Notes: I am not so arrogant as to suggest that JKR found my story, and then made a movie featuring aspects that completely disagree with my story. Although IF that was the case, smashing job she did of it. Aaaand now I've sat on this chapter so long that an additonal movie has come out. Great job, me. So, if it matters, the bulk of this was written shortly after "Crimes of Grindelwald" came out.

Harry Potter and the Inferi Complex
A Fantastic Beasts/Harry Potter Crossover by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 8: We Wear the Mask

NOW

Albus Dumbledore was unusually solemn as he stood before his latest batch of Hogwarts students. He paid particular attention to the first-years, either so eager they could barely keep still, or so anxious they could not maintain eye contact for long.

He could not help imagining the one student who should be among them, but now, never would be.

"I beg you all to make mistakes," he began.

Predictably, this caused a bit of a murmur.

"When you make mistakes, you learn. Sometimes the lesson is hard, or cruel, or life-altering... and yet, if you learn something valuable, perhaps that mistake was a well-disguised lesson. If you had succeeded, without coming across a challenge in the process? Why, you might have learned nothing at all. And despite what some may tell you, you are not here to succeed. You are here to learn. And if that means making royal blunders, then so be it. Let the blunders begin, I say. The bigger, the better."

The murmuring was much louder now, and he chose to take it as encouragement.

"During my time as a student here, I poisoned my dorm mate in Potions. I sprained my ankle trying to show off my Quidditch skills. I even banished my Charms professor out of a third-story window. Mistakes, all, I assure you. But lessons, as well. Even now, I question choices I have recently made. 'Was that the right thing to do? Could I have worked that out differently? How much will I regret this later? How many must pay, and how much must they pay, before the lesson is learned?' So, my young friends, I beg you: make as many mistakes as you must. I would rather have a school full of students who learned the lesson, rather than a school full of students who had no idea how to react when they got it wrong."

Albus paused, then plowed ahead. "Some time ago, I was presented with a choice. I always encourage my students to prepare themselves to choose between what is right, and what is easy. But this choice was between what was right and easy, and what was hard. I chose the hard route. A route that was sure to be full of hardships, mistakes, and lessons aplenty. My mistake was in choosing a route I would have picked for myself. But I was making this choice for someone else. That person suffered greatly for a decade, when they could have easily lived in comfort. And it is only right that I explain why this mistake has cost Hogwarts what I have every reason to believe would have been a highly promising student."

Professor McGonagall shot him a tense, concerned look, but Albus ignored her.

"When he was a baby, Harry Potter found himself in desperate need of a home. As you might imagine, there were many who would have gladly taken him in. But there were also those who would have caused him harm, if given the chance. I prioritized Harry's safety over his happiness. So I entrusted him to the Muggle relatives of his mother. They took Harry in, reluctantly, but they did take him. Harry... suffered greatly in that house. As I suspected he would. But, I believed that Harry was made of stronger stuff. That both his magical potential and inherited optimism would allow him to overcome his bleak situation. I was wrong. Harry has vanished from that house, and his relatives are dead. I do not believe that Harry is responsible, and yet, I do fear that whoever is responsible, Harry might thank them heartily. This is my mistake. It is my fault that Harry is not here now, sitting among you, eagerly looking forward to his first year. Instead, he is out there somewhere, lost in the dark, and perhaps with no hope left."

Rubeus Hagrid let out a great, honking sob into an oversized handkerchief, and was quickly shushed by Professor McGonagall.

"I know what some of you must be thinking. 'Surely this story is proof of why we should not make mistakes?' I submit to you that among my greatest fears, was a Harry Potter who would arrive at Hogwarts only having known praise for the deeds of himself and his parents. A Harry Potter who felt the world owed him a great debt that could never be paid in full. A Harry Potter who refused to be denied, who felt he was above all others, who had time only for those who could give him precisely what he desired. A Harry Potter who would already be on the path to the sort of thinking that transforms a person, from a mere bad apple that spoils itself, into a bad seed that bears and spreads bad fruit. I felt the worst thing I could do for that Harry Potter, was welcome him into an environment filled with impressionable minds. So the best thing I could do, was to make sure that particular Harry Potter never came to be. And I succeeded. But at great cost to Harry himself."

