remarkable improvement. Whatever it was that Morgan was doing and teaching Ariana, it was working. She was much calmer, no explosive outbursts of magic.
She was also, for the first time since the attack, genuinely happy, especially when in Morgan's presence. This was enough, as far as Aberforth was concerned. Albus, though, was still suspicious. While it wasn't common knowledge among British wizards, he knew the Fae had returned to activity in the mortal world in recent years. His father had told them of the incidents at Oxford. While his father was unconcerned about the Seelie Court's return to the world, Albus found it quite frightening. The goblins were bad enough.
And now, one of their most famous and notorious was in his house, spending so much time with his sister.
While Ariana was helping Aberforth feed the goats he seemed, to Albus, a bit overly fond of, Morgan came to Albus to talk. He was sitting at a desk, studying, wanting to be as ready for his first year at Hogwarts as he could be. His mother had let him use his father's wand, which didn't have the Ministry's tracer, thus allowing him to do magic outside of Hogwarts with the Ministry none the wiser.
"Hello, Albus," he heard her say, behind him.
He stiffened, uncomfortable being alone with the Fae.
"Hello, Morgan," he replied.
"We haven't really had a chance to talk, so I thought we could take this opportunity."
"What would you like to talk about?"
"Whatever you wish. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
"Why are you here?"
"Ah, one of the great mysteries of life... Why are we here..."
"No, I mean, why are you here, in this house?"
"I thought that was obvious. I'm here for Ariana. Preparing for Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"Did you know one of my descendants was one of the Founders of Hogwarts?"
"Which one?"
"Sorcha, the Ravenclaw. From what I've seen of you, you'd be a fine fit in her house."
He made a mental note to make certain that he wouldn't be in Ravenclaw, however they decided these things.
She added, "Your people named your main hospital after one of my grandsons, who also happens to have been the founder of Glasgow. Did you know we're related?"
"No," and he didn't like that revelation.
"Have you ever wondered where your family's sparkly blue eyes came from? Most eyes don't sparkle like yours, or are as bright. You're bound to have also noticed members of your family tend to live a lot longer than most witches and wizards, by several decades. That's your Fae blood, which runs strong in your family. We're both descended from the Fisher Kings. Your father was named for one of them, a cousin of mine, and one of your ancestors. But, that's one of your middle names."
"Yes."
"So, we're kin, and family takes care of family. Ariana called for me, and here I am."
Albus paused, and asked, "Does Father know? About our ancestors?"
"Of course. If he were here, he'd be the one telling you this. You're related to Jesus and Mary. You're descended from King David and Queen Bathsheba, King Solomon and Queen Bilquis, the Pharaohs, the High Kings and Queens of Ireland, and the Tuatha de Danaan. I'd also guess that, like me, you're descended from a Founder of Hogwarts, in your case Godric Gryffindor."
All right... Gryffindor as an ancestor he liked. They lived in the village Godric Gryffindor was born in. He knew which house he wanted to be sorted into.
She continued, "You have a thirst for knowledge, and, from what I sense, tremendous magical power. You're going to do great things, Albus. Whether they're also terrible things depends on you, and the choices you make. Your sister has tremendous magical power, too. That's part of why when it bursts forth, it does so... dramatically. Do you know what her name means?"
"I know it's Italian."
"Her name means 'most holy.' Given my responsibility to the Holy Grail, you can see how her name caught my attention. She is capable of true greatness. So much she can bring to the world..."
"What about Aberforth?"
"His ambition is to create a race of mighty billy goats to battle the troll hoard."
"Why would he plan to do something like that?"
"The Asgardian billy goats are very effective against trolls, using a combination of trickery and brute strength."
"I'll... take your word for that."
Albus had been taught by his mother the importance of secrecy. Even so, she reminded him and Aberforth to tell no one of who was visiting them.
Still, that didn't mean he couldn't research the Fae, especially in how to protect oneself and one's household from them. After finding out all he could from the family library, he borrowed books from the Dumbledores' magical neighbors. Then, he wrote letters to various wizards who knew the subject. No one suspected anything. After all, Albus was simply a curious lad seeking knowledge on a subject that interested him.
On Midsummer Eve, Morgan made the announcement Albus had feared.
"I've done all I can for Ariana, here. For her to be fully healed, and to be able to control her magic, I'll need to take her to Avalon."
Albus would never forget the look of happiness in Ariana's face.
"Why?" asked Albus's mother.
