Hermione gazed upon the vast piles of books at Flourish & Botts. The shelves were stacked to the ceilings with books large and small, treatises on spell theory and guides to practical casting, histories of famous wizards and studies of common life. While her parents worked at the dentistry, she had snuck away to Diagon Alley. This trip was a reward, a holiday break, and shopping spree all in one.
Hermione had been counting down the days since her first visit on November 2nd to return to Diagon Alley. The Hogwarts library was superb, but that was for borrowing books. She wanted her own collection. The store selection had changed from Hogwarts textbooks to a more eclectic range of new releases and holiday favorites. Hermione had taken half of her remaining galleons out of Gringotts and was considering either A History of Magic or Artifacts and Alchemy when an attractive blond with elaborate curls and a forceful jaw approached her.
"You look like a discerning reader. You should consider my new bestseller." The witch pointed to a stack of luridly illustrated works, featuring a scowling half dressed wizard with a large hooked nose and angry beady eyes. The Loves and Passions of Severus Snape: The Sexy Prince Tells All by Rita Skeeter.
"Severus Snape - wasn't he a spy for Grindelwald?" Hermione said.
"He did it all for love." Skeeter said. "He wanted Lily Potter and would do anything to get her, including selling her to a Dark Lord. Isn't that romantic?"
"Err - not really, no. How did he tell all? Wasn't he kissed by a dementor?"
"You have no imagination." Skeeter sniffed. "Wait, you are that muggleborm. Hermy Grainger. What a lucky day for you! So Hermy, how do you like Hogwarts?"
"I am happy to have a chance to go there. I enjoy the library…"
"What about the broom closets? How many have you explored?" Skeeter had taken her acid green Quick-Quotes Quill.
"I haven't explored any broom closets. I go to Hogwarts to study."
"Study the champions, no doubt? Who is your favorite — the Bulgarian Bon Bon. Cedric the Sparkler Diggory. Or are you still trying to trap Harry Potter. That won't end well - The purebloods won't tolerate any plain Jane witch with Lord Black."
Hermione looked over to see what the Quill was writing. "What? I am not a scarlet woman kicked out of the library for indecent behavior."
"It is only the first draft, dear. Are you two-timing Harry or is it an open relationship?"
Hermione grabbed at the Quill. "You horrible woman. You don't care about lying, do you?"
"Freedom of the press" Skeeter said with a big smile. "Now…"
A tap on her shoulder stopped her. Rita turned to face an annoyed Lily Potter. "Rita Skeeter. Why are you bothering my student?"
RIta looked confused. "She doesn't go to Hogwarts."
"No, but I teach her charms." Lily cast a spell and the Quick-Quotes Quill spluttered, ruining the notes with giant blotches of ink. "Rita, I wouldn't lie about Hermione. The Potter and Black owls enjoy eating insects - if you know what I mean."
The blond reporter blanched and then left.
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter." Hermione said.
"It is Lily, Hermione. You are welcome. She is a nasty piece of work. I found her trying to potion Bathilda into telling her about the death of Charlus and Dorea."
"Bathilda Bagshot, the writer of Hogwarts: A History?" Hermione yelped.
"Yes. Why don't you come over for lunch, sometime. You can meet her." Lily smiled. "Now let's see if we can find some honest books."
Fleur Delacour embraced her parents and Gabrielle hid tears of relief. The Leaky Cauldron was dingy and shabby, serving culinary delights like jellied eels and deep fried eggs wrapped with black pudding. The pub was a far cry from their French mansion in Nueilly Sur Seine, yet the family reunion was full of joy.
The Delacours parents had been traveling for the last twenty four hours with one small valise. With the influx of European emigrants, there were few places in magical England available to let. They secured a small room upstairs but only for one night.
"It iz not too bad. There iz a fireplace and a window." Apolline said.
"Yes, but we have lost everything. Paris has fallen and all money in France has been confiscated." Jean-Paul said.
"Do not worry, girls. We have each other." Apolline hugged Gabrielle. "So what has happened in England?"
Gabrielle and Fleur recounted the events of the past week - beginning with the Yule Ball. They told of the awful dementor attack and the miraculous creation of the new wards, the killing of the Potters, and the death of Minister Riddle, who had secretly been a Dark Lord.
"Incroyable." Jean-Paul said. "The British Ministry was full of these Death Eaters!"
