Riddle And Grindelwald

47. The Start Of A Revolution

Before going to sleep, Genevieve had a vision of the battle that was to come.
Instead of trying to find Gellert in the middle of the night, she waited until the morning to tell him what she had seen.
Gellert decided to join Genevieve for breakfast, so she took this chance to give him the bad news.
"I had a vision last night" she revealed quietly.
Gellert looked up from his plate, "I thought you might. Being around me and my followers while we plotted our revolution, was bound to coax a vision from you. So, what did you see?".

"Not much. There were explosions all around me, and people running in all directions. It was chaos. But then there was a silence as Dumbledore walked into battle" answered Genevieve.
"You saw Albus?" Asked Gellert.
"Yes. He walked calmly towards us, with his wand raised, and then the vision ended, so I don't know what happened next" admitted Genevieve.
"This confirms my suspicions then. Albus will get involved in the end, despite me trying to keep him out of it" sighed Gellert.

"Aren't you going to put a stop to it, now that you know Dumbledore is going to be there?" Questioned Genevieve.
"No. There's no point trying to avoid the inevitable. No matter when we do this, Albus will try and stop me. So we might as well continue with the plan we've already started" answered Gellert.
"But Dumbledore is more powerful than us" reminded Genevieve.
"He is. But he is only one man, and there are many of us. My followers will lay down their lives for the cause, if necessary. And Albus Dumbledore can't take us all on at once"
"I suppose not. I just hope you don't regret going ahead with this".

****
For the rest of the day, Genevieve attended all of Gellert's meetings, and she couldn't help but feel like she was intruding.
As a child, she had never been allowed to listen in on the meetings, so she found it strange to suddenly be in them.
The people around her were all experienced fighters, and she was only a student.
Sure, she had watched Tom commit murder before, but she had never done it herself. The killing curse wasn't exactly something they taught in schools. And she wasn't sure that she would be able to kill someone, when the time came.
But Gellert had high expectations of her, and she didn't want to let him down.

"It's time" announced Gellert later that afternoon.
"What exactly is the plan?" Asked Genevieve.
"Were you not paying attention during any of the meetings this morning?" Frowned Gellert.
"I was. But they were long and detailed. I want to hear from you, in your own words, what is going to happen this afternoon"
"We head to the agreed location, and begin performing magic in front of as many Muggles as possible. This will eventually get the attention of the Ministry of Magic, who will send aurors to stop us. We fight the aurors, and once we've won, we take control of the situation, and I place myself in charge".

"It's a good plan. But I stil think it's a very dangerous one" admitted Genevieve.
"We all have to take risks, for the greater-"
"The greater good. Yeah, I know. But we're not in public right now, so you don't have to use your catchphrase on me" interrupted Genevieve.
"If you are afraid, you don't have to come with us. You can wait here for us to return" replied Gellert.
"I'm not afraid... O.K, maybe I am a little. But being nervous isn't a crime is it?" Questioned Genevieve.

"No. It's perfectly normal to feel afraid. And if I'm being honest, I too am nervous. Everything I've been working towards, since I was expelled from Durmstrang, has been leading up to this moment" admitted Gellert.
"Which is why I will fight at your side. I'm not going to hide away, while you risk your life. I'd never forgive myself if something bad happened to you, because I wasn't there. You're the only family member I have, who is still in my life, and I want you to come out of this alive" replied Genevieve.
"I didn't know you cared so much"
"I don't like to admit my feelings, when I know you don't feel the same... I just hope that getting what you want, will make up for all the sacrifices you've made along the way, and I'm not just talking about neglecting me".

Gellert sighed, "You're talking about your mother".
"Yes. You let her get herself killed, fighting for your cause" reminded Genevieve.
"I never made Adèle do anything. She believed in this cause, as much as me, and she wanted to fight for it" insisted Gellert.
"I'll have to take your word for it, since I can hardly remember her" admitted Genevieve.
"I know, and I'm sorry you had to grow up motherless. I'm also sorry that I haven't been a better guardian to you. But I want you to know, that I care about you more than you could ever know, and I am very proud of the woman you've become"
"Thanks, that means a lot"
"You're welcome... Now, let's go, we can't sit around talking all day, we have a war to win".

Gellert lead the way into a crowded room, and one by one everyone placed their hands onto a large map, which had been turned into a Portkey.
Despite her fears, Genevieve added her own hand to the map.
And once everyone had done so, the map began to spin, transporting them across Europe.
Since she travelled so often by Portkey, Genevieve was no longer affected by it, like normal people.
So when they arrived at their destination, she was one of the few people not to feel sick.

"Where are we?" Asked Genevieve, as she walked over to Gellert.
"Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden" answered Gellert.
"Why Sweden?" Questioned Genevieve.
"The rest of Europe is a little preoccupied with the Muggle war at the moment. So it would be silly to go to France or Germany, while they are so busy fighting each other. But Sweden is a more peaceful country, which is why it's the perfect place to start our revolution".

Genevieve turned from Gellert and looked around at the beautiful city.
Muggles were going about their normal lives, unaware of what was about to happen.
As the minutes went by, more and more Portkeys arrived, each carrying dozens of Gellert's followers.
And in no time at all, Gellert Grindelwald had amassed a small army. An army which was prepared to sacrifice everything, for the greater good.