The gathering of Gellert's Alliance, or what appeared to be left of it, remained in the Lestrange library late into the night. None of the Lestranges minded a bit. They sat with Harold and Druella just taking it all in. It was like...well, history in the making, or at least the remembering of it from the mouths of those who'd actually been there!
It was fascinating listening to them reminiscing about the good, or bad, old days… That depended on who was speaking. It was clear that the only person to have ever seen the relaxed and more outrageous sides of Gellert, other than those wizards who had spent the past few decades around him, was Atsuko.
Gellert's laughing demeanor with the Lestranges and Blaise garnered bemused looks from every old guard follower gathered save for the little Japanese witch. It was clear the others had only seen a far more serious and determined if charismatic Gellert. Waging a war for wizarding freedoms wasn't exactly a laughing matter, after all. Atsuko sat close to him on one side with Blaise on the other, and he held each of their hands possessively in one of his as if he didn't ever wish to lose sight of either of them.
If Atsuko was sort of his Rabastan, Bellatrix understood exactly where Gellert was coming from, and she was happy he'd found her again.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, Gellert frequently looked to the Lestranges and Blaise while interacting with his old followers. When someone from the old days spoke of a time they'd all shared, he'd usually glance to his man or the Lestranges, adding in a detail they may find particularly interesting to know. This effectively kept them included and a part of the conversation. Currently the old group was taking turns sharing the telling of a story of how they'd slipped Veritaserum to some high ranking Muggle nazis in the early nineteen-forties in order to disable their plans.
"They told us things we'd never want to know," a gray haired witch wearing frilly silver dress robes cackled happily. "Things that had nothing whatsoever to do with the war. Things their grandmothers would've tanned their hides for ten times over! We only wanted information about their next moves in the war!"
Everyone laughed until their sides hurt. Even through their own laughter, the Lestranges exchanged a silent glance, all wishing they could've been there to share in such greatness. Never were there moments like that in Voldemort's service. Never moments that allowed them to pull off the biggest stunts...to expand themselves and be more...
Oh well, that was the past, and they still had the future for all that, Bellatrix thought. The thought felt comforting and optimistic. They still had a lot of life to live, and there was plenty of time to have many thrilling experiences in which they could stretch their magical wings. Especially since the Muggles and magicless wizards weren't likely going for peace any time soon.
Though the war wouldn't be the same war, they'd still get to fight at Gellert's side, and even unlike the very old guard, they were also his friends, a thing that never would've even been considered with Voldemort. Bellatrix had almost stopped accidentally calling him the Dark Lord in her mind, and that felt freeing.
It was Abernathy who spoke into the silence everyone was using to allow their aching ribs to recover before anything made them laugh again. "There's just one thing none of us have been able to understand to this day," he told Gellert.
Gellert nodded, but waited for Abernathy to speak, though his expression said he suspected what the question was going to be.
"How did they capture you? Though the duel with Albus Dumbledore is the story everyone was fed, it makes no sense! For one none of us remember it. We woke up captured with no idea what happened. The duel was the story they were feeding us, along with everyone else. But it's rubbish! It doesn't fit. Why would you duel one on one, agreeing to throw away everything we worked for if you lost? It just didn't sound like you, and we never believed it."
Gellert nodded. "Of course you didn't," he said, tone both gentle and proud at the same time. "Like you, I woke already captured. There was no duel. They loosed a Muggle sleep gas called chloroform into that building we were breaking into. It knocked us all out and they used our incapacitation to capture us.
"They made up the story of the duel because they didn't want wizards to know they'd utilized Muggle means to bring down their strongest opposition. They didn't want other wizards to know to use such methods, nor did they wish to admit to using them themselves.
"Dumbledore actually had nothing to do with it unless you count not correcting the story, which they basically bribed him to do by promising to leave him and his precious school alone… Which, if you ask me, they should've always done regardless," Gellert concluded with a look of fleeting disgust.
Abernathy blinked as a confounded look crossed his face. "Chloroform? I'd say we all should've paid far more attention in Muggle studies, but they never taught us the useful stuff!"
"That's so true," Rodolphus agreed. "Why, the three of us learned more about bloody Muggles working Shadow Ops than we ever did in any capacity before that!"
Abernathy turned toward them with open interest. "Wait...you work for Shadow Ops?"
"Bitch, we basically were Shadow Ops for twenty years," Rabastan said with a grin.
"Ooh! I bet you've got some good stories too!" Atsuko said, bouncing in her seat with a childlike exuberance.
Bellatrix had the distinct impression that she'd prefer to hear about their adventures in Shadow Ops than to continue reminiscing about what had, for her, been the bad old days. Where people like Abernathy had reveled in the thrill of always being three steps ahead of various wizarding governments and causing them to trip over their own robes nine times out of ten, Atsuko had spoken of her lonely and terrified struggles as an Obscurial.
Even when Gellert found her and took her in, things didn't fully improve. Their life of constant travel and action didn't sit well with a young teen girl. She had to constantly practice calming exercises while struggling to learn her magic as Gellert used meditation and healing arts to incorporate her Obscurius. Earlier she'd complained of having no social life, nor permission to leave Gellert's side even to investigate clothing or jewelry at a street fair.
