For the Greater Good

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair inside the Hogwarts Headmaster's office. A consternated look was on his face as his jaw lightly flexed. He was currently enjoying the sweet and citrusy taste of arguably the best Muggle confection ever invented, Lemon Drops. He could never understand why his guests never took him up on his offer. If only they would give it a try, they'd realize the taste was the perfect balance of sweet and sour to engage the tastebuds and energize them. Alas, not many were adventurous enough to give them a try and yet found no issue as decrying him a senile old man for enjoying them (albeit a bit excessively). Then again, he also did nothing to dissuade them of that notion, which gave him more leeway in negotiations and conflict resolution.

As the final remnants of the sweet dissolved on his tongue, he reached over to the bowl and was about to pick up another one, when he suddenly stopped. Withdrawing his hand, he placed it on the comfortable armrest and closed his eyes. When did he become so duplicitous in his dealings? He remembered a young man who wasn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. A young man who had dreams and aspirations to improve his lot in life. Here he sat, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. To many, these positions were attainable only in their wildest dreams, yet he held all three. How his life had changed all because of that battle.

A single duel with a man he had once regarded a brother in all but blood. Their intelligence and power marking them exceptional in a country of moderately powerful magicals. Oh, what grand dreams they had! They had wanted to improve and drag the wizarding world to the forefront of humanity. They wanted to prove their superiority over the muggles and bring about an era of peace and cooperation not seen since Camelot. Magical beings would rule over their non-magical counterparts and together, they would have achieved great things and lead humanity to a better future. Their plans would all be for the Greater Good of mankind. What fools they were!

Looking back at their folly and the cost of achieving their so-called utopia, Albus could only mourn for the countless lives lost. He had been a young, impressionable boy with too much power and enough potential to feel that he knew what was best for others. It had gone to his head and when he met his equal in the young Gellert Grindelwald, he finally found an objective to work towards. Their relationship was something he still looked back on fondly. Gellert had taken the initiative to befriend him and turned a powerful but directionless young boy into a young man with a purpose.

Gellert had been obsessed with The Tale of the Three Brothers. The Peverell brothers were proven to have existed hundreds of years in the past. Their family was one of the founding families of the British Wizarding World. Their lineage had been traced back beyond the establishment of Hogwarts and the four founders to the kingdom of Camelot itself. The Peverells were a family of War-Mages, the most feared in the entire world in their time. Their talent and skill in the Necromantic Arts were legendary. Some of their recorded feats in battle were unparalleled and still acknowledged with fear to this day. Those stories were the main influences that allowed the squib playwright, William Shakespeare to pen The Tale of the Three Brothers. The Elder Wand, the Ressurection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility formed the Deathly Hallows. It was said that the person to unite all three were granted the title "Master of Death".

Fueled with the knowledge of the Peverells, he and Gellert had quested for them over the summers throughout his Hogwarts years. They sought to unite the Hallows and take control of the Wizarding World and help guide them to unite with the muggles. They had spent so many summers searching in desperation for items that may or may not have existed. Upon his graduation from Hogwarts, his Transfiguration professor had handed him a letter. It was a permit to take a test for entry into the Transfiguration Masters Guild. It had been his dream for the longest time to join and Albus could not say no to the opportunity. He had handily passed the test and gained the recognition of the Transfiguration Grandmaster Erik Wolfe.

Gellert had not been pleased, but he had understood nonetheless. They had parted amicably and had kept in contact while Gellert hunted for the Elder Wand. Grandmaster Wolfe had taken him as an apprentice and expanded his horizons beyond what he had thought possible. It was during this time that Albus rediscovered his love of magic and all the possibilities it allowed. He had taken to teaching the newer guild members at the behest of his master who had advised him that "the best way to learn was to teach others". Having students question him and make him explain his thinking had challenged him immensely. Sometimes, they had asked questions that he did not have the answers to, and he had to experiment and find the solutions to satisfy his curiosity. He found tremendous pleasure in seeing the light of wonder in their eyes as he showed them the infinite possibilities Transfiguration offered, restricted only by their imagination. He became set on teaching at his alma mater once he attained his mastery and his childhood dreams had fallen by the wayside.

One day, Gellert had come to his house out of the blue. With a huge grin on his face, he had pulled out a long, ash grey wand with knots that resembled elderberries running down the length of the wood. "Albus, I found it! I found the Death Stick!" he had proclaimed jubilantly. Albus had wholeheartedly congratulated him on his success and the pair had caught up over dinner with his family. Albus had been nervous about telling Gellert of his newfound passion. They had wasted many summers dreaming of the utopia they would create. He felt as if he was abandoning Gellert in his quest.

When he had worked up the nerve to tell him, he had not been prepared for his friend's violent reaction. The smile had been replaced with a vicious sneer he had never seen adorn his friend's face. Heated words had been exchanged shortly after. It was a conversation he would never forget for the rest of his life. "How could you, Albus! We swore that we would unite the Hallows and stand as the Masters of Death! The muggles are a threat that needs to be dealt with. They will find us eventually Albus, and when they do, they will try to kill us. They would be jealous of our power and we would be hopelessly outnumbered! We swore to conquer and rule over them, for the Greater Good!"

Albus was left reeling from his friend's tirade. Betrayal? How could his friend and brother in all but blood accuse him of such a heinous crime?! To be called a betrayer for following his dream of teaching Transfiguration was something he had never imagined. His heart stung as Gellert's words knifed through his very being. All their time together and their friendship would end simply because Albus could not go along with Gellert's vision anymore.

