This chapter turned out much longer than actually planned. I hope you like it, please let me know!
I don't own the characters or places!
The next hour passed in a blur to Albus. He knew that after a stunned moment of silence, the Great Hall erupted into cheers. People clapped on his shoulder to congratulate him. While he stood up and walked towards Professor Dippet, many students said encouraging words to him. He still couldn't see Aberforth in the crowd. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Selena sitting at the Ravenclaw table and looking at him with concern. As did most of the teachers.
But worst of all was the look on Gellert Grindelwald's face. Because he actually looked at Albus like he'd lost his mind.
Albus himself only smiled, hoping to look confident and like he'd wanted to get chosen for the tournament all along. That's what he got for letting Gellert provoke him in the first place. Taking part in a competition that could cost him his life. He knew that he could make it out alive, if he was only smart enough and prepared well for the tasks ahead.
The closer he got to Professor Dippet and the other teachers, the more obvious it became that there were many concerned looks directed at him. Especially the headmaster himself looked paler than usual, as if the thought that his favourite student wanted to take part in the Triwizard Tournament troubled him. Albus hoped that his smile was reassuring and it seemed that Professor Dippet relaxed a little. Unlike Professor Fig, who was staring at Albus from his seat on the left of the table. He knew that expression well. They would need to talk about this later.
Then all the champions were standing in front of the crowd and after the headmaster said a few more words, they all headed to the small room next to the Great Hall to discuss the next steps. Albus was the first one to follow Professor Dippet and he could still feel Gellert's eyes on him. In fact, he'd only stopped watching Albus to look at the other people in the room once.
"Alright, then." Professor Dippet began once the door was closed behind them. There were seven people in the small room. Albus and Professor Dippet for Hogwarts, Gellert and Mr. Tarov for Durmstrang, Victoire and Madame Bremont for Beauxbatons and a young man from the Ministry of Magic, who had been introduced as Colin Pettigrew. He would function as the official referee of the tournament. "Congratulations to you all. Taking part in the Triwizard Tournament won't be an easy task, but I'm sure that the three of you will manage it quite well." During the last sentence, his eyes rested on Albus. "Now Mr. Pettigrew will continue, I'm sure he can explain everything a little better."
Mr. Pettigrew smiled, all the while looking a little insecure. Only now did Albus notice how young he actually was. Maybe in his early twenties. "There will be three tasks, all set during the school year. The first one will be in a little over a month. The other two in the next year. But let's focus on the first one. The exact nature of all the tasks won't be revealed until they start, so there is not much I can tell you now. Just that you will only be allowed to take your wand with you and that you need all the magical skills you have learned so far."
"Charming." Grindelwald muttered, but he looked rather amused. Especially when his eyes fell on Albus. Most probably, he still believed that he wasn't that good with a wand and the first task would already end fatal to him. Albus smiled politely and for half a second, Gellert looked irritated.
"There will also be a ball at Christmas this year." Professor Dippet continued when it became obvious that Mr. Pettigrew had already said everything. "You three will have the first dance, so you'll be expected to find matching partners for this occasion. I bet it will be lots of fun."
"As much fun as dancing can be." Mr. Tarov muttered. His tone made it obvious that he thought dancing was a waste of time. The two ladies from Beauxbatons, however, exchanged excited glances. Albus made a mental note to talk to Minerva as soon as possible.
It became clear then that the short conversation was over for now. "Albus, would you stay here for a moment?" Professor Dippet asked when the others began to walk back to the Great Hall. He nodded, not turning around so see if Gellert Grindelwald was still watching him.
Once the door was shut and they were alone, the calm mask slipped from Professor Dippet's face and was replaced by concern. "Are you alright, Albus? I mean, taking part in this tournament, it's dangerous."
"If you want to know if I made this decision on a whim, the answer is no, Professor." He replied and couldn't stop himself from smiling at Professor Dippet's expression. He'd expected many things when he'd thrown his name into the Goblet of Fire, but not that he'd be standing here now, trying to reassure a very worried headmaster. "I'm sure that I can win this tournament."
"If this is about people always talking so badly about you…" Professor Dippet shook his head. "But what am I saying? You're over that, it hasn't happened for years." He'd always supported Albus when no one else seemed to do so. Even when his family name had been his biggest enemy. Both Professor Dippet and Professor Fig had shown him that he was more than a name.
"I want to do this." He explained and realized that it was true. "Not because I want to prove anything. And if so, I want to prove to myself that I'm strong enough. That I can get through any situation."
The headmaster sighed. "Just be careful, Albus. People have lost their lives during this event."
"I will, Professor. You don't have to worry." He replied seriously.
To his surprise, Professor Dippet laughed. "Always so confident. Let's just hope that Eleazar won't worry too much. You know how he can get when one of his proteges gets himself into trouble." He hesitated for a moment. "This won't interfere with your duties as Head Boy?"
"Of course not." He assured him. "I can manage that."
Dippet nodded. "Alright. Then come on, we should also get back. Otherwise, we'll miss dessert."
