14 Chapter Thirteen: The Fall

GRINDELWALD (A few years later)

Gellert sat on a bench near the graveyard in Godric's Hollow. Beside him was Albus. Gellert and him talked about a revolution for the wizarding world. One that would bring something new, something different to their world. "We can make the muggles subservient". Albus said and imagined himself gloriously leading a rally and winning awards. "For the greater good?" Gellert said questiongly, as he wrote it down on the parchment, looking at Albus. "For the greater good," Albus said and looked at the piece of parchment with scribbles and inscriptions with elaborate drawings with directions. It was like a spider-web, each web and string of ideas connecting the others. One thing led to another greater, immense plan. And, in the middle of the web was the quote, "For The Greater Good " "This is the plan, Albus. We leave Godric's Hollow tonight." Albus smirked, and Gellert and him clasped hands together and met each other's eyes for a long, intense moment.

"Albus!" Gellert and Albus unlocked their hands as Aberforth came walking angrily towards them. "Grindelwald!" Albus hissed and stood in front of him protectively as Gellert rolled the parchment hastily. "What is this?" Aberforth said, snatching a piece of parchment from Gellert. Gellert grimaced and stood, staring down Aberforth like he was some type of disease that needed to be burned. "Albus what are you doing with...wait, what is this!" "You're planning to run away!" Aberforth yelled angrily as he looked at the parchment. "Aberforth you don't need me. You'll be fine." "What about Ariana?' "She can come with..." You can't have just expected to drag her along so you could pursue some kind of fantasy dream of yours! You're her guardian Albus!" Albus stood there, open-mouthed, not sure what to say to his brother. Aberforth held out the plan in front of them and said, "I'm taking this, you're not leaving us!" He said and then ran off into the village. "Aberforth, wait!" Albus called and ran after him. Gellert's eye twitched angrily. All that ran through his mind was that he had to get that piece of parchment, without it, the plan was useless. And he had to get rid of that stupid boy Aberforth! Gellert clenched his fists and ran after them.

Gellert's feet pounded on the stones as he followed Albus into the village square where a few wizards cast confused glances at the three boys as they raced past. Aberforth holding the parchment mockingly, Albus angrily chasing after him, talking while he ran to try to get his brother to give it back, and Gellert with his wand, muttering curses under his breath angrily. Finally Aberforth stopped, clearly out of breath. He had strategically led them to an alleyway and held the parchment high in the air over his head. Albus came forward cautiously and held his hands out in front of him as if he was trying to tame a lion. "Easy, easy Aberforth. Don't be a fool. We can work this out, me and you...just hand over the parchment." Albus said, slowly approaching his brother a step at a time.

"Albus you can't leave! You just can't just leave us. How were you expecting to care for Ariana, the state that she is in?" "I, I.." "You never thought of that did you!" He said, and shot a curse which Albus dodged and turned to see burning a hole in a wooden sign that used to read OL' NICK'S TAVERN but it now read K'S VERN. Albus' fingers itched for his wand, but he knew reason, why shouldn't he try to reason with his brother? A deep voice could be heard, soothing and persuasive, it rang out into the alley loudly like a trumpet's blare. "Once we subdue the muggles, Ariana will have no need to remain hidden..." It was Gellert's voice. Aberforth cried out angrily as a girl with a sweet face and blonde hair watched from afar. Aberforth circled Albus with his wand drawn and quickly muttered "stupify!" Albus ducked down, breathing hard then said quickly "Aberforth please, we can talk this out...".

Gellert entered the scene casually, slipping his wand from his sleeve and aimed it past Albus at Aberforth. Aberforth focused on him angrily, "HE! He made you do this Albus!" He yelled and pointed his wand at Gellert. By that time Gellert flicked his wand through the air and said, "locomotor wibbly!" Aberforth crumpled to the ground, his legs knocked from under him. Aberforth stood on his knees and swiped back his jacket as he stood to fire a spell back. "Alarte Ascendare!" Gellert tried to lunge, but the charm caught his foot and he twisted and flipped high in the air and came crashing down on his back.

