True Love Conquers All (sequel to Loving You)

Chapter XVIII {The Return of the Ginger}

*3 days later*

Hermione sits reading a book by the fire as i make some tea. the hillside is glorious, overlooking a vast valley.

"you've outdone yourself." Harry says to Hermione

"the Forest of Dean. i came here once with Mum and Dad, years ago. its just how i remember it. the trees. the river. its like nothing changed. not true, of course. everything's changed. if i brought my parents here, they wouldn't recognize it. not the trees. not the river. not...me." Hermione says

i sit down beside Hermione and lean my head against her shoulder, taking a sip of the hot tea. laying Dumbledore's book in my lap.

"where are they?" i ask

"Wendell and Monica Wilkens now reside happily in Sydney, Australia. they have two dogs, run a small sweet shop, but floss daily. no children." Hermione smiles, but then it fades. "maybe we should just stay here. grow old."

Harry has no words. she inhales, shakes off her tears.

"you wanted to know who the boy in the photograph was. well, i know." i hold up the book in my lap: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.

"it was in Bathilda's sitting room. Rita Skeeter had sent it to her. it doesn't make for a very nice reading-" i begin

"who is he, Vanessa? the thief? did Dumbledore know him?" Harry asks urgently

"yes." i say simply

"well?" Harry asks impatiently

"for a time." i say

"tellme, Vanessa. who is he?" Harry asks

"Gellert Grindelwald. he's not very well known in Britain, but there was a time, before You-Know-Who..." i say

"Vanessa, i don't need to have to read A History of Magic to know who Gellert Grindelwald is" Harry says

i nod, hand him the book, which is open to a photograph of a teenaged Dumbledore laughing with Gellert. the caption "For the Greater Good? Dark Days; Dumbledore and Grindelwald." on the opposite page is a photograph of Grindelwald in later days, clad in black, holding a jagged wand--no longer the carefree lad of youth.

"when Grindelwald was seventeen, he was expelled from Durmstang. he'd started doing some twisted things at school--experiments. a few teachers had always protected him, but they couldn't anymore. after he left, he traveled for awhile, then ended up in Godric's Hallow where his great aunt lived, Bathilda Bagshot." i explain

"get to the hard part, Vanessa." Harry says sharply

obviously he still hasn't warmed up to the thought of me being a Death Eater.

"she introduced him to Dumbledore. it made sense. Dumbledore's mother had just died, Grindelwald was troubled and they were both brilliant--they'd never really had anyone they could talk to on the same level. they did a lot of talking that summer. but they always returned to one particular subject." i say

Harry looks up

"Wizard rule of Muggles." i say gulping

"and Dumbledore believed it?" Harry asks

"yes." i mumble

Harry nods, looking at the photograph again "'For the Greater Good'. what does that mean?"

"it was something Dumbledore came up with. he believed Wizards were superior and should rule over Muggles, but gently, for their own good. Grindelwald took a more violent position." i say