The Lost Acolyte
This is a Fanfic inspired by a post @humlesnurr made an eternity ago about the idea of Theseus having to witness aurors torturing Albus for information on Gellert. There will be more chapters, this post will be where it lives! Enjoy!
Content warning for torture and Grimmson being a creep.
Chapter 1: Following Orders
Theseus always hated this part of the job. It was cruel and barbaric if not messy and downright illegal. Torture, it was torture. The willfully infliction of pain on another human being for the purpose of gaining information. Though it might as well have been Quiddatch the way some of the old guard talked about it. It made him sick. It was worse when it was your favorite professor. Having to watch the man who taught you defense against the dark arts for seven years, the man who listened to your silly teenage woes about girls and the twits that bullied your little brother writhing on the floor and coughing up blood.
They'd given up on the cruciatus curse hours ago. No matter how many times they used it on Albus he'd just give them a cold blank stare when he was done convulsing. They had moved on to brute force. Grimmson must have cracked a few ribs because his breath had become ragged and wheezing. But that also could have been the broken nose. He was bound to a chair, his head lulling slightly, his hair like a curtain covering his face. He had grown it out since Bhutan, even though it had been a few months it was already past his shoulders. In his current state it gave Albus a dramatic wild look.
"Had enough already professor?" Flint sneered, enhancing his rat like features, his knuckles bled.
Albus raised his head, eyes a clear as ever, " Not at all."
Grimmson chuckled, " Cocky fuck."
The professor stretched his neck, maddeningly calm for someone with multiple broken bones, " Takes one to know one."
Grimmson slapped him hard across the face. Enough to split the professor's lip. When Albus recovered he looked up at his assaulter with a look of utter disappointment and annoyance, " Feel better?"
Flint piped up, " You've chatty, finally feel like talking?"
"As I've said. I've told you everything I know. This is a massive waste of your time."
Grimmson nodded, " I see. Looks like we'll have to change tactics."
Theseus grabbed the veteran auror's arm, "Grimmson please! He doesn't know anything! Let's stop this now."
" Sorry Theseus, orders are orders. He has to talk." To punctuate his point took out a switch blade.
Theseus tried to grab him again, "Grimmson wait!"
Grimmson sliced open Albus' shirt, revealing deeply bruised ribs and to Theseus surprise a couple of tattoos. Two of them looked alchemical, on his sternum and collar bones. But the older one that joined them together, old scars failing to damage it, just an all too familiar symbol used by Grindelwald and his acolytes.
This shut the three aurors up, very fast.
This finally broke though Albus' poker face, " Wait, wait! I can explain! It's not what you think. I'm not one of them! Please! You have to believe me please, " He started thrashing tugging at his restraints, "Theseus, you know what he did to me to my family! I've lost count of the times I've tried to remove this tattoo over the years but whatever I try it does work."
Flint had circled around Albus while he was talking he cut Theseus off before he could respond, "Shut up!" He yanked his head back by his hair and Grimmson put his knife to his throat, "You've done enough manipulation, professor. One more word to him and you won't have a throat to speak out of." They'd really used the cruciatus curse too many times on him with Albus' face held to the one light in the dingy Department of Mysteries office Theseus could see the mottled skin around his temples from the strain.
The ice returned to Albus' apparently he was more concerned with the aurors thinking he was one of Grindelwald's Acolyte's than any more physical harm. He looked right a Grimmson,"Do it. Then try to explain to your higher ups why you thought it was a good idea to slit the throat of the only man who can defeat the worst dark wizard the world has ever seen. I don't mind, lord knows I would've probably done it to myself sooner or later."
Theseus' face fell at that last bit,"What?"
"But hey then you get to tell your real boss you killed me. How happy, how proud will your beloved prophet be when you tell him you killed his greatest enemy? Come on Grimmson, I'm waiting. Make my day." With that Albus leaned into the knife slightly, just enough to draw blood like he was luring a shark.
The action someone broke Flint from whatever sadistic frenzy he was in," Whoa, hey Grimmson, don't listen to him. He's egging you on. Put the knife down."