"Time and resources. There are things there that I can't bring, here. It's somewhere that... The Grail's presence will keep her magic from being destructive, there. Avalon, itself, can help heal her mind, soothe her pains. As time passes differently, there, we'll have all the time we need to teach her how to control both her emotions and her magic. I could take her there, tonight, have her there learning for years, and bring her back here tomorrow, not looking like she's aged a day. You'll no longer have to hide her. She'll be able to attend Hogwarts, and she'd be far ahead of her peers, going in. As she'll no longer be a danger, your husband will be free to explain why he attacked those boys. That would get his sentence reduced, if nothing else."
"She'd be... She wouldn't be human, any more. She'd be one of you."
"I consider myself human, if a bit different from most of the species. She'll be able to easily pass as a normal human witch, though. We're not like our Veela cousins. We can control the glamour."
"I don't -"
Ariana interrupted, looking at her mother imploringly. "Mother... Please... I want to go. I want to be better. I... don't want you to be ashamed of me..."
"You think we're ashamed of you?" Mrs. Dumbledore asked, sadly.
"Aren't you?"
"No! We just... have to keep your condition a secret. If your condition was known, they'd take you away from us, lock you up in St. Mungo's for the rest of your life."
"Please, Mother..."
Albus saw his mother begin to waver. He had to stop this, now.
"No," he said. "Mother, you can't let them do this. Fae are dark creatures, and they'd turn her into one."
Morgan said, "No, we're not, no more than any other people. There have been some of us who've chosen to do harm, but how does that make us any different from the rest of the human race? It's all about the choices we make."
"We can take care of her."
"For how long? What if something happens to your mother? Or to you? What happens to Ariana, then?" Morgan returned her attention to Albus's mother. "I'm not making this request lightly. You can't help Ariana. St. Mungo's can't help her. We can."
"At the cost of her humanity," said Albus.
"Again, whatever else I am, I'm still very human. If we don't do this, the consequences will be tragic. That, I can assure you. She needs to be able to control her gifts."
"The Fairylands aren't a place any decent person should be. They're the stuff of nightmares."
"You should see Avalon for yourself before you judge us. Come along, all of you. You don't have to stay long enough to where you need to eat anything... Just a visit, to experience what we're about. You can see, and feel, how being in the presence of the Holy Grail would be nothing but a positive experience for Ariana. And maybe, Albus, you might find some of the answers you seek, even if you don't know, yet, that you're seeking them."
"What would you know about what I seek?"
"Albus, I told you, you can do great things. But, for all your brilliance and power, there is great anger in you. I've felt it. I'm feeling it, now."
"You should be feeling it, since you're the cause."
"At the moment, your anger is directed at me. But, you've only known me for less than two months. You've been angry for longer than that. About a year, am I right? You're angry at those non-magical boys that hurt your sister. You're angry at your Ministry of Magic for putting your father in prison for what he did to those boys, even though you know the Ministry had no choice. You're angry at the Knights of Walpurgis for expelling your father, even though you know they had no choice. You're angry at your father for getting caught, sent to prison, and leaving you and the rest of the family.
Damn the woman... no, Fae, Albus thought.
She continued, "I've known great anger. I learned to control mine. My sister, Morgause, did not. You know what that resulted in. She brought about the downfall of Camelot. And the... things she did to accomplish that... The end of Camelot marked the end of the Ancient World and the beginning of the Dark Ages, and the Holy Grail withdrew further from this world, as Avalon became far less accessible."
"Maybe the Ancient World should stay buried."
"You can't bury the Light, forever. But, the same is true of the Dark. If you can't learn to control your anger, it, and the hatred that results from it, will consume you."
"And I suppose you have the solution to that, too?"
"I do think you could benefit from what I could teach you. But, if not me, please find another way, a path that will give you balance. Otherwise, you'll one day find yourself unable to find love, unable to fully trust anyone, unable to be worthy of anyone's full trust. You'll be isolated behind the walls you've built around yourself."
"You're a prophet, then?"
"I have been, actually. I didn't make as many prophecies as Merlin, mind you, but I do have the Sight, In your case, though, my warning comes from observation and experience. You don't want your life to built on secrets and lies."
It was then that Kendra Dumbledore spoke.
"My answer is no."
Albus felt triumphant. Ariana, however, looked devastated.
"I must ask you to reconsider, for your daughter's sake."
"I appreciate what you've done for her, but it is time for you to leave us."
"Do you want her to never be well?"
"Better that than be a Fae. I agree with my son."
"What's Aberforth's opinion?"
"Aberforth's opinion doesn't matter."
