Someone, I know told me, as we were talking about "Hogwarts Legacy", in wonder, if Phineas Nigellus Black is related to Sirius Black? I told her yes its in the name. Then I go into his relationship and that he had a brother named Sirius which Harry's Godfather was named after, making him Sirius Black II. For those who don't know: Phineas Black was a Professor of an unknown subject at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At some point, he started his role as Headmaster and remained Headmaster till his death in 1925. He was born in 1847 and attended to Hogwarts as a student and like all of the Blacks, was sorted into Slytherin House and a Pure-Blood Wizard. Pure-Blood is a major idealogy among the community but equally to that is a name. Sirius Black II was removed from his family as he did not favor that ideology, so officially he is no longer a member of the House of Black. Course, names can be funny. His cousin, Bellatrix, married Rodolphus Lestrange and Andromeda; married Ted Tonks I, and lastly Narcissa who married Lucius Malfoy. Of the three, Andromeda broke the Pure-Blood line with her daughter, Half-Blood witch; Nymphadora. Names changed regardless but the blood mattered to the family. The name of the father was passed on to the next generation, which is opposite from the Male line of the Peverells which ended with Hardwin Potter. As names are of equal value, especially of pure-blood relations which is the name changed to ensure that proof, there is one name that stands out when it comes to a family, or rather a lack of; Grindelwald.
[Gellert is a peculiar man, if I may so myself. I was obsessed with him in a way since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II".]
Already having gone through his life previously in 'Gellert Grindelwald: A Demon of Nurmangard', A bit of a summary will suffice of importance. Gellert Grindelwald is a dark wizard who was born in 1883 and died in March 1998. He attended Durmstrang Institute, where young students learn Dark Arts, something that still carried on after his involvement in practicing it on students. He was expelled with notions of muggle domination, something that Albus Dumbledore himself also was for doing alongside him.
"Gellert----
Your point about Wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES' OWN GOOD ----- this, I think is the crucial point. Yes we have been given power and yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but it also gives us responsibilities over the ruled ...., it will be the foundation stone upon which er build. ... We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD." (HPDH; CH18, P357)
He was killed by the hands of Lord Voldemort, who was also Tom Riddle Jr. One thing to know is that Gellert went by the name Grindelwald in school in the possible same way Tom went by Voldemort. Tom hated his parents and decided to name himself something that drifted away from the Riddle and Gaunt name. I think Grindelwald is a chosen name that young Gellert went by and therefore is not his birth name. He seemed to have made it up.
Interestingly, as said, he is the only Grindelwald so far. His parents are unknown, he does not seem to have had any siblings. Even his wand is unknown, his first wand. He did not have kids that are a certainty... at least of the name and what isn't told. He was too busy to deal with a bloodline. I don't even think he cares one bit of blood ideologies of pure, half, or muggle-born. He was a man with his own ideas, of his own ideas as himself. Unlike Voldemort who was bent on blood types and immortality. However, while he may not have blood types interwoven in his plans, he did make frequent visits to one blood in particular.
Frequently, he visited an elderly lady who lived in Godric's Hollow (named after Godric Gryffindor who was born in this very place). The Elderly lady, who died in 1997, and reanimated by Voldemort, was Author and Historian Bathilda Bagshot, author of numerous books such as "History of Magic". Bathilda Bagshot is Gellert Grindelwald's Great-Aunt. To me, then, in some path or connection, Gellert is a Bagshot.
