Chapter Three:

1941

Paris

He gave himself a name, but they refused to use it. He was the puppet master. When Beatrice was killed to pull him out of the shadows, his face was unremarkable, and his height average. He was slightly bald and kept his dark hair short. He could be anybody. His name was one thing they were determined would have no power.

"Little witch, little witch," he said in a taunting voice as Isobel broke a lock to get into a graveyard. "You can't hide from me."

"I will defeat you!" she said bravely.

"If you can survive tonight," he said with a laugh. "There is a patrolman I can direct to come in and kill you. A sniper two buildings away. How many bullets would you like pulled from your body?"

The puppet master was a legilimencian, that much they had figured out early on. Isobel could use occlumency to block him, but this wizard could control multiple muggles almost simultaneously.

"Maybe I'll have Adolf send a war dog to Scotland to bomb the shit out of the highlands, and kill your little girl and feckless muggle husband."

"I have protection!" she shouted.

"Didn't your ministry arrest Veronica and obliviate her last week? Your own ministry wants to arrest you!"

"I am not a quitter! Stop playing games and let's duel one on one!"

"I have wars to fight and people to kill. I will not waste time on you."

The ground shifted and skeletons emerged from the ground. She heard the sound of bullets and ducked. A skeleton grabbed her by the chignon. Isobel cut it off and blasted the ground beneath her. More bullets were shot and her shoulder exploded in pain. Maybe this is the end.

But the pain clarified what she needed to do. As the skeletons tightened their grip on her, she started chanting. It was an old Celtic chant her grandmother taught her.

"To the east to the west, to the north and the south, I relinquish you from all mortal bindings/may you find peace elsewhere if not here."

The skeletons turned into dust and vanished with a gust of wind. A bullet hit her head, but luckily the bullet-proof potion was still working.

She found a grave with the deathly hallows mark on it and tapped it three times with her wand. Isobel was transported to the inside of the tomb.

Inside was a comfortable bed, a healing potion, wine, and some canned goods that looked to be magically preserved for ten years.

Isobel sipped the potion as thought as her wounds healed.

The puppet master wasn't wrong. Ministries throughout the globe had dozens of affiliated and unaffiliated wizards hunting Grindelwald. This "muggle war" was of little importance to them. There were fringe factions like hers trying to save muggles, but none were as organized. They preferred to use the conflict as a cover story for the genocide.

From what briefings she had read it was clear the two men weren't allied so much as they had common goals. The puppet master preferred to stay in the shadows as the boogeyman while Grindelwald wanted a new world order where witches and wizards were the ruling class. The men and their agendas coexisted.

"Am I enough?" she asked out loud. "Can I do this?"

She took a sip of wine that had aged very nicely. The puppet master would not touch these tombs. They came into vogue during the plagues, and the design of the emblem had changed over the centuries. The tombs of pure-blood families were considered sanctuaries no dark wizard would touch if it could be avoided.

It was time to stop thinking. She rested her head and focused on living to fight on.

…

October 2000

Hogwarts

The frenzy surrounding Verity Bruin died down significantly after she visited the club. Only a few students bothered Binns, but Verity was not among them. Still, Pince grumbled about how the history of magic and muggles studies sections were in shambles from all the student activity. Students were also seen cutting articles for the magazine the club was working on. It was standard student nonsense.

The first trip to Hogsmeade was tomorrow, and it was all the younger kids could talk about. There was hope that Ron Weasley would make an appearance as he had come aboard to help his brother. Again, things Minerva could handle in her sleep.

An arrow landed perfectly in the center of her muffin. There was a note attached to it. The eyes of the entire student body were on her. She quickly pulled the note off the arrow and rushed to her office.

Midnight by the boat house.

"I better dress warm," she grumbled.

"Hogwarts is lovely at night," Dumbledore said lightly

…

A younger centaur led her through the forest. He only gestured and did not talk. She followed him closely for an hour of walking into the heart of the forest. Minerva's feet were growing swollen and she needed to remind herself, to remain calm and polite.

Firenze, Bane, and three other centaurs were gathered at what looked like the base of a spring.

"Nameless is coming for you," Bane said without introduction.

"How?" she gasped. "He's an ice lolly in Canada."

"His legilimens powers have grown. The more people forget what he did, the greater his power grows to mold new minds. He has convinced a new guard to let him take over his consciousness to influence muggle affairs once more."

"Bane, I have never known you to be this direct. Why?

"You know why."

"I must flee Hogwarts!"

"If he cannot get to you, he will go after the boy who lived."

"What do I do then? Go on the run with the golden trio?"

"And truth girl."

"What does a first-year have to do with all of this?"

"Not all prophesies get logged in the ministry. Take her with you or Nameless will go after her."

"How do I know Hogwarts will be safe without me?"

"We intend to protect it."

"Why the interest in human affairs? Are you actually scared of him?"

Firenze stepped forward. "Minerva, he has centaur blood."

"But my mother's memories indicate he was ordinary-looking."

"That is a story for another time," Bane said. "Behold the spring. It is one of our most sacred places. I have an offer for you: Step into the water your body will emerge younger but your wisdom will remain for a year. You will have the stamina of someone fifty years younger but the knowledge of your current age. In return, we request that you bring Nameless to us where we will exact our form of justice upon him."

Minerva did not know what to say.

"You will receive another arrow on the day of the blood moon. Should you choose to accept our offer, arrive as you did tonight and have the trio and Truth ready to depart at the Hogwarts gate."

Bane gestured to the young centaur standing outside the circle.

"Lead her back."

Minerva had a lot to think about on the journey back to Hogwarts.