He chuckled when he followed the headmaster back to the Great Hall.
Not everyone took the news of Albus taking part in the Triwizard Tournament that calmly. As soon as they'd left the Great Hall after dinner, someone grabbed Albus' shirt, pulled him into the next dark hallway and he found himself being pressed against a wall by his brother.
Aberforth looked furious. "Have you lost your mind?!" He asked, not bothering to talk quietly. "What are you doing, Albus? Risking your life like that?"
"Aberforth –" He began, but his brother cut him off.
"I always knew that you had a tendency to do stupid things, but this tops it all! The Triwizard Tournament. It's dangerous! People have died! And don't tell me that you know what you're doing, because obviously, you're not! I'm tired of you saying that you have it all under control. What about the others back at Godric's Hollow? What about Ariana? If you die…" He shook his head furiously. "You're putting it all at risk! I thought she meant something to you! Tell me why. Why did you throw your name into that damn thing? Normally, you try to avoid trouble."
"It's none of your concern why I did it." Albus muttered, trying to loosen Aberforth's grip on his shirt. He didn't want to hurt his brother, so he kept his hands away from his wand. He could also do a spell wandless, of course, but he'd rather not make him even angrier than he already was. "It'll be fine, Aberforth."
"Fine?!" His brother repeated. "Fine?"
"I think we both know that I can win this thing." He said simply. "And don't bring Ariana into all of this. She doesn't need to know what I did."
Aberforth scoffed. "You know how fast word travels. They'll all know about it soon. And then? Will you be home for Christmas and lie to her face, saying that everything will be fine? Can you do that, Albus? Or will you hide again with that friend of yours and pretend that you're not part of this family?"
"Stop it, Ab." He rarely used the nickname their sister had given him. "Take a step back, please. I don't want to hurt you." Something in his voice must have convinced his brother. Very slowly, Aberforth let go of him and stepped back. It didn't stop him from looking furious, though. "Now listen closely, brother. There is no need to tell anyone at home about this. If they find out another way, fine, but just tell them all is well. I made this decision because I know that I'll get through it. So stop being this dramatic about it." His mother and sister didn't get any papers and they didn't have many friends at Godric's Hollow, maybe it would stop them from getting the news at all.
Aberforth stared at him through narrowed eyes. In the dim light of the hallway, his expression looked dangerous. If Albus didn't know him so well, he might have felt like he'd get attacked any moment. But in the end, his brother only sighed deeply. "Survive this, will you?" And without another word, he turned around and left Albus alone in the dark.
Just that he wasn't completely alone. Another movement caught his attention and for a brief moment, he saw a face looking around the corner. But then the other person was gone. Albus wondered why Gellert Grindelwald had followed them and, more importantly, how much of the conversation he'd heard.
He didn't have time to think about Gellert overhearing the conversation with his brother. The next morning, the first thing Albus did after breakfast was to visit Professor Fig in his office. He'd stood up early, not wanting to meet many people in the Great Hall. After an evening in the Gryffindor common room, Albus was already tired of hearing questions and remarks about the tournament. In the end, it had been Elphias who made the others go away, saying that they should mind their own business and give Albus some space. It had surprised him that his friend spoke up. Normally, he was rather quiet, especially with many people around.
Professor Fig was already waiting for him, leaning on his desk with crossed arms. He looked more troubled than Albus had ever seen before. Which meant something. Normally, he could stay calm in any situation.
"Good morning, Professor." Albus greeted him politely.
Professor Fig only sighed. "Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" He asked and gestured for Albus to sit down in one of the two comfortable armchairs close to the window. So this wouldn't be a polite conversation between teacher and student, Albus realized. This was of a more personal nature. Something most teachers would call inappropriate. Not Professor Fig, though. He'd always been closer to the students than most other teachers at Hogwarts. Something that made him very popular with the students – and earned lots of criticism from his colleagues.
"You want to talk about the tournament?" Albus asked once they both sat down, a cup of tea in front of them. If Professor Fig wanted to skip small-talk, he'd do just that.
"What made you throw your name into the Goblet of Fire? And don't tell me you wanted to see if you can manage that. You might be able to fool Professor Dippet with such things, but not me." There was a gleam in Professor Fig's eyes, one that spoke of lots of mischief. It always amused him when the headmaster, who could be very naive at times, fell for lies far too easily.
Inwardly, Albus sighed. He should have seen it coming that the teacher for Magical Theory wouldn't believe his excuses. "Does it matter why I did it?" He asked instead. "What's done is done. Now I have to figure out how to survive this thing."
"Not just surviving it. That's not enough." Professor Fig didn't look happy about Albus' evasive answer, but he accepted it nonetheless. Maybe because he knew that Albus wouldn't tell him his reasons. "We need to win this thing. Hogwarts didn't have a successful champion for twenty years."
He raised his eyebrows. "We, Professor?"
