Once more, my beta-readers, fredfred and InquisitorCOC, deserve a huge thank you. Their help is invaluable.
Chapter 45: The Trip to Berlin
Black Lake, Scotland, Britain, December 26th, 2005
"Now, with regards to the 'Russian problem', as you called it, we have far more options now that I've obtained a wand and made contact with my friends, but we still need more information to make plans," Hermione said. "Putin will be prepared for some of our past tricks."
"It doesn't pay to underestimate the Russians," Grindelwald agreed.
"That is true, although I have to point out that we don't have as many assets in Russia as we should have for a move against Putin himself," Dumbledore replied. "Possibly enough, though, or so I hope, to gain sufficient intel to gather more through magical means."
The old man talked about magic as if it were normal. So much for old people being stuck in their ways, Ron thought.
"Do you know Legilimency?" wizarding Luna asked. "I've always wanted to learn it, but I haven't yet had the time."
"No, I don't," Hermione said, with that twitch to her jaw muscles that she always had when admitting that she didn't know something. "But we can use Veritaserum."
"Ah, right! That's not illegal here, either!" wizarding Luna said, nodding. "I almost forgot."
"We need some of that as well, I think," Luna said.
"I can get some - Daddy knows some good potioneers," her counterpart replied.
Ron could imagine what use Luna would get out of that, though she probably had a few more in mind he hadn't thought of. "Kidnapping someone for interrogation with Veritaserum will be tricky," he said.
"Yes," Hermione agreed. "They'll be missing, or at least drugged, for hours. That will draw attention."
"Not if we plan it well," Dumbledore contradicted her. "A known drunk sleeping off his hangover?" He shook his head. "Nothing suspicious there."
"And most Russians are drunks," Grindelwald added. "Though the worst of them won't be trusted by Putin with any crucial information. He isn't stupid."
"Quite. But even those who aren't trusted know valuable intel - provided one can put the pieces together," Dumbledore pointed out.
Grindelwald scowled at that, Ron noticed, but that only seemed to make Dumbledore smile more.
"Be that as it may, we can't make any detailed plans without more intel," Hermione said. "However, I can give you an overview of the magical means at our disposal: We can disillusion ourselves, apparate, erase and replace memories, compel people to act in a certain way by modifying their memories, duplicate and conjure things such as valuables and take the form of others for an hour, or longer. We've also now acquired flying brooms, and we can shrink people and gear easily, and house a squad or more in a tent, hidden from muggle senses. And we can cast spells on an area that will make muggles ignore it. Those are just the main spells and tools we have now."
Dumbledore beamed. "If I'd had those at my disposal when I was in Her Majesty's service… I dare say history would have happened differently. Britain's foes wouldn't have known what hit them."
"Does that include the Yankees?" Grindelwald asked.
"I would hope not." This time, Dumbledore's smile slipped a little, and Grindelwald grinned.
"Oh…" Luna was beaming. Probably at the hint of buried secrets, Ron thought. Or - and his stomach started to sink - she had realised that wizarding Luna had access to all of those spells, potions and items as well.
They really needed to sort out the two Lunas' plans. That was the next item, wasn't it? Ron cleared his throat. "Speaking of areas enchanted to turn away people…"
"Oh! We haven't had time, yet, to turn Parkinson Manor into a nature reserve, but we'll do so as soon as possible," Luna said.
"Oh, yes!" Sirius exclaimed with a chuckle. "They deserve that - stuck-up wankers, the lot of them!"
"Do you plan to influence the Parkinsons and the Malfoys to consider it their decision to stop working their lands?" Dumbledore asked.
"We have to," Luna said, "or they'll blame their staff. And that would mean the workers wouldn't get compensation for being fired."
"Yes," wizarding Luna agreed. "Usually, muggles make up excuses themselves when affected by Muggle-Repelling Charms, but since the Malfoys, and I assume the Parkinsons, rarely visit, much less work on, their lands, that wouldn't happen here."
"Ah." Dumbledore nodded. "That's good to know."