Professor Snape shifted slightly in his seat, but his face gave away nothing.

"The authorities are searching for Harry as I speak. But, due to circumstances I am not at liberty to reveal, he will never be a Hogwarts student, as he should have been, as his parents before him were, as they might have wished for him. All due to my mistake. And yet, I still believe that the Harry who has gone missing now, is infinitely better than the one who could be sitting here now. You may not agree. But as you begin your studies this year, I urge you all: make mistakes, and do your best to learn from them. Take it from a man who clearly has not made enough mistakes to learn from: being too successful is most certainly a flaw."

The reactions among the students were mixed, but there was only one student who met the Headmaster's gaze full-on, and refused to look away. Because she alone suspected that the story he gave them, while largely true, left out many important details, and she was furious with him for it.

But Albus had other concerns at the moment. So after he sent the students off to their respective dormitories, he made sure to catch the eye of the girl's Head of House. She would need to observed closely, he knew, and Albus's own priorities would prevent him from being the one to do it.

"That is quite a story," Sirius muttered, staring thoughtfully at Bones. "And since we can see you, I suppose it must be true." Experimentally, he tried to touch Bones, and his fingers passed through.

"Then it was you," James said. "You're the one responsible for... Lily and I."

To their surprise, Bones bowed at the waist. "I apologize for disturbing you."

"That doesn't even begin to describe-"

"Harry needed you," Bones interrupted, raising his head. "Desperately. Do you deny it?"

James frowned. "No."

"Do you regret rescuing him?"

"Of course not, but all that aside, is this the best you could do?"

"Honestly?" Bones asked. "Yes. Taking into account the current limits of Harry's magic, which can alter reality itself to some degree? Surely you have noticed that you are well beyond what standard Inferi are capable of. Did you believe that to be an accident? I did what I could. For you, and for Harry. I realize it is not convenient. But it is far more convenient than anyone else could manage. I could not restore your lives. I could only do this. And I felt I had to. The alternative was to leave Harry where he was. And if you approved of that, he would still be there."

James looked like he wanted to say something, but Lily reached over and squeezed his arm.

"Why did you choose this method?" Lily asked. "Surely there was another way to protect Harry?"

"Yes," Bones admitted. "But none of those would have allowed Harry to meet his parents. Or you to see him as he is now. I do not expect your thanks, but I do expect you to make the most of this chance."

"And the girl?" Sirius asked, glancing over to where Harry and Sahara were poking at a bunch of weeds.

"A recent addition to Harry's magic, and a large part of the reason your return was even possible. After Sahara made contact with Harry, there was a certain... clarity for me. I knew, for the first time, what I was truly capable of. What I could cause to happen, if I devoted enough power and focus to the idea. It was only after she began to appear to me that I understood the necessity of us both approaching Harry. She can teach him how to properly harness his magic. Look there."

As they watched, Harry's hands glowed green, and the weeds he was touching began to die at once. Harry looked surprised but happy, and Sahara bounced on her toes and tried to hug him. This became awkward at once, since Harry forgot she was not physically there and quickly shoved his lethally glowing hands behind him, trying not to touch her. Sahara laughed and poked him in the chest, causing Harry to blush.

"Wait." Lily glanced around suspiciously. "Something is trying to get through my barrier."

"Barrier?" Bones asked.

Lily stared at him. "You gave me this form, yet don't know what I'm capable of?"

Bones shook his head. "I used reality-altering magic to give you a form capable of breaking the rules of what that form should be capable of. I have no idea what all you can do. But I assume the barrier is water-based?"

Lily's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"You had a natural affinity for water-based magic already. That is the core principle of your magic now. Just as earth-based magic is for your husband."

Lily and James glanced at each other, in a way that made it clear that Bones was correct.

"So? The barrier?" Bones asked.

"I maintain a water barrier that prevents most intrusions. It reflects most surroundings, and I can manipulate it as needed. If something did breach it, I would know at once, and if I'm right, it would Splinch anyone trying to Apparate through it." Lily frowned. "At first, I was only placing it around Harry, but I saw there was no reason not to expand it, so I did. Anyway, something is trying to get in." She turned her head slightly to the left. "It seems to be a post bird."

