The euphoria of winning of the match seemed to last all week and well into
the second. Even Professor McGonagall hadn't assigned any homework for the
first five days, and Gryffindor had pulled into first place in the House
Cup race, due mainly to the points Gryffindor had received for the match.
Tuesday morning found Harry walking down past the Hogwarts grounds to Disapparate to Aetius' shop, where, besides making more complicated potions, he was going to inquire about why Aetius never showed his back to Harry. With these in mind, Harry concentrated on Aetius' little room with the desk and tables with potions equipment, willed his body to break down, and Disapparated.
It had become much easier for Harry to Apparate of late, he had mastered it up till the ten mile range already, and he once made it twenty miles, to the Apparation point that seventh years Apparated to.
He also had wondered why he never saw the other world. He had asked Professor McGonagall why this was so and he received the answer — that your body shut down temporarily while in travel, and the only way to see this other world was by Apparating to somewhere that does not exist.
With a crack Harry Apparated into the front (and only) desk of A Potion Maker's Best. Aetius must have heard, old as he was, and he walked in from his office with a smile plastered on his face.
"Well done, Mr. Potter! You've learned how to Apparate! Congratulations!" he exclaimed upon seeing him. He limped over to Harry, who had never noticed that before, and shook his hand warmly, after which he left the room, backwards, Harry noticed, and returned a few moments later with a cauldron and instructions for a new potion.
Before Aetius had a chance to leave, Harry blurted out, "Mr. Aetius,"
"Call me Aetius," said Aetius firmly.
"Yes, Aetius. Well, how come you never turn your back to me?" he asked rather bluntly.
Aetius' face fell slightly. He looked slowly into Harry's eyes and sat down on a chair next to him.
"Let me tell you a story about myself," he began. "I am originally from Greece, from a small village near Athens. I am extremely old, as you no doubt realized," he allowed himself a sad sort of smile.
"My family was very poor, and often I had to go hungry for days, there was so little to eat. I went to a private school until I was eleven, then I was accepted into a regular school, I can hardly remember the name; this was years and years back, but I went there. I finished school when I was seventeen, and I worked in the Grecian Ministry as a sub-Auror.
"I was twenty two when the wizard Grindelwald, curse his name, came to power. He started a reign of terror, similar to this one that Vold-sorry, Who-Know-Who started now, only his was slightly better because Grindelwald hated creatures of any sort, and killed many that wished to join him. He did not recruit giants, dementors, or anything that Who-Know-Who admits to his ranks. I heard that he killed a pack of hydras that tried joining him. He had an all-human army.
"It was very dark days . . . even despite this. Grindelwald started in Germany, and slowly took over most of Europe. He had an especially easy time with Muggles; it was the year . . . I think, 1917, and Europe was in the midst of a great war, a World War, I think they called it. Most Muggles were too involved in the war to notice the signs that Grindelwald left. He was not like Who-Know-Who — "
"I'm fine with Voldemort," said Harry.
"So. He was not like Voldemort because he did not leave signs of the destruction and terror he caused. Everything was done in secret. There was none of this 'Dark Mark' nonsense Voldemort leaves. If he murdered someone, he had them first kidnapped and then killed later on. Disappearances were more alarming than deaths in those days, Harry, because everything was unknown, but would have some evil, twisted purpose at the end. I know because-because Grindelwald took my parents. They were missing for over a month, but," and for the first time Harry heard a distinct sob in his voice, and he was overcome with pity for Aetius and hate for this wizard, Grindelwald.
"I found their bodies, twisted and broken," continued Aetius, "and unmistakably dead for over a week. They had information on the resistance movement against him, and they were tortured until they broke and told all they knew. . . .
"The next week," continued Aetius sadly, "the resistance headquarters were found by Grindelwald and destroyed. Only a few members escaped alive. Dumbledore was one. He recreated the resistance movement, called it the Order of the Phoenix, which is still here, and fought against Grindelwald.
