The Greater Good [GrindelwaldxDumbledore]

Chapter Twenty Five ~ Mercy

Gellert's campaign took its toll. His frustration at the ministries failure to act poisoned his heart. He cared not for the label of a cult leader, but the needless shedding of magic blood to protect muggles.

"The end of war is not the end of suffering," He said quietly, his eyes shifting back and forth between the present and future.

"Keiran mentioned there was a chance to take over a few villages when the muggles finally give up and move on."

"People are broken, their souls destroyed by loss, an open invitation for disease," Gellert mumbled.

Marcus looked at Albert and shook his head. "Yes, Gellert, you have mentioned it but there is no sign of it hitting yet."

"We have potions stockpiled?" Gellert snapped out of the trance. "It will hit us almost as hard as it will them, I cannot lose my faithful family to a muggle-born disease."

"Yes, every potion your brilliant mind has conjured up is either bottled or brewing as we speak." Marcus' eyes met those of everyone whose tongue might slip.

"This will be an opportunity to make a change." Gellert drifted back into his trance.

***

"It is time," Gellert said, linking arms with Marcus and Matilda. "We will plead our case."

The village of Schwartz was as grim. A mass pit overtook the small church graveyard, barely deep enough to take the mountain of bodies it needed to swallow. The fly population exploded, making the whole town hum with the stench of decay.

"Is this what you want minister?" Gellert said pointing to the mass grave. "We could have stopped this."

"This is nature, it is not to be meddled in, as you have been told before."

"So you want them to die? You are going to willingly allow another living being to suffer?" He watched a few of the aurors turn green, their stomachs churning at the smell. "You cannot keep telling everyone this is okay."

"It's not that simple." Dark circles clung stubbornly to the minister's eyes.

"To us it is. These people may be family to us or life-long friends. You cannot expect us to turn a blind eye when they are in trouble. Especially when it is something we can so easily aid in if caught early."

"You know the rules, Gellert." He whipped his robes back and pointed his wand at Gellert's chest.

Marcus and Matilda poised for attack, their wands twitching between the minister and his aurors.

"Who made you judge, jury and executioner to the muggle population?" Gellert gave a bitter laugh, "And your office dares to label me a muggle hater. War has ravaged us all, let us stop the death toll rising through this peacetime."

"It is forbidden." The minister stomped on the spot, spittle flying from his mouth.

"There you have it, folks, the ministry will strip us of our wands if we do anything to ease their misery. Let this word be spread, we are not to cure them, they are to die." Gellert rose his hands in the air. "You're going to have a lot of innocent blood on your hands when this is all over"

"What would your father say if he could see you now?" The minister stepped closer, his eyes focused on Gellert's wand.

Gellert swallowed back the poisonous words at the tip of his tongue. "He would be proud that I am standing up and trying to make a necessary change."

"This isn't the way to do it," the minister screamed in frustration.

"Well, talking didn't work. I waited for you and the rest of the crones to see that we are finally out of the dark ages, but it never happened. The old ways have no place in the modern world." Gellert nodded.