He had stood up and retaliated viciously, his words dripping with venom as he remonstrated his former friend. "I betrayed you?! Is that really what you think Gellert? You've obsessed over those trinkets like a madman and the quest has changed you for the worse. Do you honestly think the Greater Good calls for lording over the muggles? Do you believe they are the problem? Or are you going to simply ignore the numerous ills of our society? How many lives will have to be sacrificed on the altar of your Greater Good?! All these years I went along with you because in you I saw a man I could trust. I saw a man who would sacrifice anything to contribute to the betterment of magicals worldwide. You gave me purpose Gellert, and for that, I will always be grateful. But now? All I see is a shell of the man I once knew and was honored to call my brother. Tell me, Gellert. Do you think it will be worth it in the end? I beg you, end this foolish quest for power and come home."

After his impassioned speech driven by his righteous fury at being called a betrayer was finished, he waited for Gellert's response. The silence dragged on as Gellert processed his words. The sneer he had was gone, and in its place was a blank, emotionless mask. The light in his eyes had died as he spoke "I've come too far to give up now. I've sacrificed so much of my life to this goal, Albus. Now that I have the Elder Wand, no one will be able to stop me. Not even you, Albus. Think about your family. About dear Ariana, and the muggle scum who turned her into what she is today. Your father had the gumption to do what was necessary. Why are you acting like such a coward? I'll ask one last time. Join me, or you will perish." He reached out his hand and waited.

Albus felt the salty sting of tears as he heard Gellert threaten him. He blinked his eyes and swiped at his face with his sleeve. Stone-faced, he gave his reply. "No, Gellert. I will not give up on my dreams to satisfy your twisted delusions of grandeur. What happened to Ariana was a tragedy, but not something all muggles should be judged by. Threaten me as much as you want, but if you threaten my family, I will do whatever it takes to end you." His wand snapped into his hand as he stared at Gellert's non-moving form.

The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife as the two strongest wizards of their generation faced off in silence. Gellert's shoulders had started shaking as he stifled his laughter. Eventually, his laughter grew harder and harder until it crescendoed to a wild and wicked cackling. He stared at Albus with a demonic-looking smile on his face, his ice-blue eyes boring into Albus' gaze. "Oh, Albus. You always were such a weakling. You never did have what it took to join me at the top. Peace is not something those animals would understand. Despite your best intentions, they will fear us, and they will kill us. I had hoped you were smarter, but it seems like you've gotten soft since you joined the guild. Just remember, you chose this."

The Elder Wand had snapped into his hand and a Dark curse flew towards Albus. "Protego!" Albus swiftly shielded just in time. The moment his surprise attack had failed, Gellert had immediately used an Unforgivable. "Crucio!" The red lighting soared through the air and hit the chair that Albus had summoned in front of him. The curse blasted apart the chair and Albus utilized the debris to respond. "Sagitta!" Numerous arrows formed from the pieces of the chair and were sent hurtling towards Gellert who ducked under them as they impaled the wall behind where he once stood. Rolling sideways, Gellert had run downstairs, hoping to put some space between them. Engaging a Transfiguration Specialist in close quarters was suicidal at best. Albus had chased him while shielding against the curses Gellert was throwing over his shoulder.

Aberforth had heard the ruckus and recognized the telltale glows of exchanged spellfire. He had never liked Gellert and felt that Albus would have been better off never meeting him. He felt brief vindication that he had guessed right as they had fallen out. Telling his sister to stay in her room, he rushed outside towards the living room to help Albus. He came upon the two exchanging Dark Curses and Albus utilizing every piece of furniture available to fight back. Gellert was getting desperate and decided to pull out all stops. "Avada Kedavra!" Hearing those words had brought terror and fear to him. The Killing Curse was the worst of the Unforgivables and if that green light even slightly clipped him, he would die. He had dropped to the floor instantly, forgetting his training either conjuring or summoning a construct to block it.

His mind was racing as a cold sweat formed on his brow. Had Gellert tried to kill him, just now? Did his former friend hate him enough to power that curse? If that was the case, then he was too far gone and he needed to end this. Having successfully dodged, Albus started to transfigure everything in his surroundings into weapons that could kill Gellert. He started tossing them at him in abandon, his anger causing his magical aura to flare. Aberforth was also helping him fight, but just as he was pushing Gellert back, a Cutting Curse flew right towards Abe and hit his chest. A veritable fountain of blood flew out as a bloody line formed across Aberforth's shirt. Ariana had seen Abe get hurt and had immediately come to his aid. Aberforth had staggered a bit but stayed on his feet.

The rage Albus had felt as his brother had been badly hurt was something he had never felt before. He had always been a pacifist, advocating for diplomacy and against violence. Seeing his brother's blood staining his shirt had caused a change in Albus. His mind, body, and magic screamed for vengeance against the one who hurt his dear little brother. A wave of visceral anger coursed through him as he let out a scream of fury. Gone was the peaceful and understanding Albus Dumbledore, and in his place stood a man who would use any weapon at his disposal to exact revenge. A seemingly endless number of Dark curses started flying towards Grindelwald as he valiantly stood his ground, shielding against them.

Albus decided that that enough was enough as he prepared to cast the very first Killing Curse of his life. Aberforth had gotten back into the fight and his anger was no less compared to Albus'. The lull in the fighting had caused Gellert to abandon his defense and prepare himself to fight to the death. As if in sync, all three of them raised their wands and chanted the two words that would forever change their lives. "Avada Kedavra!" A blur of blue stepped in between them "Noooo! Abe! Alby! Don't do this!" They watched in horror as one of the green lights hit Ariana. The light of life in her eyes slowly disappeared as her body fell to the ground. They stood wide-eyed as the dull thud of Ariana's body resounded in the silent living room.

All three were stunned. For Albus, it was like the world had stopped. He could only watch in silent horror as his beloved little sister had been killed in front of him. He had dropped his wand and his scream of anguish had been the first sound that had escaped his mouth. "Ariana! Nooo!" He rushed forward and grasped his dead sister's body. Cradling her, he attempted to rouse her from her sleep, as if by some miracle she hadn't died. Rocking her back and forth, begging her to wake up and wishing that it was all just a nightmare. Aberforth had collapsed to his knees as tears flooded his eyes. He crawled over to Albus as he tried in vain to wake Ariana up.

