𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝 {𝐇. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫}

107

Before Australia
Johnny led the way back to the castle, and suddenly an idea sprang to mind. Ron and Harry looked on confused as Johnny handed them the Invisibility Cloak and sprinted off down the hallways, searching for an abandoned, intact classroom. Johnny found the old Defence Against the Dark Arts room free and intact, only a few glass panes missing from the windows.

Johnny pulled the Elder Wand out of his pocket, gazed at it as he turned it in his hands, and waved. All but one chair and desk was stacked neatly in the corner of the room.

"Expecto Patronum," Johnny watched as the silver wolf jumped from his wand, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of his mouth as it nudged his head with Johnny's. "I need you to deliver a message to Nymphadora Tonks," the wolf let out a loud bark in understanding. "Tell her to come to the DADA classroom," the wolf barked once more and ran through the door. Johnny sighed as he sat behind the desk, placing the Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone in front of him. In the corner of his eye, he saw the brief flicker of James and Sirius before they disappeared.

It didn't take long for Tonks to appear in the doorway with furrowed eyebrows. She grew even more confused when Johnny asked her to clutch the Stone in her hand, but she trusted Johnny, the boy she considered a younger brother, and did as she was told. When he heard her gasp, Johnny knew the Stone had worked and left the classroom, just standing outside the door.

"Dad, Evan, Sirius..." Tonks said, half sobbing, so Johnny stopped listening, opting to watching Mr. Filch from the window, bustling about with an old brush. When Tonks had stepped out of the room, Johnny looked behind him to see her wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Thank you," Tonks's mumbled, pulling Johnny into a tight hug, kissing his forehead.

"Of course," Johnny said quietly, squeezing Tonks's shoulder. Word spread around that Johnathan Grindelwald had a magical Stone that allowed you to see dead relatives and friends, and suddenly Johnny found himself facing a long queue of Hogwarts Students, Teachers, Ministry workers and Percy Weasley, who looked rather downtrodden as he stood in the front of the queue.

"Stop pushing!" Johnny yelled over the heads of the occupants of the line. When he heard quiet, "yes, Professor Grindelwald's," from everyone, Percy entered the room and sat down on the chair.

"I'm sorry, for being a pompous twat," Percy apologised to Johnny before he took the Stone. Johnny nodded in understanding, patting Percy's shoulder.

"It's my wife," said Percy before Johnny could leave the room. Johnny turned to see Percy staring down at his lap. "You remember Penelope Clearwater? Yes, I married her in September last year, making sure the Ministry never found out, as she was Muggle-Born. They found out last month, and invaded our house, killing her in the process."

"I'm truly sorry," said Johnny, reappearing at Percy's side.

"C-could you maybe stay with me?" Percy asked, and Johnny nodded instantly. Johnny waited in the corner of the room as he watched Percy talked to what looked like no one, but he knew he was talking to Penelope by the way Percy broke down, hugging the air. When Percy finished, he hugged Johnny like a brother and left the room. That's how the day went, with people coming in and out of the room, often asking Johnny to stay with them as they talked. Johnny's heart clenched when he saw close friends, like Dennis Creevey, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Luna enter.

It was eight pm now, and Johnny was about to pick up the Stone for a conversation with the people he loved when a voice was cleared from the doorway. Johnny looked up, the Elder Wand, clutched in his hand behind his back, but let out a sigh of relief when it was only Draco stood in the doorway, hesitant and apparently nervous.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked him. Draco didn't answer with words, he just indicated that he wasn't by shaking his head. He entered the classroom with his eyes set on the floor, and sat in the chair opposite Johnny.

"I-I'm sorry," Draco said hoarsely, his red, tear-stained cheeks looking up at Johnny for the first time since he arrived. "F-for being a dick to you and your friends, for thinking I'm better than everyone else, for every bad thing I've done."

"Apology accepted," said Johnny, causing Draco's head to snap up. "I'll accept your apology, but it doesn't mean I'm going to let you in mine, Hermione's or my child's lives just like that, you're going to need to earn the trust."

Draco nodded,wiping his cheeks on his sleeve as he left. Johnny was left in silence and in the dark, so he pulled the Elder Wand out of his coat pocket and muttered the words under his breath, the candles lightening instantly. He picked the Stone up, closing his eyes, thinking of one person who he needed to talk to for some fatherly advice.

"Alright, son?" Johnny heard the gruff voice say, and Johnny opened to his eyes to see a younger version of Moody standing in front of him, scarless, with two working legs, two eyes and a full nose.

A/n: Luke Evans as young Mad-Eye Moody.

"I need some advice, from a father," said Johnny, watching Moody take the seat in front of him and cross his legs.

"This better not be about your love life, son," Moody's loud laugh echo'd around the room.

"Yours was instinct anyway," Johnny joked, causing the two of them to break into laughter once more. "No," Johnny shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I just need some general advice about adult life."

"My dad's advice... Essentially, your name is your integrity, and how people know you will do what you say you will do. It's how they know you'll live up the standards you have set for yourself as a son, husband, father, professional, and so on," said Moody, leaning forward so he was eye level with Johnny, who was drinking up every word that came out of Moody's mouth. "I didn't realise until later in life how profound and deep this was. I was building my own personal reputation, and my name was how people in my profession network knew me, Mad-Eye, because I had driven myself mad with capturing every last Death Eater. When I was gone, what do you reckon they said about me? They probably said I was raging lunatic with a slight alcohol problem."

Johnny and Moody chuckled.

"Thanks, dad," Johnny smiled.

"No problem at all, son," Moody nodded firmly. "Now you go to Australia and find that fiancé and child of yours, and give your mother a hug from me."

"I will, I promise."