Chapter Text
Every witch and wizards of Great Britain know Godric’s Hollow : it’s a fact.
A respectful and well living wizard knows this pittorest town, circled by a tiny river where the banks are lined with sleepy hollows.
All above the fact that this village was the place of birth of one of the greatest wizard of all times, Godric Gryffindor -his actions were so magnificent, the village took his name- and the death place of Lord Voldemort, one of the biggest dark wizard of the modern magic world, after he fought the Potter’s family : this place is known for being one of the rare place where wizards and muggles are living together -until the magic stay quiet-, and since its creation.
The town is well-known for its old and pure magic, almost raw : a peaceful place for the people who are related to the magic world. Wizard families living here are some of the oldest of Great-Britain : it’s rare to see new faces coming here to set up, even if they are greeted with joy and affection !
Everyone knows everyone in Godric’s Hollow, no secrets are safe here.
However, in 1891, a group of strangers came, trying to hide from prying eyes.
On a stormy day of spring, when the sky was stripped of colors and the ground was muddy, a lady with her three children came out in front of the village’s entry. Her features were drawn with anxiety, which her hairstyle did nothing to soften : her greying hair, despite her age, was tied back and braided into a long plait that fell to her feet. She was holding with both of her hands two little guys : one charming and sunny, the other more closed and cold. The oldest, who had the best complexion and ginger dishevelled hair, was carrying on his back a child hidden by a large coat, even if we could see their blue eyes looking everywhere around.
They got no suitcases, only their heavy travel capes and their regrets from their ancient life.
Kendra Dumbledore, which was her name, made her kids follow her to go inside the town. Their boots were sinking in the mud before the sound of their steps on the rock ground resonated in the streets, announcing them. In the central place, a group of eldest was sitting on a bench, and raised their gaze to them. Kendra came closer in silence, refusing to let her children’s hands, who were sticking next to Kendra’s legs.
“You’re Percival’s wife, don’t you ?” asked one of the old people who was smoking with a giant pipe which let a violet smoke spraying around him : the smallest started to cough and rub their little eyes. Instantly, their brother would like to help them but their mother’s glare stooped him, before she look again to the group :
- “He said to me that his family got a house here, for us.” announced her, without answering the question.
- “We are sincerely sorry for your loss.” started the only woman with them. “Leaving your village and raising 3 children alone… That must be so hard.”
Directly, the Dumbledore family got tense : a wind blow raised their capes, making the fallen leaves dance around them as long their hair got into their faces. They seemed, at this instant, controlling the weather, while their expression was only anger. The group of deans was overcome with a shiver.
“My husband took his decision when killing these muggle children : we took our own. He knew what was attending him at Azkaban.” answered Kendra, coldly, before wrinkling. “So, where can I find this house ?”
The woman got up first, whispering excuses to the matriarch and proposed her service to get them to their new residential place. She brought the family, in a weird silence, to the end of the village to a huge timbered house, circled by old apple trees which were accusing time. The building seemed as if it would collapse at the slightest gust of wind, all the windows were blocked with thick wood pieces. The door was almost broken into two separate pieces, eaten away by moths and other insects. The Dumbledore family glanced over this new home, their new house for many years since now.
The old lady, took from under her fur coat, her wand and by waving it, she managed to open the door, which flinched after all these years, waiting to be used again.
Kendra practically rushed inside the building, thanked her with a bow, before slamming the door after them, leaving the lady in shock on the front steps. She took several minutes to realise that her mission was done, before coming back to where she had come from, looking back, fighting to not run away.
The house’s interior was dark, damp and dusty : the lack of light made it impossible to see in front of them. The eldest one helped the youngest to kneel down, removing the coat from the head of a little girl, with long dark hair and huge eyes. Their brother approached to grab his brother's arm before looking around :
“Mother ?” called the oldest, but no one answered. They all shivered, and he put his arms around them to hug his siblings and protect them.
Suddenly, their mother lit a candle in front of her face, like a ghost in a haunted mansion, ready to scare the fools who had the audacity to go visit her. Kendra leaned toward her family and patted them one by one :
“This house is going to be our next sanctuary. From now on, you’re not allowed to talk about your father to anyone in this village. If they ask you questions, say you don't know, is it clear ? Albus, Aberforth, you’re not allowed to speak about your little sister either, it’s an order. Especially you, Albus, when you go to Hogwarts. Do have I your words ?