Grimmson lowered the blade from his neck, though he still made a slow shallow slash across Albus' torso from his left collarbone to the right of his diaphragm. Flint stepped back discomfort growing on his face.
Theseus, once Albus wasn't in immediate danger of being outright killed he finally processed what he was saying, "Grimmson what is he talking about? Who are you involved with?"
Grimmson cut Theseus a glare before turning back to Albus and hit him again and again. He started to whisper something in his ear. He ran the flat side of the switchblade along the curve of the professor's waist and hip as he did so. Out of all the things he saw that day this was the one that actually made bile rise in Theseus' throat.
Whatever Grimmson said to him was enough to cause Albus to spit more blood right at Grimmson's face when he pulled away rage dripping from his voice so much it made Theseus jump. Though it was barely a whisper, "Fuck you."
Grimmson wiped the blood from his face and licked in with a perverse smile,"You would like that wouldn't you?"
Albus could barely muster a glare before he was finally, mercifully over taken with the pain and blood loss at least for the moment. Theseus checked his pulse and sighed with relief, "Alright. That's it. Both of you get out. Go for a smoke break, go for a coffee, go walk in front of a bloody car. I don't care. We all need a break."
Flint scurried out of the room without a word, taking Grimmson with him. When the door was closed Theseus turned to Albus checking his injuries a sob rising in his throat, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry please forgive me. I was just following orders. I thought they just wanted you for more questioning. If I'd known they'd do this I would have, I'm so sorry professor." he lifted Albus' head as gently as he could.
The professor's eyes rolled grotesquely as he tried to open them. He let out two ragged breaths before muttering to Theseus, "Get out… Get out of the building… please…" Before consciousness fully left him.
His face was sickly warm in Theseus's hands, he must have been much worse off than he thought, "What no, I can't leave you here. You need medical attention."
This snapped Albus from his stupor, "No, I need to get out of here before Grimmson comes back. If you're here while I escape they'll think you helped me."
" How? You can't even use your magic. They'll definitely know if I uncuff you."
"Judging by the fever I've been running for the past hour I don't think they're going to be a problem for much longer?"
"What are you talking about?" He looked behind Albus at the cuffs binding his magic. They had started to warp and bubble as if Albus' wrist were made of red hot metal.
Theseus nodded, "I see. Please be careful."
The professor was starting to shiver as his fought to escape the prison of his body, "I will, now go!"
With that Theseus hurried out the door. The out of the department, then out of the ministry all together.
Even after the itching where hot haze from the binding cuffs had gone Albus still felt like he was in a daze. He was in some much pain but he slowly walked over to his coat, clutching it to his torso before walking out the door. It was reckless to just walk out of the ministry in his state. But Albus was absolutely not thinking clearly and he'd rather die than stick around for what Grimmson had planned for him in that horrible dark, quiet room.
Albus wrapped his coat tight around him, as he walked. He was still light headed and his vision lurched with every step and it was agonizing to breath. But he'd managed to make it out of the department of mysteries without being noticed. He paused to catch his breath, leaning against the cold tile wall while debating the merits of keeping to the quieter hallways or to try an blend into the crowd of the busier ones when he realized he still felt feverish. He hoped it would have gone away when the cuffs came off but it didn't. That when he noticed the lights surging around him and the trail of cracked tile in his wake.
"No, no fuck. Damn it." Albus begged to the empty air. He was to leave, now. He moved as fast as his battered, broken body through the winding halls of the ministry. He lent against the balcony on an upper level to catch his breath again, gripping the railing.
He felt the tip of a wand dig into the back of his neck, "Don't move." Shit.
There was a hint of panic in Flint's voice, " How did you get out? What the bloody hell did you do to your restraints?"
The railing was starting to glow red and melt in his hands, " Flint, please. You have to let me go. You don't understand what Grimmson will do to me when he-"
Like a evil spirit Grimmson was somehow summoned by the sound of his own name, " Well aren't you always the resilient one? I'm shocked you're even still stand."
