Forward
"Mr Entwistle, would you do me the favour of summarising again what we discussed last week on the subject of offensive magic? Don't be shy, your essay from Friday, as curt as it was, already did a pretty good job on it," Harry said to the quiet student. The latter turned pale at the request and a sardonic grin settled on Whitmoore's features as he sat next to Entwistle.
It was clear to Harry by now why he had so few memories of this boy who had been his classmate in his world. Entwistle hardly ever seemed to say anything. He hadn't made a sound in the whole week Harry had now been at the refuge. It had probably been no different in his world. It made him a little uncomfortable to ask him so directly to do something he didn't like, but a teacher was supposed to do more than just impart information. He should also strengthen the character of his charges where it was necessary.
After a few uncertain, almost panicked glances to the left and right, he began to speak slowly and unsteadily: "We, we, we have talked, talked about the fact, that, that, that for offensive spells, spells those with short formulas should, should be chosen. Therefore, we, we, we should use unspoken spells if, if, if possible.
"And, and, and, and then there must be curt wand movements, movements, because there, there, there is always only a short time, time to concentrate. But that, that, that, that has the, the, the disadvantage that the spells are weaker. And, and, and then we give advantages to an an opponent who, who, who uses dark magic."
"That'll do for now, Mr Entwistle, it should have brought us all back into the right mental spheres after the weekend," Harry interrupted the lad before he could utter any more stuttered remarks. "Mr Whitmoore, now explain to us again the main imperative of a fight."
"The enemy must cease to be able to fulfill the role of an enemy," the latter replied shortly. Harry nodded. It was quite general, of course, but it had given him the opportunity to address peaceful solutions to conflicts as well. For mediocre wizards, it was more or less a game of chance with equal odds as to who would emerge victorious from an altercation. Therefore, it made sense to think about resolving aggression by other means. However, he had spoken at length about de-escalation last week and would not repeat it here.
Harry addressed another of the more quiet students, the skinny blonde seventh year student Seline Procter, and ordered, "Ms. Procter, for the benefit of the class, review the applications of the two offensive spells we talked about last week."
She smiled awkwardly, yet explained fluently, "The first was the spell Expelliarmus, which we are never to use in pronounced form because of its length. It summons the weapon the enemy is holding into your own hand. If the spell is particularly strong, it can also knock the opponent away physically in addition. You have described the curse as more effective in mass combat than the Stupify, as the former permanently disarms the enemy, while the latter risks the mage being roused again by allies.
"A wizard or witch without a wand, on the other hand, is almost defenceless. Another advantage of the disarm spell is apparently that a skilled user can also "disarm" entire spells in themselves, which means to force a collision between two spells, thus deflect both. However, you advised the younger ones not to try this at their current level of proficiency. You also recommended to use the stunning spell only when your own side in the conflict is the vast majority and thus all enemies can be effectively rendered unconscious."
Harry nodded appreciatively and said: "Very true. Stupify is the Protego of the offensive spells. Completely overused and often in the wrong situations. Today I will first present some alternatives to this classic stunning spell and in which areas of application they are useful. Next, I will go through the so called shield-breaker curses.
"Unlike Stupify and Expelliarmus, these spells should still be largely unknown to you. After that, we will continue to practice our shield spells. Our seventh year students can devote themselves to Tego Mensim, as they have already mastered Dhaala, Aegis circularis and Protego to a sufficient degree.
"The younger ones will continue working on their Dhaala. Next week we can then move on to practising some of the offensive curses, which I will all introduce during the course of the week. You will no doubt have noticed by now that I have marked zones on the floor around the perimeter of the room.
"Underneath these are protective wards that prevent an errant spell from hitting your unsuspecting classmates standing outside. Before you ask, they wouldn't hold against stronger, dark or complex spells, but there's no need for those in the practice context. I will still try to acquire dummies in the future so that we can practice more dangerous curses without posing a danger to your fellow students when, say, a shield fails."
His three seventh years in particular looked almost excited about the exercises that were soon to take place. Entwistle had gone even paler and Hermione was eyeing the protection zone to her left with keen interest.
"Now first to our alternatives for stunning spells," Harry continued and with a wave of his wand the three spells written down, Swintilon, Deicio Perpetua and Nihsankalpa, became visible on the blackboard with brief descriptions. "Of these three, Swintilon is of most interest to the less practised. It is only a marginal improvement to the usual Stupify, but it has more advantages than disadvantages. What is different?