Gellert had watched him and Aberforth try to resuscitate Ariana with a dispassionate gaze. It would have been so easy for him to have killed them both, and yet, he hadn't. He had killed an innocent young girl, and he must have felt some remorse for doing so. He had decided instead to escape and pursue his grand vision on his own, leaving him with some parting words. "So long as you don't get in my way, Albus. I will never try to hurt you or your family ever again. This I swear, so mote it be." A flash of magic had sealed his oath and he had swiftly run away. Albus had heard his words, but they had not registered. All he could think about was how he had failed his little sister. After the death of their mother, it had been his duty to care for and protect her. He had failed in his duty as a brother and it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Ariana's death had changed both him and his brother. Aberforth had withdrawn into himself as he tried to drown his sorrow's in firewhiskey. Albus had tried to reconcile with him only to receive a solid punch in the face. It had broken his nose, but he chose to not heal it. He let it be a reminder of his failure and subsequently threw himself back into his Mastery studies. He had gone on to become the youngest Transfiguration Master in four centuries and tried to secure a teaching position at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the only opening was that of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Albus had decided to apply for it anyway to gain experience as a teacher and wait for the Transfiguration position to open up.

After a few years of teaching DADA, his old teacher had chosen to retire and wholeheartedly recommended Albus as his replacement. The headmaster, Armando Dippet had seen Albus' great work as the DADA instructor and immediately transferred him to the Transfiguration post. Albus had finally found happiness as he had gotten his dream job. He brought over the enthusiasm and gusto that he had taught his DADA students with over to his new position. His students had found his classes engaging and the school saw an uptick in Transfiguration OWL and NEWT scores. While Albus had been enjoying his new position, the outside world had been embroiled in warfare. The growing tensions as the Germans started to annex the surrounding countries started escalating.

The shadows of a Dark Lord started rising from the ashes of the old Weimar Republic. Influential political figures and pureblood families started suffering accidents. Many dismissed the initial casualties as the muggle war encroaching into their world, just as the previous war had. By the time anyone had noticed the subtle pattern, it was already too late. Gellert Grindelwald had inserted his trusted allies into positions of power that allowed them to influence the magical populace to take his side. With him as their leader, the German Ministry had fallen within a couple of weeks. They had been torn apart from within as spies and supporters of Grindelwald sowed division amongst the people. From there they had piggybacked the German invasion of the Lowland countries to assassinate and replace key members of each country's magical government. By following a similar pattern in all the invaded countries, Grindelwald was able to take control of the various ministries with the least amount of bloodshed.

With those changes in place and his views gaining popularity, he influenced Hitler to engage in a mass bombing campaign against England. Albus never knew if this was to slight or anger him into joining the fight. Gellert had started a conquest for his empire and he knew that very few people could stop him, Albus being one of them. Once the bombing campaign had reached its macabre conclusion, British magicals were running towards the recruitment stations. The ICW started to heavily recruit War-Wizards from all over the continent to push back against Grindelwald's forces. Reinforcements started arriving by the boatload as the British Wizarding World united together to aid their brethren on the continent.

Many years had passed as Albus stayed behind the safe wards at Hogwarts, content to teach his students and grade papers. He had enjoyed the life of a teacher for so long he was loath to acknowledge the harm his former friend was causing. It had all come to a head one day when he had received word from his Master that the ICW had cornered Gellert in Berlin. The war was nearly over, but as long as Gellert was alive, it would rage on in perpetuity. Millions of lives had been lost in the conflict. Albus had seen pictures of the death camps that the Jewish people had been forced into. He felt sick to his stomach at the actions of his former friend. He had canceled his lessons for a week while he locked himself in his office. At the end of the week, he had come to a decision and immediately asked for leave from Headmaster Dippet. Having his leave approved, he wrote to his Master and the ICW, volunteering to lead the final battle against Grindelwald.

With his sterling reputation, the ICW had been happy to give him command of the ground forces. The Transfiguration Masters Guild had given its blessing and refreshed Albus' War-Wizard license. Albus prepared his dueling robes and took the ICW's provided portkey to Germany. Meeting up with the War-Wizards in charge, they had hatched a plan to draw Gellert out of hiding. In the crowd of the briefing room, he had spotted a couple of familiar faces. Most noticeably, Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black. They had been exceptional students at Hogwarts, but he was unaware that they had joined the War-Wizards. Gone were the bright-eyed young men he had taught, and in there place were two battle-hardened veterans. Their eyes cold and piercing, giving off a hint of bloodlust. He couldn't believe his eyes as he saw them for the first time in five years. To think that his cherished students had been forced to become killers was something that broke Albus' heart. It further fueled his desire to end the conflict and deal with Gellert once and for all.

He had gone into Berlin with a singular purpose and fire in his heart. Today was the day that he got vengeance. For Ariana, for all those killed in this needless war and all the suffering therein. He would harden his heart and kill his once brother. Failure was not an option. He had pulsed his magic and waited for Gellert to respond. He saw as Gellert waltzed into the street, his eyes glowing with a sinister smile on his face. His face showed signs of fatigue and weariness. "Welcome to Berlin, Albus. Have you finally come to your senses and realized that you were wrong? If so, I will gladly take you back and we can continue where we left off." As he heard the spiel, the fire in him started burning hotter as it almost consumed him. He couldn't believe the depths Gellert had sunk to. The pictures of emaciated children and thousands of dead bodies littering the camps came to mind. How could he ever support such atrocities against innocents?!

