Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything from his world. And much as I'd love to work for the BBC, I don't own or make money from anything Doctor Who either. Don't sue.

Summary: Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, and Captain Jack Harkness, all in the same room. No, not what you're thinking.

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Chapter 4: History

It was the summer of 1898. The location, Godric's Hollow.

Two women in their mid-to-late thirties by their looks, and dressed in rather conservative Victorian dresses approached the small cottage on the outskirts of the quaint little village. The far-too-advanced scanner the younger of the two held was indicating unexplained outbursts of unidentified energy in this area, and they had come to investigate.

"Hold it right there, ladies." a smooth male voice demanded, with a very slight German accent. They both turned around sharply to see a black-haired youth standing in a fighting stance, with what appeared to be a wooden stick in his left hand held as if he believed it to be an effective weapon. The man couldn't have been older than eighteen, his shoulder-length black hair framing a face that had the rugged sort of good looks that in modern times one might associate with a biker, handsome in spite of looking like he hasn't shaved in the last few days and might look this good by accident. He wore an elegant silk shirt, neatly pressed pants tucked into leather boots, and a sleek robe, which made him look to the ladies like he was a scholar of some kind.

The elder of the two women, their clear leader, raised a pistol to him, intent on defending herself, even though she thought little of his choice of weapon. The one holding the scanner held it up, looking at it for a moment before shaking her head slightly. The lady holding the weapon acknowledged this gesture, and then spoke to the man in a strident voice, "We are here on official business which does not concern you, young man."

"You're trespassing, that concerns me." the youth replied coolly.

"We are here in service of Queen and Country, you have no right to impede us." the woman insisted, haughtily.

"I'm not letting you enter this property." the man insisted.

The woman sighed, and pulled the trigger of her pistol. But the youth flicked the stick he held and a shield of some kind deflected the projectile. The woman turned to look at the scanner her companion held, and then back to the man, "So you're one of them." she said coldly.

"Depends who 'they' are." the man said, with a faint smile that in spite of the slightly cruel glint in his eyes made him look all the more attractive.

The woman opened her mouth to retort, but was rudely interrupted by another man. "There you two are." this man wore clothing more suited to 1945 than 1898, looking almost like a World War II British officer, with the long coat sweeping behind him for just the right amount of dramatic flair. His short brown hair was just neat enough to pass while still looking windswept and boyish.

The woman holding the pistol didn't hesitate for a moment as she turned sharply and shot this man, whom she clearly recognised, square in the chest. He fell to the ground with an exasperated, almost amused, expression on his face, eyes blank, clearly dead.

The other man immediately waved his stick- the women were beginning to rightly think of it as a wand- and the pistol and tracking device both flew out of their hands to land at his feet. "That was rude." he said coldly, holding his wand as if he would be able to kill them with it. The women wondered if this thought were accurate, and unconsciously stepped closer together.

"What do you want with us?" the leader of the two asked.

"I want you to leave now and never come back." the man said simply.

"But there's something in this village giving off a huge amount of energy, it's dangerous!" the younger woman, the one who had held the scanner, cried. Her tone seemed desperate to make him understand that it was not in his best interests to protect such a dangerous alien entity.

"No she isn't." a third voice, unfamiliar to the women. They turned to see a rather pale-faced young man with dark red hair that- to their sensibilities- was obscenely long, reaching his waist in a ponytail. He wore similar, though brighter in colour, clothing to the black-haired man, and also held a- a wand.

"We should Obliviate them and strengthen the Muggle-repellents." the black-haired man offered.

"But, Gellert, if we Obliviate them they would forget why it is such a bad idea to return here."

"So what do you suggest, Albus?" Gellert replied.

Before Albus could respond, a pained gasp brought their attention back to the third man, who was picking himself up, "Bloody Torchwood, I swear you ladies need to be taught some manners." As he stood he cracked his neck and arched his back, as if he had been through nothing worse than a brief nap in an uncomfortable position. "Really, I do what you blackmailed me into, then come and find you to let you know it's done and you shoot me."

"Very rude." Gellert agreed, repeating his earlier statement, though slightly astonished that this man had recovered from the woman's attack. He may not be a Muggle, but he knew what their weapons were capable of.

Albus stared at the older man for a moment, "You were dead." he said, his voice cold.

The other man waved him off, and continued to stare the woman down, "Why don't you ladies go back to your little hideout, while I deal with whatever's here? I can take care of myself, and you clearly lost your little toy gun."