"Then it has to be for Harry or Sirius, and it could easily be a trap," James added. "Someone should be looking for Sirius by now."

"Or it could be something important." Lily narrowed her eyes and clapped her hands.

There was a loud, garbled squawk, and then a wet, slapping sound nearby as something brown fell out of the sky and hit the ground.

Lily blinked. "That's odd. I killed the bird, and it turned into mud. Post birds have really changed since I was alive." She walked over and picked a wet letter out of the mud. "It's addressed to Harry."

"I can try a few scanning spells I learned in-" Sirius began, but Lily simply absorbed as much moisture as she could from the letter, and then opened it, trusting that whatever was in it couldn't kill her a second time. After a quick glance, she called Harry over.

Harry gave no thought to the fact that his mother had opened his mail. Quite honestly, he'd never gotten to read anything that was addressed to him, so he was more focused on that than anything else. A smile spread across his face as he read, and he was laughing by the end.

"Good news?" James asked.

"Oh. Um, not really good or bad, actually," Harry answered. "Just funny, because it's from Sahara, who I've been listening to for the past few minutes."

"What'd I say?" Sahara demanded, peering over his shoulder.

Harry gave her an odd look. "Would that really matter?"

She sulked. "Matters to me."

"No, I meant you're part of me, and I read it, so you... never mind." He showed her the letter, which made her perk up at once, and then turned back to his family. "Anyway, she wants to know if she and I can meet up. I can name the time and place." Harry paused. "I don't think she knows about the rest of you."

"Maybe we should keep it that way," Sirius quickly added. "If that business card you showed me is accurate, she's a Ministry employee. And I'm sure there are perfectly decent ones who still don't know the whole truth, and want to chuck me back into Azkaban."

Harry seemed surprised by this line of thinking. "Sorry, Sirius. I didn't think of that. I guess I don't think of Sahara as being part of the Ministry."

"Not surprising. I've never heard of the Astute Office. Though, if it's really with the Department of Mysteries, maybe I shouldn't have heard of it. And we shouldn't let her know about your parents being back, either. That's definitely something an Unspeakable would be interested in. I would assume so, anyway."

"If it's going to be that much trouble, I could always turn her down," Harry offered. "Or delay the meeting."

"Don't be too hasty, either," Sirius cautioned. "Sahara could have some useful information. She almost has to, working where she does. If it's a matter of her not knowing about us, you could meet her alone in a place we can easily secure. For the moment, it's safest to assume that we don't have any Ministry contacts that can be relied on. If Sahara can change that-"

"Can you guarantee that she's safe, though?" Lily interrupted. "It would be different, if we at least knew her family, or knew of someone higher positioned in the Astute Office."

"I could ask her about all of that," Harry offered. "But it seems like an odd thing to ask in a letter. And if she actually wrote back with the answer, I'd be worried about how freely she shares sensitive information. But I don't think Sahara would intentionally do anything to harm us."

"But it's the unintentional that your mother is worried most about, son," James pointed out. "Which is why we'd feel more comfortable dealing with a more experienced Astute."

"Or, you could stop wondering and ask me, since I'm right here!" Sahara said, stomping her foot.

Harry blinked. "Well, technically-"

"Oh, stop it! I know, I know! I'm not really here, but I still know stuff that the real Sahara does!"

"So then, shouldn't I automatically know what you know already?"

Sahara shook her head. "That's not how it works, Harry. I'm a learning tool that exists in your mind, but everything I know is on a level that you can't freely access all at once. That way you don't get overwhelmed, and I gradually teach you. But since you are asking, I don't mind telling you. So next time, don't forget that I'm here to help you!"

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't exactly know the rules for having an imaginary friend that's based on a real person! I'm not even used to having real friends!"

"That's something we can work on right now. You should write to Big Sis Ari! She'll be your friend, I know it!"

"I'm sure your sister is a lovely person, but unless-"

"No, no! She's also the best Astute I know! In fact-!" Sahara paused, blushing. "Um, normally, she would have been the first Astute you met, but... things changed. But you can meet her now! She'll tell you everything you need to know, and she'll keep you all safe!"

"How can you be sure of that?" Sirius asked.

