A/N: In order to keep the continuity of the new Fantastic Beasts movies in this story, Dumbledore and Grindelwald have aged significantly to allow their original birth years still be used. At the time of this chapter, Albus Dumbledore is 129 and the only given year for Gellert is 1893, making him 117. I believe that was the time he began his education, and I know he was supposed to be Dumbledore's age when they met, so I am going to say he's also 129. I also have another A/N at the end of this chapter, regarding a new format I will be implementing. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

I don't own Harry Potter or the Marvel Universe, if I did, I certainly wouldn't still be living at home now, would I?

Chapter Twenty: The Woman of Many Faces

The stairway to the Headmaster's Office was notorious for many students of the school as the one place you did not wish to be. However, Harry didn't give a bollocks what the students often said about the office, he had to give an apology to the elderly wizard. He gently knocked on the door, hearing the Headmaster's voice beckon him in. He took a gingerly step into the office, taking a quick glance at the Headmaster. It seemed Madam Pomfrey had made quick work of healing his nose, as it didn't seem to be out of shape.

"I was hoping to speak to you, Professor Dumbledore…" He said softly, holding the small box in his hand.

Dumbledore gave a quick glance to the young man, trying not to laugh at the sombre expression on his face. He gestured to the seat in front of him. "Take a seat, Harry." He turned his attention back to the monitors that now occupied his desk. "I must say, the work that has gone into these systems truly shows the extent you and Mr Stark are having on the world."

Harry gave a soft smile, taking a look around the office. "I'm impressed. I haven't had the chance to actually check out the system in here yet, sir." He stood up, checking the new magical detectors. He placed the box onto the table. "I'd like to apologise about the other week, sir…it was wrong of me to lash out at you."

Dumbledore chuckled softly, fixing his glasses into place. "I must admit, I believe it has made you even more a legend around these parts, Harry." He opened the box, raising his eyebrow at the multi coloured items in the box.

"A collection of artisanal sweets from the best chocolatiers in Belgium and France." Harry took his seat again, keeping his gaze on his lap. "I am really sorry, Headmaster. Anger and all that…"

Dumbledore handed him one of the sweets, taking a small bite from one of them. "Hmm, lemon infused chocolate." He observed the young man for a moment, his mind flashing back to his own youth. "I managed to receive three months detention in my fifth year for a similar incident. Only in my case, I had cursed a student who had insulted my father. It took several hours for the student's screams to stop once he had been healed." He magically poured two cups of tea, passing one to him. "I shouldn't have used Maria. My first plan was your mother."

"Then I probably would've killed you." Harry chuckled weakly, attempting to make a small joke.

"Indeed. Then Miss Granger did cross my mind, but in all honesty, I didn't think I'd survive if that happened." Dumbledore replied, his eye giving its usual twinkle. "Protection of family is something to be cherished, Harry. And it is also something you must keep from affecting your emotions. Trust me when I say this, people will try and exploit it as a weakness."

Harry nodded. "I know, sir." He whispered, taking a sip of the tea. "Thank you for the score."

Dumbledore's laugh filled the room once more. "Oh dear boy, you don't understand. In all the history of this tournament, never has there been a case like that. All Champions working together for the common goal, it has never happened. I dare say, you, Miss Granger, Mr Diggory and Mr Krum will surely make history for that event alone."

Harry finished his tea, placing the cup down. "The student back then sir. Did he deserve it?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Indeed he did." He ran his fingers over the rim of the cup. "Hold onto your family, Harry. Especially young Maria." His face went stoic for a moment. "Sisters are special, Harry. They require their brother's guidance, but also their love." He said softly, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Professor?" Harry frowned slightly. In the four years he'd known the Headmaster, never had he seen him upset. "Is something wrong?"