"If you think you will ever sway me to your side Gellert, I suggest you give up now. You are no longer the Gellert Grindelwald I once knew. Repent and give yourself up for judgment. Too much magical blood has been spilled, there is no need to spill anymore." Gellert had laughed and simply said: "I've almost succeeded, Albus. I won't give up now, so it seems that you'll have to make me." Albus had begun his spell chain immediately. Gellert had responded in kind and their battle had started. He started utilizing all his knowledge in Transfiguration and Dark curses to counter Gellert's offensive. It was the longest duel he had ever fought. Hours passed by with no clear indication as to who was winning. With both of them exhausting themselves, the battle had been decided by a simple trick that Gellert had missed. Albus had purposefully missed a spell two hours into the duel and transfigured a stone behind Gellert into a thin spike. He waited for the right moment, and summoned the spike forward, piercing it into Gellert's calf and going all the way through. When Gellert had been distracted by the pain, Albus had cast a basic spell chain, the Dueler's Handshake. He was on the verge of collapsing and it was the simplest and most effective spell chain he could use. It had worked as intended as Gellert had been disarmed, stunned and bound in chains. Albus had used a little extra magic to conjure iron chains instead of the standard rope. He couldn't take any chances of Gellert freeing himself.

The fabled Elder Wand had soared through the air and Albus caught it. Golden sparks shot forth from the wand tip as he felt his magic sing. He was now the new master of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence. Its power was his to command, and the extensive knowledge of his predecessors at his fingertips. It was an intoxicating feeling as if he was a deity looking down on the mortal world. Looking around him, he saw Gellert's followers attempting to fight their way to his body. It seemed like they wanted to rescue their leader, but the ICW War-Wizards accompanying him were fighting back viciously. He saw Charlus Potter cutting down enemy and enemy with a look of fury. He let loose a cannon blast from the Elder Wand, bringing everyone's attention to him. Casting a nonverbal Sonorus, Albus summoned his remaining energy and spoke. "Gellert Grindelwald has been defeated! This war is now over! Surrender, and you will not be harmed!" A few had immediately complied while others had fought harder. As the fighters were brutally killed, those on the fence decided it would be in their best interest to comply.

Albus looked at the body of his opponent. Tears came to his eyes as he walked towards it. With a shaking hand, he brought the Elder Wand up and pointed it towards the prone form of Gellert Grindelwald. 'It must be done. For Ariana!' he thought as he tried to feel the hatred he had felt towards Gellert all those years ago. The memory of his sister getting hit with the Killing Curse flashed through his mind. His brother's blood staining his shirt. Ariana's lifeless eyes, staring back at him as he begged her to wake up. "Avada Ke-" his breath hitched as he tried to cast his second Killing Curse. "Av-Avada Keda-" the tremors of his arm increased as he found himself unable to go through with it. Blinking his eyes, the tears ran down his face. 'He had to do it! It might be the only chance he ever got!' He steeled himself and tensed his arm to get rid of the shaking. "Avada Kedavra" The green spell coalesced at the end of his wand, but almost as soon as it formed, it sputtered out. Falling to his knees, Albus started to sob in anger, frustration and self-loathing. After all this monster had taken from him, he still couldn't feel enough hate to kill him. Tears flowed down his face as he pummeled the road with his fist until it started to bleed. 'I'm so pathetic! I can't even get vengeance for Ariana. What kind of brother am I?'

His self-loathing was interrupted by a slightly nervous Charlus Potter. He had no doubt witnessed his failed attempt at killing Gellert. Wiping his tears away, Albus greeted him with false cheer. "Charlus, my boy! The war is finally over. Shouldn't you be celebrating with your comrades?" Charlus had looked at him with a knowing look. "Professor Dumbledore. Don't feel bad that you couldn't bring yourself to do it. All it shows is that you're a good man, incapable of cold-blooded murder. As much as I want to kill him to take revenge for my father, I know that he needs to face justice. He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of magicals. The only way people will recover from this war is with this monster paying for his sins." Albus reflected on his words and realize that he was right. He could never be like Gellert and hold such a casual disregard for the lives of others. He had thanked Charlus and left the area to go collect himself before he led the fighters back to the ICW forward operating base.

Charlus had not been the only one to see Albus struggling with killing Gellert, and rumors had abounded as to why. Many speculated that his relationship with Gellert had gone beyond friends and into the realm of lovers. They felt that it was the only way to account for Albus' emotional breakdown over Grindelwald's body. Albus couldn't help but laugh at their stupidity. He and Gellert had been brothers up until the moment that he had killed Ariana. Even now, her death weighed heavily on his conscience. It was an event that could have been avoided entirely had he not involved his family in their squabble. It had taken years for him to finally place his memory in a pensieve and relive the night of his sister's death. Upon seeing that it wasn't his killing curse that had killed poor Ariana, he had collapsed and turned into a sobbing wreck. All those years of self-doubt and blame that had been weighing him down had been finally lifted off him. He had drunk himself into a stupor that night, toasting his dead family.

Upon his successful confrontation against Gellert, the British Wizarding World lost their collective minds in joy. The adoration and praise that he received from his win were mind-boggling. He found himself being invited to several balls and galas where the nobility and those in positions of power would network. While holding the post of Transfiguration professor, Albus soon found himself saddled with the responsibility of being deputy headmaster. He had initially started off going to them only to satisfy the nagging of Headmaster Dippet as he was also often invited to the boring functions.

He soon found out just how much change he could effect when a suggestion he had made to one of the Light-oriented Lords ended up being written into law and passed by the Wizengamot. He saw firsthand how he would change the Wizarding World for the better through peace and diplomacy. He found he enjoyed the conversations and subtlety involved with politics, so he dove in headfirst. He had been elevated to a regular folk hero, so he leveraged his fame to start small. Starting a charity fund for orphaned young magicals, a scholarship for muggleborn students attending Hogwarts, opportunities for muggleborns and halfbloods in the Ministry and other trades. All good things that most everyone would back, save for the most traditional of pureblood families. Britain was in a time of rebuilding, and helping magicals unite was something he felt was important. After a few months of politicking, he found himself being awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class for his defeat of Grindelwald. It had signified the start of his long and glorious career as a politician.

