"So that, when my mother died, and I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother, I returned to my village in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then, of course, he came."

Albus Dumbledore hesitated slightly, his red dragon-hide boot hovering over the ground with great reluctance. Was he really ready for this? The singular moment he had been dreading for a very long time. Could he force himself to take that next step and cement himself on this path. A path that he had delayed, almost unreasonably long, much to the detriment of the world. With sad blue eyes he surveyed the scene in front of him. A small village in the East of France, or at least that was what it once was. Instead, it was mostly rubble. All the signs of a horrific occurrence there for anyone to see. Bricks scattered across the scorch-marked streets, muggle vehicles overturned with their metal sides torn to shreds, and a few fires still raged within the confines of the destroyed houses. The worst were the bodies, littering the ground as they clearly tried with all their might to flee the terror that had inflicted itself upon them. Some were whole, looking as if they had simply fallen where they had stood, but yet others had been torn apart as if by wild animals. No matter the cause of death, they all held that same scared look upon their faces.

With a shuddering sigh, he finally let his boot drop to the ground. Enough was enough. He could not allow this continue, no matter the hesitance that he held within. Albus could sense that the perpetrator of this horrendous event was still within the village, waiting for him. Gellert Grindelwald, perhaps the greatest Dark Lord in magical history, and Albus' teenage lover. His presence hovered over the village like a dark shroud, choking the air with sense of pure wrongness. He knew Gellert would be able to sense him as equally well, but also knew the man would not leave. This was a meeting that had to happen before either of them could move on. Albus knew that as much as his allies had risked their lives to draw Gellert's men away from here, that Gellert had equally allowed his men to be drawn away.

A body lay in Albus' path, a young boy with horror stricken across his face, and blank grey eyes staring unseeing into the sky. Carefully, he crouched besides the boy, no older than one of his own Hogwart's students. A boy who had his whole life ahead of him, a life filled with promise, and yet he had been taken from this world in an act of senseless violence. Was this his fault? Could he have done something to stop this from ever happening? Could he have tracked down Gellert earlier? With a pained expression he knew the answers to those very questions.

"I'm sorry." He muttered softly, a single tear dropping down his face as he carefully closed the eyelids of the child.

Hardening his heart, Albus continued onwards into the village whilst slowly withdrawing his wand. It was time to end this, one way or another.

Finally, he arrived at what once would have served as the town square, though it was as destroyed as any other part of the village, and in the centre was the Dark Lord. Gellert lounged across what must have been a conjured golden throne as if without a care in the world, his navy-blue robes untouched by the dust and destruction in the air, and a beaming grin stretched across his face. Curly blonde hair paired with shining silver eyes gave him the charismatic looks that had drawn followers to his cause like moths to a flame.

"Albus." The man cheered as if this really was a reunion between two long lost friends. "I was starting to think you were avoiding me."

The man was still eerily similar to how he was the first day they met.


Flashback

He was in a foul mood, he knew that, but unfortunately knowing something and being able to stop it were two completely different things. Albus had just graduated Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with the highest grades ever seen, and yet he was stuck here in the backwater town of Godric's Hollow caring for his siblings. His whole life ahead of him, a chance to make his mark on the world, and instead he would be wasting away here like some common wizard. The indignity burned at him, itching at his consciousness every day and night.

He just didn't know who he blamed more for this. His little sister, Ariana, was the obvious choice. She had gone and blown up their mother because she couldn't control herself, but Albus knew that was unfair on her. It was not her fault that all those years ago the muggle boys in the neighbourhood had attacked her for the simple reason of her having gifts beyond their capabilities. Their vicious assault had left her traumatised, and damaged. An Obscurial that couldn't control her magic was all that she was now. Perhaps he should blame his mother. As loving and caring as she had been, a talented witch she was not. Perhaps if she was just a smidge more skilful, or a tad more powerful she could have stopped her death and continued to look after the girl. There was his father, a man who had put revenge above his family and was wasting away in Azkaban instead of looking after his family. Even his brother, Aberforth, was mocking him. Younger by a year or so, and constantly trying to take charge of the family. Judging Albus for how he looked after Ariana and trying to control the household. As if Albus wasn't good enough to do it himself.

Resentment raged through him as he stared at his two younger siblings sitting at the table eating their meagre porridge breakfast. Each laugh that Aberforth managed to extract from the small (far too small) blonde girl feeling like they were taunting him. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be making breakfast for two children when the world was waiting for him, calling for him like a siren song.

