I don't own the characters or places!
The morning after his name was chosen for the Triwizard Tournament, Mr. Tarov took Gellert aside. Once they were in his office, the headmaster crossed his arms and looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Why doesn't it surprise me that your name was chosen, Grindelwald?" It was a rhetorical question, so Gellert just stood there and waited until the other man continued. "All of my students threw their names into the Goblet of Fire, but it chooses you. You seem to have the worst luck here. You look surprised that I say worst, but yes, it's true. This tournament will take everything from you, Grindelwald. It will require all your strength and cleverness. Once the tasks have started, you'll only have one real goal. Surviving. Which, in our case, is tightly connected to winning."
The headmaster started to walk around slowly then, his eyes never leaving Gellert's face. Many people feared the headmaster of Durmstrang Institute and it wasn't for nothing. Mr. Tarov had a reputation to be ruthless and cold. The reality was even worse. He hated the Triwizard Tournament and was obsessed with winning this thing. Because more than thirty years ago, his brother had taken part in the competition. He'd lost his life during the third task. But even before, they said that he'd changed. The tournament had made him go mad.
"I want you to find out as much as possible about the two champions from the others schools. When you understand them, it will make it easier to figure out their strategies. Only then do we have a real chance of winning. They say that the boy from Hogwarts is clever, but from what I've seen so far, he's also weak. Being constantly praised by Dippet can't be good for him and they say that he only draws his wand when needed." Gellert had heard that as well, but he wasn't sure if Albus Dumbledore was indeed weak. He suspected that there was more to him than met the eye. "The girl from Beauxbatons is trickier to figure out. She seems to have quite a temper, but she's able to control ist fast. That's dangerous in a fight. I think she'll be the bigger challenge."
Gellert did his best to keep his face neutral. He had a different impression of Victoire, but he couldn't voice his doubts in front of the headmaster. He would have to find out more about her on his own. "I'll find out as much as possible about them, Sir."
Tarov nodded. "That's good. And you have to work on your magical skills. You're good, but that's not enough. You need to be better than all the others. This can only be achieved by lots of hard work. I'll teach you some more spell casting after classes. There are a few things which might be useful during the three tasks." Having private lessons with the headmaster didn't sound tempting, but Gellert only nodded shortly to indicate that he understood the importance of it.
"The other students aren't happy that you were chosen, Grindelwald. If I were you, I'd be careful around them. Especially the ones who don't roll at your feet because they think you're some kind of genius." Mr. Tarov went back to his desk then. "Try to find out more about your opponents and the tasks. Our private lessons will start next week."
"Yes, Sir." Gellert replied and took this as permission to leave. He'd nearly reached the door when the headmaster talked once more.
"Oh and Grindelwald? Try not to get attached to anyone here. Use them for your goals, but don't let sentiment get in the way." The way he said it let it sound like a threat. Gellert knew that it was.
"I'll do my best, Sir." When Mr. Tarov didn't reply and focused on a book instead, Gellert left the office quietly.
That afternoon, he sent an owl to his aunt Bathilda in Godric's Hollow. The things he'd heard Albus' brother say wouldn't leave his mind and he needed to find out more about it. Aberforth had sounded concerned, but not for Albus' sake. It was all about the sister, Gellert had realized. Ariana. They wanted to protect her from the knowledge that Albus was risking his life in this competition. But why?
He kept thinking about it for a long time, but never found a possible explanation for all this. He hoped that his aunt would reply soon.
There was also another thing about that conversation which made him curious. When the younger brother had grabbed Albus, he'd looked deadly calm. 'Take a step back, please. I don't want to hurt you.' Those had been Albus' words and his brother had done just that, as if he knew it wasn't just an empty threat. As if he knew that Albus could indeed hurt him.
Maybe Albus Dumbledore wasn't as harmless as everyone said, after all.
"I'm sure you're happy now." A voice behind him said. After having sent the letter to his aunt, Gellert stood at the railing of the ship, looking at Hogwarts and the surrounding grounds. He needed some time to think and so far, no one had dared to bother him when he so clearly sought some quiet. That was until now, of course.