"But even with Dumbledore leading the battle against darkness, Grindelwald remained strong. He continued to fight throughout the Great War, even going until 1934. He befriended a certain German Muggle named, er, Adolph Hitler, I think. They became mutual friends and, if you could call the two most twisted minds of the century friendly, that is." He allowed himself another twisted smile.
"Grindelwald had still not cracked, but he was definitely going down, and Dumbledore reckoned it was only a matter of time until Grindelwald would be brought to his heels.
"Meanwhile, Hitler began another war, and directed it against Poland and England. He and Grindelwald designed it perfectly, or almost perfectly— they had been too ambitious. The English wizards joined in the war against Grindelwald, who was already fighting in lower Europe, like Italy, Greece, and countries around there. With the English in the fight, Grindelwald foresaw his inevitable defeat. He gathered his army and prepared for a last stand. This was in 1944.
"Hitler's enemies had just invaded Europe, and morale was probably at its lowest point in both armies. Dumbledore thought the time was ripe for another attack. I had been fighting for years, and I was a commander in the Grecian division, and I led the first charge against him. I was in my early forties.
"I had my wand out, and had attacked someone, when I was hit from behind by something. I am sure it was not a spell, but I was knocked unconscious and brought to England for treatment in Saint Mungo's Hospital, then newly opened.
"The battle was a stalemate; neither side had enough power to win, and Grindelwald withdrew. The next year Hitler committed suicide with his wife, and Grindelwald's sanity was shook. Dumbledore fought him in single combat later on and defeated him.
"You asked why I never have turned my back to you: this is the reason. Look closely, Harry."
He turned around slowly, and Harry let out a yell of shock; a huge, red, jagged scar had been cut into the back of his head, from the scalp all the way down into the loosely-hanging shirt that Aetius always wore. Aetius turned back around and nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry, sir — " said Harry quietly, but Aetius cut him off, suddenly brisk.
"None o' that, boy, none o' that, I'm fit as a fiddle now, or whatever twaddle they use these days. By the way, Mr. Potter, when are you planning on doing this potion?"
* * *
Tuesday morning found Harry walking down past the Hogwarts grounds to Disapparate to Aetius' shop, where, besides making more complicated potions, he was going to inquire about why Aetius never showed his back to Harry. With these in mind, Harry concentrated on Aetius' little room with the desk and tables with potions equipment, willed his body to break down, and Disapparated.
It had become much easier for Harry to Apparate of late, he had mastered it up till the ten mile range already, and he once made it twenty miles, to the Apparation point that seventh years Apparated to.
He also had wondered why he never saw the other world. He had asked Professor McGonagall why this was so and he received the answer — that your body shut down temporarily while in travel, and the only way to see this other world was by Apparating to somewhere that does not exist.
With a crack Harry Apparated into the front (and only) desk of A Potion Maker's Best. Aetius must have heard, old as he was, and he walked in from his office with a smile plastered on his face.
"Well done, Mr. Potter! You've learned how to Apparate! Congratulations!" he exclaimed upon seeing him. He limped over to Harry, who had never noticed that before, and shook his hand warmly, after which he left the room, backwards, Harry noticed, and returned a few moments later with a cauldron and instructions for a new potion.
Before Aetius had a chance to leave, Harry blurted out, "Mr. Aetius,"
"Call me Aetius," said Aetius firmly.
"Yes, Aetius. Well, how come you never turn your back to me?" he asked rather bluntly.
Aetius' face fell slightly. He looked slowly into Harry's eyes and sat down on a chair next to him.
"Let me tell you a story about myself," he began. "I am originally from Greece, from a small village near Athens. I am extremely old, as you no doubt realized," he allowed himself a sad sort of smile.
"My family was very poor, and often I had to go hungry for days, there was so little to eat. I went to a private school until I was eleven, then I was accepted into a regular school, I can hardly remember the name; this was years and years back, but I went there. I finished school when I was seventeen, and I worked in the Grecian Ministry as a sub-Auror.
