Gellert Grindelwald

Gellert Grindelwald was a brilliant, ambitious, and ultimately dangerous wizard who tried to take over the wizarding world, starting in the early 1920s and ending with his defeat by Albus Dumbledore in a famous duel in 1945. Two years younger than Dumbledore (DH18), as a teenager Gellert was blond, wore his curly hair shoulder-length, and had a wild, gleeful look about him (DH13).

Grindelwald was a brilliant student at Durmstrang Institute, but was expelled in 1899 at the age of 16, at which point he chose to go abroad for a few months, moving in with his great-aunt Bathilda Bagshot in Godric’s Hollow (DH18) because he was fascinated by the legend of the Deathly Hallows and wanted to explore the place where Ignotus Peverell had died and was buried (DH35). During his stay in Godric’s Hollow, Gellert became very close with then 18-year-old Albus Dumbledore, and drew the latter into his plans for world domination. Together they theorized about Wizard supremacy “For the Greater Good” of the world, and how to find the three Deathly Hallows: The Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, and the Resurrection Stone. However, their relationship lasted mere months; Grindelwald fled when Albus’s unstable sister Ariana was killed during a quarrel, and Dumbledore realized his folly (DH18, DH28).

At some point during between Ariana’s death and Grindelwald’s rise on the world stage as a Dark Wizard causing death and destruction, he stole the Elder wand from the wandmaker Gregorovitch. By the mid-1920s, Grindelwald was infamous for his reign of terror. He was hunted by Aurors from all over the world, but consistently managed to escape. In a violent encounter at a chateau somewhere in Europe in 1926, Grindelwald defeated five Aurors sent to take him to justice and disappeared. The Wizarding world lived in fear, wondering if anyone was safe.

Grindelwald had seen a vision of a powerful form of Dark Magic called an Obscurus. In 1926 Gellert Grindelwald infiltrated MACUSA under the persona of Percival Graves. He was focused on finding an Obscurus and he developed a close relationship with Credence Barebone. He tried to sentence Newt Scamander and Porpentina Goldstein to death. After an incident where Credence destroyed portions of the city Grindelwald’s identity was revealed and he was captured by Newt Scamander and turned over to MACUSA. (WFT).

Six months later Grindelwald was supposed to be transported from MACUSA prison to Europe. Because of his gift of persuasion, they had his tongue cut out, as several guards had sided with him. Unknown to MACUSA authorities some of Grindelwald’s acolytes conspired to free him in transit and succeeded in doing so.

Three months afterwards Grindelwald and some of his acolytes, travelled to Paris to search again for Credence Barebone, who had survived the battle in New York. He then ordered the killing of non-magique’s in Paris to take their home and the killing of Irma Dugard to cover up Credence’s heritage.

Grindelwald called a meeting of his followers in the Lestrange Mausoleum where he gave a rousing speech about his vision of the future, which included another great and terrible Muggle war. As his rally was infiltrated by Aurors, Grindelwald unsuccessfully invited them to join him. In the resulting battle Grindelwald urged his followers to disapparate while he faced the Aurors, conjuring a circle of protective fire around himself, adding an enchantment that tested the loyalty of his followers. In his fury Grindelwald unleashed the Fiendfyre intending to destroy all Paris before he too, disapparated.

Later, at Nurmengard Castle, Grindelwald spoke with Queenie and presented Credence with a wand and the knowledge that his real name was Aurelius Dumbledore. (CG)

During his subsequent rise to power as a Dark wizard, Gellert used his castle, Nurmengard, as a prison to hold his opponents, over the door of which the slogan “For the Greater Good” was carved (DH18). Although he was well aware of Grindelwald’s abuses of power and evil actions, Dumbledore avoided having to confront his former friend because he was afraid Grindelwald would tell him who it was that had cast the spell that killed Ariana — and Dumbledore was terrified that it might have been him. However, Dumbledore eventually had to try to stop Grindelwald, even at great personal cost.

The spectacular final battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald took place in 1945, the final year of World War Two, and the year that Voldemort finished Hogwarts. In the end, Dumbledore won the duel and took Grindelwald’s wand, the Elder Wand of Deathly Hallows fame. This battle was such a notable event that it is featured on Dumbledore’s Chocolate Frog card as one of the three things Dumbledore is particularly famous for (PS6). Grindelwald was imprisoned in Nurmengard (DH18), where he remained until his murder by Voldemort in 1998 (DH23).