The Battle of Ages (Patreon)

Europe, 2nd November 1945

Tall, crumbling buildings rose around the city, dark gray smoke drifting into the sky. The street was torn, chunks of debris littering what remained. A lone man stood on a high pedestal, the silver buttons of his waistcoat glinting in the afternoon sun. Smoke curled from his lips, embers of fire lighting up on the tip of the cigar held in his mouth.

Ash drifted down, settling on the remains of a bronze statue, as a sharp crack rang through the town. The man’s heterochromatic eyes snapped open, a long, beaded wand slipping out of his sleeve into his fingers.

“Those things are not good for you, you know?” A voice rang from behind him. “But I suppose you no longer seek my counsel, Gellert.”

Grindelwald took out the cigar, dropping it at his feet with a long exhale, smoke drifting into patterns in front of his eyes.

“And yet you give it.” Grindelwald crushed the cigar beneath his feet. “I wanted your counsel when we saw the same vision, Albus. A vision that saw a better life for wizardkind. A vision of a better world. A world where we wouldn’t be cowering under our enchantments to hide ourselves from muggles. You were the one who turned on me. You turned on magic itself. You turned on the greater good, Albus.”

“I did no such thing,” Dumbledore replied, and Grindelwald whirled around.

“Yes, you got cold feet at the last moment, didn’t you?” Grindelwald spat. “You were always a coward, hiding behind false pretenses of bravado. Together, we could’ve been great. By now, the muggles would’ve been crushed beneath our heel and magic would’ve reigned free. But you sought your own good, didn’t you? You were selfish.”

“Perhaps I was, but now it doesn’t matter.” Dumbledore glanced around. “Look around you, Gellert. This is not the greater good. This is madness. The very people you seek to protect have turned against you.”

“They are weak-minded fools, Albus and you know it. Mindless herds of sheep, weren’t they?”

“And I regret using such words and will always do,” Dumbledore sighed. “I was blinded by visions of power… and by power itself. Just like you are right now. Even though defeat lies in front of you, you’re too blind to accept it!”

“You mean Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black’s little stunt?” Grindelwald waved his hand dismissively. “Those two will regrettably be dealt with.”

“You mean killed?”

“It is for the greater good, Albus.” Grindelwald smiled. “Now, may I ask why you’re here? Surely it is not to catch up with your old friend, is it?”

Dumbledore visibly steeled himself. “No. I am here to end this, Gellert. Once and for all.”

Grindelwald raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to fight me, Albus?”

“To death if need be.” Dumbledore drew his wand. “But this war ends today.”

“You think you can defeat me? With the wand in my hand.” Grindelwald ran his fingers over the bumps of the wand. “This wand?”

“The wand doesn’t make you undefeatable, Gellert.” Dumbledore smiled. “It has been passed down the ages by conquest. How do you think it came to be?”

“This is the deathstick, Albus.” Grindelwald’s eyes burned. “The Elder Wand. The wand of destiny. You know of its power. Its fable. We dreamed of this together. And now you’ll tear apart everything we wanted for your own selfish gain? To be a hero? It is not too late, Albus. Don’t do this. I do not wish to fight you.”

“You’ve left me with no other option, Gellert. You’ll tear the world apart if I don’t stop you.” Dumbledore closed his eyes. “Surrender and all of this can be avoided.”

“No.” Grindelwald’s proclamation rang through the empty city.

“So be it.” Dumbledore opened his eyes and jabbed his wand, a crimson beam of light streaking across the street toward Grindelwald, who batted it away.

The tip of the Elder Wand glowed and the sky darkened with violet clouds. Dumbledore's eyes widened as the sharp scent of ozone prickled his nose. He spun his wand in a circle just as a bolt of eldritch purple lightning cracked in the sky, tearing toward him.

The very earth trembled beneath his feet as the lightning collided with a shimmering golden shield, Dumbledore's arms buckling beneath it. Tendrils of lightning bounced off the shield in all directions, reducing the street around him to dust and smoke.

“Do you see, Albus?” Grindelwald’s voice rang through the dust. “Witness the might of the Elder wand.”

The dust rose and swirled around Dumbledore, forming a serpent. Dumbledore waved his wand and the motes of dust vanished, the serpent disappearing into nothingness, leaving a slight breeze in its wake.

“Come now, Gellert. You could never beat me at transfiguration, could you?” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him.

