When the Portkey stumbled into an empty field, Harry tripped out of the basket, falling on top of the most terrifying wizard of the twentieth century.
Grindelwald gently pushed her onto her side, and she groaned in pain from the journey. He slowly stood up, wiping the dirt off his robes. Harry remaining supine on the floor. This is it, she defeated Voldemort and failed in her journey to the past. If she had to die by Grindelwald's hand, there could be worse ways to go.
She flinched as the wizard leaned over her and placed his hand around her wrist, checking her pulse.
"You're perfectly fine, get up," he ordered.
Harry groaned again and lifted herself up. She stared at him warily. "Was it not sporting to kill me on my back?"
"If I wanted you dead, that wouldn't have bothered me," he replied wryly.
"So, what do you want from me?" Harry asked.
"Hold on," Grindelwald hushed. He quickly scanned the area with his wand. "All clear. Did you get coordinates on our destination?"
"A few kilometers away from Tirana," Harry replied.
"Good. I don't have as many of my men here, but since our Muggles recently reclaimed the territory, we should be able to travel unencumbered." Grindelwald admitted, scanning for any potential resistance fighters. "I'd rather not get into a firefight if I can help it, so I'd like you to answer my questions. Promptly."
"Your Muggles? How deep were you in with the Nazis?" Harry asked horrified.
"I'm asking the questions here. Why did you lead me to the Stone, then try to stop me? You went through quite a bit of effort on both accounts."
"I'm not sure how you found out about that…"
"Your footprints are still visible in the ruins of that house, and I had a little chat with the Gaunts."
Harry's face paled as the blood drained from her cheeks. Harry tried to think of something to say, something that wouldn't get her killed without giving away too much of her knowledge of the future. She hoped Grindelwald wasn't a Legimens.
"I wanted the Stone to belong to someone who could value it," Harry answered. "I needed to keep it away from someone who was going to inherit it naturally and was planning on defiling it."
"And why did you choose me? There are plenty of other wizards looking for the truth the Hallows can bring." Grindelwald asked, his interest visibly increasing.
"Because you are the greatest wizard that ever lived," Harry replied simply.
"You're lying." He observed.
"That's a personal opinion, if you would like me to provide an honest judgement, I'd need some assurance you won't kill me afterwards." Harry quipped.
Grindelwald laughed. "You are a very stupid girl, or reckless. You said this target, Tom I assume, was going to defile the Stone. I can't imagine anyone could be able to defile an ancient artifact."
"Oh, it's possible," Harry replied. "He doesn't know the true power the Stone holds. Thinks the Hallows are a myth. He just sees its value as Slytherin's trinket."
Grindelwald scoffed. "Do you believe in its power?"
"Of course," Harry replied firmly.
"Ah, a truthful answer. You are a believer. Well, Girl, would you like to see the power of the Stone for yourself?"
"I've heard the story. If one uses the Stone, one longs for Death." Harry replied, remembering her own longing to reunite with her family after using it. It had been a comfort when she knew Death was a certainty but would be less comforting with a mission at hand.
Grindelwald eyed the her approvingly. "No family members, friends, loved ones you wish to see again? Famous figures? Anyone?"
"They would only be a shade, and they would only want me to join them," Harry stated.
Grindelwald didn't reply, idly turning the Stone in his hands. Once, twice, but stopped before the third.
"What is your name, Girl?"
"Harry."
"Odd name, even for the English," Grindelwald teased.
"It's short for Harriet. It's a Muggle name." Grindelwald snorted, displeased at her condescension.
"I think I'll wait, there might be a more auspicious occasion for its use," he decided. He looked into Harry's eyes, noticing the fear had disappeared completely when talking about the Stone. She had an aura about her, something he couldn't quite place, a stillness that resonated with the Stone, and even with his wand. This ordinary girl was connected to the Hallows, and he needed to understand how if he was ever going to truly Master them rather than possess them.
"If that's the end to your questions, I'll take my leave," Harry responded hoping Grindelwald would let her go. He did have a war to run after all.
"Did I say you could leave?" Grindelwald asked menacingly. "Where are you going? This is my territory after all, it is only polite I escort you to your destination."
Harry felt the hair on her neck stand at end. "It is a private matter," she replied sourly.
