~~Hogwarts, Scotland~~
Minerva McGonagall continued to run through the halls of Hogwarts with The Daily Prophet clutched in her hand tightly. Minerva turned around the corner without slowing down and a couple of 4th year Ravenclaw students had to jump away to avoid a collision with Minerva who didn't even bother to give them a second glance. The Ravenclaw students looked at each other before shrugging with unsure looks on their faces.
Minerva finally arrived in front of the Head of Transfiguration Department Office and she simply barged in without bothering to knock… Albus put down his quill and gave Minerva a worried look. Minerva's face was completely covered in sweat and she also seemed to be breathing heavily. Albus couldn't help but feel dread welling up in his stomach… Something really bad must have happened to make Minerva rush into his office from wherever she was.
"What happened, Minerva?" Albus asked worriedly.
Minerva made her way towards his table without giving him an answer and placed The Daily Prophet on his table. Albus gave her a questioning look, but instead of asking Minerva anything else, he decided to grab the paper… He guessed he would get his answers from The Daily Prophet… As soon as Albus read the headline, his stomach dropped. Just like he suspected, something terrible has happened…
The bold headline didn't fail to make Albus grimace in shame and dread… Only today he discovered that there was another Grindelwald running around the world with similar ideals and the said person also had an organized army at her command. Now, Gellert was free too… His timing couldn't have been any worse. Destiny Grindelwald was already recruiting in Britain and now Gellert could easily reignite his movement in the Continent with extreme ease.
Previously, they were only fighting on a single front, but now… Now, there were going to be two fronts which will not only make the fight extremely difficult, but it will also make the fight extremely tricky. Albus was quite familiar with Gellert's Skills and the Gellert has only grown since he left Britain. Gellert was already unmatched until now and he was only captured due to some blind luck.
Albus did not know if blind luck would strike again, but it was quite unlikely… Alas, a man could always hope. Albus had a nagging suspicion at the back of his mind… He suspected at the end everyone will look at him to stop the man. Albus was quite aware of his reputation… Albus wouldn't be surprised if Torquil Travers paid him a visit in the upcoming months and ask him to stop Gellert…
'Can I even stop him?' Albus thought and moments later, he couldn't help but grimace. 'How can I even look at myself in the mirror if I don't even try…' Albus thought and he immediately regretted it…
Albus hissed in pain as soon as he thought about trying to stop Gellert… Albus could feel the Magic of the Blood Pact starting to act. He could feel his own Magic wrapping around his heart. Albus immediately used Occlumency to banish all of his thoughts about trying to stop Gellert and the pain disappeared.
Minerva immediately rushed toward Albus when she noticed Albus' discomfort. "Albus, are you alright?" Minerva shrieked in worry.
"No worries, Minerva… I am fine… I am fine" Albus waved off her worries as he released a deep breath. Minerva gave him an unconvinced look, but she decided not to push the issue. Instead, Minerva simply huffed and decided to walk away. Minerva was aware of the complicated relationship between Albus and Gellert. While Albus had told her a lot of things, he haven't told her everything.
"If you are sure…" Minerva said in a clipped tone and slumped down in one of the chairs. Albus simply smiled at Minerva before looking back at the paper. Albus decided to read the rest of the article… Having all the information regarding the breakout was extremely important for him.
Apparently, a small group broke into the prison and after neutralizing the prison guards, they broke Gellert out of his cell. More than half of the prison guards were killed and the rest were simply knocked out… Albus felt heartbroken due to the meaningless deaths, but he decided to continue reading the article. The group also Obliviated the prison guards they spared before leaving.
Albus shook his head in disappointment when he read that Seraphina Picquery was found dead inside Gellert Grindelwald's. Apparently, the Aurors have found signs of the Imperious Curse on the woman before she was finally killed by the Killing Curse. The whole fiasco was a complete disaster according to Albus… So many meaningless deaths and Albus had to admit, whoever came to rescue Gellert successfully made a statement to the rest of the world.
