Strings Attached

Chapter 21

"Will it change how world will see me?" Celeste questioned, her breathing came out short as her body burned with tiredness. Her hair was a mess as were her clothes. "I can't say about the adults, but children here admire you more so than before, especially Gryffindors. Apparently, your tale of bravery of control, even for mere minutes, of his fire is not a fate everyone achieves. Especially knocking him off his feet in front of his followers. You did everything right Celeste. Nothing changes the fact that you are a Fischer, not even the fact that Grindelwald used a woman as his pawn." Albus answered.

He stopped before the oak door of his office. He opened it with a push, Celeste and Newt following him. "Take a seat please. Do you prefer tea with milk or without milk?" Albus asked, gesturing towards empty chairs in the room.

"With milk and two spoons of sugar." Celeste answered, sitting on a chair and relief spread all over her body. She sagged on the chair, her eyes heavy with all the stress she was feeling. "And you Newt?" Albus asked Newt, who was looking at his wife in concern. "Same as hers." He answered, sitting on the chair beside her.

Newt took Celeste's hand into his, which Celeste gave him a grateful look for. Albus prepared three cups of tea and noticed how without words Newt was able to comfort Celeste. It was something Albus admired about Newt. He was compassionate and had empathy which sadly many people lacked.

Albus took the cups of tea and offered them to the couple, who took it gratefully. Albus went back to his cup of tea and picked it up before leaning on the wall beside his working table. "You must have multiple questions, which is quite understandable." Albus began explaining. "Lorelie was Albert's third cousin, which is how you were put in their care with my help. Lorelie was one of the greatest witches and was known for her empathy towards muggles, which brings us to question, how did she get involved with Grindelwald?" Albus took a sip from his tea.

"How old was Grindelwald when he had managed to get Lorelie with child?" Celeste asked, sipping the tea from her cup. "Twenty one or twenty two. I was not in contact with him after I was nineteen. But Lorelie and Albert contacted me with concerns of Lorelie's unborn child, you." Guilt bubbled in Albus's eyes as he explained further.

"Lorelie thought it was for better if you were posed as Albert's child. Albert was more than happy to take you as one of his own as he couldn't have more children after Gilbert. Stefanie was over the moon when we told her about how you would be raised by her. But the issue was how anyone would hide this from you, where Stefanie suggested that we never tell you about your original identity. Believe me, if we could we would have told you, but it was too much of a risk to take." Albus said, apology was evident in his eyes.

Celeste's eyes were trained on her wedding band, and her fingers shook a little as she took in all the information. "I would have told you about this before if I had even the slightest idea that he would wield this information as a weapon. But i still do not understand, how did he find about you being his daughter?" Albus muttered, sipping the last bit of his tea.

"He didn't until the Greece incident. I think it was then he realised that I was his daughter or rather that his weapon was still alive." Celeste offered, closing her eyes. "Could be. But believe us, this doesn't change anything about you. He does not define your actions. You are Celeste. You would have found your way even if you were not separated from Grindelwald." Albus said, giving the woman an encouraging look.

"I need some time to process this information. It was so easy for him to scatter my world like a bunch of cards in the air." Celeste muttered, her voice wavering with emotions. "No, that is what he wants. But use this as your advantage. You are what he always feared. He does not fear me because I am his ultimate enemy, he fears me because I am his barrier he cannot defeat without defeating himself as well. He fears you because you are everything he couldn't achieve. He fears you because he knows you can defeat him if you honed your powers. He fears you for you, and that is the biggest advantage." Albus said, shaking his head.