"Yes." Wizarding Luna nodded with a wide smile. "We don't want to hurt the muggles if we can help it."
"A laudable stance. Although you might not be able to avoid hurting people," Dumbledore said.
Luna matched the old man's gaze. "Something you're very familiar with, right?"
"Yes."
The two were really far too close for comfort, in Ron's opinion.
Alte Strasse, Berlin, Magical Prussia, December 27th, 2005
"This brings back memories," Ron heard Grindelwald say as they walked down the main street of Berlin's magical quarter. "It's like the last sixty years never happened."
"The area wasn't touched by the war," Hermione explained. "This world's Grindelwald had it covered by wards strong enough to repel or divert even massed attacks by strategic bombers."
"Divert?" Grindelwald shook his head. "That would explain why the streets next to it were completely destroyed during the war."
"And the Muggle-Repelling Charms kept the Red Army and the Wehrmacht from entering the area, I presume," Dumbledore said. Like everyone else in their group, the old man was in disguise. A fake beard, inserts to make his face appear rounder, and makeup to mask its contours. Impressive, though not perfect - although, as the former spymaster had said, it just had to be good enough.
"Yes," Hermione, who was wearing a blonde wig again, confirmed. "There was some fighting during the end of Grindelwald's reign, but the damage was repaired."
Which meant that the patch of rubble they saw in front of them - covering enough ground for three houses - was the Stone Louse Sanctuary. To think that wizarding Luna had managed to create ruins where two wars had failed to make a lasting change…
"Oh! It's feeding time! Look!" the witch in question exclaimed. She was already rushing to the fence surrounding the area, where a wizard in grey robes was waving his wand around. "Look! Look!" Luna, who was wearing the same disguise and looked like her twin, was already hot on her heels.
Ron exchanged a glance with Hermione, who sighed. "I hope she doesn't break her cover," she muttered as they followed.
"Please stay back," Ron heard the wizard say - in English, fortunately. "These are dangerous animals."
"What? No, they aren't!" wizarding Luna protested. "Well, unless you're a stone statue, I guess. Or petrified - was that ever tested? Do they eat petrified people?"
"No, miss, that hasn't been tested."
"Well, it should be - if you ever have a Basilisk running rampant, you need to know if you have to take extra precautions," wizarding Luna said. "And who knows what ingesting petrified flesh would do to the poor things!"
The German wizard looked about as taken aback as Ron felt. Even for a witch, wizarding Luna was eccentric. Hell, even for a Luna, probably.
"Well, the last Basilisk attack in Prussia happened during the Thirty Years' War," the wizard replied. "And the last in Europe, not counting the Hogwarts incident, was in 1740 in Transylvania."
Apparently, the wizard was an expert on magical creatures. Well, it stood to reason that someone working with such dangerous animals would be well-trained.
"Why don't you count the Hogwarts attack?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"Ah, you're British."
"I am, yes," Hermione told him.
"I'm Prussian," Grindelwald cut in. "But it's been a while since I was in the area."
"Ah." For a moment, the other wizard scrutinised the German. Then he nodded. "The attack was never officially confirmed, and there were no deaths. Can you imagine a Basilisk attack without deaths?" He chuckled. "What's next, a vegetarian Nundu?"
Ron chuckled at the - even to him - obvious joke. Hermione didn't. "I was there," she said.
"But did you see the corpse?" The Prussian wizard didn't wait for her answer. "Sounded more like a Medusa having fun to me."
Hermione managed to control her temper, Ron noted with relief.
"Can you feed the poor things now?" wizarding Luna asked. "We don't want to upset their schedule, do we?"
The German wizard looked like he wanted to tell her something but nodded instead. "Alright."
A moment later, the amount of broken stone, bricks and concrete slabs started to multiply.
"Doubling Charm," Hermione, standing next to Ron, whispered.
After about half a minute, during which the rubble grew enough to fill half the lot, the German wizard waved his wand again, and the rubble stopped growing.
