Chapter 8
Elphias Doge was never one to get in the way of other people. Yes, he took immense pride in his friendship with Albus Dumbledore and sometimes couldn't help but boast about it. He has loved the ginger boy for so long now, but he never anticipated the disastrous turn of events that would unfold during the Triwizard Tournament.
He’d never think a boy like Gellert Grindelwald would exist.
His mind swirled with self-criticism. How could he have been so careless? He was well aware of the immense danger posed by the students of Durmstrang, especially with their proficiency in dark arts. He definitely knew that Grindelwald had been harbouring intense feelings for Albus for quite some time, but he never expected for things to go the way that it did. Everyone else knew his feelings for Albus, they also knew not to get in his way even if they also liked the champion. So why did Elphias get in his way? Why couldn’t he have just stayed away like he was asked to the first time?
It was strikingly ironic to witness such an intimidating presence emanating from a mere fifteen year old German boy.
Elphias was not aware of the extent of Grindelwald's attraction to Albus. The young blond wizard exuded an air of possessiveness and control that Elphias had not fully comprehended until now. It was clear that Grindelwald had a manipulative streak, using his charm and wit to bend others to his will but people just don’t realise it. And unfortunately , his sights were set on Albus.
Elphias couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness as he found himself trapped in the cold and isolated room. All he could do was pray to the gods above, hoping against hope that Albus wouldn't succumb to Grindelwald's advances.
On the fortunate side of this situation, Grindelwald appeared to genuinely care for Albus, a little too much. Elphias never failed to notice during every single meal, Grindelwald was always present, just a few tables away, lurking in the shadows, his gaze fixated on Albus. Just staring .
And Elphias shivered.
–
Right now, everything is perfect.
Was it really?
It was an incredibly surreal experience, having a boyfriend, he felt somewhat special for the first time in his life. He had never placed such unwavering trust in anyone before his father died.
Ever since Ariana turned mental, and his father was arrested, eventually passing away, he felt so alone. His dad used to always say how special Albus was to him, setting him apart from his younger siblings. Albus overlooked it, he regretted not spending more time with his dad.
With Gellert, his life has gotten a little better.
Albus had been so exhausted the night before (he was with Gellert) that he ended up sleeping until 12:00. The past week had been draining, and all he wanted was to catch up on some much needed rest. Two weeks had passed since he returned to classes, and with each passing day, he grew more anxious about the upcoming second task of the Triwizard Tournament. His thoughts drifted back to the beginning of the year, when a boy had warned him about Gellert's manipulative nature and then kissed him – that was Elphias. Merlin's beard, Elphias. The fact that Elphias had been absent for three weeks now only added to his unease, he had received no response to any of the letters he had sent.
As he opened his eyes, the familiar sight of the dark and red dormitory greeted him. His eyes stung with tiredness as he rubbed them, but hunger also gnawed at his stomach since he believed that he had missed breakfast that morning.
Just as he was contemplating getting up, a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Albus groaned and buried his face in the pillow, not particularly eager to entertain any visitors at the moment.
Albus remained silent, hoping that whoever was knocking on his door would get the hint and leave him in peace. But the persistent knocking continued, growing firmer with each repetition. Finally, he gave in and reluctantly got out of bed, still feeling groggy from his extended slumber, trying to sit up but his body felt like lead.
"Albus, come on! You've been in there all day. You missed three classes, come on!" a voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Horace, is that you? What day is it?" Albus asked, rubbing his eyes to shake off the remnants of sleep.
"It's Monday!" Horace's voice replied.
Albus's heart sank as he realised his mistake. He had thought it was the weekend, and now he was faced with the consequences of his oversight.
"Can't I just skip today?" he muttered, feeling defeated and foolish.
"No, get out here right now! Professor Dippet is going to be mad if you don’t," Horace urged.
"What? Why?" Albus asked, still trying to process everything.
"Apparently, in thirty minutes, at lunch, he's announcing something and he wants all three champions to be there. And you can't just sleep in like that!" Horace explained.
Albus let out a tired yawn as he slowly started to take off his nightwear and put on his Hogwarts robes. "I'll be there in a second," he said, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness.
