CHAPTER 10: CHERCHEZ LA FEMME
21 May, the city of Ruma, inside the Serbian Slums
Three hours later, Bill, Sadecki, and Neville were back at Rusty's Lot. They sat around the kitchen table in Harry's apartment, nursing a glass of whiskey each. Officially, they were celebrating having their wands back. Unofficially, there were all still shaken by the experience of being under Harry's magic and were simply in need of a strong drink.
Harry wasn't with them anymore. He had left shortly after Sadecki's wands were registered.
"I've got some work to do," he had said simply. "I'll be here tomorrow to register Gregory's wands but then I'll be gone for a few days. You're welcome to stay at Rusty's Lot as long as you want. Feel free to use whatever you find there."
He hadn't given them any more explanation than that. He had left them instructions, though. "If you need anything, come find Popovic here at his workshop. He can help you settle in. Trust whatever he says you shouldn't do; but verify everything he says you should do," he warned them, not caring that Popovic himself stood right next to him, listening. "His nephew will have you followed, probably claiming it's for your own protection. That excuse is actually quite valid, so try to tolerate it. I should be back in a week or two. If you decide to leave before then, that's your call."
He was gone after that, not giving them a chance to ask or complain about the sudden change of plans. His departure was abrupt but to tell the truth, it wasn't entirely unwelcome. Neville actually suspected Bill of drinking to toast the reprieve from Harry's somehow overbearing company.
"Who was Hendrik McMillan?" Bill asked Neville when they were on their second glass.
He asked who he was, not is. The way he shaped the question made Neville think Bill suspected the same about Harry's magic as Neville himself did. "My grandfather, from my mother's side. He died when I was a kid," Neville answered.
Bill nodded, clearly expecting an answer of that sort. He turned to Sadecki. "And who was Josef Vránský?"
Sadecki frowned. "I think he was our old butler. I never knew him by his whole name."
Sadecki's family was rich, then. Neville had suspected so for a long time.
However, it obviously wasn't that piece of information that caught Bill's interest. He looked surprised when he asked: "He wasn't family, then?"
Sadecki shook his head in confusion. "No, why?"
"Gideon Prewett was my uncle. Neville here got his grandfather's name. I simply assumed yours would be a family member too," Bill explained. "Either way," he added after a moment, "Harry must have used some pretty dark magic to dig those dead names out."
"I didn't feel anything though," objected Sadecki. "I was standing right next to you but I didn't feel any dark magic coming out of Harry."
"Nor did I," Neville realised. "I didn't sense any magic."
Bill nodded, agreeing with their observations. "He must have been blocking it. Someone might have noticed and investigated otherwise."
"How do you think he did it?" Neville asked both of them.
Bill shrugged his shoulders. "I know it's possible to block one's magical signature. I've never heard of anyone who could forge it, though. But the fact that all those names belong to dead men doesn't make trusting Harry any easier. He can be a sly son of a bitch when he deems it necessary. I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's resigned himself to necromancy, too."
Hearing that word said out loud made them all pause for a moment.
"I've heard there are many uses for that kind of magic," Sadecki spoke up hesitantly. "Not all of it is about raising Inferi."
That gave Neville an idea.
"Necromancy is based on soul magic, right?" he began slowly. "It could explain the magic Harry was able to do around Annie. And in the dead zones."
Bill looked up sharply at him. "What do you mean?"
"Harry's face," Neville pointed out. "Whatever magic is causing him to stay young, it doesn't get blocked in the dead zones, or by Annie. And the only magic the annulling field is ineffective against is blood and soul."
Neville didn't know much about necromancy, let alone how it was practised. And the little he did know was probably tinted by a lot of stigma. He learned a thing or two about dead zones, though. The Resistance did an extensive amount of testing when they first appeared. The same with Annie.
"That's not the only magic Harry's been using," Bill suddenly said. "For a while now, I've been wondering… His awareness of certain things, his confidence—it wasn't entirely natural. No matter how good of a scout you are, a naked eye can't spot a wire from fifty metres away. Not from a moving bike, at least."
Bill was right. Neville remembered that moment well. And there were others. "Last night, he knew the exact moment when Albert and his men arrived to ambush us. I didn't see or hear anything, though. Did you?"
