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"Please sit down." Grindelwald motioned in front of him.

Deanna sat down in front of Grindelwald awkwardly while settling Fawkes on her lap. Her father's first love smiled at the phoenix who just nodded at him. She couldn't take the awkwardness anymore so she cleared her throat, making the man look at her. "I... I got something from my father and in his will, he said to follow the sign."

Deanna took out the necklace of Grindelwald's sign and showed it to him, surprised to see the man shaking his head and closing his eyes as if remembering something bad. "Mister Grindelwald?"

"Y-Yeah?" Grindelwald snapped out of the trance he was in and swallowed the lump in his throat. He just remembered all the bad things he had done, all the regrets he had and what he did to this little girl's parents. "S-Sorry, just remembered something."

"It's fine." Deanna smiled reassuringly. "My father gave this to me in his will. Did he leave a message for me or something I needed to do?"

"How did you know that it was my sign?" Grindelwald asked in curiosity. "I'm sure Al– your father did not mention me that much."

"He did tell me about you two before." Deanna explained, making Grindelwald's eyes widen in surprise. "But I saw the necklace in a picture the two of you had when you were young. That's why I knew I should go here."

"He kept pictures of me?" Grindelwald mumbled to himself and he quickly blinked his tears away. The truth was Dumbledore had only visited Grindelwald three times since he became imprisoned. The first was a few months after Deanna died, the second was when Deanna returned and the last was a year ago when he asked Grindelwald if there was no other way for Deanna.

And Grindelwald honestly thought Dumbledore did not have any feelings left for him, Grindelwald thought he only had hatred left for the prisoner but now, he was finding out he kept the pictures of them after all this time. He was such a bad man and there was no way for him to make it up to Albus Dumbledore.

"I think he never stopped loving you, Sir." Deanna suddenly said, making Grindelwald's eyes widen. She held back her smile and continued, speaking only with sincerity and truth. "My father always told me you were a great man. You may have made bad choices, but what matters most is that you're still here, Sir. You still have a chance to make things right. And I need your help."

Grindelwald cast his eyes down, trying to blink back his tears at Deanna's words. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. "Alright." He looked up at Deanna and smiled, those blue eyes were so familiar and so warm, but it also reminded him of what he lost due to his foolishness. "We'll start tomorrow, but for now, you must rest. I'm sure you had a long journey so go to the room under this floor and let's talk some more tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sir." Deanna beamed at him, feeling victorious that she was finally making some progress. And she knew, by the way Grindelwald's eyes teared up and by the way he smiled, he still loved Albus Dumbledore. She nodded to him before leaving the room with Fawkes in her arms.

Christian met her in the middle of the staircase, smiling. "Your room is this way, Deanna."

"Thank you, Christian." She smiled back at him while looking around the castle. Indeed, it really looked more like a prison rather than a castle. "It seemed like you prepared my room beforehand."

"Your father told me you'd be coming soon." Christian chuckled at how Dumbledore really was a step ahead of everyone. "So, we made sure to prepare for your visit. It must have taken you a long journey."

Deanna couldn't help but smile. Indeed, it was too long. From Australia to Austria. But somehow, that long journey proved to be a blessing. She met countless people who showed only kindness to her and those people she'd never forget. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"Here we are then. Have a good rest, Deanna." Christian smiled at her once more before he left her there standing in front of the door.

"Thank you." Deanna called out to him, placing her hand on the metal doorknob. She opened the door slowly and was surprised at the sight that met her. It was not like Grindelwald's cold room with only a bed and a closet and a calendar on the wall. Her room did not seem like a cell at all if you did not count the walls. There was a comfortable bed and a lantern and it was actually warm.

Smiling, Deanna looked up at the ceiling and wondered if it was Grindelwald's doing. She set down her bag and lay on the bed while stroking Fawkes's feathers. "Fawkesy, we're doing what Pops wanted, right?"

Fawkes let out a sleepy cry, making Deanna yawn too. She slowly closed her eyes and murmured. "I love you, Fawkes." In response, the phoenix nuzzled Deanna's cheek, making the Dumbledore smile as she surrendered to exhaustion.

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"Good morning, Christian." Deanna greeted pleasantly after having a good sleep.

"You seem cheerful today." Christian laughed before he set down a plate in front of Deanna. "Start eating, I'll just bring this to Sir Gellert."

"You don't eat with him?" Deanna said in surprise.

"I do, sometimes." Christian prepared Grindelwald's food and place it on a tray. "But he said he wants to eat by himself today. I'll just bring this to him."