Albus looked down at the vertigo inducing drop before him, more than enough for what he needed. If he was lucky, Flint to get curse happy and he wouldn't even feel it when he hit the floor below.
Albus couldn't help but laugh even thought it felt like the shatter mess of his ribs we digging into his lungs, " I guess I'm just stubborn."
He grabbed Albus' shoulder, "You really think you could skip out on our plans."
"Grimmson wait-" Albus cut off by Grimmson's blood curdling scream. The skin of his hand came away blackened and bubbling. The smell of charred flesh choking the air.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Magical children who repress their magic grow and obscurus. What did you really think was going to happen when you locked my magic in my body?" Grimmson watched the flesh of his hand sloth off his bones in disgust and terror. Albus smiled cupping his face in his hands, "Tell me Grimmson. Do you still want to go through with your plans?" His cries were a balm that soothed Albus' aching ribs. He forgot the delicious, quiet, peace of burning.
Flint pulled him off of Grimmson. He used his jacket to shield his hand as he yelled,"Get off of him! Albus, you have to stop!"
"Don't touch me!" Albus shoved him off of him,"Stop? Stop? Have you even been listening? I can't stop. You did this to me. You just had to poke and prod and rip and slice and pull it out of me! The rage and literal fire that I had buried for decades! But no, you just to keep pushing!" He buried his face in his hands. He couldn't, wouldn't cry in front of these rabid dogs.
Some of the Aurors advanced before the lights blew before the spells left their lips. The tiny shards of glass raining onto them. Half of them were set alight by the electrical sparks showering down around them. Albus watched in horror as the other aurors burned. One of them fell into a pile of paperwork as he blazed. Albus had to get out of here, had to get away from people before he hurt anyone else. The fire spread as he started to talk again the fire spread at his heels like it was following him.
He got out in the end. Blooded and wheezing, he punctured a lung during his confront. But the Ministry was left a blazing mess in his wake. The pain all over his body was immeasurable as he stood there realizing the what he had done. He waited for his vision to clear. Before he disapparated with his last ounce of adrenaline.
Gellert had a quiet evening all things considering he the evening meal with the other Numengard residences had been quiet but pleasant. Rebuilding their numbers after the unfortunate failure of the election and his acolyte's were in higher spirits than expected. Now he was sat in his study going over the letters from his various spies. He was just about to respond to Abernathy when the colors of the room started to bleed like a watercolor, like the backdrop of a dream.
Gellert groaned, "Always when I'm busy." He put the letter down and let the vision over take him. When left him stood up and ran out of his office. "Vinda, Vinda! Prepare one of the triage rooms, now!"
He found him collapsed in a heap just inside Numengard's gates. He must have fell unconscious just before landing because had the tell tale the spiral wound of someone who had been splinched. But that was the least of his injuries. He cautiously put his fingers to Albus' pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt a slow faint heart beat. He hissed as his finger tips came away red and slightly blistered.
Vinda rushed out, "Oh my god is that-"
Gellert held up his hand to keep her away, " Yes, don't touch him."
"Is he dead?"
"No, just grievously injured. We're going to have to levitate him in."
"Why?"
Gellert showed him his fingers, "Someone did something extraordinarily stupid."
"Merlin, triage is ready. Aside for some much needed fire proofing spells."
Gellert nodded and drew his wand. Albus lifted in the air as if he was floating in water. That sharp angelic face contorted in pain even in unconsciousness. This man who had turned his back on him in front of the whole wizarding world after burning his plans to ash and rumble. But as he watched him silently float into the mouth of Gellert's stronghold he never wanted to hold him more in his life.
The Gellert healed Albus the angrier he got. Closing his wounds, knitting bones back together, and mending his lungs. Hearing his breathing start to sound right again did make Gellert feel a little bit better. Though the fact that all the lights in the room are brighten and dim with the rhythm of his breathing. Thankfully with Vinda's help the process didn't actually take that long. He was still inhumanly warm but he was safe to touch as he slept.
Vinda was staring at Albus like an insect in a jar, "Who do you think did this to him?"