He looked over his shoulder and quirked an eyebrow. "Were you talking to me?"
Dietrich rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot, Gellert. We're alone out here." He stepped next to him, his posture casual. "I bet you're deeply satisfied that you were chosen instead one of us."
"What makes you believe that?" Gellert tried to hide his annoyance. What was the reason for this conversation?
"You're getting lessons with the headmaster. We're not allowed to participate as well." So this was where his unhappiness came from. He fought the urge to roll his eyes and say that lessons with the headmaster were more of a punishment than a reward.
"He'd do that for any champion." He pointed out. "I didn't hex the Goblet of Fire, if that's what you think. I doubt anyone would be able to do that."
Dietrich sighed. "Well, at least now you'll get a chance to show that boy from Hogwarts where he belongs. I've seen you staring at him."
When he mentioned Albus, Gellert fought the sudden urge to hit him. "We'll have to accomplish the first two tasks on our own. The only time we'll actually do something at the same time will be in the maze." And who knew how many them would survive until then. That thought bothered him more than it should.
His words made Dietrich laugh. "Come on, you can't be serious! I bet there are lots of opportunities to make life more difficult for those two other champions. You're clever. They'll never know that we planned this."
"I'll need to find out more about them first. Who knows, maybe they're indeed no real threat." Gellert looked back towards the castle then. A movement on the shore caught his attention. Two people were walking around slowly, talking to each other. It took him a moment to recognize one of them. Auburn hair was shining in the sun. From the distance, it wasn't easy to see who was walking next to Albus, but he thought that he'd seen her sitting with him at the Gryffindor table before.
"I don't think so. I mean, have you seen that boy from Hogwarts? He looks like he's going to break down if you just point at him with a wand." Dietrich laughed once more. "And the girl is more interested in her looks than anything else."
"Maybe you're right…" Gellert muttered, his eyes never leaving the two figures in the distance. He kept his thoughts to himself, though.
Weeks passed and slowly, Gellert developed a routine. Between meals at Hogwarts, he attended lessons with his fellow students from Durmstrang and in the afternoons, Mr. Tarov kept practicing with him for the first task. Those hours were the worst of the day since the headmaster was relentless in his lessons. He always pushed Gellert to his limits and most days, he fell into bed right after that, completely exhausted. He also tried to find out more about Albus and Victoire, but so far, the results weren't promising. Those two were careful about what they said and did in front of others.
One morning, Gellert received a letter at breakfast. It was from his aunt Bathilda, he recognized the owl he'd sent her. Aware of the curious looks of his acquaintances, Gellert grabbed the letter as soon as the owl had landed and stood up. He wanted to read this without anyone around. He felt Albus' eyes on him when he left the Great Hall, but he didn't stare back at him. Not this time.
Outside, it was raining. This meant that not many others would be around and Gellert could read the letter in peace. He cast a quick spell that protected him from the rain and walked towards the lake, where Albus and his friends used to sit regularly. Only then did he open the envelope.
Dearest Gellert,
It surprised me to hear from you in a letter. In all those years, you have rarely written to me. The happier it made me to see your handwriting on the paper when this arrived. I think congratulations are also in order. After all, you are one of the champions for the Triwizard Tournament. Those news have hit Godric's Hollow hard, especially considering who will be taking part for Hogwarts.
But before we come to the questions you asked, let me ask a few in return. You wrote awfully little about yourself, Gellert. How are you? Is everything alright at Durmstrang? How do you feel about taking part in this competition? It is disturbing to think that many people have died in the past. Hopefully, it will not happen this time. I have to admit that I am more than a little worried about you.
I was confused by all your questions about Albus Dumbledore before I found out that he will also be taking part in the tournament. Horrible if something happened to him, his family has been through enough already. Which is why I did not expect Albus to do something this reckless. You are also reckless, Gellert! Never forget that. There is no need for all this. The Triwizard Tournament is a horrible competition and winning this will bring you nothing except for sorrow.
