ch 36

"Is it that time already?"

I finished putting on the rest of my robes before I turned to the speaker. She stood in the doorway, in an oversized t-shirt. It covered the fact that the only other article of clothing on her body was underwear. It did not cover the baby bump that was starting to become prominent.

She couldn't be sexier. I deduced as I looked at Fleur.

"Unfortunately." I answered her.

She frowned for a moment before stepping forward and embracing me in a hug. I like it when she's more emotional.

"I can't go." Fleur stated. It was an agreement we had both come to almost as soon as we figured out she was pregnant. She would no longer be involved in the war. She hated it, hated that she wouldn't have my back, but she agreed eventually.

"No you can't." I agreed, as I held her in the hug.

There wasn't much more to say after that, so instead we just stood there for a while. I peeled her off of me, knowing that I would have to be the one to leave.

"I'll be back soon, love." I told her as I walked out the door.

"Be careful."

The portkey dropped me off in the exact coordinates that I had asked for. Trees surround me and the area around me. I couldn't see it, but I knew that the edge of the wards were about a hundred feet ahead of me. The object of my visit towered high above the treetops and was the only visible thing besides the trees, besides the blinding sun in the sky.

Nurmengard Castle, Fleur outdid herself on this one. I thought about the portkey. There is a benefit to having access to the Black library.

I drew my wand and cast a quick disillusionment charm. The feeling of an egg cracking on my head and running down my body told me it was successful. As if there was any doubt.

I walked forward and reached my magic out to the air, to try and feel the wards. I didn't quite make it seventy feet before I felt the edge of the wards. They weren't particularly impressive this far from the castle and the walls.

Simple presence detecting wards, and the foundations for a maximum security mode that isn't activated right now. I thought as I felt the magic.

And considering it's visiting hours right now, I should be able to just….

I walked forward and through the ward, feeling it activate. I waited for a minute to hear some type of bell, notifying everyone that there was an intruder. Nothing happened.

My plan was very, very simple: Create a diversion, then fly up to the tallest cell in the tallest tower, and retrieve Grindelwald's book.

From that plan, I decided that the best time to do such a thing would be during visitation hours, when a bunch of other civilians would be there. Apparently visitation hours for the ICW's most prevalent prison was in the middle of the day, which was ok with me.

I continued walking forward through the trees for a little bit before I reached the wall that surrounded the entirety of the castle. I cast a homenum revelio and overpowered it so that it would reach a far distance.

Red dots appeared in my vision as the whole floor level of the castle came into view. My eyes widened as I realized the amount of people that were in the castle.

What did you expect, genius? The ICW uses this to hold international fugitives, of course there would be a lot of guards. I realized. It wasn't too much of a problem, if everything went according to plan.

I noted where all of them were stationed and walked to a part of the wall that didn't have anyone within forty feet of it. It looked like where the kitchen kept all of it's food actually.

I walked up to it and went to work. My wand touched the stone, and with a flex of my will the stone gave way about a quarter of an inch into it. Then I drug it down and carved a rune in the side of the wall. Then I carved six more in a perfect circle, and activated it.

I felt the cluster on the edge of my consciousness immediately, but I didn't do anything with it.

Another flex of my will and magic and I was airborne. It was difficult to adapt to the new style of flying. I had grown up on a broom, and the movements and mind frame had been beaten into me for a long time.

Magic is about intent. I thought as my body tilted, and I shot around the wall. I didn't fly inside the wall because I was afraid of anti-broom wards. I could break them, but I didn't want to sound the alarm too early.

I was about twenty feet into the air, and I couldn't help but smile at the feeling of flying around like I was a superhero. Smoke didn't flow around me like Voldemort was known to do as he flew. I had the feature in my enchantment, just as he did, but I didn't need to be dramatic just yet.

I cast another homenum revelio as I approached the opposite side of the castle. It was much harder to find a spot without a guard close enough to get hurt. In the end I decided on a little spot that was about twenty feet away from the nearest person. The blast definitely wouldn't reach them, but it was the shrapnel I was worried about.