Deanna just nodded, deep in thought about Grindelwald while feeding Fawkes some of the bread. Grindelwald was quite confusing. From what she heard and knew about him, he was a despicable wizard who longed for immortality. He was the one who killed her mother only a few days after she was born and he made her father miserable for years.

But after meeting him, her view of him changed. It seemed like he really regretted everything, and she didn't have to hear the words from him to know that he still loved Dumbledore. It was clear right then and there, Gellert Grindelwald had changed for the better and the fact that he offered to help made Deanna trust him a little more. She knew that Grindelwald was the answer to what she wanted to know.

"Hey, Christian? What is Mister Grindelwald like?" Deanna suddenly asked while the two of them were eating.

Christian stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "During his first years, he was an arse, getting angry and trying to attack us." Somehow, his remark made the two of them chuckle as Deanna could imagine it. "But soon, he became quiet. Like he realized everything. Everything he had done wrong. Then, he started regretting and changing. So, yeah. The Gellert Grindelwald now is different from the Gellert Grindelwald the entire world knows. Please keep that in mind when you talk with him."

Deanna nodded at him with a smile while looking down at her plate. She had no doubt now. She could definitely trust Grindelwald though she still had some wariness in her. She just had to trust Dumbledore like she always did and learn about everything from Grindelwald to continue her journey. He might know something about the Horcruxes or something about Voldemort. She didn't know what she could get from him, but Deanna knew was that Grindelwald was the only one who could help her now.

After eating with Christian, Deanna went back to her room and took a quick shower, changing into comfortable clothes for her talk with Grindelwald. She kissed the phoenix pendant on her necklace and smiled. After what she needed to do with Grindelwald, she'd know where to go next and soon, they'd finish this war and she can go back to Hermione. Just as she promised.

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Grindelwald looked out of the small window in his room at the horizon. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "I didn't think you'd give me this hard task, Albus. But then again, you always care too much to hurt others."

But nothing could prepare Grindelwald for what he had to do, for what he had to tell Deanna. He knew Dumbledore might have thought she wasn't ready yet, but was anyone ever ready to learn of their fates? He shook his head and slid down the wall with a shaky sigh. Deanna Dumbledore did not deserve it. She did not deserve that tragic fate. But what could they do? She was chosen to be the heir of the phoenixes and she was the only one who could put an end to this war.

"Why?" Grindelwald mumbled sadly. "Why her? Why me? Damn it." He wiped away a stray tear and cleared his throat, making sure to make himself look like nothing happened before Deanna's arrival. Before her journey, before everything that happened, this was what she must know. No matter how hard it might be, Grindelwald would make sure to tell her the truth.

A knock on the door made Grindelwald look up and he took in a deep breath. "Come in, Deanna." He motioned to the seat in front of him and Deanna sent him a smile before she sat down.

"Good evening, Mister Grindelwald." Deanna greeted happily. "Where should we start?"

"Before all of that, I must tell you something." Grindelwald swallowed the lump in his throat. "And I want to tell you, it was kept as a secret for your safety."

"What is it, Sir?" Deanna asked, now feeling more curious.

"Do you remember your prophecy? The heir of the phoenixes?" Grindelwald asked her. Deanna nodded slowly, wondering how he learned about it. "I was the one who heard the prophecy from Cassandra Trelawney."

Deanna's eyes widened in surprise, remembering the tag around her glass orb. "You're..."

"Yes, Gellert Andras Grindelwald." Grindelwald smiled sadly at her. "You may have known that the first heir of the phoenixes was thought to be Ariana Dumbledore but after... after her death..." Deanna knew he paused because of the guilt. It was the same too with her father. "We thought it was you. Your father never told you about the prophecy in hopes of it not happening and in hopes of you not being the heir of the phoenixes."

"However, the heir of the snakes had thought differently and brought you into a deep slumber, this choice of his was what set the prophecy into effect." Grindelwald looked straight into Deanna's blue eyes as he spoke his next words carefully. "Your father has told you about the prophecy, yes?"

"Yeah." Deanna mumbled in agreement, wondering why there was pain and hesitation in the man's blue eyes.

"But he did not tell you about the entire prophecy."

Deanna thought she imagined Grindelwald's words so she blinked her eyes. "What?"

"Albus Dumbledore did not tell you the entirety of the prophecy." Grindelwald repeated slowly, watching Deanna's reaction and his heart broke at the pain in her eyes and the shaking of her body. He wanted to wrap an arm around her small figure and give a little comfort but he did not have the right to do so. Not when he killed her mother and destroyed her father's life.

But Deanna quickly composed herself. She understood her father's choice. After all, it was always her safety that was his priority. He must have had a good reason. "Can you please tell me then? The whole prophecy?"