Albus had always been torn about the medal. He had used it to gain a seat on the Wizengamot and make the case for change. It had been the foundation for his burgeoning influence in the government and him eventually gaining the position of Chief Warlock. Yet as it sat in his office, all he was reminded of was his many foolish mistakes. One duel could never hope to make up for the years of apathy that had allowed his friend to butcher his way through the continent. All those lives were lost because he couldn't bring himself to fight when it was necessary. Master Wolfe had often advised Albus to go and get battlefield experience to improve his arte of Battle-Transfiguration. Albus took this advice by signing up for the Transfiguration dueling circuit and fighting against other Masters of the arte. While Master Wolfe was happy with his progress, he had mentioned that he had expected Albus stepping out onto a battlefield as a mercenary or taking a Hit-Wizard contract through the ICW.

This had caused a fight between them as Albus refused to use his skills to hurt and kill others. He had been so passionate about his moral code until Master Wolfe had given him a dressing down he still remembered vividly. "Albus, you are acting like a child! You must learn to realize that violence is and always will be a part of life. Even if you strive to not harm others through some love of peace or misguided morality, not everyone will share those values. Human beings are complex creatures, and sometimes, there will be monsters who will seek to only destroy others. There is a time to be a warrior and a time to be a scholar. You must learn when to be which. Your strength and knowledge will cause others to look to you for leadership. When that happens, you must be able to harden your heart and be decisive in your actions. Otherwise, you will not only hurt yourself but everyone around you will suffer for your mistakes."

It was these words that haunted him every day he woke up in the middle of the new war being waged in Wizarding Britain. The Dark Lord Voldemort had been plaguing Britain for nearly a decade and there was no end in sight. Muggleborns and halfbloods were mysteriously vanishing or were outright killed. Even some of the Light-oriented pureblood families were being targeted. Seemingly, anyone who was fighting against the Death Eaters and Voldemort's agenda found themselves targeted. The Order of the Pheonix had lost many good witches and wizards to the Death Eaters. Several of his friends had been lost and the consequences of his inaction were catching up to him.

Had he dealt with Tom Riddle early on when he was still gaining support among the purebloods, maybe his friends would still be alive. Perhaps, all the people murdered by the Death Eaters would still be alive. He was constantly haunted by all lives that could have been saved, had he chosen to harden his heart and end the threat. He had sent Order members into battle while limiting the tools they could use to subdue the enemy. This had ultimately proved to be his undoing as they were constrained by their orders to not kill while their enemy had no such limitations. They were going to lose. He was sure of it. It was a terrible conclusion, but one he had to admit to himself. If only he had done what was necessary...

It was at that time that a miracle had come, in the form of a true prophecy. He had been interviewing Sybil Trelawney, niece of the famous seer Cassandra Trelawney, for the Divination professor position at Hogwarts. During the interview, she had gone into a trance and given a prophecy so powerful that he had felt his magic tremor at the words. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... blessed by Death, aided by Fate, champion of Magic. He will have power the Dark Lord knows not. He shall bring forth an era of peace and prosperity for all blessed by Magic. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Divination was a very imprecise field of magic and honestly not one he had much interest in. The timing of this prophecy, however, was something he couldn't ignore. It was like a glass of water to a man dying of thirst. He latched onto it, desperately hoping to figure out who the "Chosen One" of the prophecy was. Ultimately, he found only two families that he knew of who fit the criteria: the Longbottoms and the Potters. Unfortunately, he had been informed by his brother Aberforth that a Death Eater had been spying on the interview. Albus prayed to Merlin that the Death Eater hadn't heard the entire prophecy and in a massive stroke of luck, it turned out that he hadn't. Severus Snape, the spy in question, had only heard the beginning of the prophecy.

Severus had come to him after his master, Voldemort had chosen to target the Potters instead of the Longbottoms. The lad had lusted after Lily Evans for the longest time. He had recognized that what Severus felt was not love, but he wasn't about to jeopardize his main source of information among the Death Eaters. The man's obsession was what drove him to turn on his master, and Albus had no problem in capitalizing on his guilt. He had quickly informed both families of the full prophecy and encouraged them to go into hiding.

Once Voldemort had learned of the prophecy, his fear of death had once again taken hold. He had never been the most superstitious, but true prophecies were quite literally Magic utilizing prophets and seers to make its will known. The sentient nature of Magic was unignorable to those who had studied it even superficially. Attacks on the magical populace as a whole had stopped and the war took to the shadows. Information brokers, Diviners and those with intelligence gathering skills were all given a task to find babies that fit the criteria of the prophecy. The purebloods who footed the bill for Voldemort's war spared no expense in trying to find the child their master wanted to be found. Several muggleborn babies and their families were ruthlessly murdered during July. Pregnant witches started sequestering themselves in their homes as the murders continued unabated.

Lily Potter, the main target of Voldemort had gone into hiding with James through the Fidelius Charm. He had suggested the Fidelius as it was the safest way to hide that he could think of. The Secret was imprinted onto the Soul of a Secret Keeper, who would give the Secret only to those who were trusted. In this case, the location of the Potter's Cottage in Godric's Hollow would only be known to someone privy to the Secret. Any others would have no memory of the place and would not see the building from outside. He had nominated himself to become the Secret Keeper, but James had been adamant that it should be Sirius. Combined with the Godfather Ritual that he would undergo, Sirius was loyal enough that even through torture, he would never give up the Secret. That would put his godchild in danger and the ritual would extract punishment through his magic and life.

They had argued their case and eventually won, as Albus couldn't find any faults in their reasoning. Sirius' very life depended on not giving away the Secret, and despite his reservations against the Black family, he had seen the relationship between James and Sirius. He was confident the boy wouldn't betray his cousin, not after he had been taken in by the Potters after his disownment. It had proved to be a good choice, as Albus was finding out. Sirius had been attacked a couple of times, but he had shown his ability to handle himself. Voldemort's attacks had all but stopped and life was getting back to usual when the fated day came.