Bill and Sadecki shook their heads. "The forest was pitch black, and they were good at keeping silent," Bill commented. "I doubt anyone could have spotted them."
"He kept changing directions," Sadecki chimed in. When Neville and Bill looked confused, he elaborated. "When we were in the wastelands, he would lead us in circles, or sometimes turn us around completely. I thought it was just to keep our movements unpredictable for anyone tracking us. But now, I wonder. One morning, he told me to drive to this city, and ten minutes later he comes back and tells me to turn around. Was he avoiding someone? The place is full of other scavengers; it's not empty enough for us to be driving around for three weeks until we met someone."
"What sort of charm would let you know of what's kilometres away from you?" Neville questioned.
"It could be magic based on predictions," Sadecki suggested. " Some trinkets can warn you of danger the moment you decide on a cause of action."
"Divination?" Bill mused. "It could be. Has anyone actually seen him doing magic? Or any behaviour that would cover it up?"
"His mumblings!" Neville realised immediately. "He was always lying around, mumbling to himself. I thought he was half-asleep. Couldn't he be chanting?"
Bill shook his head. "No. I went over to eavesdrop the first time he did that. I've heard only a sentence but he was having a dream, talking to someone who's-"
Bill's eyes grew wide when he stopped in the middle of the sentence. He looked up at Neville and finished slowly "...who's been dead for a long time."
Neville understood what Bill just realised. "Are you sure? What exactly did he say?"
Bill frowned in concentration. "I can't remember his words. But I remember thinking that it sounded like he was talking to Ron. I stupidly decided to give him his privacy afterwards."
"What does it mean?" Neville wondered.
"The hell if I know," Bill swore. "There's very little I know about necromancy, and for a good reason. Have you ever heard of an honest person practising it? I haven't. And I sure as hell don't like the fact that he would use my brother of all people in his machinations. The next time I see that bugger, we'll have a long talk."
There was nothing else they could say on the matter now, not before learning more about the magic Harry could be using. Neville knew that the moment it was safe, Bill would be herding them to the nearest library to research the powers of necromancy. But for now, they sat in silence, nursing their drinks. The celebratory mood had disappeared completely, leaving a feeling of unease in the bottom of Neville's stomach.
"What happened between the two of you?" Sadecki turned to Bill. "You and Harry, I mean. Don't get me wrong, you have all the reasons to be mad at him. But I sense some bad history underneath all of this. I- I wouldn't mind understanding it better."
Bill and Neville both looked up at that, sharing a glance. Bill let out a grumble and waved at Neville. "Just tell him, please."
Neville was surprised by that request. It wasn't like Bill to let someone speak for him. But given the topic, he could understand his reluctance.
He thought about his words for a bit, picking them carefully. Then he turned back to Sadecki. "Bill's from a big family. Harry used to be a part of it growing up: his best friend was one of Bill's brothers. It was that close connection that made them a target."
Neville paused for a bit, taking a sip from his whiskey. "Bill's sister was cursed and murdered in front of Harry—they were dating at that time. And two of Bill's brothers died under Harry's command—when he went to unauthorized missions back to Riddle's England."
Sadecki looked at Bill. "I'm sorry," he offered awkwardly.
Bill just nodded stiffly.
Neville looked away from them. The kitchen was dimly lit by candles and very sparsely furnished. Its walls gave the impression they would give in the moment you leaned on them. There was no floor, just dust. His eyes came back to Sadecki sitting in the middle of it all. A man who grew up with a butler.
"Can I ask you a question, Andrei?" he started, hoping the wizard would feel like reciprocating the confidence Bill just given him.
"Hm?"
"Why the hell are you going through all of this?"
Sadecki regarded him with a pensive look. He didn't ask for clarification—he knew Neville was asking about Sadecki's bargain with Harry.
Sadecki leaned back on his chair, playing with his glass. He didn't answer right away but Neville knew by his expression that he was going to. In the end, he simply said: "I have a girl."
Neville and Bill shared a knowing look. They both turned back to Sadecki and nodded like that made everything clear.
"She's a Muggle. Harry got her out of the Empire."