A word of advice. Try to make friends among the other schools. Those friendships will be very valuable in your life. Back when I was young, the Triwizard Tournament was also taking part at Hogwarts. I met one of my best friends there, a girl from Beauxbatons. We are still in contact after all those years. Who knows, maybe you will also find some real friends for once?
But now to your questions. If you try to hurt Albus with this information, you will be in lots of trouble, Gellert Grindelwald! Albus Dumbledore is a fine young man who always wants to help everyone. He could never hurt a fly and he is very protective of those close to him. His father was sent to Azkaban for attacking Muggles, but surely, you already found out that much. They have been harassing Albus' younger sister, Ariana. Ever since, she has problems with controlling her magic. She also does not attend Hogwarts like her two older brothers. Which is why they are very protective of her. As far as I know, the Dumbledores do not even know about Albus' part in the tournament yet. I will do my best to keep it this way. No need for fear and pain when Albus will survive this. You will have a real threat in him when it comes to winning this competition, I would dare to say.
Not that I have favourites when it comes to winning the tournament. Both you and Albus are very dear to me. I think you would be good friends.
I hope to hear from you again in the course of the school year!
Bathilda
Gellert read the letter three times. This wasn't much new information, but he appreciated the honesty of his aunt nevertheless. It seemed like she was very fond of Albus. Somehow, Gellert couldn't blame her for liking him. It was hard not to.
What interested him most was that his aunt thought Albus could be a real threat to him. She was sure that he could win. So maybe his suspicions about Albus' real skills were justified, after all.
Not wanting anyone else to see the letter, Gellert burned it before he headed back to the castle. One thing Bathilda wrote wouldn't leave his mind the entire day. Both you and Albus are very dear to me. I think you would be good friends. Could they indeed be friends one day? And why did he feel like he didn't just want to be Albus' friend?
About two weeks before the first task would take place, Gellert found himself at Hogwarts with his acquaintances. They had the day off and the others wanted to see if they could discover some more secrets at Hogwarts. They'd made a game out of it, always trying to find more weaknesses of Victoire and Albus. Most of the rumours they heard sounded unrealistic, but Gellert kept his opinion to himself. He knew that he needed to approach the other champions soon, Mr. Tarov made it very clear that he wanted Gellert to manipulate them somehow. But so far, he'd stayed out of their way. He wasn't even sure why. He had no problem to mock Victoire a bit. With Albus, however, things weren't that easy.
He was so lost in thoughts that he only noticed four younger students from Hogwarts approach their group when it was already too late. One of them seemed to stumble and run into another, who ran right into Steven. Then it all happened very fast. The kids began to apologize endlessly and ran away – but only after the girl in the group had grabbed Dietrich's journal which he'd placed on a windowsill.
"Give it back!" Dietrich shouted and began to sprint after them, as did the others. Gellert also followed, a little amused that they'd managed to snatch the journal. It was Dietrich's most valued possession. Which could also make this situation dangerous. He couldn't control his temper and had attacked others more than once. Even younger students.
The students were fast and seemed to be heading for some bushes not too far away from the castle. Gellert suspected that they had some kind of hiding place and once they'd reached it, Dietrich would never see the book again. But then the girl stumbled and they'd suddenly reached them much faster than expected.
"You –" Dietrich was about to step towards the younger students, who suddenly didn't look that happy anymore. His wand was in his hand and he raised it when suddenly, Gellert saw movement from the corner of his eyes.
Then suddenly, Albus Dumbledore and his friend were standing between the two groups. And Dietrich's wand pointed right at Albus' chest.
To Gellert's surprise, Albus looked completely calm and not as if someone was pointing at him with a wand. "I think we should all stay calm right now. What is going on here?" The question was asked calmly and he made no attempt to step back from Dietrich. Either he was more courageous than he let on, or Albus Dumbledore had a tendency to do stupid things. Because it was definitely stupid to keep standing in front of Dietrich with his wand drawn.