Dumbledore wiped the tear from his face. "Just memories, Harry. The folly of all men and women." He stared at the young man for a moment. He could see a lot of his old self on the young man's face. The bubbling anger. The intelligence. And the slowly growing arrogance that would come with said intelligence. "Have you ever heard of Gellert Grindelwald, Harry?"

"Only on chocolate frog cards." Harry admitted.

Dumbledore gave a weak smile. "Gellert was a student of Durmstrang, a gifted user of the Dark Arts and a man with an obsession for power." He felt his free hand instinctively move to his wand. "Gellert believed quite strongly that the only way for wizards and witches to survive, was for wizardkind to enslave the non-magical world."

"Like Voldemort, sir?" Harry asked.

"No. Voldemort wants the eradication of non-purebloods. Gellert, he welcomed any into his ranks. Several of his most trusted lieutenants were muggleborns." Dumbledore's eyes took on an intense look. "When I was seventeen, I had the pleasure of meeting Grindelwald. My mother had just died, and I was caring for my brother and sister. Aberforth and Ariana." He sighed. "We become friends."

Harry frowned for a moment. Was Dumbledore truly telling him that he once had a friendship with a Dark Lord? He couldn't think of a world where something like that was possible.

"I was an angry man back then, Harry. While my friends went on their customary worldwide trip before starting their careers, I was caring for a sister with a great illness…" Dumbledore opened his desk, taking out a picture. "She was known as an Obscurus." He wiped his eyes again.

"An Obscurus?!" Harry shouted out. "Your sister was an Obscurus? I've never heard of one that wasn't a muggleborn…let alone one born in England."

Dumbledore looked at the young man with a great respect. "Not many people your age would know that, Harry."

"I've a girlfriend who's a fan of magical history, sir." Harry replied, his tone dripping with both humour and a hint of sarcasm. "I've more knowledge on magical history than most people. Wanted or not…"

"Ariana was attacked by a couple of muggles when she was a child." Dumbledore explained, answering his unasked question. His eyes closed for a moment, as he began to steady his breath. "They caught her doing magic. She had an amazing ability to tap into wandless magic, even at that age." He opened his eyes, which had flooded with tears at the thought of his dear sister. "After that day, her magic caused her great fear. My mother, she was more concerned with ensuring Ariana wasn't confined to St. Mungo's, which was a different institution back then."

"And your father?" Harry asked softly.

"He tracked the two boys down and held them under the Cruciatus until the Aurors arrived." Dumbledore answered, his voice void of emotion. "I hated him after that, and the Muggles for taking him from me." He wiped his eyes, opening the window of his office. "G-Gellert played on my hatred. On my confusion." He gripped the window panel. "He convinced me that his way was right. That we would protect the muggles, for the greater good."

Harry stared at the Headmaster for a moment. "Voldemort offered me a chance to join him in my first year." He whispered. He had a feeling that Dumbledore had never spoken about this to anyone in his life, and Harry had never spoken to anyone about that conversation. "Promised to bring my parents back from the dead. A small part of me, it wanted to join him, Headmaster." He took a deep breath. "In that moment I would've done anything if that had been true…I would've killed my friends if he had given any proof. It's not what we did in our pasts that define us, but it is what we do to overcome that past."

"That's a wise saying." Dumbledore mused.

"It should be, you said after the first war." Harry chuckled, standing up. "Sir, what you've told me will stay between us. On that you have my word."

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you, Mr Potter." He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "There's something I'd like to give you, Harry." He took out a small book from his desk. "Nicolas Flamel entrusted this to me, with strict instructions to give it to you once I felt you were ready." He handed it to him. "It's a book on the basics of Alchemy. I believe now that you're showing your potential, you may be able to make sense of it."

Harry opened the book. "This is handwritten…" He whispered. "This is Nicolas Flamel's Almanac…"

Dumbledore smiled. "Only to be trusted in the hands of someone ingrained in the light."

"And you believe me to be that person, sir?" Harry asked, closing the book.