"First of all, the disadvantage of this spell: it is less precise and therefore more difficult to direct at a target. And yet it has the advantage of almost always having a physical effect on the cursed, even if the spell is blocked. Especially the adversaries who are not familiar with the spell are usually carried away by the force of the spell and can thus be knocked down. This breaks the concentration of our opponents and gives us the opportunity to follow up with another spell if, for example, the shield is not kept up due to the surprise.
"If the spell hits, it is comparable to the Stupify, but the victims remain befuddled for a much longer time after being awakened, which impairs their further ability on the battlefield. The better the mastery of the spell, the more drastic this effect. The advantage is therefore obvious: the opponent is prevented from further participation in the fight more effectively than an ordinary stunning spell can. The wand movement is quick and simple from the heart to the front," he whipped the wand forward and shouted, "Swintilon!"
A reddish-orange bolt of lightning shot with force against the brickwork, about twenty centimetres from the spot he had been aiming at. Harry had liked the spell ever since he had discovered it in an old German spell book while researching for his own. The world had all but forgotten about the spell, mainly because its users couldn't pass it on.
Those had been the remnants of ancient Germanic druids who had stubbornly refused to accept the new Christian order. They had enthusiastically used Old High German words for their spells, just as Latin was often used for new spells today. In the end, however, they had not been able to resist the changing world and remained little more than a curiosity useful to him alone.
He went on to explain to his students: "If you practise the spell diligently, you will take your opponents by surprise with unexpected effects and, in the best case, deprive them of their balance. However, the spell is still problematic in fights with many opponents. Enervate cancels it out and as long as you have no practice with the spell, the mental weakening of our opponents will only be marginal. So we need something stronger.
"The spell Deicio Perpetua lends itself to this, of course in unspoken form, otherwise it would be too long. This one can not be cancelled by Enervate and also not by any other counterspells that I know of. To resurrect a victim of this spell, either special potions have to be used or about eight hours have to be waited.
"However, as is to be expected given the ritualistic nature of spells, this comes at a cost. This price is twofold: firstly, the movement speed of the spell is about a quarter slower than that of the Stupify, and secondly, the spell is more draining. If you use it ten times, you feel like you've run a marathon. If you use it pronouncedly and with the correct wand movement, it may take twice as long for complete exhaustion to set in, but in a fight this is inefficient and usually inadvisable.
"Nevertheless, the movement must be implemented at least mentally, as with all spells where one renounces those in actual execution. The movement equals about a Greek alpha", with the described movement of his wand he shouted: "Deicio Perpetua!"
A dark violet beam whirred to the same spot he had chosen for the other spell. Harry himself had used this spell very often during his time as an Auror, but mostly only when the number of opponents was manageable. In fights involving masses of people, he used it sparingly.
He explained further: "The spell is also able to break through weaker shield spells with ease. Dhaala should be able to absorb it, Protego only if a very experienced caster uses it and that is usually not likely."
Here he paused and checked if his students already had questions for him. As this didn't seem to be the case - of course he knew Hermione was bound to have some question, but she didn't raise her voice - he continued his instruction, "The last of the spells here is relatively versatile, but it also has distinct disadvantages. For one thing, this spell has to be cast aloud and Nihsankalpa is not exactly short. Further, the cumbersome wand movement is also essential. Why I still consider it very powerful is the fact that it can hit anyone in your field of vision within a certain radius. At the same time.
"It is not a stunner in the sense of a stupify, but when used by a master, it triggers absolute inner and mental emptiness in those hit. They become like empty shells that can neither move nor grasp a clear thought. For those affected, it feels as if they have been stunned. Another disadvantage is that the caster cannot use any other spells while the effect lasts. But this is something you will feel.
"This spell is especially powerful when outnumbered. If you are alone, at least an escape is readily possible. If allies are present, they can ensure that the paralysed ones do not pose a further threat. A high price with a strong effect. To use it, draw a triangle in the air with your wand, looping the tips of each, and then strike the wand forward like a hammer.
"I will demonstrate it to you, but we will wait a moment, as the spell has a habit of making the last few seconds before application a little unclear in your head as well. I'll show you the movement without saying it and then again but as a real spell so you know I'm not fibbing."
As he said, he performed the movement as a dry run. Urquart, in particular, seemed to be very interested in the spell, as he leaned forward with widened eyes when he was otherwise rather impassive as long as it did not involve the practical application of the spells. In fact, the young man reminded him of himself. Harry had been the same way in the past.