Professor Fig grinned. "You can't expect me to let you alone in this. I'll try to find out more about the tasks ahead and then, we'll plan your strategy." He'd worked at the Ministry before starting to teach at Hogwarts. Most probably, Professor Fig still had lots of contacts there. Albus doubted that he'd find out anything about the tasks, considering how big of a secret they were. He decided not to mention that. Maybe it would work and they'd get information in the end. He certainly wouldn't mind. "Let's give me two weeks, three at most. If I can't find out more in that time, we'll start planning anyway. And you'll need to practice your skills. Maybe Professor Hecat could get you some extra assignments. Or Professor Ronen. Of course you don't need them, but better safe than sorry."
Albus had to smile. "Thank you, Professor Fig."
"No need to thank me, Albus." Professor Fig replied. "I must admit that I'm not entirely selfless here. Because with whom should I have such delightful conversations about new theories, if something happens to you during this tournament?"
It was Professor Fig's way to tell Albus that he wanted him to be safe. He felt oddly touched at this.
They sat together in silence while they both drank their tea.
That same day, Albus approached Minerva after lunch. "Would you mind walking with me for a bit?" He asked when she stood up. It was Saturday, so they didn't have any classes and the weather outside was still good. Minerva looked a little surprised, but she nodded and followed him.
"How are you feeling? I know all this talk about you being champion for Hogwarts must be getting on your nerves." Minerva had always been very observant. "Is anyone bothering you?"
He chuckled. "I think everyone wants me to win, so they try to hold themselves back." Of course there were still students who didn't like Albus. Some because of his family name, others because he was smart and everything seemed to be far too easy for him. However, no one had really bothered him so far. The few nasty comments he'd heard had all been relatively harmless in comparison to what he had to endure during his first year at school.
"That's good." Minerva smiled. "So why did you really throw your name into the Goblet of Fire? When we talked some time ago, you insisted that you just wanted to watch the tournament and have your peace this year."
He sighed. "It's complicated."
"Don't tell me it's about proving anything to anyone." The look on her face was stern. "I won't believe it anyway."
"I can't really explain it myself." He muttered with a shrug.
"That's ridiculous and we both know it. You always think everything through, Albus." Minerva hesitated for a moment. "Is it about that boy from Durmstrang? Grindelwald? I've noticed that he seems to be interested in you, considering the way he watches you like a hawk."
This caught his attention. "He does what?"
Minerva rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend you didn't notice it. Just today at breakfast, he was looking around as if in search for someone. When his eyes fell on Elphias, who was sitting all alone, he frowned unhappily and then he kept poking in his food like he'd lost all his appetite."
"I'm sure he wasn't even looking for me. And if he did, it was to search for a new way to make fun of me." He didn't plan to sound so bitter about it.
"So it's really about him." Minerva didn't look happy that she was right about this. "Promise me to be careful. I've heard that he's dangerous."
"I don't want anything to do with him." He said simply. "From what I've heard, his company is not very pleasant."
After she looked at him for a moment in silence, she nodded. "Good. Now what's this about? Don't get me wrong, I like spending time with you outside, but I'm sure there's a reason for this conversation."
He smiled slightly. "You're far too smart for your own good." They were close to the lake now, far away from the other students. In the distance, he could see a group of what seemed to be first-years playing some kind of game. He hoped that it wasn't something forbidden and if so, that the Prefects would take care of it. Today, Albus wasn't in the mood to play Head Boy. "The champions will have the first dance at the yule ball. Meaning we need a partner to dance with." He turned back to Minerva to have a look at her face. "And I've been wondering if you'd be willing to dance with me."
It seemed as if Minerva had expected many things, but not this. She stared at him in surprise. "You want to dance with me?" Did he imagine it or were her cheeks turning red? She looked pleased, which he took as a good sign.
"Of course I want to dance with you." He replied without hesitation. "We're always a perfect team. I bet we'd be brilliant together."
Minerva smiled. "We'll outshine all the others, that's true." Slowly, she nodded. "Oh, alright. I'll dance with you, Albus! But only because you're my best friend in the world." Minerva was one of the two people who knew that Albus wasn't interested in women romantically. She'd never minded. In fact, it had made their friendship grow even stronger.
"Thank you. I promise that I won't step on your feet." He didn't have much practice at dancing, but there would be lessons within the next months.
It made her laugh. "And if you do, I'll find ways to pay you back for it."
"I have no doubt about that." He agreed with a laugh.
And with that, the easiest part of the Triwizard Tournament was settled.
The days passed and slowly, Albus got used to the fact that he was taking part in the Triwizard Tournament for Hogwarts. His usual routine at school returned and between classes, spending time with Elphias, his own studies and occasional extra lessons with Professor Fig and Professor Hecat, he didn't have much time for anything else. In fact, he sometimes even had to remind himself that he was also Head Boy and couldn't let Selena deal with all their duties by herself.
Slowly, the other students also lost their interest in asking him dozens of questions about the tournament. There were still a few people talking behind his back, but it was easy to ignore those. He had lots of practice with that, after all.