"Because it's her job. That's what Big Sis Ari always does for new Astutes," Sahara replied. "And Harry is a new Astute now."

"She'll help Sirius, too?" Harry asked. "Even though most people think he's guilty?"

Sahara nodded. "He wouldn't be the first person who disappeared into the Astute Office and came out with a new identity. Anyway, you've got some good proof that he isn't guilty. Why would any Potter break him out of Azkaban, if he'd actually done what everyone else says he did?"

"Oh, I'm sure the Daily Prophet will be spinning a story about how I raised a special Inferi to break me out of prison any day now," Sirius chuckled bitterly.

"But even that wouldn't make any sense," Sahara insisted. "Harry's parents don't look or act like Inferi usually do. And if they did, that doesn't explain why Voldemort's supposed right-hand man would walk out of Azkaban and leave all of his Death Eater pals there."

Sirius shook his head. "It's not that strange. I don't doubt for a second that dear Bellatrix would do the same with a smile on her face. But she's probably the only one who could dare to show her face to Voldemort after doing so, and expect to survive. She's insane as the day is long, but I don't know of a more dangerous Death Eater. If Voldemort was ever going to free only one of his followers, it'd be her."

"We're getting off-topic," Lily cut in. "We trust Sirius, but it's a stretch to expect most others to do the same. If your sister isn't willing to, Sahara, then I don't expect we'll be seeing the real you again. Not under friendly conditions, anyway."

"I'm telling you, Big Sis Ari won't abandon Harry, no matter how difficult his story is to accept," Sahara said. "Most new Astutes don't have happy stories when they come to us. Many of them are running away, or half-dead, or trapped within their own minds, or struggling with how many lives they've snuffed out. Having Sirius Black for a godfather is sort of tame, really. It's the rest of Harry's story that most people would be interested in. That's why he's famous. And because he is famous, people are going to notice if he's an untrained Astute. Nobody back at the office wants to be known as the generation who failed Harry Potter. They'll make exceptions for him if they have to."

"Can you give us any guarantee, though?" James asked. "Any precise example of the Astute Office ignoring a person's criminal history in order to help them?"

Sahara frowned thoughtfully. "It's not quite the same, since he wasn't an Astute, and he wasn't so much a criminal as a black sheep, but he did break some laws here and there. Are any of you familiar with Newt Scamander?"

Harry was the only one who seemed to not recognize the name.

"I don't think there's any Hogwarts alumni in our generation who hasn't heard of him," Sirius said. "But what does he have to do with the Astute Office?"

"He's the one who brought me there," Sahara answered. "And he's my dad."

"You're Newt Scamander's daughter?" Lily asked in shock.

Sahara nodded. "Adopted, but yes. Does that help at all?"

"It doesn't hurt," James admitted. "At least, Dumbledore never allowed an unkind word to be said about your father in front of him. But-"

Sahara blinked. "Which Dumbledore?"

James started to answer, but Lily cut him off. "You know more than one?" she asked sternly.

Something in Lily's tone made Sahara pause. "Yes?"

"Then which do you think we're talking about?"

"Albus, since you mentioned Hogwarts, and he was the first person Newt introduced me to. They seemed like old friends."

Lily glanced at James. "And what do you think of Albus?"

"He's a little weird, but nice." Sahara frowned slightly. "You seem wary of him. Why?"

Sirius sighed. "Because he would have had a great deal of say in what happened to Harry. So the fact that Harry was placed with the Dursleys, who were not kind to him? That means James and Lily aren't too happy with Albus right now. Neither am I, frankly. It's true that he hasn't had a chance to explain his logic to us, if there was any involved. But we can't meet with him, given each of our current situations. He would probably be forced to Stun us on sight, if anyone else was around."

"I see." Sahara thought for a moment. "If it helps, I've only met him once, and he isn't the Dumbledore I'd be asking you to place the most trust in. I'm asking you to trust the one person that I trust most in the world. So I'm not asking you to do anything that I haven't done myself."

Lily turned to Harry. "I don't know if this is safe for any of us, Harry. We can't really know who our allies are now. But if you're willing to trust Sahara, we will pursue this."

Harry was quiet for a moment. Finally, he turned to his father. "Why were you so sure you could trust Sirius, despite everything?"

