Chapter 27:

"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"

He could have forced her away from the crib, but it seemed more prudent to finish them all…

The green light flashed around the room and she dropped like her husband. The children had not cried all this time: The boy could stand, clutching the bars of his crib, his sister sat beside him staring at the hood with wonder. He looked up into the intruder's face with a kind of bright interest, perhaps thinking that it was his father who hid beneath the cloak, making more pretty lights, and his mother would pop up any moment, laughing —

He pointed the wand very carefully into the boy's face: The girl began to cry instantly. He wanted to see it happen, the destruction of this one, inexplicable danger. The crying child caused her brother to begin to cry also: It had seen that he was not James. He did not like it crying, he had never been able to stomach the small ones whining in the orphanage —

"Avada Kedavra!"

And then he broke: He was nothing, nothing but pain and terror, and he must hide himself, not here in the rubble of the ruined house, where the children were trapped and screaming, but far away… far away…

The snake rustled on the filthy, cluttered floor, and he had killed the boy, and yet he was the boy…

And now he stood at the broken window of Bathilda's house, immersed in memories of his greatest loss, and at his feet the great snake slithered over broken china and glass… He looked down and saw something… something incredible…

"No…"

"Harry, it's all right, you're all right!"

He stooped down and picked up the smashed photograph. There he was, the unknown thief, the thief he was seeking…

"No I dropped it… I dropped it…"

"Harry, it's okay, wake up, wake up!"

Alicia jumped and found herself slumped against the side of the tent. She'd clearly fallen asleep while watching the tent entrance. The air was rather chilly, but Alicia's Phoenix Flint kept her from feeling it as she looked out at the stillness before dawn. The sky was a flat light, just beginning beyond the horizon. Hermione was awake behind her as Alicia rubbed her eyes and turned, Harry it seemed was becoming more awake and he was moaning, speaking aloud. It seemed Alicia's body bind had worn off.

Alicia yawned as Harry opened his eyes. He'd been dreaming of their parents death? Alicia frowned, that was something that only happened from the dementors.

"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Do you feel all — all right?"

"Yes," he lied.

"Sure…" Alicia said and Hermione turned to her as she stretched and then recoiled, grabbing her side. She was still for a moment before she moved over to Hermione and Harry. Harry was covered in sweat over his face and assumed he wasn't much different below, given his dream.

"We got away." Harry stated

"Yes," said Hermione. "I had to use a Hover Charm to get you into your bunk, I couldn't lift you. Alicia was putting up the charms. You've been… Well, you haven't been quite…"

"Or still, had to put a body bind jinx on you to keep you thrashing about." Alicia said as she kneeled beside her brother's bed.

"You've been ill," she finished. "Quite ill."

"You got a fever." Alicia said

"How long ago did we leave?"

"Hours ago. It's nearly morning."

"And I've been… what, unconscious?"

"Not exactly," said Hermione uncomfortably. "You've been shouting and moaning and… things," she added. Hermione looked at Alicia but she hadn't heard him shouting, only his moans.

"I couldn't get the Horcrux off you," Hermione said, changing the subject. "It was stuck, stuck to your chest. You've got a mark; I'm sorry, I had to use a Severing Charm to get it away."

"When did you do tat?" Alicia wondered

"I remembered it when I woke up." she confessed before turning back to Harry. "The snake bit you too, but I've cleaned the wound and put some dittany on it…"

Harry pulled the sweaty T-shirt he was wearing away from himself and looked down. There was a scarlet oval over his heart where the locket had burned him. He could also see the half-healed puncture marks to his forearm.

"Where've you put the Horcrux?"

"In my bag. I think we should keep it off for a while."

Alicia nodded. "Probably for the best."

He lay back on his pillows and looked into her pinched grey face.

"We shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow. It's my fault, it's all my fault, Hermione, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I wanted to go too; I really thought Dumbledore might have left the sword there for you."

"Yeah, well… we got that wrong, didn't we?"

"You two did. DIdn't I tell you all along it was dangerous, a trap and a waste of time, that the sword wouldn't be there? If you want to apologise to anyone it should be me. I'm the one who got stabbed after all."

"What?!" Harry sat himself up slightly and Alicia shrugged, she pulled her shirt up to show the half healed stab wound in her stomach.