Aberforth winced, but didn't say anything. Ariana was becoming increasingly upset.
"Mother..." she said, desperately.
"My decision is final. I will not have my daughter in... that place. Thank you for reminding me of that object you claim to be of Christ that has been the cause of so much heresy. My husband may have believed in that nonsense, but I do not, and I'll not have you poisoning my children's minds, further."
Morgan replied, "The Grail is the Grail. Those who come within its presence know it for what it truly is. If you would just come -"
"Leave my house, now."
Morgan stood, sadly, looking at Ariana. Ariana charged forth, embracing Morgan and crying, before Albus and their mother pulled her away.
"Come back for me?" Ariana asked Morgan, as Kendra restrained her daughter with a spell. Morgan looked Ariana in the eyes, as if silently communicating with her. Then, she departed.
"Mother," said Albus, "we have no time to lose. I've researched how to keep them out. We'll need to do some transfiguration, we'll need cold iron..."
They spent Midsummer Day preparing the house. Ariana was locked in her room.
Weeks passed, and Ariana reverted to her condition before Morgan first visited. They waited.
Finally, on July 31, Lammas Eve, at twilight, a mist rose. So did Ariana's spirits.
Her mother told her, "Don't look too happy, young lady. She won't be able to reach you. Albus and I have seen to that."
Albus added, "They have weaknesses, you see. We've placed the right things around, so she'll never be able to get in and take you. You're safe with us."
"No..." said Ariana.
"Ah, look out the window. There she is, now, just outside. She looks upset, doesn't she? Oh no, you don't..." he said, grabbing her and holding her down as she tried to run.
Their mother magically restrained her, and said, "Watch her, so she doesn't harm herself. I'm going to summon the Aurors, then step outside and gloat."
Albus said, "Be careful, Mother."
Ariana implored him, "Please, Albus... I... don't want to keep being... sick... Let me go."
Albus had to be strong.
"This is for your own good, Ariana."
"How?"
Albus looked out the window, where his mother had stepped just outside the door, but still within the safe zone.
"It appears you've been locked out," she said.
"Mrs. Dumbledore..."
"You can't enter the property, and Ariana can never leave it."
"Do you really think you can keep things as they are, forever?"
"It's no longer your concern. The Aurors are on their way."
"And how do you propose to explain Ariana's condition?"
"I'm not going to. They're not going to see her."
Albus heard the distinct popping sound signalling apparation.
"The Aurors are here... Ariana?"
He'd seen it before. His little sister was about to have one of her explosions. Quickly, using his father's wand, he stunned her.
"Forgive me," he said.
Morgan and the Aurors were long gone by the time Ariana awakened.
"It's over," Albus told her. "You're safe, now."
And Ariana Dumbledore screamed.
His mother told the authorities that accidental magic by Aberforth was the cause of the resulting explosion.
While this was a larger one than usual, the Dumbledores quickly repaired the damage. It had become routine, by now.
Aberforth glared at his brother and mother, before holding his crying, lost, sister and trying to comfort her.
Albus watched them, Aberforth whispering to her, before turning to his mother, and asking, "We did do the right thing... didn't we?"
"It's for the greater good, Albus," she said. "For the greater good..."
Albus entered Hogwarts, and quickly became the greatest student the school had seen in a very long time. As he hoped, he was sorted into Gryffindor. Aberforth joined him three years later. Ariana did not. Many who knew the Dumbledores didn't even know they had a daughter. Those that did assumed she was a Squib.
When Albus finished his schooling at Hogwarts, he and his worshipful friend, Elphias Doge, planned the then traditional world tour. Upon returning home to make preparations, he found a stranger visiting his mother. He was introduced to a witch and noblewoman named Cecily Addams. She'd bought a large house in Godric's Hollow, and had become a friend of Albus's mother.
In the years to come, Albus felt he should have realized something was wrong with this Cecily Addams. His mother hadn't allowed visitors, except for those weeks with Morgan le Fay, since Ariana became ill. But, he also realized, Kendra Dumbledore had always been concerned with social standing, and here was someone who could help the Dumbledores regain the status they had lost when Albus's father went to prison.
Ariana was wearing a blue pendant, which, Albus was told, was a gift from Cecily.
Then, the accident happened, one of Ariana's incidents. They'd always been able to keep the damage controlled. Aberforth was especially good at calming their sister down.
But Aberforth wasn't there, this time. Ariana's explosion of magic accidentally killed their mother.
Albus now couldn't go on that world tour. He had a family he was responsible for. Aberforth offered to leave school and take care of Ariana, but Albus would have none of that. Aberforth needed to finish his education.