"Oh! Look! They're already eating! Must have been starving, the poor things!" wizarding Luna commented. She was holding what looked like a steampunk version of night vision goggles in front of her face and was almost folded in half over the fence that kept spectators away from the rubble.
"You can spot the lice from here?" Hermione asked.
"Yes."
"Those aren't normal Omnioculars, are they?"
"Special enchantment for zooming in," wizarding Luna explained. "Oh! Two lice are fighting over a brick! You should duplicate that brick so there's enough for everyone."
Ron couldn't tell if she was having all of them on. He shook his head, then blinked. There was a small - the size of a credit card, actually - plaque mounted in front of the lot that he had missed until now. 'Stone Louse Reserve'. Nothing else. Wait… He knelt down in front of it and peered at the plaque. In tiny letters, it spelt out: 'Mandated by the ICW in 2002'. It looked like whoever had installed the plaque had been petty or had a sense of humour. Or both.
After watching stone slowly - very slowly - vanishing for about ten minutes, with the Lunas and Hermione sharing the special Omnioculars, they finally left the sanctuary and continued their walk down the main street of the Alte Strasse. Which was, now that Ron thought of it, a little misleading, seeing as it meant 'Old Street' if translated literally, but it was more than a single street.
He snorted - they were here to buy unicorn horns and to find a discreet and possibly unscrupulous Healer, not to ponder German - or Prussian - naming conventions.
"So, now that we have seen the best Magical Prussia has to offer, we're going to see the worst?" wizarding Luna asked.
"I hope not," Hermione replied. "We merely want to purchase a rare ingredient and hire a discreet professional."
"Preferably without getting ambushed by the not so discreet career criminals in the area," Ron said. Harry, Sirius and Ginny were in Berlin proper - it would have been foolish to enter with more people than Hermione and wizarding Luna could transport by Side-Along-Apparition - but the best they could do, should the group get into trouble, was to call the wizarding Weasleys. They weren't really proper reserves, as Sirius had complained.
Well, they weren't fighting a war, at least. And Rin wasn't sure if he'd feel better if Harry and Sirius were with them instead of the two old men - although the chance anyone would see through Harry's disguise and mistake him for his counterpart was probably a little too high, and Sirius's counterpart had once been the most wanted man in both Britain and wizarding Britain. This world's Grindelwald, on the other hand, hadn't been seen for over fifty years before dying in prison and this world's Dumbledore was dead. Or confirmed dead, as the old man would say.
He still had a slightly bad feeling about this. Like an itch that he couldn't scratch.
"I doubt that there are many criminals who would attack half a dozen wizards and witches," Hermione said.
"Not after we took care to look the part," Luna added, running a hand over her 'duellist robes', as Hermione had called the tightly-cut coat-like dark robe with splits from the hem to the waist both in the front and the back.
"And if worst comes to worst, we're not entirely defenceless," Dumbledore said with a rather mischievous smile. "While most of the gadgets shown in certain spy movies are the product of a fertile but impractical imagination, not everything shown there is fictional."
"Oh, yes!" Luna agreed, brandishing what looked like a pen.
"We're still disapparating as a first response to trouble," Hermione told them.
"Unless that's being magically blocked," Ron couldn't resist pointing out, which earned him a frown from her.
"Let's go. 'Bernhards Brockenhaus' should be right around the corner," Hermione said.
It wasn't - they had to walk past a dozen shops, each of them a little grungier than the one before, until they reached an old shop with barred windows and a very solid looking door.
Behind him, he heard Luna ask "What does 'Brockenhaus' mean? Broken House?"
"It's a Swiss term for a thrift shop," Grindelwald explained.
Hermione led the way in, and 'thrift shop' was a very apt description, Ron found - the store was crammed full of stuff. Half of the things Ron could see he didn't recognise at all, and the other half looked decidedly weird. Or 'off'.
"Willkommen im Brockenhaus," the old man behind the counter greeted them. Old wizard, Ron corrected himself - the man had his wand out, next to his hand.
"Guten Tag," Grindelwald returned the greeting, looking around.
