Harry Potter and the City of Masks
by Josephine Taylor

Chapter Twelve

Along the dusty road in the Tuschia provinces a grand carriage road through the fields and vineyards. It's rich velvet curtain's drawn back to allow the occupants of the carriage a glimpse at the magnificent sky above. The di Chimici coat of arms emblazed on the side, picked out in gold filigree, glittered in the bright sun.

On a white stallion riding along the carriage, Niccolo sat tall and proud in saddle. Just as he had been taught. Gazing ahead, the young di Chimici hardly saw the surroundings as his mind was focused on the task that he was now called upon to fulfil. It was no easy or light thing to be a Duke, as his father so kindly kept reminding him. It was a lifetime commitment and Niccolo couldn't help but be nervous. What if the people didn't like him and rebelled? What if he made a mess of everything? What if he disappointed his father?

"Are we there yet?"

A voice to the left brought Niccolo out of his musings. Turning his head, his golden mane of hair bouncing at the movement and shinning in the sun, Niccolo saw a head of dark hair sticking out of the carriage window, gazing up at him with a broad smile.

Niccolo grinned at his cousin. He never once regretted bringing her along. Vittoria was like a sister to Niccolo, a twin even, even though they looked so different and she was a year older than himself. She was his pillar and his council. The pair had been almost inseparable as they were growing up and Niccolo was extremely glad that he had brought her along in this trip. Somehow, Vittoria always managed to calm his nerves.

"Stop the carriages." he called to the guards. Reining in his horse, Niccolo dropped down from the saddle with ease and grace and walked towards the door of the state carriage. Turning the handle, Niccolo held out his hand to help his cousin down. Vittoria smiled and stepped out, her light travel dress rustling around her form at she straightened it out. Looking around she frowned a little in confusion.

"Why are we stopping? Are we there?"

"No not quite. I want to show you something." Niccolo grinned and linked their arms, leading Vittoria away from the carriages and forwards a couple of yards to come to rest beside a small fence. There, on the crest of the hill, the pair were able to look down across the valley.

The view was spectacular. The valley was lush and green. Rolling hills filled with trees, smooth, velvet like grass and a vineyard or two on one side. The road was visible snaking through the valley floor and there, several miles in the distance, was a stretch of blue, shimmering in the clear afternoon light.

"It's beautiful." Vittoria breathed, her eye's wide and round. The pair were familiar with the sea's surrounding Talia but neither of them had visited the waters in the north of the country and so this was a new experience for both of them.

"Yes it is." Niccolo nodded in agreement. "It will take an hour or so to reach the port. We'll rest for a bit before taking the boats across and we'll be in the city before sundown."

"What are we waiting for then? Race you!" Vittoria grinned at her cousin before turning on her heel and running back towards the carriages. Niccolo turned and watched her go, laughing.

Smiling he followed more slowly. Vittoria's energy had always made Niccolo smile. She was just so ... vibrant and full of life. Stubborn and determined too. If anyone could help him through the next few weeks it would be Vittoria di Chimici

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"So what have we got so far?"

It had taken a few days for everything that Matteo had said to sink in and the pair had spent that time going over everything that had happened in the past 15 years, which still only felt like 15 days to Harry.

It was difficult for Harry to believe that the young, energetic and vibrant Duchessa that he had met a couple of times was now dead. Also the thought that Rodoflo, whom Harry had begun to think of as this worlds version of Dumbledore (a view that was both painful and calming) was a blow but Harry was no stranger to death, having seen too much of it in his fight against the dark. Harry to constantly consciously stopping himself from thinking of Fabrizio di Chimici as a version of Voldemort and that these people were Muggles, not Wizards. The thought that the people he had come to known being killed the muggle way made the whole situation very ... different

One thing that had caused Harry hours of reflection was the thought of the brotherhood and the fact that they had never found young Luciano Crinamorte's body after his disappearance.

"So far we have a few rumours of the brotherhood and a deadline of a little under two weeks before Bellezza gets it's new Duke."