When he mentioned this to Elphias once, his friend scoffed. "They'll get interested again once the first task gets closer. Only two weeks are left, Albus." Albus knew him well enough to hear the concern in his voice.
"Professor Fig said that he's onto something." He explained while they made their way back towards the castle after having studied outside. Slowly, the weather was getting colder and they wanted to use every opportunity to get away from the school. There were far too many prying eyes. Not just from Hogwarts, but a few times, Albus had found students from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang watching him. His friends were sure that they tried to spy on him, probably to find out his strengths and weaknesses for the tournament. Tough luck with that, Albus had thought to himself. He never used magic when the students of the other schools were around. Not because he was afraid to show what he could do. But he still remembered how Grindelwald had mocked him. Maybe he would be surprised the first time Albus used his wand during the first task.
"So he actually got his friend at the Ministry to talk?" Elphias sounded impressed. Those at the Ministry of Magic who knew about the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament had been sworn to secrecy.
He nodded. "Seems so. I think he said something about lots of Firewhisky and stories about the good old times." His lips twitched in amusement a that.
His best friend laughed. "Strange how this always seems to work."
"Indeed." Albus muttered, but he got distracted as he watched a few students running away from the castle, obviously in a hurry. A few moments later it became clear that they weren't just running away from the building, but from someone. A very angry looking student from Durmstrang was following them, shouting for them to stop.
"Oh my." Elphias, who'd noticed the scene as well, muttered. "What did they do this time?"
"Nothing good." Albus was already heading in the direction they were running. "I'll have to step in. You don't have to come with me." When more young men from Durmstrang left the entrance hall, Gellert Grindelwald among them, Elphias' decision seemed to be made.
"I'll accompany you." So together, they ran.
On his way, Albus noticed several things. The group of Hogwarts students were fourth years and a well-known group of pranksters. Among them was Jonathan Weasley, nephew of Professor Weasley. Next to the young Gryffindor, there were two more boys of the same house and, to Albus' surprise, a young girl from Hufflepuff. She was holding something which looked like some kind of book. The young men from Durmstrang who ran after them were all older and looked really angry. Except for Grindelwald. If Albus would guess, he'd say that the expression on his face was rather bemused.
"Stop it!" One of the Durmstrang students – was his name Dimitri? – shouted with a heavy accent. "Thieves! Give it back!"
Albus ran faster, knowing how easily such a situation could escalate. Luckily, the group of people hadn't noticed him and Elphias yet, something he intended to use as an advantage. He knew where the students were heading and if they reached the secret passageway to the caretaker's house first, they still had a group of angry Durmstrang students to calm down. How the Hogwarts students even knew about the passageway, Albus would need to question later when there was more time. Normally, only Prefects as well as Head Boy and Head Girl got told about it.
Just that the students didn't even reach their destination, which was hidden close to a few trees and bushes halfway towards the Forbidden Forest. The girl suddenly stumbled with a shriek. She tried to get hold of one of her companions, but this only caused him to fall as well. The two other boys hesitated, apparently unsure if they should just continue running or help their friends. In the end, Jonathan decided to stay because he turned around, facing their pursuers while his friend helped the girl to her feet.
Now the group from Durmstrang had nearly reached them and it was obvious that there wouldn't be another opportunity to run away. The young men were definitely faster and so far, only the surprise of the theft had saved the pranksters from getting caught at all.
"You –" Now Albus remembered that his name wasn't Dimitri, but Dietrich. It didn't matter, though, because he had drawn his wand and was pointing at the students with it. Something he couldn't tolerate at all.
Then he'd already reached the group and – ignoring surprised shouts – Albus stopped right in front of the young man from Durmstrang. Meaning the wand was pointing at his chest now. "I think we should all stay calm right now." He said, trying to look like it was everyday business to chase after angry people. "What is going on here?" Albus didn't draw his wand and he also didn't take a step back when Dietrich didn't lower his own. He just looked around calmly, hoping to look unimpressed by this whole spectacle.
"They stole something!" One of the Durmstrang students – there were five of them – said accusingly. "Those little thieves!"
"That's not true!" Of course it was Jonathan who jumped in to their defense. "It was lying around, so we took it. We didn't even know it belonged to you!"
"But you ran away with it!" Came the angry answer.
Albus cleared his throat. "Will someone please explain what this is about?" He looked over his shoulder to the boys from Gryffindor, knowing that it was a bad idea to turn away from someone who still had a wand pointed at him, but he knew that Elphias would step in if something happened. "Is it about that book?" The girl was still holding it tightly against her chest.
"Those are important notes!" Dietrich's hand was shaking slightly when he answered. For a moment, Albus wondered if he'd attack him, but he hoped that he knew better. If someone caught him with his wand pointing at Albus, he'd already be in lots of trouble. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Gellert was standing at the back of their group now. If he'd looked amused before, it was replaced by a dark expression now. Was he angry that Albus crossed their plans to get the book back from the younger students?
"It's his diary." The girl spoke now. "Nothing of importance."