His thoughts were broken from a knock at the door, and with one last glance at his siblings, he hurried off to answer it. Perhaps it would be something to break the monotony of his days. Disappointment filled him when he answered it to find just his neighbour, Bathilda Bagshot. Once upon a time he had been excited to find out that he lived near such a renowned academic, but then he got to know that she only specialised in history. Worse, she didn't even try to go out there and discover lost history. No attempts to explore lost ruins or break into ancient vaults. Just a woman who recorded pre-known facts and put it all in one book.

"Miss Bagshot." He greeted, not allowing his thoughts to show upon his face. "How may I help you?"

"Albus, my dear boy," The woman answered with a gentle smile, her blonde hair in a ponytail, "I was wondering if you could do me a favour?"

He resisted the urge to slam the door in her face. The last time she had requested a favour it was sorting through her collection of history books and placing them in order on her bookshelf. A meaningless task where he had wasted hours on books filled with mostly pointless trivia.

"My nephew, sweet boy, has come to live with me for a while. Can you please show him around the town. I think you and him would get along quite well. He studied at Durmstrang where he made quite the name for himself, I'm told his grades rival your own." She informed him. Albus highly doubted her, probably more bragging about her family rather than any real truth to the statement, but he supposed he didn't have anything better to do at the time and decided to humour her. He might even get to learn a few facts about the reclusive Eastern European school.

"And where is your nephew, Miss Bagshot?" He asked politely.

"He just had to grab a coat, but I told him to meet us here. Oh, there he is now." She answered, looking down the street.

Albus allowed himself to follow her gaze and saw the boy around his age ambling up the street casually with his hands in his pockets, whistling a merry tune. Curly blonde hair gleamed in the morning light giving the other an almost ethereal appearance. As the boy drew nearer, Albus could finally see the shining silver eyes, so unique, upon an angelic face.

"Gellert Grindelwald." The boy's voice was soft, with a hint of a German accent, as he shoved out a hand for Albus to shake, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

For a moment Albus was stunned at the boy's face, gleaming white teeth glinting in a wide-open smile.

"A..Albus Dumbledore." He cursed himself privately as he stuttered over his own name and shook Gellert's hand.

The handshake was firm, but the other's hand lingered in his own for perhaps a second too long. "I feel we are going to become very close friends." Gellert almost purred out.

Flashback End


"Gellert." Albus answered back shortly, his mind awash with competing emotions. Fear, anger, sadness, and frustration present, all with an underlying tinge of regret.

"Ah, Albus, don't be like that." Gellert tutted mockingly, smile still not dropping from his face. "We are old friends after all."

Albus had to look away for a moment, not able to keep looking at that grinning face that reminded him so much of simpler times. "We haven't been friends for a long time."

Silence reigned for a long moment, long enough for him to finally get the courage to raise his eyes to meet Gellert's once more. The Dark Lord's face was now startlingly blank as those silver eyes met his own.

"And whose fault is that, my friend?" Gellert's voice came out as a whisper, yet it still carried through the air as loudly as his previous words.

A lance of fear tore through Albus' heart. Perhaps this was the moment that Gellert would finally reveal the truth of what had happened all those years ago when they had parted for the last time. A truth that could very well bring Albus down to his knees. Quickly, he tried to divert the topic.

"You must stop this madness. This cannot go on." He gestured to the destroyed town around them. "These people had families, loved ones, people that cared for them. They had lives."

Gellert snorted dispassionately. "Muggles. They have sacrificed their lives for the Greater Good. Their deaths pave the way towards a brighter future for all magical kind. I have given their life meaning in death that they could only wish for. Once upon a time you would have agreed with me."

Albus felt sickened, bile rising to his throat as he heard words so similar to his nightmares parroted to him once more. "That was a long time ago." He repeated once more, unable to say anything else.


Flashback

Albus could never have imagined just how close Gellert and himself would become after that one meeting. The other teenager was so talented, so smart, and so curious about the world. It was like looking at a reflection of himself at times. Never before had he had someone so skilled, so equal to himself to converse with. It was invigorating. Then there were their conversations. They covered a range of topics from obscure magics they had studied, to theories on magical mysteries of the past. Their best conversations though, were the ones that were about their future. Gellert's confidence and idealistic views were so affirming for Albus that feared his life would be wasted never leaving this small town. Yet there was someone just as talented as himself so very assured that they would change the world for the better, together.

A warm feeling came forth in his chest every time Gellert would look at him with those shining silver eyes and state "Just watch Albus, one day we're going to change the world. Everyone will know our name."