"Piece of mirror as we were leaving." she mumbled "Seriously though, I expect apologies." she said looking at them both.

"We're sorry we didn't listen to you Alicia." Harry said and she nodded, leaving it at that.

"What happened, Harry? What happened when she took you upstairs? Alicia said Bathilda had spoken Parseltongue, but, she can't have. Was the snake hiding somewhere? Did it just come out and kill her and attack you?"

"No," he said. "She was the snake… or the snake was her… all along."

"W-what?" Alicia had the same expression as Hermione.

"Well… guess that'd explain the parseltongue." she mumbled

"Bathilda must've been dead a while. The snake was… was inside her. You-Know-Who put it there in Godric's Hollow, to wait. You were right. He knew I'd go back."

"The snake was inside her?"

"He must've cast some really dark magic to have the snake do that…" Alicia whispered, feeling disgusting as though something was inside her now. Hermione looked revolted as well, nauseated.

"Lupin said there would be magic we'd never imagined," Harry said. "She didn't want to talk in front of you, because it was Parseltongue, all Parseltongue, and I didn't realise, but of course I could understand her. Once we were up in the room, the snake sent a message to You-Know-Who, I heard it happen inside my head, I felt him get excited, he said to keep me there… and then…"

"You might not have recognised it… but I did. I had a terrible feeling off that women, and in her house made me feel trapped and in danger. I watched you with Bathilda when you were in the bedroom. I recognised the paresltongue when she asked if you were you." Alicia said and looked at Hermione.

"She checked who I was and then… she changed, changed into the snake, and attacked."

He looked down at the puncture marks.

"It wasn't supposed to kill me, just keep me there till You-Know-Who came."

Alicia nodded. "He wants to kill you himself, even Nagini can't have that right." she mumbled.

Harry said nothing before he sat up and threw back the covers.

"Harry, no, I'm sure you ought to rest!"

"You're the ones who needs sleep. No offence, but you both look terrible."

"I wont take offence, but Hermione actually slept."

"You didn't? You're injured!"

"I can sit at a tent entrance. It doesn't involve much movement you know."

"Well so can I. I'm fine. I'll keep watch for a while. Where's my wand?"

The two girls stayed silent and they shared a look as Harry looked down at them.

"Where's my wand, Hermione?"

She was biting her lip, and tears swam in her eyes. Alicia sighed.

"Harry…"

"Where's my wand?" When Hermione still hesitated Alicia picked the wand up from beside the bed and held it to her brother. He stared at it for a moment before he took it in his hands, as though it was a living thing that had suffered a terrible injury. After another moment, he held it out to Hermione.

"Mend it. Please."

"Harry, I don't think, when it's broken like this —"

"Please, Hermione, try!"

"R-Reparo."

The dangling half of the wand resealed itself. Harry held it up.

"Lumos!"

The wand sparked feebly, then went out. Harry pointed it at Hermione.

"Expelliarmus!"

Hermione's wand gave a little jerk, but did not leave her hand. The feeble attempt at magic was too much for Harry's wand, which split into two again. He stared at it, aghast, unable to take in what he was seeing… the wand that had survived so much…

"Harry," Hermione whispered so quietly he could hardly hear her. "I'm so, so sorry. I think it was me. As we were leaving, you know, the snake was coming for us, and so I cast a Blasting Curse, and it rebounded everywhere, and it must have — must have hit —"

"It was an accident," said Harry mechanically. "We'll — we'll find a way to repair it."

"Harry, I don't think we're going to be able to," said Hermione, the tears trickling down her face. "Remember… remember Ron? When he broke his wand, crashing the car? It was never the same again, he had to get a new one."

"I don't know if it can be fixed Harry." Alicia whispered and he looked at her. "Wands are different."

"Well," he said, in a falsely matter-of-fact voice, "well, I'll just borrow yours for now, then. While I keep watch."

The girls shared a look and Alicia handed her wand over.

"Mines close to yours, it might work better for you than Hermione's." she said and Harry took it. He got up and walked to the entrance of the tent. Hermione sobbed and Alicia hugged her.

"It's all my fault."

"We'll figure something out." Alicia whispered "If we need to steal another for him we will. But probably best we stay out of trouble while one of us is unarmed." Hermione said nothing but got up and moved for a chair, where she opened a book. It wasn't her book of children's stories, but a book Alicia had never seen before.

