It would not be long before summer would be over. A few more days and Roxanne with Aberforth would have to return at Hogwarts; the metamorphmagus would get the chance to enjoy her last year and study for her exams.
After the talk with Gellert and Albus, she felt a little more confident in her future and what was meant to come. It seemed to have also helped Albus, who surprisingly spent more time with Gellert as well; making plans and searching for more clues.
One fateful night, Gellert had left them magical notes for them to come and meet him. Those notes were something he had taught himself and showed them as well since the paper would then burst into flames once it had been read thoroughly.
The three of them met under the same willow, Albus having gone by Roxanne's House to pick her up; since he found it too dangerous to let her walk on her own.
"We are here, Gellert. What is it?" Roxanne asked as they approached their friend and partner, who was already waiting for them.
"I heard news...the revolution has to start much sooner than we planned," he said, excitement glowing in his eyes.
"How soon?" Roxanne asked, feeling a drop in her stomach.
"In a few days, we should leave. This is our chance to gather supporters while we also search for the Hallows" he explained, taking both their hands into his. "If we do this now, we will be successful so much earlier. The rewards of this risk will be worthy and what we all expect"
His words and charm worked perfectly on both of them, especially Albus. The sooner he found the Stone and changed the law to protect wizards instead, the sooner he would be free and able to return to his normal life.
"Then let us not waste much time" he finally said, surprising his childhood friend.
"Albus, what about Arrianna and Aberforth?" She asked, worrying that perhaps her suppressed friend was not thinking it through.
"Aberforth will return to Hogwarts and I will take Arrianna with us. Maybe we can even find some treatment for her...and if he doesn't agree, he can drop from school and join us" he said, for a moment not sounding like himself at all.
Roxanne parted her lips to argue but did not find the right words to voice her thoughts. While his plan worked, she was still not sure about it all; especially dragging Arrianna with them.
"Then I will join you as well. I promised I would help you in this revolution and I can help look after Arianna" she said, but surprisingly Albus already had an answer for that.
"No," he said so suddenly as if he was expecting her to say those things. He immediately took a breath to calm himself. "I mean, you don't have to. Finish your Hogwarts year and join us after, as we originally planned"
She looked at Gellert for help but he did not say anything else, somehow agreeing with Albus. She felt betrayed for a moment but she understood and with a defeated look, she gave a few nods of her head.
"Fine...but I do want to know news from both of you. Or I am dumping school mid-year and I am coming to find you myself" she said, her gaze stricter and scolding while she pointed a finger first at Gellert and then at Albus.
Her childhood friend was amused and took her hand into his, gently placing a kiss on her knuckles. "It's a promise," he said with a small smile.
"Speaking of promises" Gelleet started, his face as serious as ever and his features made him look even more dangerous under the low light of the half-moon. "It is time we make our own, proper ones"
His words confused the two friends and they both turned to look at him, their hands now free from one another.
"Proper ones?" Albus asked, one eyebrow lifted.
"This is a big plan and it will be understandable if one of us eventually regrets and wishes to leave. With your sister coming with us Albus, this will be even more important. We need to make sure no one will turn their wands against one another. This plan is far too great for any mistakes or mishaps"
Albus gave a nod in understanding. "What promises do you wish us to make?"
Gellert took a step closer until he was fully in front of him. "For the two of us, a blood pact," he said and Roxanne's eyes opened wider.
She had only heard about such a promise, consisting of a ritual that could not be broken and was sacred. Only the most extreme did they ever take such an oath and it was one for security.
"I accept," Albus said without much thought, his ambitions and his emotions getting the best of him and clouding his judgement.
For Gellert to ask so seriously about a blood pact, for many it would be a warning sign that they should back down.
But not to him, not to Albus.
In this one year, he had learnt how to trust Gellert Grindelwald and open himself to him in ways he would never do to anyone else.
Satisfied with his willingness, Gellert knew that he had chosen well. Both of them got their wands out and got ready.
First, they sliced a line on their palms, deep enough to draw the blood that was the main ingredient. Then, they interconnected their hands and repeated the vow they wished to form.
