Ginny was predictably furious. That wasn't even the worst of it. He was very familiar with that look in her eye, like she could burst into flame at any moment. In a really bad moment in their marriage when he'd been chatting with two groupies, their hair had actually caught fire, and he had been staring at Ginny the whole time. There was no wand involved in that. Another thing that worsened the situation was that he was enjoying it. Like a child putting their hand over the flame of candle and feeling the sting, it was impossible for him to look away.
"You betrayed me! You fucking bastard, you betrayed me! I swear to God I will fucking end you, and if you try to take me down I will take you down with me!"
He felt Ginny's inferno feed back into him, egging him on. "You're very lucky we're alone, or you might get part of that wish."
"I don't give a fuck about your threats! Take out your wand then! I hope you know how to stop Fiendfyre!"
He had no doubt she would do it, if he would only draw his wand. In all likelihood, Mathilda's office and a good part of the Ministry would be enveloped in living flame. Even if he got out, this would be an unparalleled disaster.
"You really wanted his head that badly?"
"You think this is about Malfoy? This is about you not keeping your end of the bargain! I won't become your willing puppet, I won't be Ron Bloody Weasley!"
Small sparks shot from her wand, an involuntary reaction no doubt. Living flame, yes that was exactly what she was. And here he was, the bumbling alchemist trying to bottle that flame. He might lose more than his eyebrows. She left him with no choice, or rather, he didn't feel like he had one. Something deep inside him told him that Ginny Weasley was key to something greater. As much as he was uniquely beholden to Hermione, his higher calling was telling him that nothing came without risk.
And so he reached for the stopper, ever so gently, a big stopper, one that would take a while to burn through, and he very suddenly applied it to the neck of the flask.
"I'll give you Azkaban."
Fuel for the fire, and a suit of ice to protect himself. He was satisfied by how tantalising she found the offer.
"Azkaban?" her eyes glittered with curious flame, licking at the idea.
"The whole lot of them. Amycus Carrow, Tobias Nott, Greyback, Rodolphus Lestrange… Lucius Malfoy. And whoever else is in there, Merlin knows I filled the place up nicely. I think we're up to 189 so far."
The idea had awoken something in her.
"How? I'd be found out I went in there alone."
Harry felt confident enough to let his grin show. "There's going to be a party probably, or a ceremony for the new Azkaban guards, the force we set up. They're already being trained. The old wardens will be there, but it will be lightly guarded. There are no more nasty dementors, but living breathing wizards are also less of a threat. Now, I know, even with the five of us it would probably be more than difficult. So I'm going to send a letter to some friends of ours."
"Friends? When is this party?"
"When the bill passes, which means we have time to plan ahead."
"More waiting," she said, flickering.
"But worth the wait. We'll… need travel arrangements soon."
"What for?"
Harry laughed. "To visit those friends of ours to keep up this new bargain."
She smiled at him. "Remember what I said. I meant it."
"I have no doubt."
He let out a sigh of relief as she exited the office. "Bloody women…" he muttered. The problem with fire is it tends to grow when you fuel it, and he was about to feed it with a stronghold full of gasoline. He'd just have to make sure it was directed at his enemies when it flared.
#
The gathering for the procedure was to be conducted at one of Greengrass' other properties. She had contacted Dennis about it, and under the guise of keeping a family curse secret, he had readily accepted the idea, even though he was a little too modest in saying he wasn't fit to do it. But he would. Under his modesty was an eagerness to prove himself and together with Hermione's guidance, he felt like it would be doable.
Harry and her had a long talk about what it all meant. Surely, this was a great breakthrough in understanding what had happened to them, if the procedure confirmed it. Harry couldn't see the same emptiness in their bodies as he had seen in Astoria Greengrass, and that was a good reason to believe they were wrong about the similarities. Granted, they were missing something, but at least they were now taking steps to understanding their situation.
One theory was that something had come to fill the void left by the curse during their eight months slumber, or shortly after. Harry's proposal was that in their case, the curse had tried to destroy and disconnect their bodies from the outside-in. Whatever was left, was just the all-consuming love they now felt for each other. It was suitably romantic, if not logically consistent.
In a similar way, by having eaten its way from the inside, Astoria's curse had deprived her of discerning love, her soul lingering on the edges of her being. Yes, to reiterate Gregorovitch's words, it was all rather metaphysical, and so it was hard to judge.