"What is that Hermione?"

"It's The Lite and Lies of Albus Dumbledore." she said carefully

"Where did you get that?"

"Bathilda's." Hermione muttered. Alicia pursed her lips and looked at the book, uncertain.

"What's it like…?" she asked carefully. Hermione responded by handing it over to Alicia. The black-haired girl took it as Hermione went to make some tea. Alicia opened it, causally flicking through for a bit before she stopped and her eyes widened. A photograph sat before her with the young Dumbledore and his handsome companion, roaring with laughter at some long-forgotten joke.

A caption sat below it.

Albus Dumbledore, shortly after his mother's death, with his friend Gellert Grindelwald.

Alicia stared at it. Grindelwald? Dumbledore and him were friends?

Well, they were both brilliant, even if Grindelwald was insane… perhaps its not surprising the two brilliant minds found one another… Alicia said frowning as she looked at the photograph.

She knew the face instantly, Harry had been dreaming about it and seeing it for ages, for Voldemort was after this person. This person had stolen something from Gregorovitch, the wand maker.

"Guys!" she said and Hermione and Harry both turned to her.

"What?" they both asked.

"Here." she got up and moved over to Harry, waving Hermione over as well.

"What's that?" Harry asked as he looked at the book.

"Hermione got it." she said as she showed the pristine cover.

"Where — how — ?"

"It was in Bathilda's sitting room, just lying there… This note was sticking out of the top of it."

Hermione read the few lines of spiky, acid-green writing aloud.

" 'Dear Batty, Thanks for your help. Here's a copy of the book, hope you like it. You said everything, even if you don't remember it. Rita.' I think it must have arrived while the real Bathilda was alive, but perhaps she wasn't in any fit state to read it?"

"No, she probably wasn't."

Harry looked at the book in Alicia's hands as Hermione watched him.

"You're still really angry at me, aren't you?" said Hermione she had fresh tears leaking out of her eyes, Harry's anger had shown in his face.

"No," he said quietly. "No, Hermione, I know it was an accident. You were trying to get us out of there alive, and you were incredible. I'd be dead if you and Alicia hadn't been there to help me."

"Well, anyway, here." Alicia said showing the photograph. "The guy in the photograph, that you were asking about?" Alicia said and Harry looked down at it.

Harry looked down at it and Hermione looked over Alicia's shoulder, looking at the photo and reading the caption.

Harry looked up first while Hermione was still contemplating the most important and surprising part of the caption. Slowly, she looked at the twins. "Grindelwald?"

Taking the book completely from Alicia Harry began to search the pages around them, ignoring the other photographs, for a recurrence of that fatal name. He found it and Alicia went to read, before Harry was turning the pages further back. Hermione moved around to Harry's other side to read as well once Harry stopped, at the beginning of the chapter titled "The Greater Good."

The three put their heads together and began to read:

Now approaching his eighteenth birthday, Dumbledore left Hogwarts in a blaze of glory — Head Boy, Prefect, Winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, Gold Medal-Winner for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo. Dumbledore intended, next, to take a Grand Tour with Elphias "Dogbreath" Doge, the dim-witted but devoted sidekick he had picked up at school.

The two young men were staying at the Leaky Cauldron in London, preparing to depart for Greece the following morning, when an owl arrived bearing news of Dumbledore's mother's death. "Dogbreath" Doge, who refused to be interviewed for this book, has given the public his own sentimental version of what happened next. He represents Kendra's death as a tragic blow, and Dumbledore's decision to give up his expedition as an act of noble self-sacrifice.

Certainly Dumbledore returned to Godric's Hollow at once, supposedly to "care" for his younger brother and sister. But how much care did he actually give them?

"He was a head case, that Aberforth," says Enid Smeek, whose family lived on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow at that time. "Ran wild. 'Course, with his mum and dad gone you'd have felt sorry for him, only he kept chucking goat dung at my head. I don't think Albus was fussed about him, I never saw them together, anyway."

So what was Albus doing, if not comforting his wild young brother? The answer, it seems, is ensuring the continued imprisonment of his sister. For, though her first jailer had died, there was no change in the pitiful condition of Ariana Dumbledore. Her very existence continued to be known only to those few outsiders who, like "Dogbreath" Doge, could be counted upon to believe in the story of her "ill health."

