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Thank you for all the reviews. They are very much appreciated

For those who were wondering Canon happened up until the beginning of sixth year with a few other events happening alongside it. The chamber as a training room, the will reading etc.. All that is different is that Harry was placed in Slytherin.

This one took a lot of fiddling with. Still not sure I got what I wanted out of it either

Nurmengard

Looking through the book that Grindelwald had left on the desk he noticed discrepancies that were a lot different from what was in his family Grimoire. Opening his robes, he pulled out a small mokeskin pouch that contained all his most valuable items rifling through it and finding his Grimiore. Pulling it out he opened it up at Ignotus Peverell and began to compare what was written in it to what was written in the book. Glancing at the title Walking with Death he noticed there was no author. Opening the first and last pages there was no indication on who had written this book, but it was clearly very worn, and Harry wondered just who had written the book. And how did they get information on the three brothers? Pulling out a sheet of parchment and a quill Harry began to take notes on what was accurate and what wasn't. The passage on Ignotus, while small was factually correct. Reading a few passages and letters within the book, he figured out it was all guesswork, good guesswork but still guesswork all the same. It seemed to be a book on the Hallows, accounts by various people throughout the ages documenting stories or fables they'd heard of surrounding artifacts of immense power, stories of arrogant wizards claiming to hold the deathstick, mysterious deaths that couldn't be explained etc. whoever wrote this book clearly was obsessed with the history of the Elder Wand. Perhaps it was because the Gaunt family didn't know what they had, thinking it was simply a family ring connected them to the Slytherin line and the Potter family were very tight lipped about owning the cloak that there was very little about them in the book

So engrossed was Harry in his note taking that he failed to notice the other two wizards come back into the room. They each sat down silently observing Harry writing things down, hearing him occasionally mutter about something he was reading. It was only when Harry snorted and said, "what a moron, people like you deserve to be killed for sheer stupidity" that Albus broke the otherwise silence room "really Harry, you condone death?"

Looking up surprised at not noticing the other two had come back into the room he replied warily "Yes, when someone is as idiotic as this guy, I have no sympathy for him getting himself killed" pointing to a picture of a wizard in the book.

"Ah, yes" Grindelwald said looking at the photo "Terence the Troublesome. A particularly idiotic wizard who bragged about owning the most powerful wand in the world. Blew his own face off in a duel thinking the wand wouldn't kill its own master"

"Yeah" Harry said with an amused look on his face "at times I think Natural Selection doesn't happen quick enough but then I read about morons like him, and I'm forced to change my opinion. Then I overhear another idiotic pureblood speak their usual nonsensical rhetoric and it reinforces that belief all over again. It's a vicious circle"

"Indeed" Grindelwald said snorting "for the first time today you and I are of the same opinion"

"I believe you owe us an apology Harry" Albus said after a brief silence

Raising an eyebrow at Dumbledore Harry replied seriously shocking him "No I don't, I may owe Grindelwald an apology, but I don't owe you a damn thing Albus. Do not think that just because you are dying that it erases everything you've caused me to suffer over the past fifteen years. Every single incident that's happened to me over that time could easily be traced back to something you started. I have had a lot of time to think about these issues over the past few years and concluded you have manipulated events around me, pulling strings like a puppet master to serve a purpose. Just what the endgame is, is the only thing I'm unsure of at this minute but I know it's not far off. And given that you're about to go onto the "next great adventure" I suspect it forced you to accelerate events. Only you didn't account for what I did this morning. And it's left you scrambling"

"Just what do you think he has done to you?" Grindelwald asked

"I've been thinking for the last hour or so about a particular word that came up earlier on that was skated over" harry replied "due to the fascination my own Dark Lord has with me, I read about your history Grindelwald, most of which is likely to be pure fiction designed to malign a Dark Lord, history is written by the victors after all, but the facts are what I focused on. I read what you did in New York, I read about what you did in Paris and a name came up in both of those places. Creedence Barebone. Or Aurelius Dumbledore if you prefer." Looking at Albus "your nephew. An Obscurial"

"Aurelius? What about him" Grindelwald asked warily "he died a long time ago"

"He did, but the fact remains he was very powerful, almost uncontrollable at times" Harry said "But he was a tool you wanted to wield. Point him in the right direction and devastation would occur. Albus was very quick to skate over the term before when talking about his sister. Particularly when I mentioned their childhoods were similar to mine"

"Where is this going Harry?" Albus asked

"I believe that you were trying to create me into your very own personal Obscurial" Harry said shocking the other two wizards "it is the only conclusion I could come to as to why you would place me with magic hating muggles. You said yourself that you'd been friends with my mother. And I know she would have mentioned Petunia and what her character was like. There must have been many other families I could have gone to who were part of your Order, whose house you could have put a Fidelius on but instead you send me to the one place my mother told you never to send me. Her Diary recorded all these conversations she had with you over the year and a half she was part of the order. I grew up hated there, just like Creedence in his home, I was called a freak for my entire life because unusual things happened around me, again just like Creedence. I was beaten, starved, abused. I didn't know my own name until I was four years old and that was only because I learned it in school. I thought for years that my name was Freak. You can see where my train of thought has led me Albus? So, tell me, am I right?"