He held his hand as he sat next to the bed, worrying the scar left by the the cuffs that much have been blocking his magic," There's only one organization that has binding cuffs and would be stupid enough to use them on one of the more powerful wizards in the world for more than five minutes. Part of me just can't fathom them doing something so dementedly idiotic and torturing their only hope of defeating me. We'll only know for sure when he wakes up. Why would they dump him here I wonder? "
"Maybe they didn't. Maybe he made it here on his own," Vinda glance between the two wizards with a little smirk, "But as you said, we won't know until he wakes up."
Gellert eventually fell asleep in the chair next to Albus' bed. Still holding his hand.
Chapter 2
Content Warning: Descriptions of war, child death, flashbacks, grief, funerals Aberforth making poor choices while intoxicated (Not intended as Aberforth bashing)
I know not a lot happens in this chapter but it will be important context for later!
Chapter 2: Memoriam
Albus woke up slowly like sleep didn't want to let him go. His limbs were heavy but he felt so little pain be was afraid he was dead. He opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling and everything came back to him. Judging by the scars on his wrists someone patched him up. He sat up slowly, his body aching. The lights were still… pulsing around him. It was a little distressing.
"Albus?" Gellert was sitting in a seat next to his bed.
"Gellert… I- Gellert wait don't touch me, I- "
Gellert pulled him into a gentle embrace, burying his face in his hair. "You cooled down a lot by the time you got here. I thought I'd lost you for a second."
Albus clutched onto Gellert for dear life, " I- I'm so sorry. I just, I had no where else to go. No one to go to. I know no one at Hogwarts would help me when the found out… I'm sorry. The fire kept spreading, and knew if Grimmson caught me he would have- I was so scared. I'm sorry."
"Deep breaths love, deep breaths," He took Albus' hands and pressed the pressure points on his wrist. Just like he used to do when Gellert had his visions," Start from the beginning when you're ready."
Albus looked up at him. He never noticed before but even though he was taller out of the pair. But when they sat there Gellert had a few inches on him.
He took a deep breath before starting, " Theseus said it was going to be another round of questioning. Trying to get updates on tracking you down. They had called me in before a couple of times since Bhutan so I didn't really think anything of it. But then they led me down to the department of mysteries. A quiet forsaken little corner with no government oversight and no to hear me. It wasn't my first time I was in that situation so I knew I could handle a couple rounds of the cruciatus curse without much distress. I just had to mentally disconnect from my body and accept that the pain was going to be constant for the foreseeable future. I could handle it. Then- then they put the binding cuffs on me. Feeling my magic locked inside my body building flowing through me with no where to go. I felt like I was going to explode even before the torture. Grimmson did most of it. The bastard was probably getting off on it. Atticus Flint was just along for the ride while Theseus just watched. I think Grimmson dragged him along to torment me with the look of helplessness on his face. After rounds of not giving them information I didn't have they gave up on curses and just started beating me up. "
Gellert had shifted them on the bed so Albus could rest his head on his chest, "That explains the marks on your temples. I doubt those are going to heal anytime soon then."
Albus touched his face, "I didn't realize there were any."
"It happens when someone is on the wrong end of the curse too many times in a row. I think it works on you it makes you look mysterious."
Albus blushed, "Thank you. "
"How did you get out?"
"I got out because I had to. Grimmson… Grimmson said he had plans for me when he could get me alone. I'd rather die trying to escape than go through that again. My magic had melted the cuffs enough to break them so I just walked out when they three of them left. I had to tell Theseus to leave. I didn't want him getting caught helping me. I tried to sneak away but my magic was all wrong, merlin its still wrong, and other aurors cornered me and Grimmson tried to grab me and…" Albus breath hitched and the lights in the room surged to an oppressive brightness, "I didn't want to hurt them. I couldn't help it. They wouldn't leave me alone. Now I'm just broken. I can't reign in my magic. If I can't control it, what good am I?"
Gellert held him tighter, "It's okay, it's okay. They're all gone now. I won't let them hurt you ever again. Okay? And you're controlling your magic just fine." He wiped away Albus' tears, "I've been holding you this entire time without any burns. Besides, if you had all this bottled up for so long even before the restraints, maybe what you really need is a little less control?"