I thought perhaps he changed his name to protect her when attending school. That is theory thou and would remain as one. He clearly loved her and this is why:
Bathilda Bagshot, who possibly has one other relative in its name; who visited Hogsmead 1993, in 1899, took the young 17-year-old Gellert in, who was an orphan and head of the family. It was through her, after Albus graduated, that Albus and Gellert met. (Bathilda was a witness of a fist-fight between the brothers that year during Ariana's Funeral). (https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Bathilda_Bagshot)
"Albus was beside himself at Ariana's death. It was so dreadful for those two brothers. They had lost everybody except each other. ... Aberforth blamed Albus.... breaking Albus's nose was not descent. A shame Gellert could not have stayed for the funeral... He would have been a comfort to Albus, at least." (HPDH; CH18, P358) Unlike what that wiki says about the unknown length of what she knew of Gellert's involvement, I do not think it mattered. She knew that he was everything to Albus. So she knew or could detect some sense of love between them, that is perhaps, like no other. While it may not show the lineage, it is showing how much she was involved in his life as an aunt, as a family member.
If I were to go back to the theory that he changed his name, let's say he was a Bagshot, he never changed it to hatred of her but for the love, she gave him and how much she understood him. Even if we know very little about it, very little words can show something large. Gellert appreciated her kindness to him so much when younger before she took him in as an orphan that he protected her by the Grindelwald name. All that dark magic he did would hurt her, break her heart. But she never knew what happened to him:
"He seemed a charming boy to me," babbles Bathilda, "whatever he became later." (HPDH; CH18, P356) and she knew their involvement for the plan "FOR THE GREATER GOOD". I mean she is telling the story. The reason why one would assume she's lying is that she is "batty", and because... Harry was talking to a corpse who became a snake. Being controlled by Voldemort is another. So it is all sketchy. She had a copy of the book by Skeeter.. reading and telling it a truth.
Family sometimes is not something one is born from but into like Harry with the Durselys. Some choose a parent, a family that is like Gellert to Bathilda. Because some choose a family, especially if one took care of one, he or she will choose that name. Gellert would choose Bagshot, even if it's only in mind.
"The very same summer that Dumbledore went home to Godric's Hollow, now an orphan, and head of the family, Bathilda Bagshot agreed to accept into her home her great-nephew, Gellert Grindelwald."
And so what maybe what the name is can is seen as two things as character and location:
Grindelwald is a village in Switzerland and other etymologies of the names. But "The name of Grindelwald is justly famous: In a list of Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time, he would miss out on the top spot only because You-Know-Who arrived" and "never extended his campaign of terror to Britain." (HPDH; CH18, P355-56). Nothing is known of life.. "the details of his rise to power are not widely known here."
After being expelled, he "traveled abroad for some months". Something now is known to be the case with "Fantastic Beasts"; traveled to America, Paris, and it seems Brazil. And it won't be in Britain. ... (Fantastic Beasts won't be in Britain?). In his stay in America, he went by Percival Graves. While there is a Graves name in America, Gundolpous Graves, and perhaps an actual Percival, I think he chose the name after Albus. Percival is Albus's father and one of his middle names.
Also "It is of interesting but purely speculative note that the name Gellert is very close to the name Gelert, the name of a legendary dog of cultural, but little historical, significance to Northern Wales. According to local mythology, Gelert was the most faithful companion of Prince Llewelyn, mistaken for the assailant of the prince's infant heir. His "grave" is a site in Beddgelert (literally Gelert's Grave), Gwynedd, as well as the legend, is popular in the area." (https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Gellert_Grindelwald#Etymology )
I think it is common for one to hide under a name that is only known to the person. When we think of names, passwords, usernames, whatever, its form out minds and from who we met. Meeting Percival Graves to kill him and take his identity is meaningless. He only altered his face a little, not much like Barty Crouch Jr. Using also the name of Albus's father or himself, and then tying it to the name Graves gives him something rounded. Albus's Death, or his father, or simply saying Grindelwald is dead.
Part of me thinks Grindelwald is an actual name and a family, his family. It is not like, however, his parents are on Wikia as "unknown father" and "unknown mother" and its because nothing descriptive is known. He could be related to many families, as hagrid says, most are related by blood to save a name. Common for cousins to marry each other. Gellert is a Bagshot, a Grindelwald... maybe a Dumbledore in some way.
Right now he is a ghost. The Name, Grindelwald of single named wizard Gellert, is but a Ghostly name.
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