March 18
5:46 PM Moscow Time/2:46 PM London Time
The Office of Vitali Osin
It had been nearly two days since Harry and Cho had illegally broken into the residence of Azoli Vinogradoff, otherwise known as The Jester. In the two days since then, they had done almost nothing. When they got back from their excursion, they found that Vitali was gone and a note saying that he had been called to St. Petersburg for an important matter was sitting on his desk. Personally, Harry didn't trust anyone else in the Russian Ministry.
So, rather than go somewhere else with the information they had gotten from the mansion, they simply waited for Vitali to return from his trip. Finally, they received an owl from Vitali telling them that he was back. Instantly, the pair jumped up from their boredom and raced back across town to his office.
That's where they sat now as they finished telling him the story of what they found and what they experienced. Harry ended the story with telling him that he had burned the house down. Needless to say, Vitali was not impressed.
"Seriously, Harry? You burned it down!" he nearly shouted in frustration.
"There was a lot of Dark magic there." Harry reasoned. "We couldn't control it, contain it or learn much from it. It needed to go. Plus, it gives her the idea that we're on her tail."
"We have no idea where she is." Vitali replied blandly.
"That's not that important." Cho replied next to him. "What is important is that she no longer has access to any of the supplies that were there. Plus, there were some really disgusting books there."
"And there were these." Harry replied, handing the letters over to Vitali.
Skeptically, Vitali took the papers and scanned them. Surprisingly to Harry, Vitali didn't seem to react with any kind of emotion. In fact, he looked bored reading them.
"What's the point?" he replied as he finished looking through them.
"Did you not see who they were sent by?" Harry shot back.
"Gellert Grindelwald." he replied nonchalantly. "He's a Dark wizard, she's a Dark witch. Why would it be strange for them to be talking?"
"Vitali, Dark wizards don't talk. They learn from each other and how to beat each other if they need to. Case in point, Lord Voldemort's only interaction with Grindelwald came when he thought that Grindelwald had information for him. Worldwide, Vinogradoff has taken over where Voldemort left off. While she's obviously not as powerful as Voldemort, she is the most influential Dark witch of the present time."
"What's your point?" he said as he took his seat, rubbing his temples. Harry could tell that he had been through a long couple days. However, this was not his concern. His concern was Vinogradoff.
"The only exception to this rule that we can find is The Jester training her boyfriend. Other than that, Morgan Le Fay, Herpo the Foul, Grindelwald, Voldemort, none of them corresponded with someone else. They took what they could and they killed anyone who stood in their way."
"What's your point, Potter?" he replied with an edge.
"What do those letters say?"
"It's not important." he replied shortly.
Harry instantly felt a chill run down his back. The reason that Harry had decided to fly to Moscow had been because he thought that there would be members of the Russian Ministry working for Vinogradoff. However, the one man who Harry had never thought would join with her would have been Vitali Osin. A man of almost sterling morals, the thought of him joining The Jester was almost obscene.
However, that Vitali hadn't seen anything even the least bit strange was bothering Harry. While Harry knew that his logic wasn't perfect (he didn't even know what the letters said), he thought that any reason Vitali wouldn't tell him what the letters said wasn't a good one.
"How long?" Harry asked accusingly.
"Excuse me?" Vitali replied harshly.
"What did she promise you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Vitali answered while rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, Harry stood and with a large swipe of his wand, Vitali's wand flew out of his cloak's pocket and into Harry's outstretched hand. Both Vitali and Cho leapt back in shock at the speed of Harry's motion. Once he got over the shock, Vitali stood in outrage, ready to get his wand back. Unfortunately for him, Harry leveled his wand directly at the Russian's forehead.
"Answers. Now." Harry growled.
"I don't know who you think you are, Potter. But you're going to end up in Chernye."
"I'm not worried about you or your prison." Harry shot back before lowering his wand to aim it at Vitali's knee. "Answer or you lose your leg."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Wrong answer."
Suddenly, a blast of white light exploded from Harry's wand. In an instant, a few things happened. Harry heard the crunch of a breaking kneecap as he whipped around the room, casting a charm that would keep people from being able to listen to what was going on inside. Then, Harry turned back around and saw Vitali, laying on the floor with his hands around a bloody mess that was situated around where his knee used to be.
