Summer 1899 // Grindledore

Goodbyes

"Merlin, what are you doing here?" Aberforth groaned, his knuckles tightening around his goat's rope lead.

"I'm here to see your brother, of course." Gellert stated as he nodded towards the Dumbledore household both boys stood outside of. "Can I go in?"

"No. Albus is busy."

"With what?"

Aberforth shrugged, refusing to look at Gellert in the eyes. "...stuff."

"Stuff? Really? Just "stuff" I'm glad the great Albus Dumbledore occupies his time by doing "stuff". Good to know."

"Listen, smart arse," Aberforth yelled in a whisper, "just get out of here. Nobody wants you here."

"Your brother sure seems to, especially when we -"

"Get outta here!"

"Gellert?" Albus' voice said from behind Aberforth. "Come in."

Gellert pushed past Aberforth with a smirk.

"Come to my room."

The two boys walked up the stairs. Albus shut the door.

"Albus, we need to leave."

"What?"

"Gregorovitch. i'm sure he has it!"

"has what?"

"The elder wand. Now, we need to leave."

"I can't leave my siblings."

Grindelwald sighed. "Bring Ariana with us. We can heal her. And find the resurrection stone."

Albus bit his lip with consideration. The Elder Wand? The Stone? Nothing about this seems real, but if gets the stone he can bring his parents back.

"Albus?"

"yes?"

"Do you love me?"

"yes."

"Then you'll come with me."

Albus swallowed. "ok. Go get Ariana, I'll pack our bags."

Gellert walked down the stairs and began to explain the situation to Ariana. She was excited to travel. On the other hand, Aberforth was not happy.

"She isn't going anywhere."

Albus entered the room with two bags. "everything ok?"

"you're idiot brother wants to get in between us!"

"You fool!" Aberforth yelled.

Grindelwald pulled out his wand and pointed it at the younger Dumbledore brother. "Cruciatus!"

Alberforth fell to the grown in pain. his face turned a shade of red as he wormed on the floor as he cried on the floor."

"Stop! you're hurting him!"

"That's the point, love."

Albus dropped the bags and waved his wand at Gellert. "expelliarmus!"

Gellert blocked the spell. "Do you really think you can best me? Albus... you're not stupid."

Aberforth got up and and yelled a weak spell towards Gellert. Albus didn't knows how to protect. All three of them begin shouting until they heard a gasp. All of the boys stopped.

"Albus, Aberforth?" Ariana said in a whisper. "I don't feel good." The girl fell to the ground, dead.

Gellert wasted no time leaving the Dumbledore residence, leaving his lover behind.

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The funeral was quaint, much like Ariana herself.

When Albus showed up, Aberforth punched him in the nose.

"How could you be so stupid?" Aberforth said, walking away.

He left his sister's funeral a broken man with a broken heart.