"The newspapers are finally reporting on Grindelwald and this Voldemort. Before they had been talking about the Dating Habits of the Hogwarts champions." Fleur sniffed. She had been unhappy to be painted as a conceited man-eater.
"Maman, I danced with 'arry Potter." Gabrielle said excitably. "He saved my life at ze Ball."
"'arry saved many people's lives. The dementors ..…" Fleur said.
Gabrielle continued, talking over her sister. "I must have ze veela bond with him. He is my true love, and we shall live happily ever after."
"Gabby, he brought soulless students back to life. If they do not have a life debt or soul bond, why would you? If they do, you will have to share him with many women."
"You are just jealous, Fleur. What do you know about the veela bond?" Gabrielle hissed.
Apolline smiled at the sight of her daughters fighting. Life was back to normal.
At the Ministry of Magic, the new Lord Black was meeting with the DMLE. Amelia Bones, Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom attended, with Mad Eye Moody and the new Nymphadora Black guarding the corridor outside.
"Over half the Ministry pledged their loyalty to Voldemort. We have managed to arrest only the low level ones that clearly committed crimes. We have sacked and demoted many others, to make sure they are not in any sensitive positions, like control over the Floo, or keeping the addresses of the muggleborn." Amelia said.
"What about Lucius Malfoy or Rodolphus Lestrange?" Harry asked.
"They will be difficult to catch. Both are on the Wizengamot, and claim to have Imperio Exposure. They can easily Imperio each other for an alibi. Without the ability to use veritaserum, we are stuck." Frank Longbottom said.
"Lucius organized the attack on the Ossuary. And Rodolphus was responsible for the dementors at Hogwarts" Harry said.
"We don't have evidence that can be admitted as a proof. Rodolphus may be in charge of the dementors but Riddle ordered their placement there. And nobody objected." Amelia said.
"What about Umbridge?"
"Without the Dicta-Quill, she will go free. Lily and I heard her voice, but a clever barrister will rip that to shreds. We can send her far away to Inspect Magical Creatures at a Flobberworm Farm in the middle of nowhere, and we will. But we can't prove her guilt. Lord Black, I understand your frustration, but this is all we can do." Amelia said.
"Call me Harry." he smiled. "Actually, you can do more, Madam Bones. Why not run for Minister of Magic? You are respected by purebloods and half bloods. If you were Minister, you could change these laws that protect Malfoy and hurt muggle borns. You could defend Britain."
"I am too busy with the DMLE, Harry." Amelia said.
"Bollocks. You have people you trust. Why not appoint Sirius or Frank as the DMLE head? As Minister, you will have much more control over other departments, like the DMLE." Harry said.
"He is right, Amelia. Riddle would order you to do things as DMLE head that you didn't want." Sirius said.
"All right." Amelia agreed. "But Frank will be DMLE head. If Sirius were head of the Department, Merlin save us all."
The door slammed open, as Mad Eye Moody crouched, his eye whirling all over to look for any suspected, glamoured, or poly-juiced enemies. Bones sighed. Moody did this whenever he opened any doors.
"Madam Bones" Nympadora gasped. "There is an attack on Diagon Alley."
Hermione sat down with Lily at the Leaky Cauldron. She had only bought six books, light reading until she returned to Hogwarts. The two witches ordered a shepherd's pie to share and Earl Grey tea.
"Hermione, what does your family think of magic?" Lily asked.
"It has been difficult. I didn't have a wand, and wasn't allowed to show them magic. Even if your kids are magical, muggles aren't allowed in Hogwarts or Diagon Alley. So they don't know anything of my world - except that Umbridge was foul." Hermione answered.
"Things may be changing. At the very least, your parents could take you shopping in Diagon, and in a year or two, they may be allowed to come to Hogwarts." Lily said.
Hermione gasped. That would be wonderful - her parents walking around the castle, seeing the library, and the Room of Requirement, and maybe even a broom closet she could explore with Harry. She blinked, wondering why she was thinking so much of snogging him. Before she could express her gratitude, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
""Ermione. Iz that you?" An incredible beautiful blond witch waved at her.
"Fleur, Gabrielle." Hermione replied. She guessed that the elegant witch and dapper wizard were their parents, although the resemblance was clearly to the mother.