'Now the fight will be even harder' Albus mused with trepidation. It was a clear message… 'Stand in our way at your own peril'. Now getting people to fight against Gellert and Destiny Grindelwald will be even harder. If they could kill the Leader of a well-established Magical Community so easily, then what could they do to normal Wizards and Witches?
The dread Albus was feeling increased several folds when he read the next headline… This headline was much smaller than the previous one, but it was as much impactful as the main one…
Albus decided to read this article too even though he could already guess what happened to the Picquery Family. Albus was proven wrong when finally finished reading the article… It was much worse than he was expecting. 'Who could have done such a cruel thing to a whole Family?' Albus was horrified at the fate of the Picquery Family. At least, Seraphina Picquery's daughter and brother-in-law were spared from all that pain.
Albus slowly placed the paper on the table and looked at Minerva with a grave look on his face. "This is bad, Minerva. This is really bad… I have no doubt that this will dissuade a lot of good people from joining the fight" Albus rubbed his face.
"That is exactly what I was thinking too… Though, you need to get a Pensieve as quickly as possible. I want to review my memories… It will be nice to be able to revisit them" Minerva said while giving Albus a meaningful look. Albus simply nodded his head in understanding as he easily understood what Minerva was trying to say.
"I am still working on it, but I don't think you have to wait much longer" Albus released a sigh. He had reached out to a broker and the broker has assured Albus that he will get him a Pensieve within a month. Albus would have preferred if the process was much faster, but with how rare Pensieves are, he could understand why he needed to wait.
"Good!" Minerva nodded her head in understanding. "What now?" Minerva asked and Albus pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"...I do not know, Minerva… I am afraid, people will start looking at me to stop him, but I can't… I can't face him" Albus shook his head, looking completely heartbroken.
Minerva decided not to say anything after hearing Albus' words. While she understood that Albus' relationship with Gellert was more than complicated, she couldn't understand why Albus refused to fight the man. Albus had made it clear that he and Gellert were much more than friends and while he was not proud of what Gellert has become, he might be still harboring some feelings for the man.
Minerva could easily understand what Albus was feeling… She had experienced it too when she fell in love and later she had to give up on her love because the man she loved was a simple Muggle… For a moment, Minerva wondered if it would be better if the Grindelwalds succeeded. If they successfully enslave the Muggles, then she would no longer need to hide her love for Dougal. Minerva could be finally with him without giving up on Magic like her mother had to…
Minerva winced and immediately shook her head to clear her mind. 'How could I even think something like that?' Minerva questioned herself. She had no idea where the thought came from. While her relationship with her father never improved, she never supported the idea of enslaving Muggles. For Merlin's sake, she fell in love with a Muggle… How could she even look into his eyes and say that she loved him if she helped the Grindelwalds take over the Muggle world?
'But I could be with Dougal…' Minerva's mind wandered off for the second time and once again Minerva shook her head to get the traitorous thoughts out of her mind. 'Did someone Curse me?' Minerva wondered, but she quickly scrapped the idea as she was pretty sure nobody Cursed her while she was at the base of Crimson Knights.
'Is the time I spend with the Crimson Knights affecting me?' Minerva asked herself, but she wasn't sure about the answer. Minerva finally decided that she was simply stressed and her traitorous thoughts would probably go away after a good night's sleep. If not, then could always talk with Albus… He will be able to give her a better answer.
"Don't worry, Albus, good people will always make a stand against tyrants" Minerva tried to comfort Albus who simply gave her a nod.
"I hope you are right, Minerva. The war won't be lost as long as someone is still willing to fight" Albus said while nodding his head like a sage. "Minerva, can you excuse me? I would like to be left alone for some time" Albus requested almost pleadingly.
Minerva smiled solemnly as she gave him an understanding nod. Then she stood up from her seat and started to make her way toward the door. Minerva stopped at door and turned around to look at Albus. "Take care, Albus. Send me a message if you need a friend to talk with" Minerva added before walking out of the door.