Another such easily satisfied friend of the family was Bathilda Bagshot, the celebrated magical historian who has lived in Godric's Hollow for many years. Kendra, of course, had rebuffed Bathilda when she first attempted to welcome the family to the village. Several years later, however, the author sent an owl to Albus at Hogwarts, having been favourably impressed by his paper on trans-species transformation in Transfiguration Today. This initial contact led to acquaintance with the entire Dumbledore family. At the time of Kendra's death, Bathilda was the only person in Godric's Hollow who was on speaking terms with Dumbledore's mother.

Unfortunately, the brilliance that Bathilda exhibited earlier in her life has now dimmed. "The fire's lit, but the cauldron's empty," as Ivor Dillonsby put it to me, or, in Enid Smeek's slightly earthier phrase, "She's nutty as squirrel poo." Nevertheless, a combination of tried-and-tested reporting techniques enabled me to extract enough nuggets of hard fact to string together the whole scandalous story.

Like the rest of the Wizarding world, Bathilda puts Kendra's premature death down to a backfiring charm, a story repeated by Albus and Aberforth in later years. Bathilda also parrots the family line on Ariana, calling her "frail" and "delicate." On one subject, however, Bathilda is well worth the effort I put into procuring Veritaserum, for she, and she alone, knows the full story of the best-kept secret of Albus Dumbledore's life. Now revealed for the first time, it calls into question everything that his admirers believed of Dumbledore: his supposed hatred of the Dark Arts, his opposition to the oppression of Muggles, even his devotion to his own family.

The very same summer that Dumbledore went home to Godric's Hollow, now an orphan and head of the family, Bathilda Bagshot agreed to accept into her home her great-nephew, Gellert Grindelwald.

The name of Grindelwald is justly famous: In a list of Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time, he would miss out on the top spot only because You-Know-Who arrived, a generation later, to steal his crown. As Grindelwald never extended his campaign of terror to Britain, however, the details of his rise to power are not widely known here.

Educated at Durmstrang, a school famous even then for its unfortunate tolerance of the Dark Arts, Grindelwald showed himself quite as precociously brilliant as Dumbledore. Rather than channel his abilities into the attainment of awards and prizes, however, Gellert Grindelwald devoted himself to other pursuits. At sixteen years old, even Durmstrang felt it could no longer turn a blind eye to the twisted experiments of Gellert Grindelwald, and he was expelled.

Hitherto, all that has been known of Grindelwald's next movements is that he "traveled abroad for some months." It can now be revealed that Grindelwald chose to visit his great-aunt in Godric's Hollow, and that there, intensely shocking though it will be for many to hear it, he struck up a close friendship with none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"He seemed a charming boy to me," babbles Bathilda, "whatever he became later. Naturally I introduced him to poor Albus, who was missing the company of lads his own age. The boys took to each other at once."

They certainly did. Bathilda shows me a letter, kept by her, that Albus Dumbledore sent Gellert Grindelwald in the dead of night.

"Yes, even after they'd spent all day in discussion — both such brilliant young boys, they got on like a cauldron on fire — I'd sometimes hear an owl tapping at Gellert's bedroom window, delivering a letter from Albus! An idea would have struck him, and he had to let Gellert know immediately!"

And what ideas they were. Profoundly shocking though Albus Dumbledore's fans will find it, here are the thoughts of their seventeen-year-old hero, as relayed to his new best friend. (A copy of the original letter may be seen on page 463.)

Gellert —

Your point about Wizard dominance being FOR THE MUGGLES' OWN GOOD — this, I think, is the crucial point. Yes, we have been given power and yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but it also gives us responsibilities over the ruled. We must stress this point, it will be the foundation stone upon which we build. Where we are opposed, as we surely will be, this must be the basis of all our counterarguments. We seize control FOR THE GREATER GOOD. And from this it follows that where we meet resistance, we must use only the force that is necessary and no more. (This was your mistake at Durmstrang! But I do not complain, because if you had not been expelled, we would never have met.)

Albus

Astonished and appalled though his many admirers will be, this letter constitutes proof that Albus Dumbledore once dreamed of overthrowing the Statute of Secrecy and establishing Wizard rule over Muggles. What a blow for those who have always portrayed Dumbledore as the Muggle-borns' greatest champion! How hollow those speeches promoting Muggle rights seem in the light of this damning new evidence! How despicable does Albus Dumbledore appear, busy plotting his rise to power when he should have been mourning his mother and caring for his sister!