Silence ensued. Tears rolling down Albus' face as he listened to what Harry had gone through "No" came the whispered reply "No Harry, I would never wish that on anyone. After what happened to my sister, I fought to protect Obscurials. Creedence was the only one to live past ten years old, apart from my sister. But their magic is parasitical in nature. It kills it's host eventually. I have never wished for you to be dead Harry, quite the opposite in fact"

"Then explain the challenges you have set up for me over the years!" Harry interjected Angry tears rolling down his face. Swiping them away he asked "how does the headmaster not know how a troll gets into his own castle's wards? How do three first years get through traps designed to contain a Dark Lord? How does a headmaster, who uses the portraits as his personal spies not know about a sixty-foot snake roaming the corridors? Or that a man was masquerading as a pet rat for years is sleeping in Gryffindor tower? Moody was said to be a great friend of yours and you can't tell he's an imposter? Umbridge brings in a blood quill and you still do nothing? For all your talk of aiding me you have shown a strange way of doing so Albus" he finished panting

"You know, he has a point Albus" Grindelwald said leaning back in his chair, sipping on his wine looking amused "you've not exactly shown you were there for him when it truly mattered. Every year you've visited here you've told me of these incidents. I've told you exactly what was going to happen when the boy figured things out"

"So, it's true!" Harry exclaimed "you were behind all these events! I knew it! Hermione refused to believe my theories whenever I bought them up, saying the 'Great Albus Dumbledore' would never put me in harms way. Why? Why would you do this?"

"Because idiot boy you are prophecy bound!" Grindelwald interjected before Albus could answer "you were destined to become a powerful force in the future, and you needed training. You needed to see that the world isn't always sunshine and daisies, that life isn't easy and that you get nothing in this world if you're not willing to put the effort in!"

"I could have died!" Harry said angrily "my life has been put on the line every single year since re-joining the Wizarding world. And for what? So that an old man could play chess with my life?"

"And yet you didn't die!" Grindelwald said "because of Albus' training you survived. Not only did you survive but you learned as you went along. You should be thanking him on bended knee for everything he's done for you"

"He's done nothing! Everything I've done has been in spite of him" Harry said "he's never been there when it truly mattered. I've had to get out of every situation he engineered by myself"

"And I'm truly sorry that was the case" Albus said interrupting the argument "while certain situations were manipulated to give you certain information at the right time, I never intended for you to have to fight for your life. I fully intended on being there at the most critical moments. Fate, it seems has a cruel sense of humour. Cornelius often asked me for advice, so I saw no reason to doubt why he'd ask me to come to visit him when you went after the Philosophers Stone. The stone was never in any danger, the stone in the mirror was a fake. I used it as bait to draw Tom out of his hiding place. It was your own curiosity that caused you to be out of your dorm that same night and I'm just thankful the blood protection worked. As for the snake it never appeared in a corridor that had portraits and I never knew where the chamber was located.

Peter hiding, Barty Crouch jr masquerading as Alastor and Dolores using a blood quill didn't register in the wards because of an oversight on my part. For Severus to continue being my potions master and spy I had to mute a few of Hogwarts wards that detect dark magic. The Dark Mark is intrinsically evil magic, and the wards are particularly persistent in informing the reigning headmaster about evil magic entering the premises, think of it as a buzzing that is constantly in your head, that doesn't turn off until the evil presence leaves. It is an oversight that will be rectified during the Christmas holidays. I'm going to send everyone home and I will renew the wards and hopefully I can clear Hogwarts of the Defence curse at the same time. Severus will have to get another position somewhere else, in all honesty I don't believe he's capable of containing himself over his probation status. So, you see Harry, I'm not the chess master you think I am. It's just been pure bad luck"

"That's it? Pure bad luck?" Harry asked incredulously "my life has been put on the line because of bad luck?"

"It's the truth Harry" Albus replied "nothing more, nothing less"

"As fascinating as this has all been, I didn't ask you to come here to listen to adolescent whining Albus" Grindelwald said "I came here because you have united the Hallows"

"No Gellert, I have not" Albus said correcting him "Harry still owns the cloak, and I have both the ring and stone. And I have no plans to unite them. I am hoping Harry that with my death their power will disappear, the Wands power will die with its master being undefeated so I believe the stone will become a normal rock and the cloak will become a normal invisibility cloak"

"Wont Voldemort become its master?" Harry asked, "given that it was his curse that is killing you?"