"I do, Harry. And I know that you are trustworthy of that book." Dumbledore smiled. "If ever you need to speak about that book, my door is open."

Harry placed the book in his pocket. "Thank you, Headmaster." He bowed his head. "What happened between you and Grindelwald, Headmaster?" He asked politely. "And Ariana..?"

Dumbledore sighed, gesturing to the window. "I lost her. Dear sweet Ariana. Gellert and I were going to head to Europe in search of an artefact." He sat back down, chuckling ruefully. "We ended up fighting on a beach once Aberforth tried to intervene. The three of us duelled for an hour or so, then…" He felt fresh tears fall down his cheeks. "A-Ariana died…Abe and I fired off Killing Curses. Gellert fired one in defence, and then…Ariana ran in the middle to stop the fight. We never knew which one did it."

Harry stared at him for a moment. "Erised. You didn't see socks, did you?" He whispered.

"No." Dumbledore let out a small laugh. "You dear boy, you've become so much more than I ever thought possible." He whispered. "I see her, Harry. Alive and well, practicing magic and being happy. I saw Gellert and I, no longer enemies, but friends."

Harry nodded. He stared at the wand on the table for a moment. "Your wand is the artefact, isn't it?" He asked softly. "It's older than you. The wood is slightly cracked in several places, that only happens with old wood." He took the wand in his hand, examining it. "It must be special."

"It isn't." Dumbledore replied. "But when I was young, I was enamoured by the history of it." He smiled, though none of the emotion seemed to reach his eyes. "Harry, I'd like you not to mention this wand to anyone. Foolish men have destroyed their lives for this wand, and it is my duty to ensure it stays out of their hands."

Harry placed it back on the desk, bowing his head. "I will of course keep this to myself, Headmaster." He turned towards the door, chuckling to himself. "Professor, thanks for the book."

-HS-

"Bring up file: Grindelwald, Gellert." Harry commanded.

"Accessing database: FILE NOT FOUND!" The S.H.I.E.L.D internal database's bot called out.

Harry frowned at that. "Authorisation Potter Sigma Seven." He decided to try his luck. The authorisation code was one he had fabricated the last time he managed to get into S.H.I.E.L.D's system.

"Authorisation denied." The database opened a specialised file. "All records of Grindelwald have been moved to the Nexus of S.H.I.E.L.D's databases for protection, Mr. Potter." A new voice called out. "We would appreciate it if you did not attempt to access those files."

Harry frowned, quickly realising who the voice belonged to. "Director Fury. Why are those files on a separate server?"

"Safety reasons, Harry. A lot of people have been trying to access those files. Non-magicals and magicals alike have been working on a way to get into those files, and that scares the shit out of me." Fury explained.

Harry moved to the alternate monitor. "I've still got you on the line. Now, where's the Nexus Server?"

Fury frowned. "Drop it, Potter. Focus on the third task."

"It's a maze." Harry ignored the threat. "I was flying around the other day and noticed something growing on the Quidditch pitch." He scanned the databases. "Wow, you're either extremely arrogant, or extremely idiotic." He chuckled. "J.A.R.V.I.S, access the original SSR database. It's an old tube computer from 1948."

"Of course, sir."

Fury sighed. "Potter!" He shouted. "You even think about accessing those files and I'm going to arrest you for treason."

Harry activated a monitor. "Sorry about this, Nick." He smirked to himself. "Activate Directorate Order 15-B. Authorisation: Jarvis, Edmin Omega three."

"Authorisation accepted." A primitive sound called out. "Accessing file #130-B39: Grindelwald, Gellert."

Fury grit his teeth. "Download one copy of it to Server 65: Stark, Anthony." He growled out. "One hour. And then you delete it!"

Harry turned around, taking a large sip of his coffee. "Hour and a half."

"Delete them once you're done!" Fury snapped out again.

"You got it, Nicky." Harry ended the call. "J.A.R.V.I.S, tell me a story."