"Suchen Sie etwas Bestimmtes?" the clerk asked. Ron didn't have to speak German to know what the man was offering to help them find whatever they were looking for; he knew that tone.
"Wir schauen uns nur mal um," Grindelwald told him.
"Natürlich."
"Don't touch anything," Hermione whispered, "there are strong curses on the wares."
"It must make shopping expensive," Luna said, "if they have to remove a curse every time they sell something."
Ron studied the clerk while the others looked for a unicorn horn. The man didn't react at all to their conversation. Which was why Ron was sure he understood English perfectly - people were usually a little nervous if an armed group of foreigners were in their shop and they had no idea what the group was talking about.
And that the man was trying to hide his grasp of the language instead of trying to use it to make a sale wasn't a good sign, either.
Ron kept an eye on the clerk, which meant he didn't look for a unicorn horn himself. Though he'd expect such a rare item to be prominently displayed in the shop - or not at all. Although it had to be admitted that the sheer variety of goods was a little distracting.
"Oh! A Donnerschlag! They're almost as good as the first model Firebolts, and most of the series are still used by Quidditch teams!" wizarding Luna exclaimed. "At this price, it's a steal!"
Which probably meant that the broom was stolen. Ron knew of a few thrift shops in London which fenced stolen goods. And had the clerk reacted to that?
"Look at this, Gellert!" Dumbledore spoke up. "A vintage Wehrmacht uniform. With a gas mask."
"A Nazi uniform?" Hermione sounded surprised.
"Ein Sammlerstück," the clerk said.
"People collect these?" She shook her head.
"It's a part of our history," Grindelwald told her. "Even though a lot of Germans try to ignore it."
"Fascist fanboys," Luna said with a sneer.
"Not entirely," Dumbledore retorted. "While some are undoubtedly such, either out of ignorance or malice, others are merely overly fond of militaria, and not sufficiently educated in history. And there's also the allure of the forbidden fruit, of course, at least for Germans."
"And some are just stupid, like your youngest royal," Grindelwald added in a snide tone.
"Touché," Dumbledore acknowledged.
"You're British muggleborns." The clerk sounded surprised - and spoke English.
"You might call us that," Dumbledore replied, "though we haven't been in Wizarding Britain for a long time."
Ron refrained from rolling his eyes. The old spymaster was a little too fond of clever wordplay.
"Ich bin Deutscher," Grindelwald said. "Aber es ist eine Weile her seit ich in Preussen war."
"Deutscher." The clerk nodded as if that had a special meaning. Then he glanced at the Nazi uniform. "Haben Sie im Krieg gekämpft?"
He was asking about the war? Oh. He would mean Grindelwald's War, probably.
Grindelwald shrugged. "Nicht an der Front."
"Oh." Once again, the old clerk nodded again, and a small smile appeared on his face.
"Not all of us speak German," Hermione cut in with a frown.
"Sorry," the clerk said. He didn't look sorry in the least.
"We're looking for a unicorn horn," Grindelwald said after a glance at her.
"They're rare." The man sighed. "Ever since the British and the French clamped down on the trade, most people have turned to Prussia. Demand is high."
"We can pay," Grindelwald told him, dropping a purse on the counter.
"There's also the matter of possible repercussions," the clerk said after a glance at the purse. "The Feldjäger don't like it if we sell to dark wizards."
"We're not wanted in Prussia or Britain," Dumbledore replied. "And we won't use it for illegal purposes."
The clerk snorted. "Everyone claims that." He looked at the rest of the group. "Been working in the Americas?"
"Occasionally," Dumbledore replied.
"Fought in the British Civil War?"
"A few of us did - but it was before they joined us."
"I've got a few disagreements with the new regime."
Now Hermione was doing it as well. Ron didn't bother hiding his frown - the clerk would probably think it was aimed at the British Ministry of Magic.
"Ah." The clerk nodded. "They were far too lenient with the bastards. Should've killed them all. Like the bastards tried to do to… Grindelwald's forces."
Of which the old man had been a member, Ron was sure. Which made Grindelwald's presence here a bigger risk than they had thought. Great.