After I finished applying the second rune, I flew about forty feet in the air and I could see dots where a few guards watched from their position on the wall. Nobody saw me because of the disillusionment charm that hid me from the world.

My magic reached out to wards again, and this time I was actually impressed. Anti-broom, anti-apparition, anti-portkey wards all wound together in a masterclass display. They were tied to a wardstone somewhere in the castle, no doubt.

Underneath all of that was another ward that was near impossible to decipher without actually looking at the ward stone. Detecting charms sat on top of what seemed to be an individuality? ward that I couldn't figure out. Then a completely different ward was for what I called a 'lockdown' ward. It would, as it's name suggested, shut down the entire castle. The biggest problem was that it did nothing for airborne targets that were outside of the walls.

I nodded my head, seeing no fault in my plan and cast the most overpowered homenum revelio yet. From my vantage point, it was hard to tell if anyone was close to the first rune set that I had laid. Eventually I made out the red dots and braced myself.

No reason to put it off. I thought.

I flipped the mental switch that controlled that particular runic cluster. The effects were immediate, and the sound of an explosion reached mine, and everyone in the castle's ears. A plume of smoke and dust rose into the sky. The explosion was the smallest aspect of that particular runic cluster, everything else was meant to cause as much of a distraction possible.

It took the castle ten seconds to enter 'lockdown' mode. An ear piercing sound rang out from the bell and walls. The gates and doors in the castle immediately closed, and the hidden wards activated.

I observed the castle below me for a second after that before turning to the wards again. My magic reached out to the wards again, and they had changed a lot. The anti-flying, portkey, and apparition wards had merged with the lockdown and individuality wards. That's when I realized that I couldn't have picked a better time to perform my little prison break.

The individuality ward was pulling information off of everyone inside the prison and logging it to something. Meaning that even if I did pull it off, then they would have the evidence to possibly link it to me.

There's no avoiding it then… I thought to myself. If I had enough time, then I could find a solution… but I don't.

I sighed as I raised my wand and grabbed the individuality ward. Then I twisted. There was no visual confirmation of the ward breaking but I felt the ward shatter and fall like glass through the air. All of the other wards survived so I pulled out a stone from my pocket.

It was covered in runes. I held it out until it was touching the wards and then with a thought I activated it. The anti-broom ward I had prepared for. The stone was designed to hijack the ward from the ward stone and transfer it to my little runic rock. It served the same purpose, but allowed me, and only me, to fly through the wards.

At least it's supposed to. I thought as I put the rock back into my pocket. Let's find out.

I flew forward tentatively, ready to cast a spell to save myself should the ward stone fail. It didn't, and I let out a sigh as I climbed up in the air to my destination.

The tallest tower was in the exact center of the castle, and it was fucking tall. The wind started to whip me as I climbed up. Eventually I reached my destination. There was a single window with bars to the room. It was barely big enough to fit my head through, and I pitied the man inside.

"A visitor?" A silky smooth voice said from inside the cell. His speech was like a mixture of Voldemort and Dumbledore. I realized that everything he stood for was like a mixture of the two titans.

His magical sensing is still up to par. I thought as I cut the magic keeping me invisible, not seeing the point. Even if someone did see me from the ground, it would be too late by the time they made it up to the top.

"Something like that." I responded. "I would step back, if I were you."

White flame appeared at the end of my wand and I touched it to the stone of the castle, much like I had earlier, but my intent was very different this time. I drew a big circle in the stone, and then with a sizzle, the flame burned through the wall like a hot knife through butter. I levitated the circular wall outside for a moment, just enough for me to slip through and into the cell.

The man that was inside had a full head of white hair, not grey but white, and it reached to his waist just as his beard did. He didn't move an inch from his lumpy bed, but his eyes followed me like a hawk.

On one of the walls, a small bookshelf sat with around twenty books in it. None of them looked to hold any information on magic.

"Ron Black." I introduced myself.