It took Gellert a moment to realize that he'd reached for his own wand and was grabbing it tightly now under his cloak. He was faster than Dietrich. He knew he could stop him if he tried to curse someone. Not someone, him.
"They stole something!" Dietrich shouted, not even trying to hide his anger. "Those little thieves!"
"That's not true!" A young boy with red hair and freckles shouted back, his eyes drifting to Albus. "It was lying around, so we took it. We didn't even know it belonged to you!"
"But you ran away with it!" Dietrich roared angrily.
Suddenly, Albus cleared his throat and the effect was instant. Now everyone focused on him again. "Will someone please explain what this is about?" He looked over his shoulder then, surely focusing on the Hogwarts students with a stern gaze. Gellert had to hold back a nervous movement when Albus' back was turned to Dietrich's wand. Reckless, he thought. And also stupid of Dietrich. They weren't at Durmstrang. Hurting a student from another school would surely be punished. Especially another champion, who was the favourite of Hogwarts' own headmaster. "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. Gellert tensed, ready to step in and cast a protection charm if necessary. He wouldn't have tolerated Dietrich hurting anyone, but this was Albus. He knew with grim certainty that everyone who hurt him would receive no mercy from Gellert. This sudden protectiveness for a person he barely knew should have surprised him, but he was too focused on the situation to care.
"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."
To Gellert's relief, Dietrich did indeed lower his wand under Albus' piercing gaze. His blue eyes were still calm, but there was also a hardness in them that hadn't been there before. Then he held out his hand to the girl. "Give the book to me." She handed it to him reluctantly. "Thank you. And you know that I can't let this go unnoticed, don't you?"
"But Albus…" The boy with the red hair 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. Gellert was curious about this Professor Fig. He'd heard stories about him and he seemed to be quite popular. And if all the stories were true, he spent lots of time with Albus.
"Thank you!" The students looked relieved now and one of them even smiled happily.
"Make sure that it doesn't happen again." Suddenly, Albus grinned at the three boys, all the distance gone from his face. Gellert had to swallow when he once again realized how beautiful Albus Dumbledore was. "We still want to win the House Cup, don't we?" With another wink, he turned away from them and back towards Gellert and the others. Ever since arriving, he didn't spare Gellert a single glance. "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."
Gellert waited for Dietrich to react, but he just kept staring at Albus. Like all the others surrounding them. In the end, Gellert sighed, knowing that he needed to step in. "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, his friend, who'd remained silent the entire time, right next to him. The Hogwarts students also followed quickly.
Gellert's acquaintances just wanted to head back towards the ship as well when Gellert grabbed Dietrich's arm. "Don't do something like this again!" He hissed. "It's dangerous to threaten someone here."
Dietrich only rolled his eyes. "You should be happy. After all, we scared Dumbledore."
"He wasn't scared." Gellert replied gruffly. "You just proved that they're right in not taking us seriously."
Steven stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Gellert, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing." He muttered. "Just don't keep pointing at people with your wand. I don't care if it's another champion or a student. Mr. Tarov wants us to manipulate the students from the other schools, not fill the Hospital Wing with them." The words felt like acid in his mouth, but he knew that this was what the others needed to hear.
He didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he followed Albus' example and simply walked away.
During the next days, Mr. Tarov's private lessons got more demanding. He also questioned Gellert several times if he could find out more about the nature of the first task by now. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He'd eavesdropped on Victoire and a few other students from Beauxbatons the previous day, but from their conversation, he'd taken that they also didn't know about it yet. Which left Albus, whom Gellert didn't approach again. Whom he didn't want to approach simply to get information. Somehow, it felt wrong.
Mr. Tarov was disappointed and pushed Gellert even harder than before. As soon as their lesson was over, he left the ship, not wanting to listen to the endless talks of his acquaintances for the rest of the day.
He wasn't even sure where he was going until he found himself at the steps which led to the Astronomy tower. When he saw someone standing there, looking into the distance, red scarf moving in the wind, Gellert wasn't surprised in the least.