"That's –"
Albus interrupted him quickly. "A diary is also of importance. To the person who owns it." He said seriously. "And you should know that stealing is forbidden. Which means that you're in lots of trouble." He then turned back to Dietrich. "Will you lower your wand now, please? I think there is no need for that."
He couldn't put it away fast enough, looking nearly embarrassed. Albus ignored it and held out his hand. "Give the book to me." The girl handed it to him reluctantly. "Thank you. And you know that I can't let this go unnoticed, don't you?"
"But Albus…" Jonathan began, but stopped when Albus looked at him sternly.
"I won't tell Professor Weasley about it. But I will inform Professor Fig." At this, they all relaxed a little. It wasn't a secret that detention with Professor Fig wasn't that hard. Sometimes, he even had fun tasks for the students.
"Thank you!" Especially Jonathan Weasley looked relieved. Most probably, he'd be in lots of trouble if his aunt knew about this.
"Make sure that it doesn't happen again." Suddenly, he grinned at the three boys from Gryffindor. "We still want to win the House Cup, don't we?" With another wink, he turned away from them and back towards the students from Durmstrang. "Actually, I should also report you for drawing your wand on the school grounds. But I think that since we could settle this peacefully, an apology should be enough."
Some of the young men looked at him like he'd lost his mind. In the end, it was Grindelwald who sighed. "Just do it!" He hissed at Dietrich, who indeed muttered a quiet apology.
Albus nodded. "Good." He handed back the book. "Next time someone bothers you, don't try to settle it all by yourselves."
Without waiting for a reply, he began to walk back towards the castle, Elphias right next to him. Footsteps announced that the four Hogwarts students were also following them hastily in order to get away from the group from Durmstrang.
"Nicely done." Elphias whispered. "Though he could have put down his wand much sooner."
"I think this is how arguments are settled at Durmstrang Institute." Albus replied thoughtfully.
"Grindelwald didn't look happy that they were caught."
"He didn't." He agreed, remembering the stormy look on Grindelwald's face once Albus stood between the two groups. "They should be lucky that we didn't report them immediately."
"They can be lucky if no one else has seen what happened there." Elphias threw in.
"No one will tell anyone. After all, I was involved." Albus reminded him. As Head Boy, he had the authority to decide on his own what to do in situations like this.
His best friend glanced at the students still walking behind them. "Good that we saw it at all."
"That's true." Once they'd reached the castle, Albus sighed. "I'll go and see Professor Fig. Shall we meet in the library afterwards?"
Elphias nodded and glanced at the four students. "Maybe you should return to your common rooms." From the way they nearly ran towards the stairs, he thought that they'd do just that.
"See you later." With one last look smile at Elphias, Albus turned in another direction and headed to Professor Fig's office.
Only a few days later, Albus was standing on the Astronomy tower, looking into the distance. His thoughts kept circling around the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Professor Fig's contact at the Ministry had indeed told him what it was about. They would need to outsmart a Chimaera. Something that seemed nearly impossible, considering how smart those magical creatures were. They had the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. They could also breathe fire. Albus wondered what they had to steal from it.
His thoughts were interrupted by the quiet sound of footsteps. He knew it wasn't one of his friends, he'd recognize their steps anywhere. But it also wasn't unusual for other students to come here at times. There were also others who liked to be alone with their thoughts. It had never bothered Albus when there were more people up here, also looking at the sky or into the distance, just like him. It was comforting to know that he wasn't alone with his thoughts.
This time, however, it wasn't someone who wanted to enjoy the silence.
"You keep coming up here quite regularly." Gellert Grindelwald's voice was quiet, as if he also didn't want to break the spell that always seemed to hang above the tower.
"I like to be alone. This is the perfect place for that." He replied, hoping that it would end the conversation before it really began. But of course it wasn't that easy. And maybe, a very small part of Albus wasn't too unhappy that Gellert didn't leave again straight away.
"I know that feeling. When too many thoughts are circling in your mind and you can't shut up all the voices." He sounded thoughtful now and Albus looked up at him in surprise. That made Gellert chuckle. "You can't expect me not to have any feelings."
"Sure you have them. But I didn't expect you to be someone to have doubts." Albus said before he could think the better of it.
Gellert raised his eyebrows. "And how do I seem to you?"
He sighed. "Let's not play this game. I'm tired of you searching for ways to make fun of me."
"Who said that it's a game?" His expression was serious.
"Why are you here? I'm sure you didn't just come to enjoy the view." He ignored Gellert's comment, not sure what to make of it.
Grindelwald ran a hand through his blond hair. It nearly reached his shoulders and Albus wondered if it was just as soft as it looked. Inwardly, he scolded himself for that thought. "Maybe I can't stay away from you." The words were spoken quietly and Albus wasn't sure if he was intended to hear them at all.
"You should." His voice was just as quiet. "I certainly want you to."
For a few moments, they just looked at each other silently. Again, Albus was fascinated by the mismatched colour of Gellert's eyes. He'd never before seen someone this fascinating. Which was why he should really leave right now. After all, Gellert wouldn't stop mocking him. He was fascinated by the Dark Arts, if all the rumours were true. He hurt people just for fun. Albus could never like someone like him. And yet there was something that drew him towards the other man. Something he couldn't even explain to himself.