- What’s going to happen Mother if we talk ?” asked Abelforth with a tiny voice.
- “They will take Ariana away by force, like they did for your father that night. We will never be able to see her again.”
Aberforth gasped in horror, hiding his mouth with his small hands, as his eyes got wet. He didn’t want to lose his sister, his father was already far away from them…
“Did you listen to what I just said, Albus ?” asked their mother, again, with harshness. “Seeing your little sister being took away is not what you want, don’t you ?”
Albus looked into his mother's cold eyes and nodded silently, squeezing Ariana's hand. He was the man of the family now ; he must not betray them.
.......
Eight years later, in early summer in 1899, the charming village of Godric’s Hollow was already better looking. The surrounding countryside was warmer thanks to the soft sunlight,while the wind blew gently across the fields. It was a beautiful evening, calm and slow like a perfect summer day during the holidays.
Dumbledore's house had lost its creepy appearance : it actually gleamed, with its clean windows, its strong wooden door and apple trees, laden with delicious apples. A little garden wall had been built around the house, allowing some curious visitors to see that the garden was extending behind the house.
In this part of the estate, a young man with red hair, sheltered in the shadow of the building, was lying casually on his back, reading a letter. He chewed a blade of grass as his eyes scanned the content of the letter : usually, he was staying in his bedroom to write to anyone he considered important in order to discuss various topics : he only left his room when it was the time to eat with his family. But after another disparaging remark from his brother about his vampire-looking, he had decided to admire a little bit more of their garden.
He let out a long sigh of admiration before placing the letter on his chest when he was focused on the clouds waving in the blue sky.
“Elphyas is in Egypt, just right now…” he said loudly, a hint of jealousy in his voice.
He waited a few seconds, then stood up on his elbows to see his younger brother weaving yet another wicker basket below him. He was a brilliant wizard, capable of mastering a lot of various spells and so clever to not let himself get caught by the Minister of Magic about the authorisation of using magic at his young age. However, he tried hard to hand-do everything, like a miserable muggle worker : it was a waste of talent and time.
“I said that Elpyas was in Egypt right now,” repeated the red haired man louder, irritated by the silence of his brother.
- “I heard it, Albus.” answered tiresomely Aberforth, without stopping his action. Albus rolled his eyes and let himself felt on the ground.
- “It must be amazing to see that by yourself : the temples, the antique magic-
- We already talked about that earlier.” interrupted his brother while he broke between his fingers another stem wicker.
Albus grumbled, and came back to his letter but more he read, more bitterness took hold of his heart again. Oh, how I’d like to travel with his best friend : seeing the world, discovering the meaning of the universe… If only their mother didn’t died, he could be right now in the desert, visiting a pyramid, rather than being trapped in the English countryside as a substitute father…
“Stop that.
- Stop what ?” asked Albus, annoyed, crumpling the letter in his feast, to Aberforth.
- “You won’t stop complaining.” answered the youngest, facing Albus. “When you read, you’re grumbling.
- So what ? You’re fifteen and you’re still not able to work with noises around ?
- No,” replied Aberforth calmly, who knew that if he decided to play along with Albus, the situation would only get worse. “But if you continue to be that disagreeable every time you mention Elphyas or your canceled travel together, Ariana will feel even more guilty and I know I couldn’t forgive ourselves if we are the cause of her angst… So please, I know you’re not happy to be here and she knows it too… But for everyone’s sake, stop talking about it.”
Albus added nothing, staring at him silently : he was right, of course, but he couldn’t help being furious about this whole situation.
Their sister was incapable of living on her own, raised like a chick that had to be spoon-fed : she was unstable, and her instability did not improve with time… Her magic seemed aggressive, too powerful to be hidden forever but after all she was a Dumbledore, too. He couldn’t be annoyed by her weakness, she was only 14 years old, a teenager suffocating by her own soul.
And even if Aberforth offered to stay with her during the holidays, what could Albus have said to his friends ? That he has left his younger brother alone, caring for their disabled sister at only 15, while he, the most incredible Dumbledore’s child, traveled around the world, enjoying his youth ? It was a cowardly behaviour, and Albus was not a coward. That’s why he couldn’t help but be angry
Aberforth gave him a somewhat hesitant smile :
“I’m so sorry that you have to endure this role… Mother wouldn’t let that happen if-
- But she’s gone now. We can make her say whatever we want, she’s dead.” Albus interrupted him, feeling his eyes well up despite himself. “If only she could have left us something other than just money like someone to contact !