"Deanna..." Grindelwald looked at her worriedly but when she smiled and he saw the determined look in her eyes, he let out a sigh and nodded. He took something from behind him and a vial. Deanna saw it was a Pensieve and Grindelwald slowly poured the vial into the Pensieve and gave it a swirl with his long finger, a woman rising from the Pensieve like a ghost.

"The heir of Slytherin and the heir of the phoenixes... A love that was destined but broken by choices made out of love and thirst for power... A connection that will last until the phoenix burns... She is the wall standing between the Dark Lord and the Boy... Between the Dark Lord and the Boy, neither can live while the other survives... And the girl changes it all through choices she will make... She is the salvation... She is the sacrifice... The heir of the phoenixes..."

And with that, the ghost-like figure of the woman vanished in smoke and Deanna and Grindelwald were left staring at the Pensieve. Deanna clenched her fists, remembering the woman's final words while trying to keep her tears at bay.

"She is the salvation... She is the sacrifice... The heir of the phoenixes."

Deanna did not need anyone to tell her what it meant for she now knew just what choice she needed to make to end this war. A sacrifice, the heir of the phoenixes. The salvation... She needed to die.

"You understand why your father did not tell you. He was concerned of your safety and happiness." Grindelwald said gently, staring at the girl who was looking at the Pensieve blankly. "Please, do not get mad at your father, Deanna. Do not get mad at the people who knew for they only wanted to keep you safe and happy."

"I know," said Deanna, her voice cracking. "I know they all sacrificed so much for me and I know what I need to do. But..." A sob came out from her, breaking Grindelwald's heart. She did not deserve it, indeed. She was a kind girl who had a bright future ahead of her, but now, she found out that she had gone through so much only to die in the end. For the greater good. For the damned greater good.

"I'm sorry." Grindelwald said softly, tears too falling from his eyes. He patted her hand and was relieved when Deanna did not remove it. Only her heartbreaking sobs filled the silence of the room. Anyone would think Deanna should not be feeling this pain. She died once and returned only to die again.

Deanna still had so much to do, she still had so much dreams, but they all came breaking down with the reveal of her prophecy. That wretched prophecy. It struck Deanna then. She would never be able to be reunited with the Hufflepuffs, Ernie, Justin, Hannah and Susan again. She would never be able to eat in the kitchens with the house-elves while the ghosts played beside her. She would never be able to be teased by Pansy, Daphne, Blaise and Theo. She would never be able to eat cookies and drink chocolate milk with Minerva, Pomona and Hagrid, Slughorn and the other Professors ever again.

The Order and the Weasleys... Deanna would never be able to laugh along with them, reminiscing the memories of the past. She would never be able to just mess around with Jemina, Noah and Eleanor. She would never be able to play Quidditch with Harry and Ron anymore. She would never be able to eat the hotdogs her aunt and uncle had while telling them about Hermione with a goofy smile on her face.

And Hermione... She promised Hermione she'd come back to her after the war, but with the war's end came her own. Deanna's dream of a future... Having three children while sitting around a warm fire, Deanna as a Professor and Hermione working in the Ministry. It was gone now. It would never happen. They'd never have that wedding or that family or that life they wanted.

But despite not wanting to, Deanna knew what choice she'd make in the end. For the greater good, she had to die. She'd have to leave behind everything and everyone and she just hoped they'd understand her decision. Deanna wiped away her tears and smiled at Grindelwald. "Good night, Sir."

She left the room before Grindelwald could respond to her. He stared at the closed door and sighed. "I'm sorry, dear."

Deanna quickly opened the door to her room, startling Fawkes and lay down on the bed. Her tears started once more, making Fawkes let out a cry in worry. "I'm going to die." She whispered out, the reality of her tragic fate now hitting her.

Fawkes stared at Deanna for a moment before he nuzzled his head into her hand and started letting his phoenix tears fall onto her body, as if telling Deanna that he could save her. The action just made Deanna cry more and she sat up and hugged Fawkes tight, breaking down in tears.

Her friends, her family, Hermione... She loved them all and reminded herself she was doing this for them. For their safety and for the greater good. The thought comforted Deanna a little bit while she hugged Fawkes tight. It was a truth that was hard to accept but she needed to accept it as soon as she could.

As she did before, she'd cry it all out tonight and when the next day came, she'd be fine. She would be preparing for what was to come whether it be Voldemort or her death. Deanna Dumbledore was the heir of the phoenixes, and she would do anything and everything to fulfill her role. Even if it meant leaving the person she loved the most.

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