Chapter 19

Christmas had been an extravagant affair in the Potter household. Great gifts were given, and Harry had finally introduced his family to Tech-9. The dog had been built through charms, runes, and arithmancy the world had seldom ever seen. Needless to say his mother was over the moon, and the Marauders were already scheming of ways to use him for pranking.

When the gifts were done though, and the family was reminiscing, Harry stood to address them, "I know there have been a lot of questions as to where I received my training the last month or so. Tonight if the family will accept it I will invite my mentor to dinner. He is aware of a possible standing invitation, and only awaits my call. I have a condition though."

Lily Potter frowned as the other Marauders exchanged looks, "What kind of condition?"

Harry sighed, offering his mother a smile, "Even after tonight the secret must live on to the rest of the world for now. I cannot risk this information leaking out before the right time, and until then I will need a vow of secrecy. No one is to tell anyone outside this room in any way who this man is, nor will you attempt to harm him while he is under guest rights in our home."

James shook his head, "I can't make a promise like that. I took an oath as an auror. If this man you have consorted with is dangerous then I would not be able to keep my vow."

Harry nodded in understanding, "I understand. He understands as well. We hold no slight, and I just won't invite him."

Sirius however immediately protested, "Now wait a second, Harry, don't you think this is all a little extreme?"

"No. This secret is going to rock the magical world when it comes to light. You all have claimed to have trusted me, and now it is time to put that to the test. I would not bring a man who would harm my family into our home. If you really trusted me you would greet this man with open arms and acceptance after all he has done for me." Harry insisted stubbornly.

The family was in silence, and Justin broke after only a moment, "He's right. You all said you trust him. Put it to the test. You all spent years focused on me, and lost sight of your oldest son, and someone else stepped up and made him into who he was. You all dug your graves, now lie in them, and support Harry no matter what. I do."

Harry was moved by his brother's words and his parents exchanged looks. Finally James sighed, "I have a feeling I am going to regret this. You have the wording of the oath?"

Feeling butterflies in his stomach the green eyed young man nodded and said, "I, Harry James Potter, swear to keep the identity of Harry Potter's Master of the Magical arts a secret until he deems it necessary."

Lily frowned, "That wording is very particular. If you choose never to reveal the secret then we will be stuck in our oaths."

"So you will." Harry agreed.

Justin took the oath immediately. A long pause before any of the adults spoke, but Sirius took the first leap. Followed by Remus, and both the Potter parents. When they were done Harry whirled his wand around, "Expecto Patronum."

A replica of the Ravenclaw mascot appeared, and he merely said, "The oaths have been made. Join us for dinner, my master."

With the words said the Raven took off. Harry turned to his father, "Lower the wards. He knows the location of our home."

James frowned as he closed his eyes in focus, and the wards were brought down momentarily. Another long silence followed until Lily said, "Well if we are going to be having a formal guest for dinner let's move to the foyer. Pipsy will have the food ready shortly, and I am sure she can have some wine prepared for the arrival."

A few minutes passed as they all shuffled to the formal gathering room, and Sirius threw an arm around his Godson as they passed through the halls of Potter Manor, "Give me a hint now Harry. We are all sworn to silence! Is it Morgan Le Fay? Salazar Slytheirn? Merlin? Voldy shorts himself?"

This last guess made Harry laugh, "A few more minutes and the mystery will be solved, Padfoot. Just don't do anything foolish. I know the four of you can handle just about anything, but this is one fight you won't win."

The final comment made Sirius frown, and the long-haired man looked to Remus who had remained strangely silent through the whole exchange with a pensive look.

A doorbell in a normal wizarding home would be quite an oddity, but in the home of the Potters it was a normal invention provided by Lily Potter. The butterflies in Harry's stomach intensified as he offered to answer the door. Justin was right behind him as Harry made his way to the front of the house, and Harry didn't dissuade him. Arriving at the entryway Harry took a deep breath. He had waited for this moment for many years now, and it was finally upon him. Steeling his nerves he turned the handle and pulled the door open to see Gellert Grindelwald standing there.