"But still, they didn't deserve that. Burning alive like that… their pain, their fear… it was horrible."
"But, as you said you couldn't control it. They're the ones that forced your hand. Serves them right for beating their savior to a pulp," Gellert kissed the top of his head. " How are you feeling by the way?"
"Sore as anything but a lot better. Our world was denied a great healer when you decided to become a revolutionary."
" I was a healer for a time actually. During the war. I couldn't just sit there. Knowing what those people where going though in those mazes of mass graves and not do anything. Even muggles don't deserve that."
" Tell me about it. I wake up once a month with the taste of mud and blood on my tongue. "
"You served?"
" You don't need to sound so surprised. I was one of the first to be trained as a sniper. Though to be fair I wasn't one for long. I caught some shrapnel in the leg and when I recovered one of the higher ups found out I was a wizard and decided my talents were better suited to the secret service. "
"The secret service part makes sense," Gellert couldn't help but laugh, "But I'm sorry Albus I just can't conceive of you holding a rifle."
"Well its true. I never want hold one again if I'm honest… Weapons are so… impersonal… dehumanizing… they're too easy to use. At least I can feel the other person when I hurt them with magic. I have to feel the weight of their soul in my hands not just a hunk of wood and metal. A soul, a life is so much heavier…"
"And they say I have a way with words."
"You do. You just say the things people want to hear. Not the what they need to hear." Albus paused like it finally sank in who was holding him and where he was and sat up, "Speaking of which, don't you have a rally to plan for or something of the like? I'm sure your acolytes will miss you."
Gellert sat up as well, his face serious and concerned, "I actually do have a pressing matter to attend to."
Albus' heart sank a little, "I'm sorry to have kept you. You can go, really, I'll be fine on. I don't want to impose even more after quite literally dropping on your door step. Especially something that has you so worried. "
" It's very troubling yes. One of our number who has been away for a long time has recently returned after being put through hell by our enemies."
"Are they alright?"
"Oh he'll recover decently enough." A mischievous smile crept across Gellert's face, "Though his British politeness and pathological compulsive to refusal to be taken care of will great impact his recovery time. I suspect it has something to do with how his mother raised him after his father died."
"You can be an absolute ass sometimes, you know that?", Albus glared at him though he couldn't suppress a smile.
"It's been said. Now come on, you need some more rest. I want to make sure everything is healing well before I put you through some exercises. Besides I need a nap in something that isn't a chair."
Albus sighed,"If the doctor insists."
Albus couldn't help but feel strange as he sat on the examination table having Gellert fuss over him, when only a few short months ago they had fought each other in front of half of the wizarding world in Bhutan. God, that felt like ages ago. His mind continued to wonder as Gellert continued to check his breathing. It had been a long few months. It was wonderful to have Aurelius in his and Aberforth's life even for such a brief time. But his decline had opened old wounds for the both of them. Aberforth desperately trying to make up for loss time and Albus throwing himself into tracking down Gellert in every spare hour Hogwarts and the Ministry would give him. But of course it couldn't save the poor boy.
The death of an obscurial is never a pleasant thing to watch. Much like a star it can happen in one of two ways. The obscurus either busts out in a final violent explosion of dark energy, which can be deadly to bystanders. Or they go the way Aurelius did, quietly. The magical parasite taking the last of the child's energy until their is nothing left. It felt so cruel to Albus. His nephew had spent so many much of his life hiding and making himself small for fear of being hurt, if anyone deserved a climatic, earth shaking end it was him.
Albus tried to be helpful. He and Aberforth would watch the boy in shifts, make sure he was comfortable, distract him when he got scared. Enlisted Newt's help when he couldn't be there himself. He made sure Aberforth was taking care of himself too, held him when he finally had to say good bye. He even took care of funeral arrangements.