But, at this point in his young life, Albus wasn't ready for the responsibility. He became distracted by a new friend, a handsome young blond man named Gellert Grindelwald.
Gellert was from Europe, and was in Godric's Hollow staying with family. Albus was fascinated with him, finally finding the intellectual equal he had long wanted. He had other feelings for Gellert, as well, that he didn't understand, and greatly disturbed him.
While Albus wasn't obsessed with blood purity, and had no issue with Muggleborn witches and wizards, he did have major issues with the non-magical families they came from. But, he thought, the Muggleborns could rise above their lowly roots, and become productive members of Wizarding society. To Albus, muggles were the people who attacked his sister, period.
He'd found a kindred spirit in Gellert, and they began making plans for a new and better world, where no witch or wizard would suffer like Ariana did at the hands of the filthy muggles, ever again. It would be a world where wizards ruled and muggles were subjugated like the inferior animals they were.
They had other common interests. Albus told Gellert what he had never told anyone outside of the family, of the visits by Morgan le Fay. Gellert was, for his part, fascinated by Morgan, Avalon, and the Grail.
"You should have accepted the invitation to visit Avalon, at least," he told Albus.
"Would they have allowed us to leave, if we had?"
"I think so. Of course, if they wanted to keep you, I imagine the place would have tempted you to stay. Still, the opportunity to behold the Grail... It would have been worth the risk, I think."
Still, there were other hallowed objects they shared a mutual interest in, the Deathly Hallows, consisting of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and a Cloak of Invisibility. Gellert had come to Godric's Hollow, in fact, because it was the final resting place of Ignotus Peverell, who had been given the Cloak of Invisibility. They decided they would find the Deathly Hallows, unite them, and use them to build their better world, for the greater good.
During this, though, Ariana was being neglected. Aberforth confronted his brother and his brother's new friend about it, pointing out that she was in no condition for the two of them to drag her around while pursuing their goals. The three argued, the argument grew more heated, and wands were drawn. Ariana, wanting to help Aberforth, intervened. None of the three knew which of them cast the stray hex. All they knew was it killed Ariana, and it would stay with each of them the rest of their lives.
Gellert left the country, immediately. At Ariana's funeral, a brawl broke out, with Aberforth breaking Albus's nose.
Albus Dumbledore's life was forever changed. He would dedicate it to atonement.
There was some fighting various monsters and dark wizards, along the way. And, of course, much more studying. He'd begun corresponding with Nicolas Flamel while still at Hogwarts, and now went to the greatest Alchemist in the world to learn. Some aspects of Alchemy he excelled at. He and Nicolas discovered the nine uses of dragon's blood.
Other aspects, however, would make this the only subject he studied that he couldn't master. There were concepts he couldn't comprehend. Some of it seemed, to him, heresy. Most offensive to Albus was some of the symbols, especially the Grail. And then there were the requirements of the Great Work.
So, he returned to Hogwarts to teach Transfiguration.
For all his accomplishments, he knew it impossible to have what the Mirror of Erised showed him as his greatest wish, his family, with Ariana alive and performing magic, he and Aberforth fully reconciled.
If Morgan had taken Ariana, she'd still be alive, today. But, she'd be a dark creature, a Fae. She died human, and an innocent. Perhaps it was for the greater good after all.
He had to believe that.
Then, Grindelwald rose to power in Europe, and he had the Elder Wand...
"You said you wanted to heal Ariana," Dumbledore said to Morgan, "but do you expect me to believe you didn't send Cecily Addams to exact revenge? You expect me to believe that she wasn't one of you?"
"'Cecily Addams' was a vengeance demon named Halfrek. Vengeance demons aren't Fae, as much as they wish they were."
"A vengeance demon?"
"They take a human identity, and grant a wish, though they twist it into something the person making the wish doesn't want."
"I know what a vengeance demon is, but they wouldn't dare target wizards."
"Why not? How are your people going to be more likely to recognize one in her human guise than a non-magical, aside from the pendant they use? I'm assuming she gave Ariana a small pendant, which disappeared after... everything happened."
"Yes."
"There are records of Halfrek in the Department of Mysteries, so you can ask them for confirmation of what I'm about to tell you. Wherever 'Cecily Addams' appeared, violence and death followed. Just two decades before you met her, she'd attended a party where a poet called, of all things, William the Bloody..."
"William the Bloody? Isn't that a vampire?" And a particularly dangerous one, at that.