Gellert had the wind knocked out of him for a moment. It made him gasp and he could hear Albus say a jumble of words (probably talking to his brother. Trying to reason with him) that he couldn't hear. He pushed himself up to a stand and pointed his wand at Aberforth and said with a quick breath: "Flipendo!" Aberforth screamed as he flew backwards and landed hard on his shoulder. "Oh!" A girl's voice said and she came in running to the aid of Aberforth Dumbledore. "Ariana!" Albus and Aberforth stammered at the same time. "What, what is happening? I,I heard explosions, and I came, I didn't know..." "Ariana," Aberforth said, "It's okay-I just have to finish off this lot." Gellert stared blankly at him and Ariana and looked to Albus before lifting his wand. Albus wasn't sure what to do-help his brother and sister or his best friend? He saw Gellert striding towards Aberforth and Ariana, firing spell after spell that was unknown to Albus. As good as Aberforth was at defending himself, against Gellert, he was a mere third year student. Scratches and marks started to appear on his brother and he flinched every time along with Ariana screaming in shock, tears streaming down her face as Gellert resorted to punching him repeatedly in the face and chest. She scrambled at Gellert, scratching him with her nails as she desperately tried to throw him off. "Get off!" he yelled at Ariana and shoved her out of the way.

Albus rushed to help Aberforth and Ariana, taking hold of Gellert's coat and dragging him backwards. "Stop! Stop it both of you!" He yelled, eyeing his brother and Gellert, who was circling back around for another go around. Albus rushed up to him and grabbed his arm, "Gellert..." he said pleadingly. Gellert slowly lowered his wand arm, transfixed by Albus' eyes. He looked down in understanding and took in a breath. Aberforth angrily looked between the two and clenched his wand and pointed it threateningly at Gellert's head. "No!" Ariana screamed, but it was too late.

Albus reacted quicker than anyone when it came. A jinx from the tip of Aberforth's wand hit Albus. He'd rather be hit than Gellert. He'd do anything for him. Albus fell into Gellert's arms, feeling a burning sensation like fire vibrating up and down his back. Aberforth was horrified, the jinx wasn't meant for him. He dropped his wand and scrambled beside Albus muttering "I'm sorry brother-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry". Gellert's eyes dangerously glared at Aberforth. And suddenly, all Gellert wanted to do was hurt, and cause immense pain to the boy. He stood, rolling up slowly like a bear does when it stands on its hind legs, dragging Aberforth up by the collar of his shirt as he did so. "You're going to pay for that," He said and threw Aberforth backwards with such a force, that when he hit the ground, a stream of blood came from his thin lips. Gellert stepped over Albus and spun his wand through the air, aiming it at the stunned Aberforth. "Crucio!" Aberforth screamed and moaned in agony as all the while, Gellert stood, unfazed by the boy's screaming. He started to have trouble breathing and his face turned a terrible red. His wand had been dropped not more than a few inches away from him and he he desperately tried to reach it. Ariana cowered in the corner and reached her bony hands towards her brother's splintered wand.

Albus looked up and crawled towards his brother, groaing at Gellert to stop. "Gellert..." He groaned as he clutched his waist. "Gellert stop," he muttered. Albus looked terrifyingly at Gellert, but not because he was afraid of him-it was because of the simplicity of it all. He had used an unforgivable curse so easily that it shocked him for a moment. Ariana leaned down beside her big brother, his hand clenching hers as he screamed in pain. Gellert jerked his wand arm back and Aberforth stopped squirming, gasping in mouth-fulsl of breath. Albus came to a shaky stand and held his arm out protectively over Aberforth and Ariana as Gellert watched.

"Albus, stand back." Gellert said impatiently. Albus shook his head at Gellert, "Get out of the way!" He commanded and shoved Albus to the ground. All the while, Ariana was breathing in quick, shallow breaths that made it look like she was hyperventilating, but she wasn't. She had ahold of Aberforth's wand and was shaking terribly. Her hands started to shake and they glowed bright colors. "What in the..." "Gellert!" Albus yelled. Aberforth stood up and rushed towards Grindelwald with his fists. "You little bastard son of a..." Ariana was cascaded in a blinding light and fell to knees, screaming. Light came from spurting from her body but not before a final, deadly curse was muttered... "Avada Kedavra!" The killing curse spurted from the tips of Gellert's wand, streaks of deathly green wavering in the air-but it didn't hit Aberforth like it was intended to do so. Albus held his wand up to deflect the spell and it jetted towards Ariana.

A major explosion happened like an earthquake that shook the village and beyond for miles. The whole alley-way was burnt and covered in ash and embers flew in the air. Aberforth screamed in pain for the loss of his sister. Albus was shocked and crumpled to his knees beside Ariana's lifeless body. Gellert gasped and looked at the horrifying scene. "What have I done..." he mumbled to himself and then broke away into a run. Through tear-stained eyes, Albus looked to Gellert, but he was gone! Immediately after her death, Gellert became afraid, terrified that he was to be blamed for the accident. So he ran, he ran through the gathering crowds and past the cemetery and beyond the hills, escaping into the black night...