Both women glared viciously at him, but then the one who'd had the scanner spoke, "Whatever it is here, it's dangerous. Giving off huge amounts of energy, and it's like nothing we've ever seen before." she smiled wickedly, "It might even kill you if you get close enough... 'Captain' Jack." the sarcasm in what she believed to be his self-appointed title was evident.

"Bite me, beautiful." Jack said, smiling maliciously, "Go on ladies, I'll deal with it."

Reluctantly, the two women left. Gellert allowed them to pick up the scanner, but summoned the pistol to himself, not trusting them to have it back. Once they were gone, Jack seemed to relax slightly, turning to the other two men. "Thank the Vortex, I thought they'd never leave. Officious self-righteous wenches with delusions of grandeur who know nothing about what they think they ought to fight."

"And who are you, exactly?" Gellert demanded, pointing the wand at him.

"Oh, of course, how rude of me. I am Captain Jack Harkness, and unfortunately those two tarts have been blackmailing me a bit recently. Don't worry, though, they think I'm being an obedient little puppy-dog-" Jack smiled slightly as Gellert and Albus both snorted at this remark, "-so I can tell them whatever you want them to hear... so long as you tell me the truth, fair deal?"

"The truth is a terrible and dangerous thing." Albus noted.

"Yeah, ladies did mention something about huge amounts of unidentified energy. They think it's an alien artefact, are they right or not?" Jack asked matter-of-factly.

"Why don't you come inside?" Gellert suggested, gesturing towards the very house the two women had been trying to investigate.

Jack shrugged, "Alright then." and followed the two younger men indoors. Once they were all settled down, Jack watched incredulously as a tea set appeared out of thin air and poured out three cups without anyone laying a hand on it, somehow adding just the right amount of milk and sugar to Jack's cup without anyone asking him how he took his tea.

Jack leaned back in his chair, with one foot up on the opposite knee, sipping from the teacup he held in his right hand, looking extremely cocky and cheerful.

"Aliens." Gellert asked with a very incredulous expression, "As in extra-terrestrials? Isn't that just a myth?"

"How does that tea-set work?" Jack asked bluntly.

"Magic." Albus answered.

"See, I could ask the same question about magic as you just asked about aliens. I know aliens are real. I've met several. Some very friendly, some just wanted to kill me." Jack grinned almost impishly and took a sip of his tea before continuing, "So magic. Like smoke mirrors and making rabbits appear out of hats, or real psyonic energy channelled through the human mind and equally powerful psyonic conductors to manipulate matter on an elemental level?"

"You've lost us." Gellert said bluntly. "Psyonic?"

"Yes. Ok, magic is a word used to explain what science can't." Jack explained, leaning forward and setting his tea down, clasping his hands together in front of him as he continued. "Where I come from, science can explain what you did by psyonics. Energy within the human body that, when certain pathways of the brain are active- a genetic trait- can be manipulated to control the world around you."

The two youths looked at each other, then back to Jack, "You're not one of us, though, how would you know this?" Albus asked.

"I've met witches and wizards before." Jack said, shrugging, "It's accepted as normal. Where I come from, Psyonists aren't in hiding." Jack grinned.

"And where exactly are you from?" Albus asked calmly.

"Not Earth." Jack said, shrugging. Technically true, he'd been born on a space ship and grew up on another world.

The two wizards frowned at each other, but Jack just shrugged looking far too comfortable with the whole situation. He didn't seem to care that his two female associates had implied there was something dangerous here. Though both of them had seen that he had been shot in the heart to little effect.

"Why aren't you dead?" Gellert eventually asked, once the silence had gone on longer than he liked.

"That's a long story, something to do with a Time Vortex, alien monsters and a rather persistent female friend." Jack said vaguely. Both men gave him incredulous looks, "She saved my life that day, but, ah... accidentally over-did it. Just a little." They continued to look sceptical. Jack shook his head, "Why and how is irrelevant for now."

Gellert had the sort of calculating look that, had he been a Torchwood employee, Jack was quite certain that the best course of action would be to run and hide to avoid being dissected for scientific research. Albus seemed more concerned, much less curious, as if the idea of being unkillable was anything but appealing to him.

"I'm not exactly happy about it, though it is useful when those two ladies start waving guns around." Jack said vaguely, "And on the subject of those charming women, what exactly are you two hiding here?"

Gellert's eyes turned sharply to Albus, who was now examining his empty teacup as if it was fascinating. After a few moments, Albus sighed, "It's not her fault. She can't control it." he said very quietly.

Jack tilted his head to one side, "Who?"