Harry leaned down and whispered in Vitali's ear.
"How much?"
Through his deep and labored breath, Vitali finally gave him the answer he wanted.
"No...no..money. Promised...Minister...o-of...Magic...a-a-and...safe...safe fa...safe family."
"Why the Minister job?"
Talking about the job he wanted, Harry noticed that he instantly seemed to get stronger.
"The Ministry here is...joke. Minister...controls everything. He needs to...go."
"She told you that she would get rid of him and put you in charge."
All Harry got was a nod of his head.
"What did the letters say?"
"Orders...from their superior..." Vitali replied softly before he passed out.
Superior?
"Vitali! Wake up!" Harry shouted. "Wake up!"
"Harry, he passed out!" Cho replied sharply. "What was that for?"
"He was working with her. Grindelwald." Harry said nearly to himself. "But who could they both have worked for?"
"Voldemort?" Cho asked.
"No, that wouldn't make any sense." Harry said as he healed Vitali's knee before he stood up. "Voldemort wouldn't work with anyone. It wouldn't have assuaged his ego."
"Well, we can figure it out later." Cho replied, eyeing the unconscious man on the floor. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Of course." Harry replied with a smile. "I healed his leg and Obliviated his memory. He won't even remember us being here."
"What about his ties to her?"
"They're still in there. If he forgot about them, it could endanger his family. I'm not about to do that to him."
"Fine." Cho replied. "Want to get out of here?"
"Of course." Harry said as he took Cho's hand, pulling them into nothingness.
March 18
3:57 PM London Time/6:57 Moscow Time
Interrogation Room #1
Ron hadn't stepped into one of the older interrogation room since his first year as an Auror. Normally, these rooms were unused with the Aurors and Hit Wizards favoring the newer interrogation rooms that Harry had developed. However, Ron knew that this wasn't going to be a normal interrogation. Unlike a normal criminal, this was a man who, despite his open status as a Death Eater, was still a rather important member of the Ministry. Even the fact that very few people gained an audience with Lucius Malfoy these days hadn't changed the prestige that came with the Malfoy name.
So, rather than give him the newer rooms, Dad had ordered Lucius to be brought down to the older rooms. There were a few advantages here. First, Ron could touch Lucius, something that he had never been able to do in the newer rooms. He could also have his wand on him for his own defense if Lucius managed to get loose. However, that was the negative. These rooms weren't nearly as secure as the newer ones.
Ron didn't think the reason that they were down here had anything to do with any of that, though. The observation rooms in these rooms were much larger than the ones in the newer interrogation room. As he stepped into the room, he noticed the large audience he would have. On the far side of the room stood his father, Minister of Magic, and his brother, Percy, Senior Undersecretary. Closer to him stood Kingsley Shacklebolt, who stayed on in the Ministry as a political advisor, who was talking to Hermione and Gawain Robards, the incompetent Head of the Auror Office.
Suddenly, everyone in the room noticed that he had walked in and immediately room's atmosphere changed to one of business and only business. Dad made his way across the room towards me.
"Ron, we know that someone like Lucius Malfoy doesn't do things like this."
"You think?" he replied sarcastically.
"His mention of The Jester makes me nervous." Hermione said next to him.
"It's not that that makes you nervous." Ron replied, turning to face her. "It's the connection he made with her and Voldemort."
"That has something to do with it." Hermione replied honestly. "Just get him to tell us what he knows."
"Will do, boss." he replied, noticing the sneer that he got from Robards for his slight.
The conversation over, Ron slowly turned towards the door. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open to see the ubiquitous Lucius Malfoy seated at the interrogation table. He had a grim look on his face as he stared at the floor, not even noticing that Ron had walked in.
Ron slowly approached the table and took a seat. Finally, Lucius noticed him and stopped his staring vigil to come back to the real world.
"Weasley." he said gruffly.
"Alright, Malfoy, you know how this works. I tell you what you did, you deny it even though there were 200 witnesses and then I corner you and you give me everything. Is there anyway that we can cut around all that bullshit and just get you tell me what you know?"