"Now, yes. But, then, he was a human poet. He was infatuated with Cecily, and wrote poems to her. She didn't return his feelings, of course, but she didn't like how some of the other party guests insulted his work, even though it was really bad. One, in particular, said he'd rather have a railroad spike driven through his head than hear any more of it. So, after William's mortal life ended, that night, Cecily visited the man and obliged him. Then, she visited the other guests who had insulted William."
"Granting the man his wish?"
"Yes, and that wasn't even the reason she was there. Every vengeance demon has a specialty, a cause. Halfrek's is children who have been abused or neglected."
Dumbledore let that sink in. He would, upon returning to Britain, check with the Department of Mysteries for confirmation, but he knew in his heart that what Morgan was telling him was true.
"But, to risk confrontations with wizards..."
"You'd be surprised at how often they visit you lot. They've done it before, and they'll do it again. You won't recognize them for what they are. You'll probably attribute the results of their work to tragic circumstances. Strange magical happenings don't stand out for your people like they do for the non-magical. They're less likely to be discovered and caught with your people than with the rest of humanity."
"But... what would Ariana have wished for?"
"It could have been any number of things... Maybe she wished you wouldn't leave her."
"She should have wished for something else," Dumbledore said, sadly.
"It would have worked out tragically, regardless. That's the way of vengeance demons. They're demons, after all."
"That is true..."
"Ariana is in a better place, now."
"I know. She would have to be. Why were you especially interested in her, anyway?"
"I told you. She was kin, she called to me, I came to help her. There was something I was also hoping she would be."
"As I suspected. And what was that?"
"Do you know of the Secret Chiefs?"
"I've heard the term. Some sort of Eastern tommyrot. They're not real."
"They are. They work throughout the world, though they gather for meetings in Shambhala. They include saints, gods, and ascended beings. They've also been called the Ascended Masters, the Masters of Ancient Wisdom, and the Esoteric Order. They are responsible for the operation and moral caliber of this world. They've given the Seelie Court a task."
"What would that be?"
"When Grindelwald falls, that won't be the end of our troubles. There will still be the group he is a member of, the Black Coats, and their Mistress. The Kalachakra prophesies say that when the world declines into war and greed, and all is lost, the 25th Kalki king will emerge from Shambhala with a huge army to vanquish the dark forces and usher in a worldwide Golden Age. We have been tasked, among other things, to find a Champion who will be one of the leaders in the fight against the darkness the Black Coats are bringing about, one from among the British magicals. One of the signs we're looking for is the Champion will have a very troubled childhood. We'd have to make her or him one of us, because this is going to be a very long-term fight, much longer than a mortal lifespan, even a Magi's."
"Are you telling me you thought Ariana was this supposed Champion?"
"I thought she could be. She might have been, had things gone differently. As I told you, her name meant 'most holy.'"
"I don't believe you. If this Shambhala truly exists, it is dark and malevolent."
"Why do you say that?"
"It is Eastern, is it not?"
"I pity any students with Asian cultural and spiritual backgrounds that are in your classes."
"I'm not racist. I have nothing against their ethnicity. They can't help that. My concern is with their beliefs, practices, and culture. It is our duty as the English to raise them out of their savagery and into civilization."
"How enlightened of you," she said, not hiding her sarcasm. "Your old friend Gellert believes in Shambhala. The Nazis sent three expeditions looking for it. Of course, they didn't find it. He's as likely to find Shambhala as he is Avalon. Speaking of whom... Did you tell him about me, years ago?"
"How do you know that?"
"According to our people, he knows my physical description. You're the only person I know who could have given him that."
"Why are you so convinced that will be important?"
"He's a Quester."
"For the Deathly Hallows."
"For many things. Those three little objects are the ones he's sure he can acquire. That doesn't mean he doesn't have a fascination for others, particularly the Grail and anything else relating to Avalon. The Nazis were also sending out missions to find the Grail. They looked for it in Germany, France... Never made it to Glastonbury, not that they would have ever been able to access Avalon. I would say the Mistress the Black Coats serve wouldn't be pleased about his little obsessions, but she'd realize he could never find it. He actually believes himself worthy of achieving the Grail Quest."
"Why would this... Mistress object?"
"She hates the Grail, and everything it stand for, as well as it's guardians. Albus... there will be some dark times in the coming decades, and the world will need the best within you, not the worst."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember when I told you that Merlin foresaw his time on this plane was almost done? I now know how he felt. Oh, it's not for some decades, yet, for me... But, before that day comes, I will have another child, and she'll be named for the moon, and she'll be wonderful. I will always watch over her. But, as you will most likely be one of her teachers, I'm asking you to watch over her, too. Please let go of your hatred. As I told you years ago, you will do great things. Whether they are for good or ill is up to you."