It was currently late at night, and they were having one such conversation as they lounged on the living room furniture.

"Just picture it Albus," Gellert whispered, his eyes glinting with excitement, "No more would we have to hide who we are, what we are capable of. Finally, we would live in a society where the wise and powerful would be revered, not cowering away from our birthright. We could bring a new era of Magical harmony. A world where we could use our powers for good, guiding the muggles and those less talented wizards to having better lives. It would be like the tales of old, Merlin and King Arthur. Except Merlin would be in charge and the peace would last forever."

Albus could picture it. A world of peace and harmony. Of magical improvement, and a society that valued scholastic achievement. Yet a small part of him hesitated. "Do we have the right though? To control all those people?"

Gellert gave a slight laugh, "It would only be control at first because they wouldn't know what's good for them. Once they saw our way of life, lived under our guiding hand, they will understand it was all necessary. What happened to your sister would never happen again. We wouldn't need to hide her. She could live a life free from the shackles of this home, just like you could too. It would be for the Greater Good, Albus. In the end we could make the world a better place. You and I, together. A world of Magical enlightenment, a renaissance of magic the likes that no other could imagine."

The smile on Gellert's face was infectious, and Albus could find himself smiling along with it. The images his words had provoked were amazing, everything Albus could ever dream of. Gellert was right. The muggles and masses of magical kind would appreciate it once they had lived through what Albus and Gellert imagined.

"The Greater Good..." He whispered softly. The words appealing to him like no other. For the good of everyone they could do it. "You and I."

"Together." Gellert smirked, his features looking so handsome in the candlelight. Unconsciously, at least on Albus' part, he found himself drawing nearer to the other boy. The passion in those silver eyes igniting the flame within Albus.

"Together." Albus answered back, and then they were kissing. The other's warm lips upon Albus' own. Gellert dominated the moment, pushing Albus backwards into the lounge as he deepened the kiss. After what could have been an eternity, they broke apart with flushed faces, and gazed into each other's eyes.

Flashback End


"Have you really changed that much, Albus?" Gellert asked idly, finally standing up from his throne. With a smooth motion he withdrew his wand and vanished the seat with a silent flick.

Albus followed the movement with his eyes locked onto the wand, a long thin one, with several knobs at regular intervals down the length of it.

"Time changes us all." Albus answered half-heartedly, unwilling to talk further on the topic, but yet as uncomfortable at the thought of proceeding ahead to the inevitable duel.

"Ah, I see you have noticed my wand. Much better than the one I used back in Godric's Hollow, no doubt you've heard the rumours." Gellert's voice was tinged with smugness and amusement. "Perhaps if time was less transformational you could have wielded it yourself."

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the wand, he focused once more on the other man's face. "I might still do so before the day is out."

Gellert let loose a loud laugh, a true one that echoed through the empty town square. "You know as well as I do that you cannot beat me whilst I wield the Deathstick."

He made himself not look back down at the wand at that proclamation, aware that Gellert would spot such weakness in an instant. He, however, could not ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach from the moment he spotted the wand. It appeared the rumours were true, which made this situation already more dire than it already was.

"Pride cometh before the fall." He quoted, hoping his voice didn't shake at all.

Gellert twirled the wand around his fingers, silver eyes staring into Albus' own looking like he was considering the words carefully. A sly smirk slowly grew across his face.

"I'm not the only proud one here though, am I?" The words mocking him, "Perhaps you really do think yourself equal to the Hallows? Are you no longer as interested in the search as you once were, arrogant in your own power?"


Flashback

"Have you ever heard the story about the Deathly Hallows?" Gellert's question was random, coming out of nowhere as they lazed away in the back yard of Albus' house. The blonde boy hanging upside down from a tree branch, as Albus leaned against its base.

"From the Tales of Beedle the Bard?" Albus exclaimed surprised, "You are a seeker as well?"

Laughing merrily, Gellert dropped from the branch, landing in a roll that ended with himself crouched just in front of Albus.

"Of course, who wouldn't be?" He smirked, "the things one could do with the power of the Hallows..."

Albus nodded in agreement. He had long been fascinated with the supposed myths and legends of the magical world, and at the forefront of that were the Deathly Hallows. Three objects supposedly crafted by death, that when united would make the user Master of Death. A fairy tale almost too fantastical to be true. Except it wasn't. Throughout history there was a smattering of stories about the appearance of the Elder Wand. A wand capable of making the wielder unbeatable in combat. A wand that could be used to perform magic beyond imagination. Some of the greatest wizards of all time had apparently wielded it.