In the end, it was Gellert who looked away first. "You don't mean that." Was all he said before he leaned against the railing, right next to Albus. "Tell me, do you always jump into fights without even trying to defend yourself?"
The sudden turn of the conversation took him by surprise. "I knew your friend would never do anything. Not this close to the school."
Gellert's expression darkened, just like it had done during said argument. "Then you don't know him very well. He nearly got thrown out of school because he couldn't hold himself back."
That was new and he thought about it for a second. How Dietrich's hand had shaken when Albus stepped in. The anger in his eyes. "It turned out alright in the end." Was all he said with a shrug. "I only draw my wand when it's necessary."
Now Gellert was looking skeptical. "They say that you're brilliant with a wand. That no one is as talented as you are. I'm sure people wouldn't talk like this if they'd never seen you perform magic before."
Albus smiled slightly. "Maybe they just told you all those things to scare you. After all, we'll be competing against each other in less then two weeks."
"So what do they say about me, then?" Now Gellert looked curious. "How bad are all those stories?"
"I think you already know the answer to your own question." Albus crossed his arms. "I've been wondering how much of it is true."
"I certainly don't torture people for fun." Came the immediate and very serious reply.
For a few heartbeats, all Albus could do was stare at him. Then he chuckled. "I haven't heard of that yet. But I'll keep it in mind."
The twitch of Gellert's lips told Albus that he was trying not to smile. "So what did you hear? That I'm terrorizing younger students at Durmstrang? That I'm interested in the Dark Arts? That, against the public belief, I'm also doing researches in my free time?"
"You do?" Inwardly, he scolded himself for the surprised question.
This time, Gellert really grinned. "Of a different kind than yours, but yes. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day."
Albus swallowed back the reply that he'd like that. Instead, he said the next thing that came to his mind. "You mean if we both survive the first task?"
It dimmed Gellert's smile. A real shame, since it had made him look even more beautiful. "No one will die." He let it sound like a command. However, there was a frown on his face now. It told Albus that maybe, he wasn't as confident about this whole business as he pretended to be.
In that moment, Albus made a decision. He knew that probably, it was the most stupid thing he'd ever done. But he didn't care. All he knew was that he would really like to hear about Gellert's studies one day and that he didn't want him to get hurt – or worse, die – during their first task. "A Chimaera." He blurted out, making the other young man stare at him in surprise.
"Excuse me?" Gellert bowed his head slightly, his eyes narrowed.
"The first task. Stealing something from a Chimaera." He repeated more slowly, giving himself no time for regrets. They would come later.
"How do you know about this?" He could see from the look on his face that Gellert's mind was racing.
"I have my sources." He said simply. "And before you ask, yes, they're reliable." Suddenly, he felt like he couldn't look at Gellert any longer. He'd spilled his secret. Why on earth did he do that? Because you don't want him to get hurt, a quiet voice inside his head reminded him. Without waiting for a reaction, Albus began to head towards the stairs.
"Albus." It was the second time that Gellert said his name. But in contrast to the first time, where it had been full of sarcasm, this time he said it quietly. Softly. The sound of it made him freeze. "Why did you tell me this?" When he looked over his shoulder, he could see a troubled expression on Gellert's face. There was surprise and something else Albus couldn't quite place in his eyes.
He smiled slightly. "Maybe you're not so bad, after all." This time, Gellert didn't stop him from leaving.
Albus didn't tell Elphias about his conversation with Gellert. In fact, he didn't say a single word about it to anyone. The first thing he did after leaving the Astronomy tower was heading to the Owlery. He searched for a small and unobtrusive owl from the school and wrote a few short words on a piece of paper. Then he hoped that the message would reach Victoire in time. It would only be fair if the three of them all knew about the nature of the first task.
Afterwards, he made his way back to the castle and soon, he found himself in the Gryffindor common room, seated in front of a chessboard. Opposite from him sat Minerva, a concentrated look on her face. They'd met in the hallway and one look at Albus' face had been enough for her to understand that he desperately needed a distraction. She gave it to him in the form of chess, a game they both enjoyed immensely.
Albus was aware that this was one of the few occasions in which his brother Aberforth was also in the common room, but he ignored him. Feeling his angry stare on his back was enough, he didn't need to see his face as well. From the way Minerva glared past Albus from time to time, he knew that she'd also noticed his brother's behaviour. Albus wondered how long it would take for Aberforth to leave again. He didn't like being around people in general. Most probably, Minerva's looks made him feel even more uncomfortable.
Elphias joined them during their second game. He was smiling when he entered the common room and at Albus' raised eyebrows, he began to talk happily. He'd asked if Selena wanted to dance with him at the yule ball and she'd said yes! Seeing his best friend so happy made Albus forget some of his worries. In fact, he could even relax for some time.