No doubt those determined to keep Dumbledore on his crumbling pedestal will bleat that he did not, after all, put his plans into action, that he must have suffered a change of heart, that he came to his senses. However, the truth seems altogether more shocking.

Barely two months into their great new friendship, Dumbledore and Grindelwald parted, never to see each other again until they met for their legendary duel (for more, see chapter 22). What caused this abrupt rupture? Had Dumbledore come to his senses? Had he told Grindelwald he wanted no more part in his plans? Alas, no.

"It was poor little Ariana dying, I think, that did it," says Bathilda. "It came as an awful shock. Gellert was there in the house when it happened, and he came back to my house all of a dither, told me he wanted to go home the next day. Terribly distressed, you know. So I arranged a Portkey and that was the last I saw of him.

"Albus was beside himself at Ariana's death. It was so dreadful for those two brothers. They had lost everybody except each other. No wonder tempers ran a little high. Aberforth blamed Albus, you know, as people will under these dreadful circumstances. But Aberforth always talked a little madly, poor boy. All the same, breaking Albus's nose at the funeral was not decent. It would have destroyed Kendra to see her sons fighting like that, across her daughter's body. A shame Gellert could not have stayed for the funeral… He would have been a comfort to Albus, at least…"

This dreadful coffin-side brawl, known only to those few who attended Ariana Dumbledore's funeral, raises several questions. Why exactly did Aberforth Dumbledore blame Albus for his sister's death? Was it, as "Batty" pretends, a mere effusion of grief? Or could there have been some more concrete reason for his fury? Grindelwald, expelled from Durmstrang for near-fatal attacks upon fellow students, fled the country hours after the girl's death, and Albus (out of shame or fear?) never saw him again, not until forced to do so by the pleas of the Wizarding world.

Neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald ever seems to have referred to this brief boyhood friendship in later life. However, there can be no doubt that Dumbledore delayed, for some five years of turmoil, fatalities, and disappearances, his attack upon Gellert Grindelwald. Was it lingering affection for the man or fear of exposure as his once best friend that caused Dumbledore to hesitate? Was it only reluctantly that Dumbledore set out to capture the man he was once so delighted he had met?

And how did the mysterious Ariana die? Was she the inadvertent victim of some Dark rite? Did she stumble across something she ought not to have done, as the two young men sat practicing for their attempt at glory and domination? Is it possible that Ariana Dumbledore was the first person to die "for the greater good"?

The chapter ended. Alicia and Hermione reached the bottom before Harry did and he looked up, clearly finished. Hermione tugged the book out of Harry's hands, looking a little alarmed by his expression, and closed it without looking at it, as though hiding something indecent.

"Harry —"

But he shook his head.

Alicia took a breath. Dumbledore had wanted power over the Muggles? Did it have anything to do with his father killing some muggles? She wondered if his Father had had a reason? Or was he just a violent person? If he was, was that why Ariana had issues? Or did Kendra really lock her up? Did she do it because she was a squib?

Alicia took another deep breath. Rita was right, he hadn't acted on these thoughts and perhaps all that Grindelwald did, was cause him to realise Muggles were worth protecting? She hoped so. Something caused Dumbledore to realise what was right and what was necessary. With a father who, possibly, clearly didn't like muggles, it would have taken a bit for him to see otherwise. A person couldn't help how they were raised.

Harry it seemed didn't see it that way. She could feel disappointment coming from him as well as bubbling anger. Lost almost and she turned to him.

"Harry." Hermione spoke first. "Listen to me. It — it doesn't make very nice reading —"

"Yeah, you could say that —"

"— but don't forget, Harry, this is Rita Skeeter writing."

"You did read that letter to Grindelwald, didn't you?"

"Yes, I — I did." She hesitated, looking upset, cradling her tea in her cold hands. "I think that's the worst bit. I know Bathilda thought it was all just talk, but 'For the Greater Good' became Grindelwald's slogan, his justification for all the atrocities he committed later… And from that… it looks like Dumbledore gave him the idea. They say 'For the Greater Good' was even carved over the entrance to Nurmengard."

"What's Nurmengard?"