Roxanne watched with her hands clapped in front of her chest both in worry but also curiosity as two glowing drops of blood were raised from their palms and mingled into one. Thereafter, a phial take shape around it, enclosing the drop; signifying that the deal was struck.
Such a simple and quick contract but yet so powerful at the same time. She watched as a magical chain was created along with the phial and Gellert accepted it in his palm.
The chain quickly wrapped around his hand and crawled all the way to his neck, wrapping at least once. It made the young wizard a little uncomfortable but he knew he had to endure it for now.
It would be the only thing preventing Albus from ever attacking him, although with the pact he could never attack him either. It was a double-edged sword but necessary for what would come.
Once the two of them were done, they turned to Roxanne. She had stayed quiet and was merely a spectator to everything, not fully agreeing with the idea but going along with them. The trust existing in their teenage hearts made her ignorant to some obvious signs, that many years later she would regret and she would not be the only one.
"It's your turn now, Roxanne" Gellert said and she gave a nod, grabbing her wand to start the ritual. To her surprise, he lifted his hand to stop her. "I already have a blood pact, I can't form a second"
His words made her frown. "Then, why did you ask for promises? And how will I make a pact with Albus?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
Her words seemed to amuse him ever so faintly. "We are all aware you would never point your wand at Albus and he would never truly point it at you. I, on the other hand, will lead this revolution with him and I need to make sure that I won't get hexed when I turn my back"
She did not hide that she felt offended, although with what exactly; even she was not sure.
Did she disagree with the fact that she would never betray Albus? Of course not, her heart could never betray him or even Gellert. Was it the fact that because those two would lead the revolution, they needed to be more extreme?
She did understand that their roles were bigger but suddenly, she felt very dismissed after all the planning they did and all the help she offered.
"And what do you want me to do then?" She asked, folding her hands in front of her chest as the tips of her black hair turned fiery red and it spread almost halfway up, an indication of her passive anger.
Gellert positioned his wand that was resting in his hand. "An Unbreakable Vow should be sufficient," he said rather casually.
"Roxie" Albus immediately said, getting worried hearing that. "You don't have to do it. There is no need for any proof. We both know that you would never attack us in the back" he argued, stealing glances at his friend, trying to passively make him agree.
Those glances did not go unnoticed and while Albus did try to protect her, she was too blinded by emotions and thoughts to fully see the signs.
She immediately took a step forward, being closer to Gellert. Lifting her head high up, her eyes seemed to almost glow in the low light as she showed pure determination and even the faintest of a challenge.
She extended her hand. "I accept. An unbreakable vow that none of us will be able to attack the other"
Gellert moved to stand a single foot across from her and looked at her with a smirk on his lips. He did enjoy seeing her all fired up, stubborn and determined to prove her worth. She was willing to do anything to help them, let alone show them that she could handle everything.
In reality, she could but seeing how hard she tried and how she even defied Albus' thoughts on the matter; made Gellert even more interested.
He glanced at Albus. "You will have to be the witness," he told the older boy.
Albus looked at Roxanne, hoping that she would back down any moment but she looked back at him with one of the most determined looks ever.
He knew that look and he knew that he could not fight it. It was the look she gave when she had made up her mind about something and nothing could stop her.
Defeated, he took their wands and got ready, standing next to their now-connected hands. He placed the tips of their wands onto the linked hands and stood there.
Then, Gellert took the initiative to ask the vow. "Do you agree to the vow that none of us will ever lift our wands to harm one another?" He asked, deciding to do exactly what she asked and not make it a one-side vow.
"I agree," she said without a moment of hesitation.
Albus took his wand out just in time as a thin stream of fire was emitted from his wand. It weaved around their hands like a red-hot wire, forever sealing the deal.
Unlike the blood pact, this vow was unbreakable and lethal. Both parties knew that if they ever broke it, they would die immediately.
Yet, even after the vow was complete they didn't pull their hands back; not yet. They kept looking at one another dead in the eye, none regretting this moment or having any second thoughts.
They were fully determined, Roxanne above all and even as the years would pass; she would never come to the day she would regret taking that risk and sealing a part of her fate.