"Yes."
"What?" Ron asked in shock.
"Allow my son back into the country."
As Ron leaned back in his chair, he realized that he should have known this was going to be his play. Just after The Battle of Hogwarts, the Malfoy family was brought in for questioning in regards to their involvement with Lord Voldemort. When Kingsley brought them in, only Lucius and Narcissa showed up and Draco was nowhere to be found. Instantly, everyone suspected what had actually happened and that was that Draco, fearful of spending the rest of his life in Azkaban, fled the country to the mainland.
Sure enough, rumors of Draco Malfoy's appearance in Spain began to appear. Lucius and Narcissa gave as much information as they knew and were given one year sentences in the new minimum security section at Azkaban. They were released in seven months.
Meanwhile, Draco returned to London. However, the moment his presence was known, Kingsley called him in for questioning. Again, Draco fled the country back to his new home in Spain. As far as anyone knew, there had been no other attempts to bring him back and no other sightings of him.
"Tell him he has to submit for an interview with me." Ron replied.
"I'm afraid that as often as I tell my son that he must accept what jail time will come to him, he refuses to see reason. He will not accept any jail time for his actions."
"Then he won't come back to this country." Ron shot back stoutly.
"But, he will." Lucius replied roughly. "I have no intention of talking otherwise."
Instantly, Ron knew that he was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. While Arthur, and Kingsley before him, had been very clear about their desire to see Draco Malfoy stand for his crimes against the Ministry, Ron knew that this was more important.
"He can come back. He still gives the interview but he serves no jail time. He will be required to work as a scribe for the Wizengamot for a time of 18 months as community service."
"That will not do." Lucius replied blandly. "No Malfoy will ever be something like a scribe."
"That's the best deal he will get." Ron answered. "If he doesn't interview, you go to prison for the remainder of your life and I can ensure that you go to the maximum security section. No visitors, no packages, no conversations with the outside world."
"My son doesn't care about me that much."
"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Malfoy?" Ron growled. "You accept the deal and he does no jail time and I can ensure that you start in the low security wing. I may even be able to get you on a lesser charge. That's the best deal you're going to get. If I leave, I'm sure that my wife will come in here and you will get no deals and she will try and figure out any way she can to ensure that you die in Azkaban and probably not naturally."
Lucius leaned back in chair, staring at the same spot that he had been staring at earlier. In his own head, Ron wondered what could have convinced such a coniving man like Lucius Malfoy to do something like this. Finally, Lucius returned his gaze to Ron.
"One year as a scribe for Draco."
"18 months or nothing." Ron said, remaining strong.
"Fine." Lucius said dejectedly.
"Good. I'll have an owl sent to Draco." Ron replied, nodding to the people in the room behind him to start getting started on it. "Now, why did you kill The Frenchman?"
"Simply put: I was told to." Lucius replied darkly. "During the last days of The Dark Lord's reign, I was privy to a particularly strange moment. As we told you years ago, in the last days of the Dark Lord, my wife and I were not seen very highly by The Dark Lord. However, two days before The Battle of Hogwarts, he called myself, Narcissa and Bella into his chambers."
"Why?" Ron asked curiously.
"He told us of a new addition to his ranks, a woman by the name of Azoli Vinogradoff. He quickly explained that she was a Russian woman, a former Auror, who had grown disillusioned with her work and wished to join us. He allowed her to join us. However, he knew something of her past. Apparently, she and her own apprentice, the man known as The Frenchman, had been trained by someone that The Dark Lord had met during his years away."
"Who?" Ron asked urgently.
"We did not dare ask the Dark Lord such questions." Lucius replied, a visible chill running down his spine. "No, we simply listened. At the time, The Dark Lord had no inclination that he was about to be defeated. However, he ordered us that if either of them should begin to speak publically, that they were to be terminated."
"Why would he want that done?"
"I have no reason. However, I do believe that this woman and her apprentice, having been trained by one of the few people who knew The Dark Lord during his time away from England, knew something about The Dark Lord. Something that he wished to keep hidden. It was obvious to us that he trusted her and her partner less than he would have trusted us and that he was wary of having them near him."