They had a busy schedule coming up. Harry, Hermione and Dennis met up with the four Greengrass family members as well as Draco Malfoy on the 24th of Februari. After what Harry had relayed to her about the sisters, she was more than a little curious. She actually seemed to like Daphne, and was suitably creeped out by Astoria, but there was something almost sweet in the way the two sisters seemed to interact. They were quite sheltered, and if the procedure worked out, it would be good to have them as reliable assets.
Malfoy was nervous. He hadn't truly been briefed about the dangers, but she agreed with Harry that it was a lot less risky in this case. If it failed, it failed. The only downside was that Ginny might hate them even more for indirectly robbing her of the satisfaction of killing Draco. When she heard what happened at the AD, she almost went out there herself to end the ginger's life. But she couldn't say no to Harry, and he seemed—in her opinion—unhealthily obsessed about making this work. Hermione couldn't see the point of it.
Ginny was dangerous, unstable and mutinous. Hermione had a hard time seeing what the difference was between her and Ron's outbursts, not that she wasn't glad to be rid of him. "Ron?" Harry had said. "He avoids conflict, they couldn't be more different."
She wasn't sure Harry was right about that. If he hadn't shown her time and time again how much he loved her, Hermione might be jealous. She had a feeling recently that he would propose soon, and she really hoped she wasn't wrong about that. The way he looked at her when they were most intimate was too reassuring to worry her deeply.
The room they were preparing was mostly deserted. It was a renovated fort. Big rooms, lots of light, and not much else, really. A container of dragon's blood, a resonance bowl, two beds and beside them enough potions to stock a modest shop. All for Astoria, to keep the curse under control. They didn't know the exact measurements so they'd have to monitor her condition first.
She was sat on the bed talking to Malfoy when Dennis came over.
"How are you feeling?" Dennis asked.
"Very well," Astoria said. "I don't get the point of helping me, but Draco and father said I should. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too," Dennis said with a confused smile. "Malfoy..."
Very few people had forgiven Malfoy, and Dennis was not one of them, but he took his Healer's Oath seriously. Even if Harry and Hermione weren't involved, he would feel obligated to help. Astoria would be just as friendly having a needle jabbed up her spine, but Dennis kept his bedside manner.
"I know it's not easy, but try to relax."
Astoria slumped in the bed, relaxing. "Okay."
"You're doing great."
"I am?" she asked. "Thank you."
Daphne had gone up to Harry, and they were conversing in whispers. While Hermione hadn't completely forgiven Daphne for her attempts at a marriage proposal, she had bigger fish to fry.
"She'll be okay?" Cassandra had come up to ask.
"We don't believe there's much danger," Hermione answered. At least to her. Dennis would have to fumble, in which case the carnage that would ensue would wipe away any questions of blame. Cassandra was worried, and joined her husband in waiting.
"Please lie down on the beds," Dennis said, "and we'll start the procedure."
Malfoy looked nervous as they administered the potions to Astoria. Hermione remembered her own nervousness when she underwent the procedure. As much of a coward as Malfoy was, he was at least going through with this. He seemed to want to find some redemption with this act, or at least Astoria and her family's approval. There were stranger things, with how he'd been forced out of public life for five years.
The bowl was filled with dragon's blood and Dennis prepared to start, sending a last few diagnostic spells over the two patients. With a note of finality, he nodded towards Hermione and she nodded back. His wand went over to Astoria As he guided it to coax out the curse, something from inside her emitted a low gurgling wail.
Something foul exited through her chest, a dark cloud of magic that menacingly wracked the small girl's body as it came forth. A bead of sweat formed on Dennis' brow and he flicked his wand. With a bestial howl, the curse moved towards the bowl, and nearly past it until Dennis flicked his wand again. The dark magic dipped into the bowl, staining the dark liquid with whispering, searching smoke.
Malfoy saw it happen from the corner of his wide set eyes. He was shaking, realising what he had agreed to. Fortunately, he stayed put. Dennis flicked his wand again, and from the bowl, the raging mist found its new target. It disappeared into Malfoy's chest, and he trembled with the shock.
"He's not breathing," Dennis said, and pointed his wand at Malfoy. "Rennervate!"
Malfoy's body shook again, but his eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and his chest didn't move with breath or pulse.
"Damn it, don't bloody die, Malfoy."
He tried the spell again. Malfoy's eye twitched. Something like a laugh echoed through the room, however no one was laughing. Whatever plagued Astoria was something old and evil, and now it had Malfoy in its clutches.
"Rennervate!"