Hermione shrugged. "It's been seven years."
"So, do you have a unicorn horn?" Grindelwald asked, a little sharply.
"If you have the money."
Dumbledore reached out and picked the purse up, then started to pour out the gold inside. "I hope you don't mind Galleons."
"As long as you cover the cost of changing them into Taler…"
It took five minutes of haggling before they had an agreement, and five more minutes of spellcasting until Hermione was satisfied that the horn the clerk finally produced was genuine, but they managed to conclude the deal without ending up in a fight. Or without the clerk seeing through their disguises.
Ron sighed with relief once they were finally out on the street again.
"I'm sure he's a former Storm Wizard," Hermione said. "He all but admitted it."
"We were fortunate that he did not attempt to test our own claims," Dumbledore commented. "He must have had some doubts, but didn't want to risk the sale - or a trap."
"That's understandable - the Storm Wizards were never formally pardoned," Hermione said. "Not even the rank and file. Though not many actually were arrested and prosecuted, at least not in the last few decades."
Luna scoffed. "Like the Nazis."
"I believe the situation is a little more complex than that comparison would suggest," Dumbledore said.
"Grindelwald heavily recruited among the oppressed muggleborns in Europe," Hermione pointed out. "Although even their legitimate grievances didn't excuse the crimes they committed under his command."
Luna scoffed again.
"Well, ancient politics aside, that man is fencing stolen loot and poached animal parts," wizarding Luna said. "It's people like him that keep poachers and thieves in business."
She was frowning, but she didn't seem to be as angry as Ron would have expected.
Hermione must have noticed as well since she quickly cast a privacy charm - Ron was now very familiar with the slight buzzing sound the spell caused. "What did you do, Luna?"
"Uh… nothing?"
"Luna."
"It's best you don't know. Plausible deniability, and all." The witch beamed at them.
"Luna…"
"Really. You can't prove it was me. Besides, if he had been using the proper household spells, he would have been fine. So, it's his fault, really. Twice over."
"Household spells? Luna! You didn't!" Hermione sounded aghast.
"What did she do?" Ron asked. He was missing something. He hadn't seen her cast a spell, but he had been focused on the clerk…
"She must have released Stone Lice in the shop."
"You can't prove it!"
"I neither need nor want to prove it - but the Prussian authorities will. They know that we visited the Sanctuary," Hermione pointed out.
"But we're in disguise," wizarding Luna retorted. "If they'd recognised me, they'd be far less polite." She nodded. "The Prussians are still grumpy about the ICW ruling against their greed and in favour of nature."
"And who else would set such lice free?" Hermione shook her head and put both hands on her hips.
"It happened before. That's why all the neighbouring buildings have wards against insects," wizarding Luna replied. "It doesn't do their gardens any good, but they never think of that."
The gardens must be in the back, then. Good to know.
"And the other wizard didn't see through my disguise, either," Grindelwald added. "Or Albus's."
Hermione didn't look very reassured, but Ron didn't think the Prussians would be able to pin this on wizarding Luna - although they might try to make her a scapegoat even without any evidence or clues. He'd seen it before with certain firms blaming Greenpeace for a burglary or accident. "How long will it take the lice to, ah, do anything notable?" he asked.
"A day, probably. The cuties need to reorient themselves first, and find the tastiest stone," wizarding Luna explained.
"We'll be gone by then," Luna said.
"We still need to find a discreet Healer," Dumbledore pointed out.
"And a trustworthy one," Hermione said. "Those qualities do not often go together."
"More often than you might think," the old spymaster retorted, "at least in our world."
"I guess you have a flexible definition of trustworthy," she shot back.
"Oh, most people are trustworthy if you have the right sort of leverage," Grindelwald added. "It's finding that leverage that's the challenge. Although often enough, you just need to make them commit a crime and then force them to incriminate themselves further."
"Indeed." Dumbledore inclined his head. "Although it's best to use a light hand. Force breeds resentment while rewards can brew loyalty."