"You keep coming up here quite regularly." He said the words quietly, not wanting to startle Albus. If he hadn't heard him approach anyway. It was very silent up here, which he enjoyed. Apparently, Albus thought the same.
"I like to be alone. This is the perfect place for that." Albus' reply made it clear that he wanted Gellert to leave. I want to be alone, so go away, his words said. Unfortunately, Gellert didn't just come here to leave again after a few moments. And maybe he wanted to use this chance alone with Albus. Not to find out more about the first task, but to get to know the other man. It should have surprised him to realize that getting to know Albus was more important in this moment than to find out more about the first task. But again, the surprise wouldn't come.
"I know that feeling. When too many thoughts are circling in your mind and you can't shut up all the voices." When Albus looked at him in surprise after those words, Gellert chuckled. "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' words were spoken quickly and once they were out, there was a faint blush on his cheeks, nearly as if he didn't plan to say it at all. But maybe it was also from the wind, which was very cold up here.
Gellert raised his eyebrows, curious to see if he could find out more about Albus' opinion of him. From what he'd seen so far, he surely wasn't that popular. "And how do I seem to you?"
Albus sighed, looking weary. "Let's not play this game. I'm tired of you searching for ways to make fun of me."
The words hit Gellert harder than expected. "Who said that it's a game?"
Instead of answering any of his questions, Albus asked one in return. "Why are you here? I'm sure you didn't just come to enjoy the view."
Running a hand through his hair, Gellert considered what to tell Albus. Should he talk about Mr. Tarov's endless lessons to prepare him for the first task? The headmaster's endless threats that he had to win and his demands to spy on the other schools? Or the constant chatter of Gellert's acquaintances, always making fun of everyone and everything? Surely someone like Albus wouldn't understand.
Gathering all his courage, Gellert settled for the truth. "Maybe I can't stay away from you." He spoke the words quietly, not sure if he even wanted Albus to hear them.
"You should." Albus' voice was just as quiet. "I certainly want you to." The words sounded weak, as if Albus wasn't convinced by them himself.
Gellert took a moment to study him. In return, Albus also looked at him seriously. His blue eyes were slightly narrowed, as if Gellert was a riddle he needed to figure out. The wind had ruffled his auburn hair and once more, Gellert wondered if it was naturally curly and Albus did something about it, or if it really was just a little wavy. It suited him anyway. The Gryffindor scarf was looking good on him, making his eyes shine even brighter in the dim light on top of the tower. His cheeks were still a little red, but this time, Gellert was sure that the wind had caused this.
All in all, Gellert had never seen someone this beautiful. Or fascinating. He wanted to know more about Albus' life. About his dreams and fears. He just wasn't sure if he was allowed to hear about those things. But the longer he studied Albus, the easier it became to convince himself that he also felt this pull between them. That Gellert wasn't the only one who felt drawn to the other man.
In the end, he broke the eye-contact. "You don't mean that." He leaned against the railing, right next to where Albus was standing. He tried to let it look casual and hoped that it worked. His heart was beating furiously in his chest. It was time to change the subject. "Tell me, do you always jump into fights without even trying to defend yourself?"
It was obvious that the change of subject surprised Albus. "I knew your friend would never do anything. Not this close to the school."
He remembered all the times he'd caught Dietrich cursing someone back at Durmstrang. "Then you don't know him very well. He nearly got thrown out of school because he couldn't hold himself back."
For a brief moment, Albus' expression turned to surprise. It was obvious that he didn't expect this. But then his expression was calm again and he shrugged. "It turned out alright in the end. I only draw my wand when it's necessary." Gellert had to fight the sudden urge to shake Albus and tell him that he should think about his own safety instead of naively believing in the good in all people. Most people weren't good, Gellert had learned it the hard way.
He tried not to let his sudden anger show on his face. "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 than two weeks."
"So what do they say about me, then?" He knew that this was a bad thing to ask, but he was genuinely curious. "How bad are all those stories?"