The man smiled at his apprentice, and for the first time offered his own short bow, "Harry. Happy Christmas my boy. This must be your protege, Justin Potter. I recognize your teachings flowing through his magic."

Gellert was in a black cloak with a white lace under shirt that formed a sophisticated blouse. Grindelwald knew he would be dining with what was almost the equivalent to Wizarding Royalty in Britain, and certainly dressed the part. In one hand he held a bottle of wine, and in another a bottle of Odgens. Both looked incredibly old, and if Harry had to guess incredibly expensive.

Justin immediately offered his hand to the man, "A pleasure. I am Justin. Harry speaks very highly of you in a mysterious, non revealing sort of way."

Grindelwald offered the young man a smile, clearly happy he was not instantly recognized, "The pleasure is mine, young one." As he said this the bottles in his hand began to float next to him as he took the boy's hand, surprising Justin instantly at the casual ease of wandless magic.

Harry smiled at the interaction, "Justin, take the bottles and give us just a moment. We will be right behind you."

Justin nodded in acceptance, clearly relieved at the appearance of the old man. Harry was uncertain what the boy expected, but clearly it did not live up to the expectation of malevolence the youngest Potter expected.

When the two were alone Gellert offered the boy a knowing sad smile, "Do not be too disappointed, my boy. It will all work out in the end."

Harry felt like he had been punched in the chest. He knew the words meant his master had seen something in his visions, but nodded his head in acceptance, "The vows were given. I will ensure your safety, drawing my own wand if I must."

The man nodded, "I know you will. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Striding forward into the entryway Harry guided the man towards the foyer in silence. When they arrived just outside the entrance the young man took a deep breath and plunged in, "Mom, dad, Padfoot, Mooney, Justin, this is my teacher in the magical arts. This is Gellert Grindelwald."

All four adults jumped to their feet in surprise as the man strode in behind Harry offering a bow, "Good evening, my Lords and Ladies. It is nice to be in the humble home of such an esteemed and ancient family."

James went for his wand, but Harry was on the man in a flash, disarming him without even drawing his wand, "Prongs, you promised me."

His father looked shocked that he had been beaten by his son so quickly. It had been many years since anyone had disarmed him, and his oldest son made it look like child's play without even using a wand.

Sirius spoke next, "This is impossible. You have been dead for over ten years now."

Grindelwald offered the man a smile, "Ah, Sirius Black. My apprentice's confidant through the years. It is a pleasure. I am afraid however that news of my death may have been exaggerated."

Grindelwald advanced on Sirius offering his hand, and no one moved. Sirius must have been too shocked to accept as Gellert closed his offered hand with a smile, "It seems we may have some explaining to do, Harry."

Lily jumped on that, "I think you owe us a hell of a lot more than that."

"Actually, we don't owe you anything." Harry spat viciously making the woman recoil at the sound of his voice's aggression, "You owe him. Without him, Justin would be dead three times over at Hogwarts. Without his training and guidance I never would've been able to take down Quirrell, the basilisk, or Pettigrew. Without him I would've just grown into a swirling mass of hatred of this family. When I was younger I dreamed of the day of striking the Potter name, and challenging my parents to a duel. I wanted vengeance for the childhood and love I lost in favor of making sure Justin was up for his death match with the Dark Lord that you never even told me about. The next person to speak better choose their words very carefully."

James Potter was seething at the sight of the silent Grindelwald standing behind his son, "You turned our son against us."

The man shook his head, "You did that on your own, Lord Potter. I met young Harry seven years ago. In his first year at Hogwarts. If you know your history you may know that I am a true seer. I have been seeing visions of my apprentice's rise to power for years. When I finally left my prison I sought him out. Waited till the stars aligned that foretold our meeting. When we did on one fateful evening on the grounds of Hogwarts the future was set in stone. I would help bring about a champion of magic the world had never seen. Here he stands before you. He bested a dragon without a wand, and turned it to ash, saving the lives of the professionals who were deemed responsible to keep him safe. Something I could not have even dreamt of at his age. He is a titan of magical power that was groomed to perfection in the magical arts. He could beat all four of you now, and maybe he would have to draw his wand. Maybe."

When the man finished he held out both arms in exaggeration, "Now I brought drinks, and I was told we were having dinner. I hope these things can still happen. I am sure you all have many questions, but in order to answer those we must all be civil."

Remus Lupin shook his head, "I don't understand. You killed members of the Potter and Black family in the great war. Now you practically raised one?"

Gellert bowed his head to the werewolf, "You are correct, and I am ashamed of things I did in the name of the Greater Good. I did not know then how to determine the difference between friend and foe. I was drunk with the power of unbeatable weapons, and holding a wealth of magical power at my disposal. It took many years, and the sight of a great rising threat before I realized what I had done was wrong. Power such as mine, if unguided, can be disastrous. Look no further than this Lord Voldemort. Who has crossed the line of Dark Magic so far he is more monster than he is man. More dead than he is alive. It is a travesty, and I refused to allow that to happen to my apprentice."

Gellert turned his back on the Potters and their guests looking at Harry now, "I saw visions of what could happen to this neglected young man if he was left unguided. He was the destruction of the magical world. He embraced the darkest arts, and when the Dark Lord came calling for an apprentice that needed to be shown the way. He fell to his seduction. Begged for a way to prove he was the best. I could not allow this to happen. I was having these visions in 1943, and I began making plans for the long game. For the Greater Good of the Wizarding World."

Harry froze at this information. He never knew his master had seen a possible future where he may have sided with Voldemort. He wondered briefly what would've happened that night if Gellert had not found him. The night he cried out in anger desperate for a way to unleash. Would he truly have begun delving into the dark arts for a relief of his anger? Would it really have led him down a path that could've aligned with Voldemorts? The possibilities terrified him to the point he became cold with anxiety.

Gellert sighed as he turned back to face the shell shocked Potters, "Your son would have turned against you. It happened in the Great War, and first Blood War you experienced in this country where kin would turn on kin. I spared you of that. I was never certain if you would reconcile, but I was certain I had prevented him from seeking bloodshed. When peace was made it brought me relief. Here we all stand today years later. The damage has been done, the success is written in blood and magic. Now I ask if I am welcome at your table. This is Christmas, and if it is too much I will not intrude."

Lily Potter forced a smile after a long moment, "We are having a Christmas Ham."

"Splendid." The man offered with a more genuine smile.

Grindelwald approached the table still standing while Harry took his place at his side next to him. James was staring at his wife and his friends looking for help in what to do, but when Lily cleared her throat expectantly James sighed and took a seat in the chair signaling the allowance for everyone else to do so. Justin was the first to fire off a question, "How did you make Harry so in tune with his magic?"

Gellert offered the young man a kind smile, "Through many years of hard work and dedication. I delved deep into the magical arts in the years between my expulsion at Durmstrang, and my conquest for power through 1945. I learned much from your headmaster Dumbledore. He taught me ways to stretch the magical core, and tune in to ambient magic. It was his family magic I believe, but we were very good friends at one time."

Justin scrunched up his nose, "Dumbledore and you were friends?"

The man smiled sadly, "Best friends for many years actually. Had his mother and father lived longer it is possible the world we live in now would be very different. He tempered my need for violence in our youth, and without him, I fear I was a little lost. In our time together, however, we theorized what sort of magical titan we could raise if we had them from a young enough age to truly make a difference. Meeting Harry at age eleven with the core the size of someone much older than himself was the prayer I always asked for, and even in those prayers I couldn't have asked for a more willing student."

Sirius offered peacefully, "Harry did always push himself. He wanted to be the very best in everything he ever did."