"Thank you, Minerva" Albus said in a grateful tone, but Minerva was already gone. Albus flicked his Wand at the door to cast a strong Locking Charm and a Silencing Charm. After that, Albus took another look at the front page of the paper and a tear trickled down from his eyes, and moments later, Albus started to sob…
Gellert burped loudly as he leaned back in his chair with a relaxed look on his face. "Ah… That hit the spot" Gellert said loudly as he released a satisfied sigh.
"Did you leave your manners in the prison?" Destiny asked while giving Gellert a disgusted look.
Gellert simply grinned. "It has been some time since I ate such a satisfying meal… Cut this old man some slack" Gellert chuckled softly and Destiny simply huffed in irritation.
"I am glad you are enjoying yourself" Destiny added dryly as she picked up her wine glass. She would have preferred something strong, but she wanted to avoid Cassiopeia's and Ambika's nagging. "By the way, how long will it take you to gather your Acolytes?" Destiny asked changing the topic.
Gellert thought for a moment… "I won't be gathering them right now. I will be laying low for some time. There is something that needs to be done before I summon them" Gellert said cryptically. Destiny raised her brows questioningly, but Gellert simply glanced toward the others on the table, and Destiny simply inclined her head in understanding.
"I see… So, how does it feels to be back in Britain?" Destiny asked and Gellert simply released a snort.
"You already know the answer. So, how is your campaign going?" Gellert asked, once again changing the topic, and Destiny simply hummed in amusement. She knew Gellert was annoyed by the fact that he was now back in Britain. Even though Gellert would deny it, he still harbored some feelings for Albus. It could be problematic in the long run, but Destiny wasn't overly worried.
If Gellert failed to put down Albus Dumbledore, then she could always give him a hand. "The campaign is progressing quite nicely thanks to the House of Black and Cassiopeia. If it wasn't for Cassiopeia then I would still be looking for support and if wasn't for Sirius then I would still be scouring for funds" Destiny explained as she looked at Cassiopeia and Sirius.
"I would have been a fool if I didn't extend you support of our Family" Sirius said as he humbly nodded his head. While Sirius was Lord Black and almost everyone in the Magical World was afraid of the Blacks, Sirius was truly humbled in front of the raw Magical Power that both Grindelwalds possessed. He had seen Arcturus's memories after he returned and Sirius was awed by the display of power.
Sirius might be a big shot in the political field, but politics would be meaningless if a Wizard like Gellert Grindelwald or a Witch like Destiny Grindelwald decided to make an example out of their Family. As a former Slytherin and the current Lord Black, Sirius was obviously cunning and ambitious. He knew in which direction the wind was blowing and he wanted the House of Black to be one of the biggest supporters of their cause, so they could still be at the top of the food chain after the Grindelwalds took over the world.
"It is the same with me… I knew you were an extremely strong Witch, so it was a no-brainer for me. Though, I did have different intentions at first" Cassiopeia admitted with a small smile on her face. She was extremely glad that she was able to convince Destiny to stay at her house.
"Credit where credit's due" Gellert nodded his head gratefully. "I would like to thank you for the support" Gellert thanked Sirius and Cassiopeia. "So, what's next?" Gellert asked as he looked back at Destiny.
After thinking for a bit, Destiny decided to reveal a part of her plan. "I have recently discovered that the Muggle Government is hiring Squibs… Not only that but their offices are also protected by Wards" Destiny explained and Gellert raised his eyebrows in question.
"Really?" Gellert asked curiously. He was also quite familiar with the ICW laws, so he knew that someone high in the British Ministry of Magic must be involved with the Muggles or ICW would have interfered. The ICW takes any threat to the Statute of Secrecy very seriously.
"Yes, I don't know everyone who are involved from our side of the Government, but Torquil Travers is involved and I am going to use him to incite a massive riot" Destiny explained and Gellert simply hummed. He had no idea who this Torquil Travers was, but he was clearly in a high position as Destiny was planning to use him.
