((Also on my Quotev: https://www.quotev.com/Bellatrix394/journal/5754903/His-Greatest-Fear-Grindeldore-FanFiction))
It was that time of the year again at Hogwarts (more definitely the Defense Against the Dark Arts class). Boggarts.
Albus leaned against the counter that lined the classroom, waiting for his students to arrive. He glanced at the large wardrobe in the middle of the room. It shook slightly as the boggart inside of it tried to break free from its wooden prison.
As the clock struck 9:30am, third year students flooded into the classroom, making a crowd towards the front of the room.
"Alright everyone!" Albus said, stepping up to address the group of students. "Today we're going to fighting a boggart. Can anyone tell me what a boggart is?"
Albus called on the only student with their hand raised.
"A boggart is a creature that shapeshifts to match whoever their going against biggest fear," they said confidently.
"Yes!" Albus exclaimed, clapping his hands together happily. "There is a spell specifically for fighting against boggarts. This spell doesn't hurt it or kill it, but merely changes it into something that isn't scary. For example, say I'm scared of spiders. The boggart would turn into a spider, I would think of something to make the spider funny, say the spell, and turn what it's my mind as funny to what's on the spider to keep it from being scary. Does that make sense?"
The students all said yes in one way or another, whether it be a nod or a 'yeah'.
"Very good. Now, this spell is fairly simple. It's Riddikulus," he said. "Everyone repeat that."
"Riddikulus," the class repeated.
"Perfect! Now, everyone form a single file line in front of this wardrobe. There is a boggart inside; everyone will be facing their worst fear. But, fear not, nothing you see is real."
The students filed into a line, Albus used silent magic to unlock the wardrobe, a large snake slithered out. And so it began.
As students stepped up to the boggart and defeated it, the line dwindled down. Spiders, snakes, demons, bloody eyes, and even things like clowns, dolls, and salad were shown.
Then, a rather quiet student shuffled up to the boggart. A few whispers went threw the room - other children desperate to find out more about this particular, rather odd student.
Gasps, screams, and the sound of panic could be heard as the boggart transformed into none other than Gellert Grindelwald.
Albus rushed in front of the student.
"Class dismissed!" he said urgently, covering up what boggart Grindelwald had muttered. But, Albus heard it. He heard what he heard every time he stepped in front of boggart.
As the class filed out, Albus locked the door behind them, preparing himself to fight the boggart in the room with him. He shook a bit as he walked to the boggart, eyes watering slightly. He knew it wasn't real, but that didn't stop him from the wave of emotion that crashed over him as he looked at the replica of his ex-lover.
"I've never loved you, Albus, you pathetic fool," the boggart muttered. Albus bit his bottom lip slightly, finding himself unable to lift his wand.
"I was just using you. I knew you were vulnerable, so desperate for love that you'd fall for anyone."
Just as Albus had managed to point his wand at the boggart, his grip faltered and his wand dropped to the ground.
"How ridiculous you are. Thinking anyone could ever love you. Especially someone like me. You can't seriously think you were ever deserving of love."
Albus tensed slightly as he felt tears starting to stream down his face.
"No one could love you. You might've killed your own sister. If you can't keep your sister alive, what makes you think you would ever be able to keep a lover?"
He fell to the floor, too upset to even stand there. He wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them to his chest. He couldn't see himself escaping this situation.
The boggart crouched down next to him, roughly grabbing his chin and forcing him to make eye contact with it.
"You think I could ever be gay? That's disgusting, Albus. You're a fucking disgrace to humanity; the fact that I ever associated with you revolts me."
Albus shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to look at it. No matter how much he told himself it wasn't real, he couldn't stop the tears from trailing down his cheeks. Even if he had gathered the strength to hold his hand and point it at the other, he couldn't think of a single thing that could make this fear funny.
"You were so easy to take advantage of, Dumbledore. And I did that in more ways then one. What we did together wasn't out of love but mere lust that had passed over me."
Albus let out a choked sob. He knew he couldn't see there forever. And he certainly knew he couldn't wait for someone to find him. No one could know that this was what he feared above all else.
"All those things I said when we were children, everytime I made you blush or smile, I didn't mean them. None of them. I was just buttering you up so that you'd help me. No. Not help. I didn't need your help. So that you'd give me what I wanted."
Albus gingerly picked his wand up off the floor and pointed it at the other.
"R...Riddikulus," he said heartlessly.
"You're pathetic."
"...Riddikulus..." he choked out threw tears.
"I hate you."
Albus sighed, wanting to get something out of his system before even attempting to defeat the boggart: "Gellert...I know this isn't you. But, I just need to say it...I love you."
The boggart rolled its eyes. "Pathetic."
"Riddikulus," Albus said a bit more clearly, managing to defeat the boggart, immediately sending it back into the wardrobe.
Albus got up from the ground slowly, gingerly reaching up to wipe the tears from his face.
He glanced up to the wardrobe and muttered a simple phrase: "I'm sorry."