"Why didn't you do it yourself?" Bill asked, confused. "You were the officer at the Curtain Crossing."
"I couldn't do it alone," Sadecki admitted. "It's—I guess it was more complicated than that. You see—" He took a gulp of his whiskey and visibly resigned himself to explaining his story in more than three simple sentences. "We met during my training. She was a slave in the army. There are always plenty of Muggle girls around and young soldiers are encouraged to take advantage of them—to breed. If the fetus proves promising, they'll let it live."
"They're breeding half-bloods?" Bill asked, astonished.
Sadecki nodded. "They don't receive a full education and they'll always be only second-class wizards but the Empire needs the manpower. Muggles still outnumber us by thousands."
That was news to Neville. Apparently, the Empire was killing all Muggleborns but they were breeding half-bloods.
"What happened to your girl?" Bill asked.
"She—" Sadecki hesitated. "She got pregnant. It wasn't me—I was always careful and I tried to protect her from others as best as I could without drawing too much attention to us. But it obviously wasn't enough. They took her away then—they always did with the girls who got pregnant. I knew they would let her live through the pregnancy but the moment the child was born, they would kill her. I couldn't let that happen.
"Harry broke her out of the facility, faking her death so they wouldn't search for her. Or investigate me. We smuggled her through the Crossing then."
Neville frowned, trying to remember the refugees the Resistance was harbouring back home in Finland. "I don't think I've seen a pregnant woman among the refugees."
Sadecki shook his head. "You wouldn't have. Harry found her a safe place on the other side and made sure she was all settled."
"Have you heard from her?" Neville asked, relating to Andrei's story very acutely all of a sudden. His Luna was pregnant on the other side of the Curtain, too.
Sadecki nodded. "Harry told me she had delivered the baby. It's a boy." His eyes were shining now. "I'm going to adopt him when I get to them," he said resolutely.
Seeing the proud determination in his eyes made Neville thought of his own future and the future of his family. It felt like it was the first time he allowed himself to do so since Luna spilt her news mere hours before he had to leave for this mission. He felt a sudden urge to share it with someone.
"I have a girl waiting on the other side too," he said with a shy smile. "And she's pregnant."
Bill looked at him, shocked: "Luna is expecting?"
Neville nodded, his smile growing.
"Well congratulations, mate!" Bill exclaimed, patting Neville's shoulder. "Why didn't you say sooner?"
"She sprouted the news on me on the very last minute," Neville shrugged, a bright smile growing on his face. All the hesitancy was gone now. "I think I've been coming to terms with it for the last couple of weeks."
"Well, I think this deserves a toast. Let me see what else Harry has here," Bill shot up from his chair and started rummaging through the cupboards only to stop mid-motion after a few seconds. He took his wand out. "I forgot I can use magic now!" he said sheepishly. "Accio fire-whiskey?" he half incantated, half asked. But it worked—a bottle flew out of one of the shelves. Bill let out a pleased chuckle and poured everyone a glass. He raised his own: "To fathers and their children!"
Sadecki and Neville shared a look that was half determination and half trepidation. They repeated after him: "To fathers and children."
A minute later, Neville's wristwatch started buzzing - his alarm went off. He smiled down at the glowing clock face. "3 am. It's your turn, Andrei."
Popovic told them he wouldn't submit their wand applications all at once to avoid suspicion. Instead, he would do one wand every two hours. Bill and Neville already had one registered wand working each. Now it was Andrei's wand that got submitted. It was one of the reasons they stayed up this late - to share this moment.
"Your first spell after nearly a month," Bill smiled at Sadecki. "Make it count."
They'd been talking about it for days: the first spell they would cast once they'd have a chance. Bill's was a simple breath freshening spell—he claimed brushing his teeth didn't do the job properly and his mouth had been feeling off the whole time.
Neville immediately went and stopped the perpetual itching his newly grown beard was causing.
Sadecki's smile looked a bit inebriated when he took out his grey wand. It didn't shake when he flicked it, though. "Accio vodka!"
Neville woke up some hours later, really needing a piss. The light was still on in the kitchen when he walked through on the way to the loo. Bill was sitting at the table, staring into a wall.