The day had started like any other. Albus had woken up, gone through his morning routine and sat down for breakfast in his office. As August started, the amount of paperwork increased dramatically. Along with his numerous duties at the ICW, the Wizengamot and Hogwarts, not to mention the Order, he found himself living in his office. The date was July 31st, 1980 and it was the final day affected by the prophecy. He had received word through Augusta Longbottom that Neville Franklin Longbottom had been born the day before. He had made a note to look into young Neville and see if he had the power to be the chosen one.

Fawkes had flashed in carrying an envelope with his name on it. Seeing the slightly messy scrawl, he smiled fondly. James never had improved his handwriting much, but the sincerity of his words always bled through the untidy script. They had been corresponding from the beginning of their sequestration. James had kept him updated on Lily's status while he gave him insider information that he learned at the Ministry. It was deemed too dangerous for anyone who knew the secret save for family to visit the Potters. As such, all the news they received was from Charlus and Dorea, himself or Sirius. It had been his solemn duty to inform them of the passing of several Order members and friends of theirs. Every time he had received their reply, he could feel their sadness about the situation.

Dragging himself out of his thoughts, he opened the envelope and read the letter contained within. As he read on, his brow furrowed and his eyes lost their trademark twinkle. Lily was going to be giving birth to two children most likely today. What surprised him the most was that James had never mentioned a second child. He could tell through James' letter that it had been a surprise to him too. Maybe this was Magic's way of ensuring the fulfillment of the prophecy by gifting Lily and James with a second child. Nevertheless, the letter had given him an invitation to Potter Cottage to be present for the birth of the children. He quickly wrote out a short letter of acceptance and gave it to Fawkes. Seeing his phoenix flash out of the room, he found his thoughts meandering to the past.

He finally reached over to the small candy stand bowl and grabbed another Lemon Drop. Returning to his paperwork, he glanced at the clock and sighed. The last children of prophecy were going to be born tonight. Hopefully, the protections they had in place would hold and the child would live life as a child should before being burdened with the fate of vanquishing a Dark Lord. Asking a child to endure the hardship that would inevitably follow was too cruel, even for a man like him. He was a man who played the long game and fought for the Greater Good, but he was not heartless.

His Greater Good was the opposite of Gellert's. He truly had no intention of ruling the Wizarding World, yet he found himself thrust with power and influence beyond his imagination. The threat of corruption was something that worried him a lot. He had fallen prey to the tantalizing promises of power once, and Ariana had paid the price for him. Albus refused to allow himself to be tempted and it was his steadfast attitude of neutrality in the face of pureblood supremacy and bigotry that allowed such ideas to flourish. Using his influence would make him addicted to the feeling of getting his way, something he desperately wanted to avoid. Otherwise, he would be no better than Gellert. Nonetheless, it was in times of solitude, that he second-guessed his choices.

Finding himself too distracted to deal with paperwork, Albus simply walked over to the bookshelf next to his desk and picked up the new tome he had acquired through some connections. He had been researching ancient magic in a bid to find something that could help deal with the threat posed by Voldemort, hence, it took precedence over all else. It was not often he found the time to relax and research with his responsibilities, so he savored the limited time he could enjoy.

The hours ticked by as evening came. Getting up from the comfortable chair, his knees creaked and popped as he slowly stretched his legs. With a serene smile on his face, he smoothed out his robe. It was a flashy royal purple with animated stars glinting on fabric as the occasional shooting star streaked across. As he got older, he found that flashy robes allowed him to adopt the persona of a slightly eccentric grandfather, throwing his opponents off balance. In response, his wardrobe had gotten flashier and more avant-garde as he built his brand through his bold choice of colors and patterns. Madam Malkin was only too happy to experiment and he had become her favorite dress-up doll. He often enjoyed the clever remarks and jokes made against his wardrobe and took it all in stride. It was a small amount of playfulness and creativity he could use to lighten his spirit in trying times. He was sure the children would love it.

Calling for Fawkes, he waited for a couple of seconds as his companion flashed into his office in a burst of fire. Albus held out his arm as Fawkes perched onto it. Gently stroking the silky smooth feathers, he inquired as to his phoenix's day. Contrary to popular belief, Fawkes was not his familiar, but his companion. He had been attached to Hogwarts for the longest time, but only bonded with headmasters of exceptional character and power. Many headmasters in the last couple of centuries had not met the requirements, hence they did not get to meet Fawkes. It had come as a huge surprise to him when on his first day as Headmaster when he returned to his office after supper to find a phoenix on a gold perch which hadn't been there when he left earlier in the morning.

"My dear friend, could you please get me to the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow? James and Lily are expecting their children tonight, and I wish to be there." Fawkes trilled a positive reply and allowed Albus to grab onto his tail feathers. In a flash of fire, Albus teleported from his office into the living room of Potter Cottage. He was greeted by the sight of four wands pointing in his direction, each glowing with spells ready to be fired. He chuckled amusedly as he brought both his hands up in a placating gesture. "It's good to see that all of you have taken a page out of Alastor's book. After all, we are living in dangerous times and constant vigilance never hurts." The wands were lowered and he heard James greet him. "Professor Dumbledore! It's great to have you here."

Albus slowly observed the others in the room. Charlus Potter stood tensely while glaring in his direction with his wand still at the ready. Sirius Black and Ted Tonks were sat back on the couch in laid-back poses. James began walking towards him with his hand out. "James, my dear boy, how many times have I told you to call me Albus? You are no longer my student, therefore you have earned that right." He shook James' hand as he continued speaking. "Nevertheless, I feel that congratulations are in order. This is a momentous occasion for you and Lily and I'm certain that you will be great parents."

