i am lord voldemort • Tom Riddle

Alternative Timeline: XXXVII

Wordlessly, a beam of light fired from his wand — the Elder Wand, Lae remembered with new appreciation for the power that title entailed. The spell impacted the ceiling with deceptive quiet. Hairline fractures snaked off in every direction away from the initial site of contact, dozens, splitting off into hundreds and so forth.

That's when the shaking started.

"Lae. A shield charm overhead, if you would."

She hastened to obey, even as she griped, "Why can't you do it? If I mess up it will not be a pleasant experience — for either of us."

A horrible rumble vibrated through their feet and snaked up the hollows of their bones, giving Lae just enough time to reach blindly out behind her, waiting for Tom to weave his fingers through her own. "I'm here," he affirmed, voice little more than a low whisper.

"I could imagine entrusting this part of my safety to no one but you. As for why I can't do it myself, every great revolution needs a speech to remember it by." Grindelwald's eyes gleaming with fervent light, he lowered his wand to the base of his throat, murmuring, "Sonorus." Then he began, his voice booming over their heads and drowning out all other sound into a dull hush, "Witches and wizards and all other number of thinking creatures of this miserable, misguided ministry, your Minister of Magic is gone, and your Deputy Minister has already made the fortuitous decision to join my side. Many of your friends — people you've known for your whole lives — have also selflessly committed themselves to my cause, and the cause of all magical beings." A discordant rumble echoed across the wide chamber. Several people eyed the roof warily, darting fearful glances back and forth. Grindelwald continued uninhibited through the pandemonium. If anything, he appeared to be picking up steam, and letting his enthusiasm cloud his reason. "Join us and the world we plan to create, or stand against us and perish where you stand. Have you ever wondered why beings as extraordinary as ourselves are so imposed upon by non-magical beings?  You might have been taught that it's because of their superior numbers." In one instant, the ceiling, the wall, saw massive fissures slicing through them, dust and debris raining down atop their heads. Suddenly, the Auror's, Ministry members, and Grindelwald's followers decided fighting each other was the least of their worries. Some stood frozen in a flash of horror of what was to come. Others, quicker on the uptake, moved to produce shield spells, an outcry of Diffindo. "That is not the case, for what can they do to us? We are them, but better. When we enacted the Statute of Secrecy all those centuries ago, we lacked unity. We lacked leadership. We were scrambling around in the dark. Now, we have both. And now, while they tear each other apart in a second world war, they boast neither of what once set them apart. Never again will we be shunned into the shadows, doomed to be punished for accidentally revealing an innate part of ourselves to the muggles. We could no easier give up our magic than we could give up breathing. It is who we are, yet somehow the magical ministries and governments across the world — our own people — have made it a crime to be, unabashedly, magical. It is time for us to stop hiding. Today is our day to crawl out of our shelters. Today is the day to bask in the glow of the sunlight."

There was second earsplitting crack, followed by even more dust cascading over them in a heavy sheet and obscuring their vision, like peering through a dense fog. Lae made the unfortunate, ill-advised decision to breathe, only to lose herself to a fit of coughing, doubled over and tearing up from the scratching at the back of her throat. She tugged her collar over the bridge of her nose, pinching it just tight enough as to give room to inhale.

"Goddamn it, Uncle," she choked out, unsure if he could even hear her condemnation. "How is this any better than setting the place on fire?"

On cue, it got a whole lot worse.