Until, later that evening, he was lying in bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering why he'd really told Gellert Grindelwald about the Chimaera.
After that, the time until the first task seemed to fly by. His daily business kept him occupied at all times and Albus didn't get another chance to talk to Gellert. He wasn't sure if he should be glad about it or not. During all those days, his mind kept circling around the conversation on the Astronomy tower. Gellert had been… friendly. Nice, even. Not what Albus expected at all.
If he was honest to himself, he'd really like to hear about his studies. He'd like to get to know more about Grindelwald's whole life.
Then the day of the first task came and Albus couldn't think about the other young man, his opponent, any longer. He had to focus on his own problems first. On surviving the first task. Maybe even being the one to solve it the fastest. Knowing that they'd have to deal with a Chimaera was a big help and he'd sworn to get Professor Fig a present for that. Maybe a bottle of this gin he liked so much. Or a new book about magic. He always visited bookstores when he was in London.
The task would take place in the Quidditch stadium which had been transformed to fit the circumstances. Unfortunately, no one had been able to see the place beforehand. Even Professor Fig couldn't tell Albus much about it. The Ministry had kept that secret well.
The three champions met in a tent outside the stadium before the task started. They were all allowed to take one person with them. It wasn't a surprise that the headmasters of Durmstrang and Hogwarts were there, as well as Madame Bremont. Professor Dippet looked a little pale and he was nervous, it showed by the way he couldn't stand still. As much as Albus liked the headmaster, he wished that Professor Fig could be with him now. His calm presence could make him feel better in any situation.
"Your first task will be a dangerous one." Mr. Pettigrew explained seriously once they'd gathered in a small circle around him. "But I'm sure you already expected that, considering the nature of the event you're taking part in. You'll be allowed to use your wands, but no other magical supplies. There will be a creature in that stadium which you will have to outsmart. I must repeat myself, to outsmart, not necessarily to defeat. Considering it's rareness, that would be a political disaster, I suppose." He was talking fast and Albus realized that Professor Dippet wasn't the only one in the tent who was nervous. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Gellert's lips twitch. Pettigrew's nervousness obviously amused him, despite the situation they found themselves in.
"So what is this creature?" Mr. Tarov demanded to know. He had his arms crossed and looked at Mr. Pettigrew with a dark look on his face.
"A Chimaera." The word was spoken quietly. If he noticed that no one in the tent (maybe except for Professor Dippet) was surprised by the news, he didn't let it show.
"And what do we need to do?" Albus asked, this time out of interest. After all, Professor Fig's contact hadn't given that away. "You said outsmarting it."
"You'll need to get something the Chimaera is also interested in." Suddenly, Mr. Pettigrew looked excited. "Something of importance, because it carries an object you'll need for your next task."
"So what do we 'ave to steal?" Victoire looked impatient, and the nervousness made her French accent stronger.
Now Mr. Pettigrew grinned. "Oh, you won't need to steal something. You'll rescue it."
"Stop talking in riddles!" Gellert muttered angrily and for a short moment, his eyes met Albus'.
"Oh, fine! An animal will be released in the stadium. You must rescue it before the Chimaera gets a chance to… well, eat it."
They all stared at Pettigrew in disbelief. "Who came up with this stupid idea?!" Mr. Tarov asked loudly and this time, the young Ministry employee flinched back.
"Well, me, if I'm completely honest. But I never thought that it would be chosen for the tournament. It was just a thought." He cleared his throat. "The animal, it will be a rabbit, will carry a small object on a collar. You'll need that to get information on the second task."
"So if the rabbit doesn't make it, they'll not be prepared for the second task?" Professor Dippet sounded curious, but also a little disgusted.
Mr. Pettigrew nodded. "Indeed. So you'd better save that small creature. I don't want to be responsible for the death of any animals today." His eyes wandered to Victoire. "Lady's first. After that, it's Durmstrang's turn. Hogwarts last." He nodded more to himself. "We'll start in ten minutes, once you hear the cannon."
With that, he left the tent and they all stood there in silence, trying to process the news. Mr. Tarov was the first one who moved. He grabbed Gellert's arm and pulled him away from the others, talking quietly in what sounded like German. As if they'd woken up from a dream, Victoire and Madame Bremont also moved away, leaving Albus and Professor Dippet alone in the middle of the tent.
"Do you have a plan?" Professor Dippet asked quietly.
Albus nodded. "I'm good with disillusionment charms."
This made Professor Dippet grin. "Eleazar told me about the progress you've made on that. He said you're as good as invisible when you cast that spell. Very impressive since only few achieve that in their lives." He seemed to notice that he was slowly changing the subject because he stopped himself. "And the animal? It will run away from the Chimaera."
"A simple Accio used on the collar, maybe?" Albus asked with a shrug. "I need to figure that out once I know how fast that rabbit is." He suspected that simply running after it wouldn't be a good idea. Or petrifying the rabbit, which would make it an easy target for the Chimaera.
"I hope you can protect yourself from fire." The headmaster frowned. "Chimaera's are –"
"Very aggressive, especially when their prey is in danger of being taken away." Albus finished the sentence with a nod. "I might have a few spells in mind."