James glowed at the compliment as he puffed his chest out. "Honestly Albus, it still seems a little surreal. Especially now that we found out we're expecting two little bundles of joy. Lily was ecstatic when she found out and I feel the same way." Albus lightly smiled as he was guided to a chair. He sat down as James returned to his nervous pacing. "I was wondering how Lily is doing? Who's taking care of her right now?" Charlus answered his question. "Dorea is up there with Ted's wife Andromeda. They're both qualified healers and I'm fully confident that Lily is in good hands. I only hope my dear son would quit wearing a hole in the living room floor." His joke seemed to lighten up James's tension as he smiled fondly at Charlus. "I too am fully confident in Mum and Andy, but I can't help myself."

Just then, Andromeda came down the stairs and called for James. "James! Lily needs you up here. The children are coming!" James immediately bolted up the stairs as Albus and the others wished him luck. Entering the room, he saw his mother casting diagnostic spells onto Lily as she winced in pain. It physically hurt him to see her in pain. Even though he knew how rare it was to lose a witch in childbirth, it still did nothing to alleviate the pressure. "Hey, Lily-flower. How are you doing, love?" Lily's eyes glared at him as she gritted her teeth. "James Charlus Potter! I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" James couldn't help but laugh at the situation as he sidled up alongside the bed and took Lily's hand. "Don't worry Lily-flower. It'll all be over soon enough. Mum and Andy know what they're doing and you'll be just fine." Lily's eyes started to water as she looked up at him. "I can't believe we're going to be parents, James. I'm going to be a mum!" It was confusing seeing Lily alternate between anger and happiness and James grinned widely. He bent down and gave a kiss on her forehead saying "Do your best Lils. I love you more than anything. I can't wait to be a father. Thank you so much for giving me a chance."

Dorea had been watching the by-play for a while and rolled her eyes. She was fully confident that her daughter-in-law would make it through. She was a powerful witch and Magic tended to help with pregnancies and childbirth. The more powerful the witch, the easier it would be to give birth. That didn't mean it wasn't painful. It was just easier, not to mention the significant reduction in recovery time. She kept track of her spells and noticed a shift inside Lily. "Alright, the first baby has started its journey. James, make sure to hold her hand tight. Lily darling, I need you to push as hard as you can. Remember the breathing exercise I taught you. Andy, keep an eye on the monitors and refresh the spells as needed." Lily started to push and the pain started to increase drastically.

Downstairs, her screams were heard by everyone in the living room. Save for Albus, all the others were up and pacing. Albus calmly closed his eyes and meditated. He sent up a quick prayer to Magic for Lily Potter to have a safe delivery and the children to come out healthy. Roughly an hour passed as the screams had died down until nothing could be heard anymore. Opening his eyes, Albus flicked his finger as he cast a wandless and nonverbal Tempus. The numbers fizzled in existence in front of his eyes. 12:02 August 01, 1980. 'Born as the seventh month dies.' A sigh escaped his lips as he pondered on what it meant. Lily Potter going into labor and giving birth to both of her children just before the prophecy's deadline was certainly not a coincidence. He had his work cut out for him to find the right child. What if he made a mistake? Countless things could go wrong between now and the time the child could fight Voldemort. What if they died prematurely? Would he be single-handedly responsible for the destruction of Wizarding Britain? Self-doubt weighed heavily on his mind as he contemplated his next actions.

As he was thinking, Andromeda had come down the staircase. "Alright, everyone. Come on up and meet the babies." The men in the living room all hustled towards the staircase as they rushed upstairs to the delivery room. Upon entering, they saw James sat next to the bed smiling proudly. Lily was looking slightly breathless with sweat visible on her forehead. This did nothing to take away from the beautiful smile on her face as she gazed down into her arms. Two bundles of wrapped blankets were held akimbo as Dorea bustled around the room, cleaning it up after the procedure. Sirius was the first in and as he got closer to the bed he saw the face of the child on Lily's left arm. His breath was stolen from him as he saw a baby version of James with Lily's stunning green eyes. "Is that them? Dear Merlin James, he looks just like you did." James grinned as he slowly took the bundle from Lily and brought it over to the other side of the bed. "Twin boys, Padfoot. This is the elder, Henry James Potter, his nickname being Harry." Hearing the name, Charlus felt slightly emotional. He wished he hadn't lost his father so early on in his life and that he could be here to see his great-grandchildren.

Charlus peeked over Sirius' shoulder alongside Ted as they observed little Henry. He could immediately see the resemblance between Henry and a baby James. It was uncanny. The lad had inherited his mother's striking green eyes that seemed alight in curiosity as they looked up at him. Sirius started lightly bouncing on his feet and rocking his godson back and forth. The baby gave a wide smile and this action, unbeknownst to others, caused a profound shift in Sirius. He had always planned on being a bachelor and not having any children to continue the Black family line. Holding little Harry in his arms made him doubt his previous assertions. 'Maybe kids aren't so bad after all.' he thought as he saw James coming over with the other bundle in his arms.

James went directly to his father and handed him the baby. "We weren't expecting a second child, so we didn't have a name prepared. Lily and I talked it over, and while we're not sure of his first name, we wanted his middle name to be Charlus." Charlus was dumbfounded for a second before he smiled. "While I am honored that you would want your child to hold my name, I feel that the boys should share their middle names. Names have power, James. For twins, it would be best to share their father's first and family names." Hearing his father's reasoning, James decided that it made sense. "In that case, maybe you would like to name him? If it's okay with Lily?" He looked back while he asked his question and saw Lily smile and nod her head in assent. Charlus also saw her give permission and started to think. He needed a strong name that brought honor to the Potters. Their family shared history with the Roman empire, so Julius was a strong contender. It even matched the boy's birth month. Thinking some more, his brow furrowed in concentration as he thought back to famous military figures in history. His military background saw him delve into the history of warfare both Muggle and magical. As he was thinking, a flash of inspiration occurred. He had found it! The perfect name for his grandson. One that was a balance between modern and traditional with a great history. It was as if Magic herself had spoken to him and given him his epiphany. "Alexander," Charlus whispered, almost reverently. "His name will be Alexander James Potter." As he said the name out loud, he felt as though a cool breeze passed through his very soul.