"Which one do you want the most?" Gellert asked.

Albus thought over his answer, though it was a question he had already asked himself many times before. There was the Invisibility Cloak, a cloak so powerful it could supposedly hide one from Death itself. The Cloak wasn't of much interest to him to be honest. He had a variety of spells that could already allow himself to achieve invisibility, but he did think about how it would allow Ariana to travel further than the borders of their own house. Then you had the Resurrection Stone, which could bring the dead back to life. The original user had been driven mad for it brought back his wife in a lesser version. More than a ghost, but less than a person. Albus always supposed the original user was too dim-witted to be able to use the stone properly, or lacked the power to achieve a full restoration. Neither were a problem he would have. However, it hadn't garnered Albus' attention much until recent times for there were very few people he would bring back from the dead. Perhaps past famous wizards so he may learn from and collaborate with them, but now he had Gellert so that was unnecessary. In fact, the true reason he desired it now was so that he may bring back his mother. With her returned to the world of the living she could once more look after his siblings, and he would be allowed to chase his life's dreams as desired. A life unshackled from the responsibilities his parents had left him with. Finally, the wand. Already he could perform feats of magic that other wizards could only dream of, what could he achieve with the greatest wand in history? In the end, it was a simple answer.

"The Elder Wand."

His boyfriends smile somehow brightened even further. "Same. Imagine what we could do with the Wand? Our plans would be achieved decades earlier."

Albus nodded along in excitement, his thoughts exactly.

"Though," Gellert pondered, "with the Resurrection Stone we could have whole armies at our fingertips, ready to be brought back if they ever fall."

An uncomfortable feeling settled in his gut at the thought of using the dead to wage a war. Something about it just didn't seem right to him, but that thought was pushed aside with a quick chastisement of 'for the Greater Good.'

"We could also call forth wizards from the past to learn forgotten knowledge from. Imagine the things Godric Gryffindor could teach us and the world..."

A dark look crossed the blonde boys face before disappearing as quick as it had appeared, leaving Albus to doubt whether it was ever there in the first place.

"We don't need that." Gellert laughed loudly, "We can just create our own magic. More powerful than any before. No need to involve someone else when all we need is each other."

Involuntarily, Albus laughed along with him, caught up in the infectious mood, and with a content feeling at the confirmation of achieving their goals together.

"Do you know the rumours about the Peverell's being linked to the Hallows? Did you know they once lived in this village?" Albus questioned, eager to discuss another common interest.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Gellert smirked.

Flashback End


"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Albus shook his head, "A lesson that I have learned, and perhaps one you are yet to realise."

Gellert's wand finally stopped twirling in his hand, and he straightened with seriousness. "Is this what the man I once loved has become? A teacher that spouts useless platitudes and meaningless quotes. Once upon a time you thought for yourself and were willing to change the world. The teenage you would be so very disappointed."

The words hit with the force of a hundred bludgeoning curses, though perhaps not for the reason the other man thought. The Albus of the past would have confronted Gellert head on, would not have cowered for decades behind the walls of Hogwart's as a terror the likes of which had never been seen before swept across Europe. A look at the village around him confirmed those thoughts. All these people, dead because he couldn't do what was right, instead he took the easy way out and buried his head in the sand. Ignored all the pleas for help thinking someone else would do it. Gellert was right, the teenage him would be disappointed. The teenage him would have faced the challenge with all the brashness and confidence of youth, with none of it tempered by the mistakes that hounded his every waking moment. These people's deaths were his fault as much as they were Gellert's. Another regret to add on to his many previous ones.

With a heavy sigh he realised it was time, no longer could he delay.

"It appears we have nothing more to talk about." Albus stated firmly, not letting his dark thoughts be verbalised. He raised his wand into his typical duelling stance, "This ends now."

Gellert gave him back his typical smirk, before bowing mockingly in response. "This duel will decide the fate of the world. I always said we would mould the world in our image, how right I was."

Before Albus could respond a swish of Gellert's wand resulted in the roar of flames, a gigantic ring of fire circling Albus as it slowly collapsed inwards on him. The heat was intense, and he instantly felt sweat forming upon his brow. Jabbing his wand forward, he conjured a big ball of ice, which he shattered with another flick sending icicles into the surrounding flames. Much to his shock the blanketing ice flew through the fire with barely a flicker to show their passing.

The Dark Lord was not idle, sending forth four pink spells that he only just got to raise a shining silver shield to protect himself from. Each one impacted his shield like a hammer blow, and Albus barely managed to hold his ground without stumbling backwards into the encroaching flames. Unfortunately, an almost invisible spell snuck through, impacting him on the chest.

