A/N: Wow, it's been a long time. I'd nearly forgotten about where I was
trying to take this story, and I'm afraid that it may have been so long
that the characters may seem a little out of place... I'm just trying to
get settled back into the story. Review, please!
Guttenberg watched from a distance as Albus and Minerva showed Emma, Rupert and Daniel to the two hotel rooms they would be using. They had arranged for a normal military flight to take them back to England the next day. Once the two adults had retired back to the caverns, Guttenberg took action. He snuck into Hermione's room, careful not to wake the boys in the other and used the Petrificus Totalus hex on her. He had a slight bit of trouble getting the girl, who had been sleeping curled into a ball, through the window, and ended up knocking something off the dresser. It hit the floor and broke.
Harry opened his eyes slowly. Something had woken him, but he didn't know what. Then he heard sounds at the window. He went to it, his socks muffling the sound of his feet on the floorboards. He looked outside and saw a short, fat man carrying Hermione. He instantly opened the window and pointed his wand, but before he could decide what to cast, Guttenberg had disappeared, Hermione in his arms.
"Ron! Ron! Wake up!" Harry shouted as he quickly dressed.
"Huh? I'm trying to get some bloody sleep here!" Ron shouted, pulling his covers up over his head.
"Ron, get out of bed, Hermione's been kidnapped!" Harry yelled, pulling a side of Ron's mattress up to tip him out.
"Kidnapped? By who?" he asked, sleepily rubbing his eyes from his seated position on the floor.
"I don't know, but I bet I know who is behind it. C'mon, we have to go to Dumbledore."
"Right, mate. I'll just be a minute," he said, pulling his shirt on.
Eventually, Harry dragged Ron out of the room and down into the caverns. "Dumbledore, we've had trouble. Her- Emma's been kidnapped," Harry said, nearly slipping.
Albus' blue eyes narrowed slightly at the information. "Did you see who it was?"
"A short, fat man. He petrified her, then carried her off," Harry said, in a nearly defeated tone. He almost blamed himself for not being more careful with her.
"What do you think, Minerva?" he asked. A familiar tabby cat purred under the palm of the wizard's hand. "Probably Guttenberg. Grindelwald is setting his trap. He must know something about you that makes him want you to come to him, either to destroy you or to have you join him. You did the right thing by coming here. Now, I must go face him head on."
"I'm going with you," Harry said. "I couldn't let you go by yourself to help save someone who should have been under my protection."
"Your protection? Please, explain," Albus said, his eyes turning a greyish- blue shade.
Harry sighed. "She is not of pure blood. I told her that she'd be safe, no matter what. I should have kept her closer."
"I sense something stronger than friendship at work here," Albus whispered, his eyes starting to twinkle again.
Harry opened his mouth, changed his mind, and shut it, before opening it again. Ron smiled, "You look like a bloody fish, would you make up your mind?"
"I'm going with you," Harry said again. "Apparating into Berlin?"
"Yes. Glad to have your company, but I'm afraid I'll have to face Grindelwald alone."
"Then when it comes to that point, we'll do what we must. I have to go."
"Very well. We leave in an hour. If you could possibly wait in the conference room? I have something I must discuss with Minerva."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Harry replied. He and Ron both walked out to the conference room where they "met" Albus and Minerva.
Minerva took her human form. "You still want to face him alone?"
"I have to, Minerva."
"This Daniel wants to help. I sense that he has a lot of power and potential. You also have me. Why must you do this alone?"
"Daniel is coming along, but he is going to save this girl. When it comes down to it, he will find her and help her, not fight Grindelwald. I cannot count on him to help me, not if it comes down to saving her or fighting him."
"How can you be so certain?" Minerva asked, looking at him.
"It's what I would do," he said softly, taking her hands in his. "As for you, I simply cannot allow you to go to Berlin with me."
"Why not, Albus?"