"I think you already know the answer to your own question." Albus crossed his arms, studying Gellert with those piercing blue eyes of his. "I've been wondering how much of it is true."
"I certainly don't torture people for fun." He'd heard about those rumours plenty of times and he hated it.
Albus stared at him after those words in bewilderment and Gellert wondered which rumours exactly he'd heard. "I haven't heard of that yet. But I'll keep it in mind." Albus' chuckle was a sound Gellert would have liked to hear more often.
He tried to hold back a smile at that thought. "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?" It was so much like Albus to ask about his researches first and ignore all the other things. He sounded fascinated now and the look on his face could only be described as eager.
This time, Gellert really grinned. "Of a different kind than yours, but yes. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day."
For a few moments, it looked like Albus was going to press for more information. The words that came out of his mouth, however, surprised Gellert. "You mean if we both survive the first task?"
Gellert felt the smile slip from his lips and being replaced by a frown. "No one will die." The words were spoken harshly and he wondered whom he tried to convince about that. Albus or himself.
The expression that appeared on Albus' face now was hard to read. There was thoughtfulness, but also something that looked a lot like indecision. In the end, however, it was replaced by a stern determination. "A Chimaera." The words were spoken quickly and it took Gellert a moment to make sense of it. Could he really be giving him information about the tournament?
"Excuse me?" Gellert bowed his head slightly, his eyes narrowed.
"The first task. Stealing something from a Chimaera." Albus repeated more slowly, still looking as if he wasn't sure that telling Gellert about it had been a good idea. They were rivals, after all.
"How do you know about this?" Not once doubting Albus' honesty, Gellert was already trying to recall all the stories he'd heard about Chimaeras in his mind.
"I have my sources. And before you ask, yes, they're reliable." Gellert had never questioned that, so he nodded. But Albus wasn't looking at him anymore and didn't see his reaction. He began to head for the stairs without another word.
"Albus." Gellert said his name quietly, enjoying the feeling of it on his lips. He liked that name. When Albus stopped walking and looked over his shoulder, he asked the question that had been on his mind ever since Albus spilled his secret. "Why did you tell me this?" After everything Gellert had said to him, he didn't have many reasons to tell him anything. The few times they'd spoken, it always ended in disaster. He tried to fight the hope that maybe, he hadn't ruined everything so far.
Albus smiled slightly. "Maybe you're not so bad, after all."
This time, Gellert didn't stop him from leaving.
Later that evening, he told Mr. Tarov about the nature of the first task. When the headmaster asked how he got to know about it, Gellert told him that he'd lured the secret out of Dumbledore. Mr. Tarov was impressed by this, urging Gellert to keep close to Albus to gather more information for the other tasks. Gellert agreed, saying that it wouldn't be a problem. However, the words felt like ash in his mouth. Yes, he would try to spend more time with Albus, but not for the headmaster's sake.
The first task would take place in what was usually the Quidditch stadium. It had been transformed for the task, but no matter how hard Gellert tried, he couldn't find out anything about it. From the way Albus shook his head when they neared the stadium, Gellert knew that he also couldn't get more information. So their surroundings would be a surprise.
There was a tent outside the stadium where they had to wait for the task to start. Before the tournament officially began, Mr. Pettigrew held a short speech to explain the rules once more. There were seven people inside the tent. The three champions with their respective headmasters and Mr. Pettigrew, who looked a little nervous. However, it was nothing compared to Professor Dippet. Hogwarts' headmaster couldn't even stand still and he kept eyeing Albus worriedly from time to time. It was obvious how unwell it made Albus feel and Gellert wished the older man could stop his ridiculous behaviour. Albus would survive the first task. They all would.
"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 it wasn't hard to see how he just wanted to get over with this situation. It was hilarious, a referee who was afraid of talking in front of people.
"So what is this creature?" Mr. Tarov demanded to know. He'd crossed his arms and Gellert knew that he was getting impatient.