"Nihsankalpa!" Harry shouted with the right movement and, like a golden storm, the spell broke loose and enveloped the whole room in front of him. Harry had to laugh involuntarily for a moment when he saw the completely blank faces of his students. Of course, he would rather they were so speechless from his lessons. About half a minute passed before his students began to blink and look around, somewhat distraught.
When he could halfway consider them to be fully present again, Harry explained, "If any of you were to try this spell without having practised it for any length of time, it might cause a few seconds of more severe confusion. Only after many years of training will you be able to produce such a long and powerful effect. But even at your present level of knowledge, the spell can be useful.
"What you should refrain from, however, is using it when your allies are also in your field of vision. Only a master at this spell can make the magic flow selectively, and even then it achieves little more than an earlier disengagement from the effect. The situation for this spell is clear. Either when you have few or no allies and when the groups of enemy and friend are still clearly separated."
Harry found that the class was strangely quiet that day. No one questioned anything or made a move to do so. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign. Either he was so good that questions weren't necessary, or he had intimidated them so much over the last week that no one dared say anything.
The former, however, seemed somewhat unlikely to him, so he asked emphatically: "Do you have any questions? Since this material is quite new to you, it's perfectly fine to ask."
Hermione's hand went up immediately in response, as did Urquart's, though he had yet to speak up in any lesson away from the practical part. He pointed first to the latter, then to the former. Urquart then said: "Isn't Stupify still somehow a good compromise between the inaccurate Swintilon and the slow as well as exhausting Deicio Perpetua? You can use it almost endlessly and it still knocks people out."
"Any spell that can be blocked with a simple Protego is a dangerous strategy in a fight. You are effectively giving away a potential hit with a stronger curse. It would be like using one of those schoolyard spells like a tripping jinx or something like that, instead of something permanent. I readily admit that Stupify is functional in many cases. But optimal?
"Certainly not. I am employed to prepare you for a real fight and it would be negligent to provide you with this only to a good degree when a better one is possible. I have already tried to convey it in my first lesson: We must keep up with dark magic without succumbing to its temptations.
"This requires all of us to work hard on ourselves. Stupify is a simple spell and with acceptable effect. In combat it creates too many imponderables. If you want to use a simple spell that has an existing effect use a silent Expelliarmus. But of course, even this can be blocked with weak shields as well.
"We can take advantage of this by using it strategically. So why not occasionally throw a Deicio Perpetua at the enemy, who then falls in their confidence to block? If you are only concerned with deception, you can of course use the Stupify, but if you do hit, you are on the safer side with Expelliarmus. Ms. Granger, what is your question?"
"If I understand your derivation of spells as small-scale, fast rituals correctly, isn't every spell basically the same in terms of potential? One spell is weaker but faster, the other slower but stronger. But if this logic works like that, shouldn't the imprecision of Swintilon be directly proportional to its greater force and additional effect?
"And that doesn't seem to be the case. As far as I can tell, your spell ended up where you wanted it to. And that means that Swintilon should have a higher base potential than Stupify. And then again the question arises why one spell is stronger than the other and for me that leads back to Arithmancy."
"Firstly, you should not confuse a master in this spell with the ordinary user. The minor course deviation of my Swintilon is due to my experience with the spell. Secondly, you are making a faulty basic assumption. Secondly, you are making a faulty base assumption. At no point did I claim that all spells have the same potential. The question of the strength of a spell is linked to the concepts on which it is based.
"For our stunning spells, the most powerful principle is of course the loss of the conscious self. In addition, there are other concepts that describe it in more detail, such as the intended context of its use. Stupify, however, has never been designed as a combat spell. Therefore, it is easy to block and easy to undo. The spell is an unsophisticated spell for generally putting people into a quiet stupor.
"But it is quick to learn and even quite effective for its misuse. That is why it has spread so quickly. Despite all this, its potential as a combat spell is less than that of those deliberately created for this purpose. Healers also use other, less invasive forms, mostly sleep spells to achieve comparable effect, which were created precisely for that purpose.
"Stupify has all the signs of a universal spell and lacks all the advantages of specialisation. An application in breadth rather than depth, if you will. Thus it is not advisable to use Swintilon to give someone a short-lived, painless coma. You could trigger a traumatic brain injury and only make things worse.
"Also Deicio Perpetua is objectively a stronger spell for fighting. However, even if two spells vaguely follow the same concepts, it is still possible that one spell is clearly superior to the other and that is if the sacrifices are greater. Compare Swintilon and Nihsankalpa.