"Something I encouraged as much as I could. Lady and Lord Potter your son does have a rare trait that has hardly even been seen before in Wizards. He does not give up. He does not understand what it means to be beaten. It was this trait that allowed us to push the bounds of magic." Grindlewald said happily.

James snarkily said, "With Dark Magic."

Gellert frowned, "Not at all. Magic is more than just light or dark. You saw what he did without a wand? I myself in the height of my power would have struggled with such a feat, yet he did it with ease. He will be the most accomplished wandless mage in history, of that I am certain. I ingrained the ability into him from the time we met. It was a very frustrating process."

"For both of us." Harry chimed in trying to lighten the room.

Gellert laughed in acknowledgment, "Oh yes, it was certainly the most frustrating part of our years together."

Lily asked carefully, "How much time did you two spend together?"

Harry shrugged, "Every night for many years. I operated on little sleep, and studied my ass off with every extra available moment I had. We used to do our training deep in the forbidden forest until I was thirteen and learned to apparate."

Sirius and Remus both spit the wine they were drinking out. Remus was the first to recover, "Did you say 13?"

"He sure did. First few attempts were ugly. There is a reason we wait to teach most wizards until they are sixteen. Most cores are just not developed enough. The boy splinched himself many times, but I am somewhat of an expert in healing. It was never beyond anything I could handle. Now he apparates silently, and could cross international lines with it. Harry, what is the furthest you ever apparated?"

"3500 miles. I took us to meet with Abernathy in New York last summer." Harry said dismissively as the food began to be dispersed.

It was Lily's turn to choke this time, "You did a blind apparition 3500 miles in a place you had never seen before? All the way across the ocean and to America?"

Harry frowned, "I had been there before once, but yes to the rest."

James mumbled, "No one has ever been able to apparate all the way across the ocean before."

"He side-alonged me." Grindelwald corrected the mumbling man, "As I said before, I wish to push the bounds of magic with this young man, and he was more than willing to try. We attempted several across the continent before attempting the ocean, but he is incredible."

Justin was amazed as he learned more of his brother's abilities, "Will I ever be able to do something like that?"

Grindelwald studied the young man for a moment, "Perhaps. With the right teaching."

James immediately protested, "You already taught one of my sons. I think that is enough."

"I only meant Harry would of course be conducting this training. He has taken your son as his protege. He has taught him much already, and with the development you have given your son from such an early age he has taken it like a fish to water. If Harry continues to push him once he receives his masteries, then if he chooses, he could take him on as an official apprentice. Two brothers that could change the world." Gellert offered placatingly.

Justin looked hopefully at his brother who winked in return as everyone dug into their food allowing a few minutes of silence to reign. When the meals were finished shortly after the drinks were being dispersed by Pipsy, Grindelwald surprised everyone when he thanked the elf.

Everyone took their first drink quietly, but James came right out of the gate, "Okay I've had enough."

Lily cut the man off immediately, "James."

"Lily, this man has corrupted our son. Taking him overseas without our permission. That's abduction! Taught him despicable magic. You remember those flames that disintegrated a dragon? I want to know what he wants? You don't do all this for free. What do you want? Money? Revenge?"

"Redemption." Gellert said easily. He stood from the table and moved to stand behind Harry placing a hand on his shoulder, "My young apprentice is going to bring balance back to wizarding kind. He will uproot this Dark Lord, root and stem, and crush him in a way that no other of his kind will rise while he is alive. I did horrible things in the name of my Greater Good, and I will feel the weight of my sins till my last humble day on this Earth. Until then I will make a thousand rights by this young man to try and make up for my million wrongs."

This silenced the table, and Justin spoke, "Voldemort isn't Harry's responsibility. He's mine."

The Marauders all froze at the youngest at the table's words while Grindelwald shook his head, but smiled at the boy, "You believe this because of the prophecy?"

James croaked, "Justin, don't."

Justin whirled on his father with angry tears on his face, "This man turned my brother, your heir, to what could be the most powerful wizard to ever live. This is our family, and they could be our best chance." Turning back to Grindelwald Justin spoke, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as