"An excellent name, dear." Dorea looked over and smiled. James and Lily expressed their happiness at the name. It sounded regal and powerful. It would serve their son well. Walking over to Charlus, she took the bundle from his arms, admiring her second grandson, Alexander. He shared a lot of features with his twin brother, except the eyes. Her darling grandson seemed to have inherited the lustrous grey eyes of the Black family. She remarked "Oh dear, aren't you such a cute little boy. With your big, grey eyes and hair like your handsome father."

Upon hearing her statement, James looked up in alarm. "What are you talking about Mum? He has my brown eyes." Almost immediately, Lily spoke up. "James, I'm pretty sure that he has my eyes and shares that with Henry. They are twins after all." Charlus looked at Dorea inquisitively as he remarked "I'm pretty sure that he has James' eyes, Dorea. You must be a little tired from the long procedure. Maybe we should head back to the manor to get some rest." Dorea fiercely retaliated at Charlus' insinuation. "Do you honestly think I am incapable of seeing the color of my grandson's eyes?! I'm not color blind! And I certainly am not knackered enough to make such a simple mistake!"

Albus watched the scene play out before him with a twinkle in his eyes and a mirthful smile on his face. He had a good hunch about what was going on, but he needed to confirm it. He walked over to Dorea and saw the baby looking up at him curiously. "Dorea, may I please have little Alexander? I think I know what's going on, and I want to test my hypothesis." Dorea gently handed the baby over to Albus as he slowly settled him into the crook of his arm. Looking at Alexander, he noticed the grey eyes that Dorea was mentioning looking up at him curiously. As he stared back, he saw the grey slowly be replaced by the baby blue of his own eyes. His smile grew wider as he noticed the subtle change took barely two blinks of an eye. "Oh my. It seems that the boy has indeed inherited something from the Blacks, but it's not their eyes."

He walked over to the bed as he gave out instructions. "James, Sirius, I want you two to stand on the other side of the bed. Lily, my dear, I want you to hold Alexander flat on his back, so he can see all of us." Handing the baby to Lily he stood on the right side of the bed as James and Sirius stood on the left as he had instructed. Lily held Alexander in a position that allowed all the others to see him and vice versa. The others in the room started crowding around the bed, trying to see what was happening. Andromeda Tonks was the first to notice as she gasped. The others also saw the change as baby Alexander's eyes started changing colors rapidly. It alternated between blue, green, brown, grey. "By Merlin, he's a Metamorphmagus!" Andromeda shouted in happiness. Her daughter Nymphadora was one as well and didn't have anybody to relate too. Ted, who was holding Harry also couldn't help but feel glad for his daughter. He knew that she would be singled out for her gift, but having a friend near her age who shared it could do wonders for her.

James, Lily, and Sirius were all pleasantly surprised at the revelation. Metamorphmagi were exceedingly rare and there most likely weren't more than a couple every generation. James' maternal heritage alongside Lily's wilder magic had allowed the gift to express itself. Lily smiled at her baby boy as his eyes morphed into emerald green. Ted also thought that maybe Harry could also be a Metamorphmagus and started to observe him for any changes. A couple of the others had similar thoughts and looked towards Harry and Ted. As he stared into Harry's eyes, Ted couldn't notice any changes, so he shook his head and sighed. Albus broke the silence, saying "Well it seems as though young Harry does not share Alexander's gift. Although, it could express itself later on, just as Alexander's might change in scope once he comes into his magic. Magic is mysterious in some ways. Who knows what the future might hold..."

Both the babies seemed to be getting tired, so the guests started to give their farewells and congratulations before filing out of the room. Soon, it was only Sirius, James, Lily and himself in the room. He looked at them both with a serious expression. "I just wanted to remind you all of the danger that you are in. As you all know, prophecies are powerful. The feeling I got during the invocation was beyond anything I had ever felt. Alongside Henry and Alexander, young Neville Longbottom, born just yesterday, are the three prime candidates. They must be protected at all costs. Their lives are more valuable than all of ours, as one of them is destined to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort. I suggest that news of the boys are protected and don't extend beyond those who were present tonight. Would it be alright with you if I ask for Secrecy Oaths from the others? The longer this information stays away from Voldemort the better. What he doesn't know is something we can use to our advantage."

The three all looked at each other and exchanged nonverbal signals. Eventually, they all nodded and James replied "It's alright with us Albus. Only my father and Ted need to take Oaths. As the Healers in charge of the delivery, Andy and my mother's Healer's Oath prevent them from disclosing any information. Albus nodded as he stood up and got ready to leave. "Thank you for your understanding. I will go back to Hogwarts and send them both letters to meet up at a later date. James, Lily, I wish you a peaceful night's rest. You've more than earned it. Congratulations once again to you both. I can't wait until the day they attend Hogwarts. With their parent's talents, I'm sure we can expect great things from them both." James and Lily thanked him as he called for Fawkes and flamed back to Hogwarts.

Upon reaching Hogwarts, he slowly sat back down at his desk, summoning a fresh sheet of parchment to write the letters for Charlus and Ted. As he was about to grab the quill, he instead leaned back and summoned the bottle of Bowmore 25 with the Glencairn glass he kept hidden in his desk. Pouring himself a dram, he picked it up and swirled the golden liquid in his glass. The smoky, slightly herbal smell of the whiskey hit his nose as he raised his glass. 'To Neville, Henry, and Alexander. The children of prophecy. May the Chosen One show himself soon.' he toasted mentally and drained the glass in one gulp. He savored the peaty, nutty and creamy cocoa taste as it cascaded over his taste buds. Sighing tiredly, he gently kneaded his eyes before reaching for his quill and starting to write.