Chapter 48

Chapter 48

EDWARD WRIGHT

Edward shifted in his bed, and as he turned and extended his hand to the other side for the rather common presence beside her, it hit nothing but air. He opened his eyes and found the other side of the bed empty and then he looked at his clock, and his heart dropped as he saw that it was already nine.

"Sharks!" he cursed as he hurried out of his bed and rushed to the bathroom. Despite it being a Sunday, Fleur had a meeting today with Dumbledore at eight about her apprenticeship, and he had set the alarm for seven so they could at least have breakfast together. Yet, for some reason, he had missed the alarm. He took a hurried shower and put on clothes, and rushed down the stairs.

"Ohh, so you finally decided to wake up," came the teasing voice of Amy, who sat there at the table with Elizabeth, both of them in their pajamas and a piece of toast dripping with syrup in their hands.

"Elizabeth, do you remember the last time h woke up this late?" said Amy, her eyes sharp as she continued. "Because I don't, though it is understandable with the extra work he seems to be doing late at night?" she japed, and he rolled his eyes.

"Haha, very funny," he said in his driest tone possible.

"Have you seen Fleur? She had a meeting today?" he asked, looking towards Elizabeth, knowing that he wouldn't get any from Amy. Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I did. And she was the one who turned off your alarm. She said that you should rest on the weekend with how much you have been working over the week," and he sighed and shook his head, and slowed down as he walked into the kitchen.

"Ohh, see, I was right," said Amy with a shout, and he just shook his head. The training with Gellert left him drained, and then he also had to make and submit plans for his dueling course, and along with all this, he had to make time for Fleur. The truth was that it was getting a bit too much, and it seemed like Fleur had noticed that.

"Amy will you stop being so interested in my life," he said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Amy shook her head.

"No, and it's not just me who's interested. All the witches of magical Britain are devastated by the news that Britain's most eligible bachelor has his heart already set on a French veela," she said as she pushed forward a paper, Witch Weekly, to be more precise.

And there on the front page was his smiling face splattered along with a whole article about his supposed relation with a French veela. He skimmed over the article quickly, and when he finally read the author's name, his eyes widened, and he looked up.

"Really, Amy!" he said, scandalized that his friend would write something like this. And Amy just smiled and raised her cup of tea in triumph.

"Youngest reporter to get an article published in Witch Weekly in its history, and before you go off. I asked Fleur for her permission before writing, and she proofread the entire thing," she said hurriedly, and as he heard that, he sighed and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Ok," he said as he sipped his coffee. And then he saw her tea cup extended towards her, and he touched it with his coffee mug.

"Congratulations, Amy. I am happy for you," he said, and his friend broke out into a massive grin.

"You know my editor was super impressed with this. The sale numbers were through the roof today, all due to my piece," she said and preened like a needy cat. Thankfully, Elizabeth was there to brush up her fur. And he decided to turn to his other friend for better conversation; with everything going on, they hadn't talked much.

"So, Elizabeth, how's your job at the Ministry?" he asked as he thought about whether he should now have breakfast or go for an early brunch. Elizabeth nodded.

"It is going good, and speaking of that, I might even get to ride the Express again this year," she said, seeming excited at the chance of riding the Hogwarts Express once more. Edward frowned and questioned.

"Why? Is there any specific reason?" he asked?

"Well, the Death Eaters have been quiet for some time, and the Minister thinks that they may be planning something. So, I will be there with a couple of Aurors to make sure the students are safe," she told him, and the protection seemed rather specific. Though Dumbledore had allowed students to come through the Floo network, more than eight percent of the students still used the Express to get to the school. It was as much tradition as Hogwarts itself.

"Won't the presence of Aurors there spook the parents and the students," added Amy from the side. And Elizabeth nodded.

"It will. That is why we would be with the driver and in the back carriage. According to the Minister, Dumbledore was strict in his instructions that the Aurors don't disturb students on their journey," she added, and during all this, Edward's mind was focused on why the Ministry was preparing for such a specific scenario. And that meant only one thing.

There was intel about an imminent attack.

0000

ALBUS DUMBELDORE

Once more, Albus Dumbledore found himself sitting in his chair, staring at the man sitting opposite him as he tried to decipher the reason behind his actions. Gellert seemed unbothered by his ordeal and smirked.

"If people saw the way you are looking at me right now, it would cause quite a scandal," japed Gellert like he wasn't the cause of his recent headache. Albus didn't laugh and continued to look at the man. In the end, he spoke up, his voice strict and sharp.

"No more games Gellert. Tell me, what do you hope to gain by dueling Edward?" Albus asked plainly once more. And Gellert just shrugged.

"I have answered that question many times now, Albus. It would be a good way for the boy to see of the bo…" but Albus decided to cut him off.

"Don't try to cajole me with these false pretenses, Gellert. Tell me the real reason, and I will consider it. Why do you wish to face him, or is that only a front so you can get your hands on a wand," said Dumbledore asked plainly. Gellert frowned, and Albus's fingers curled around his wand as the magic in the room shifted, and he felt the room tremble as Gellert's eyes lit up.