"My sister." Albus' voice was barely more than a whisper as he spoke. Gellert placed a supportive hand on Albus' shoulder, and Jack fought the urge to smirk when he saw the reaction in Albus' eyes before the pain of what he was speaking of covered it. "When she was younger, she was attacked for being different. People like those two ladies we met earlier, people who didn't understand and didn't want magic. Since then she has tried to keep the magic inside, to repress it, but then it builds up until she cannot contain it." The obvious anguish this caused him killed all the good humour Jack had felt earlier. Here he'd thought it was just some alien artefact, but it wasn't, it was a hurt and scared child who couldn't control her own power.

Jack scowled at the table for a moment. Hadn't Rose been the same when she looked into the TARDIS' heart? Overflowing with power and unable to hold it back, it nearly killed her. He blinked a few times, still frowning. He'd seen his share of traumatised people during his travels, as well. He'd helped some of them, others he couldn't do anything for. Why did he get this feeling if there was something to be done for this girl it would have been already? Albus seemed to care very strongly for his sister.

Just then the door to the rest of the cottage opened and a younger boy entered, about fifteen, maybe sixteen, hair as red as Albus' but short. While Albus and Gellert were refined, this boy seemed rather rough. He glared at Jack, "Who's this? Another 'friend'?"

Albus turned to glare at his brother, at the venom and sarcasm the word friend had held. "What are you implying, Abe?" Jack raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at what he considered obvious. Gellert was also angry, taking the insult to imply something very different to the conclusion Jack's mind had automatically jumped to.

"Everyone knows Gellert Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang for excessive use of Dark Arts." Abe said coldly. Jack blinked and looked at Gellert with new eyes. Grindelwald was infamous, in his time as well known as his Muggle counterpart of the same war. Here he was, no more than eighteen years old, acting like a perfectly normal teenager! Jack shook his head to dispel a few less innocent mental images of the sort of thing perfectly normal teenagers do, and turned his attention to Abe.

"It's nice to meet you." he said in his usual charming tone, "I'm Captain Jack Harkness." Gellert turned to stare blatantly at Jack, though the two redheads seemed oblivious to his tone. Interesting, Jack considered, he had picked up on Jack's attitude, but not his friend's. Then again, Jack was being rather obvious.

Abe continued to look suspicious, but before he could say anything more an authoritative female voice called for him and he left rather quickly. Albus turned back to the table, sighing.

"He hates me." Gellert told Jack rather matter-of-factly, with no resentment at all.

"I would never have guessed." Jack noted sarcastically. Gellert scowled at him, but he continued, "So what should I tell the ladies about their 'energy readings'?"

Albus frowned at Jack for a moment, "Anything that will get them to leave us alone."

Jack nodded. Of course they wanted to keep Torchwood at bay, who wouldn't? He considered asking to see the girl, offering to help, but he didn't know what he could do, if anything. He also got the strong impression that he would not be allowed to see her even if he believed he could help.

Somehow, Albus seemed to know what he was thinking, "You may not see her." he said, his tone quite cold, "She is rather introvert, and would not react well to anyone that is not family."

Jack nodded slowly, "I'll tell the ladies it's some alien thing, contained but if they tried to get there it would kill them." he gave a slightly sad grin, "They like to use me like a canary in a mine, test the ground before going in for themselves."

Gellert shook his head, "Such lovely ladies." he said with distain.

Jack scowled, and noted bluntly, "Not all non-magical people are like them."

The comment didn't quite seem to sink in.

Jack sighed and shook his head again. He hated when this happened. He couldn't help, even when he wanted to. He'd tried. If the Doctor was here, he'd get involved somehow and damn the consequences, but Jack seemed to fail at that hurdle a bit too often.

He stood up rather slowly, and then shook hands with each youth in turn, "Thank you for your time, and if there is anything I can do to help either of you, well... what is it you use, owls?" they both nodded, "The ladies will love that." he joked, "But never mind them, if there is anything I can do to help you get in contact with me."

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January 23rd, 1901.

"It seems to me quite obvious what he intends to do." the man sitting opposite Albus Dumbledore said calmly. Something in his air gave the impression of a master manipulator, one who used knowledge of others to his advantage. He wore a quite fine brown suit, and his dark curly hair was neat, his face austere.

Albus shook his head, "You have said this already, Doctor. I will not believe he could do such things as you suggest."

"Believe what you will, I have seen it." the Doctor replied. This was his seventh incarnation, easily his most morbid and cold personality yet. He saw the dangers, but Albus refused to listen.

Albus glared at him with cold fury, "He is not a monster." he insisted, "We wanted the same thing, we wanted a better world. We both do what we must for the greater good."