"Well, it's a little bit of everything," Rabastan said expansively. "You get your spying, your undercover, that one often gets me laid, and your torturing for information and good old fashioned killing. Everything a human needs to remain mentally balanced throughout the week, you know."
Some of Gellert's former followers chuckled appreciatively while others looked perplexed or even mildly frightened. Bellatrix smiled. That was good.
Atsuko grinned at Rabastan, obviously taking his words for half serious. "But did you ever get to hunt for lost rare items?" Her dark eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she spoke.
"Actually yeah, a few times," Rabastan said, and she leaned forward in eager interest. "Those dangerous magical objects, be they old or newly crafted, that have particular uses that could be considered risky would be assigned to us to procure if they're believed to be in the wrong hands."
"Sometimes such items are guarded by very dangerous people or even creatures, so that's where our Shadow Ops skills come in," Rodolphus added. "When less dangerously guarded objects are being hunted, that sort of thing usually goes to treasure finders, and the really good ones are most frequently goblins."
Gellert grinned happily as he glanced around the group, ready to take part in the conversation once more. "Speaking of goblins or as I fondly call them, Gob-Gobs, I have many who would gladly stand at my side should trouble raise its head again."
As the Lestranges were aware of the goblins working at the Ministry, he clearly addressed this bit of information to his former followers. "Their talents are extremely useful and would've been extremely useful when we fought our war. I value them highly, and I believe you would all enjoy working with them."
He paused, straightening, where he sat between Blaise and Atsuko. His usually laughing expression was serious as he regarded the elderly witches and wizards. It was evident that he was about to say something important. As it turned out, it was more asking than saying. "My question is, have you just come to say hello and catch up on what happened in the past, or have you come to join me in future endeavors?"
"Join you in… Are we waging war against the Muggles again? Because if we were, that would certainly make me feel young...a thing to which I would not object," Abernathy said. "We've all rather missed the purpose you gave us, to be honest."
Everyone gave short embarrassed nods, and a small part of Bellatrix hated that she related to that even as she tried to be better and realize that too much had changed.
Gellert paused, and drew in a slow, deep breath. "We aren't waging war, but if others do, we will make them regret it...because we must. In a sense, we still fight for the same thing, for magical rights, but not in the same way as in the past. Not against Muggles, or at least not solely or directly against the Muggles though they were being used, and still may or may not be. We are fighting against other wizards… Wizards who currently are without magic."
"Oh, because of that wizarding plague thing that took magic from all the wizards in Britain!" Abernathy exclaimed. "I read about that, then somehow nearly forgot… Perhaps because it was so far away at the time with me living in America, or perhaps the thought of being able to catch a plague that steals one's magic was so disconcerting it wasn't comfortable to think about." He shifted in discomfort.
Gellert gave a slight smile that quickly faded. "That, I can assure you, is not a risk that any of you will be facing."
"It is no longer contagious," Abernathy asked.
"Or is it that you can heal it," Atsuko asked knowingly, giving him a proud smile.
"Well...neither and both," Gellert said cryptically, then chuckled. "What I am about to share cannot leave this room. Do you all swear?"
With grave expressions, everyone swore. Gellert then summarized, with the help of Blaise and the Lestranges, the government takeover and the 'plague' they'd loosed into the water system with the help of the Gob-Gobs. He promised cures for everyone who wanted to stay. Anyone who left wouldn't be at risk so they wouldn't require a cure.
"Working with goblins, elves, Acromantulas, even the centaurs when we can coax any cooperation out of them has been more fascinating and empowering than I can describe," Gellert concluded fervently. "Wizards are stronger than Muggles, but when all magical folk work together, we are stronger than each on their own, and it is marvelous! It feels wondrous mixing the various types of magic… Extra powerful in a way one must experience to truly understand."
Bellatrix and the other Lestranges nodded in wordless agreement. Bella knew that working with the goblin and Acromantula Aurors was perhaps the main reason Rodolphus enjoyed running Azkaban so much. The mingling of the various magics to make even better wards and defenses thrilled him. Not to mention, Bella had entirely enjoyed having Gori and his particular brand of magic in Arthur's former car with her. It provided an extra power high that, as Gellert eloquently stated, was hard to put into words.
"Well, I'm in," Abernathy said, giving Gellert a ready smile.
"Good," Gellert said, smiling back.
"Oh my god, I am so very in," Atsuko squealed, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "My husband is going to love this!"
A chorus of agreements rang out from Gellert's other followers, and his smile grew.
"I'm glad to hear that you're in," Rodolphus told Abernathy. "We have a friend in America who may need someone with magic there to network with. I warn you, he's a Muggle, but he's also King Arthur, so be nice to him."
Though Bellatrix agreed entirely with Rodolphus's words, hearing be nice and Muggle in the same breath did make her ears ring just a little.
Abernathy gaped at Gellert who nodded. "That's right," he agreed calmly. "He has been a great deal of help to us, and we have been able to be entirely honest with him besides! He is a truly rare find, so a king among his kind for sure."
"Well this just keeps getting better and better," Atsuko breathed.