He'd gone back to Karkaroff with his cloaks up and his transfiguration down. He hadn't been quite right before but he was playing the game now. For real. For keeps.

"You never wanted to take his mark. You know I'd never blame you..." He was in Karkaroff's office with him, holding his hands firmly under his own. "Whose man are you, Igor Karkaroff?"

"Yours, My Lord. Always Yours. Only Yours." He sank to his knees in reverence and Gellert had to bite back a snide sexual comment because that was really not how you played for keeps.

"Mine." He agreed. "Now. Answer the call."

Igor Karkaroff bit back a sob and did as he was bid.

*

He had let the scene from his vision play out nearly exactly. He had no need or desire to keep the elder Crouch alive, so he simply did not.

It wouldn't do to be seen at the scene of the crime, but he let Albus see him at the very least. Gave him a knowing look. I'm playing now. Its real now.

And Albus gave him a look back like this was just the greatest thing he had never heard from him.

*

Karkaroff came back to him to tell him the plan. At least whatever Voldemort had deigned to tell him of it. Crouch, the younger that was, would send Potter to him at the end of the third task.

"Send him to him where?"

"A muggle village. Little Hangleton. That's where he's at... What are you... going to do?"

Gellert smiled sweetly. "Are you my agent or his?"

"Yours. Of course, My Lord."

"Then why do you ask?"

"I... Forgive me, My Lord. I do not mean to be... impertinent. I will do only what you ask of me. Nothing more."

"Can you speak to Crouch?"

"He thinks I am disloyal. I avoided imprisonment."

"Really? I don't see him in Azkaban. Go to him. Threaten him. Sweeten to him. I do not care. Bring me any information you can gather."

*

Any information he could gather turned out to be a lot of information.

"A portkey, you say?"

"He wants to transport Potter to the Little Hangleton graveyard to perform... Some sort of resurrection spell? I'm not... too sure... What that entails..."

"Its fine. Take me to the cup."

"Yes My Lord."

*

It turned out the only thing more depressing than Little Hangleton was the Little Hangleton graveyard. But there they were, preparing for there little ritual. This dark lord looked even worse than he did, which he had to admit he did take pleasure in. His servant was doing most of the busywork but he stopped abruptly when he noticed his arrival. Standing with his cloak pulled down around his shoulders and not a drop of transfiguration on him, waving the triwizard cup in mocking triumph.

"Expecting someone else were you?"

The man who was not Voldemort squeaked in a rather undignified way which was odd. "Master... I believe there may have been a... slight complication at Hogwarts." He said to the presumably human creature ordering him around.

"Kill him!" The thing rasped out. He rolled his eyes slightly. To say that was not going to happen would be an understatement.

Gellert drew his wand, slowly. "Listen, I don't really like killing former students, so if you just want to scurry along there... You are woefully outmatched here."

He certainly seemed like he wanted to, looking back and forth between him and his own master. Unfortunately his fear of Voldemort outweighed his fear of Grindelwald.

That was a mistake. But he considered himself a good teacher. This was a good time for a lesson.

*

"Now what to do with you?" He looked down at the not-resurrected Voldemort. "I can't kill you. Unfortunately. Ugh am I going to have to work with Albus on this one? No way, I am not going to do that... This is all mine."

"So. Dementor's kiss? Would that even work? Could lock you in a vat of American pensieve water. Might be fun to see what happens. Well I could always-- Oh! Oh that is too good. That is too, too good."

"What are you going to do? You know you can't kill me."

Gellert hit him with a transfiguration spell. "You know. I've changed my mind. I don't want to kill you. You are... ever so useful." It was like looking into a mirror.

"You've just turned me into you! How does that--"

Albus chose that moment to show up. He always did have perfect timing.

"Oh Albus, you always do have perfect timing..."

Albus took in the scene around him and smiled, in a manner no one would be able to mistake for kindly. "We had to postpone the third task due to your... machinations..."

"I'll make it up to you."

"Yes you will." Albus moved on, grabbing his fruitful imposter and disapparating.

He sure hoped the little fucker liked Nurmengard.