4 4: Animagi and grandfather's wish

"You're sure the storm is coming today?" asked a worried girl.

"I'm more than sure. Haven't had a vision as clear as this one in ages." answered the girl's brother, trying to make her relax. The brother and sister pair were in a clearing in the middle of a forest that was right beside the castle.

Truth be told, Alaric, the girl's brother, was as nervous as her. After three months of preparing, he had a vision at the perfect time. But what in the end worried the blonde-haired youth wasn't the storm, but the process they were going to use to turn into animagus. Apart from the normal mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month, and the daily chanting of the incantation, there was a simple factor that could completely change the outcome. Discovered by their grandfather, if a creature's of choice part was added as one of the ingredients for the potion and, right before the storm, said ingredient was added during a sacrificing ritual, then, after ingesting the potion, one could become whatever creature they wanted.

The twins, who were sitting right in the middle of an extensive ritual circle, looked at each other. "What did you bring as sacrifice?" Hearing that word, Lysandra's face frowned a bit, before pulling from her enchanted pouch an egg. "A Demiguise egg..." she said. "And you?"

When Alaric heard his sister, he hesitated for a bit. He knew how much she hated dark magic, but she had understood that this ritual would only benefit her. Still, he took out his creature, remembering the trouble he had gone through to get at least an evil beast, to sort of appease the girl. He then shoved his hand into his magical pouch, slowly taking out a sickly green creature with sharp little horns, with small tentacles in its lower body, who was thrashing around, trying to scratch Alaric with its pale, long fingers.

"Ewww, a Grindylow. Where did you get that thing?"

Before Alaric could answer her, the sky above started to darken. The sound of thunders could be heard, and the occasional flashing light indicated that the electrical storm had arrived.

"You're ready?"

"Yeah, let's begin."

The duo then stood up in the ritual circle. Each put their desired beast part in the vial. Afterward, Lysandra smashed her egg with her foot, before chanting a different incantation than normal. Alaric, after slicing the Grindylow's throat with a ritual knife, chanted the same incantation. Finishing at the same time, the twins downed the potion in one go, before waiting for their results.

Then, Lysandra fell to the ground, convulsing, before turning into what appeared to be a small black-furred cat. With a pair of silvery blue eyes, the cat had luscious black fur. It was about fifty centimeters long, with sharp-like claws, and a tail half the size of its body. The cat then purred a bit, before turning back into Lysandra.

While her sister transformed, Alaric also started to convulse. His arms grew smaller, before starting to sport some feathers. He then slowly turned into a raven-like bird. However, the raven's size was bigger than it was supposed to be. Apart from its jet-black feathers, silver linings could be seen across those same feathers, with the same silvery-blue eyes of the Grindelwald family. The raven lifted himself into the air, before flying in circles in the clearing. The raven slowly perched on Lysandra's head, before speaking.

"I have to say, you got taste, Lys," said Alaric, staying in his raven form. It felt... rather comfortable.

"I think that wasn't up for debate. Still, did Grandfather have a scroll about animagus transformation in his library?" Lysandra wondered. 'Did he really create this new process?'

"It isn't that strange, is it? I found it stashed beneath Merlin knows how many books. But all was worth it. The feeling of having wings gives me a sense of unspeakable freedom. I wonder... How high do you think I can fly? I'm curious, at what height can wings take me before I don't have enough oxygen or strength..." He then looked at his sister, who just deadpanned at him.

"You really are mental, brother"

___________________________________

-Nurmengard Castle, 1989-

On a cold evening in the Austrian Alps, a heated discussion was underway. On the topmost floor of the Nurmengard Castle, Gellert had two visitors, and one of them was giving him a headache.

A headache named Alaric, who was revolted by his grandfather's request "Why grandfather?! Of all schools that there are in Europe, why Hogwarts? They won't let me practice the dark arts there! And Durmstrang even as his own course! Hell, I'd rather go to Beauxbatons, at least they have an alchemy elective in their third year!"

Had any other person asked the same request his grandfather just did, he would just shut them down, without further discussion. The thing was that this was the first request Gellert had made in all these years they'd known him.

"But Hogwarts is hailed as the best magical school. Not only that, you'll have the current most powerful wizard in the world as your headmaster." said their grandfather, with a small smile.

"But isn't he your nemesis, or something like that?" asked the girl sitting on Alaric's left. She was tired of listening to her brother's rant, and so, decided to change the subject.

Grindelwald pondered for a moment, before deciding "Well, I guess it's time to tell you the full story..."

After re-telling the events the kids knew to their full extent, Gellert heavily sighed, as if some weight was lifted from his shoulders. 'It's not every day I get to remember those years like these'

"So you're telling us, Albus Dumbledore, the equivalent to a light's dark lord, wasn't your enemy, but your best friend?!"

"Well, Albus did sort of turn into my enemy, but I've always considered him my best friend. He was the one who made me open my eyes to the truth. He's the only reason I haven't just escaped this prison, as the only way to pay him back was to atone for my sins." said warmly the former Dark Lord.

"I still don't understand the reason why you want us to go to Hogwarts grandfather," spoke Alaric again, addressing the main issue.

Gellert then sighed again. "You see... Albus always had a habit of overthinking things. I'm sure the appearance of the last Dark Lord and me, made him think that he was the one responsible for both of our crimes..."

"Yeah, Voldemort, the half-blood. I wonder what those pureblooded British bigots would think of it." Alaric chuckled. He didn't believe it at first when his grandfather told him about the true identity of the now-deceased Dark Lord. But after extensive research, he and his sister found out that it was true.

Lysandra, laughing at her brother's thought, turned to her grandfather. "Let me guess, you want us to enroll there, and try to convince him that your misdeeds were, in fact, your fault. And as an extra, I guess you want Alaric to showcase his "legal" dark magic arsenal, and show him that he only means good."

"Amazing deduction as always, little Lys, that's precisely it. And Alaric, I'm not saying you can't train your dark arts. There are plenty of secluded places in Hogwarts where you can practice your not-so-family-friendly spells."

Alaric then leaned on his chair, closed his eyes, and started to scratch his chin. After some time of thinking, he came up with some "compensations" for his trouble.

"Then if you really want to send me to Hogwarts. I want two things in return." He then looked at Gellert's own white-blue eyes, who just nodded. "I want you to teach me Protego Diabolica and I want the location of the best book in enchanting you have in your library."

Gellert's gaze didn't leave his grandson, as if he was a statue. He then just nodded "I guess you've mastered fiendfyre enough. As for the book..." He then sent a mental probe, which Alaric just let in, with the information he needed. Alaric then stoop up and shook his grandfather's hand.

"You've got yourself a deal grandfather!"

Gellert then looked at his granddaughter "And you Lysandra, do you wish to extort this old man as well?"

Lysandra just smiled "Not at all. Going to Hogwarts means less time around dark magic for Al. And they say the matron in charge of the infirmary used to be a world-renowned healing mistress. So it's a win-win."

After some small talk, the twins ended up going home. Meanwhile, Gellert Grindelwald was looking up at the moon, lost in his thoughts.

'Albus, Albus, even with being stuck in this place, I've still got to help you' he thought, remembering the vision he had of a certain noseless bastard rising from his "grave".