"A Chimaera." The word was spoken quietly. Gellert looked around closely, but no one except for Professor Dippet seemed to be surprised. He scanned Albus' face and knew that he was behind this. He didn't just tell Gellert, but he'd also informed Victoire. A logical choice, considering that this made them equals in their first task. But Gellert couldn't help feeling a stab of disappointment.
"And what do we need to do?" Albus' voice was still calm, but he couldn't hide his curiosity. "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. When she was nervous, she couldn't hide her accent that well.
Mr. Pettigrew grinned. "Oh, you won't need to steal something. You'll rescue it."
"Stop talking in riddles!" Slowly, this man was getting on Gellert's nerves. He wasn't in the best mood anyway and he knew that he couldn't listen to him much longer. For a brief moment, his eyes met Albus' and even if he hid it well, Gellert could sense his own impatience.
"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 and Gellert wondered if the man had lost his mind. This should be the first task of the Triwizard Tournament? "Who came up with this stupid idea?!" Mr. Tarov voiced Gellert's thoughts and he watched with satisfaction as Mr. Pettigrew flinched.
"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, scratching his neck nervously. "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. He'd finally stopped moving around restlessly.
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. Then he began to talk through their strategy once more, switching to German so that the others couldn't hear about their plans. Gellert wondered if this was necessary, but he didn't argue and kept discussing a few ideas with the headmaster. After all, he wanted to survive this day and not get roasted by a Chimaera just to save a rabbit.
Exactly ten minutes later, another Ministry employee appeared and threw everyone who wasn't involved out of the tent. Which left only Victoire, Albus and Gellert. But then the cannon sounded and Victoire took one more deep breath before she left for the stadium. Gellert saw Albus smiling at her encouragingly, but he wasn't in the mood for such things. So he simply watched her leave.
For a few moments, they stood there in silence, listening as the crowd cheered loudly. But silence was the last thing Gellert wanted at the moment. "You told her about it as well." He didn't mention a name, but from the look on his face, he was sure that Albus understood.
"I think she got an owl some time ago." He shrugged casually. "Could have been anyone."
Gellert smiled slightly, trying to push away his unhappiness about not being the only one who had shared a secret with Albus. "Indeed." He hesitated. "I think a thank you is appropriate."
Albus 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." He wasn't sure what he would have done. When he came to Hogwarts, his only goal had been winning the tournament, no matter the cost. But slowly, Gellert started to wonder just how much he would be willing to pay to win this thing.
Albus ran a hand through his hair. "I accept your thanks. And there's something you can do for me in return." Gellert narrowed his eyes at this, wondering if Albus only told him about the Chimaera for his own purposes. The thought shouldn't hurt as much as it did. "Survive this first task. After all, you promised to tell me about your studies."
Albus' words took him by surprise and all Gellert could do was stare at him. When the realization hit him that Albus really had told him about it because he didn't want him to die, he laughed. "Did I promise that?" He nodded slowly, having considered telling the other man about his studies before. He wanted Albus to know more about himself. "Fine. That means you'll have to survive as well." 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 kept grinning. Challenge accepted, he thought. "You'll be surprised, Albus." Outside, cheers could be heard and he knew that Victoire had succeeded in her first task.
Which meant that it was Gellert's turn now. As the cannon sounded, he took another long look at Albus' face before he entered the stadium.
Gellert's first task wasn't the great success he'd imagined. Yes, he saved the rabbit and got the note on the collar, but both he and the animal nearly got burned by the Chimaera. He'd expected the creature to be fast, but not that much.
Once he left the stadium, he saw Mr. Tarov's unhappy face, but Gellert didn't care. He'd succeeded and it didn't matter how. In the end, the person who'd first touch the Triwizard Cup during the third task would win. The results of the first two tasks didn't matter. Unless you died, of course.
He grabbed the collar of the rabbit, pushed it into his pocket and handed the animal back to Mr. Pettigrew, who looked relieved that the small creature had survived unharmed. Then Gellert ignored all protests that he had to stay inside the tent and searched for a place where he could watch Albus during his first task.