"Gellert Grindelwald, origin of birth currently unknown. Birth year is 1881. What we do know is that he was educated in Durmstrang, where he was quoted as being a gifted student, although one that delved too much into the Dark Arts. His mother was killed by muggles in 1897, a year before his expulsion from the school. Reports are sketchy afterwards, but it is believed he fled to England for a few years, where he struck up a friendship with Albus Dumbledore."

Harry frowned. A small part of him had wished Dumbledore was lying to him. He couldn't believe that the gentle Headmaster had once been part of something as evil as enslavement. "When did he finally lose?"

"1945. His last stand was around the same time as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He and Dumbledore duelled for an estimated 96 hours. Once it had ended both collapsed from magical exhaustion. Grindelwald was found without his wand, while Dumbledore held two. It is commonly believed that Dumbledore brought a second wand with him to ensure he had an upper hand. Both men were in a month long coma before coming to. Albus Dumbledore was given an Order of Merlin and made Headmaster of Hogwarts three and a half years later. Gellert Grindelwald was imprisoned in a prison of his own making within the borders of Germany."

Harry took another sip of his coffee. "What about his followers?"

"Unknown. Most left when he was imprisoned. Unlike Voldemort, Grindelwald's followers were not marked with anything on their bodies. Grindelwald's supporters in high places were all executed of course, but none of them revealed the names of others. It's commonly believed that Grindelwald held a complex network of spies and operatives. Magical Russia, Poland, Denmark and Sweden have still not fully recovered from the atrocities of Grindelwald."

Harry shook his head, scanning through the files. "J.A.R.V.I.S, I want you to delete all of this. Scrub it completely from our server. Then, I want you to lock up the Nexus with any protection we can."

"Of course, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S deleted the records from their databanks, allowing Harry time to think about all he had read.

It wasn't that he had lost any respect for Dumbledore. No, in fact, he had gained a lot of respect for the Headmaster. Hollywood had always sensationalised the story of redemption to the point that anyone could be called a hero, but the Headmaster had lived through more than Harry could believe. He'd lived through both muggle World Wars, both the Great Wizarding War and the English Wizarding War as well as teaching for untold years. If he had been in the muggle world, it'd be a miracle that he even survived to be over a century old, let alone still in good health.

He shut down the computers, locking up his lab. The past few days had been difficult for him to work with internally. He made his way to the one room he'd been actively avoiding with a passion; Maria's nursery. He opened the door carefully, watching his mother and the baby. "She's fussy today." He chuckled.

Lily nodded, not turning her attention away from Maria. "I don't know what's wrong with her." She admitted, cuddling the baby close to her.

Harry walked over to the baby, kneeling down to her. He took her into his arms gently, an act with shocked Lily greatly. He laughed at the baby for a moment. "What are you bitching about now, Maria?" He asked. "You're getting as bad as a Malfoy." He cooed, using his free hand to gently stroke her cheek.

Lily took out her camera carefully, getting a quick snap of the scene in front of her. It was unbelievable. Harry had actually initiated the contact with his sister. She knew the Second Task was mostly adrenaline and reflex memory on his part, but a small part of her had secretly wished that it would be the start of a beautiful chapter in her son's life.

Harry didn't hear the camera, all he could focus on was the sounds from Maria. He sat cross legged on the floor, adjusting Maria so she was snuggled into his chest. "Don't cry, Harry's here." He whispered, hearing her breathing gently slow to a napping pace. He winked up at his mother, placing Maria in the crib. As soon as his arms left her, her eyes started to open and a fresh bout of tears began to flow from her eyes.

"Looks like someone just wants her big brother." Lily chuckled.

Harry rolled his eyes, picking her back up. "You do this when I'm already taken, don't you Red?" He mock glared at the baby in his arms. "Couldn't do this when I was single, could ya?"

"She wasn't born when you were single." Lily shook her head, trying not to laugh at her son's antics.