It looked like Malfoy was gone for good for a solid minute, until his breathing came back ragged and uneven. "Okay," Dennis said. "Okay, he's back. Got us scared for a second." He sent more diagnostics charms over Astoria and Malfoy. After a tense moment, he rubbed is brow. "I think we've done it," he said with a smile. "Scary as hell though."
"Yes," Hermione exhaled. "Good job, Dennis. Now let's hope they don't take months to wake up."
"That's no problem or concern," Alpharius said, stepping towards Astoria's bed with his wife. "We'll take care of them in the meantime."
Harry gave Alphie a meaningful look: 'As long as you don't think you're getting away,' but he didn't protest it. For now the issue and the patients were tabled. Curiosity as to the results would have to wait. Daphne came up to them, and when no one was looking, she turned to Harry and Hermione.
"Thanks for putting the devil from my sister into Malfoy, I don't think anyone noticed," she whispered.
Hermione opened her mouth to explain, but seeing Harry's smile, she let it go. "You're welcome," she said. It's not like she was entirely wrong.
#
As the session for the vote of the bill came closer, the press started to aggressively publish. There were so many articles from one side or the other that it was impossible for any one witch or wizard to agree on much at all. Any members of the Wizengamot tended to avoid public places, lest they be accosted by two dozen reporters looking for a comment.
They would leave for a trip soon, a very important one and one that would most assuredly stay out of the public eye. They were all set with enough luggage for a weekend stay, conveniently reduced. Mathilda was there to see them off, which was reassuring, although they possibly wouldn't miss her for long. They were after all meeting with a bunch of dangerous wizards and witches. How dangerous and helpful the trip would be rested entirely on how reliable Gregorovitch's information was.
Harry had been pushing for it. Part of the reason was Ginny's dream of Azkaban in flames, so this had Hermione protesting at first. She could never say no too long, and eventually agreed that, yes, getting allies outside their usual circles could be a boon. It could also be a disaster. The main reason for Harry's confidence was none other than the boyish blonde witch standing in their living room.
"You all set, then, guv?" she asked Harry.
"Yeah, very excited," he said with a smile. "Until my work for the ICW I'd never been outside Britain, and I've never been this far south… or west… I think. Is Canada further west than where we're going?"
"Dunno," Mathilda answered.
"In any case, it's an adventure. Robards bugging us about the bloody Burke investigation. As if he'll find anything. I feel bad for him sometimes… No, well, that's a lie. And I've really been waiting to finally take you for a spin."
"Hey!" Hermione warned.
"You know what I mean! We've put so much effort into figuring out how to get the enchantments to work, plus there's my new ink to put to the test. I almost hope they attack us. It's going to be brilliant!"
Once Harry got like this, it was impossible to put a stop to it. Ginny and Alfred didn't know the details of their preparation. She frowned thinking how Harry was treating dangerous and complex magic like some sort of prank or trick. It would be very exciting to see it applied in a real life scenario, but he was also entirely too happy at the prospect of mortal danger. "That's what you get for dating a daredevil…" she mumbled.
"Get bloody going," Mathilda urged, "I'm getting antsy just looking at you."
"See you on the other side," Harry said, taking Hermione's arm.
They went to Alfred's house, which was somewhere in the West Country. It had been encouraging to know that Ginny was staying with him, but it didn't take long for Hermione to get aggravated again. She was dressed like she came straight out of a muggle fashion magazine, with a large straw hat, beige skirt and brown sunglasses. She probably wanted to show off.
"Did you bring sunscreen at least?" Hermione asked. "You won't last minutes in those latitudes without coming out as a lobster."
"Yes, I bloody did. Don't get hysterical."
"I think you look nice," Alfred said.
"Thank you."
"All right, children," Harry said excitedly. "Did you pack your lunch boxes and water gourds, all ready for the trip?"
Alfred laughed. "This could get dangerous, couldn't it?"
"Well, what's life without a little danger?" he answered. "We're meeting good old Greg at the harbour, we'll introduce you and then we're going by boat. Hope you don't get sea sick." Harry raised an eyebrow towards Hermione.
"No, I don't get sea sick. Why are you looking at me? I went on plenty of boat rides with my parents, thank you."
"Well, there's not much to it, then," he said, taking out the steering wheel from his pocket serving as a portkey. "Remember, we'll be in enemy territory," he said, looking especially at Alfred. "Just keep your wits about you and we'll be fine."
"Wait," Alfred said. "Where's Mathilda?"
"That's a surprise," Harry said with a wink.