Grindelwald responded with a barrage of curses which splattered against a bronze shield with dull gongs. With a wave of Dumbledore’s wand, the statue at Grindelwald’s feet rose, the horse rearing its legs to kick, while the knight atop it slashed his sword toward the dark lord.

The man vanished with a crack, appearing several feet away from the animated statue. Dumbledore swept his wand and pebbles rose from the ground, turning into small sharp spikes, shooting at Grindelwald, past the galloping knight.

With a roar, a wave of magic rippled out from the Elder wand, reducing the spikes to ashes before they could touch Grindelwald. A blasting curse struck the knight, blowing him to pieces that rained around the street while the horse kept charging without its steed.

Grindelwald sneered, his wand twitching in his hand. The horse sizzled, melting into a puddle of metal which formed several spears and shot toward Dumbledore, only to be turned into a swarm of multi-colored butterflies.

“You mock me, old friend.” Grindelwald scowled as he watched the butterflies flutter into the sky.

Dumbledore smirked and twirled his wand.

Grindelwald’s head snapped up as the butterflies spiraled downward, multiplying in numbers as they neared. The tips of their wings glinted slightly and Grindelwald’s eyes widened. He stabbed his wand toward the sky, and a stream of fire erupted from its tip, swallowing the insects like a hungry lizard.

A flash of yellow caught Grindelwald in the ribs and burning pain erupted in his chest as a snap echoed over the sizzle of the fire. Grindelwald stumbled a step back, batting away a crimson beam of light that sparked out against the side of a building.

The fire swirled, changing its direction and snapping toward Dumbledore, who vanished with a crack. Grindelwald whirled around, erecting a silver shield as a lilac curse hammered against it, sending ripples down its length. He pointed his wand at his ribs, murmuring a spell just as a flash of pink washed across the silver and cracks spread, the shield shattering like a mirror.

Grindelwald twisted away, avoiding another crimson beam of light and ignoring the pain flaring in his ribs, his magic prickling down his abdomen, doing nothing to abate the pain.

Gritting his teeth, Grindelwald hurled a curse at Dumbledore who swatted it away with a flick of his wrist. The spell hit a building behind, blowing a huge chunk of it to dust.

The building groaned and creaked, and Dumbledore twisted on his spot, reappearing in his old position. Another blasting curse slammed into its columns, reducing them to dust. The building groaned, the sound of metal grinding grating on Dumbledore’s ears as Grindelwald turned around to face him.

Magic burned through Dumbledore’s veins as he raised his wand, turning his body to avoid a pink curse that flashed past his chest.

“I am sorry to do this, Gellert.” Dumbledore removed a silver ball from his pocket and dropped it to the ground. The ball of silver glowed blue and vanished into thin air, leaving wisps of blue magic in its wake.

Grindelwald blinked, raising an eyebrow at Dumbledore who gave him a pained smile.

“Accio building.”

Dumbledore felt a tug in his gut, and the crumpling building behind Grindelwald groaned. Its remaining foundations snapped and burst, the noise echoing through the city. Grindelwald’s eyes widened and he twisted on his heel but found himself in the same spot.

The building crumpled, its pieces surging toward Grindelwald, as the metal foundations within snapped against Dumbledore’s magic. Grindelwald raised the Elder wand, his arm blurring as blasting curses rained against the onslaught of debris, bursting the pieces of the building to dust.

His eyes remained on the rest of the straining building as it groaned, leaning further and further. Windows and doors were pulled apart, shards of wood and glass hurtling toward the dark lord, bursting apart against curses or shields.

And then, it happened.

The remainder of the building gave away with a thunderous snap that could’ve been heard from miles away.

Dumbledore pulled his wand away and disapparated, leaving Grindelwald in front of the building, which flew forward at incredible speeds.

With a yell, Grindelwald slashed his wand, a golden flash lighting up among the maelstrom of debris and dust.

The ground shook and Dumbledore watched from afar, standing on top of another building. The dust rose taller than the buildings around, nothing visible within. No living creature stirred. For a moment, all that the Hogwarts professor could hear was his own ragged breathing and his heart hammering in his chest.

He took another deep breath, feeling steel bands wrap around his heart, which was feeling heavier by the second. The dust rose, drifting with the wind, yet remaining thick enough that nothing could be seen.

Dumbledore felt the hair on his neck prickle as the breeze around the city picked up.