The latter demands much more from its user and consequently has a more powerful effect. If I were to design a spell like Swintilon, which makes the same sacrifices as Nihsankalpa, it would also be incomparably more powerful. And there are such spells, I just don't consider them particularly useful in combat. I would consider them as much of a misconception as Stupify is, as they generally are too cumbersome and too much of an overkill for their intended use. Inefficient for their intended goal. Do you understand that, Ms Granger?"
She nodded and kept quiet, but still looked vaguely rebellious. He was not surprised that she had lasting problems with his approach. The Hermione of his world had also preferred other theories. Unlike the girl before him, she had at least partially acknowledged that the ritualistic school had its value.
Would he succeed with Ms. Granger here? She was as stubborn as her counterparts. Of course, the unofficial nature and lack of codification regarding the ritualistic understanding of magic was also a problem. Simply believing someone and their logic was not her thing.
With a barely perceptible shake of his head, he continued his lesson, "Now for the next part: the so-called shield-breaker," With another casual flick of his wand, a fourth appeared among the three incantations: Rumpito. " You have all gone through counter curses, and counter spells respectively, in your time at Hogwarts. Who can explain to me why such a counter spell would seem to be odd to be used against the shields we discussed?"
At her hesitant hand signal, Harry gestured to Charlotte Smith that she was free to speak. She mused, "We tend to use counterspells to cancel out static effects, don't we? So if a spell is already cast, it is cancelled by the counterspell. But the shield spell is deliberately kept cast, isn't it?"
"That is correct, you have identified the central problem," Harry said appreciatively. "That is why the research for a disenchantment of our present shields was relatively fruitless. It was, of course, the dream of every wizard who regularly got into fights. Two quickly timed spells, one such shield-breaker and an offensive spell afterwards.
"Incidentally, this is also the reason why constant shields, which only have to be cast once and then last for a while, have almost fallen into oblivion today. With a shield spell that has to be consciously maintained, it is difficult to break it as the name shieldbreaker implies.
"You have to dissolve it, overcome it. For that is what shield breakers amount to: a competition of two wills and spirits against each other. A process. I don't need to explain to you why using it in a fight against several opponents is downright harebrained should you face them alone.
"Shield breakers are only really useful when fighting as a team against others. One weakens the shield, the other lets his attack rain down on the target. The best would be a third who takes over the defence. These are classic Auror methods. The shield-breaker Rumpito is - depending on the user, of course - capable of bringing down even an Aegis circularis if it is used long enough.
"The principle is relatively perfidious, as it forces the user of the shield to continuously put more energy into his construct until he finally has to give up the shield itself in exhaustion. If this is successful, his subsequent shields will also be severely weakened until he collapses from exhaustion. However, the attacker will also be weakened.
"However, since the shield is also weakened by other curses, if they attack in tandem, it is not a zero-sum game. The attacked will end up weaker constituted than the attacker. In a few weeks' time we may be able to conduct a group fight on this standard pattern, for by then everyone should be reasonably competent in defence, in attack and possibly in shield-breaking.
"Nevertheless, you should not let this progress - and I am convinced that you will make it - lure you into a false sense of security. Experience and learned reflexes make all the difference in a fight between mages. That is why it is important to practice and learn constantly. In the next few weeks, we will take a closer look at the four curses presented. For now, I want you to continue your practice with the shield spells.
"The younger ones will go in pairs and practice blocking the stinging hex with their Dhaala. The older ones will take turns casting Confundus spells on each other and try to defeat them with Tego Mensim. I point out to you that at the moment there is no counterspell to Tego Mensim, but it is very possible to develop one in the future. After all, this spell is one of the few Ward-like shield spells that I have just described as largely out of fashion. So don't rely on it too much."
And then began the part of the lesson that he found rather boring, in which the students tried, sometimes more sometimes less clumsily, to improve their skills. He wondered what exactly Riddle was trying to achieve with these lessons. The reason why there was no eighth and ninth grade, which was common in this world, was that most of the students were of age by then and preferred to flee the country to seek further education in the more liberal states like Australia or one of the American countries.
As adults, they were more likely to be accepted there, according to recent experiences of the Fellowship. Not many Muggleborn returned home. Harry assumed that this development was perfectly in line with the regime's wishes. So why did he let the young people train? Was it in the hope of support from abroad? Did he think that at least a few of the more able would support his cause out of gratitude?
As he dispensed help, encouragement and scolding for greater concentration among his students, his thoughts circled around these questions. It only further highlighted this deficit of knowledge that Harry was dragging with himself in this world like a heavy boulder wherever he went. He could not count on help from the people in the refuge. This was true even of the more sceptical ones, like Mrs Tonks or Mr Lupin, who were nevertheless loyal.