"We've had this conversation too many times. I've told you that I don't want to see you get hurt, but I suppose I should tell you the real reason. If for some unknown reason, you were injured, or worse, and I came out of the battle better off than you, I should never forgive myself. Just like Daniel blames himself for Emma's kidnapping, I would blame myself for any ill fortune that would befall you because I did not keep you away. You must stay back, for me. Be here so that I can pull strength from the knowledge that you are waiting for me, safe and sound. Be here to lead the others in battle against the Nazis."
"I love you, Albus," she said softly, tears forming in her eyes. "You'd better come back to me, if you won't let me come with you."
"Minerva..." Albus sighed. He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you, and I swear to you that this will not be the last time I say it to you."
They kissed once more to seal his vow before they walked out to Daniel and Rupert. "So, Daniel, are you ready?" the older wizard asked.
"I think so, sir," Harry replied, gripping his wand in his pocket.
"Then we are off to Berlin," Albus said firmly. He nodded to Minerva gravely, before smiling and winking with one sparkling blue eye. Minerva choked back some tears before lifting her head proudly and smiling back. Ron took his place beside McGonagall. They watched as Albus and Harry disappeared.
The two wizards looked around at the area where they had apparated. Before they could even try to figure out where to go, Guttenberg appeared. He was shuffling along, running some pointless errand to keep him out of his master's hair. Retrieving Hermione was the first thing he had done right since his servitude began.
Harry shouted as he pointed his wand, causing the man's feet to become unbearably heavy. He ran over to his captive. "Where is she?" he asked.
"Who?" Guttenberg asked.
"You know who, you sniveling little toad," Harry growled, the glint in his eye becoming murderous.
"Oh, you must be talking about the girl. She makes a lovely addition to Grindelwald's trophies," Guttenberg smiled, his partially rotten teeth showing from behind his thin lips.
Harry's hand flew up, but was caught by Dumbledore before he could backhand the man. "Where is your master?" Albus asked calmly.
"It is no matter of yours unless you are looking to be broken and destroyed."
"I'll ask you again before I conjure up a few nice big bugs for you to play with. That was your fear back in school, am I remembering correctly, Johann?" Albus asked. Guttenberg had been a Slytherin while Albus was teaching Transfiguration, before he had become the DADA professor.
"You wouldn't," Guttenberg replied. Albus' wand twirled and a roach from the side of one of the buildings grew to become as large as a Volkswagen Beetle. The insect looked hungrily at Guttenberg. "Don't let it eat me! Please! I'll tell you... he's in the bunker over there. He's got underground caverns."
"Take us to him," Harry ordered.
"OK, just please, make the roach disappear." Albus shrunk the roach and gave Guttenberg the use of his legs. He waddled over to one of the bunkers, and tapped on a series of bricks. A tunnel opened underneath the wall and Harry and Albus followed it. As the tunnel leveled out, it widened into a large cavern. Grindelwald was standing with his back to the duo, over a body lying limply on the floor.
Harry's eyes went wide as he realized who was at Grindelwald's feet. His fists clenched, one around his wand, and he clenched his teeth. Before he could do anything, a patient hand was lain upon his shoulder. Dumbledore stepped forward.
"Ah, Dumbledore, I was wondering when you'd arrive," Grindelwald said, without turning.
"Grindelwald, you must end this madness or I will end it for you," Albus said calmly. His eyes, however, turned a cold gray.
Here Grindelwald turned toward the duo. "And who are you? Oh, you must be the boy... yes... your friend told me about you."
"What?" Harry asked. Then he realized that Malfoy had to have been behind this, getting Hermione kidnapped. "What have you done to her?"
"We just had a little bit of fun, well, I had fun anyway. She is a very proud young woman. Tried so hard not to scream or cry," Grindelwald replied.
Harry went pale and his legs turned to rubber. "Oh, Merlin..."
"Grindelwald, your fight is not with either of these two. I have come to relieve you of your dictatorship. Face me, and fight," Albus said, raising his wand.
Grindelwald raised his wand, but used it to levitate Hermione before tossing her against a wall, out of the way. She hit the wall and fell to the floor with a thud.
"Stop!" Harry heard himself scream. He ran to Hermione and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her and crouched behind an outcrop of rock to attempt to tend to her while Dumbledore fought the evil wizard.