As he prepared to leave his room, Albus's eyes fell on his pointy black hat hanging off the end of a broomstick in the corner. He rarely used the broomstick, which he vaguely remembered was called the Oakshaft 79. It occurred to him that Gellert could use a better broomstick, as he was still stuck with an ancient one.
Deciding to be generous, Albus grabbed the hat and made a mental note to give the broomstick to Gellert later. With his hat and wand in hand, he opened the door to find Horace waiting outside.
"Finally, you're ready. Let's go," Horace exclaimed, grabbing Albus's hand before he could put on his hat and practically dragging him out of the carriages and into the castle.
The halls were bustling with students at this hour, and Albus squinted, trying to focus on Horace as he led him through the chaotic crowd. However, before they could reach their destination, someone accidentally tripped Albus. Embarrassment flushed his cheeks, and he felt his ankle twist as he fell. His hand slipped out of Horace's grip, leaving him trying to regain his composure.
People around him immediately rushed to his aid, asking if he was okay and offering their help. Albus brushed off their concern, insisting it wasn't a big deal.
Before he could get back on his feet, Horace let out an exasperated sigh and pulled him up firmly, helping him regain his balance. "Merlin's beard, people in this place can be so annoying," Horace grumbled as he led Albus to their table.
As Albus settled down at the table, he let out a tired yawn, still feeling a bit sleepy even though he slept in. He began to gently massage his twisted ankle, trying to soothe the pain caused by the earlier trip.
"What's this announcement thing about anyway?" Albus inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"I don't know, I just know that you have to be here for it," Horace replied with a slight shrug as he observed Albus massaging his ankle.
“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Albus.” Horace took out his wand, held it against Albus's ankle, and brushed aside the hand, uttering a healing spell. Albus felt a tingling sensation as the magic worked its way through his ankle, and to his surprise, the pain subsided quickly.
"Thank you," Albus muttered gratefully, putting his foot back on the ground and testing his weight on it. The healing spell had worked wonders, and he was relieved that the pain was gone.
Horace smiled. "Just looking out for my best friend." He glanced around the Great Hall that was slowly filling up with students and teachers taking their seats.
Albus immediately looked down at his empty plate as soon as he saw Gellert walking through the door, feeling a slight blush rise to his cheeks. The blond looks so angelic, and Albus felt a flutter of nervousness in his stomach.
Unbeknownst to Albus, Gellert's eyes were fixed on him at that exact moment as he sat down at his own table. He observed Albus with a faint smirk, taking note of how the young wizard seemed to be blushing as he tilted his head to engage in conversation with Horace.
The hall was now packed, and all eyes were on Headmasters Dippet, Montague, and Nacht as they stood up. The moment Montague started speaking, the tables filled with a delicious spread of lunch foods and drinks, tempting Albus despite his nervousness. He realised that he hasn’t eaten anything today yet.
"Good evening, students," Montague began, his expression stern. "We have an important announcement to make. Could the three champions … Albus Dumbledore, Celeste Delacroix, and Gellert Grindelwald please come up here?"
Despite Horace's reassuring nod, Albus still felt a rush of nervousness. His hair felt dishevelled from the particular long sleep, and he couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was scrutinising his appearance.
As Albus walked to the front of the Great Hall with Celeste and Gellert, he felt the weight of all eyes on him. Trying to steady himself, Albus fidgeted with his hands, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the attention. He ached and wanted nothing more than to be more reserved and blended into the background, not standing in the spotlight as one of the champions. The anticipation of what Headmaster Montague was about to announce only added to his nerves.
Once they reached the front of the hall, Albus took a deep breath, trying to focus on the moment. He stole a quick glance at Gellert, whose expression was unreadable as usual. Celeste, on the other hand, seemed composed and confident.
Headmaster Nacht cleared her throat, stepping forward, her stern gaze scanning the three champions and suddenly all gazes of the hall went from Albus to her in an instant. "This is regarding the upcoming second task of the Triwizard Tournament, so listen carefully."
Albus looked up at this, while Gellert rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, not caring one bit about the announcement since he already knew.
“The task is set for 16 February… so on a Wednesday.” she explained in a thick French accent. Albus felt his heart drop and looked down at the cold floor. Exactly a month until then… “You must go underwater in the freezing lake near the Durmstrang grounds and swim through a maze. Underwater beasts will accompany you in the task, and yes, they will attack you.”