When the arrived at Grindelwald's fortress in the Alps, they knew, from their earlier intelligence, that there would be little resistance. Most of Grindelwald's forces were either dead, captured, or had abandoned him. There was even less resistance than the magical Allied forces expected, however. It was pretty much a clean-up operation, except, of course, for Grindelwald, himself.
Dumbledore was certain that in a fair fight he'd beat Grindelwald. But, with Grindelwald holding the Elder Wand, it would be far from fair. Hence, the strategy they would be employing, now.
Gellert Grindelwald sat in his office, monitoring the invasion of what he knew to be his final base of operations, and contemplated how his life had come to this.
He'd had a dream of building an empire, of world domination. He'd worked for decades for it. His grand vision, if successful, would make him first and foremost among the Black Coats, second only to the Mistress, herself.
Now, all he was left was a daughter who hated him, a grandson he'd never seen, and either death or life in prison awaiting him. And what was his daughter thinking? What kind of name was Xenophilius for a child, anyway?
At least his wife was safe in South America.
And things had gone so well for a while, too.
He was finished. He knew this. He and Himmler had made plans in case the war turned against them. They'd build a redoubt in the Alps close to this very fortress, for Hitler and the Nazi Government to retreat to, if Berlin was in danger of falling. Here, with the terrain, and proper supplies, they could hold out for an extended period.
But Hitler, ten days ago, had announced his refusal to come, declaring he'd die in Berlin. He was determined to take Germany with him in what he clearly saw as his Twilight of the Gods, ordering the destruction of Germany's entire infrastructure, and calling for the populace to fight to the last man, woman, and child, as well as for mass suicides. He was giving orders to armies that only existed in his imagination. When informed of what burning down the cities, factories, and farms would do to the German survivors of the war, he declared that Germans had to right to continue living.
Fortunately, the man given the responsibility to carry out the order, Hitler's favorite architect Albert Speer, chose not to do so, even telling various commanders that they were to ignore any such orders from Berlin.
Hitler had been supportive when he and Himmler first suggested building the redoubt, but now...
Grindelwald knew who had to have gotten to Hitler, who had convinced him that his current self-destructive course of action was the only way, who had convinced him to get as many people to join him in death as possible.
Grindelwald knew the Mistress had forsaken him. He was no longer of use to her, so there would be no help from the Black Coats.
And now, Albus decided to pay him a visit...
Everything would end, today. Well, not quite everything, as their Japanese allies were still holding out, but that would only be a matter of a few months. The Japanese were almost driven back to their home island, and the Allies had only used a small percentage of their forces against them thus far, the bulk of their focus being Germany. Without the Nazis keeping most of the Allied forces busy, especially the Yanks, the Japanese Warlords and their magical counterparts would be crushed, quickly and decisively.
But for Germany, the Nazis, and Gellert Grindelwald, it would be over. The date was no coincidence. The Mistress had chosen Walpurgis Night, specifically, and Grindelwald knew why.
Grindelwald sighed and stood. He looked around at his office one last time. He wasn't going to face the invaders in this room, no. Too much nice artwork and furnishings here that he'd collected over the years. A full-fledged battle would damage them.
No, he'd wait for them in the hallway just outside his office.
He stepped into the hallway, and waited. The echoes of the sounds of, well, it really couldn't be called a battle below, ceased. Then, a familiar figure entered the hall. He was quite a bit older than when Grindelwald had last seen him, but then, weren't they all? What surprised him was Albus appeared to be alone. Didn't he know Grindelwald held the Elder Wand?
"Albus."
"Gellert. I would say it's a pleasure to see an old friend after all these years, but we both know better."
"Indeed. Shall we continue with the small talk, catching each other up with what we've been doing, or shall we go ahead and fight?"
"I think the latter."
"Very well. You are a fool to face me alone, Albus. Brave, but a fool."
It was then that she appeared out of seemingly nowhere.
She was beautiful, blonde, with large, silver, moon-like eyes that glowed in the dim light of the hallway. She was clearly Fae, but he knew of one in particular that fit that exact description.
"And, who are you?" he asked her.
"You know who I am," she answered with a cultured Irish accent.
It couldn't be. She had come here? Now?
He'd spent so many years seeking the Grail, and now the Queen of Avalon had come to him? Could deliverance really be at hand?