"I was twenty two when the wizard Grindelwald, curse his name, came to power. He started a reign of terror, similar to this one that Vold-sorry, Who-Know-Who started now, only his was slightly better because Grindelwald hated creatures of any sort, and killed many that wished to join him. He did not recruit giants, dementors, or anything that Who-Know-Who admits to his ranks. I heard that he killed a pack of hydras that tried joining him. He had an all-human army.
"It was very dark days . . . even despite this. Grindelwald started in Germany, and slowly took over most of Europe. He had an especially easy time with Muggles; it was the year . . . I think, 1917, and Europe was in the midst of a great war, a World War, I think they called it. Most Muggles were too involved in the war to notice the signs that Grindelwald left. He was not like Who-Know-Who — "
"I'm fine with Voldemort," said Harry.
"So. He was not like Voldemort because he did not leave signs of the destruction and terror he caused. Everything was done in secret. There was none of this 'Dark Mark' nonsense Voldemort leaves. If he murdered someone, he had them first kidnapped and then killed later on. Disappearances were more alarming than deaths in those days, Harry, because everything was unknown, but would have some evil, twisted purpose at the end. I know because-because Grindelwald took my parents. They were missing for over a month, but," and for the first time Harry heard a distinct sob in his voice, and he was overcome with pity for Aetius and hate for this wizard, Grindelwald.
"I found their bodies, twisted and broken," continued Aetius, "and unmistakably dead for over a week. They had information on the resistance movement against him, and they were tortured until they broke and told all they knew. . . .
"The next week," continued Aetius sadly, "the resistance headquarters were found by Grindelwald and destroyed. Only a few members escaped alive. Dumbledore was one. He recreated the resistance movement, called it the Order of the Phoenix, which is still here, and fought against Grindelwald.
"But even with Dumbledore leading the battle against darkness, Grindelwald remained strong. He continued to fight throughout the Great War, even going until 1934. He befriended a certain German Muggle named, er, Adolph Hitler, I think. They became mutual friends and, if you could call the two most twisted minds of the century friendly, that is." He allowed himself another twisted smile.
"Grindelwald had still not cracked, but he was definitely going down, and Dumbledore reckoned it was only a matter of time until Grindelwald would be brought to his heels.
"Meanwhile, Hitler began another war, and directed it against Poland and England. He and Grindelwald designed it perfectly, or almost perfectly— they had been too ambitious. The English wizards joined in the war against Grindelwald, who was already fighting in lower Europe, like Italy, Greece, and countries around there. With the English in the fight, Grindelwald foresaw his inevitable defeat. He gathered his army and prepared for a last stand. This was in 1944.
"Hitler's enemies had just invaded Europe, and morale was probably at its lowest point in both armies. Dumbledore thought the time was ripe for another attack. I had been fighting for years, and I was a commander in the Grecian division, and I led the first charge against him. I was in my early forties.
"I had my wand out, and had attacked someone, when I was hit from behind by something. I am sure it was not a spell, but I was knocked unconscious and brought to England for treatment in Saint Mungo's Hospital, then newly opened.
"The battle was a stalemate; neither side had enough power to win, and Grindelwald withdrew. The next year Hitler committed suicide with his wife, and Grindelwald's sanity was shook. Dumbledore fought him in single combat later on and defeated him.
"You asked why I never have turned my back to you: this is the reason. Look closely, Harry."
He turned around slowly, and Harry let out a yell of shock; a huge, red, jagged scar had been cut into the back of his head, from the scalp all the way down into the loosely-hanging shirt that Aetius always wore. Aetius turned back around and nodded sadly.
"I'm sorry, sir — " said Harry quietly, but Aetius cut him off, suddenly brisk.
"None o' that, boy, none o' that, I'm fit as a fiddle now, or whatever twaddle they use these days. By the way, Mr. Potter, when are you planning on doing this potion?"
* * *