"Alright, that's fine." Ron said, finishing to take notes. "The question remains: why did you go through with it? Voldemort has been dead for six years."
"He has, she has not." Lucius replied. "A week ago, she came to me. Somehow, she knew about our orders. She threatened to kill Narcissa and Draco if I did not go through with killing The Frenchman. I pleaded to her for nearly three days before realizing that the only way to protect my family would be to do it."
"Why did she want him killed?"
"As I am no doubt you know, she said that he was going to give away something called 'The Network.' While I do not know what this organization is, she has said that it is very important to her operation within England and Europe."
The Network. It connected her and The Frenchman, obviously. However, it now appeared that it may have connected Lord Voldemort to it as well. In his head, this was the only connection between the Jester and Voldemort that he could see. In his years away, Voldemort had met someone who also knew Azoli, although years later. It was through this mystery person that she knew so much about him. Ron couldn't wait for Harry and Cho to return from Russia so that they could go over this new information.
"Thank you, Lucius. I'll talk with Hermione and my father and see what kind of deal we can get you."
"Just get my son back in the country and I'll be happy." he replied with a scowl.
Ron rolled his eyes as he stood up and stepped out of the room. As he closed the door and waved his wand, preventing the door from opening and keeping Lucius from hearing their conversation, he turned to see Hermione and his father looking at him, simultaneously smiling and scowling, if that was even possible.
"Yes, I had to give him a deal that I know he doesn't deserve." Ron said, taking a deep breath while shaking his head. "I know, I know, I know. However, we know that there's something in here that we couldn't have known without his help. He'll serve 15 years in the low security wing at Azkaban and he'll be back out to see his grandchildren graduate from Hogwarts. Meanwhile, we'll be able to take this information to discover what exactly she knows about Voldemort and how they were connected. Without giving him that deal, we wouldn't have anything."
Suddenly, Hermione and his dad looked at each other and then broke out into a huge smile. As if water had been poured on his head, he realized what had happened.
"You're kidding me." he mumbled.
"Not at all!" Hermione said with a smile, leaning forward to hug Ron. "That was the best thing that could have happened! We just wanted to joke with you a bit!"
"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Weasley?" Ron said with a grin as he turned back to the door.
Stepping inside, he saw that Lucius had resumed staring at the floor. Clearing his throat, he was able to get his attention.
"We will get you for accessory to murder. 15 years in the low security wing."
"Fantastic." Lucius replied blandly.
"Right." Ron said as he closed the door again before turning to Hermione and Arthur. "We need to get Harry here and now."
March 19
9:22 AM
The Office of the Minister of Magic
After finishing their trip back from Russia, Harry and Cho had been called into the office of Arthur Weasley. With them was Ron, Hermione, Robards, Percy and Kingsley. Together, they told their story about the trial of the Frenchman and his subsequent murder. Ron spent the next thirty minutes outlining his interrogation of Lucius Malfoy and what he had learned.
When he was finished, Harry took his turn, telling them the story of their adventure to The Jester's home and their revelation at the Russian Ministry.
"Superior?" Arthur asked. "What could that mean?"
"It could mean a couple things. It could mean that The Jester and Grindelwald were on the same level with Voldemort one level above them and he's the superior that is mentioned in the letter."
"It could mean something else entirely, though." Hermione added. "It could mean that Voldemort, Grindelwald and The Jester were all on the same level and that there is some mystery person controlling the three of them."
"We can't rule it out." Harry replied. "We all can't rule out that while there may be a connection between Vinogradoff and Voldemort, that it has absolutely nothing to do with The Network."
"We just need more information." Kingsley said softly. "We know enough about The Jester. However, our information on Voldemort's time away from England and Grindelwald is severly lacking."
"Information on both of them is going to be nearly impossible to get." Hermione replied. "We can send someone to Albania but odds are that Voldemort left nothing there."
"Information on Grindelwald is going to be even more difficult to find. At least we have relatively secure dates for when Riddle left and came back." Harry said. "We have little to no idea where Grindelwald was at any time."