"Gellert Grindelwald." The man said pretty quickly. "Or what's left of him."

I agreed with the statement. I felt a small probe on my mental shields, just as I met his mismatched eyes. I batted him away from my mind quickly.

A smile crossed his face. "Albus told me I would have a visitor soon."

That surprised me, mainly because Dumbledore kept in touch with his old lover. I wonder how often he visits.

"We don't talk that often anymore, admittedly. He can't stand to see what he has brought me to." Grindelwald said as he noticed the look on my face.

I wasn't sure if I could blame Dumbledore. If I were in his position, it would be hard for me to look at the pitiful form of Grindelwald. His clothes, more like rage, hung off of his obviously malnourished form.

"Red hair, blue eyes, magical presence that cannot be denied, and pity in your eyes. Are you sure you are not Albus Dumbledore reborn." Grindelwald chuckled at his own comparison then.

"He compares me to you, instead of himself." I corrected the degenerate old man in front of me.

"There was a time when Albus and I were almost identical in our motivation and power. You should consider it a compliment." Grindelwald said.

"I do, believe it or not." I agreed. "Do you know why I'm here?" I asked, getting to the point.

Grindelwald rolled his eyes. "No, but I can assume it is the reason for his latest visit. Tell me, do you seek the Mind Palace?"

My eyes looked to the bookshelf, trying to find the old worn cover of the book. "Yes." I confirmed simply when I didn't find the book.

"Why?" Gellert asked simply.

I stared at him then, wondering if I should even bother talking to the man, instead of taking it by force. No, let's play Dumbledore's game. I thought.

"There is a man, whose power is equal, or greater, to yours and Dumbledore's power." I told him.

"Voldemort." Grindelwald tested the name on his tongue. "'The Greatest Dark Wizard to Ever Live.'" He mocked Tom Riddle.

"He has come close to our waning power, Ron Black. He would have been less than the dirt beneath our feet, in our prime." Grindelwald finished.

That is a bit of an exaggeration. I concluded while marveling at the arrogance of the man before me.

"The point remains, I am not strong enough, yet." I answered the man finally.

"But given time…" Grindelwald squinted his mismatched eyes at me, and then smiled again. "...yes, given time."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't.

"How old are you Ron Black?" Grindelwald asked.

"Seventeen." I answered, as truthfully as I was willing. I wasn't sure why I asked him the same question. "What about you?"

"One-hundred and fifteen years in this life, thirty-five in the one before."

What?

I caught on to what he was saying after a second, and my breath left my lungs. I'm not the only one. I realized. Grindelwald was staring at me, waiting on a reaction, but didn't get one besides a surprised look.

"I expected more questions." Grindelwald said after a moment of me digesting the information.

"You're just like me…" I said, more for myself than for him.

Grindelwald moved once I said that, and he got closer to me. It was the first time his body had moved since I had entered. I raised my wand to warn him not to approach me. He was still one of the most dangerous wizards to ever live, and I wouldn't be caught off guard. He stopped moving, but his eyes raked my form.

"Seventeen. Twenty-four in the one before." I said, clearing my last statement up.

He didn't know? Then why did he tell me? I thought as I took in his reaction from my statement.

"You are the first I have ever come across." Grindelwald said. "And only the second I have ever told."

"Why did you tell me?" I asked, confused.

Grindelwald looked like he was about to go into full panic mode. I could see his mind was filled with thoughts racing a mile a minute. I wondered what he was thinking. a

"It won't matter, by the end of this conversation." Grindelwald said, sobering up almost immediately.

That made me frown, before I remembered that I was on a time crunch. "I need the book." I said.

"You are missing something, just as I was." Grindelwald said. I could have sworn I saw a light turn on above his head. "That is why you pursue it so. That is why Dumbledore sent you here. He has turned me into a lesson."

"He did that a long time ago." I couldn't help but tell the man.

His comments made me think. Is it more than my actions that remind him of Grindelwald? Is it like watching history repeat itself for him?