"Right now, one of my Lieutenants is collecting all the information we need for the mission. It will probably take him a few more days to complete the mission and then I will make my move" Destiny added with a thoughtful look on her face. Destiny refrained from going into details for the time being. While she trusted everyone present at the table, she wanted to keep the details to herself for the time being.
"You are going to frame the Muggles for Torquil Travers' brutal and untimely death" Gellert said to himself while nodding his head in understanding.
"No, I won't be framing the Muggles. I will make the Muggles do it and then will happily admit doing it…" Destiny revealed with a vicious grin on her face.
"My lady, won't the Aurors notice the signs of Imperious Curse after investigating the incident?" Arcturus asked worriedly and Destiny simply chuckled in amusement.
"I won't be using the Imperious Curse… The Imperious Curse leaves signs even after the Imperious victim is dead. Any decent Auror would notice the signs and I can't have that. I can't leave behind any Magical evidence… I can't have anyone discovering our involvement or the plan would fail" Destiny explained with a hard look on her face. "There are other means to control Muggles besides the Imperious Curse" once again, Destiny decided not to reveal any details.
"It will cause a huge uproar" Sirius nodded his head with a grin. Sirius never liked the man and he was looking forward to the aftermath. A lot of Pureblood Families will be looking in his direction and he would be happy to lead them to Destiny Grindelwald's camp. Sirius finally understood what Destiny was trying to do… The Muggle lovers won't have any leg to stand on after the incident… Oh, yes!! Sirius was quite excited about the whole thing.
"After that… we will deal with the Squib problem. We can no longer send them into the Muggle world. They are a huge security leak and they can easily destroy the Statute of Secrecy. I can't even guess how much information the Squibs have passed on to the Muggles. The Muggles might already know everything about the Diagon Alley" Destiny said with a grave look on her face.
"Yes… the Squibs are a huge problem, but they are only a part of it. A lot of Muggleborns also return to the Muggle world after finishing their education… We need to deal with them too" Gellert spoke with a similar type of look on his face.
"Yes, some of the Muggleborns might be a problem as they would probably choose the Muggles over us… I already have a plan on how to deal with them, but there is something I want from you Gellert" Destiny said as she looked at Gellert. Destiny slowly stood up and Gellert followed her example.
Gellert looked toward Cassiopeia. "The food was simply marvelous. Please, excuse us" Gellert said silkily as he followed Destiny out of the house through the deck at the back of the house leaving Cassiopeia, Arcturus, and Sirius at the table, who looked at each other for a moment before shrugging.
Meanwhile, Destiny found herself walking on the beach with Gellert walking beside her. Destiny simply snapped her fingers to cast a Silencing Charm around them. Gellert pulled out a familiar Wand and Conjured a couple of lounging chairs with a simple flick of his Wand. Destiny stared at the Wand for a moment before sitting down.
While Gellert hasn't been using the Wand of Destiny for quite some time, he still had the Wand's allegiance. After leaving the cell, Gellert decided to collect the Wand from the place where he had hidden the Wand before his capture and he also collected the Blood Pact phial which was kept in the Prisoner Locker room where all the personal belongings of a prisoner would be kept. Thankfully, Seraphina did not know what it was or she would have kept it in her office.
Destiny still remembered what Death had told her, so she wanted to have the Wand, but now was not the right time. Gellert was already planning to give her the Wand, and Destiny also wanted to see if she could defeat Gellert in a fight or not… It would be epic if she won the Wand's allegiance after defeating Gellert fair and square.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Gellert asked as he sat down too.
"I want to you stop trying to break the Statute… We need to deal with the Magical opposition before we can fight against the Muggles… We need to stand united" Destiny said while staring intently at Gellert.
Gellert stared at Destiny for a moment before he nodded his head in understanding. "I understand what you are trying to say and I agree with you… This is something I realized in the prison. I need to… Well, we need to destroy any Magical opposition before we can make a move against the Muggles" Gellert said as he stared toward the ocean.