—
A couple of hours after lunch, amidst the bubbling cauldrons and bustling Beauxbatons students in the Potions classroom, Albus wrestled with a turbulent mix of thoughts. The revelation of the second task's details had shaken him to his core. How could he possibly try to fight his way through a maze, underwater, with beasts attacking without either possibly drowning or dying? He never even read a spell that could help him breathe either. The excited chatter of practically the whole school only deepened his sense of unease.
His mind drifted to the recent disappointment of receiving the lowest points from the Triwizard judges after giving his all in the previous task. He felt a tinge of frustration.
What more did they expect from him?
Albus deeply wished for Horace to share the same Potions period with him as he examined the ingredients for the sleep potion. He gingerly picked up the perfectly sliced wormwood from his workstation and deposited it into his cauldron. A sense of bitterness settled on his tongue as he contemplated the taste of the potion.
Horace was, without a doubt, the top potions student of their year, always securing the coveted 'Outstanding' grade in the subject. Albus, on the other hand, usually settled for 'Exceeds Expectations,' primarily because their potions master at Hogwarts never properly instructed them on the correct formulas.
Their fifth year, when they were preparing for the O.W.L exams, had been a struggle for Albus. He often found himself grappling with the intricate details of potion-making, he didn’t care for the subject. It had been Horace who had pulled him through, though. He at least got a good marking on it.
This year was different, though. As the Hogwarts champion, he was opted from taking the N.E.W.T exams, instead being allowed to be in N.E.W.T classes next year despite not taking the exams. Instead of the usual bone-tiring study sessions for year-end exams, Albus had to focus all his energy on the Triwizard Tournament's challenges. He felt a mix of relief and apprehension about it because it didn’t seem fair.
Albus was in the midst of carefully stirring whatever potion it was he was conjuring when an unwelcome interruption came in the form of a group of giggling girls. Annoyed, he raised his head to see them. The group consisted of both Beauxbatons and Hogwarts girls.
Among them, a brunette in Beauxbatons robes named Louise, spoke in a charming French accent as she sat down across from him. "Hey, Albus. Your potion looks stunning so far."
She didn’t seem to care about the potion, though. She didn’t even glance at it.
Albus managed a weak and somewhat awkward smile in response as he redirected his attention to his potion as even more girls gathered around the table.
"Uh, hi, and thank you..." he said quietly.
The attention left him feeling somewhat uneasy, as he wasn't used to interactions in this class, mostly because Elphias shared the period with him, but the brunette isn’t here right now. Strange that Albus had gotten no letters or anything from Elphias.
Just as one of the giggling girls, a Ravenclaw, began asking Albus if he wanted to hang out, the professors’ voice boomed through the room, putting a halt to their chatter.
“Everyone, get back to your tables. I will be coming around to look at your work momentarily! And for Merlin’s sake, girls, leave him alone!”
Albus breathed a sigh of relief, grateful, and returned his focus to his potion as all the girls reluctantly left his table. Then the potion in his cauldron gradually turned the desired shade of purple.
Albus felt pride in this small accomplishment.
So he kept the potion.
-
Dinner came by, and he was sat by Horace at their table.
It appeared that he was attracting more attention than usual; people couldn't stop exchanging hushed words and then cast furtive glances in his direction. All Albus yearned for was to curl into himself and shield his vulnerability from prying eyes. Normally, he would opt to disregard it or feign ignorance, but today, it was overwhelming.
After a few minutes of heavy silence between Albus and Horace, he finally mustered the courage to break it. "Have you heard anything about Elphias?" knowing full well that bringing up Elphias was a touchy subject, given Horace's lingering resentment.
"No, I have not," Horace replied bitterly, his fork stabbing at his meat with a sharp jab.
Albus shot a glare at Horace.
"Listen, I know he wasn't the best partner at the Yule Ball, but don't you think you should be at least a bit concerned for him? He’s your friend, for Merlin’s sake!" Albus rambled. "I mean, he hasn't sent a single letter or any form of communication since his disappearance! Even his own family responded with confusion, saying that they weren’t experiencing any problems and he hasn't been seen at their doorstep at all for the entire month!"
Horace paused, his fork clattering onto his plate as he considered this new information. "That is indeed quite strange," he conceded, swallowing his piece of meat.