"That's no excuse." Harry teased, noticing the papoose. "Want me to take her for some fresh air? I was going to head to the castle and catch up with some friends."

Lily raised her eyebrow. Now it was getting weirder. "Who are you and what have you done with my son?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Last week made me think, and Professor Dumbledore and I had an interesting conversation." Harry replied, placing her down to fix the baby carrier onto his chest. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but there was no way he would've been able to hold her for too long without his arms cramping. He placed Maria into the carrier, noticing her crying seemed to stop whenever he held her. "She's getting clingy." He noticed.

"She's young, Harry, but she can still form memories for a short time. Last week is probably still in her little head." Lily explained, fixing the straps in place. "She's scared, and she must hear your voice as the voice of safety." She kissed his forehead. "Now, be sure not to pull too many birds." She teased.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You've met my girlfriend, haven't you? Scary when pissed off. Knows more spells than the entire staff of Hogwarts. Has actually punched a wizard in the face. I wouldn't piss her off."

Lily couldn't help but laugh at the statement her son made. She couldn't believe how much he sounded like James lately. His entire demeanour had changed after the court's decisions. He had actively tried to connect with people. He'd begun to open up more to his friends. She'd heard rumours that he was also pranking a few students who had either insulted Hermione or Ginny, but she knew that James did the same thing to bullies during his stay at school. "Ok, now why don't you go and spend some time with your friends?" She chuckled.

-HS-

As Harry made his way to the castle, a woman entered a small bank on the other side of the world. Her hair was a darkish red, with a small wisp of grey hair scattered around to mimic the age of a mother of two. She was dressed in the finest clothing that the muggle world could create. She made her way to the counter, smiling at the teller. "Hello, my name is Lily Stark. I'd like to make a withdrawal from my husband's account."

The teller smiled at the woman. "Mrs Stark, it's a pleasure to see you again ma'am. I thought you were in England with your family?"

"I'm back for the week to finalise some of the paperwork needed for my maternity leave." 'Lily' responded, taking out a leather purse. She took out a specialised bank card, handing it to the teller. "I'll need $350,000 in $100 bills." She handed the woman a small briefcase, keeping the cheery smile on her face.

The teller nodded, repressing a frown. "With a withdrawal of this size, we do have to ask you a few security questions." She brought up the Stark file. "Your mother's maiden name?"

"Potts was the old answer. Though I believe you've updated it with the proper answer; Evans." 'Lily' wiped some fluff from her jacket.

"Perfect." The teller smiled, clicking the button. "Second question: The specialised password for the account?"

'Lily' nodded, reaching into her purse. She placed her wand under the counter. "Imperio." She whispered, watching the woman's eyes glaze over. "I answered the questions correctly. Now you'll hand me back my card and place the money in the briefcase."

The teller took the card. "Here you are, ma'am." She replied, her voice devoid of emotions. "Thank you for choosing our branch."

'Lily' grinned, pointing her wand at the woman again. "Now, you're going to go into the vault and grab a bag. Fill it with a million dollars and walk out the front door with it." She instructed in a whisper, turning her back to the teller and leaving the bank at a leisurely pace. She walked to the side alley, removing the glamours placed upon her. "That was too easy." She smirked, opening the case.

An arrow hit the wall beside her, causing her to turn around. "You again." She rolled her eyes, twisting her wand. "What the..?"

"Sorry honey, but S.H.I.E.L.D has gotten some new upgrades. Your magic won't work in this area." The man replied, aiming another arrow above her. Once it reached a height of fifteen feet, the arrow exploded, releasing a net over the woman. "I've spent a lot of time and arrows tracking you, missy."

The woman glared at him, gripping her fist. "You! I knew I recognised your ugly mug." She fought against the netting. "Let me out, I'll scream!"

"Feel free." He chuckled. He tapped his communicator. "This is Agent Hawkeye to Director Fury. I've managed to tag MAI-01 for you. Requesting pickup at these coordinates. Be advised, we're under several layers of Nomaj repelling wards."