It was impossible to be sure with her sunglasses, but Ginny might have rolled her eyes.
#
They arrived at a sunlit harbour, tropical trees and succulents trying to push back the settlement into the sea. Whatever buildings stood were concrete and mud. Some people could be seen going to and fro lower down the road, all the way into the bay where two dozen ships were anchored. Malachai Gregorovitch came up the road, extending a hand. He was still wearing his robes, but didn't seem bothered by the climate.
"Good morning," he said, "or is it evening for you? Some port-lag is expected with long-distance travel. Welcome to the beautiful and warm country of Equador."
At their looks of puzzlement, he ruefully smiled. "Well, the harbour isn't much, I'll admit. But maybe you'll warm up to it once you've had a cup of fresh cocoa."
"Well, it is good to finally meet you," Ginny said. "The mysterious wandmaker."
"Mysterious? I hope that's not a bad thing. Pleased to meet you as well, Ms. Weasley. A big fan of the Harpies myself, although who isn't?"
"I didn't know we were that popular overseas," Ginny said pleasantly.
"Of course. All-female team, twice league champions since you joined."
"Should've been three," she mumbled.
"Could we maybe get a move on?" Hermione interjected.
He nodded and looked to Harry. "The ship is waiting for us. The red one with the pointy bow. It'll ferry us to the Sanctum."
Muggles in the village didn't give them much notice. Malachai raised a hand to a young sailor sitting by the walkway of the boat. "Buenos dias, Matis. Dond'esta el capitan?"
"Senor Gregorovitch, buenos dias. Esta abajo, ire por el."
The man left and went below. With him came back a bearded man, similarly sun-bronzed and weathered. "Mister Gregorovitch. Good morning. Have our guests arrived?"
"Muy bien, then we can leave." They went aboard the ship. "I ask you do not go to the engine room and crew quarters. It is just me, Jose and Matis. Welcome aboard. The trip will take around three hours, so make yourself comfortable. There is food and drinks in the living space below." He gestured to the stairs going down to the lower levels.
"We will not bother you any further, Mr. Gregorovitch, as you asked. I will come find you when we arrive."
"Claro, Julian. Fair seas."
Once the captain left, Harry stepped towards Malachai and lowered his voice. "Will they talk? I didn't expect our visit to stay quiet, but I'm wondering if I should anticipate our faces in the press the next few weeks."
"It's very unlikely," he answered. "The Council has taken precautions to lure away prying eyes. But it's not the press you should be worried about, Harry Potter. Please, enjoy the ride. Take a nap if you like, that's what I'm planning on doing. Or enjoy the view. The coastline is full of great sights."
With that Malachai Gregorovitch disappeared below to the living space.
Tensions were high, or rather, Hermione's tension was running high because of her ire for a certain redhead. Said redhead just kissed Alfred and walked away saying, "Going to check out the ship."
Alfred approached Harry. Whether only because of Ginny, or something else, he had come around to seeing things their way. In a way, that made it worse. It planted ideas in Hermione's mind that if she could have influence over one dark-haired wizard, she might have influence over another.
"I'd really feel better with Mathilda here," he said. "Pains me to say, but she's probably a better duellist than I am."
Harry snorted and took out a water bottle to drink. "Probably better than me."
Alfred laughed, but stopped when it looked like Harry wasn't joking at all. "Really?"
"You've been on raids with her," Harry said. "Not a coincidence I'm still alive despite all the stupid stuff I got into since the war ended. Blimey, the only time I leave her behind I almost get killed. And don't worry, she'll be here. I'm not making that mistake again."
He shook his head. "Harry Potter admitting to someone being a better duellist. That's a headline."
"Well, I haven't given up, mind you. She just got a lot better recently, means I can't rest on my laurels just yet."
Hermione was stewing, feeling left out with the Auror talk, and she didn't appreciate the praises heaped on Mathilda, even if she like her. "I'm going to see Ginny," she said, brusquely peeling away.
"Try to not sink the bloody ship!" Harry called after her.
#
She wasn't in the mood to joke, or indulge Harry's silliness. He'd recounted the visit Ginny made word for word and there had been a lot of screaming as a result. It wasn't a pretty moment in their budding relationship. Then they had sex, because he said she looked irresistible when she was angry. In other words, they had avoided the issue. So she would decide for him. Either Ginny would bend, or she'd be thrown overboard. Hermione doubted she would end up sinking the ship.