In his head, Harry was disappointed with this information. While it was good information, there was almost no research that could be done to back it up or continue to make connections. They really were at a dead end.
"If only Dumbledore were here," Arthur replied. "if there was anyone that knew Grindelwald and any information about him. It would be him."
Very true. While looking up Rita Skeeter may also not be a bad idea, only Dumbledore would truly know the information they were looking for. Unfortunately for them, Dumbledore was gone and there was no way to brin-
"Wait a minute!" Harry said abruptly. "What if we could talk to Dumbledore, if only for a minute?
"Harry, what are you talking about?" Cho asked next to him.
"We need to talk to Dumbledore and there are least two ways that I can think of to talk to him."
"How?" Ron asked.
"The first and easiest is his portrait in the Headmaster's Office. The second is...more difficult."
"More difficult?"
"The Resurrection Stone." Hermione said firmly. "Harry, you know that's not what it's meant for."
"Hermione, I honestly can't tell you what it is meant for. But I can't imagine any better use for it than this." Harry said as he stood up. "Is Professor McGonagall still in charge?"
"Through July." Arthur replied. "She's retiring at the end of this year."
"Fantastic. I've fancied a visit back to Hogwarts since my return. Now, I have an excuse."
March 20
9:13 AM
Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry walked into the front doors of Hogwarts for the first time since he had "graduated" after The Battle of Hogwarts. While he had been back on the grounds numerous times for various memorial services since then, he had never had the need to return to the inside of the school. However, there was a part of Harry that did acknowledge that he may have been avoiding it for entirely different reasons.
After the Battle, the governors of Hogwarts were faced with two options. First, they could have remodeled the building, choosing to work around the massive damage caused by the Battle. Secondly, they could have rebuilt the school exactly as it had been before. The first option was a much cheaper option but there was a large portion of the wizarding population that wanted to see the school (and the wizarding world) return to its former glory.
Hearing that crowd and reacting to it, the governors decided to spend millions of Galleons and rebuild the school to exactly as it had been before. It had taken nearly one year to build and another six months to redo the enchantments but eventually, the school returned to life. For Harry, going back inside meant bringing back old memories, ones that he wasn't sure he ever wanted to relive.
However, after six years, Harry finally felt that he could relive the days of Lord Voldemort again. So, he entered the school and immediately noticed something that had not been there during his time at school.
Standing in the center of the entrance hall was an enormous bronze statue of Harry and Albus Dumbledore standing side by side with Ron and Hermione and Severus Snape behind them. As Harry approached it, he noticed that this version of him was the clothing he had worn the day of The Battle of Hogwarts. Looking at the statue, he saw a plaque towards the bottom. Stepping in closer to it, Harry read.
On May 2, 1998, the decisive battle for The Second Wizarding War was fought. On this day, The Death Eaters, led by Lord Voldemort, attacked the school in search of Harry Potter. Harry Potter, missing for 9 months, appeared at Hogwarts with members of Dumbledore's Army and The Order of the Phoenix to defend the school. For hours, the Death Eaters bombarded the school, but the defenders of the school held firm.
Finally, Harry sacrificed himself for the sake of the rest of the school. However, something about The Dark Lord's magic failed and Harry survived. After his survival, Harry confronted Lord Voldemort and, in a twist of fate, destroyed him with his own curse.
Harry Potter, along with Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, were awarded Order of Merlin, First Class for their efforts in destroying Lord Voldemort.
To Harry Potter, The Chosen One, The Boy-Who-Lived, for protecting us all and sacrificing himself in our time of need, we thank you and we are forever in your debt.
Harry stood in shock at the words as he read them again, slower this time. He wanted to make sure that he read them properly. After all, he had been named a menace to society only four years ago. Suddenly, Harry noticed small print down at the bottom of the plaque. Leaning forward, he noticed the text.
Erected May 2, 2003
One year ago. It had been erected after his trials.
"They put it up last year."
Suddenly, Harry remembered that he hadn't been alone. Suddenly, Harry flipped around in place and saw Hermione standing behind him. When he had told the others that he was going to Hogwarts, she had instantly volunteered to go with him. While Harry didn't really want her to come with him, he was also aware that he didn't really want to go alone. Plus, he knew why she wanted to go and he wanted to try and make things right with her as well.