"Nomaj? You been reading up on magical cultures, Barton?" Fury's voice called out.

"A man's gotta keep up on current trends, Nick." Hawkeye laughed, retracting his bow. He sat down across from the prisoner. "What's your ETA?"

"Fifteen minutes." Fury replied.

Hawkeye nodded. "Got it." He tapped the control panel on his wrist. "I've got my tracker online. See you soon, Director."

-HS-

Harry frowned as he sat in the cockpit of the S.H.I.E.L.D Quinjet. "Remind me again why we couldn't bring my sister back to my mother first?" He asked, glancing down at the napping baby in the papoose.

One of the agents chuckled a little. "We're sorry, Mr Potter, but Director Fury's orders were to collect you as fast as possible. We've already contacted your mother and Mr Stark to explain the situation." He checked the screen. "This is the Ozymandias, requesting permission to dock."

"Permission granted, Ozymandias. Please dock in Hangar 5. Mr Potter's escort will be waiting there for him." The control tower called out.

Harry made his way to the entrance ramp. He walked onto the ground, noticing that Maria didn't appreciate the bumpy landing. "Don't cry, Maria. I'm sure the cranky S.H.I.E.L.D people will be friendly."

Natasha walked over to him, smirking a little. "Who are you calling cranky?" She asked, keeping pace with him.

"S.H.I.E.L.D in general." Harry shrugged, listening to Maria's breathing slow again. "She's nodding off again, we should be good. What's so important?"

"We captured MAI-01." Fury cut into the conversation, raising his good eyebrow at the sight of the papoose. "I didn't realise we were now a creche service." He remarked, shaking his head. "The Woman of Many Faces."

Harry rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he continued to walk. "Whoever makes up those names, they need to be sacked." He made his way into the holding area. He frowned as he saw the chains on her arms and legs. A muzzle was on her face and she was suspended in the air because of the chains. "What the hell?!"

"It's for safety reasons." Fury responded.

"Who's?" Harry entered the room, severing the chains. He activated two of the magic repressors, activating his tablet. "Hmm, you've actually managed to steal from Tony's account, I'm impressed." He said to the woman. He removed the muzzle from her mouth. "What would a witch need with muggle currency?"

"It's easier to sell to American wizards on the black market." Susanna frowned. "What are you guys, the president's new attack dogs?" She asked angrily. Her hair was frayed and her wrists were marked by the chains.

"No, I'm a member of the British Wizarding Community." Harry conjured two chairs. "I'm here to recruit you for something important." He handed her a small tablet. "The Magical Avengers Initiative. S.H.I.E.L.D's trying to help you out. Right now, you're looking at fifty years for interfering with the nomaj world, not to mention the amount of black market offences. You're looking at the death sentence at this point."

Susanna frowned a little, folding her arms. "I…" She closed her eyes. "I'm being forced into this, basically…aren't I?"

Harry glared at the S.H.I.E.L.D agents. They were essentially forcing her to be an agent. He checked on Maria for a moment before an idea popped into his head. "Your cover's going to be a live in nanny for an overworked corporate CEO." He noticed her eyes moving to the baby. "This is my sister, Maria. You won't have to actually do anything, but you'll have that as a cover. Otherwise, they'll keep you detained here."

Susanna stared at the kid for a moment. Her time had finally come. She knew that her time as a thief would eventually end. She just didn't think that she would be facing so many charges. She closed her eyes, hiding her face from him for a moment. "What stops me from escaping?"

"If you do, the next time you're captured…we hand you over." Fury stepped in, his expression unchanging.

"F-Fine." Susanna glared at them. "I'll do it…"

A/N: I know I'm being harsh with S.H.I.E.L.D at the moment, but they have done sketchy things. Hope you enjoy the chapter and had an enjoyable holiday.