What he had picked up from Theresa Rivers was not particularly encouraging either. She seemed to be an ardent supporter of the man. Apart from Asterope and Durl, everyone in this shelter was somehow in Riddle's pocket. That didn't surprise him, of course; it was Riddle's organisation, after all. Even if there wasn't really an alternative, people wouldn't join without trusting him. Harry needed more neutral information. Not just about Riddle. But about the whole world.
He had looked up Grindelwald just before he had gone to bed the night before. He was not sure what to make of his findings. In the books of the refuge, he was regarded as a prudent reformer who had been virtually forced into open rebellion by the established powers. Unlike Riddle, his campaign had rested on the shoulders of half-bloods who were somewhat better off in continental Europe than, say, in Britain.
Well trained, with extensive contacts and aware of their numbers, they managed to overthrow many small German and French states from which they formed the Central-European Magical Republic. The CMR was completely wiped out in a war lasting four years with all its top leadership. Unlike in Harry's world, Grindelwald had also not survived in 1945. Dumbledore had obviously played a big part in that. In that world, clearly, the two had not been lovers in disguise.
And yet the CMR's account struck him as too positive, too embellished. Perhaps it was true, after all, he had strayed into a truly strange world. But the doubt wouldn't leave him and he simply didn't know where to get information. He did, however, have a few ideas on how to solve his problem. Unfortunately, he feared that with these he would come into conflict with Riddle once again. And also with himself.
In his time with the Aurors, Harry had learned a special tracking technique with which it might be possible for him to obtain information. This was not morally unproblematic. Harry had used this method mainly with dealers of forbidden potions so that they would lead him to their storage facilities. By injecting a special potion into the target's bloodstream, he was able to track their whereabouts for about three days with the remaining serum laced with the victim's blood.
If he now decided to throw all concerns overboard, it would be easy for him to enter the home of a target found out in this way, to overpower them and then to interrogate this person with a truth serum. That way he would get unadulterated answers. Still coloured by the world view of his unwilling informant, but still a pool of knowledge with which his current possibilities could not remotely keep up.
Of course, this direction made his stomach ache at the very thought. He could not accuse Riddle of being an amoral opportunist and then act in such a depraved manner himself. And yet it was tempting, for Harry could not see any other realistic possibility for himself. Outside the refuge he was considered a dangerous felon. He had considered stealing books from the pureblood households to possess a corrective from the other side, as both together with their respective distorted viewpoints might reveal more.
But in the end, he didn't know how much that would really help him. He needed information about so many things that he would not find in the official books. What was the true nature of Dumbledore's Order? What was the real state of the political landscape of magical Britain? Was Riddle's optimism that his side would eventually become dominant after a hidden rise even remotely realistic? Was there any clear evidence that Riddle's intentions were not as pure as he made them out to be?
His greatest fear in this regard was that his bias against Riddle was unwarranted and that he was obstructing a seemingly without-alternative entity in the improvement of this world, which basically did not deserve it. His scepticism was still based more on the experiences of his own world than those in this one. And yet Harry's last unpleasant conversation with him had shown that there were shadows on his soul that were greater than those of an innocent.
"What the hell do you need a truth serum for? I can't imagine what you could want with it," Asterope said with a frown.
Harry hadn't expected it to be easy to get hold of such a potion, of course. He didn't trust himself to brew one himself, for they were all complicated and far beyond his capacities. After all, he had no intention of poisoning the targets. So he needed a Potions Master. And unlike Snape, he trusted Asterope not to betray him.
He himself had already begun brewing the tracking potion. It would only have to mature for one more day. Then it was already Saturday and thus his first potential opportunity to pick a target when he joined those patrols Riddle had put him on as punishment. While the last few had been fairly quiet, if he could trust Riddle's info-packet on the subject, he wanted to be prepared. Just in case.
"It might be better for you to claim a fair amount of plausible deniability. I don't have any immediate use for it, but I think I can make good use of it in the near future and I don't know where else to get it," Harry replied cautiously, to which Asterope angrily threw back at him, "Either you tell me why, or you can forget it. I trust you so far, but I've done this with others and been deceived. Just because we are something like friends doesn't mean you have carte blanche with me. We've barely known each other more than a few days."
Harry sighed. He couldn't hope for her to be any less suspicious. He had come to know her a little better in the last few days of what had otherwise been a fairly uneventful week. It was already clear to him that she was one of those people who, once they had formed an opinion, were not really willing to back off from it anymore.