Fear filled him as he wondered what his opponent had managed to hit him with before it turned to confusion as a resplendent grey beard formed upon his face reaching down his torso.

"I always thought you would look good with a beard." Gellert laughed loudly, not pressing his advantage.

Humiliation burned through Albus but he had bigger things to worry about, namely the flames that were in arms reach, and had steadily been growing hotter. Finally, he realised what he had foolishly forgotten in the heat of the moment. With a single flick of his wand the fire disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

"An illusion, I should have known." He muttered, disappointed in himself.

The blonde opposite nodded cheerily, "You should have, it was always my speciality. Have you truly grown so forgetful? Or perhaps you have grown complacent with your years of teaching?"

Albus growled in frustration, "There are some things I could never forget."


Flashback

The day they were waiting for was finally drawing near, all their plans for the future would come to fruition. Another week and Aberforth would be back to Hogwarts, allowing them to take Ariana and get started on their grand journey.

"I was thinking Poland first," Gellert spoke as they looked over a map of Europe, "some of my old school contacts think they have a lead on the Elder Wand. They say the information is as recent as a couple decades ago."

A jolt of excitement filled Albus, "Truly? Someone who might have wielded it in our lifetime."

The other boy nodded with a large grin, "Exactly. It's almost like fate."

A loud snort interrupted them, and they glanced over to see Aberforth glowering at them from the other side of the dining room, his features darkened with rage.

"Something funny?" Gellert questioned casually, but Albus could detect something hidden underneath, an undercurrent of tension.

"Yes. There is." Aberforth replied shortly, and Albus was almost disturbed at the anger he was showcasing. Abe had always been a rambunctious sort, but never before had he shown such rage as he was now. It, quite frankly, worried him.

"You." Aberforth swung his sneer onto Albus. "What the bloody hell are you thinking? You're meant to be looking after Ariana, she needs you. She's not healthy enough to go galivanting across Europe chasing your delusions of grandeur. I won't have it, you can't." The longer he spoke the loudly he became until he ended with a roar of anger.

Albus felt like he'd been struck across the face. Confliction welled within him. A part of him knew Abe was right, that Ariana wouldn't be able to follow him on this journey, but that only allowed his resentment to grow. Once more he would be chained down with responsibilities that were below him because his parents were incapable of the task. At the same time, if he was successful, she wouldn't need to hide at home. They could get her the best carers and healers in the world, allow her to see sights that up until now she could only hear about in books.

"Someone with your brain capacity wouldn't understand." Gellert sneered next to him, "We do this for all people like Ariana."

Albus nodded along with resolve, his boyfriend was right. It would be a few tough years for Ariana, but it was all for the Greater Good. She would understand in the future. He was sure of it.

"No." Abe shouted in return, face turning purple in rage clashing horribly with his bright red hair. "You don't understand. Ariana will die if you do this."

"It's all for the Greater Good." Gellert waved off dismissively, turning back to their map. Aberforth stared at Albus, and he could sense the weight of expectations in that gaze. He, himself, hesitated slightly at the blonde's casual disregard. Surely Ariana wouldn't die, not with their combined capabilities to look after her. He wouldn't allow that, but what type of revolutionary would he be if he gave up at the first stumbling block. He couldn't allow such things to stop them from improving the world any longer. Aberforth must have sense his thoughts as his younger brothers face twisted into a grimace of disgust.

To Albus' shock, the other Dumbledore withdrew his wand, and aimed it at them. "I won't allow you to get her killed with your ridiculous plans."

Quickly, he withdrew his wand and cast a shield around Gellert just as the purple hex that spewed from Abe's wand clanged against it with a gong sound. Gellert spun to face Aberforth, laughing loudly.

"You think you could stop us?" Gellert mocked, "I'm surprised you even know which end of your wand to hold."

Before Albus could stop him, more spells flew forth from Abe's wand. Some were decidedly darker than he would have ever thought his brother to know. A range of jinxes, hexes and curses. With desperate movements he quickly tried to negate and deflect all he could from hitting his boyfriend, even more shocked when some started getting sent his way too. A large part of him wished Gellert would stop laughing cheerfully, his glee continuing to enrage Aberforth further.

Unfortunately, when the blonde finally granted Albus' wish, it was only to withdraw his own wand. A swish of it, and suddenly the room was filled with a half dozen Gellert's, each with the same derisive smirk.