- It was an accident, Albus !” Aberforth scolded. “She couldn’t have imagined that.. She didn’t want to imagine that.
- No, she couldn’t imagine that our sister exploded in her sleep and killed her at the same time. But she could have sensed that one day, Ariana couldn’t be held back forever : she’s dangerous.”
Immediately, Albus was pinned to the ground by his brother, who held him down with his elbow against his throat. Abelforth had always been heavier and stronger than him.
“NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN !” shouted the youngest, his gaze full of rage but also tears.. But even if Aberforth was the strong one, Albus stayed the eldest : he had the right to use magic.
Straight away, his brother was thrown into the air and hung suspended by one of his ankles, struggling to get down. His long arms reached out to grab Albus, who stood at a safe distance, a cold smile on his lips.
“PUT ME DOWN ALBUS !” he ordered.
- “You may be ahead of me in some areas, my dear little brother, but you still rely too much on brute force to the point of forgetting the existence of your own wand.
- PUT ME DOWN !!” repeated Aberforth, even more aggressive. “SO I CAN GUT YOU ALIVE !”
Albus snorted in annoyance, irritated, and lowered his wand, letting his brother fall noisily onto the grass. Aberroth stood up quickly, shaky, his head red from all the blood that had pooled in his brain.
“I know you would have liked Mother to live forever, so you wouldn't have had to take care of Ariana…” began the younger one, whipping blood coming from his nose with his hand. “You could never mention that your sister was too traumatised to be a witch, no one could have imagined that behind the best student at Hogwarts lay a father executed at Azkaban for murdering children and a disabled sister whom everyone wanted to forget existed. That would be a bit of a stain on your reputation, wouldn't it ?”
This time, Albus hit the first : the spell hit Abelforth in the chest, who was thrown against the backyard door. His body began to shake while he took in his hand his wand aimed at Albus.
“HOW CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING SO HORRIBLE ?!” screamed the red haired, gaze blurred under the influence of anger. “I WOULD NEVER THINK SUCH A THING !
- What are you guys doing ?” asked a shaky tiny voice.
Both of them turned their heads to the house : their sister, Ariana, had just arrived, her long blue dress floating in the wind while she stared at them with her big blue eyes, like a rabbit hesitating to cross a road. She was gripping her hands like a silent prayer.
Albus blew a second time, trying to let go of his anger, and he caught his brother’s arm to help him stand. He knew why he attacked him : Abelforth had, once again, managed to pinpoint what he really thought, what he didn't dare admit.
The two of them quickly brushed off their clothes to remove as much dust as possible before walking toward her, smiling as reassuringly as they could.
“Everything is alright, Ari. I just showed to Ab’ how to defend himself…
- I’m not stupide.” mumbled Ariana, staring at him, terrified which hurted secretly Albus. “I know that Aberforth is not allowed to use magic, beside Hogwarts. You were fighting about me, again, didn't you ?”
The eldest bit his lips, trying to stay calm and jovial to not worry his sister. Her shivers won’t stop, and he was capable of imagining what she was thinking about herself right now : “You killed Mother and now they tried to kill each other because of your existence : you’re a burden, a spreading infection among this family..” How could he let his little sister think that about herself ?
“We still don’t know how to help things without getting violent…” confessed Aberforth, with a smile, while he put his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “But we’ll get better with it, we promise.”
To follow his brother’s words, which seemed to be enough for the youngest of the family, Albus put his arm around his brother’s waist and smiled with the best smile he could afford at this moment. Ariana looked satisfied and relieved before throwing herself into their arms, hugging them tightly.
“I’m so sorry for being such a mess for you…” whispered Ariana, the face buried against her brothers shirts.
- “Don’t say that, Ari.” answered Albus severely by catching her by the shoulders. “Mother always said that no one could talk about the greatness of Dumbledore's family without considering all its members. We have always been together, no matter what. Don’t forget that we are the last descendants of the first humans to ever tame a phoenix : we are specials, all of us.”
He hugged her tightly, and found his brother’s gaze which seemed to thank him silently. He finally managed to act like the father they wanted him to be… This action should have relieved him, but at that moment, it made him even more anxious. His prefabricated speech, a speciality of his mother’s that he seemed to have acquired the talent for, was just a sugarcoated truth to calm the situation : that what he had been taught… But after a while, it would no longer work. And then, he would really have to take action.