"Do you really think that you would be able to stop me from getting my hands on a wand? Especially in your current state," said Gellert derisively as his magic shook the whole room. Albus frowned and was about to let go of his own magic when the shaking stopped, and Gellert sighed, and shook his head before getting up from his seat.

"Well, I was not lying earlier, Albus. Dueling me would be a good test for the boy. But indeed, there is another reason for my wish t duel the boy," said Gellert finally as he walked towards one of the pictures hanging on the wall. It was a photo of a muggle, one of a younger Albus, and his family.

"We have gotten old, Albus," began Gellert as he picked up the picture. And Albus saw a somewhat familiar smile appear on Gellert's face.

"Even at best, both of us will not live for more than ten years. Our age is coming to an end, and soon a new age will begin in a world without either Albus Dumbledore or Gellert Grindelwald, and I wish to see if I could entrust him with my own legacy, much like you have chosen to trust him with yours," said Gellert and Albus frowned not understanding his words.

"What do you mean, Gellert? And what do you mean by your legacy?" Albus questioned, asking his old friend for an explanation. Gellert hesitated momentarily before placing the photo back on the wall and sat down on his chair once more.

"I believe it is time I tell you what exactly I saw in my visions," said Gellert. And Albus stilled in his seat because though he had a reasonable guess, he had no concrete information.

"War, Albus," and his worst fear was proven true with those words.

"I saw war, between the magical and the muggle world, in a future not so distant from today," elaborated Gellert, making him stiffen up. Albus watched as Europe's most feared wizard smiled forlornly.

"I saw the annihilation of our kind at their hands. The scenes and the screams of wizards as they tried to flee the muggles haunted me. And so, I began to search for meaning behind those dreams, and the only reason I could deduce was that they were meant to be a signal. A signal to a chosen one who could change the world," finished Gellert leaving him pale and quiet.

Albus already had suspicions about his friend's motive, which did not absolve him of his crimes. It made them all much more explainable. He took off his glasses and placed them on the desk.

"Why didn't you tell me anything, Gellert?" asked Dumbledore, and Gellert just shrugged.

"You weren't the one with the dreams, Albus, and I thought I was chosen. I thought magic had burdened me with those visions so I could bring change into the world and save the magical kind," explained Gellert, and the answer made him think of his actions. Hadn't he acted the same way with the prophecy about Harry?

"But you do know what they say about prophecy Albus. And I do think that my dreams were a prophecy, and that is why I must duel him," said Gellert, finally looking up at him with a glinting gaze.

"As I said, we are not long for this world, Albus. I must face him, so I could rest easy knowing that if there ever were to come a time that the atrocities of my dreams come to happen, there would be someone there to save our kind. That there would be a Gellert Grindelwald present just in case the horrors of my dreams ever become a reality," and Gellert's voice thundered across the room as he stared at him intensely.

Albus saw the determination in those eyes and opened a drawer on his desk. Inside were two wands, one made out of cherry wood fourteen inches with a phoenix feather inside. And the other was darker in color, bent and made out of ironwood with a dragon heartstring as its core, one of Gregorovitch's finest wands in his own words.

Albus picked up the ironwood wand and placed it on his table after a small pause. He saw Gellert's eyes light up as soon as he saw the wand. The man smirked, "so you did keep it and even got it repaired," said Gellert as he opened his hand, and the wand flew towards him, straight into his hand.

A look of pure satisfaction appeared on Gellert's face as he gripped his old wand.

"Don't make me regret this, Gellert," Albus said, and Gellert shook his head.

"I won't, Albus. I won't," said Gellert, and Albus prayed in his heart, desperately, that he did not.

0000

EDWARD WRIGHT

Edward walked into the room of the Requirement for his usual training session, and as soon as he entered the room, he was surprised by the presence of an intruder.

"Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here?" Edward questioned as he walked up to the Headmaster. Knowing how busy the man was, it wasn't reasonable for him to waste all these hours watching him beat training dummies.

"I believe he is here to officiate our little duel," came the answer from the other side of the room. And Edward's head snapped towards the source of the voice, and his eyes widened as he found Gellert Grindelwald standing there, dressed in a rather rustic dueling attire and, most surprisingly, holding a wand.

Edward's head snapped towards Dumbledore, and the man smiled.

"Indeed, I don't believe there was any other person apart from me who could officiate this duel, for obvious reasons, of course," said the man as he looked pointedly at Grindelwald. The man in question just smiled devilishly at those words.

"Plus, I am quite excited to see your improvements," said Dumbledore as he began to walk back.

"So, why don't we get this started," said Dumbledore, and Edward nodded and walked towards the appropriate position. And took off his coat, took his wand out of the holster, and got in his stance.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and relax before he turned his full focus on the man standing opposite him as Dumbledore read the rules.

And he saw the man give both of them a final glance before he backed off with a shout.

"Start!"

And Edward's wand lit up immediately as he fired off a barrage of spells at the man and noticed the man getting surprised by his speed. The speed of casting was perhaps the most important thing in a duel, and being more than half a century younger than his opponent gave you quite some advantage in this regard.