Neville was confused. They decided to forgo patrols for once—they were behind protective wards for the first time in weeks. Bill had no reason to be still awake.
Then he noticed the half-empty bottle in front of Bill. "Liking the vodka?" he asked softly.
Bill startled - he obviously hadn't seen him enter. He chuckled. "Sadecki was right - it does slide in better than the whiskey."
Neville nodded and carried on his way to the loo. Bill obviously wasn't looking for company.
He was wrong about that, though. On his way back, Bill softly called after him. "Neville?"
Neville stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"
"That's not why I hate Harry."
Neville turned back and sat down opposite Bill. He was clearly drunk but Neville was sure it wasn't only the alcohol that was talking. He sounded serious.
"What you said about Ron and Charlie and Ginny: that's not why I hate Harry. It was their decision to follow him. They are victims of the war the same way Fred and George are, no matter how close they were to Harry when they died. If anyone is to be blamed for their deaths, it's Riddle and his Death Eaters."
"Okay," Neville said slowly. "I'll remember that."
"I can't have children," Bill said in reaction to that.
Neville frowned, surprised by that sudden declaration. "I didn't know that," he said carefully. Bill was probably drunker than he seemed at first. But if he needed the liquid courage to share this, Neville wouldn't stop him now.
"I have too much of the werewolf curse in me to be sure it wouldn't spread to my children and fester."
"So you blood adopted?" Neville asked, thinking of Bill's three children. They were all the spitting image of their mother.
"I can't even do that," Bill discarded the idea. "The blood transfer might infect their blood. But Fleur deserved to have children of her own, with her Veela blood running through their veins. We've used a Muggle treatment - with anonymous male donors. Dominique and Louis were conceived artificially like that. But Victorie—Victorie is Harry's."
Neville didn't expect that.
He reached for the vodka and took a gulp straight out of the bottle. "How?"
"We had a falling out, Fleur and I. I wasn't a good husband back then—the war was more important than my new wife. I was a selfish bastard, not ready to give up my independence. And then there was the kids issue - Fleur wanted to try having our own kids even with the danger of the curse. I refused. What I didn't know back then just yet though, was that Fleur always gets her way when she sets her heart onto something.
"After Ron died, Harry and I became close. We shared a lot - both of us led a team for the first time, and we both had lots to learn. And Fleur was there too, always alongside us," Bill carried on, the words pouring out quickly now. "They were very good friends - and whilst I was too busy sharing drinks with my mates after every fight, they became more. Harry needed comfort and Fleur was ready to give it. She wanted to be a mother and Harry was only happy to oblige. I mean—I don't think he knew about her plans but he was very happy to go through the moves if you catch my meaning. When she told him she was expecting his child, he panicked like every nineteen year old ought to. He convinced her they didn't have any future together and she would be far better off with me. She came back, asking for forgiveness. And I gave it.
"Harry swore an oath he would never lay any claims on Victorie—she's my child in everything but blood. And I never told a living soul. Until now."
Neville's tired brain was only very slowly processing all of this. He had known Bill and Fleur and their children for decades. They had always been the picture of a perfect family.
"Why are you telling me this now?" Neville asked through his confusion. He didn't like hearing any of it.
Bill took a deep breath. "I need you to understand why I think Harry's honour can get screwed at times. But—" Bill stared at Neville with imploring look, "I need you to stop me if any of this ever clouds my judgement as the leader of this team. I can't let my personal problems endanger the mission. Harry might be a wife-screwing bastard. And he's obviously keeping a lot from us. But he got us this far into the Empire without stabbing our backs. I need to start trusting him at some point."
THE END OF THE FIRST PART
A/N: Merry Christmas to you all! And thanks to Dylan Pidge for a great work beta-reading.
With this chapter, we've just finished the first arc (out of three, there will be 30 chapters in total). I'm excited to have reached this big milestone. I hope I've answered some of your questions, especially about Harry, his history and his magic. The previous chapters were all about setting the scene. With that dealt with, we can move on with the actual plot. And there will be magic!
So, with the first third of the story written, you have a chance to influence the following two. Let me know your thoughts on the story so far - they help me loads when writing. Think of them as fuel that keeps me typing ;) Thank you!