"We're just going to hire a Healer for one set of treatments," Hermione replied. "We're not going to…" She blinked, then gasped. "No. Are you planning to force a Healer into working for you?"
"I'm not actually planning to force anyone to work for us - certainly not someone supposed to keep us healthy. But a little insurance usually never hurts. And a competent, discreet Healer on retainer would be a boon," Dumbledore said. "I would even say they might be a necessity if we happen upon serious trouble. It could save your life."
"But the sort of people who would work in such a position for monetary rewards are also likely to be tempted to leverage their magic for even bigger gains. Such as taking over your group. Or striking out on their own somewhere in our world. Or even betraying us for a reward in the magical world." Hermione shook her head. "It's too dangerous to trust a mercenary when you can't match their magic."
"But you could - and I dare say, Miss Lovegood would be able to as well, wouldn't you?"
"Probably. Unless you are hiring an experienced duellist or dark wizard," wizarding Luna replied. "But we'll be busy saving the planet."
"Yes," Luna cut in. "You'll need someone else to stand guard at the portal."
"Well, the portal itself grants a lot of leverage as the only way home," Dumbledore retorted. "At least as long as Dr Granger is the only one able to open it. Although I trust that you have taken steps to ensure that Miss Lovegood will be able to learn your ritual, should anything happen to you, lest she would become stranded in our world."
But that would also mean Hermione would be, in a way, expendable. Not that Ron expected Dumbledore to try and replace her with wizarding Luna - only a fool would think they could control her. Not with wizarding Luna owing far less, if anything at all, to Dumbledore.
"Yes," Hermione said. "Although this also accelerates our need to open a second portal as a backup site."
Dumbledore smiled. "As soon as you have found a location, we can start construction. A few spells will help with secrecy, I expect. And with tracking down existing leaks, I hope."
Obliviating the workers would certainly cut down on leaks - and unlimited access to Veritaserum would help with finding a traitor as well. Especially if your employees wouldn't remember being drugged and interrogated… They'd need Hermione for that, of course - but that might just be a way to gain more leverage on her, as Grindelwald had mentioned.
Great.
"That still doesn't change the fact that finding a trustworthy Healer will be very difficult," Hermione said. "I would have preferred to hire a muggleborn Healer in Britain - someone who would be unlikely to value the Statute of Secrecy higher than muggles in need of treatment, but, due to my mistake in Knockturn Alley, that avenue is now closed."
"Our mistake," Ron corrected her.
She frowned at him. "I was the one who got impatient, and didn't inform myself about the changes to the area."
"It doesn't matter," Grindelwald said. "What matters is finding a Healer."
"Magical Prussia isn't the best place for that," Hermione replied. "Durmstrang, the best school covering the country, doesn't accept muggleborn students."
"There are no suitable muggleborn Healers, then?" Dumbledore asked.
"Those who managed to receive a Healer's education despite the discrimination are unlikely to risk their careers for strangers," Hermione told him.
"In my experience, a large sum of money tends to solve that particular problem," Grindelwald said with a scoff.
"Even if it did, finding a mercenary who will stay bought isn't easy," Hermione retorted.
"There's no honour among thieves," Luna added, "or among mercenaries. They work for the highest bidder - those who rule the country, either openly or from the shadows."
"And you can't pass as wizards." Hermione shook her head. "Any competent Healer will detect the various non-magical treatments you received in the past, and realise that you're muggles."
She'd said that before, but it bore repeating. He spoke up: "I don't think we'll have much luck here. Most of us don't even speak the language."
"I concur," Dumbledore said. "While Gellert and I would have no trouble with German, we aren't familiar enough with Magical Prussia. We would draw attention, or so I believe."
Grindelwald scoffed but didn't contradict him.
"Not to mention that we should vacate the premises before Luna's little surprise is discovered," Ron added.
"It was always a long shot to find a Healer in Berlin," Hermione said.
"Are we going to France then?" wizarding Luna asked.
"No," Hermione replied. "Our best bet is, in my opinion, the New World. But first, I'll brew Ricklestorf's Restoration Potion."