Harry gave her an understanding nod and explained, "If you're sure about that? All right. I need information from other sources. The longer I'm here, the more lost I feel. This messed up society and also this community here, they are still quite alien to me. I need to gain a more neutral point of view.
"And I can only do that with unfiltered information from our enemies. What I have in mind is to take a person very involved in the regime into custody for a short time and, by means of a truth serum, squeeze information out of them - if possible without using much violence - and then wipe their memory of it. I am practised in these things. I can say that without arrogance."
Even if it seemed otherwise to him, it was not so long ago when he had carried out his last mission of this kind. The third of the last before his involuntary leave, perhaps just under three months ago. A cell of Neo Death Eaters, consisting of three people. The intelligence gained here, very tenaciously, had helped them to root out four other groups. Of course, he had been able to use veritaserum there, which greatly simplified the process.
But at this point he had already been dangerously overworked and, if he was honest, mentally no longer completely in full control of his actions. He didn't even want to imagine how hypocritical Riddle would think him if he knew how brutal he had been against his enemies in the end. Of course, he had always acted within the law.
He had, after all, been a servant of the legitimate order and the Death Eaters had proven to him time and again how necessary this harsh treatment of them was. Here in this world, however, it was not so easy for Harry to distinguish between friend and foe.
When he had heard about the assassinations of the so-called Riddle group, the alarm sirens had already been ringing inside him. It had smelled so much like his Death Eaters. A gang of merciless, criminal egomaniacs and murderers who were trying to build an autocracy in the long term to suit themselves.
And those seemingly attacked were civilians. An attack on the part of society that should be kept out of conflicts. In his own opposition to the corrupt Ministry of Magic, he had not used fatal force either. But in the end, Harry couldn't say how the situation would have developed had they not succeeded with their incredibly unbelievably lucky campaign.
To his surprise, Asterope seemed more thoughtful about his intentions than dismissive. Now, of course, there was a difference between planning to gain information independently and at one's own risk and sending others uninformed to their doom. And the latter, Harry understood, had divided Asterope from her grandfather. Nevertheless, he had expected at least a slightly indignant retort.
"Who are you really Harry?" she asked simply. "I've asked myself that question over and over since the business with Durl. Some say you were an Auror. Vaguely, that's consistent with your statements and - by all accounts - talents, but it doesn't make sense. Even the slightly more liberal old colonies only allow Muggle-borns in that capacity as an absolute exception. And nothing about you screams an origin from there.
"Your dialect sounds more like the London countryside. And then there's that strained but strangely familiar relationship with my grandfather. I had also considered a life as a recluse for you. Or as the last member of an isolated coven.
"And yet, intuitively, all of this feels wrong. I trust my intuitions. It's one of the reasons I'm an accomplished brewer. You don't have to trust me with your story. But if you don't, you're suspect. Who knows what you'll do with a truth serum."
"I could tell you. But I don't know how willing you would be to believe it," Harry told her. She just raised her right eyebrow and said, "Let me be the judge of that."
"Okay." replied Harry, exhaling sonorously. "There's no way to gently infer that, so to put it bluntly, I'm not from this world, but from parallel existence, a different magical Britain with different people, different factions and different problems. Even though some things and people here are familiar. It was an experimental spell that is responsible for my journey to your world.
"Neither your grandfather nor I believe it can be reversed. Despite all the problems I and my allies had there, I have come to believe that this reality is actually much worse. At least my side rules there and not this elitist coterie of pure-blooded arrogance. And there I was an Auror. Quite high ranking even for my age. If a little controversial lately."
She blinked and looked at him aghast for a moment. As her gaze sharpened, he began to perceive that her spiritual presence had crept into his mind. For how long he did not know. This was not the crude Legilimency Harry was used to from his thuggish adversaries. Subtle and almost imperceptible.
Harry knew that Tom Riddle was notorious for his. Apparently the talent had been inherited by Asterope. Harry broke eye contact. If she had been any other person, he would probably have activated Tego Mensim at the simultaneously. He didn't like it when that form of magic was practised on him unasked.
Before he could complain, Asterope blurted out: "You're telling the truth. It sounds like a bad joke, but at least you think it's true. You know my grandfather from there and he is familiar enough to you to seek him out for help. Did you know me there too?"
There was some suspicion mixed into her voice at the last sentence. She was probably not someone who wanted to be judged by such sporadic knowledge. Perhaps he also believed himself to be using his presumed knowledge of her to manipulate her. It would suit her.