"Why?" Harry asked in shock.
"Because I told them to." she said with a sly grin. "That's not entirely true. There was talk of putting it up. I just encouraged it. I also made sure that Snape got added."
"I don't understand. Everyone hates me. How did it even come up?"
"No one hates you, Harry."
"Amos Diggory does." Harry replied roughly.
"True." Hermione said with a smile. "But mostly people hated the war and were looking for a place to put their blame. Voldemort was dead and so you were the next best thing."
"You helped them." Harry said simply.
"I did. I did my job and that meant I was supposed to give my opinion. My opinion hasn't changed, even six years later. We could have done more."
"We could have." Harry said softly. "I know that we could have."
"I'm so sorry I didn't let you know beforehand." Hermione pleaded, putting her hand on his face. "I didn't even think about it. I was so obsessed with doing the right thing that I didn't feel like I needed to tell you."
"And I was so obsessed with you selling me out that I didn't stop to think that maybe you were just doing the right thing."
Suddenly, Harry stopped seeing Hermione Weasley, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and member of The Committee of Inquires into The Events at Hogwarts on May 2, 1998 and The Battle Between Lord Voldemort and His Cohorts vs. Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army and Various Cohorts.
Instead, he saw Hermione Granger, his best friend in the whole world and the girl who helped him through The Triwizard Tournament, The Department of Mysteries and the Horcrux Hunt. He saw the girl that he had fallen in and out of love with after the war. He saw the one person in the world who he had always trusted. It was in this moment that Harry finally realized what he had missed.
"I'm so sorry." he said softly. "I really am."
"I'm sorry, too." Hermione replied. "I never should have said those things, not out loud anyway."
"You should have, 'Mione. I should have realized you were doing your job."
Suddenly, Harry felt Hermione wrap her arms around him and pull her in close. He hadn't been this close to her in years. But at this point, that didn't matter. What matter is that Harry had his friends back. Just like Voldemort said, Harry was nothing without his friends.
"Mr. Potter?"
Harry and Hermione broke apart and turned to see Headmaster Minerva McGonagall walking down the main stairs towards them. Other than the cane that she used to walk now, time had been kind of her. She looked almost identical to what she had looked like when Harry had last seen her at the final memorial that Harry had attended.
"And Mrs. Weasley? I'm surprised to see the two of you together. Last I had heard, the two of you were not speaking." she said as she reached them at the bottom of the stairs.
"Well, things have changed." Harry replied as he shook the elder witch's hand.
"It seems so." she replied. "Now, you said that you needed to meet with the Headmaster. I am confused as to why it was worded that way."
"Well, we need to speak with Albus." Hermione replied shortly as they began to walk up the stairs.
"Really? May I ask why?"
"We need information on Grindelwald." Harry answered.
"Grindelwald? Well, then I can see why Albus would be your first choice. However, I imagine that his portrait will not be able to give you this information." Professor McGonagall replied.
"We have a backup plan." Harry said cryptically.
"I'm sure you do."
Several minutes later, after a slow climb, the three of them reached the gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's Office. Unlike the last time that Harry had seen it, it wasn't sitting on the floor, but instead back on the wall where it had been before.
"Evening, Headmaster."
"Evening." she replied as it opened up wide.
"No password?" Hermione asked as they marched up the stairs.
"I changed the enchantment. It recognizes me and all those that I would allow in my office."
"Interesting." Hermione replied.
Finally, the three of them reached the top of the stairs. Instantly, Harry noticed that the dreariness of Snape's reign had disappeared. While the room wasn't full of trinkets and small magical machines, it certainly wasn't as dark. There were some pictures of her and what Harry assumed were her husband, although Harry wasn't certain if he was alive and he also wasn't going to ask.
However, Harry did notice that the pictures around him had returned to their portraits, again unlike the changes he had seen during Snape's time here. Specifically, it was the portraits of Snape and Dumbledore that Harry noticed. While Harry had been the reason that Snape had a portrait here, he had never seen it.
"The prodigal son returns." Snape said drolly. "I'm sure that we are supposed to celebrate."