The motors of the engine started to rumble as she found Ginny peering over the bow, holding her hand on top of her hat. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world, which further irritated Hermione. Ginny let out a whoop of happiness as the ship started to move.
"Oh, Hermione. Come to get a better view? I've only been on a ship once when we went to train in the Aegean with the Thessaloniki Sirens. They're pretty popular too, but not the same record as us."
"After what you did, you think we can still be friendly?"
"You're still on about that?"
"You threatened Harry!" she shouted over the sound of the waves. "That means you threatened me, and if you think I'll just let that go you're more stupid than I imagined!"
She took off her sunglasses and turned to face Hermione, who had already taken out her wand. "If I'm so stupid, go ahead then. You can't miss from that distance. I'm sure Harry will forgive you…"
She should have done it, just sent a silent rending spell right across her throat. Something held her back.
"…Of course, things might never be the same again. I doubt Harry would ever be the same. This… little group we have, this dysfunctional family… I realised we all have our parts to play." Ginny was leaning on the railing, and Hermione didn't like having Harry's loyalty thrown in her face like that. "Harry told me," Ginny continued, "that using Malfoy was to find out more about what happened to you. But I was still angry. I won't be used and thrown away, so I got angry."
"That doesn't give you the right to say what you said."
"I can't help it," Ginny said with a shrug, and put her sunglasses back on. "Besides, I got what I wanted. We're not expendable, so this agreement is a two-way street. And I didn't really want to hurt him, well, not too badly. You're too close to him, so you don't get it."
It seemed Ginny had decided she was safe for now, and Hermione had lost her need to hurt Ginny, for now. So she put away her wand. Ginny wasn't a threat to their relationship, she was just, in Hermione's eyes, unpredictable. She strangely felt like joining Ginny at the railing and watched the waves and the clear blue sea.
"What is it that I don't get then?"
"You could ask Mathilda and Alfred, they would answer the same. Harry's special. He can make the impossible, possible, just by existing." Ginny frowned. "Did you forget that at some point? Maybe it's because you're spending every day together with him."
Maybe she had fallen into the habit of seeing him as just a wizard, a wizard that she loved dearly and that she saw the flaws of every day for some time now. He had brought together this unlikely alliance of vastly different people, and now they were on their way to meet a group that had been in hiding for sixty years. The bill that would never have seen the floor of the Wizengamot if he wasn't who he was. The impossible, made possible.
"It's okay though," Ginny said. "I guess keeping him grounded is part of the role you're playing."
#
Halfway through the boat ride, Gregorovitch had woken up and gave them a cup of hot cocoa from the galley as promised. He had avoided many questions about the people they were meeting, all he had said was they were a group with means who had been on the receiving end of a lot of international attention ever since Grindewald had been defeated.
They called themselves the Equatorial Council, and he emphasised that even though they knew him, that didn't mean they would fully trust Harry and his group. They were dangerous, he repeated, but also not unreasonable. Gregorovitch was an outsider, living publicly, as opposed to them who had to hide here.
"Dangerous is what we're looking for," Harry said. "As long as they're not building shrines to Voldemort's memory we won't have to put them in the ground."
"Far from it," Malachai said. "The only link they have to Voldemort is that they were glad he took attention away from them. I believe last time I saw them, they referred to him as the 'British Clown'. I'm afraid they won't be too impressed by you defeating him."
"Sounds like they're far up their own arses," Alfred snorted.
"They have their reasons," Malachai said. "I hope the meeting works out, but I can't follow you into the Sanctum, those were the terms of my banishment."
"What were you banished for?" Harry asked.
"For leaving. Really it was my father who arranged it… I was but ten years old at the time."
"Well, this cocoa is delicious," Ginny said.
The Captain came to the quarters to announce they would be arriving soon. Everyone went up on deck to spot their destination. However, all they could see was a rocky coastline and endless jungle. They set course for what seemed to be a moss covered rocky cliff.
"It's like Talinn. Magically hidden?" Hermione said.
Gregorovitch smiled in return. The ferry stopped in front of the rocks.
"This is as far as we take you," he said. "You'll take a row boat to the rocks and go the rest of the way. We'll make port and come get you in two days time."
Harry grimaced, he had never been a good swimmer, but he nodded. They were lowered into a row boat all four of them and with a tap of Hermione's wand, the oars animated to bring them towards the rocks. "Good luck," shouted Malachai, waving from the ferry.
They could see the fish swim around the boat and down to the ocean floor. The water was crystal clear. "Feels like a trap, doesn't it?" Alfred said, warily looking at Ginny.