“There is a stranger sitting on the garden wall.” confessed Ariana while looking at both of them.
- “What do you mean by a stranger ?” Dumbledore's second son asked again, frowning.
- “I was just picking up apples on the ground, as usual, being careful to not be seen from the road but he climbed up to sit on it. He saw me but I didn’t stay long, because I immediately ran to warn you…
- Do you think he’s still here ?” asked Aberforth, his wand in hand.
- “Leave it, I'll go.” Albus offered himself. “You’re the dirty one, go and clean yourself up.”
He bypassed the house, ready to use the Forgetfulness Charm or answer 1000 indiscreet questions about this young girl in his garden… Their mother, after years of saying the same liars again and again, had managed to convince everyone that Ariana was so ill that she had to stay in bed. Few people had seen her, and certainly not in good health. His anger, which he put aside earlier to calm down his sister, took over again and Albus suddenly had the hope that this stranger will be more tenacious than those they used to confront. Fighting will help him to unwind.
He walked after the apple trees, finally catching sight of the bad mannered person who had frightened his sister… And his heart leapt.
There was surely a young man sitting on the garden wall. Well, ‘sitting’ was not the right word anymore : the verb ‘lying down’ would be more correct. His blond hair was perfectly styled, managing to create a shape like a halo while he chewed an apple, freshly from the tree above him. His clothes were loose, and his shirt, which seemed to be a little too large for him, was rolled up to his elbows, revealing his milky white skin.
“It’s a private property.” Albus informed, getting closer.
The stranger looked at Albus, his gaze slid over Albus's body, lingering particularly on his chest. The redhead lowered his eyes and realized—with shame—that his shirt had been torn open during his altercation with his brother, revealing much more than was socially acceptable. He quickly got dressed again before regaining his serious expression.
The pretty blond stood up, staying on the wall garden yet, letting one of his legs dangle in the air. He was focused on the apple he just ate, turning it in his hand.
“Are you playing off ground tag or do you not understand my words when I ask you to come down ?” asked Albus, with a polite smile. He ran his hand through his fingers : the stranger finally looked at him before shrugging with casualness.
- “Your hair is as beautiful as this red apple, it would be a shame if I couldn't admire it,” the blond man justified with his strong foreign accent, while biting into the fruit, letting a little juice drip down his chin. He hadn't looked away.
Albus had the terrible feeling that he had just seen himself being devoured, swallowed up by red lips... It gave him a strange feeling in his lower abdomen. He wasn't blushing, far from it, but he was intrigued, very intrigued.
“But don't worry, I'll leave you alone : I'm expected elsewhere.” explained the blond man, jumping up and landing on the road. He turned around, smiling at Albus, amused. “But I might come back to see you ! Oh, and also, I'm keeping the apple : it's too beautiful and too delicious to be wasted.” And then he disappeared with a distinctive noise, leaving the road as empty as usual.
A dog barked in the distance, then a flock of wild geese crossed the sky, and finally the church bell rang 6 p.m. before Albus came to his senses. The encounter he had just had was... well, more than surprising. It had been very—too—quick, but so rich in emotion... He knew nothing about the man except that he had found his hair pretty, oh, and that he was a wizard.
He hoped, at that moment, that the man would keep his promise to come back and see him.
When he got home, still thinking about what happened, he found Ariana sitting on an armchair, looking at Abelforth while he was cooking the super, sweating. He stood in the doorway next to his sister, watching him cook.
“It took you a while-” Aberforth breathed, cutting raw meat with a knife worthy of a Muggle newspaper headline. “You got trouble ?
- Not at all.” answered Albus, factually, raising his wand to light a fire below a pot his brother had prepared. He looked inside : there were potatoes inside, ready to be cooked.
Faced with his brother's lack of response, Aberforth shrugged and got back to his activity. However, Ariana had noticed the lack of detail in his brother's account and stared at him hesitantly.
“I’m still causing trouble, isn't it ?” she asked, with a shaking voice. “Mother often obliviated people because of me : I’m so sorry, big brother !” she excused herself.
- “It doesn't matter, Ari.” Aberforth reassured her. “Albus is a very good wizard, it’s not a problem for him, isn’t it ?
- Yeah, surely.” answered Albus vaguely, too focused about this strange meeting, swinging his wand anywhere to help.
- “DON’T POINT IT ON ARIANA !” Aberforth screamed, taking it from his hands by force, but the harm had already been done.