To clear up this misunderstanding in advance, Harry said, "No. Absolutely not. The Riddle from my world was a malevolent dark lord who only cared about one thing, his immortality. To my knowledge, he lived as an asexual creature. And creature is to be understood literally here, because in the end there was very little human about him. I'm not even sure he could reproduce at all, with all the dark magic he disfigured himself with.
"Also, your grandmother was dead long before even your father could have been conceived. I find it hard to separate Riddle from Voldemort, as he called himself in my world. You look, after all, to the one who slew him. I distrust him because I know what he is potentially capable of.
"Because I have lived it. It is a bitter irony that I now have to live in a world where I have to trust him, of all people. As far as I can tell, he's a different person. But sometimes I think that behind his mildly patronising façade-" here Harry faltered for a moment, trying to find the right words. "-fragments of the monster I've been fighting all my life are lurking."
This time Harry had deliberately averted his gaze so that she could not read it. He would not fuss over her previous attempt, after all, he wanted something from her. But he still wouldn't allow any more unasked-for stripes against his mind. She seemed to dislike his attempts to avoid her gaze and replied, "I see that you have caught on to my habit of reading emotions and have started evading it. You need not fear that I see more than that. When people don't look me in the eye, I gain the feeling that I can't trust them. And that's something you should want right now, if you want my support."
Harry sighed and concentrated on the rudimentary Occlumency he knew. It wouldn't be enough to stop her from her lesser use of Legilimency, but he would recognise when she did go deeper. He had been able to banish Voldemort from his mind at the time, but that had been a special case. Focusing on love and human intimacy wouldn't throw Asterope out of his mind, after all.
People like Harry were simply not made for Occlumency. Despite all the mental discipline he had trained himself over the years, he was still emotional, flighty and digressive. The Snape of his dimension had not lied in saying that those traits hindered an active application of the art. Of course, he had said it in his caustic, unpleasant way, but that didn't make it any less true.
He looked her firmly in the eye and said with a hint of anger in his voice: "You can fish at the surface of my consciousness, but don't dive too deep. I will know. I have had a foreign spirit in my head for almost seventeen years. Forgive me if it burdens me to this day and it enrages me when others attempt an attack."
That too was nothing but the truth. It was the reason he had ultimately created Tego Mensim. To feel safer. He hadn't even realised for the first few years after Voldemort's fall how much the destroyed Horcurx within still weighed on him. Sometimes he had the feeling that he had been influenced by an entity unseen by himself through his entire life. Tom Riddle had accused Harry of resembling him all those years ago in the Chamber of Secrets. What if he had never really been the Harry Potter he could have been had the Horcurx never been cut into his forehead?
For him it was a frightening thought that the essence of Tom Riddle had transformed him into someone else, perhaps even without conscious will. Would he then still unknowingly serve him, at least in a very abstract way? As a sort of mental descendant? And such an evil mind could hardly produce anything good as a result of its influence. The excitement of the last few weeks had distracted him from these thoughts quite effectively.
And for Harry, mental influence was eternally linked to the scar on his head. In whatever form it took, it led him to Voldemort and how much he was responsible for almost everything bad in his life. After all, it was only because of the cursed infestation that Snape had been given the opportunity to torment him with his dreadful childhood. That had left its mark. He hated Legilimency because it was part of this web of nastiness.
"I couldn't have known that," Asterope replied placatingly. "But I have a natural affinity for it and I can hardly control my inclination to use it. It's like looking at the world with both eyes. I could close one, but there would always be a certain falseness to it that I can ignore. You will have to live with it. But I will try to be more restrained again in the future. After all, you didn't notice it before either."
They were silent for a moment until Asterope picked up the thread of conversation again, "You said you had become increasingly controversial in your work as an Auror. Why?"
"The missions became more and more dangerous," Harry elaborated, "We had the problem of many vaguely connected terrorist cells, all acting on their own, and covering my homeland with attacks. They killed many innocent people who just wanted to go about their ordinary lives.
"Our response to these crimes became equally brutal. The public, as always, was not sure what to make of it. For some, it was a decisive action without any alternative; for others, it was a betrayal of noble principles that a legitimate state must uphold.
"From the second faction, I came under heavy fire. Not only was I one of the most familiar faces of the Aurors, but I was also very outspoken in favour of this course of action. So I was seen as the spearhead of a movement that wanted to develop the Aurors in a militaristic direction. Complete nonsense, of course. We had little choice in our methods if we didn't want to leave the country to these bastards."