"I knew him," James said simply. "He was as good as my brother. It's true, that one of my closest friends betrayed me. And I had reason to suspect each of them. But Sirius... if he could betray me, I don't think I could ever fully trust anyone else again. That's how close we were. Does that help?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Sahara and I aren't that close, but she's one of the first people I've actually wanted to trust. So if she could betray me, I don't think I'll ever trust anyone else so easily. I want to take a chance on her. We need more information, and we aren't going to get it by hiding out like we have been."

There was a loud splat, and Harry whirled around to see a large clump of mud slowly flopping its way across the ground.

Lily frowned. "Judging by the trail, that's the post bird I killed."

"No offense, Lils, but I don't think it's a bird, and you clearly did not kill it," Sirius commented.

"You couldn't kill it, if it was one of mine," Sahara pointed out. "If you let it dry out, it should look more like a bird."

After some hesitation, Lily knelt down and touched the mud. At once, any moisture in it seemed to vanish, leaving only a small mass of sand. James joined his wife, swirling his finger in the sand, which grew denser as he did so.

"I do sense a will, of sorts," James murmured. "It knows what shape it wants to be, but it doesn't need so large a form now. So, it'll settle for something more compact." He dipped his hand into the sand, and drew out the shape of a small bird, which flapped its wings a few times, then hopped onto Harry's shoulder. "As it is a post bird," James explained, "I suppose it's waiting for a response."

"We're doing this, then?" Sirius asked, glancing around the group.

"I want to," Harry said. "Sorry if it causes trouble for you, Sirius."

Sirius grinned. "Never apologize for causing trouble for a veteran troublemaker, Harry. It only makes us laugh."

Once she was done, Hermione Granger paused to catch her breath, and then stared defiantly at the man seated on the other side of the desk.

"That was a very... detailed outline of the issues you had with the Headmaster's speech, Miss Granger," her new Head of House murmured. "Perhaps I should have asked you to write it-"

"I can have it on your desk first thing in the morning, Professor!" Hermione interrupted firmly.

"I have no doubt that you will." He turned away and began to pull certain books from his bookshelf. "Many first years have trouble adjusting to Hogwarts. In particular, students from Muggle families can find certain aspects of the magical curriculum challenging. But, I highly doubt you will have many of those difficulties. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if you are destined for Ministry work one day."

Hermione blushed slightly as he turned to face her. "I'm flattered by your praise, sir."

"It was less praise and more an informed opinion, but if you wish to take it that way, I won't object." He placed the small stack of books on his desk. "These texts are not specifically related to the concerns you raised, but I am quite interested in your perspective on them. Only if you should have some spare time, of course."

Having considered herself a "professional" student for most of her life, Hermione could tell the difference between busy work and extra credit. She understood that this assignment was a bit of both. Her professor was challenging her, and she had no intention of disappointing him. "I'm sure I'll find time, sir," she said, picking up the books with no hesitation.

"Excellent." He gave her a small smile. "I believe there is a very bright future in store for you, here in Ravenclaw, Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded eagerly and grinned, hugging the books to her chest. "Thank you very much, Professor Quirrel!"

THEN

"She's a bit young, yeah? Doubt she's even finished Hogwarts."

"No point arguing. It was a direct order. You want to say no, I'll send flowers to your widow."

The two men glanced at the young girl, who was standing a few feet away, staring at the moon. When they began to move toward her, she turned at once, her wand aimed at their chests. She did not lower it when she recognized their masks.

"We're to show you the ropes," one of the men said. "You'll get no favoritism here. You earn your spot, or you don't."

"I understand," she replied.

"What's your name again? Something weird, right?"

She glared at him. "Hampny Road."

The second man snorted. "Stands out too much. Lane, that's better. Still a street and all."

The girl offered no protest, and would have been ignored even if she had.

NOW

When the word had come down that Sirius Black had been spotted, there was no time to think. Seconds later, Lane was racing down a hill, a shadow among shadows, approaching the graveyard as fast as they could without giving themselves away. And exactly as the report had said, there they were: the Potters and Sirius Black. Even as her eyes confirmed the sight, her brain had trouble accepting it.

"No one even breathe until I give the word," muttered the hooded man in front of her. "They're making contact. We need to know with who."

