Chapter 1: A Letter in the Night
A broad, pitch-black owl hovered across a deserted square like a part of the sky, the twilight stars twinkling benignly above. Godric’s Hollow was silent as death. Nothing stirred below. A heavy envelope was clamped in the owl’s beak. Another, lighter envelope was tied firmly to its leg. The sender hadn’t been able to fit all the pages of parchment into one envelope and, frankly, if he had, he doubted the owl would’ve been able to stay aloft.
The owl swooped down to hover next to the window of the addressee, flapping gently to stay on that level. It hadn’t taken long to deliver. The receiver of the letter got letters from the sender quite frequently. A young teen’s face appeared on the fogged window, his clever features blurred by the low clouds. The shutters were thrown open and the letters carefully untied from the owl. As soon as they were secure in his hands, the boy dismissed the owl. It swooped up into the night, disappearing in the shadows. The window was closed hastily, absent-mindedly, but always silently: the boy didn’t want to wake up his aging aunt at this hour or she’d be frightfully cranky at breakfast. Her bad hearing mixed with the ability to snore as loud as a freight train made the boy doubt any sound he could make could wake his slumbering hostess.
It was another letter from Albus. The name “Gellert Grindelwald” was written out in elegant, perfectly legible script on both envelopes, all characters capitalized. The “A” in his last name was written in the symbol as usual. It was the way they could discern whether the letter was legitimate or a fake sent by a detractor. Both had earned many enemies in their school years. Albus’s were usually furious witches and wizards angered by his father’s…notoriety. Gellert’s were more dangerous and violent. It wasn’t common knowledge that they were the best of friends, almost brothers, but word could get around. Both envelopes were sealed with the symbol as well. The letters they sent could always be intercepted and perused at leisure, but Albus had cast an Irreparable Charm on the seal. Gellert would know if it had been read.
Gellert wondered which to open first, then noticed a tiny number one just in the top right corner, marking which was which. He carefully slit the first envelope open, cautious not to deface the sacred mark of their common goal. The parchments were as thin as dried autumn leaves, but the envelope was still impressively heavy. However, Albus’s writing wasn’t exactly minute. He pulled the pages out, unfolded them, and began to read.
20 July 1900
Gellert”
I have thought the thing through all evening and come to the conclusion that desiring the Stone is weak of me. What use have I of raising the dead? My longing for Kendra is foolish”I have no need of a mother. Indeed, what use have you of the Stone? The story says that they are separated by a veil, not truly belonging to this realm. Anything we can resurrect using the Stone will be utterly useless when the coup begins. It ought to be the last thing we seek this September.
The Cloak should be the second thing to seek. It, too, is rather useless, but of more use than the Stone. We both can cast strong enough Disillusionment Charms to become fully invisible. Our Shield Charms are sufficient to halt any curse (except for the Killing Curse, which we both have concluded that the Cloak could not be strong enough to halt. Then again, this is magic that has never been studied before, objects of complete ingenuity. We can only be sure until it is tested.). The Cloak would be useful in hiding the girl under as we travel. With this we can perhaps even use the girl against our enemies. Her magic is most powerful, even if it is uncontrollable. Think of what a weapon she will make against the subordinates.
This leaves the Wand. The Wand! This is the most coveted prize of the Hallows, the most powerful, and the first thing we must seek. Without it, the whole of the search will the futile. Find the Wand first, and it can be used to find the path to the others, and dispose of any who stand in the way. The Wand is by far the easiest to discover. The books of history are maps to the location of the Wand. I’m sure Gregorovitch does not have it”it must simply be a scheme to put old Ollivander out of business. We can see that fools like Emeric trumpeted their possession, but not to that far extent. Gregorovitch cannot be that unwise. I doubt anyone can.
But the Hallows as a whole”
This was where the first letter ended. Gellert folded the pages up without looking at them, his brows furrowed in thought. Even when he looked so pensive, almost frustrated, his eminent intelligence and handsomeness were painfully obvious. Many of the witches his age in Godric’s Hollow tried to catch his fancy, but none prevailed. Indeed, many of the “subordinates” from the nearby village, as Albus and he had began to call them, had attempted the same. Gellert was sickened by them. All of them, like dogs that bit their masters and were rewarded and protected for doing it. Gellert could’ve screamed in anger. Albus didn’t truly see their purpose as slaves to the magical community, but he agreed that they were inferior and weak, the first to be overtaken in the coup.
The first letter was tossed aside and the second scooped up. It was identical to the first except for the miniscule number two in the corner. Gellert opened it just as he had the other, using his wand this time. His hands were shaking, and he didn’t want to take the chance of tearing the venerable seal. Just for the fun of it, he magicked the single sheet out and had it hover before his eyes at the perfect distance, while he read the words of his friend by wandlight.
”must be collected for true invulnerability. Even if a single thread of the Cloak is missing, a splinter from the Wand or a pebble from the Stone, it must be found and replaced to prevent…accidents. This is a most delicate form of magic that cannot be experimented with to the point of irrationality. Without the Hallows joined together, the coup can never take place. Nothing will change, and the insubordinates will still have their current position as afflicters to the magical community and yet defended by the same. Our search for the Hallows must be meticulously planned out, or nothing we have hoped for can take place. You know this, and so do I. Aberforth will be the hardest to convince of this. For now, we shall conspire how best to find the Wand. I hope to meet you in the square tomorrow morning.
Albus
The “A” in his name was replaced with that symbol, the mark of their quest.
Gellert lay back in bed, a smile on his face, looking forward to the coming morning. There were plans to make, and problems to be taken care of. He fell asleep, his hand still clenched around the two envelopes, his mind fondly fixed on the plans he had for the future wizarding community.