"I also want you to recruit someone who is quite knowledgeable about the Muggle world" Destiny added and Gellert simply released a tired sigh. Gellert could never understand why Destiny was so fascinated with Muggles when she was trying to enslave them, but before he could complain, Destiny decided to speak again. "We need to have spies in the Muggles Governments… We can't be blindsided" Destiny explained and Gellert understood what Destiny was trying to convey.
"It will be done" Gellert nodded his head in understanding. "The spies will be necessary as soon as the fight breaks out" Gellert agreed.
Destiny smiled after hearing his words, she was quite aware that Gellert looked down on Muggles, but underestimating them could be a huge mistake. That is why Destiny always kept herself abreast of the Muggle world. After that, Destiny pulled out a letter from one of her pockets and handed it over to Gellert. Gellert took the letter and read it over and gave Destiny an incredulous look…
"Are you planning to go?" Gellert asked and Destiny nodded her head. After returning, Bibly had handed her a letter addressed to her and she didn't need to be a genius to realize who could have sent her a letter. Apparently, The Order of Light was requesting a meeting and Destiny could already guess what they wanted from her.
"Yes…" Destiny trailed off as she noticed that Gellert wasn't happy with her answer.
"It could be a trap… It is probably a trap" Gellert pointed out and Destiny nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, I know that, but it is simply an offer I can't refuse… This chance is way too good to pass up" Destiny said with a feral grin and Gellert could understand where she was coming from. If he was in her shoes then he would have done the same too.
"Well, I am fine with it if that is what you want… So, do you want me to accompany you?" Gellert asked and after thinking for a bit, Destiny nodded her head.
"Yes, but I want you to watch the meeting from some distance" Destiny said and Gellert nodded her head in understanding. "I also want to know how Vinda will feel if I killed the rest of her Family?" Destiny asked curiously and Gellert burst out laughing after hearing her question.
"She will send you a thank you card along with several gifts" Gellert grinned. "She hates her parents and her brother" Gellert added in an amused tone.
"Good… While I don't want to spill any more Magical blood, but I will, if it becomes necessary" Destiny quipped with an annoyed look on her face. "For the Greater Good" Destiny muttered while nodding her head.
"For the Greater Good" Gellert added on his own. "You still have some time to prepare for the meeting" Gellert said as he took another look at the letter.
"Yes, and I plan to use it wisely" As soon as Destiny finished, Gellert pulled out the Wand of Destiny and held it out so Destiny could easily disarm him.
Destiny immediately understood what Gellert was trying to say and shook her head. "No, Gellert. Not like this… I want to fight you and win it fair and square" Destiny said in a determined tone.
Gellert nodded his head in understanding. "Sure, I would love to see how much you have progressed since the last time we sparred" Gellert grinned in excitement.
"So, what are you planning to do? I got the impression you wanted to have a private chat" Destiny questioned and Gellert made himself comfortable in his chair.
"Credence Barebone is still alive… I do not know where he is right now, but he will be arriving in France with the Circus Arcanus in September. Until then, I am planning to stay here if you do not mind" Gellert answered with a shrug and Destiny gave him a mild glare.
"I still don't understand why this Credence Barebone is so important to you… I mean he is an Obscurus, but he is yet to die, so he can't be used as Potion Ingredients" Destiny groused with an annoyed look on her face.
Gellert simply released a sigh… "He is important for our cause. He is someone who can defeat Albus. I have seen it in my visions" Gellert explained calmly and he stared at Destiny from the corner of his eyes.
"Are you sure you aren't putting too much faith in those visions and did you really see this Credence defeat Albus?" Destiny asked doubtfully.
Gellert shuffled uncomfortably for a moment. "...Not exactly. The two of them were fighting and Credence was pushing him back, and all of my visions until now have come true while some are yet to happen, but since any of them are yet to fail… So, I can only assume that this particular vision is also true" Gellert said as he looked straight into Destiny's eyes.
"I hope you are right…" Destiny trailed off grumpily. "But if he fails then you are bringing me his remains. I want to stock Obscurus Particles on my Potion selves… Can't say when I would need them" Destiny shrugged and Gellert simply looked at her in amusement.
