The Greater Good [GrindelwaldxDumbledore]

Chapter Twenty Four ~ Rescue

Gellert stood bent over a map, watching two opposing sides make strategic movements against each other like a chess match. Their trails making a distorted web of tunnels and tracks across the sodden earth. Every few minutes a small puff of smoke would rise from the map, leaving another scorch mark. He sighed. The western front was on the move again.

He took out his pocket watch, a heavy silver clock with multiple dials, he pulled the setting bezel out by a third. Twisted it slowly until one of the dials matched the longitude of the next city to be hit. Pulling out another third, he turned the dial to the latitude, and once he was sure his coordinates were correct he pressed the bezel back in place.

Miles away the pocket watch of one of his generals became uncomfortably warm against his chest. He swore as he read the coordinates. He was the closest man. Tapping the watch with his wand the numbers around the main clock face glowed for a moment.

Gellert sat watching his watch, waiting for the numbers to illuminate. Three was first to glow green, Albert had received his order and was on the move. Next was seven, Kieran was offering assistance. He put the watch away and went back to the map.

Albert apparated to a village a fair distance from the battlefield. The clearness of the day allowed the rumble of gunfire to drown out the songbirds. He did not attempt to conceal himself, he needed the wizards to know he was there.

He set himself up on Mainstreet and started his act. Belching great flames without the assistance of flammable liquids. He juggled blue flames in his hands, much to the delight of children who flicked their pocket money at his feet.

"You will be dragged before the ministry if anyone reports you." A woman hissed as she pulled her wide-eyed child away from the scene.

"They are too busy. Too busy to try and save you from the approaching front." He said, still juggling his flames.

She snorted back her laughter, "The front is miles away, it would take days for them to reach the town, and even then we would be evacuated before it hit."

"You have too much faith in a government that forbids you to act in a manner to protect yourself from a justifiable threat."

Frustrated by her steadfastness he pointed his wand to the statue in the town square. The rearing horse melded into a proud centaur, his bow pulled back to let loose an arrow. It whizzed past Albert's ear and stuck fast in the wooden window frame of a shop.

The statue turned slowly, pulling back a fresh arrow and eyeing up the target. It sailed through the air and landed at the child's feet. Fear and amazement blossomed in his eyes.

"It is a warning for all magic folk to leave before the soldiers come," Albert said, kneeling to the child's level.

"Don't you dare scare my son."

"Stay here and you won't have a son in the morning."

The centaur let loose another arrow, taking the hat off a gentleman's head. He yelped and looked wildly for the source of the attack. His jaw fell open as another arrow pointed out a witch leaving the bakery.

"What is this?" The man brushed his hand through his thinning hair to ensure he hadn't received any damage.

"I need you and all the other wizards to leave town tonight," Albert explained, "the front is going to lurch forward and take the town."

"Hogwash, it's miles from here. You just want my house, don't you?" The man got up in Albert's face.

"It won't exist this time tomorrow, all because our government refuse to stop the muggles."