"The prison Grindelwald had built to hold his opponents. He ended up in there himself, once Dumbledore had caught him. Anyway, it's — it's an awful thought that Dumbledore's ideas helped Grindelwald rise to power. But on the other hand, even Rita can't pretend that they knew each other for more than a few months one summer when they were both really young, and —"

"I thought you'd say that," said Harry. His voice shook slightly as his anger bubbled. "I thought you'd say 'They were young.' They were the same age as we are now. And here we are, risking our lives to fight the Dark Arts, and there he was, in a huddle with his new best friend, plotting their rise to power over the Muggles."

In his frustration Harry got up ad began to walk around.

Alicia said nothing, she knew he couldn't be reasoned with, and the more Hermione and she tried defending Dumbledore, the more it'd anger Harry.

"I'm not trying to defend what Dumbledore wrote," said Hermione. "All that 'right to rule' rubbish, it's 'Magic Is Might' all over again. But Harry, his mother had just died, he was stuck alone in the house —"

"Alone? He wasn't alone! He had his brother and sister for company, his Squib sister he was keeping locked up —"

"I don't believe it," said Hermione. She stood up too. "Whatever was wrong with that girl, I don't think she was a Squib. The Dumbledore we knew would never, ever have allowed —"

"The Dumbledore we thought we knew didn't want to conquer Muggles by force!" Harry shouted, his voice echoing across the empty hilltop, and several blackbirds rose into the air, squawking and spiralling against the pearly sky.

"He changed, Harry, he changed! It's as simple as that! Maybe he did believe these things when he was seventeen, but the whole of the rest of his life was devoted to fighting the Dark Arts! Dumbledore was the one who stopped Grindelwald, the one who always voted for Muggle protection and Muggle-born rights, who fought You-Know-Who from the start, and who died trying to bring him down!"

Rita's book lay on the ground between them, so that the face of Albus Dumbledore smiled dolefully at both.

"Harry, I'm sorry, but I think the real reason you're so angry is that Dumbledore never told you any of this himself."

"Maybe I am!" Harry bellowed, and he flung his arms over his head. "Look what he asked from me, Hermione! Risk your life, Harry! And again! And again! And don't expect me to explain everything, just trust me blindly, trust that I know what I'm doing, trust me even though I don't trust you! Never the whole truth! Never!"

Alicia bowed her head, no one could really argue that.

"Sometimes knowing the truth is not the right thing." she whispered. "Being handed the answers… instead it can cause you to get delusional over it all." Alicia said and Harry looked at her as she looked at him. "Imagine if you knew everything and it put you off, no matter what the right thing was, or you were consumed by the end that was coming, instead of what was important?" she offered "Clearly Dumbledore went through something that caused him to change, and realise a few things. He didn't tell us everything, fine, perhaps it was better for us that way."

"How is this better?!" Harry bellowed "We're wandering around with nothing!"

"It took Dumbledore an entire year to find one Horcrux!" Alicia responded "Here we are, with one after a few weeks, another we know where it is, an assumption of one — even if Hermione disagrees — which means only one is missing!"

"And we can't do anything about them!" Harry reminded her

"Well it wouldn't be so hard if you weren't so narrow minded!" Alicia shouted back as she was now on her feet. "There could be an answer staring you in the face and you wouldn't see it, because you're letting this anger cloud your judgement! Who cares if Dumbledore never told us things, what reason did he have to tell us his past? How can you be angry when we never even bothered to ask him of his past! You showed no desire to know and you expect him to blab?"

Harry looked at her and she stared back. Hermione was still stilling on the floor beside Alicia, watching them both. It was she who broke the emptiness their silence had created.

"He loved you," Hermione whispered. "I know he loved you. Both of you." she looked at Alicia who smiled lightly back.

Harry dropped his arms.

"I don't know who he loved, Hermione, but it was never me. This isn't love, the mess he's left me in. He shared a damn sight more of what he was really thinking with Gellert Grindelwald than he ever shared with me."

Harry picked up Hermione's wand, which he had dropped in the snow, and sat back down in the entrance of the tent.

"Thanks for the tea. I'll finish the watch. You get back in the warm."

Alicia left the entrance of the tent without another word and after a moment Hermione moved as well. She picked up the book, brushing the top of Harry's head lightly, and followed Alicia who'd sat herself down in a chair and pulled one of her many books from her bag to keep herself occupied.