The dust collapsed inward as if being sucked by a vacuum, coalescing into a humongous serpent. Metal spread like scales over the construct, as debris and cement were transfigured into steel that melded with metal rods from the building.

“By Merlin,” Dumbledore whispered as a lone figure rose into the air, atop a chunk of the building that levitated in the air.

Grindelwald’s robes were torn, blood dripping from various cuts. A metal rod sprouted out of his left thigh, blood dripping from it. His heterochromatic eyes landed on Dumbledore and he glared. With a flick of the Elder wand, the serpent lunged, smashing through anything in its way as it slithered toward Dumbledore.

The transfiguration professor apparated away, to the other side of the city as the serpent neared, smashing into the building he had been standing on moments ago, slithering its way up, its scales wrapping around the groaning building.

The platform Grindelwald was on slowly turned, and he faced Dumbledore while his serpent crushed the building between its scales.

Grindelwald’s breathing was heavy, blood and sweat dripping down his forehead. The platform wobbled slightly under him, before stabilizing.

“You will collapse, Gellert!” Dumbledore’s voice echoed over the crumbling of buildings. “Drop the spell and surrender! You cannot apparate. Not till my spell wears off!”

“Never.” Grindelwald spat. “I will tear through the city to get out if need be. But I shall never give up on magic. I shall fight for our freedom till my last breath if need be.”

The metal serpent moved in a flash, slithering toward Dumbledore. With a pained sigh, he slashed his wand, the mud and metal turning to water which splashed harmlessly into the streets, gurgling away into the gutters where it could.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and looked toward Grindelwald who scowled.

“Give up, Gellert.” Dumbledore raised his wand. “Don’t force my hand, old friend.”

In response, he fired a curse at Dumbledore who flicked it away with the tip of his wand.

“Then you leave me with no choice.” Dumbledore’s wand moved, a barrage of spells curving toward the dark lord, who erected a shield to protect himself.

Sparks rained down on the floating platform as the spells bludgeoned onto the shield, slowly pushing Grindelwald toward the edge. The dark lord’s breathing grew deeper by the passing second, sweat dripping down his brow.

Pain flared over his body from the multiple bruises and cuts he had acquired, blood dripping down on the platform from the steel rod.

With a grunt, Grindelwald moved, allowing his shield to shatter and slashing his wand at Dumbledore.

A whip of lightning flashed through the air, only to be met by a bronze shield, stopping it. Grindelwald jabbed his wand, a dark purple curse sizzling through the air, slipping below the shield.

Dumbledore fell to a knee, as the curse struck his thigh, his trousers smoldering.

Grindelwald smirked but it was wiped away as Dumbledore spun his wand in a circle and the platform beneath his feet shifted, sprouting wings and a beak.

Before Grindelwald could stop the transfiguration, an Expelliarmus struck him, sending him flying off the platform, the Elder Wand being ripped out of his hand.

“NO!” He yelled as he fell, only to be caught by a giant bird that scooped him up mid-air.

Grindelwald watched as his old lover caught the wand in his hand, his blue eyes glowing with power.

The wind around the dark lord shifted and the bird turned into chains and wrapped around him just as his body hit a rooftop. Pain flared over his body as he felt several of his bones break on impact.

His head slammed against something hard, and he felt warm blood seep down his face.

The last thing Grindelwald saw before darkness took him was Dumbledore standing in front of him and a flash of crimson.

The war was over, and Gellert Grindelwald had lost.

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter.

This is a cannon-compliant story which is set in 1945 (ignoring any and all events of the Fantastic Beasts movies, which I haven't seen). This was the duel that marked the end of the wizarding war and the downfall of Dark Lord Grindelwald. This story can also be considered a part of my fic, 'The Rise of the Last Potter' (whose next chapter is ready and will go live on the 15th of Feb.)

The reason I wrote this story is because I realized that the poll for the next short piece had gone out too late, and I was not yet ready to write the LoSP side story yet. So, I created this! A new short piece, of my own choosing.

Also, this goes hand in hand with what I have been trying to explore: a ‘non-main hero’ story (basically, a story with a protagonist who is NOT Harry or Percy).

So, I have two such stories right now: ‘The War Gods’ and ‘The Battle of Ages’. One is PJO and the other is Harry Potter. 

Also, till now, most of my short pieces have been fluff/romance rather than action, which is not the case for these.

So, please give me an honest review of how you are finding these stories.

A huge thanks to Mughil, Nanu, and Anax for betaing this story!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66