"Too weak to stop us." One commented.

"Always the lesser brother." Another added on.

"What do you think you could really do?" Yet another spoke.

When Gellert had shown this spell to Albus weeks ago, he thought it was a great laugh. An illusion to create more copies of yourself. Now, though, seeing it used to mock and confuse his own brother, it brought Albus nothing but disgust. The comments didn't help Abe's disposition either, and with another roar of anger, more curses came from his wand. Each were met with shields appearing around each of the illusions, protecting them from discovery. Yet other spells appeared from seemingly thin air, each flying towards Abe with deadly accuracy.

Albus tried with all his might to protect both of them. Unable to choose between his brother and his boyfriend. With quick jabs of his wand, he conjured marble blocks, and dozens of birds, wooden shields, and a sheet of ice. Anything he could imagine to stop the deadly spells from hitting their targets. A crescent shaped orange spell slipped through his defence and with a cry of pain a large cut opened across Abe's leg. The younger boy ignored it though, continuing to case his own spells. Much to his surprise, Aberforth managed to dissipate two of the Grindelwald copies.

"Please. Stop this. Both of you." Albus pleaded as he tried to mitigate the damage, but the begging fell on deaf ears. With a sinking feeling, he knew what he must do. Slowly, his defensive spells turned offensive. If he could not stop them with his words, then he would with his spells. The duel was unlike any other he had been in before. Magic that he had only studied in a theoretical sense flowed freely through the confined space, and deadly curses blew chunks out of the wall. The sheer chaos of it had him in a panicked mindset that he had never experienced before. Without meaning his own spells got more dangerous as he got caught in the moment. A bludgeoning curse strong enough to take of a limb flew in one direction, and an answering bone breaker came spiralling back.

Within minutes all three of them were panting heavily, covered in a variety of wounds, but none of them were backing down. The battle raged on without losing any of its intensity. Vaguely, Albus could hear someone shouting, and the room was shaking, but he was too busy to work out why as he shot out deadly spells at the lion that had been conjured at some point, whilst still trying to also fire spells at the other two combatants.

A shriek of pain split the air, louder than anything else in the dining room, and they all mutually stopped casting as they searched for the source of the sound. Ariana, sweet caring Ariana, stood there pale as the moon. Her blonde hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her blue eyes blown wide with fear and pain. Her soft green nightgown was drenched with blood, with more pouring steading from the gigantic slash across her chest. She tried to mouth something, but the words came out as nothing but a gurgle.

Without another sound, she dropped to the floor, sprawled with dimming eyes.

"Ari!" Aberforth cried, ignoring his own wounds as he dived over to her, flinging his wand to the side. "Please. No. Please please..." He pleaded with heart-shattering cries as he held his younger sister close to his chest. His pleas were for naught though as they all could see her breath her last. Albus could see Gellert out the corner of his eye, standing amidst the carnage of the room, paler than he had ever seen him before. Face drained of all emotions, and eyes wide with horror. The other boy mouthed something, before fleeing from the room without a backwards look.

Albus turned once more to face his siblings, his brother howling like a wounded animal. Did he do this? Was it his curse that struck his innocent sister down? Did it even matter? All his arrogance, all his resentment, and all his apathy towards his family had caused this. He had killed his sister. With shaking hands he slumped down onto the floor, unable to look away from the sight before him. His sister's eyes, once so filled with love and live stared back at him blankly, accusing.

Flashback End


Without another word he restarted their duel, more aware this time of Gellert's tricks. The Dark Lord was a master of Charms, Illusions, and Mind Magics. Fortunately, Albus' own formidable Mind Arts negated the latter two to some degree. The duel was unlike any other he had ever seen or participated in. He tried to stick to his own strengths, that of Transfiguration. So with sweeping motions of his wand he conjured various beasts and elements, trying to wear down his former lover from every angle. A pack of wolves tore down the street from one side, as a flock of birds careened down from above, and he flicked a whip of fire from his wand at the man's head.

Unfortunately, the other was more than up for the task. A spell had the birds switching targets to his wolves, where both promptly exploded in a shower of gore. Another flick and Albus' whip crashed into a black shield that emanated an aura of darkness. With mounting horror, he saw as the flames froze first, before turning into a black smoke at the point of contact that then raced back down the whip towards his wand. Quickly, he disengaged the spell, breathing a sigh of relief when the smoke dissipated a mere foot away from him.

