A/N: Still don't own Harry Potter. You all do realize that right? Special thanks again to Dellacouer for her excellent and speedy beta-ing!
Chapter 35 – Storm Hunters
15 August 1943 – Berlin
James moved purposefully down the street stepping carefully around the few rubble remains from Allied bombs. He was dressed in clothes "borrowed" from a businessman on a train shortly after leaving Hamburg. A quick charm changed his hair to grey and added what looked like burn scars on the side of his face and over his lightning scar. The papers from the former Dark Army member were long gone. A new forged set of papers with a picture matching his current description came out of a hidden pocket on his rucksack.
The new papers identified him as Albert Schweitz, a disabled veteran of the First World War. The scars were the results of a British chemical gas attack that left scars on his face and lungs leaving him with a raspy voice and low stamina. With all able-bodied men being drawn to the various fronts, an obviously injured veteran was the safest cover. Otherwise he would have to be constantly explaining why he was not in uniform to the frequent army and Gestapo checkpoints.
Berlin had changed a great deal since he was last visit here three years ago. Then it was a city preparing for war but it contained a mood of certain victory. The people were excited and positive of the glorious future of the '1,000 Year Reich'. Now, however, the city seemed to possess a miasma of concern bordering on fear. The invasion of Russia had been stopped and German forces were being forced back with horrible losses. Their strongest European partner, Italy, was being invaded and rumor said they were ready to surrender. The combined forces of Great Britain and the United States were preparing to invade France. The cost of war that seemed so distant to the Berliners three years ago seemed so much closer today.
James turned down a familiar street and stepped into a beer house. Three years ago the beer house had been a loud, boisterous place filled with excitement over the total victory against their historically rival nation of France. Now few patrons sat at the tables eating a quiet lunch. James, although he seemed oblivious, observed all of this whilst making his way to the bar. He had to restrain a smile at seeing a familiar face.
The barman walked over to James and absently wiped some nonexistent dust off the bar. "Welcome to our establishment. We have a nice stew and my wife just finished cooking a nice Sauerbraten."
Dropping in seeming exhaustion onto a stool, James answered, "I'll take the stew please. And I would like a room for the next couple nights too. You do still have rooms to rent don't you? A traveler I met recommended your establishment."
Claude didn't even blink at the use of the code phrase. "That is nice to hear. We are fairly booked, but I am sure we can find room for a guest who was recommended to us. I will be right back with your stew."
James made a small show of removing his coat and settling into his seat. Claude's response told him the place was under a moderate level of surveillance. None of the beer house's dinners stood out as obvious agents but that was to be expected if they were any good. James snorted over the insanity of it all. A good agent looked completely innocent to pass on the street. So I room full of innocent people looked identical to a room full of good agents. Thinking too much about that could drive one insane.
Claude returned with a bowl of steaming stew. "Here is your stew. My wife will be down when you finish to take you to your room."
"Danke"
That was the second time Claude made a reference to his wife. He supposed Claude meant Maria. Maybe they needed to fake their marriage to help their cover.
James ate his stew and let his mind relax a bit. He tried to focus on what he would do after getting Tom back home. He had already decided to retire from the Unspeakables once Grindelwald was defeated. Two Dark Lords was more then enough for any Gryffindor. He didn't want to look greedy. Maybe once his magic was gone he would attend Muggle medical school. It would be interesting to work with Sarah to integrate magical and Muggle healing practices. Putting people back together would be a lot more challenging than breaking them.
Finishing his stew, James looked up as Maria stepped into the room. He suppressed a smile of greeting at her beautiful face since he had to act the role of a stranger; a role that got even harder as he fought to keep the shock from showing on his face. Maria looked as cheerful and beautiful as he remembered from three years ago. It wasn't anything in her appearance that caused his shock.
The sleeping baby riding on her hip was another matter.
Maria came to a stop on the other side of the bar. "Hello, how was your stew? Are you ready to see your room?"
James gave her an easy smile that covered up the questions he wanted to ask. "Yes, the stew was excellent. I would like to see my room. It has been a difficult journey." Maria collected the empty bowl and motioned for James to follow her.
The pair walked silently up the stairs. She led James to the room that stood just opposite the door to what James remembered as Maria apartment. Maria expertly juggled the baby and the room key to allow James into the room. Once the door was shut, Maria dropped the act. She pressed up to James and hissed into his ear.
"What do you think you are doing here? We sent a signal three weeks ago we were under suspicion again. We were not to be contacted again until they went away!"
James was taken a bit by surprised at her vehemence but he could understand the source seeing the infant in her arms. "I've been out of contact with the home office. My trip was diverted."
That did not seem to appease Maria at all. "Well, you can't stay. Something happened that has them all stirred up. They are watching everywhere."
"Magically or physically?"
"Both," she hissed in response.
Moving his hand in a subtle fashion, James erected a set of very light privacy wards. These wards did not really prevent anyone from listening in, instead they alerted the caster of every individual who could hear their words either physically or magically. Once he was satisfied, in a normal tone of voice James said, "We are safe to talk now."
Maria's eyes had gone wide watching James's actions. "Alan?" James nodded with a slight smile. The witch wrapped an arm around James to give him a hug being careful not to wake the baby. "It is so good to see you! Only you would put up wards like that."
"It is good to see you too. It has been awhile." James gestured meaningfully to the infant in her arms. Now that he was close up to the infant, a suspicion dropped a lead weight into his stomach. He could not believe that Claude could do such a thing when he had a wife and child living in hiding in France.
Maria caught the unspoken question. A fire lit in her eyes. "Yes, he is Claude's." She settled onto the small couch. "Don't judge him. It is not something either of us wanted to happen. The Dark Lord's people became very suspicious of us about a year after you left. They were using Listening Charms and Muggle devices to monitor everything that happened in the building. Claude spotted a magic detection ward in time to prevent us from being caught."
James settled into the chair next to her and indicated she should continue.
"You remember the cover I used before?" James nodded. During his last visit, Maria would drag different men up to her room. The men would leave in the morning with memories of a mind-blowing night after really having spent the night on the couch. "Once they started watching us I couldn't do that anymore, but if I changed my habits too much they would be suspicious. I would not sleep with so many men so Claude 'tamed' me. We had to make it convincing. Little Alan here is the result."
James looked surprised. "Alan?"
Maria smiled. "We did not know your real name and we could not very well call him by the other name we know you by."
"I'm honored that you would name him after me. Is it safe for you to stay here? Couldn't we get you out to England?"
Maria shrugged as she patted the baby who was making the soft grumbles of a waking child. "It is no more dangerous to stay then it would be to try to cross the lines. We have taken precautions to ensure Alan's safety if anything were to happen to us."
A thousand questions ran through James's head. He wanted to ask what they planned to do after the war. What about Claude's real wife? But he held his mouth shut. It was not really any of his business. Who could say how the war could turn out? Even if the Muggle war remained unchanged by his activities, James knew he had already impacted the magical war with Grindelwald in a major way.
Instead, James asked, "How serious is the observation on you right now?"
"It is more an occasional check. They seem to look in on us at least once a week. The last time was four days ago so we are due for another soon. That is why I was so upset."
James nodded his understanding. "I will leave in the morning. I will need to send a message to the home office. Then we will need to find a safe house."
Gone was the worried mother as Maria switched into an experienced operative's mode of thinking. "How long will you need it for and for how many people?"
"It will have to be in southern Germany. Somewhere I can hide ten to twelve people. Also I need to talk with your sister."
Maria frowned at the last statement. "It is very dangerous to contact her. She lives in the very belly of the beast. I am not really sure whose side she is on. I think she only really cares about her books."
"I have to take that risk. She is the only good source we have in Durmstrang," James replied.
"You're going to hit the citadel," Maria breathed out in barely a whisper.
James nodded. "If I have too."
"That is insane! The Dark Lord keeps his best fighters there. His Inner Circle and his Ritual Master live in that place. His demons infest the area. You'll never get close to it! What would be so important that you would risk this?"
James looked down at the floor. In a quiet but firm voice he answered, "They took my son. I'm just going to get him back." Maria looked stricken as she automatically clutched her son a bit tighter.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Then Maria rose from her place. "Compose your message. I will get it sent immediately. I will have Claude start the process of procuring the safe house. You rest for a bit. I will send Claude up in awhile. I am sure you two have a lot to talk about.
"Thank you, Maria," James said as she walked out of the room.
31 August 1943 – Berlin
The wail of the air raid siren pierced the quiet of the late summer German night. It was a sound the people of the city had unfortunately become all to accustom to hearing. Soon the repeating cracks of the antiaircraft guns added their voices to the hideous noise of war.
The clear skies allowed the Allied bombardiers to accurately aim their bombs on the targets, transportation centers such as airports and rail yards. However the clear night also worked in favor of the city's defenders. The flak from their guns buffeted the bombers and more than one aircraft feel from the sky with crews desperately trying to bail out.
One 2,000 pound bomb did fall wildly out of the Allied target area. The explosive device landed on a small beer house and inn not far from the main cluster of government buildings in the German capital. The Gestapo and their magical colleagues investigated to see if a bomb really was the cause of the damage. The building was the suspected haven for anti-government malcontents. However, analysis of the bomb damage and recovered bomb case fragments verified the cause of the explosion. The charred remains of four men, a woman, and an infant child were found in the rubble. The investigators cheerfully closed the case and toasted the ironic deaths of the state's internal enemies at the hands of their external enemies.
No notice was taken of two men, a woman and a child leaving the city in a small lorry. None of them had been within ten miles of the beer house when it was destroyed. A small charmed vase released a Summoning Charm when activated by the sound of the air raid siren. The charm pulled the bomb off target to land directly on top of it. The explosion almost vaporized the vase, leaving no magical trace of the spell to be detected.
3 November 1943 – Bad Wurzach, Germany
The arrival of the refugees attracted little attention in the small community of Bad Wurzach. The small town was known only for its therapeutic mud baths and contained nothing of strategic importance to either side of the magical or Muggle wars. It also had no Pureblood wizard families to notice any magic in use.
Maria convinced Claude and James to locate the safe house in the town.
Maria explained it to them. "I grew up in Ravensburg. An ancestor helped found the town. He didn't like owls and tried to raise ravens instead. It is only 25 km away. My parents still live there so if we need to talk to Serena it is best if she has the simple excuse of visiting family. That is why I had you meet her there, James."
The couple rented a small farm with no comment from the locals. The wife spoke with the remains of the local accent while her husband spoke with the Berlin accent. Their large dog elicited much more comment as it was obviously part wolf. However, its cheerful disposition and well disciplined manner soon removed those fears.
Their neighbors looked on with approval as the new tenants displayed good German industriousness in putting their new farm to rights. The old barn was cleaned up and fixed with an almost magical speed. The wolf-like dog soon earned a reputation for being a first class herding dog with their small flock of sheep.
Two months after their arrival, the small family received four cloaked visitors late in the night. They appeared at the edge of the small forest that bordered the farm. They paused as they looked about for any sign of watchers. A thick blanket of clouds blocked most of the light from the moon and stars. Wartime regulations prohibited the use of street lights or other outside lights lest Allied bombers use them as navigation to their targets.
A low growl alerted the four to the wolf's presence behind them. One of the figures urgently whispered, "Count, it is us!"
James-the-wolf knew exactly who he had approached. His sense of smell identified the four figures well before he revealed himself. He was not happy with who the Ministry sent him as a team. But this was not the place to have that discussion.
The wolf stepped out of the bush and into the recently tilled field. He trotted a few steps towards the farm house and then turned to look back at the cluster of figures. The expression he gave them clearly said, "Are you coming or not?"
The four cloaked figures followed the wolf into the barn. James resumed his human form as the trailing figure closed the barn door.
"Cloaks?" James asked in a scornful voice. "Can you dress any more obviously that you don't belong here? Muggles have not worn cloaks like that in almost a century!"
The Unspeakable known as Charlie was the first to lower her hood. Her expression was slightly embarrassed. "We thought the cloaks would be helpful in breaking up our forms if we needed to hide in the forest on our way here. We never wore them in towns or anything!"
James ignored her defense as he rounded on two of the other forms. "And what in the name of Merlin are you two doing here?"
"It was the only thing I could do to keep your wife and my wife from coming here themselves!" one of the figures defended. "I had to use the safety of your other four children as hostages to allow me to come instead!"
James scowled and turned to his companion. "And what is your excuse?"
"I was bored," came the languid reply. "I needed to get out of the house for a spot of fun. Besides Uncle Thomas is too old to be let out without a minder." The last comment cracked James's angry scowl with a small smile. It also received a small growl from Thomas.
"This is so touching. I think I'll spew."
James turned to the speaker, the still cloaked final figure. "Why the hell did they send you, Malfoy?"
Abraxus Malfoy removed his hood and sneered at James. The twenty-five year old wizard looked so much like Lucius and Draco that James had to restrain himself from hexing him on sight. "The Minister felt my presence here would be important."
"What maggoty brained idea gave him that impression?"
"Unlike the rest of you, I have been to Durmstrang before. I visited as part of an exchange program during my Sixth year." Malfoy sneered, "If I had known it was to rescue your son I would never have come."
James started to reply when Thomas placed a hand on his shoulder. His grandfather whispered into his ear. "He had to make a magically binding oath before he was permitted to come that he would not reveal any information learned on this mission without your specific permission. He only knows you as the Count and doesn't know about Tom's heritage." In a louder voice, he said, "Albus will join us for the retrieval when we are ready."
Chaz Potter leaned against a post and commented, "You have not changed since you were a First year, Malfoy. I was a Seventh year prefect and you were still an arrogant little shite who thought you were superior to the rest of us."
"Is there a better place to discuss all this?" Charlie asked. The witch gestured indicating the exposed position of the barn.
James acknowledged her point. He approached each of the visitors and handed them a small piece of paper one at a time. The note read, "Under the crap, sanctuary can be found."
A trap door appeared in the floor of the barn. James opened it up and led the way down into the ground. Twenty feet below the barn the downward passage opened into a wood paneled room lit with magical lamps. Two doors led out of the room. A large map of the Alps dominated one wall of the room. Several magical flags fluttered on the map indicating points of interest. One was labeled Durmstrang and the other said Ravensburg. Two sets of bunk beds sat against the opposite wall.
"The door on the left is for the loo," James said he entered the room. "Charlie, the other door is for a bedroom. You can share it with Maria and her babe."
Charlie looked stunned. "She brought an infant on the mission?"
"She didn't have the child when the mission began," James shrugged. "She has been our main conduit into the German magical resistance. When we leave she comes with us. Things are going to be too hot for her to stay here." Using as few words as possible, James explained the circumstances of young Alan's birth.
"Have you been able to reconnaissance the area of the school?" Charlie asked.
James walked up to the map and said, "Durmstrang"
The map zoomed into the area immediately surrounding the magical flag. The area surrounding the school was marked as was the outside walls of the school. No detail of the area inside the walls was shown.
"I have traveled all around the base of the mountain the school sits on. Anyone uninvited sees a normal mountain. The school's builders magically removed the top part of the mountain to create the flat area needed to build the school."
"So you can lead us to the mountain even if we can't see the school?" Charlie asked.
"That is the least of our problems," James answered. "The valleys surrounding the school make the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts look like a kiddies' play park. I've run into giants, trolls, manticores, harpies, and dire wolves. The wolves won't be a problem but I also saw signs of yeti and mountain dwarves as well." His four listeners all went a bit pale at his news.
"We do have an inside contact on staff at the school. Maria has started communications to have the contact meet us. Our contact can officially invite you to visit the school negating the main wards. We also hope the contact can take a device of mine that will send the layout of the school back to the map here."
Charlie ignored the magic of the map. She assumed it was a Department of Mysteries invention. "Have you found a way into the school?"
"No, there are no paths up the mountain to the school's plateau. Even the naturally occurring ones have been magically removed or blocked. Only an expert team of climbers could make that assent. But I don't think they could do it without attracting attention."
Thomas also ignored the map's magic. He had seen it before in James's Hogwart's office. "What about brooms? Can we fly in?"
James nodded. "That is one possibility. I've seen students out occasionally flying well above the valley and inside the boundary of the school's wards. The harpies roost on the mountains surrounding the school. They often fly just outside the ward looking for a student to accidentally fly too far. I saw them catch a Third year girl and drag her down." James frowned. "No one from the school made any effort to save her."
Thomas looked sick. "What happened to her?"
"They mauled her rather badly. I was running with the dire wolf pack when the incident occurred. The dire wolves distracted the harpies while I got her back on her broom."
"You must have been a Gryffindor. No wonder Potter adopted you." Malfoy sneered. "You risk your own mission to save an inconsequential girl."
"She wasn't inconsequential to her family, Malfoy. You forget that Durmstrang only accepts students from magical families, half-bloods or 'better'. So, shouldn't you be arguing for saving her? After all, you know she wasn't a Mudblood."
Malfoy turned red at James's comment but held back his retort at an angry gesture from Chaz Potter. "Do you think she put the mission at risk?" he asked.
"No," James answered shaking his head. "By my brief check, she had several major lacerations across her face, chest and arms. She also had signs of a minor concussion. Even if she remembers anything she it will be fragments and unclear. She was almost unconscious when I launched her broom up."
"Any ideas, Count?" Charlie asked.
James turned to Malfoy and asked, "When you visited the school did you go down to the cavern to play quidditch?"
"Yes, I played as Chaser for one of their teams for the year," he answered with a sneer.
James smiled. He had been concerned the caverns had not yet been built. "When I visited the school my escort was a Quidditch player also. He was quite proud of their pitch and the whole cavern. My friend was something of an amateur geologist." Seeing the look of confusion on the four Purebloods, James explained, "A geologist is a Muggle that studies rocks, mountains and the Earth itself. Victor told me the cavern was a magical expansion of a naturally occurring cave system. He spoke of a tunnel system that had been blocked off to prevent any creatures from entering the cavern. He was upset because he wanted to explore them."
"You think these tunnels exist?" Charlie asked.
"I found a crevasse about a third of the way up the mountain," James replied. "At the bottom was a cave entrance. It led to a network of tunnels. I didn't get to explore it much but I think they could be the tunnels my friend told me about."
"You want us to go crawling around in caves?" Malfoy asked in a disgusted tone.
James gritted his teeth in frustration. Why had the Minister sent this git? "I thought you were a Slytherin, Malfoy. I'd have thought you liked being underground. Now shut up and listen. I will do the exploring. Let's just say I am uniquely suited to it." Thomas and Charlie nodded their agreement.
"You want us to work on the wards and getting into the cavern?" Charlie guessed.
"Right in one," James confirmed. "We also need to get past anything living in those caves. I think the mountain dwarves at least visit them occasionally.
"I might be able to contact some goblin miners," Chaz offered. "They are rogues thrown out of their clans for various offences to goblin law. Their only loyalty is to themselves and whoever is currently paying them but once they accept your money they keep your secrets." He shrugged, "Not out of honor, but because it is good business sense in the long term."
James smiled at his cousin. It was nice to have a cousin who was intelligent, competent and not a fat tub of lard; one he could count on. Dudley may have improved after the Dementor incident but Harry could never have used any of those words to describe his cousin. Technically, Chaz was his father's cousin, but James was more than happy to accept Chaz as family.
"Look into that," James directed. "If nothing else and we have to dig through I am sure they have the tools and experience to do that."
Charlie gestured to a clock on the wall. "Why don't we get some rest? We can review all of our options after a good night's sleep. I want to plan a reconnaissance of the area myself. I trust the map but I want to see the terrain myself." With mutters of agreement, the team agreed to finish their discussions in the morning.
5 December 1943 – Alps
Winter comes early in the German Alps. The tall mountain range had year-round snow on the tallest peaks. By October, snow was already starting to blanket the lower sections of the mountains. Well before December the mountain valleys were filled with snow.
On a mountain peak across the valley from the school was a small outpost in the desolate area. Made entirely of snow, the only charms on the snow hut kept it from being magically located. The only source of warmth within the hut was the occupants' own clothes and the warming charms placed on them.
The hut provided clear visibility of the front of the school including the Apparition point just outside the wards. A Muggle telescope was used to keep watch on the school. Charms on it permitted it to work in low light situations as well as the nonvisible light spectrums. Another charm placed a recording from the telescope into a Penseive vial. The vial could then be taken to be viewed in a Penseive at a later time. Three more unmanned telescopes focused on the school surrounded the school. Their vials had to be collected every couple of days for review back at the farm.
Early on they found out that while noninvited wizards could not find the school, once they were led there, they could in fact see it. They then needed to be guided away from the school after their observation shift was completed. Once they left the memory of where the school was located was magically erased.
"This is such a waste of my time! Sitting here watching for a young idiot too careless to prevent his own kidnapping."
A month of listening to Malfoy's complaints had made the rest of the team almost deaf to the sound of his voice.
Claude never looked up from the telescope. Christina and the large female witch who looked like a troll (James had dubbed her Millicent.) had Apparated out an hour ago. Keeping track of the whereabouts of the Dark Witch was of vital importance.
Malfoy continued his complaints feeling slighted by the French Auror's lack of response. A small sound outside the snow hut was all the warning they received before the Count appeared in the doorway.
"Malfoy, you don't even have you wand in hand," James growled. "If you are going to be a pain in the arse, at least be a competent pain in the arse!" Malfoy started to protest only to stop when he noticed the look in the team leader's eyes. "Go back to the farm, Malfoy. The fence on the goat pen needs to be fixed. Go fix it. Do not use magic! I will check. Now go."
After Malfoy left, James settled into his vacated spot. However he had his wand sitting in his hand whilst facing the door.
Without looking up from his observations, Claude commented in a dry tone, "As a good Frenchman, it displeases me to see my fellow countrymen emigrate to other lands. However, I do not regret the Malfoy family leaving France for England."
"Are you sure?" James asked in a matching tone. "I am more than willing to ship them back to you."
"No, my friend. He and his family are all yours now. My poor France will have enough to deal with once we get the forces of Darkness out of our lands. Too many of my people, magical and Muggle, have been willing to serve the Hun."
James remembered how much of the wizarding world acted after Voldemort's coup toppled the Ministry. Dumbledore's death broke their will to fight and most just wanted to survive.
Aloud James said, "I am sure most did just what they need for they and their families to survive these times. I doubt most truly supported their invaders."
"Perhaps," Claude allowed, "perhaps"
"Alan is growing so fast. Hard to believe he is almost a year old already."
Claude sighed and glanced up for the first time. "Yes, he is."
"Have you given any thought to what you will do after the war?" James asked.
Claude gave a Gaelic shrug. "I will return to France and my wife. I will tell her everything and hope I live for her to forgive me. Veela are very beautiful and also have very, very bad tempers." The French Auror chuckled softly, "Oddly enough, they are even more beautiful in the midst of their tempers. At least, until they turn into birds and start throwing fire."
Remembering Fleur and Gabrielle's tempers, James could only silently agree. James smiled sadly as he remembered an incident at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Ron made a typical Ron comment about the couple's wedding night. Gabrielle overheard and tore into the youngest Weasley male. The fact Hermione and Ginny stood glaring at him from behind her whilst Harry and the Twins laughed made the scene even funnier. Unfortunately, it was the last time all of them would ever all be together. Gabrielle died with her parents returning to France in a Death Eater ambush.
James set that thinking aside and returned to the issue at hand. "What about Maria and Alan?"
"I regret the circumstances that led to Alan but I do not regret the birth of my son." Claude sighed. "However, I do not think my wife will allow him to live in our house. She may understand the circumstances and forgive me, but I do not believe she will do that if she must live with the results of those circumstances in her presence every day." In an afterthought, he added, "Or has Maria living nearby."
ADAD
Several days later, James moved between the snowdrifts in his wolf form. The snow was not too deep at this altitude but the drifts were more than high enough to hide a wolf. James was enjoying the fact his animagus form had its winter coat come in and it not only kept him very warm but it was also very good camouflage in low light against the snow. A storm had come through earlier and now the winds had died down to a bare stirring. A human would find the weather cold, but the wolf found it to be a pleasant evening. The observation hut was not too far away, just over the next rise.
The wolf came around the side of the rise. His wolf's instinct told him walking directly over the rise where he would be silhouetted against the sky was never a good idea. As he came around the rise, the wind brought him a strange scent. It was a human but not one he knew.
His senses on full alert, the wolf moved purposefully towards the source of the scent. Then he caught a whiff of a scent he knew. It was Malfoy. Wolves can't swear too well, but their growling can take on a lot of meanings.
James found them twenty meters outside the snow hut. Malfoy was on his knees with a wand pointed at the back of his head. A pair of wizards in the winter cloaks of the Durmstrang staff stood behind him. The wolf dropped to its belly to crawl closer to the three wizards.
"I will ask you one last time. What are you doing here?"
"I was sent to watch the comings and goings at the school. I think we are going to try to kill the Dark Lord! Please, I don't know any more!" Malfoy babbled in fear of his life.
James tuned out the rest of what Malfoy was saying. It didn't really matter now what he told them. Neither Durmstrang wizard would be leaving this place.
The wizard holding his wand to Malfoy's head was apparently tiring of his babbling for his life. James saw him tighten his grip and alter his stance slightly as he prepared to curse Malfoy. As much as he was tempted, James could not allow that to happen.
The wolf appeared out of nowhere. No growl announced his approach. Following his canine instincts, the wolf attacked the wizard holding Malfoy first. Like the werewolf before, James ripped the wizard's hamstring tearing it to shreds. Before the wizard even hit the ground, James the wolf had his teeth in the throat of the second wizard.
James released the dying wizard and returned his attention to the one he had hamstrung. The wizard had dropped his wand to grasp he injured leg. James transformed and picked up the man's wand.
Malfoy finally realized he was no longer a prisoner. He looked around to find one of his captors dead and the other rolling on the ground in pain. His savior was the hated Count. Then Malfoy noticed the blood around the Count's mouth.
James watched as Malfoy paled at his appearance and then fainted. 'He's as cowardly as his grandson will be,' he laughed in his head. He turned his attention back to the injured wizard. A muttered spell numbed the pain the wizard felt.
"How did you find us?"
The wizard panted for a moment longer as the memory of the pain faded. "What does it matter? You are going to kill me anyway."
James nodded. "Unfortunately that is true. I cannot have you reporting back in and I have no safe place to keep you. I am far from any safe base. However, I can allow you to choose the manner of your passing."
Ten minutes later, James carried the unconscious body of Malfoy into the snow hut. Thomas was on duty watching when the pair entered the room. James was explaining what happened as Malfoy awoke. James had cleaned up so the Pureblood wizard did not faint again.
"What happened? How did they find you?"
"I don't know," Malfoy asserted. "I just went for a bloody walk. They swooped in on brooms?"
"Did you cast any spells out of the hut?" Thomas asked.
"I didn't cast any spells on me!" Then he paused a moment. "I mean it was only a Warming Charm…"
Thomas's face went red. "You stupid prat. You could have cost us this whole mission!"
James interrupted. "Enough, Thomas. I am sure Mr. Malfoy has learnt his lesson." Malfoy nodded sullenly.
Thomas subsided and turned back to the telescope. After five minutes of silence, Thomas asked, "Do you know what this means, Malfoy?"
Malfoy's composure had (unfortunately) returned in the last five minutes. "No, what?" he sneered.
"Since he saved you from your own stupidity, you owe the Count a Life Debt now."
Malfoy froze in shock as his own magic kept him from denying it.
24 February 1944 – At the foot of the Alps
Chaz Potter led the six goblins into an abandoned looking woodcutter's shack deep in the forest. Muggle-repealing charms and Notice-me-not charms helped foster the illusion. They entered to find James wearing his Unspeakable robes waiting for them. A couple goblin-sized bunks and a table were the only other things in the room.
Chaz gestured towards the Count. "Rockjaw of the Stonespliters, may I introduce you to the Count.?"
The led goblin grunted. "I've heard of you, Count. You've left an impressive body count behind you. No doubt how you received your name."
"I do not count the number of people I have been forced to kill." James noticed the goblin's eye light for a moment. "No, I don't use pretty words to cover up what I mean. I have had to kill people who sought to hurt me and mine. But I have never hurt anyone who did not act against me first."
The goblin grunted in approval. "Good. War is good for gold but bad for living. The dead cannot spend their gold." The other goblins in his crew grunted their agreement.
James looked shocked at the goblin's pronouncement. He slept through most of Binn's classes but he was awake enough (thanks mostly to Hermione's elbows) to know that the goblin race saw acquiring wealth to be the ultimate goal. Selling weapons and supplies to both sides in a war was seen as a tried and true means of gathering wealth quickly.
Chaz noted James's surprise. "I mentioned that Rockjaw and his companions fell afoul of goblin law. They refused to sell goblin arms to a Dark Lord in Africa fifteen years ago. The Goblin Elders took this poorly. They were exiled from their tribes. However, they also do excellent work and have been hired by Gringotts on several occasions as consultants."
The goblins gave a harsh laugh at Chaz's explanation. When Rockjaw noticed the two humans looking confused, he said, "My uncle Reithfourl is Goblin Elder. He agrees with me the goblin race must change but not so quickly. He also wants me where he can keep an eye on me. Doesn't want Rockjaw off starting trouble by talking too much. That is why Gringotts keeps hiring us." The other goblins laughed harder.
"Now, what do you want from Stonesplitters?"
James spread a map out on the table. "We need the Stonesplitters to help us breach the wards on Durmstrang. This cave system leads up to a cavern directly under the school. They sealed all the openings between the cavern and the cave system and magically hardened the stone they placed there. They did not however seal the natural rock. The thinnest point is fifty meters. We need you to clear our path into that cavern. Mr. Potter assures me you and your goblins can do this."
"Why do you want to bring your war into a school with human young ones?"
James knew this was an important question to the goblin. Fortunately, he had a simple answer to the question. "We seek to recover a human young one stolen from us. He is my son and I will have him home again.
Rockjaw grunted, "Good answer. We will pierce the wards for you."
James smiled in relief. "Thank you."
12 March 1944 - Ravensburg
It had taken four and a half very frustrating months for Maria to be able to set up a meeting with her librarian sister. Occasional letters passed back and forth but no real information had come from those letters. Simply the fact Tom was alive and still within the walls of the school.
James already knew this. He had spent many nights sleeping in the area of the school. From that distance his scar reacted easily to Tom's emotions. The scar delivered bouts of pain on an almost regular basis. At least three times a day, usually around meal times, his head throbbed. Not nearly as bad as during the bad, old days of Voldemort, but it was disturbingly high to be feeling from his Tom. Tom was keeping his Occlumency shields up preventing James from talking to his son via the link.
'He has to know I am here, why won't he let me in?' James wondered.
The sound of someone approaching ended James's musings. Once again he was to meet Serena Raven in the old library. Maria sat openly at a table whilst James lurked behind the stacks.
The severe looking witch approached the slightly younger witch sitting at the table. "Sister."
Maria smiled easily. "Hello, Serena. It is good to see you again after all these years."
The Durmstrang librarian ignored the greeting. "It is too dangerous for us to be meeting like this. Why did you force me to come?"
Maria looked slightly disappointed. "No greetings after over twelve years, Serena? How did we all end up so different? You only care about books, Christina is a psychopath who only wants to fight, and me with my causes. I wonder how we can even be related sometimes."
The severe witch settled into the chair across from her sister. "You improperly label Christina. She enjoys fighting and wishes to be the best, but she is not a mentally unbalanced. I admit her methods are sometimes overenthusiastic and flamboyant but she seems to only fixate on those she considers superior magical fighters. My hypothesis is it is the challenge and competition she desires, not random violence. Serving the Dark Lord provides her with more than sufficient opportunities to test her skills. Her drive is somewhat like you enjoy the challenge of fighting for seemingly hopeless causes, sister. Although this time I believe you chose the correct position."
Maria smiled at her sister's comments. "I missed you, Serena. I want to show you something." She slid a paper across the table.
Serena picked it up. It was a wizarding photo. "Who is this?"
"Your nephew Alan. He turned one in January."
Serena set the photo back down on the table. "He is healthy?" Maria nodded. "Good. Now why am I here?"
James stepped out from the stacks. "I need information and your assistance."
Serena did not look surprised at the appearance of the cloaked Unspeakable. She recognized his sigil from their previous meeting. "You are supposed to be dead."
James smiled in his hood. "I am sure that upset your sister."
A slight frown crossed the librarian's features. "She sulked for a week. Now what do you want?"
"How is Tom Evans?"
"He is known as Tom Slytherin to the students. He attends the standard classes with the students although he receives special instruction from both the Dark Lord and Christina.
The Count leaned in across the table. "What kind of special instruction is he receiving?"
A small amount of fear crossed Serena's eyes. "Christina is teaching dueling using Dark spells. I don't know what the Dark Lord is teaching?"
"Tom is using Dark magic?" he growled. Serena nodded. "We need to get him out of there quickly."
The Count placed a small bag on the table in front of Serena. She glanced into the bag and saw a number of Muggle marbles. "What should I do with these?"
"Drop one in every room in the school. Then walk away. You don't need to do anything else."
Serena raised an eyebrow. "And no one will notice the school is suddenly filled with Muggle balls?"
"The marbles will dissolve ten seconds after leaving the bag. Put one in every room or open area no matter how large or small it is. I solemnly swear it will not harm the school or students."
The librarian nodded her acceptance. "Very well. Is there anything else?
Maria nodded and slid several pieces of parchment and a quill across the table. "We need you to write out several invitations so we can bypass the main school wards." Serena calmly pulled the parchment to her and quickly made out the invitations.
"I have done all you have asked. I must return to the school soon." She started to get up.
James had opened a light Legilamency probe when the witch first arrived. She had strong natural shields. Any attempt to breach them would have immediately alerted her. James knew he would have succeeded in gaining access to her mind but it would have been a blatant frontal assault. However, the feather light probe was enough to pick up very strong emotions or thoughts.
"What are you scared of me learning?"
Serena dropped back into her seat. Fear was now openly visible on her face.
ADAD
Two hours after dark, James and Maria returned to the farm. James made directly for the team's underground quarters. All conversation in the hidden room stopped as he walked in.
James pointed at his grandfather. "Contact the Ministry. I want Dumbledore yesterday. We are going to finish this and get my son back now."
1944January
6 - Soviet troops advance into Poland
17 - First attack toward Cassino, Italy.
22 - Allies land at Anzio.
27- Leningrad relieved after a 900-day siege.
February
15-18 - Allies bomb the monastery at Monte Cassino.
16 - Germans counter-attack against the Anzio beachhead.
March
4 - Soviet troops begin an offensive on the Belorussian front; First major daylight bombing raid on Berlin by the Allies.
15 - Second Allied attempt to capture Monte Cassino begins.
18 - British drop 3000 tons of bombs during an air raid on Hamburg, Germany.
April
8 - Soviet troops begin an offensive to liberate Crimea.
9 - Soviet troops recapture Sevastopol.
11 - Allies attack the Gustav Line south of Rome.
12 - Germans surrender in the Crimea.
15 - Germans withdraw to the Adolf Hitler Line.
May
25 - Germans retreat from Anzio.
June
5 - Allies enter Rome.
6 - D-Day landings.
9 - Soviet offensive against the Finnish front begins.
10 - Nazis liquidate the town of Oradour-sur-Glane in France.
13 - First German V-1 rocket attack on Britain.
22 - Operation Bagration begins (the Soviet summer offensive).
27- U.S. troops liberate Cherbourg.
July
3 - 'Battle of the Hedgerows' in Normandy; Soviets capture Minsk.
9 - British and Canadian troops capture Caen.
18, 1944 - U.S. troops reach St. Lô.
20 - German assassination attempt on Hitler fails.
24 - Soviet troops liberate first concentration camp at Majdanek.
25-30 - Operation Cobra (U.S. troops break out west of St. Lô).
28 - Soviet troops take Brest-Litovsk. U.S. troops take Coutances.
August
1 - Polish Home Army uprising against Nazis in Warsaw begins; U.S. troops reach Avranches.
4 - Anne Frank and family arrested by the Gestapo in Amsterdam, Holland.
7 - Germans begin a major counter-attack toward Avranches.
15 - Operation Dragoon begins (the Allied invasion of Southern France).
19 - Resistance uprising in Paris.
19/20 - Soviet offensive in the Balkans begins with an attack on Romania.
20 - Allies encircle Germans in the Falaise Pocket.
25 - Liberation of Paris.
29 - Slovak uprising begins.
31 - Soviet troops take Bucharest.
September
1-4 - Verdun, Dieppe, Artois, Rouen, Abbeville, Antwerp and Brussels liberated by Allies.
4 - Finland and the Soviet Union agree to a cease-fire.
13 - U.S. troops reach the Siegfried Line.
17 - Operation Market Garden begins (Allied airborne assault on Holland).
26 - Soviet troops occupy Estonia.
October
2 - Warsaw Uprising ends as the Polish Home Army surrenders to the Germans.
10-29 - Soviet troops capture Riga.
14 - Allies liberate Athens; Rommel commits suicide.
21 - Massive German surrender at Aachen.
30 - Last use of gas chambers at Auschwitz.
November
20 - French troops drive through the 'Beffort Gap' to reach the Rhine.
24 - French capture Strasbourg.
December
4 - Civil War in Greece; Athens placed under martial law.
16-27 - Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes.
17 - Waffen SS murder 81 U.S. POWs at Malmedy.
26 - Patton relieves Bastogne.
27 - Soviet troops besiege Budapest.