"Hello, we are ze parents." Apolline explained that they were forced to flee Paris for their lives and had just gotten to London this morning.
"You poor things." Lily said. "Where are you staying?"
"At ze pub. But we will have to move tomorrow." Jean-Paul said.
"Why don't you come stay at Potter Manor? Until you find a place — we have plenty of room." Lily said. She turned to Hermione. "We would love to have your family over too. I would be happy to tell them more about our world, and you can show them spells."
"Will Harry be there?" cried Gabrielle. Hermione chuckled at the 8 year old's enthusiasm. She was on the verge of asking the same question.
"Technically, he lives in Black Manor. But I am sure he will spend the holidays with his sister and brother. We have lots of room, and gardens. We have a very nice library."
The Delacours and Hermione smiled. Nothing could sound better. Then the pub doors opened and two men walked through. The first was a young man with short cropped black hair and pale skin, who looked slightly troubled, his head bowed. The second commanded the attention of the room. He was well dressed, but it was his eyes - one white blue, the other brown - and his light blond, nearly white hair and mustache, that announced his name: Gellert Grindelwald.
"Greetings, Delacours. My men missed you in Paris but no matter." He pointed a long dark wand at their table. "If you go quietly, it will be less painful."
Lily Potter stood up, holding her wand under the table. "What do you want, Grindelwald?'
"Do not interfere. I have come for them."
"No." Lily said. Jean-Paul and Apolline stood up as well. "We will stand together."
"So be it." Grindelwald cast a blue hex, non verbally, as the three adults all used the Protego charm. The table exploded into pieces.
"Run." Lily yelled to the children over the shrieks of the crowd. "We will hold him off."
Hermione ran into the streets. She had a wand, but with the exception of Protego spell, did not have many spells that were useful. She doubted the color changing charm or a tickling hex would be effective. Fleur had grabbed Gabrielle and they bolted out of the door. They joined the mob of frightening witches and wizards in the Streets.
The walls to the Leaky Cauldron began to quiver, then shake, with large holes starting to emerge. The sound of bricks being ground down into dust by some invisible force echoed through the alley. Hermione could see the spell duel now in the Leaky Cauldron. The other witches and wizards had fled, leaving only the Delacours and Lily Potter to face Dumbledore. The boy with the black hair bent his head forwards, as if in pain. His outlines began to blur, and a wave of cold hit Hermione. Then a cloud of shrieking black rushed out of the pub, destroying what was left of the door and walls.
Hermione cast a Protego, which barely held. The obscurial spun around and the mass of darkness began to wreak havoc on the shops, breaking signs, ripping up the pavement. Hermione and Fleur stood back to back, casting shields. They were both determined to protect Gabrielle.
Inside the pub, Grindelwald had already slammed Jean-Paul unconscious against the counter with a hex, shattering several bottles of spirits. The pungent smell of fire whiskey mixed with butter beer filled the Leaky Cauldron. Apolline had transformed and threw fireballs at the mad wizard. They bounced off harmlessly, and Grindelwald banished her through the open wall.
His advance was halted when Lily cast a Confringo, the smoke from the explosion obscuring his view. When the dust settled, no one was left in the pub besides him. Grindelwald walked into the street. There were dozens of witches and wizards in Diagon Alley but only three opposed him, and one of those was already knocked out.
He found Lily Potter standing over Apolline Delacour. "Stand aside, you silly girl"
"Protego Maxima." The golden dome covered the two witches. "I won't let you hurt her."
"Fool. Would you give your life for those who have no ties to you? Would these people…" Grindelwald gestured to the bystanders "…care if you lived or died? Look at them - sheep."
"It doesn't matter if they care or don't care - I won't let you butcher others."
"So be it." Grindelwald said.
Hermione heard the pop of multiple apparations. Aurors flooded the alley. She saw the old man with the electric blue eye, calling out commands as Sirius Black and Frank Longbottom took positions flanking Grindelwald. Several other female witches flew over on brooms, their wands ready to fire. A black haired boy with green eyes and a silver cloak popped down in front of Lily Potter.
"Get away from them." he said.
"Ah Harry Potter. The young hope of England, and the pretender to the Black title. You have something of mine. A Cloak that belongs to me." Grindelwald declared.
"Go to Hell." the boy said.