"It doesn't matter." Grindelwald corrected himself. Then I understood.

His mind is turning on him. I thought as I watched the man. He was looking all over the room, now that I had sparked his thoughts. It was like he was watching his thoughts dance across a screen.

No wonder Dumbledore can't stand to visit him. I thought as I watched the man in front of me.

"Grindelwald." I said, getting his attention. He snapped out of whatever spell he was just in and met my eyes.

"Dumbledore knew what he was doing when he sent you to me." Grindelwald said. And then, the man's intellect showed through his eyes again.

There's now way he was like this during his prime. The fifty years spent in isolation must have gotten to him. I thought watching it all unfold in front of me.

"Yes he did." I agreed with the man. "Now, the book. I do not have much longer."

"Ah yes, enough stalling." Grindelwald said. "I need something from you, before I grant you the book."

"Anything reasonable." I agreed, wanting to speed things up.

"Death."

Another surprise, although it shouldn't have been. Now I realized how much of a masterful stroke of manipulation this was from Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had been drawing similarities between me and his old friend for a long time. As I got more powerful, he found even more clues. He needed for me to see what I could become, and he also knew what his oldest friend would ask for. Dumbledore knew that I would be able to grant his friend the death he sought over the years.

And I would get to kill the man I could become, it was all very symbolic.

I didn't confirm verbally but I did nod to the legend. Grindelwald smiled and stood up from his bed. He moved slowly, but gracefully across the stone floor to the bookshelf.

His hands didn't reach for a book that I could see. Instead they reached on the top shelf and to the underside of the top of the bookshelf. A click, and he pulled a small wooden box out. Then he set it on the top of the bookshelf, and slowly moved to the front of the room.

I steeled myself, and mentally prepared myself for the mercy killing I was about to perform. "How would you like to go?" I asked.

"Albus said that you grew a particularly large tree recently, and described the ritual to me. I find it quite beautiful. I would like to contribute to the world after my passing, and I have always liked fire." Grindelwald said.

I immediately picked apart the request. "The murder needs to be committed in cold blood." I commented. "I do not think I can summon up the hate and anger needed to meet the requirements."

Grindelwald smiled at me as if I was a small child who had just tripped over his own foot, and stood up without crying out in pain.

"Albus sent you here, knowing that you would grant my request. This IS a murder in cold blood, I can assure you."

Albus Dumbledore POV

Waking up every morning is a blessing. I couldn't help but think as I went through my morning routine.

My hand could barely grasp the wand I had grown accustomed to wielding over the years. Soon, it will be buried with me and the world will be none the wiser. I thought as I summoned the clothes in my wardrobe.

I dressed quickly, and walked over to my desk where an emergency ICW letter sat. I opened the letter and browsed through it's contents quickly.

I found the important line in the letter, and read it many times.

'Gellert Grindelwald has escaped.'

My eyes didn't widen, and I didn't show any surprise at the news. They were wrong of course, Gellert Grindelwald is dead, they just didn't have the body. I had long since come to terms with Gellert's death, and a small sense of satisfaction rolled through my frame.

Arianna is avenged, finally. I wonder what Ron has done with the body. I thought as I sat down, letting the news process in my fraying mind. I expected guilt to rack my form, but none came.

Everytime I look at Harry, true guilt assaults me. Grindelwalds death was a long time coming, and a part of me was glad that he was granted it. I could never be the one to do it, I've never been capable of it.

I couldn't kill my ex-lover, but I can condemn a child to death. I thought, as the guilt returned.

I stood up, knowing that making myself busy was the only way to make it go away. I exited my office, and immediately knew what happened to the body of my old friend.

An urn laid at my feet, right beside a potted tree, ebony if my mind still worked, which it did.

Of course, Gellert chose the wand wood of my first wand.

All of my duties for the day flew out of the window, I knew what I had to do now. Ronald had been kind enough to provide me with the materials and instructions, if the note beside it was any indication.

I hope he doesn't mind, if Gellert sits opposite of Percy.