Their sister stood up suddenly, panic stricken : magic was her biggest nightmare. Their mother, after years, hadn't made things any better : as soon as her daughter began to lose her footing, she didn't hesitate to point her wand at her to control her by force. A magic wand was a traumatisme for Ariana. A moment later, the pot full of potatoes, whose water had begun to boil, tipped over onto Albus, who narrowly avoided it.
His sister terrified him at times like these: such power contained within such an unusable vessel...
But what was even worse was that Ariana Dumbledore's biggest victim was herself.
“I’m sorry ! I got scared, Albus ! Believe me !”Ariana apologized tearfully, taking small steps backward. “I didn't do it on purpose !
- Ari, you need to calm down,” Aberforth whispered, approaching her gently and placing his knife as far away from her as possible.
- “You have to learn to control your magic. Do what Aberforth says,” added the redhead as calmly as possible, taking his wand from his brother's hands and using it to suck up the water.
- “I can't do it ! I don't know how !” The young girl looked in horror at the potatoes on the floor, trembling from head to toe.
- “Ariana, you have to control yourself or you'll explode again !” Albus shouted in despair.
Then all hell broke loose.
The walls of the house began to shake, the furniture wobbled, and the dresser crashed to the floor. Ariana looked around her, frightened : she knew it was her raw magic expressing itself.
“No, I don't want to !” she cried, sliding down against the wall. “RUN !” she yelled at her siblings. “I DON'T WANT TO KILL THEM, NOT LIKE MOM ! I WANT THIS TO STOP !”
Lost in her emotions, she didn't seem to notice that her body was transforming into a huge black, viscous but vaporous thing. Her eyes rolled back as she continued to talk to herself. Albus then saw his own little sister become nothing but resentment, fear, and disgust for herself in the face of her own nature... He had heard about this in Transfiguration then DADA classes, and he also knew what awaited Ariana one day if they waited too long to act.
He didn't want his sister to become an Obscurial.
Or maybe she already was. For years, his mother had turned a blind eye, refusing to send his sister to St. Mungo's... Should Albus send her there one day ? Or would it be too late ? He didn't want to have to make that decision.
“ALBUS !” his brother yelled, grabbing his own wand. He looked at him, shaking his head.
Albus raised his wand, feeling his heart break at having to point it at his own sister. He aimed it at Ariana's face, who, faced with the object, was seized by a spasm of terror. She looked like a rabid rabbit who knew she would have to be killed to end her suffering. The rest of the broken dishes were hurled at them, but he easily blocked them with a shield charm. The black creature that had taken possession of Ariana let out a soul-piercing scream.
Albus then gathered all the best memories he had, trying to forget who was in front of him: his entrance to Hogwarts, his travel plans with Elphias, evenings by the fire with his mother, hunting trips with his father, his encounter with that blond stranger...
The white phoenix, pure and full of hope, flew across the room and struck Ariana square in the chest. The smoke evaporated immediately, the girl's body collapsing to the floor, giving the two brothers time to run to her and wrap their arms around her.
"It's okay, Ariana. Everything will be fine. No one will come looking for you or threaten you. Ab and I will defend you no matter what. Your magic will never hurt us, you know that. You just need to calm down, like Mom taught you, remember?" Albus whispered, rubbing her back. Ariana stifled a sob against his shirt, clinging to him like a baby.
She burst into tears, collapsing to the floor and forcing her two brothers to accompany her in her fall. Aberforth smiled at his brother, completely unaware of what his elder sibling was thinking:
Albus was seething with shameful rage.
Once again, he had been reminded of his role as a surrogate father. His sister could never live alone ; it was impossible to imagine now. He would have to stay with her forever : he was the only one who could calm her down. And this was only the second time in the same day, knowing that it was still early summer... He would never admit it, but at that moment, he felt as if his own family had just put him in chains.
“This house will be our new tomb,” his mother's voice echoed in his head.
"Ariana, go rest in your room. I'll take you there with Ab'." Albus managed to say in his most reassuring voice to hide his bitterness. He tried to lift his sister by the arm, but she looked at him with wide, sorry eyes.
- “Bathilda is coming to dinner tonight ! I can't !
- Well, we'll send Bathilda home,” explained the redhead, smiling at her as he forced her to stand up.
-“But she's coming especially to introduce us to her nephew from Denmark. I can't be the cause of another problem, and—”
Sensing that the situation was still shifting, Albus took his sister by the face, forcing her to look at him.