"You are not entitled to secrets anymore, my child. I think you forget yourself." Grindelwald admonished, as if scolding a schoolgirl. He considered torturing her, just to put her in her place, but concluded the girl would lead him to her secrets willingly. He just needed the right leverage. "With my help, you will be out of here before the end of the week, maybe sooner. Without me, you will find yourself dead in a ditch at the mercy of any wandering soldiers who cross your path."
"You're pretending to give me the illusion of choice, I see." Harry frowned. "Very well, I'm looking for the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. I have it on good authority it's in the forests of Albania."
Grindelwald had heard of the story of the diadem from his great-aunt Bathilda. Many had searched for it, none had succeeded. It was considered a myth. Then again, he was holding a myth in his hand.
"So, you seek wisdom? You certainly lack it, perhaps you might benefit from finding it," Grindelwald chuckled.
Harry frowned. "I do not seek the diadem for myself. But that is neither here nor there."
"Do you know the coordinates of this diadem?" Grindelwald asked, his voice laced with amusement. The look of confusion and anger on the girl's face was enough to cause the terrifying Dark Lord to burst into laughter.
"So, let us examine the facts at hand: You decide you are going to find an artifact that has been missing for centuries without knowing exactly where it is, only that it is in the forests of Albania. You booked an illegal Portkey, for what I presume was a tidy sum, into enemy territory during an active insurgency and hoped you could just wander around until you find it?" Grindelwald laughed. "You certainly do need this diadem, even if you are retrieving it for someone else." He paused. "Who are you retrieving it for? It isn't Dumbledore is it?" He asked suspiciously.
Harry frowned. "Do you really think Albus Dumbledore would need it?"
"One can never be too wise, though Albus would have too much hubris to wear it. Though he would look marvelous. Would match it eyes," Grindelwald murmured wistfully.
"It's supposed to be hidden in a hollow, I was going to look for trees in the surrounding forest until I found it," Harry replied stubbornly.
"Well, you shouldn't look here. Around what period was the diadem hidden?" Grindelwald asked.
"Um, around the lifetime of the Founders, a few years before Ravenclaw's death." Harry replied, feeling self-conscious of how little she knew about the time period.
"Tenth century then. Just as I suspected. Well, this area wasn't as significant during the time of the First Bulgarian Empire. I assume the person who stole the diadem was not going to go to Byzantine controlled territory- the Byzantines weren't as friendly to the wizards at the time, so we should focus on the land that was part of the Kutmichevitsa, as the territory was known at the time."
"Do you know the entire history of Albania?" Harry asked in surprise.
"I know a general history of most of my territory, knowing history keeps one from repeating the mistakes of others." Grindelwald replied.
"What about Russia?" Harry asked. Grindelwald scowled.
"That was not my doing. The Muggles have a mind of their own when it comes to tactics." Grindelwald grumbled. "But it is useful, since it distracts from my own battles."
"I thought you were controlling the Muggles, telling them how to fight the war."
"It is more of a symbiotic relationship. We give the Muggles the power to fight the war, allowing us to protect as many magicals as possible. When they have wiped out each other, the wizards will rise, reclaiming our place. Their society will be so devastated, we won't even need the Statute of Secrecy, we can operate once more in the open."
Harry couldn't believe what she was hearing. That was Grindelwald's plan? Somehow, it seemed more streamlined when she had to listen to it in History class. He was certainly given more credit afterwards for the general destruction of cities and people.
"And how do the Hallows fit into your plans?" Harry asked.
"By Mastering Death, we claim complete superiority over all beings, and bring about a Golden Age for magic to prosper." Grindelwald answered triumphantly.
Harry was at a loss as to how to respond to that. She had assumed he was the saner Dark Lord. "Do you have any suggestions as to where to start?" she asked.
"The best choices would involve narrowing down to prominent areas of the time period such as Devol, Ballsh, and Berat. Devol is an option, the magical parts of the city had been hidden by a Fidelius, so it will be a bit of a challenge to find anything there. Ballsh might be an option, but I wouldn't want to draw too much attention visiting the oil fields. Let's start with Berat. It was fairly prominent with the magical community of the Middle Ages, and the Forests of Tomorr seem like the most likely spot. If your thief wanted to hide their treasure, where better than a den of giants?"
Harry let out a groan, "Giants?"