Grindelwald raised his wand. Before he could complete his incantation, a hand holding a holly wand materialized right next to his torso. Harry Potter cried "Reducto" and his spell slammed Grindelwald to the ground. The shock waves from the curse buried Grindelwald in a pile of rubble.
Hermione gawped as the glamour wore off, and the boy next to Lily Potter changed into a middle aged red head, wearing a monocle and red auror armor. The hand with the holly wand gained a head and a body, as Harry cautiously approached the spot where Grindelwald had fallen.
"Is he down?" Madame Bones cried. She soon got her answer .
Blue swirls of energy appeared, and the rubble flew off, as Grindelwald got to his feet. "Harry Potter, I presume? And not your glamoured government lackey."
"My friends call me Harry. You can call me Lord Black." Harry replied.
"You have nerve, boy." Grindelwald's smile did not reach his eyes. "Perhaps we would have been allies in another world."
"With you? Never. You are a monster. You kill and torture muggles and wizards alike. And for what?"
"You have to break eggs in every revolution." Grindelwald said. "Albus agrees with me. Tell me, would he sacrifice you - like a pawn - or send you to your death for his Greater Good? What then, is so different from mine? He just has better marketing."
"I am not Dumbledore's man. And we" Harry pointed to the witches and wizards around him "will defeat you."
"Pshaw. I have the Elder Wand. A wizard with the Elder Wand cannot be beaten in a spell duel. Death has declared that." Grindelwald waved his wand and several witches crashed off the brooms. The blue swirls began to coalesce into a giant reptilian head, dominating the sky. "I am stronger than you, Harry. You are a fool to oppose me."
The dragon began to gain shape, and two hypnotic eyes stared down at the wizards from above, as taunting them to fight. The chill of the obscurial was replaced by the heat of blue flames. Small fires began to burst out in the Alley as wooden signs nearby burned.
"How many lives will be lost, Harry, in your futile attempts? You have no idea what I can unleash. Perhaps this will show you." Grindelwald slashed his wand down as the dragon lashed out, breathing a cone of molten plasma.
Harry cast his strongest shield. The jet of flame slammed against it, and spread all over the semi sphere. It held barely, and Harry could feel the heat from the inferno. "I can destroy London, just as I did Paris. Come, Credence." Grindelwald flew in the air and the obscurial turned back to a young man with short black hair. "I leave you with this." He pointed at the massive dragon created by fiendfyre.
"Credence, you don't need to stay with him. We can help you." Harry called.
Credence kept his head down, refusing to look at Harry. "I doubt that." Grindelwald said. "It is too late for that. Too late for anything." The wizard and the obscurial popped out. The dragon remained.
The beast roared as it began to spit gouts of flame all over the Alley. The shrieks of shop owners could be heard over the barrage of spells cast by the aurors, none of which seemed to have any impact. Even as the dragon spread destruction with its breath, the dragon used it claws to burn other parts of Diagon.
"We need to do something quick. I have an idea, but it is dangerous." Harry said.
"Harry, be careful." his mum cried.
"Do you know any spells that would protect me from fire?" Harry asked.
She nodded and cast a modified version of the Glacius. He was covered in a layer of ice.
"Good enough." Harry stepped to the dragon and put his cold hands on the beast's blue skin. The dragon roared at this outrage and turned its neck toward the pest. And then Harry apparated himself and the dragon into the Thames River. An enormous bubble of steam could be seen over the London skyline.
The aurors were still extinguishing flames when Harry returned. They had saved Diagon Alley but the street was badly damaged. Doctors from St. Mungo's examined the residents who were suffering from smoke inhalation. Other Ministry officials had come - whether to gawk or help, Harry didn't know. Rita Skeeter was busy jotting down notes and asking questions, despite pointed attempts to ignore her. Her photographer, Bozo, was taking pictures of everything.
Lily had briefed Amelia on the encounter with Grindelwald at the Leaky Caudron.
Amelia turned to the Delacours. "What does Grindelwald want with you?"
"We don't know." Apolline said.
"This isn't the first attempt. At the First Stake, Snape stunned Fleur Delacour." Lily said.
"He came to London to find you. What does that mean?" Amelia wondered.
Harry was too tired to think. He embraced Hermione, glad that she was okay. Gabrielle jumped into the group hug, as did Fleur with a bit of hesitation. For now, the fires had been quenched and Grindelwald had retreated. He hoped the rest of the holidays would be better.