Though, his triumph was momentary as he was forced to dodge a barrage that the man shouldn't have been able to fire unless.

And his guess was proven right, as he watched Grindelwald smiling at him, his hand glowing up as he used his hand to cast a shield and used his wand for the barrage.

Two could play at that game!

Edward began to fire off another barrage at the man, his other hand working meticulously as their spells continuously crashed in the center of the room and shook the whole room.

THUNK! THUBK! THUNK!

Their spells crashed with each other as neither party gave an inch before suddenly Gellert Grindelwald had to turn back to destroy the transfigured stone pillar aimed at his back.

"Such fine control, even with your hand! Impressive," said the man, much to Edward's frustration. As he tried to press his advantage, yet the man had other plans, and Edward was forced to give up on attacking as the ground he was standing on began to morph into pointed pillars aimed at him. As he took care of that, he looked up and found an army of transfigured soldiers surrounding him from all sides.

Gellert smirked as he twisted his wand, and the soldiers began to rush towards him. And like that wasn't enough, the man began to use his hand to send another barrage of spells at him. Edward bit his lip as he continuously dodged the attacks and chanted the cast for his spell.

The transfigures soldiers attacked relentlessly, and he barely dodged their attacks. Yet thankfully, he had gotten a lot better at casting this specific spell. And as he felt the magic in the air respond to his chant, the temperature around him began to drop rapidly as he shouted.

"NIFLHEIM!"

BOOOM!

There was an explosion, and the whole area was covered with a cold mist. Edward smiled as he watched all of the transfigured soldiers frozen solid.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" he said, and the frozen soldiers crumbled into pieces, yet he wasn't done yet as he waved his wand around, and the pieces began to transfigure into cone-shaped projectiles.

And as soon as his eyes landed on Gellert, he brought down his wand, and the projectiles rushed toward him, though the man didn't move and raised a thick earthen wall in front of him.

Yet Edward wasn't done, as he twisted his wand, changing the trajectory and then making the projectiles coalesce towards the man from all directions.

THUNK! THUBK! THUNK! BOOM!

The earthen wall crumbled, yet his eyes widened as there was no trace of Gellert there. Suddenly he felt an ominous presence behind him, and he turned barely in time to find him standing behind him with his wand lit up in a familiar blue glow.

"TEMPEST!"

"TEMPEST!"

Both of them screamed at once as lightning bolts arched out of their wands and met each other. It took a moment for him to find his feet, yet he could hold off the man's attack.

Lightning whizzed past his face as he stood his ground and tried to push back the man, yet despite his age, Gellert Grindelwald refused to budge, showing just why he had been Europe's most feared Dark Lord.

But Edward wasn't done, and he brought his hand close to his mouth and began to breathe, and a massive torrent of flame shot out aimed straight at Grindelwald.

The man finally cut off his lightning spell and dodged to the right as he brought up his wand with a smirk.

"PROTEGO DIABOLICA!" said the man, and instead of burning him, the fire shifted in color and turned a bright blue from the usual red-orange. Edward felt a drain on his magic and immediately twisted his hand, making the fire surround him.

Gellert stood there smiling at the center of a ring of blue fire, and with a twist of his wand, the flames got bigger before they began to take the form of dragons.

Edward grunted as he waved his own wand making the flames around him coalesce onto him as well. In the end, he brought down his wand as he shouted the name of his spell.

"IGNIS!" and the fire formed a skeletal structure around him. Yet this time, the form was more elaborate and defined with a sword made of roaring fire in each of the hands of the fiery guardian.

"ROARRRR!" "ROARRRR!"

The very room shook as his guardian and Gellert's dragon roared before the massive dragon took flight and flew straight toward him.

THUNK! BOOOOOOOM!

The dragon crashed into his fiery guardian, and the guardian brought forward its blades to push back the dragon, yet Edward grunted in pain as he saw the dragon overpowering his guardian. Edward's body was pushed back as the dragon relentlessly attacked his fiery guardian, who suffered greatly under due to the magical and hotter nature of the blue flames of the dragon.

Edward grunted as he saw, himself getting pushed back. In the end, this left him no choice so, he began to chant once more, his lips moving quickly as he tried to hold back Grindelwald's beast and just as all hope seemed lost, and the dragon had completely devoured his fiery guardian.

"IGNIS DARKIN!"

He shouted, and suddenly, the flames around him roared once more, their color shifting suddenly from the usual orange-red to pitch black, and then they began to come together around him once more. As another guardian surrounded him, this one made of black flames.

"ROARRRR!" his new fiery guardian roared before gripping the dragon's neck with its hand, pushing it to the ground, and it began to devour it with its massive jaw.

"ROARRR!" and then suddenly, Edward looked up and found three more dragons circling him, and his lips thinned, yet he did not relent. And he steadied his heart as the three dragons rushed at him.

"ROARRR!" the guardian made out of black flames roared as well as it stomped out the last vestiges of the dragon from earlier as it got ready to devour another three.

0000

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