Now, Grindelwald and Dumbledore faced off, wands at the ready.
Guttenberg watched from a distance as Albus and Minerva showed Emma, Rupert and Daniel to the two hotel rooms they would be using. They had arranged for a normal military flight to take them back to England the next day. Once the two adults had retired back to the caverns, Guttenberg took action. He snuck into Hermione's room, careful not to wake the boys in the other and used the Petrificus Totalus hex on her. He had a slight bit of trouble getting the girl, who had been sleeping curled into a ball, through the window, and ended up knocking something off the dresser. It hit the floor and broke.
Harry opened his eyes slowly. Something had woken him, but he didn't know what. Then he heard sounds at the window. He went to it, his socks muffling the sound of his feet on the floorboards. He looked outside and saw a short, fat man carrying Hermione. He instantly opened the window and pointed his wand, but before he could decide what to cast, Guttenberg had disappeared, Hermione in his arms.
"Ron! Ron! Wake up!" Harry shouted as he quickly dressed.
"Huh? I'm trying to get some bloody sleep here!" Ron shouted, pulling his covers up over his head.
"Ron, get out of bed, Hermione's been kidnapped!" Harry yelled, pulling a side of Ron's mattress up to tip him out.
"Kidnapped? By who?" he asked, sleepily rubbing his eyes from his seated position on the floor.
"I don't know, but I bet I know who is behind it. C'mon, we have to go to Dumbledore."
"Right, mate. I'll just be a minute," he said, pulling his shirt on.
Eventually, Harry dragged Ron out of the room and down into the caverns. "Dumbledore, we've had trouble. Her- Emma's been kidnapped," Harry said, nearly slipping.
Albus' blue eyes narrowed slightly at the information. "Did you see who it was?"
"A short, fat man. He petrified her, then carried her off," Harry said, in a nearly defeated tone. He almost blamed himself for not being more careful with her.
"What do you think, Minerva?" he asked. A familiar tabby cat purred under the palm of the wizard's hand. "Probably Guttenberg. Grindelwald is setting his trap. He must know something about you that makes him want you to come to him, either to destroy you or to have you join him. You did the right thing by coming here. Now, I must go face him head on."
"I'm going with you," Harry said. "I couldn't let you go by yourself to help save someone who should have been under my protection."
"Your protection? Please, explain," Albus said, his eyes turning a greyish- blue shade.
Harry sighed. "She is not of pure blood. I told her that she'd be safe, no matter what. I should have kept her closer."
"I sense something stronger than friendship at work here," Albus whispered, his eyes starting to twinkle again.
Harry opened his mouth, changed his mind, and shut it, before opening it again. Ron smiled, "You look like a bloody fish, would you make up your mind?"
"I'm going with you," Harry said again. "Apparating into Berlin?"
"Yes. Glad to have your company, but I'm afraid I'll have to face Grindelwald alone."
"Then when it comes to that point, we'll do what we must. I have to go."
"Very well. We leave in an hour. If you could possibly wait in the conference room? I have something I must discuss with Minerva."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Harry replied. He and Ron both walked out to the conference room where they "met" Albus and Minerva.
Minerva took her human form. "You still want to face him alone?"
"I have to, Minerva."
"This Daniel wants to help. I sense that he has a lot of power and potential. You also have me. Why must you do this alone?"
"Daniel is coming along, but he is going to save this girl. When it comes down to it, he will find her and help her, not fight Grindelwald. I cannot count on him to help me, not if it comes down to saving her or fighting him."
"How can you be so certain?" Minerva asked, looking at him.
"It's what I would do," he said softly, taking her hands in his. "As for you, I simply cannot allow you to go to Berlin with me."
"Why not, Albus?"
"We've had this conversation too many times. I've told you that I don't want to see you get hurt, but I suppose I should tell you the real reason. If for some unknown reason, you were injured, or worse, and I came out of the battle better off than you, I should never forgive myself. Just like Daniel blames himself for Emma's kidnapping, I would blame myself for any ill fortune that would befall you because I did not keep you away. You must stay back, for me. Be here so that I can pull strength from the knowledge that you are waiting for me, safe and sound. Be here to lead the others in battle against the Nazis."