"You are being way too cruel" Gellert asked with a mock horrified look on his face and Destiny simply scoffed.
"He is a dead man walking… It would simply be a waste if he was buried in some graveyard, but he will be useful to our cause even in his death if you bring him to me" Destiny leaned back in her own chair.
"Fine… Fine… I will bring him to you after he is no longer among the living. There is another reason I am going after Credence… I want to use him to mess with Albus" Gellert said in an amused tone and Destiny simply raised her brows in question.
"Are you sure that's wise? I mean you have been avoiding him until now…" Destiny pointed out.
"Why did you think Newton Scamander came to New York? Who do you think sent him?" Gellert asked and Destiny finally connected the dots. "While he did have a Thunderbird in his outrageous suitcase, his timing was way too perfect to be a coincidence" Gellert growled in anger as he clenched his fists.
"How did Albus know you were in New York? I mean nobody knew where you were hiding…" Destiny questioned curiously and Gellert shrugged.
"I do not know… I honestly have no idea, but there is a chance that the Obscurus attacks might have given him a hint. The ICW was also looking for me in the continent so he probably guessed that I was no longer in the continent…" Gellert explained with a shrug and Destiny simply hummed with a contemplative look on her face.
Albus Dumbledore is an extremely intelligent Wizard, Destiny will give him that, so it was quite possible that Albus deduced that Gellert was in New York from all the clues he had. "Albus is extremely intelligent and it would be foolish of you to underestimate him" Gellert reminded Destiny in a serious tone.
Destiny nodded her head solemnly. "Albus is already making moves to hinder my plans… The Blood Pact might stop him from getting involved in a direct confrontation, but he could still hinder our plans through other means" Gellert explained as he pulled out the Blood Pacy phial from his robes. Gellert stared at the phial longingly and continued to speak. "Albus has a lot of connections around the world even though he seems like an unassuming school teacher" Gellert added.
"Then I suggest you to keep that safe… I have found a couple of ways to break the Blood Pact" Destiny warned and Gellert straightened up after hearing Destiny's words with an alarmed look on his face.
"Really?" Gellert asked in a low tone as he clutched the Blood Pact phial tightly in his hand. "Is that even possible?" Gellert asked and Destiny solemnly nodded her head.
"Yes, I have found a Sacrificial Ritual which can be used to break the Blood Pact… Then there is a complicated Ritual that can also break the Blood Pact… At the end of the day, a Blood Pact is a part of Blood Magic and there is no one better than me when it comes to Blood Magic" Destiny said haughtily.
"I seriously doubt Albus would ever sacrifice anyone to break the Blood Pact, but he could try the Ritual. What are the chances he would succeed?" Gellert asked curiously.
"Somewhere around 20 percent, but no more than that. First of all, he needs to find the Ritual I am talking about and I don't think this Ritual is widely known… Secondly, he will need someone who is extremely good in Blood Magic" Destiny answered after thinking a bit. "Though there might be other ways too… I have simply discovered only two" Destiny said while looking slightly disappointed.
"I see…" Gellert muttered and stuffed the phial back into his robes. "Back to the topic, if we have Credence then Albus will be distracted. After all, Credence's true name is Aurelius Dumbledore" Gellert explained with a grin and Destiny almost choked.
"He is related to Albus Dumbledore? Good… Now I can see how Albus will be distracted if we have him on our side" Destiny grinned in amusement and Gellert simply gave her a smug look. Destiny noticed the look Gellert was giving her and decided to wipe off that look from his face.
"Oh… There is something I wanted to show you… I almost forgot!" Destiny gasped in mock horror. Once again, Gellert perked up. He wanted to see what Destiny wanted to show him. Destiny rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a ring with a black stone on top of it.
Gellert looked at the Stone and his jaw hung open in surprise and shock… Gellert easily noticed the insignia of the Deathly Hallows inscribed on top of the Stone. "Is… Is that the… The Resurrection Stone?" Gellert asked in shock and surprise as he stared at the Stone in complete awe…
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