For the first time in so long, Gellert Grindelwald felt hope. He knew he was worthy to achieve the Grail. He just had to go through doubt and difficult times. Surely, that was it...
"Why have you come?" he asked, his voice filled with awe.
"To tell you a secret," she said with a benevolent smile. "Would you like to hear it?"
"Yes," he whispered.
She approached him gracefully. He was entranced by her movements. She stood before him, as he held the Elder Wand pointed down, the impending duel all but forgotten. She placed her hands of his shoulders, then leaned in and whispered in his ear.
"I'm fucking your grandson."
What? His eyes widened in shock. She pulled back, with her hands still firmly on his shoulders, and nodded in confirmation, still with that same benevolent smile. While he was still trying to process the secret he'd been told, she quickly kneed him in the groin before stepping back quickly.
"OHHHHH!" he yelled, his eyes still widened in shock and pain. This distraction was the opportunity Dumbledore was waiting for.
"Expelliarmus!" he yelled as soon as Morgan had moved out of his way. In pain and in shock, in more ways than one, Grindelwald was now holding the Elder Wand loosely. The Disarming Charm took it from his grasp, causing Grindelwald to crash into a wall while the Elder Wand flew into Dumbledore's hand.
The final battle between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald would be the stuff of legends. Generations would speak of an epic duel, the likes of which the world had never seen. Some would say it lasted for three hours. It would be described as the greatest magical duel in history. Poems would be written of it, songs would be sung.
Despite the claims of those who would say they witnessed the battle over the ensuing decades, only the three participants knew the true story. And two of them were quite happy to keep it that way.
"You... bitch!" said Grindelwald, with a higher than normal voice. "And you too, Albus! Afraid to face me, alone? I thought you were supposed to be brave!"
Dumbledore replied, smoothly, "You were Master of the Elder Wand, until now. There is a difference between bravery and stupidity, Gellert. Out of curiosity, what secret did Morgan whisper to you? It must have been quite the revelation, judging from your reaction."
"It was, and it's none of your damn business!"
"That's true," Morgan said, sagely. "It was a revelation for his ears, alone."
Albus Dumbledore would always wonder what secret Morgan le Fay had given his old friend turned enemy. Something relating to the Inner Mysteries, no doubt, judging from Gellert's shocked expression when it was told to him, shaking him to his very core.
"Very well then, Gellert. I have a more important question. Why? You were once planning to conquer and rule the muggles..."
"We were once planning on conquering and ruling the muggles, Albus."
"Yes, though I realized the error of my ways... Nevertheless, you went from that to conspiring with them. Why?"
"In an all out war with muggles, we would stand no chance against their numbers or weapons."
"I don't see how that is possible."
"Of course you don't, Albus. Adolf and his friends aren't the only ones to believe theirs is the Master Race. I did think as you do, that we wizards were the most powerful beings on this world. Then, I met her."
"Her. This would be the Mistress who rules the Black Coats."
"Yes. Never before, and never since, have I beheld such power. I dare say she is the most powerful being walking the Earth, today. No offence, Morgan."
"None taken," she answered. "I'm almost 1500 years old, and I am but a child compared to her. I know who she is, what she is."
Dumbledore asked, "And what is that?"
She answered, "The enemy of all Creation." She asked Grindelwald, "You most certainly knew who she was. Yet, you still trusted your fate to her."
Grindelwald answered, "She showed me what true power is, and how to achieve it. Albus, you and I were such blind fools, thinking entirely in terms of brute force. No subtlety..."
Dumbledore replied, "Seeing your current state, I'd say you remained a blind fool."
"Ah, but if the plan had worked... It did, for quite a while..."
"Your Mistress has abandoned you."
"Obviously."
Morgan asked, "Did you never suspect she would?"
"I began to... I suppose I first suspected it when the Death Camps began their slaughter in full force. Certainly, she hated the people the Camps were eliminating, all of them, the Jews, the gypsies, the homosexuals... But, mass slaughter on that scale, and knowing how she sustains herself... Well... Then, Adolf went mad."
"He was already mad. He had been at least since the first World War."
"Perhaps, but not like this. He refused to listen to all sound advice I was giving him, that his friends and subordinates were giving him. She had gotten to him, of that I'm certain. She's had many setbacks over the centuries, but even when those have happened, she has always found a way to gain from them, even as everything she built was crumbling around her. I dare say she's in the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin, right now."
"Collecting more sacrifices, on Walpurgis Night," said Morgan. "We don't have enough information on its layout to risk apparation and confront her."