Matteo and Harry were sat in the little private courtyard in what remained of the sun, glasses of prosecco on a small metal table between them. After the shock of Harry's return had worn off slightly, Matteo was eager to enlist the young man's help in the resistance against the di Chimici take over. Knowing a little of the skill his young friend possessed, Matteo knew Harry would be a huge asset and, being a Stravaganti himself, the one most likely to be able to contact the Brotherhood, or what remained of it.

"Right." Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. Picking up one of the glasses Harry took a sip before his gaze focused on Matteo. "We should start with the Brotherhood and work from there. We need to find out if they do actually still exist. Although from what you've told me then they will be even harder to find now!"

Harry frowned slightly. Something Rodolfo had once said to the young wizard during one of their many talks about their worlds surfaced in Harry's mind. The older man had said something about the stravanganti all sharing a connection. If there were stravanganti still left in Talia then Harry had the best chance of finding them.

Matteo nodded. "I was only privy to the identity of a few of the Brotherhood. Signor Rodolfo and Dottore Detheridge, both of whom we know to be dead. Signor Luciano who is still missing, though presumed dead. There were also two I knew of who were from Giglia, Brother Sulien and a sculptress by the name of Giuditta Miele. A few years ago I started trying to track the pair down. Unfortunately I didn't get very far as they have gone. Disappeared. Many believe they were killed by the Giglian branch of di Chimici but I'm not so sure. Certainly there has been no trace of them for the past five years."

Harry nodded. It was a start he supposed. Glancing up at the sky he was startled to see that darkness was starting to fall.

"I better go. Got to be careful in my world now that I'm not living by myself. Mrs Weasley tends to be a bit over-protective." Harry smiled a little at Matteo before standing and swinging his clock over his shoulders. "See you tomorrow. Same time." Nodding his head in a farewell, Harry let himself through the house, pausing to ruffle the hair of Matteo's children.

Just outside the door Harry paused whilst sorting out his clock. The thought of Matteo with children still slightly disturbed the young wizard. The children were only about 6 and 8 but they were an immediate reminder of how much had changed in the once vibrant city. Sighing lightly, Harry began his way through the winding alleys towards his departure point.

Coming to a stop in the shadows of the Piazzetta docks, where mandola's travelled to and from the mainland, Harry paused for a moment gazing out across the water. For a moment he didn't take in anything, then gradually his eye's made out a small fleet of boats travelling across the water towards the Piazzetta, the lanterns bobbing up and down in the current of the water. As the mandola's came closer, Harry frowned as he made out the coat of arms on the side of the lead boat. Drawing further into the shadow's so as not to be seen, he observed the Mandola's dock and a young man jump out onto the wooden planks.

Looks like the di Chimici have arrived.

Harry sighed. He never thought he'd be drawn back into another fight for independence, but it had seemed like he hand. Holding the necklace tightly in his hand, Harry slowly slipped from Bellezza as he watched the young man lean down in the fading light and hand out a young woman onto the docks, her dark curls shimmering in the lanterns light.

a/n: I just want to say that I'm so sorry for taking so long to get this next chapter up here. Extreme writers block coupled with work meant that working on this fanfiction quite difficult. That's no excuse really but there you have it. I'm hoping that now got back too it the updates should be quicker.

Just to clear up a few things:

1. The time change. This came from ... well im not too sure where, but the point is that it's intregral to the plot. The reasoning came from something that happened in the books. When Georgia took Falco back to her world and he died in Talia there was a timeshift because of it. My thought was that the same thing would happen if one of the Stravanganti died suddenly and who'd cause such a big shock but the founder himself?

2. Aidos: Lucien was in England when he went to Talia. Because his Talisman was from Bellezza that's were he went. As Harry's talisman is also from Bellezza thats where he goes too. In the book Lucien did go to the Venice of his world, but it was only for a trip with his parents and he didn't stravangant whilst he was there.

3. nooneuknow: Viola isn't in the books. She's an original character that I've made up. She's the daughter of Arianna and Luciano.

Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed. I really do enjoy getting them. So carry on and let me know what you think of this chapter! Thanks.