Black Lake, Scotland, Britain, December 28th, 2005
"That's the potion?" judging by his expression and tone, Grindelwald didn't seem to trust Hermione.
"Yes," she replied. "Perfectly brewed, I might add."
"In your tent."
"Yes. Where I've brewed many other potions of similar complexity." Hermione frowned.
"No one doubts your skill, Doctor. And you have our heartfelt thanks," Dumbledore said with a glance at Grindelwald. "So, do we take this before or after dinner?"
"That doesn't matter - it's magic, not medicine," she told him.
"Then let's wait until after dinner," Grindelwald said.
"You prefer a last meal?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.
Dumbledore laughed at his joke - though not very long. Though both Grindelwald and Hermione frowned at Ron.
"It's perfectly safe." She pursed her lips. "Safer than any experimental anti-ageing drug. This potion has been used for decades."
"And that was the main reason unicorns were an endangered species for years," wizarding Luna added. "Too many people wanted to prolong their lives a few more years."
"A quite understandable stance, I have to say," Dumbledore replied. "Who wouldn't want to live a little longer, provided they were healthy?"
"Those who want to live forever, no matter the cost," wizarding Luna told him with an unusually serious - or even sad - expression.
"Like Voldemort," Hermione said. "He split his soul, damning himself to never ever be able to pass on, in his attempt to stave off death. Yet, at the end of the day, death claimed him as well."
"Poetic," Grindelwald said. "But I've never been very religious."
"Well, souls exist. Magic can affect them," Hermione told him. "No one knows what happens after death, though."
The German scoffed.
"I think most people won't be in a hurry to find out," Dumbledore said with a wry smile.
"I'm just saying that there are fates worse than death. Literally," Hermione said. "The Ministry of Magic used to have certain monsters devour a condemned prisoner's soul as the ultimate capital punishment."
"Technically, it's still legal - but they don't do it any more," wizarding Luna said.
"What?" Hermione looked shocked. "They haven't abolished that… that…"
"Not formally."
"First Azkaban, now this…"
Ron could see Hermione's muscles twitch as she clenched her teeth. He reached out to pat her hand.
"Well," Dumbledore spoke up after a moment, "Perhaps we should drink the potions now."
Grindelwald grunted his agreement.
Both unstoppered their vials and raised them in a silent toast before drinking.
Ron watched them. Both gasped a moment after finishing, Dumbledore closing his eyes. Then they trembled before sighing. And did a few wrinkles vanish? Or, at least, grew less pronounced?
"Oh, my." Dumbledore blinked. "This is… marvellous."
Greenwich, London, Wizarding Britain, December 29th, 2005
"Thank you for doing business with us," the shady man behind the counter said in a bad imitation of a clerk in a posh store.
A real clerk in a posh store would have offered to help Ron and Harry with the heavy dresser they were manhandling out of the door.
Struggling with the weight - these antiques were far heavier than modern furniture - Ron merely nodded and focused on not letting the massive thing drop. Hermione's Mending Charm would deal with any sort of damage from such a fall - but the clerk might grow suspicious if they didn't act like they cared about further damage.
Once outside, loading the thing into the rented van, Harry complained. "All this just for some money? When Dumbledore's fencing gold?"
"It's a source of clean money," Ron replied. Harry was correct that selling the magically restored piece of furniture wouldn't bring in much money compared to the old spymaster's budget, but it wouldn't raise any flags, and the money would have a proper paper trail. No one could be expected to have receipts for a piece of furniture bought by their grandparents, after all.
"They don't need laundered money," Harry retorted as they got into the van. "They have to use a fake identity anyway, and we'll be paying in gold."
"Technically, all of us except Hermione and the other Luna will be using fake IDs," Ron told him. And if wizarding Harry and wizarding Ron found out that they'd used fake IDs that matched theirs… "And we'll have to spend money in the USA as well. For a good hotel, at least."
"We could stay in wizarding tents," Harry said as he pulled out of the parking spot.
