The Rising of Merlin

The One With the Broken Wand

Chapter 51 The One With the Broken Wand

Tom couldn't believe his luck. Sure, he had sustained substantial damage after the duel with the boy who called himself Emrys, which had taken almost two weeks to recover from, but he had discovered the identity of the thief, which is why he was now on his way to visit the man himself, little more than a month after New Year's Eve.

He glided around the high walls of the black fortress, looking up at the topmost window at the highest tower. 'Time to fly,' he thought and rose up into the night, flying straight up to the window at the very top of the tower.

The window was a mere slit in the black rock, not big enough for a man to enter. He could see a skeletal figure when he looked though it, curled beneath a blanket. Dead or sleeping? He had no idea.

He forced himself through the window like a snake, landing inside the cell-like room as lightly as vapour but still loud enough for the figure to stir underneath the blanket. He rolled over towards him, eyes opening in a skull of a face.

The frail man sat up, great sunken eyes fixed upon him, upon Voldemort, and then he smiled. Most of his teeth were gone which turned the gesture into a twisted grimace.

"So, you have come." The man said. "I thought you would... one day. But your journey was pointless, I never had it."

"You lie!" Tom hissed. "I know you had it, you stole it from the pathetic man Gregorovitch."

"Even so," Grindelwald smirked. "It's long gone now." He cackled.

"Who has it?" Voldemort stepped closer to the man, his wand raised.

"I will never tell you." Grindelwald spat which only made Tom angrier.

He reached out his magic to the old man and went deep into his mind. He dwelled into his memories. Of a battle fought long ago, of a younger version of Dumbledore as he picked up the wand from the ground while Grindelwald lay half unconscious on the ground, his vision blurry.

"I see," Tom smiled manically. "And his foolish friends left it in his grave, unprotected, ready for the taking." He looked down at the frail man. "I have no use for you any more." He said and raised his wand.

"Kill me then Voldemort," Grindelwald said calmly, a sneer on his face. "I welcome death! But my death will not bring you what you seek... there is so much you do not understand... so much you chose to neglect in search of power..."

"Silence!" Tom roared but Grindelwald just started laughing.

"The wand will be your doom," Grindelwald laughed. "Only Emrys can use it at its full potential." Voldemort had been close to end this man's life, but his words put a temporary stop to his plans.

"Emrys?" He hissed.

"Oh, you've heard of him?" Grindelwald smiled. "Good."

"Who is he?" Tom snarled and took a step forward, pointing his wand to the man's forehead.

"He is the most powerful warlock to ever walk this earth," Grindelwald said defiantly, never breaking eye contact. "He will be your doom." He sneered.

"We'll see about that," Tom hissed and stepped back.

"Kill me then!" Demanded the old man. "You will not win, you cannot win! The wand will never be yours..."

"Avada Kedavra!" A jet of green light shot from the tip of his wand, hitting the man square in the chest. Now all he needed to do was visit an old friend and he could set his plan in motion.