Here Harry sighed again and said, shaking his head, "Naturally, the accusations were still not completely spurious. There were situations where we could have saved the lives of our enemies and then imprisoned them. But many of us were already working at the limit and our judgement was perhaps no longer the most reflective. Quick decisions, not taking risks.
"I have regretted it at times. But as much as it pains me because I actually want to believe in the good within people, we probably averted more harm from society with our killings. And that's why I need information. I can't shake the thought of suddenly being on the other side. Of soon being one of those who spread chaos and terror among the population. I need to understand, really understand who my enemies are."
At her vaguely alarmed expression, he informed her, "Don't worry, I'm sure your side is still better than the regime's. But my understanding of this world is incomplete to an extent that I can't actually afford to interfere with anything. But I have this complex of wanting to help people when it is in my power. So I can't just stay out of it."
He felt so frustrated. The feeling of being Riddle's puppet, or worse, becoming his weapon, made him shudder inside. If Asterope didn't give him what he needed, he would have to try to get a truth serum while in disguise. And he wasn't sure if one of the more effective ones was even allowed to be offered, as restrictive as this government was. Not that he disagreed in principle, after all, they were illegal and unsellable for the most part in the civilian sector in his world too. But in this world, it was just another annoying obstacle for him.
"I can understand that," she finally replied with a smile. "I will provide you with a truth serum - but only if I supervise its use. You may be as experienced as you claim but I have already seen from afar how sloppy some aurors are with such precious potions. Besides, that way I know you won't use it for more problematic purposes and I wouldn't mind a little more information either."
Harry screwed up his face as he actually preferred solo missions, especially when the alternative was to take a person less versed in battle magic into enemy territory. But he had little choice, it seemed, and nodded to her. With keen interest, he asked, "What truth serums do you possess? It is probably too much to hope that you possess Veritaserum?"
"No, I have only brewed it once under the instruction of my master and that was a long time ago. Besides, certain ingredients are hard to come by because the ministry strictly controls them and has a virtual monopoly on them," she complained. "Also, a small vial takes a whole lunar cycle of attention. I never had a reason to brew it for myself. Too much effort for something I don't really need or can sell without complications. If my grandfather and his henchmen need truth serum, he'll certainly get it from Mr. Snape.
"But to put your mind at rest, I've done a little experimenting with them myself. My main area of research, as you know, is the substitution of high-energy and expensive resources with less demanding ones. I tinkered with an Elixir of the False Friend a few years ago that, with a bit of your skin, might actually work better than other potions. They'd think you were the most trustworthy person in the world. I don't see why they should lie under the influence of that. The way I designed it, it should be significantly more potent than the original version."
"And what are the side effects?" Harry wanted to know, as he was only too well aware that it was not without problems to replace ingredients with others. Even a change in quantities or mere preparation could lead to explosions, after all.
She looked a little embarrassed at his question and uncharacteristically avoided his gaze. She explained, "Subjects turn a deep margenta for a few days? And have headaches and diarrhea for a few weeks after application? At least that's how they should behave. My test subjects have shown these effects."
"And who were these test subjects?"
Here she even blushed and kept her gaze stubbornly fixed on her knees as she said, "Well, the people I pay to try my potions."
Harry was sure she was hiding something. Actually, it sounded quite promising. True, the fact that she was paying her fellow humans to play guinea pigs was a little disturbing, but he had seen worse. Her reaction, however, suggested that something was wrong, so he asked, "You wouldn't be so embarrassed if everything was fine. What's wrong with the potion?"
She bit her lip, looked up at him and announced unhappily: "The tests were not very diverse. I only tried it on two men of about the same age. Sometimes with potions, gender and age have an influence on the effect. For example, there are those that only work for women, have different effects on both sexes, or do nothing at all after a certain age. I am 90% sure that there will be no problems.
"This remaining 10% risk of deviation is due to a few ingredients I have used that sometimes show such demographic effects. Especially the Winter Spikes. But the aberrations here tend to be that men are not affected and since this effect is already confirmed, I am confident."
Harry had no idea what Winter Spikes were. He couldn't remember ever having used them in Potions class. But he nodded at her in affirmation and let their conversation slide into less awkward spheres from that point on. In the back of his mind, however, he continued to think about his plan. If he took Asterope with him, it would lead to adjustments.
At the very least, she would have to become disillusioned and he didn't trust spells that could be lifted so easily. But he did not possess a cloak of invisibility in this world, unfortunately. It would have to suffice. That also applied to the use of a hopefully harmless potion that wasn't even really a classical truth serum. But again, he couldn't be picky. That was probably the new constant in his life in this world. He had to take what he got and use it to the best of his ability.