Gellert turned the Deathstick onto Albus. Each of his spells struck with a force a dozen times more powerful than one would normally expect. The Elder Wand amplifying the Dark Lord's already formidable magic. It didn't help that interspersed throughout were fake spells. Illusions of deadly curses and conjured flames that cost a fraction of the power but still had Albus shielding and diving out of the way, not wanting to waste time discerning which were real, and which were not.

Time lost all meaning as their spells clashed, a modern-day battle of giants. The already destroyed town square was completely flattened by one of Albus' conjured tornadoes, but Gellert answered it with a flash of lightening that had seared Albus' eyebrows off. Neither were backing down, this had been a long time coming, and neither could truly live their life whilst the other survived.

"I came to you, and you rejected me. We could have been great together." Gellert panted out as the duel came to a lull. "The things we could have done, if only you were by my side."

"Not like this." He replied, using the moment to catch his own breath, and idly sealed a cut that stretched across his thigh.

Gellert nodded solemnly, "If you agreed, perhaps we could have achieved my goals in a different way."


Flashback

Albus couldn't take his eyes off the vial that sat upon his desk. It was tiny, barely held more than a spoonful, but it was filled with the glistening silver of a memory. It had arrived earlier that day on the talon of an owl without any note or identifying marks, but he knew who it was from. Had known from the moment he had seen it. A memory from the man that had disappeared from his life nearly fifteen years ago after the tragedy that they had caused. He had heard rumours that the man was starting to go on the move, building power across Eastern Europe. At the moment it was all murmurs of a new political movement, but Albus knew better.

With more trepidation than he would like to admit, he withdrew his pensieve and poured the memory within. Before he could second guess himself, he dived inwards, fearing that the memory could be Gellert finally telling him which one of them had killed his sister. Albus allowed a sigh of relief when the memory wasn't that ill-fated duel, but instead found himself within a stone room that would not have looked out of place at Hogwarts. Ignoring the man within the room for the moment, he inspected around himself. It was surprisingly utilitarian. A plain wooden desk, scattered with parchment that didn't seem to have much order. To one side was a larger meeting table which held upon it a jug of water, and a list of names that Albus vaguely recognised as political figures across Europe. On one wall was a blown up map of Europe, with different coloured pins over different spots. He wondered briefly why the United Kingdom had been blacked out, and France had a lot of green pins.

Finally, he turned to the man sitting at the desk. It was without a doubt, Gellert Grindelwald. He was older, more mature, but still with some of his boyish charm helped by the curly blonde hair, and shining silver eyes. Gellert looked good, Albus had to admit.

"Albus, my friend." Gellert spoke warmly, a smile coming across his face. For a moment, Albus panicked that he really was in front of the other man, before remembering it was but a memory. Clearly, Gellert had just spoken to himself, and then sent it. A fascinating idea, but why this and not a simple letter? And why after so many years?

"It has been so long since we last spoke. Not since that..." Gellert hesitated, and Albus felt a pang in his heart. "I'm sorry." Gellert finished.

"We aren't here to talk about the past, but instead about the future. I want you Albus. No. I need you. Just because of the past doesn't mean the future can't be what we imagined. It is still within our grasp. Magical Harmony, where we stand at our rightful place at the top. Together we can revolutionize the world, and we can be together forever." Grindelwald spoke with a touch of pleading in his tone.

"I want you by my side, Albus. You're the only one that deserves the place, the only one I want to be there with me. With you it would be so easy, just as we spoke of it. Can you imagine? I can. A world of peace and knowledge. Us living together, even in your Hogwarts. We could teach the students about a brighter world, and grow old together, content in the thought that we made the world a better place. Please, Albus."

Gellert frowned in the silence for a moment. Albus could imagine it, had imagined it for years. Them living together, growing old, perhaps a family. Then every dream would come back to reality, and he would remember that day, and remember what his dreams had already cost him. Now the plans that they had conceived brought him nothing but disgust and regret.

"I will be waiting at the place where it all began for one week. I beg of you to come with me. If you do not come..." Gellert looked pained, "That will be your answer."

An uncomfortable silence reigned as Albus pondered the request, shocked that the man was still wanting him.

"I..I love you Albus." Gellert whispered, and with a yank Albus was torn from the memory. Finding himself in his office once more.

With a sigh he slumped over in his desk and thought about those final words. The shameful truth was, he loved Gellert still himself. He could still remember their days together, and each memory brought an ache to his heart, and a longing to his bones. Yet, it could never be. Not whilst Gellert continued on this path, and not whilst Albus lived heavy with the regret of his past actions.

"I love you too." He whispered to the empty office, knowing that Gellert would leave Godric's Hollow disappointed.