"The greater good?" the Doctor repeated in a monotone, emotionless in spite of the anger visible in his eyes. "I've known people whose idea of a better world is one where only they have free will and power and all others are as slaves." he noted bluntly.

"And I'm sure you were best of friends with such people." Albus said snidely.

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, before I knew his true nature."

Albus scowled, "You told me you could help. Telling me to harm my friend is not helping."

"The longer you take to decide, the more innocent people will be harmed." the Doctor had seen several alternate futures here, one of which was most unpleasant, involving an alliance between Grindelwald and his own enemy Fenric. Grindelwald needed to be stopped before then, or even he had no knowledge of how far things could deteriorate.

"I think you should leave now." Albus said coldly. The Doctor nodded, and did as Albus requested.

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"You owled?" Jack asked, sauntering into the room. No less than an hour had passed since the Doctor's unexpected visit.

"I am afraid I require... help." Albus said, reluctant to admit to such.

"Tell me." Jack said, taking a seat opposite him, the picture of relaxed calm. He was almost happy, why wouldn't he be happy, those two evil women had retired from Torchwood, and even their rather authoritarian replacements were a great improvement.

"Gellert Grindelwald has begun a campaign against Muggles."

"Ah, that." Jack nodded, "I suppose you want to dissuade him?" Albus nodded, "Not as easy as it sounds, the best way to get him to back down would be to challenge him directly."

Albus sighed, "So I have been told. A man calling himself the Doctor came to me and attempted to order me to do just that."

"The Doctor?" Jack asked, sitting forward quite sharply.

Albus gave a physical description of the Doctor he had met, and Jack slowly leaned back, "Not my Doctor. Probably one of the younger ones, if Torchwood files are anything to go by. I can assure you, my Doctor would have been more polite about the whole thing."

Albus raised an eyebrow, and Jack went into a detailed explanation of Time Lord regenerations, comparing them to a Phoenix in the process, but clarifying the difference in personalities it could cause. Several hours and much debate on regeneration later, Jack left, feeling quite certain that although he had strongly advised Albus to confront his friend, it would not happen. It was far too early, and Albus still cared too much to want to harm Gellert Grindelwald.

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June 3rd, 1944. Hogwarts, Transfiguration classroom.

As Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore had a lot to occupy his free time. He had chosen not to confront his old friend, believing it not his place. The Aurors of Britain, the Magischebesch?zer in Germany, or even the international Dark Force Defence League, should be perfectly capable of putting a stop to this reign of terror without Albus Dumbledore getting personally involved. So far they had failed, but Albus was- he hated to admit it- afraid to face his old friend. Afraid to see what Gellert had become, the malice and cruelty that could turn his old friend into someone capable of the atrocities he had read about.

He was currently reading an article, detailing a new attack on Muggleborn rights in the German capital. The hypocrisy Albus clearly saw in this cooperation between Grindelwald and the Muggle Third Reich did not serve as irony enough to alleviate the horror at what he was reading.

"Thought I'd find you here." the Doctor entered the room and settled calmly in one of the front row students' chairs.

"There is something familiar about you, and your title has made me wonder." Albus said folding the paper so he did not have to look at the offensive article.

"Do you believe me now?" the Doctor asked.

"So you are the Doctor."

"Yes, although I've gone through quite a few changes since last we met."

"I think I understand what you were trying to tell me." Albus conceded, with a sigh.

"You need to face him, and soon." the Doctor explained, "The history I've read says you defeated him on July thirty-first, this year. It led to a domino effect, demoralizing the Muggle tyranny, and ending all of this." he gestured to the newspaper Albus had been reading as if he knew what it contained. "With Grindelwald's continued support this war could go on for decades more, unless you- and you are the only one who can do it- step in and stop him."

Usually the Doctor would not be so direct, outright explaining the history, as he knew it. Usually he would drop hints, give encouragement, but never outright prophesise facts. But Albus Dumbledore had been rather dense when it came to Gellert Grindelwald, refusing to take suggestions of confrontation, refusing to believe the clues that were right under his crooked nose. His mentality was downright Muggle, and almost made the Doctor laugh at the ironic comparison to Cornelius Fudge's behaviour in 1995. This was the only way to get him to see the truth of it.

Reluctantly, Albus sighed, "Very well, Doctor. You have made your point."

The Doctor nodded, "And when you take the Elder Wand from him..."

Albus looked up sharply, he had never shared the stories of the Deathly Hallows with anyone but Grindelwald before, and wondered how the Doctor could possibly know.

The Doctor smiled, "Keep it."

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