Closer Than Brothers

The Fight

It was two days later when it happened.

Albus woke from another bad dream that morning, the same one that had haunted him the two nights previously. It had been a confusing jumble of upsetting events, of Ariana screaming, Gellert's eyes turning sinister, shouts, and then an unbearable wrenching feeling, the one that always woke him up.

He sat up in bed, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead. What did this nightmare mean? Was something going to happen? And if so, what?

Pushing the troubling thought out of his mind, Albus got up and dressed quietly. There was no reason to dwell on such an upsetting thing, if there was no real reason to think it would happen.

When Albus entered the kitchen, to his great surprise, he found, not Aberforth, but Gellert standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Albus asked, surprised.

Gellert looked up and shrugged. "I wanted to see you. I'm just worried."

"About what?"

"I...don't know. I just feel nervous for some reason. Do you know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean. I've been feeling worried too, for no reason at all. Strange."

Gellert looked straight into Albus' eyes. Albus always felt uncomfortable when he did that.

"We should run away soon; start travelling the world. What do you say?" Said Gellert expectantly.

Albus shifted slightly. "I - I can't. I promised I'd stay at home to look after Ariana. However much I want to, I can't just leave."

Before Gellert could reply, Aberforth bounded into the room. He stopped abruptly when he saw the two of them.

Albus gave Gellert a pointed look. "We should go, you don't want-"

"Oh no." Said Aberforth. "You're not going anywhere. Look, I've had enough of this. Albus, come with me, so you can see who's the real victim of your schemes."

With that, he turned and marched down the stairs to the basement. Bemused, Albus followed, with Gellert following close behind.

When they reached Ariana's room, Aberforth stopped and turned to glare at Albus and Gellert. Ariana—the poor soul—stood meekly and tiptoed closer to her brother.

"This has been going on long enough," Aberforth growled. "While you've been off making plans for the 'greater good', your poor sister you swore to look after has been neglected. While you and Gellert have been plotting, you've forgotten about the only family you have left! You'd better give it up now, Albus. You can't move Ariana, you know she's in no fit state; you can't take her with you, wherever you and Gellert want to go, when you're making your clever speeches to the Wizarding World, trying to gather a following. Give it up. Your friend-" he shot an evil look at Gellert, "-can do whatever he likes, but you, you have your family to look after. You have responsibilities that you said you would take on. You can't leave anywhere."

Albus didn't know what to say to that. Aberforth had obviously heard a lot more conversations than Albus had thought. But before he could even attempt an answer, Gellert spoke, a menace in his voice that Albus had never heard before.

"Don't talk to your brother like that, you stupid little boy. Don't you dare try to stand in the way of your brilliant brother and I. We are trying to make a better world. Don't you understand? Ariana won't need to be hidden once we've changed the world. She can be free, free to walk above ground as she pleases once the wizards are out of hiding, and the Muggles have learnt their place!"