Flashback End


Was all this death and destruction Albus' fault? If he just gave Gellert a second chance then maybe they could have changed the world without all this needless bloodshed. They could have ruled together, brought about the future they wanted, and Albus could have tempered the bloodlust of his friend. Just another what if. Just another regret to add to his many.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, before raising his wand once more. Their duel continued, as ferocious as before, and finally the crucial moment happened.

Albus had managed to sink Gellert boot deep in conjured quicksand, and the man had lost his footing. His next spell went flying forth, and Gellert raised his wand to deflect it. Their eyes met, and the blonde hesitated, his silver eyes gleaming with an unknown emotion. The hesitation cost him, and the Elder Wand went flying. As if in slow motion, Albus tracked its path through the air, before catching it with one hand.

A jolt of energy passed through him, he felt perhaps just a little less tired, his wounds not quite as sore, and his magic just a tad stronger. It was invigorating, it was amazing. With this power he could do anything, be anything.

"Intoxicating, isn't it?" Gellert spoke tiredly, extracting himself from the quick sand, but slumping down onto the ground in defeat.

Shaking his head from the thoughts, Albus looked down at his defeated lover, not quite sure how to feel about it now he had the man at his feet. Was all the death worth this?

"I suppose this is when you kill me." Gellert chuckled softly, "I always hoped it would be you. No one else deserved the right."

Albus raised his wand, and pointed it at the blonde, meeting the man's silver eyes with his own blue. There was no fear in those eyes, if anything, they shone with only love. It would be the right thing to do, it was what Gellert deserved, and what Albus had promised. However, he found his arm shaking, and couldn't find it within himself to do it.

"It's okay." Gellert whispered.

With a deep sigh, Albus dropped his arm, unable to do it. Gellert had committed all this carnage for the Greater Good, had done it because he truly believed he was doing the right thing. Albus had agreed with him at one stage, a part of him still agreed. The world did need leaders, it did need to be better, and they had the power to do so. Just not Gellert's way. They were two sides of the same coin, whilst Gellert continued on his path of power, Albus was tempered by the wisdom gained from past failures. Never could he be tempted again by power like Gellert had so freely offered, but he would be there to guide the world. To mould the minds of the young and protect the innocent from the might of others. For the Greater Good he would change the world through a guiding hand. Gellert's way was evil, and his end goal equally dark, but his thoughts were not wrong. Albus will continue his work and repent for his sins through a lifetime of service. Guide instead of control, he would be the Lesser Evil.

A/N: So first off, Rest in Peace Michael Gambon. I heard the news and decided to write a Dumbledore centric fic out of respect. Say what you want about his characterisation of the character, but he was a fantastic actor, and without him the movies wouldn't be what they were without him. I wanted to write something Dumbledore, but not something that had been written a thousand times before. So I decided to focus pre-Voldemort/pre-Harry Potter, and this is what I settled on.

My interpretation of Dumbledore is someone who is a good person, or at least sees themselves as a good person, and is prone to making many mistakes. Particularly when young when he allowed life circumstances and the appearances of someone affirming questionably beliefs brought forward by said life circumstances to interfere with his inherit goodness. This led to serious mistakes that he has never been able to move on from, and leads him to more questionable decisions trying to atone. He's someone who believes he is doing the right things, but in the wrong way, because fundamentally he still believes in the greater good. His methods though are worn down with regret, and his vision of the greater good is different from what it originally was. On the flip side you have Grindelwald who is also doing what he believes is the right things, in the wrong way, because he also believes in the greater good. Unlike Dumbledore though, his beliefs and methods weren't shaken from Ariana's death like Albus was. Gellert is Dumbledore without restraint. This is why by the end of the fic, Dumbledore calls himself the Lesser Evil. He won the duel, and will now go forth for the Greater Good, but knowing still that his way will hurt others and be seen as evil if everyone knew the truth, but still less evil than Grindelwalds way. Anyway, just my thoughts on the topic.

Now I'm not sure I'm happy with this fic, but I'm also not sure what I would change, and I'm rarely happy with any of my writing that is more angst focused. Especially when from concept to finish it took me 7 hours, so maybe I rushed it a little. I hope you all did enjoy it, and enjoy my ideas on what happened and how the characters were. I will add I only watched the first Fantastic beasts, and didn't enjoy it. So what I've written is based on what we learn in the original 7 HP books, and nothing to do with Fantastic Beasts.

Anyway, please read, review, and favourite if you enjoyed it.