"You want to confront her? And they say I'm mad..."
"Who is she?" asked Dumbledore.
Inside the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin, the feeling was an overall sense of doom. The Soviets were about to take the city, and the Fuhrer, and several others inside, had made the decision to kill themselves rather than be captured.
One being, though, was rather pleased. She wasn't as pleased as she'd have been if her side had won, of course. But, she'd brought about the Third Reich's rise, and she was now being sure she profited from its fall.
Gellert had an ambitious plan to spread a Fascist order around the world. Of course, even early on, there were mistakes. The Fascists in France made a lot of noise, but failed to gain power. Mosley in Britain got nowhere, and wound up imprisoned. The plot in the States to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt and install a Fascist regime was thwarted before it really got off the ground. Still, these setbacks were nothing military conquest wouldn't solve.
That went well for a time, but the tide turned against them. Oh well... She'd seen so many states rise and fall. They'd just have to be more subtle, next time, not rush so much into things. They'd have to call it other things than Fascism, but they'd still build their coalitions around corporations, the military, and political parties to gain full control.
No one was paying her or her companion special notice. She was just a beautiful woman to those there not in the know. She'd always been noted for her great beauty.
Her companion on the other hand...
Cyvus Vail was a longstanding member of the Circle of the Black Thorn, the driving force behind Wolfram & Hart, the law firm that served the Black Coats' Mistress's interests with the demonic beings walking the Earth. He was a powerful demon warlock, with red skin and stringy white hair. The centuries were catching up to him, though, and his health was failing. It required some powerful illusions to keep the bunker's residents and visitors seeing just a man in a German uniform instead of a demon.
How she came to be was the subject of much debate among the mortals who knew of her. The stories of her origins contradicted each other. One thing was certain, though, she was the Mother of Demons and had declared eternal war against Creation, the Creator, and Humanity. Not that all of her children were loyal to her. Rosier, for example, who shared many of his mother's traits, such as beauty, seduction, and shape-shifting, had sided with Solomon and Humanity against her. Among her favorite, and most devoted, children were the Wolf, Ram, and Hart, who had the brilliant, and profitable, idea to start a law firm in the mortal world. Where greed, corruption, and tyranny reigned, there was she.
Like some of her children, the Succubi and Incubi, she fed on life energy, though not usually in the manner that they did. Not that she didn't sometimes indulge in that sort of thing. The long term effect of that had been to cause men to fear their own sexuality, and create distrust between men and women. They feared any seed spilled that was not for the effort of creating a baby was stolen by her to produce her own children, and that women were sometimes possessed by her.
The fear, anxiety, and oppression that resulted was one of her greatest victories over Humanity. Not only women, but anyone considered sexually "abnormal," such as homosexuals, were viciously oppressed. Sex itself, the very act that created life for the animal species, including Humanity, was declared "dirty" and "sinful." Masturbation, which was quite natural, was called "self-abuse." The human body, one of the Creator's greatest achievements, was considered shameful, and never to be displayed uncovered.
She never took souls. What use were souls to her? They simply went on to their ultimate destination. But, life energy released by a death gave her power, if she could harvest it. Her servants crafted many rituals to do just that. And lately, she'd been feasting like she never had, before.
The Death Camps, alone, had provided her with twelve million human sacrifices. Modern mechanization truly was a wonder. She had one of her people stationed in every one of these Camps, making sure she received every bit of life energy released in them.
Then, there were the mass suicides in German towns and cities as the Allied armies advanced, encouraged by Adolf, a suggestion she had made to him when it was clear to her that this project wasn't going to work out. In some cities there would be hundreds of them, mothers and fathers killing their children before themselves. Her priests were kept on their toes just keeping up, making those lives sacrifices to her. By the end of the year, there would be over 7000 suicides reported, and many more that weren't.
And finally, there was the Nazi High Command. Oh, there were still many more sacrifices to come, both in Germany and Japan, but the ones she chose for Walpurgis Night were very special, Adolf Hitler and his longtime mistress and now wife, Eva Braun. She'd collect a few more in the morning. Goebbels and his wife were planning to kill their children before themselves.
Now, here in his bedroom, Adolf Hitler truly realized who he served, who he had always served. And, he loved her, ready to make this final sacrifice to her on this most holy night. His devoted Eva had just done so.
He placed the cyanide capsule in his mouth, and pointed the gun to his head. She nodded to Vail. It was time.
Vail ritually intoned, "I dedicate this sacrifice... to Lilith."
Her worshiper pulled the trigger, at the same time biting down on the capsule.