The ginger looked hard at his plate and thought for a second. He remembers that time when Elphias kissed him, he thinks about that too much. But what did he say before that?
A moment’s silence.
But like always, that well needed silence was broken before either of them could even begin to ponder about what happened.
“Albus!”
It was Gellert's voice. Albus smiled and gestured for him to take a seat.
Horace let out a resigned sigh and rose from his chair. "I'm just going to go to my dormitory," he declared before heading to the doors, leaving Albus alone with Gellert.
Horace had never meant to remain oblivious to Elphias's disappearance, really, he never really stopped thinking about it. He just thought Elphias wanted alone time so he never bothered to write or anything. After all, Elphias was the person he loved, for Merlin's sake. Could they truly blame him for feeling angry at Elphias during that god forsaken ball?
Yet, Elphias had been the one who seemed ignorant, too consumed by his own despair, fixated on Albus and Gellert, and indifferent to Horace's feelings.
He didn't mind that Albus loved Gellert as deeply as lovesick Elphias did – as long as Albus was happy, he didn’t really care. Although the problem is that Elphias loves Albus, and what he truly wished was for both him and Elphias to find happiness like Albus and Gellert did.
Tears went softly down his face as he sank down to the floor.
–
He can’t believe it. He was missing his sixth year at Hogwarts, all because of this random creepy fifth year’s relentless obsession with his best friend. The irony of it all was impossible to ignore when you really think about it.
He genuinely thought he was going insane.
One month had slipped by, and 24th of January had proven to be the most dreadful day for Elphias.
First, he had to endure the usual wretched, cold leftovers from the previous night's dinner. And then, as if by some cruel cosmic joke, just as he thought of the devil, the devil himself appeared.
Gellert Grindelwald
What made matters even worse was the fact that Grindelwald appeared particularly angry today. Elphias could only suppose that he had come down here with the sole intention of either taunting or torturing him, considering it was his second time. It was a bleak situation, and a wonder of what had sparked this anger. After all, he was already broken, and Grindelwald was the reason for that – and why was he irritated now?
Good. Let Grindelwald be pissed off. Elphias genuinely does not care. All he hoped for the next few months was that absolutely nothing would go smoothly for him , and, above all, he patiently waited for the day when Albus would finally know about his intentions.
The day progressed as usual; the Durmstrang girl deposited the tray of usually disgusting, cold food on the floor in front of him, and he was left to his thoughts for a while. However, the murderous thoughts of his was abruptly shattered when he heard a series of bangs, shouts, and the grating, unmistakable creak of the old door leading to this hallway shutting – a door he could hear but never see.
Boots pounded hard against the stone floor, and he caught sight of medium-length blond hair, accompanied by a pair of furious, mismatched eyes that locked into his own brown ones, and next moment, the end of a wand pointing right at him.
And then came the most excruciating sensation he believed he had ever endured: the Cruciatus curse.
It may have lasted only a few seconds in reality, but to Elphias, it felt like an eternity, as if it had stretched on for a thousand years. He shrieked and writhed on the floor of the cell until it stopped. "What a charming way to greet someone," he groaned, wracked with pain and irritation, his hands clutching at his sides as he tried to compose himself.
Grindelwald continued to glare at him with evident disgust.
He was so young, yet so dangerous. His face bore the weight of fifteen years' worth of despair and grief, as if he had seen far too much for his age.
A moment of silence lingered before Elphias spoke again, his tone more hurt than matter-of-fact. "Do you have anything to say, or did you come here just to use an illegal curse on me?"
He let out a sigh, collecting himself , before finally admitting, "Albus has begun to grow suspicious."
Oh, so his best friend was becoming suspicious. But what part of this was he suspicious of exactly? Grindelwald or Elphias's unexplained absence?
–
Dear big brother!!
26th, Jannuary 1898
Al,
I cannot wait to see you on Easter! Hogwarts SUCKS without you! We miss you soooo much
I'm learning lots of things at Hogwarts to. But it's not , the same without you here. I wish you we’re hear to protekt me from the scary things.
Plaese tell me all about your boyfriend. Are you deeply in love with him? I hope he's nice and hansum Handsome.
Mom says hello. She say not to wurry worry about that tournament thing too much, we know you can do it!
Love love love love you!
From your sister. Ariana!!!