"There's no one here," Harry said. "Just be on your guard."
The boat arrived at the rocks and passed straight through, into a cove dimly lit by torches. Still, nothing happened, and nobody was there. They went further into the still water down a bend, and ahead there was a pier set on a rocky outcropping, slick and wet with algae. They stopped there and disembarked. A path led further inside, into a dark tunnel.
"They could have ambushed us already," Harry said, pointing to the ledges above them. "Perfect place too."
Harry took a torch off the wall and took the lead inside the tunnel. They all still had their wands out. They went through the dark tunnel, shoes slipping on the wet rock, water dripping onto them. There was light ahead, they came to a large circular room. On the other end figures were standing in the darkness of an alcove.
The large room looked to be some kind of church, its arches going up high and letting daylight in from the head-sized windows above. As they stepped into the light, one of the figures stepped forward. A man with a nasty look and wild red hair.
"Thought there were five of you," he said.
Two women stepped forward. One of them wore a dress decorated with brass teeth. "Typical. Greg sends us some people and they come up short."
"Maybe they're hiding," the other woman said. They looked very much alike, with curly brown hair and striking green eyes. Sisters, perhaps.
"Who… are they even?" Another man said, stepping forward. He had short brown hair and an olive complexion.
Harry slotted the torch into the wall and stepped forward, which Hermione thought was reckless.
"We're the Order of the Two-Headed Dragon," he said confidently. "And there are five of us."
"Are you taking us for fools?" the red-headed man said. "No one else is here. They're not invisible, I know that."
"I've yet to judge if you're fools. Gregorovitch wasn't exactly forthcoming with who you were. Is that all of you? I was expecting more than that."
"Insolence!"
The voice boomed from the shadows as a silver-bearded man stepped forward, broad-shouldered and sharp-looking. "Disrespect, tardiness, and ill manners! If that's who comes to see us, then I demand satisfaction! We'll have a duel. Your best fighter, now!"
The man looked at him with cold blue eyes. Harry looked back at him in confusion, like he was trying to remember something. "Wait," he said. "I know your face. You're Lazarus, Deitrich the Undying, the man with a sixty thousand galleon bounty on his head. A fifty year old bounty."
The man didn't look like he was that old. Merely in his fifties.
"My name drives such fear into your hearts? You can't run. Your best wand arm, to face me—to the death, or this meeting is over. Get on with it, Limey."
"Limey?" Harry laughed. "Oh, she'll love this."
"Dietrich!" the red-headed man said.
But Harry pursed his lips, and let out a low whistle that rose up into a high note. The note echoed on the walls and there was a moment of silence. Then moments later, a rumble, shook the underground cathedral.
"Harry?" Alfred called.
Harry was smiling. Two stained glass windows burst open and in flew a golden wind. Hermione shielded her eyes and saw the whirlwind of tiny golden petals gather from the windows to the ground beside Harry. It was as awe inspiring and beautiful as the first time she saw it, and it couldn't be granted to a better Champion. The gold flecks assembled into a statue of a six-foot woman, glinting in the daylight shining from the broken windows. The wind died down, and the statue shone fluidly and alive. Gold turned to pink skin and blonde hair, and purple Auror robes, adorned with the insignia belonging to an Auror Captain.
"Hey, boss," she said with an eager grin. "Got someone for me to take care of?"
Harry nodded towards Dietrich. The old man didn't seem to be bothered, his stern expression unmoved by the display of magic.
"Bloody hell…" Mathilda said, inching forward, twirling her wand. "Yeah, that's worth the trip."
"My best wand arm," Harry said. "I hope you're not too attached to the concept of living."
"Old man, you should let me go," the red-headed man said.
The woman with the brass teeth on her dress laughed. "Even though I'm better than you?"
"Oh, shut it, both of you," the olive skinned man said. "Let Dietrich have his fun."
Mathilda looked back at Harry, looking for permission or maybe advice.
"I'll be your second set of eyes," he said, "in case something funny happens."
She nodded, and both duellists stepped into the centre of the room.
"Will she be all right?" Hermione asked.
"I'd stake my life on it," Harry said.
Meaning he would also stake her life on the match. Hermione came to a startling realisation: she had never seen Mathilda fight.
#
AN: Full credit to 1saa for me calling Gregorovitch 'Greg'. I should probably wait with posting chapters, but I just can't help myself. Finally getting to the good stuff. The more insane things get, the more interesting they become.