"No" interjected Grindelwald "the stories about the wand are very clear. Every transcript I've read all say that the wand must change hands while its previous master is alive for the master to change. I had to make sure Gregorovich saw me take the wand for it to consider me its owner"

"Can you not unite them now and give them back to Death?" Harry asked "they don't seem like artifacts that should be in circulation, and a lot of people know about my cloak. They may not put two and two together and think it's THE cloak, but the risk is still there. It also says in that book there that a lot of people know about Death's symbol being that weird triangle thing which makes having the Stone risky too. And I can't believe it would be that hard to anyone to trace the Elder Wand back to Albus given how Gregorovich boasted about having it according to the transcript in the book and then saw you take it"

"I hadn't thought of that Albus" Grindelwald said, "should we unite them?"

"No" Albus said firmly "the wand has been hidden for the past fifty years, I have maybe under a year left to live. I believe it's power will die with me so no; I won't unite them"

"If you die and their power remains Albus I will unite them" Harry said firmly "It may be 'the Power he knows not' after all"

"I had considered that" Harry Albus said "It's why I have been so open about them during these discussions"

"Very well" Grindelwald said "but I want them united here Harry"

"Explain to me why I should even entertain such a thing?" Harry asked incredulously "you have clearly shown you have a lust for power, to own these artifacts. So much so you duelled your own boyfriend over one! Why should I bring a single one even remotely close to here? I'm already regretting telling you I have the cloak"

"Because idiot I am perhaps the only one who knows about their powers" Grindelwald said "and should anything go wrong when you unite them, I will likely be the only one powerful enough to aid you"

"How? Albus said that no magic can be performed here" Harry asked turning to Albus "and to that end how the hell is he kept here when he has a bloody phoenix that can travel through wards?"

"He is here because he swore an oath to remain here" Albus replied "and he's not broken that oath since the moment I placed him in here all those years ago"

"So, I could in theory unite them elsewhere and he couldn't do anything about it?" Harry asked with a mischievous look on his face

"Possibly" Albus said giving him a look "The stone though is being brought here by Fawkes upon my death. It is the least dangerous in Gellert's hands. So, stop being petty Harry. Now is not the time"

"Alright, just wondering" Harry replied shrugging his shoulders

"Good, now that that is decided" Gellert said with a smug smile on his face "what's new with you Albus?"

"Let us discuss it over supper" Albus replied "we missed dinner due to your message and I must confess I am quite hungry"

"Very well" Grindelwald said standing up "follow me"

Standing up the three made their way to a side door that was hidden behind a staircase. Opening it up they each sat around a small square table where food appeared on it, and they began eating. Albus was the one who broached what had happened over the previous two days, informing Gellert of what prompted the Blood Feud and what the results had been since. Grindelwald looked at Harry appraisingly when Blood Feud was brought up. A simple "Good. Give no quarter" and a nod was all Harry received to that. The talked for another few hours about various things, Albus about what changes were to be made to Hogwarts, Gellert bringing up his past as a duelling champion and how his style adapted to using two wands. Harry listened very closely as Gellert told him various ways he could use spells, shielding with one hand while bombarding with the other was the most effective way Gellert had won many duels.

Hearing a chime ring through the house Gellert stood up. "Well, Albus, it's been a long day. I'm sure you need to take Harry here back to Hogwarts and you need sleep yourself. The next week is due to be very busy for you both. Keep me informed of what's going on. And next time you come bring your pensieve. I wish to see the memory of Harry's duels" turning to Harry he said "wait there a minute" leaving the room he returned a few minutes later with two books in his hands, one of which was the book he read earlier. Neither had any name on their binding. "You seemed to enjoy the book I wrote so here, One is about the most effective spells to use in combat situations and the other is as you know about the Hallows. When you're done with them call for Athena, she will return them to me. I will see you to the door Albus"

Thanking Grindelwald they left via the front door, Fawkes and Athena transporting them to the Hogwarts headmaster's office. "Well Harry, it has been a long day. I'm sure we both need sleep. I shall see you tomorrow at 10am to talk more about tonight and Voldemort. Keep those books safe and good night, Harry" Albus said

With that Harry left to the Chamber where he stored the books in the private quarters there. They had been Salazars personal quarters and as only one other person could access them, they were as safe as they could be. Vowing to read them in the morning he made his way back to the Slytherin common room and up to his room noting the absence of the five other students. Placing the wards on his bed Harry got ready for sleep. There was still no way he wouldn't protect himself, Slytherin was full of people just waiting for an opportunity to end the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived after all. Due to sheer exhaustion sleep quickly overtook him. It had, as Albus said been a long day