Gellert Grindelwald is briefly mentioned in the first novel in the series - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - on the chocolate frog (a kind of magical candy) card (featuring famous wizards and witches) for Albus Dumbledore. It states that: "... Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945 ..."
He is not mentioned again until the seventh (and final) book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) in which his role is mostly regulated to flashbacks in the form of a biography on Dumbledore and some memories. He is, however, crucial to the trail of one of the titular Deathly Hallows, arguably the most important: The Elder Wand (so named as it is made from the wood of an elder tree) and his history can be pieced together like a puzzle.
He is next seen only in a photograph - the lead character (Harry Potter) thinks Gellert - with his shoulder-length, golden curls of hair - has a "gleeful, wild look" to him and later even compares him to his jokester friends Fred and George Weasley - clearly by appearances alone Gellert seems to be fun and a little cheeky - not visibly a 'dark' wizard. Harry is even concerned that Voldemort will be after this charming, handsome young wizard. Gellert is also described as "merry-faced", often seen in these pictures to be smiling "lazily" or laughing.
Before we discover his identity, Harry has another vision whilst Voldemort is after the Elder Wand - Gellert has stolen it from the wand maker Gregorovitch and is discovered on a windowsill "perched like a giant bird" and with a look of delight on his "handsome" face. Gellert lets out a "crow of laughter" as he jumps deftly out of the window (backwards) after stunning Gregorovitch with a spell. A very important thing to note is that Gellert did only stun and not torture or kill in order to escape with the wand - he is no madman. It is not defined how old he is when he stole the Elder wand from Gregorovitch but as he's described as young (by a teenager), it's likely he was only in his early twenties.
Prior to this, however, a young Gellert Grindelwald was sent to live with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot (later to write a History of Magic) in Godric's Hollow where he met Albus Dumbledore, future teacher and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He must be about sixteen since he'd just been expelled from his own school of Durmstrang for "twisted experiments" and is described as a couple of years younger than Dumbledore, who it seems turned eighteen around this time. In photographs taken around this time Dumbledore and Grindelwald are seen laughing together and either arm in arm or having their arms around each others shoulders, indicating a closeness. Revealed by the author that Dumbledore was gay and in love with Grindelwald, it can be assumed that they were lovers - but this had neither been confirmed nor denied. Being from another time (Victorian/Edwardian when such things were not spoken of) he may be evasive about this relationship in RP, at least at first. At the very least they were very good friends for the few months that Gellert was there.
Rumoured that Gellert wanted to go to Godric's Hollow to find out more about the Deathly Hallows - three magical items said in a fable to have been made by Death himself - the Elder wand, an 'unbeatable' wand; a cloak of invisibility to match no other and a stone that allegedly can raise the dead - but only perhaps through a ghostly or zombie-like form. The Deathly Hallows fascinated both Albus and Gellert and brought them together resulting in many midnight messages to each other's houses and conversations filled with a passionate fervour. Dumbledore later said that Gellert's ideas "inflamed" him - these ideas including a kind of rebellion against Muggles - getting wizards out of hiding and forcing the Muggles (non magical people) into subservience. Gellert originally had the idea it would be for the Muggle's own good but Dumbledore manages to turn this into For The Greater Good. Gellert obviously does listen to his friend in these matters as he adopts this slogan wholeheartedly. Dumbledore calls them "two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession".
Gellert Grindelwald || Harry Potter || Reserved || 2/??
History:
Gellert Grindelwald is briefly mentioned in the first novel in the series - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - on the chocolate frog (a kind of magical candy) card (featuring famous wizards and witches) for Albus Dumbledore. It states that: "... Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945 ..."
He is not mentioned again until the seventh (and final) book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) in which his role is mostly regulated to flashbacks in the form of a biography on Dumbledore and some memories. He is, however, crucial to the trail of one of the titular Deathly Hallows, arguably the most important: The Elder Wand (so named as it is made from the wood of an elder tree) and his history can be pieced together like a puzzle.
He is next seen only in a photograph - the lead character (Harry Potter) thinks Gellert - with his shoulder-length, golden curls of hair - has a "gleeful, wild look" to him and later even compares him to his jokester friends Fred and George Weasley - clearly by appearances alone Gellert seems to be fun and a little cheeky - not visibly a 'dark' wizard. Harry is even concerned that Voldemort will be after this charming, handsome young wizard. Gellert is also described as "merry-faced", often seen in these pictures to be smiling "lazily" or laughing.
Before we discover his identity, Harry has another vision whilst Voldemort is after the Elder Wand - Gellert has stolen it from the wand maker Gregorovitch and is discovered on a windowsill "perched like a giant bird" and with a look of delight on his "handsome" face. Gellert lets out a "crow of laughter" as he jumps deftly out of the window (backwards) after stunning Gregorovitch with a spell. A very important thing to note is that Gellert did only stun and not torture or kill in order to escape with the wand - he is no madman. It is not defined how old he is when he stole the Elder wand from Gregorovitch but as he's described as young (by a teenager), it's likely he was only in his early twenties.
Prior to this, however, a young Gellert Grindelwald was sent to live with his great-aunt, Bathilda Bagshot (later to write a History of Magic) in Godric's Hollow where he met Albus Dumbledore, future teacher and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He must be about sixteen since he'd just been expelled from his own school of Durmstrang for "twisted experiments" and is described as a couple of years younger than Dumbledore, who it seems turned eighteen around this time. In photographs taken around this time Dumbledore and Grindelwald are seen laughing together and either arm in arm or having their arms around each others shoulders, indicating a closeness. Revealed by the author that Dumbledore was gay and in love with Grindelwald, it can be assumed that they were lovers - but this had neither been confirmed nor denied. Being from another time (Victorian/Edwardian when such things were not spoken of) he may be evasive about this relationship in RP, at least at first. At the very least they were very good friends for the few months that Gellert was there.
Rumoured that Gellert wanted to go to Godric's Hollow to find out more about the Deathly Hallows - three magical items said in a fable to have been made by Death himself - the Elder wand, an 'unbeatable' wand; a cloak of invisibility to match no other and a stone that allegedly can raise the dead - but only perhaps through a ghostly or zombie-like form. The Deathly Hallows fascinated both Albus and Gellert and brought them together resulting in many midnight messages to each other's houses and conversations filled with a passionate fervour. Dumbledore later said that Gellert's ideas "inflamed" him - these ideas including a kind of rebellion against Muggles - getting wizards out of hiding and forcing the Muggles (non magical people) into subservience. Gellert originally had the idea it would be for the Muggle's own good but Dumbledore manages to turn this into For The Greater Good. Gellert obviously does listen to his friend in these matters as he adopts this slogan wholeheartedly. Dumbledore calls them "two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession".