Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Star Wars movies, books or games. They belong to Disney or their various copyright owners. I don't own any of the Harry Potter books, movies or games,they belongs to their respective copyright owners. This story is not meant for sale nor rent. I make no money from it.

=TSA=

Interlude: Falling shadows

=TSA=

ICW HQ

Early 1986

Geneva

Insistent knocking took Albus out of his thoughts. He had been thinking and writing down ideas for a few hours now, after he watched Helga's memories. What he saw was concerning to say the least. The first thing he did after watching the memory for the first time was to sent Fawkes with letters to gather some of the old crowd at Hogwarts tomorrow morning, because Dumbledore doubted he would manage to get away earlier than that. They would have some preparations to make, not to mention people to investigate and potentially watch.

The knocking repeated, striking harder and faster this time.

"Enter!" Albus said aloud and put aside his quill.

To his immense displeasure, the familiar form of Duc Albertini strode in his office, though at least the man looked much less eager now than he did when they first learned about the new Dark Lord.

"Dumbledore, we need to talk." The old Italian Wizard made his way to the visitor chairs in front of the desk and sat down without waiting for invitation. "You've seen a memory of that mess in Bulgaria, I believe?" Jonas' eyes flickered to the Pensieve laying innocently on the right side of the desk.

"Duc Albertini." Albus greeted in a cool tone. "What do you want?" With that man, his arrival was never a mere social visit, which wasn't exactly a bad thing. Being considered one of his friends was generally damning, at least in Dumbledore's eyes.

"The Dark Lord Baras made his second appearance after your Investigator left." Jonas said.

That Albus didn't know. He narrowed his eyes at the Duc. He wasn't know for offering anything off the goodness of his heart… Even the charity he was known for, especially in the Muggle world, was little more than a legal tax evasion scheme.

"A Dark Lord you're no longer eager to be acquainted with?" Dumbledore peered at his guest over his glasses. "A tragic turn of events." He added in a dry voice.

"That man and his agents will have more or less complete control of the Bulgarian Ministry by the end of the week. My contacts assured me that Minister Kniajev is about to run, if he hasn't already. With Gorski and his allies dead or scattered, there is no one left who would dare oppose the changing of the guard."

"I'm aware of that. Our people would no longer be welcome in Bulgaria, especially if their agenda even hints at looking at Baras' or Veil's affairs." Albus admitted. That was less than ideal. For most practical intents and purposes, it put a stop to any officially sanctioned operations on the Balkans, the area those two were currently interested in.

"Baras and Veil implied that the duel was a graduation test, so the boy could come into his own." Albertini said. "I believe it might have been planned as one from the very start."

Albus frowned at that suggestion. "You think they knew what Gorski dabbled into and took advantage of it?" That would be most concerning – both being aware of something like that and not stopping it cold, and being either arrogant, or worse, secure in their power enough, to risk the duel going through anyway.

"That's the logical conclusion." The Duc scoffed, implying it was beyond obvious. "Those two are going to be a menace, I can feel it."

Dumbledore suppressed a snort at that. Not so long ago, Albertini was very happy at the prospect of a new powerful Dark Lord rising. Unfortunately, he wasn't likely to be wrong.

"You're here for a reason, Jonas. Spell it out."

"We have to contain the Dark Lord while we still can. Or do you believe we should let things slide down until we have another Grindelwald on our hands?"

Well, if it was another Voldemort, Albertini would have been thrilled and doing everything he could to oppose a firm action being taken… Again, he wasn't exactly wrong – Dark Lords were best dealt with when they were just beginning their raise to power. Doing so was by no means easy, it was simply cheaper that way.

Of course, making the ICW take action was going to be hard at the best of times. While for the time being Dubmledore's and Albertini's agendas did align, there were a lot of other people who would actually be thrilled at the prospect of a second Grindelwald, or at least a worthy successor – both across Europe as a whole, within various governments, and even the ICW itself.

The end of Grindelwald's war had a lot of common with the aftermath of Voldemort's fall – both were vanquished, one seemingly destroyed, the other imprisoned for decades now. Yet, there was no clear, complete victories. When the dust settled, their organizations were still powerful, still able to fight to the bitter end and thus wreak even more destruction. That was especially true when many of Gellert's followers were concerned – they simply couldn't surrender without certain assurances and concessions, to do so would have meant fate worse than death for too many of them.

In the end, while Albus had been all too glad to deal with the worst offenders among his old friend's army, he wasn't about to crush people who only fought under his banner because Grindelwald was the only one willing and able to give them the better lives and respect they deserved. When he stepped away from the battlefield with the war unresolved, well the ICW in general and everyone else fighting under their banner against Gellert's people had to make concessions.

"That would be for the best, yes." Albus finally allowed.

The last thing his country needed was another war, especially with all the strife going on because the last one ended unresolved. With Dimitri Veil being a British Wizard and the Dark Lord's Apprentice, it was more than likely that sooner or later his eyes would fall back on his home, and Magical Britain was in no state to deal with another Dark Lord so soon. At best, they had to stop Baras now. At the minimum, they had to contain him and buy time to recover and prepare to face him at a more even footing.

Ideally, they could convince the ICW Assembly to take action and neutralize the threat now, however Albus wasn't holding his breath on that one. Nevertheless, he was going to do his best to ensure such an outcome. Unfortunately, the one thing he could not risk was face against Baras himself, especially if he had to do it in a duel – he was no longer a young man, he could not risk the Elder Wand falling in the hands of another Dark Lord. That sentiment rang especially true now, when he had no idea of how powerful and knowledgeable Baras was. His performance against the Bulgarian Aurors was concerning, Veil's fight against that possessed madman even more so.

=TSA=

Minister's office

French Ministry of Magic

Paris

It was early in the morning and Minister Jaques Levalier already enjoyed his first drink of the day – a glass of strong wine. The way things were going, his new job was going to make him an alcoholic if he endured at the post for long enough. The middle aged man took a sip, enjoying the wine's rich taste and sighed. He just suffered through a meeting with his Directors of Law Enforcement and Foreign Affairs, concerning the newest crisis, which raised its ugly head. The rumours about a new Dark Lord rising in Europe were apparently anything but.

And that latest insanity on the Balkans, because of course it had to happen there, Jaques rolled his eyes at that, was simply too much. Who in their right mind dealt with ancient spirits, or worse, entities which once upon a time claimed to be gods and were worshipped as such? Didn't people learn that doing so almost always ended up in tears?!

The Minister took another sip of his wine while waiting for his next visitor. What he was about to request from his friend, could put them both into danger, and worse, squarely within the Dark Lord's awareness. Still, they needed more information, not merely rumours and what could very well be a precisely orchestrated disinformation campaign conducted by the Dark Lord in question.

"Monseigneur Delacour for you, Minister!" Elisa's sing-song voice came from outside.

"Let him in." Levalier told his secretary – a really charming creature in all regards. She was damn useful in her post and very easy on the eyes too!

Alexander entered wearing impeccable black costume like always – Jaques never understood why his friend preferred that dull colour! "Alex!" The Minister got up to greet his visitor. "Good to see you! How's the family?" He asked after they shook hands.

"Fleur is a handful and Appoline is very pregnant and even more irate at my expense." Delacour answered with a proud smile.

"What did you do this time?"

"I got her pregnant, so obviously everything's my fault." Alexander chuckled. "Jaques, I'm sure you didn't just call me so we can catch up and speak about our families. I've been hearing things..."

"The Bulgarian situation." Saying that aloud, wiped out Levalier's friendly smile off his face. "It's confirmed, we've got a new Dark Lord on our hands. That's why I called you." Levalier took a fortifying drink from his wine. "We need more information about that man. What we do know for sure is that his Apprentice, one Dimitri Veil has aided the Veelas in Bulgaria on multiple occasions now. In fact, as far as we know, the whole mess there began when he offered his services to one of their sanctuaries…" Jaques trailed off.

Alexander looked torn for a moment. "You want me to make inquiries through my wife and her relatives. I'll have to go speak with my mother in law..." He didn't look too torn at that, "and her husband." Now he did grimace.

"He has been behaving himself ever since the war ended." Levalier pointed out.

"No one has been able to catch him in the act you mean? We both know that men like these, they don't really retire for good."

"That's arguable, Alex, and something we aren't likely to agree on. My request still stands."

"You want me to sound off the bastard as well, don't you? To see if he won't decide to get back up to his old tricks?"

"He and his friends are going to be interested in the events unfolding in Bulgaria. The new Dark Lord sounds like someone cut from the same cloth as Grindelwald." Levalier grimaced. Someone like that could set the whole continent aflame if they weren't careful. Their very existence as a rallying point could ensure it, no matter what their agenda was.

"I will speak with my wife, give a call to my mother in law as well. I can promise nothing."

"What about the General?"

"And you were just telling me he was retired..." Alexander grumbled.

"He is and I hope he will remain retired."

"Keep telling yourself that, my friend. Whatever lets you sleep easier at night."

=TSA=

Interlude: On butterfly wings

=TSA=

Early 1986

House Davis residence

UK

The old manor house brought back bittersweet memories. Charles Davis didn't really believe he would see the place again, perhaps only after his father died, the old bastard, though he didn't hold his breath. He could almost hear the laughter of his sister ringing through the halls and the stern, exasperated voice of their late mother chastising them.

On the face of it, the place hadn't really changed during his long years of banishment, and even if it did, it had been subtle enough that he didn't really notice on the way to his father's study.

At least Tracey was happy, her head snapped every which way looking at everything with innocent wide-eyed curiosity. Amelia on the other hand simply walked beside him, with an expression of polite indifference firmly fixed upon her face. She was looking forward this meeting even less than he was – it was no secret that she was the reason he was banished in the first place. Marrying for love, turning his back on the family obligations because of it, at the height of Voldemort's rise no less… Well, if he was to be fair to himself, Charles would have likely fled to keep Amelia safe and damn the family legacy, no matter if he was banished or not. Still, his father's words and rage still cut deeply even eight years later.

It wasn't all bad. For example, Mindy, the House Elf who raised him alongside his mother was happy as a pie, bouncing around and crying tears of joy because of his return, no matter how temporarily it would be.

Soon they reached the study and the Elf ushered them in, before bowing with a grin on her teary face and popped away.

"Charles." He heard his father's voice coming from the depths of the dark room. It was tired and weak, a far cry from the titanic rage Charles remembered from their last meeting.

There were only a few candles flickering over the desk. It was covered with parchment and a few thick, leather-bound tomes. Reginald sat behind it, hunched, wearing a hooded robe that left only his chin exposed. He looked much smaller and frailer than Charles remembered.

"It's good to see you're all right, my boy." Those words took Charles aback, especially their tone – it sounded genuine of all things!

"Father." He uttered, while struggling with sheer shock.

"I didn't invite the three of you here to berate any of you, you know." A hint of mischief emerged in the old Wizard's tone. "Thought it was a close call." The old Wizard's visage grew serious. "How much do you know about recent events in Europe?"

The sudden change of topic, combined with his father's uncharacteristic behaviour kept Charles off balance.

"Rumours mostly." He admitted.

There weren't many places across the pond where the papers or even the rumour mill kept a close eye on Europe, or any place that wasn't in the Americas. After the wars, MACUSA in general was determined to keep to itself, deal with its internal issues, and there were a lot of those, and generally ignore the world at large. That wasn't merely a governmental policy, it was how the locals acted as well – after all many had gone there to cut ties with their pasts, homes and families and often preferred to ignore that the world beyond their immediate vicinity existed.

At least that was Charles' experience in the magical quarters of Virginia.

"Well, its a good news, bad news situation." His father began to explain, after giving him a brief disapproving look that made him feel like a young boy again. "There's a new Dark Lord on the rise," Well, that was his father at his best – dropping news without a regard how they might hit anyone listening, "who by all accounts is nothing like Voldemort."

At that declaration, Charles was very glad that he left his family into the company of the House Elves so they could show them around and decided to meet his father alone, at least at first.

"I'm beginning to think that coming here was a mistake after all." Charles frowned.

"I didn't bring you to walk you into a trap." His father made a dismissive gesture. "As I said, this one is different. He's walking in Grindelwald's steps from what anyone could gather." The old Wizard chuckled. "You haven't forgotten your history lessons, gave you, boy?"

Well, now Charles could clearly remember why he hadn't been particularly sorry to leave his home behind, despite the price in magic he had to pay for turning his back on the family. His father was kind of an arsehole on the best of days.

"Wizarding supremacy, didn't give a damn what blood ran in anyone's veins, was ready to give all kinds of magical creatures more or less equal rights in the new world he wanted to build…" Charles listed out the major points… "Nor did he have any issue with half-bloods and muggleborn..." Which, if true, would be a major point considering that he did marry a muggleborn witch in a breach of what the House wanted and arguably needed.

"You see." The old bastard smiled proudly. "I'll freely admit that if it wasn't for this kind of development, I wouldn't have looked for you anytime soon if at all. And if it was a different kind of Dark Lord..." His father shrugged.

Yes, they both knew that if it came to choosing between what was best for his son and granddaughter and the House, the bastard would choose the later every fucking time. In that regard, the old man was a very good Head of House, though as a father he left a lot to be desired.

"What is that you want?"

"Your brother is now discredited as a viable heir. He would steer our House in a direction it might not survive."

Vincent was a good little blood purist, though at least Charles couldn't really blame his family about that – Vince managed it all himself after falling in with Lucius' crowd at Hogwarts. It was rumoured that he had become a good little Death Eater, though there was no proof of that.

"The new Dark Lord isn't found of blood purists?"

"Lord Baras and his Apprentice, one Dimitri Veil, the last scion of the Noble House of Veil, became publicly known after helping Veelas against elements high up in the former Bulgarian government. They engineered a change of leadership in that Ministry. The policies being implemented under their influence are telling – all kinds of Magical creatures are receiving full legal rights, citizenship, the works. The same goes for muggleborn and half-bloods – what was true on paper is now becoming true in fact as well."

"I have trouble believing they're doing this of the goodness of their hearts." Charles scoffed. In his experience, when something was too good to be true, it usually was. Like this invitation by his father.

"Of course not!" The old man chuckled. "The common belief is that they're using this as a rally point and advertising campaign to draw more werewolves and other dark creatures under their banner by giving them what most of them had always wanted. And this brings us to you, my son."

Charles gave his father a deadpan look.

"The times are changing. I don't see that pureblood nonsense being particularly successful, especially once the Dark Lord Apprentice turns his eyes to our shores."

Oh, yes. That Veil chap was British, so it would be no surprise if he would want a power base back home as well. Of course, when the pureblood agenda was on the rise backed up by a Dark Lord, his father sang a very different song…

"So suddenly I'm no longer the black sheep of the family, and my choice if wife became a bonus instead of a noose tied around my neck." Charles concluded.

"I've always knew you were a smart lad, Charles. I'm ready to welcome you home, your wife and daughter as well. You're to take your rightful place as the heir and chart our house a prosperous course in the years and decades to come!"

Charles noted that his father didn't ask, nor suggest but said it as if it was a fact. Why he found himself surprised, he would never know. Of course the old bastard hadn't really changed. On the other hand, being welcomed back in the family, by its magic as well, having its resources at his disposal… those were enticing possibilities. With the House at his disposal, he could offer his wife and daughter a much better future than a mere survival in America.

He snorted at that thought. Running away sounded so easy, simple and sane back then – to get away from the madness engulfing Britain. Neither of them really paused to think about the details, like how would they find a home, work, if things would turn out for the better in the long run. When all was said and done, they were lucky – a combination of some disposable assets, being very good with a wand and well, luck at landing at one of the more open MACUSA states helped tremendously. Still, neither of them found themselves with the opportunities they would have had back home before the Dark Lord began winning his war. Irony of ironies, at the place they ended up, no one discriminated against his wife and daughter because they were a muggleborn and half-blood. Charles himself on the other hand? People often mistrusted and hated him because he was a scion of one of the old European families, and by association he tainted his family as well. It wasn't long before he figured out that the MACUSA wasn't free from discrimination, it just took different forms… or it was exactly the same as back home depending on the state.

There were stories about muggleborn, sometimes whole families, being lured at the wrong place and vanishing without a trace. The same was true for pureblood Wizards and Witches – there were locations they best not approach.

"Lets talk details, father." Charles stared down the old man, who simply smiled at him with approval.