“Everything will be fine, Ariana. Bathilda knows our family well, she'll never blame you for feeling sick. You need to rest now so that next time, you'll be able to join us for dinner. Do you understand ?” The youngest nodded, to which Albus responded with a small smile.
Aberforth offered to take her to bed, leaving Albus to clean up the mess. As the rest of his siblings climbed the stairs in silence, there was a knock at the front door. He ran a hand through his hair, put on his best smile, and opened the door to welcome the elderly neighbor and her nephew, and his breath caught in his throat.
Bathilda stood upright, smiling, on the doorstep, but she was accompanied by a young blond man with a charming smile, whose sleeves had been rolled up to reveal his pale skin. His anger turned to excitement.
“Albus !” Bathilda exclaimed enthusiastically, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m so glad to see you again, it’s been a while since the funeral ! Oh and yes, this is my nephew, the one who’s coming from Danemark, Grindelwald Gellert !” The blond came closer, held out his hand, and before Albus could shake it, Grindelwald had brought it to his lips to kiss it.
- “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dumbledore.” he said with respect.
- “Oh Gellert !” complained Bathilda, apparently annoyed by his manners. “You’re in England now, no need to hand-kissing here, especially to a long family friend like Albus !
- It’s okay !” Albus laughed, smiling. “Nice to meet you too, Mr Grindelwald.I think we have a lot to talk about…
- Gellert will be delighted to talk to you !” answered happily Bahtilda, smiling to her nephew who seemed as happy as her. “Since he’s here, I won’t stop talking about you Albus !
- Really ?” asked the red haired, thinking about what she might have said : the storyline of Dumbledore's family was more dark than charming…
His muggle-killer father, his sister paralyzed by her own powers and his paranoid mother who had forced her children to run away across the country… The scene was just totally demoralizing. But, he hoped that his own achievements during his school years were more appealing for Grindelwald than his macabre family. Maybe, Grindelwald could accept to see anything in him more than a son forced to be a father after his mother.
“I was the closest friend of Kendra and also her only here : don’t worry Albus, our family will keep your secrets safe. Could we enter by the way ?” she asked, looking behind his shoulder.
Albus realized, with shame, that he let their visitors on the front step and now he needed to put them away. Being the head of family was -too- complicated.
“About that,” he started, uncomfortable. “Ariana just had a crisis.”
Bathilda let out a discreet ‘Oh’ before hiding her mouth behind her gloved hand. Grindelwald frowned but said nothing more.
“Again..? Will that poor child never get a break ?” Bathilda said, shocked, with a look of pity.
- “I’m very sorry, I should have sent you a message sooner…
- Oh don’t apologize about this ! Managing a family alone at only 17 years old, with such a fragile young woman... I kept telling poor Kendra that she should have sent her to a healer long ago, but you knew her better than I did, my dear : she was traumatized by the idea of losing another member of her family.”
Albus nodded, uncomfortable, that she spoke about his family’s past in front of a stranger. His mother has always been so mysterious about what she was thinking or feeling, especially in front of her children. She was more disposed to confess to some of her rare friends, like Bathilda. Since her funeral, he never stopped thinking about what he hadn't been able to tell her, knowing that it was too late to obtain answers… When he had questions, his professors had taught him to write to specialists, with the aim of corresponding with them until he received a satisfactory response. But who could answer him about that specific topic ?
No one knew, he was aware, but since the beginning of summer he had already written dozens, if not more, letters to his mother...
He knew that Bathilda had many answers to give to them, especially him, but not now and obviously not in front of her nephew who had just arrived.… His discomfort was noticed by Grindelwald, who immediately took his aunt under his arm to leave.
“My aunt, I think we should leave Mr Dumbledore alone with his family now.” he explained, softly.
- “Oh yes, you’re right ! Sorry Albus, I’m lost in my thoughts.” Bathilda apologized, following her nephew. “You’re a very polite man, Gellert : I’m going to write to your mother about that, she must be proud !
- Don't bother yourself like that.” Grindelwald replied politely before winking at Albus, who responded with a smile.
“Oh, just one last thing!” the old lady hastened to say to the eldest Dumbledore. "You, your brother, and your sister are welcome in my home. Kendra would have asked me to look after you, so don't hesitate to come and see us !
“Thank you for your hospitality,” said Albus, bowing.
“Have a good evening, Mr. Dumbledore,” concluded Grindelwald, bowing slightly before the two disappeared.