"That's not as safe there as it'd be here," Ron retorted. What he'd heard about the various wizarding enclaves on the East Coast made the Middle East sound peaceful and rational.
Harry didn't say anything for a little while as they drove towards the Grangers' house. "And I don't like travelling so far from the portal. Or for so long."
"That's why Grindelwald will not be coming with us," Ron replied.
"We'd still be stranded here if something happens in the resort."
"That's also why Dumbledore and Grindelwald are laundering money," Ron pointed out. In theory, they could just use magic to grab what they needed, but paying for things would reduce the risk of catching the attention of the wizarding police - the Aurors. They only needed one of everything, anyway - they could duplicate them, in a pinch. Still, even using magic, setting up a portal site would take time.
Harry grumbled something Ron didn't catch. Probably about them not having to help the old men any more. Well, Ron agreed with him. But Hermione insisted on fulfilling her side of their deal.
Well, he had always wanted to travel to the United States.
Black Lake, Scotland, Britain, December 29th, 2005
"I still marvel at how much younger I feel," Dumbledore said as he sat down at the table in the lounge.
"It's mostly the absence of pain," Grindelwald added.
"Even a pain-relieving drug that does not carry the danger of getting addicted to it, or affecting your ability to think, would be a great boon," the former spymaster countered. "But it's more than that - I feel fitter as well."
"Don't try a cartwheel, please. I'd rather not go to America in your place because you've hurt yourself."
Ron had to chuckle at that.
"I'm certain Dr Granger would be able to deal with any wound I might occur."
Grindelwald scoffed.
"Nevertheless, I do feel like a young man of, say, sixty years." Dumbledore smiled widely. "If a few specialised healing spells can improve on that…"
"Are you planning to return to the field?" Luna asked.
"Oh, no!" The old man shook his head as his friend scoffed again. "That's behind me."
"To your great regret," Grindelwald said. "You always loved the field."
"I met you there."
The two old men looked at each other, sharing a smile.
Ron felt more than a little uneasy - was this an act or were the two men actually feeling so comfortable with the group that they'd be so… affectionate in their presence? Or was this a combination of both? Wizarding Luna was beaming at them, and Luna was smiling as well. Although in her case, that didn't have to mean she actually liked them. On the other hand, she had been getting along very well with Dumbledore, especially given their differing view of politics.
Hermione joined them. "I've repaired the dresser. My parents will be looking for a buyer."
"So you could travel to America tomorrow," Grindelwald said.
"No, we can't!" wizarding Luna replied before Hermione could. "We can't miss the New Year's Ball!"
"And we won't find a Healer in two days," Hermione added.
"A few more days won't harm us," Dumbledore said. "We shouldn't rush this, anyway."
Ron clenched his teeth for a moment at the implied criticism of his and Hermione's trip to Knockturn Alley.
"It's too bad you won't be attending," wizarding Luna went on. "It's the biggest party of the year. All my friends will be there. Apart from you."
"Even with the best disguises, I fear our secret would be revealed, should all of us attend the Ministry's ball," Dumbledore told her. "Mr Weasley is expected to attend, as he is already known by the public to be your boyfriend. But us?" He shook his head. "Someone would make the connection."
Ron nodded in agreement. The two Lunas were behaving so similarly, it would be obvious - even assuming Hermione's estimate of the intellectual capability of the average Ministry employee was true.
Though he couldn't help wondering if the trip to war-torn Magical America or the party at the British Ministry of Magic would be more dangerous for him.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
She raised her glass together with her friends, then took a sip. The champagne was good, but not great. It was the same brand her family had always bought for Christmas and New Year's, and she sighed for a moment, closing her eyes, as she thought of better times. Simpler times. When she hadn't celebrated New Year's in the middle of nowhere inside a hidden wizarding tent.
Then she emptied the glass and looked at her friend.
"Let's go," Harry said.
She nodded. Most of the Death Eaters would be at the Ministry's New Year's party. And most of the remaining Aurors would be guarding it. That meant Diagon Alley would be vulnerable.
As would Knockturn Alley.