He was quite proud of how the funeral turned out in the end. He hoped Aurelius would have liked it. He insisted on inviting as many people as he could. He would not allow him to be led to rest without he people who cared for him by his side. Tina, Lallie, and The Kowalski's came over from America. Yusf Kama and the Flamels from France. He even managed to track down Nagini, though she did spend more time as a serpent theses days than other wise. Tina, having known Aurelius the longest, gave a beautiful eulogy.
Other than general impressions Albus actually didn't remember much of the funeral. His whole nervous system was alight all day. His hands shook so he kept them folded, he could barely breath so he stayed quiet. He felt like he was flickering through time. He would blink, or the breeze would change, or he'd take a wrong step and he would be at another funeral for another obscurial he couldn't save. He couldn't even pull himself together enough to actually cry. He just sat by the casket, chest heaving like he was drowning in his character.
Everything came to a head at the wake in the Hogshead. Albus felt like a ghost drifting through the small bar, making sure everyone had food and drinks. He was in the room but there was a veil between him and everyone else as he tried to ignore the young blonde girl at the edge of his vision . His hands were still shaking so we went to pour himself a drink when he caught Aberforth's eye.
He flinched when his brother walked up to him, the smell of whiskey on his breath. He was truly pathetic for cowering in front of the brother he helped raise. But he always reminded Albus so much of their dad when he was mad.
"You're quiet today. " Aberforth grumbled in an accusingly.
He would never have the heart to tell him the real reason, "Believe it or not after all these years I've learned when to shut up."
His brother's eyes narrowed in that way unique to a drunk person when they try to focus, "You have, haven't you. You're good at it. Keeping quiet, keeping secrets, hiding, stalling."
"Aberforth, please. Not now. Not today. You need time to grieve." Albus chest felt like it was being crushed by a hydraulic press.
"That's another thing, I don't think I've been your pansy ass shed a tear all day!" That comment was loud enough to get the attention of the whole room.
"Aberforth, I am not having this conversation when your drunk-"
"Oh fuck off! You're a cold hearted son of a bitch who can't even bring himself to care about his own Nephew."
Time started to get murkier teen and adult Aberforth, both angry and grieving started to yell at him in the same voice, " And that creepy eyed fuck is gallivanting all over the Europe committing god knows how many crimes while you sit in your little castle doing fuck all."
"I'm not hiding! Despite what you and every god damn ministry official thinks, teaching is a full time job that requires a lot of time and energy when you aren't being dogged by assassins and spies who couldn't care less about any kind of collateral damage."
Theseus looked a little guilty at this comment.
"Good! I'm glad! you brought into our home wrecked our family and maybe at this rate the whole damn world! Maybe you'll finally learn that every shitty thing that happened in your life are because of you."
Albus' stomach dropped, "What?"
The rest of the attendants were trying to stop Aberforth now but to no avail.
He was a lot drunker than Albus initially thought, "Maybe that's why the only person that loved you turned out to be a dark wizard. Because you're a bloody curse."
But Albus could only excuse drunkenness so far, " Take it back," his voice was brittle and quiet.
"What?"
"Take it back. You don't get to talk to me like that." The room got really quiet, "I have been walking on eggshells, bending over backwards, to make amends to you for decades. I have shouldered every fit of rage and underhanded aside about my sexual preference because I know that you're only form of grieving is to lash out at others. In hopes that maybe, just maybe if you let enough anger out the one family member I have left would actually pretend to give a damn about me. I already have enough guilt to live with on my own. I don't need yours."
As soon as Albus was done speaking, the two timelines he had spent the day in convergence has Aberforth's fist hit his face. Breaking his nose for a second time with a loud wet crack. Part of him knew this was how the day ways going to end. At least Aberforth waited until after the funeral this time. It was a lot less painful than last time, or maybe he was numbed by the fact that his worst fear finally came true. He truly had no one left who cared about him.
Albus looked up at Aberforth from the floor, " Do you feel better now?" Part of him prayed that his brother would beat him to death.
"I always wonder where you go when stare off into space like that, " Gellert tilted his chin up to meet his gaze under the pretense of checking his eyes, only to notice the tears welling up again, "Schatz, what's wrong? What has you so upset?"
"I'm fine its just… It's been a long couple of months."