"I love you, Albus," she said softly, tears forming in her eyes. "You'd better come back to me, if you won't let me come with you."
"Minerva..." Albus sighed. He leaned down and kissed her gently. "I love you, and I swear to you that this will not be the last time I say it to you."
They kissed once more to seal his vow before they walked out to Daniel and Rupert. "So, Daniel, are you ready?" the older wizard asked.
"I think so, sir," Harry replied, gripping his wand in his pocket.
"Then we are off to Berlin," Albus said firmly. He nodded to Minerva gravely, before smiling and winking with one sparkling blue eye. Minerva choked back some tears before lifting her head proudly and smiling back. Ron took his place beside McGonagall. They watched as Albus and Harry disappeared.
The two wizards looked around at the area where they had apparated. Before they could even try to figure out where to go, Guttenberg appeared. He was shuffling along, running some pointless errand to keep him out of his master's hair. Retrieving Hermione was the first thing he had done right since his servitude began.
Harry shouted as he pointed his wand, causing the man's feet to become unbearably heavy. He ran over to his captive. "Where is she?" he asked.
"Who?" Guttenberg asked.
"You know who, you sniveling little toad," Harry growled, the glint in his eye becoming murderous.
"Oh, you must be talking about the girl. She makes a lovely addition to Grindelwald's trophies," Guttenberg smiled, his partially rotten teeth showing from behind his thin lips.
Harry's hand flew up, but was caught by Dumbledore before he could backhand the man. "Where is your master?" Albus asked calmly.
"It is no matter of yours unless you are looking to be broken and destroyed."
"I'll ask you again before I conjure up a few nice big bugs for you to play with. That was your fear back in school, am I remembering correctly, Johann?" Albus asked. Guttenberg had been a Slytherin while Albus was teaching Transfiguration, before he had become the DADA professor.
"You wouldn't," Guttenberg replied. Albus' wand twirled and a roach from the side of one of the buildings grew to become as large as a Volkswagen Beetle. The insect looked hungrily at Guttenberg. "Don't let it eat me! Please! I'll tell you... he's in the bunker over there. He's got underground caverns."
"Take us to him," Harry ordered.
"OK, just please, make the roach disappear." Albus shrunk the roach and gave Guttenberg the use of his legs. He waddled over to one of the bunkers, and tapped on a series of bricks. A tunnel opened underneath the wall and Harry and Albus followed it. As the tunnel leveled out, it widened into a large cavern. Grindelwald was standing with his back to the duo, over a body lying limply on the floor.
Harry's eyes went wide as he realized who was at Grindelwald's feet. His fists clenched, one around his wand, and he clenched his teeth. Before he could do anything, a patient hand was lain upon his shoulder. Dumbledore stepped forward.
"Ah, Dumbledore, I was wondering when you'd arrive," Grindelwald said, without turning.
"Grindelwald, you must end this madness or I will end it for you," Albus said calmly. His eyes, however, turned a cold gray.
Here Grindelwald turned toward the duo. "And who are you? Oh, you must be the boy... yes... your friend told me about you."
"What?" Harry asked. Then he realized that Malfoy had to have been behind this, getting Hermione kidnapped. "What have you done to her?"
"We just had a little bit of fun, well, I had fun anyway. She is a very proud young woman. Tried so hard not to scream or cry," Grindelwald replied.
Harry went pale and his legs turned to rubber. "Oh, Merlin..."
"Grindelwald, your fight is not with either of these two. I have come to relieve you of your dictatorship. Face me, and fight," Albus said, raising his wand.
Grindelwald raised his wand, but used it to levitate Hermione before tossing her against a wall, out of the way. She hit the wall and fell to the floor with a thud.
"Stop!" Harry heard himself scream. He ran to Hermione and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her and crouched behind an outcrop of rock to attempt to tend to her while Dumbledore fought the evil wizard.
Now, Grindelwald and Dumbledore faced off, wands at the ready.