That was news to Lane. She had thought the whole purpose of the assignment was to find Black. He was supposed to be unpredictable and dangerously clever, so it hadn't seemed odd that such a large group was sent to bring him in, particularly if he was likely to have the Ministry hot on his trail. And he was supposed to be taken alive, that had been stressed over and over. Though, why he wouldn't simply come along quietly, had not been. They were all supposed to be on the same side, weren't they? Black had Harry Potter under Imperius so he could easily be handed over, right? Why was this sounding so much more complicated suddenly? While she was nowhere near highly-ranked enough to be told every detail, she could tell that several of the others who were, seemed confused, as well. That did not exactly inspire confidence.

Nor did the abrupt appearance of a white-robed girl, through some means that was clearly not Apparition. Lane had no time to process what that might mean, because with a quick hand signal, their group was closing in, wands at the ready. In all honesty, she had no idea who she was meant to aim at, but assumed the targets present who could be taken alive, were meant to be.

She would not exactly have been shocked to learn that she was the only Death Eater who engaged with that mindset.

THEN

The villagers had not exactly been all that helpful, in Newt's opinion. At least, they never intended to be.

They all knew exactly where the Obscurial could be found. Not that it had ever been a secret, or in any way concealed from anyone with even one working eye or ear.

But the information that would have been truly helpful: her exact birth-date, her parents, details of her childhood. Those records had either never been kept, or more likely destroyed to protect her family from any association with her.

Even so, Newt had never been easily persuaded to give up. And while the physical records could no longer be obtained, there were villagers with long memories.

The story that began to develop was not pleasant, nor had Newt expected it to be. The one detail that was repeated in every version was the child's immunity to nearly all offensive spells. And yet, the reports of scars all over her body said different. Someone had found a way to wound her, though no one could agree on what spell had managed it. It finally occurred to Newt, that this could be explained by a volley of spells being fired all at once, either by a firing squad, or nearly every villager driving her out by force. Newt felt the former was more accurate, as every witness had been exclusively male and above a certain age. But for her to have gained a reputation for near-immunity, surely they had hit her with every spell they knew? No wonder she preferred to live alone among the sand dunes, far removed from the village, and attacked anything man-shaped that approached.

But that was only half of the cruelty she was forced to carry with her, and all that, only determined wizards such as Newt would ever understand about her, because she would let no one get close enough to learn the rest. And of them, Newt alone was allowed to witness the awful truth, and only after hours of pleading, dodging, deflecting, and enduring.

And when it was over, there was only Newt, staring up into the sky, so exhausted he could barely move, and a weeping girl with her head pillowed on his leg. Any physical pain he should have been feeling in that moment, he was numb to. If a child could endure what she had for this long, he felt he had no right to complain about what he had gone through that day. Even if it hurt like hell, it was a hell that he would eventually outgrow and escape. But hers was a hell that no amount of growth would free her from, not with the clock that bound all Obscurials ticking ominously away. And while he had somehow managed to reach her, to seize her hand and offer some momentary relief, it was not enough. She needed help he could not give, and had no real idea how to find that for her.

There was only one man he ever really considered taking her to. And not for the most obvious reason, although that indeed turned out to be a great deal of help for Newt and the girl both, in the end.

Continued in Chapter 9: Gods of War and the Order

Harry and Sahara reunite, only to immediately be targeted. Sirius recognizes another Death Eater, but with far more serious implications this time. Harry is still debating whether to trust the Astutes when another major power makes itself known.

Endnotes:

This business with Johnny Depp is a mixed bag. On one hand: very talented actor, he could lie to my face and I'd applaud, so I feel safest assuming nothing. On the other, the actor who replaced him is another of my favorite villains. And now I can actually imagine Grindelwald eating his victims with a nice wine selection as a result. Maybe this is for the best, in the end. I'll say no more.

Quirrel will be different by design.

Please don't ask where Flitwick is, I haven't forgotten him. Related, I almost titled the following chapter "Ravenclaw, Risen".

I hope Lane isn't too obvious, but possibly she is. No worries if your inner Ravenclaw is shaking their head in disgust at how easy it was to solve. They can't all be worthy of the talking eagle knocker.