"Good." Professor Dippet nodded again. "That's good." There was a movement at the entrance to the tent and then, another employee of the Ministry arrived, indicating for everyone who wasn't involved in the tournament to leave.
Soon after that, the cannon shot echoed through the air and it was Victoire's time to leave. Albus hoped that he gave her what should be an encouraging smile. And then he was alone with Gellert Grindelwald once more.
"You told her about it as well." Gellert sounded thoughtful.
Albus didn't have to ask whom he meant. "I think she got an owl some time ago." He shrugged. "Could have been anyone."
Gellert smiled slightly. "Indeed." He hesitated. "I think a thank you is appropriate."
He shook his head. "It was nothing."
"I have to argue with that. You could have kept it to yourself to get an advantage. Instead, you told us about the first task." Outside, they could hear a loud roar, indicating that the Chimaera had spotted Victoire. The noise was followed by more sounds of a fight. People were crying out from time to time, or clapping their hands. It was disturbing to hear all this, but not know what was going on.
Albus ran a hand through his hair. "I accept your thanks. And there's something you can do for me in return." This made Gellert look at him in surprise. His eyes narrowed then, as if he didn't trust Albus. "Survive this first task. After all, you promised to tell me about your studies."
For a few moments, the other man just stared at him. Then Gellert laughed. It was a beautiful sound, one that made Albus forget about his surroundings. At least for a little while. "Did I promise that?" But then he nodded. "Fine. That means you'll have to survive as well." Suddenly, he grinned. "I'm looking forward to seeing you use magic. You can't be as good as everyone says."
Albus looked at him challengingly. "Oh, you'll find out that I'm indeed that good. I'm not so sure about you, though."
Gellert's smile changed. Challenge accepted, the look said. "You'll be surprised, Albus." In this moment, they heard cheers outside, indicating that Victoire had completed her first task. Only a few minutes later, Gellert was gone.
For once, Albus didn't like being alone.
When it was his turn, Albus suddenly felt completely calm. The Quidditch stadium wasn't recognizable when he left the tent and it took him a short moment to adapt himself to the new surroundings. The ground was dark, with many rocks of different sizes lying around everywhere. There were also a few trees, looking old and dead the way they stood there without any leaves. In the distance, he could even spot a small lake. In front of it sat the Chimaera, its eyes already fixed on Albus.
At first, it all went well. He cast a disillusionment charm on himself, hearing the crowd gasp as he suddenly disappeared. Then he moved forward slowly, trying to spot the rabbit he should rescue. He saw it after ten steps into the stadium, a small brown animal with soft looking fur. The poor thing was shivering, surely because he could sense the predator close by. The Chimaera was still sitting by the lake, its whole posture tense. It knew Albus was there somewhere, but it seemed as if it couldn't spot him.
He moved towards the rabbit then, gripping his wand tightly. Casting a charm on the small animal from a distance would only risk the Chimaera making its move, so he tried to get as close as possible first.
It was the wrong decision. The rabbit sensed his arrival and then the animal began to run – right towards him. The Chimaera acted at once, jumping to its feet and storming after the smaller animal. When Albus realized that it was also heading directly towards him, he could only only do one thing, which was jumping out of the way.
He felt the disillusionment charm break and then he was visible again, making the crowd gasp. Albus didn't have time to cast a new spell, though, because the attention of the Chimaera was on him now. He raised his wand and let a wall of air appear, making the flames that came out of the Chimaera's mouth disappear before they reached him. This gave him enough time to jump to his feet and run in the direction of the rabbit. Luckily, it didn't have too many hiding places in the stadium.
Knowing that the Chimaera would only take seconds to follow him, Albus used another spell to let a few rocks fly towards it. Hopefully, that would be another distraction. The magical creature had fast reflexes and the chance that it would simply move out of the rock's way was high.
Which made Albus run even faster, hoping to get to the rabbit before anything else could happen. The small animal was heading towards the lake now, surely not realizing that there was nowhere to hide. However, it gave Albus an idea.
While he ran, he didn't dare to look over his shoulder too often, afraid that he might stumble over one of the several rocks on the ground. When he did risk a look back, he saw the Chimaera getting ready to jump at him. "Nearly there." Albus muttered to himself and when he heard a roar behind his back, he threw himself to the ground once more. He felt a draft of air on his back, telling him that the Chimaera was flying over his head.
It landed in the lake with a loud splash. Albus raised his wand immediately and cast a spell that let the water freeze within a few moments. All around, people were starting to cheer. He ignored it, though, knowing that the ice wouldn't hold forever, and began to look for the rabbit again. "Accio collar!" He shouted, hoping that the animal wouldn't get hurt in the process.
It didn't and when it landed in Albus' arms, still shivering violently, he finally allowed himself to smile. Of course only after he'd left the stadium in a hurry. The first thing he saw when he returned to the tent, the rabbit still in his arms, was Gellert's impressed face.