"Quiet, Snape." McGonagall said, rolling her eyes as she sat in her chair. "Albus, they're here to talk to you."
"Wonderful." Albus said with a smile directly above her. "What can I do for you, Harry?"
"Professor, I need information on Grindelwald." Harry said firmly. "Specifically, I need to know if he ever had any connection to Voldemort."
"I'm sorry, Harry. But this version of me only has limited information on him." Dumbledore replied, a sad look in his eyes.
"That's alright, Professor. We didn't figure that you would know. Besides, we have a back-up plan." Harry replied.
"Be careful, Harry." Dumbledore replied knowingly. "You gave that away for good reasons. Be wary of returning to it."
"Trust me, Professor." Hermione said. "I've already told him it's a bad idea."
"It is not a bad idea, Mrs. Weasley. Far from it, it is a wonderful idea. It is also a very risky one."
"I've weighed the risk versus the reward. It's worth it." Harry answered.
"Then I am sure that things will go well, Harry." Dumbledore replied before suddenly standing up and walking out of the frame. Apparently, he was done talking.
With that conversation done, Harry and Hermione stood and, after bidding farewell to Headmaster McGonagall, began making their way down to the grounds. As they did, Harry looked around him and was amazed that he saw no signs of the Battle. In fact, the castle managed to look just as old and dingy as it had in the past.
"Spellwork. The Ministry thought that they needed to return the inside of the school as it was before. So, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall worked their magic and was able to artificially age the castle to look like it had before." Hermione informed him.
"That's amazing." Harry replied in awe.
"It certainly is." she replied as they reached the large entrance archway that led to the grounds.
Suddenly, Harry realized what it was going to take to find the Resurrection Stone. He was going to have to do what he could to retrace the steps that he had taken on his way to sacrificing himself to Lord Voldemort. Even after all these years, Hermione was still able to instinctively react to what she saw in Harry.
"I'm here with you, Harry." she replied observantly.
Obviously, he hadn't done a good job of hiding his apprehension. It wasn't that Harry was afraid of the Forbidden Forest. Far from it. He hadn't been that frightened by it the first time he had entered the Forest at age 11. No, it was that he knew that he was going to be forced to relive every emotion that he had felt when he had entered the Forest.
At the time, he had thought that he was done. He knew that he would never see Ron or Ginny or Hermione or anyone else ever again. But, he had been ready. The only thing that he had regretted was that the last thing he would see was the snarling victory on the face of Tom Riddle.
But, Harry had been lucky or maybe it was destiny. He had survived, against all odds, to live another day. Not that the war didn't have its effects on him.
"I know, 'Mione. I appreciate it." Harry replied shortly.
Finally, they reached the edge of the Forest. Taking a deep breath, Harry led her in. Suddenly, it all came back to Harry and within moments, Harry was finding places all over the place that he remembered from his trek into the woods. Within several minutes, Harry walked into an opening that he would have recognized with his eyes closed.
However, he didn't have his eyes closed. He couldn't have closed them if he wanted to. Instead, he stared at the opening where he had been killed, only to come back moments later. It was exactly as he remembered it. It seemed as if a throne had been fashioned at the end with a ledge above it where the Death Eaters had stood.
Directly in front of him was where he had knelt to the ground. This memory was burned into his mind. He had remembered how Riddle had ordered him to the ground, like an animal to be slaughtered.
Harry's silence hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Is this it, Harry?" she whispered, almost as if she was afraid to be heard.
"Yes." Harry replied, his voice barely finding him. "This is it."
Harry turned away from the opening to the small path that he had entered the opening from. Knowing that he had dropped the Stone there, he knelt down and began to search. Surprisingly, the Stone was not difficult to find. It appeared that it had been pushed up against a tree and as such, it simply rested on top of the earth there.
With a small shake in his hand, Harry reached down and picked up the Stone, dusting the small layer of dirt that rested on the Stone.
"Are you certain that we need to do this?" Hermione asked nervously.
"It's our only option." Harry replied firmly. "We'll go as quickly as possible."
Hesitating only a moment, Harry turned his hand over three times. In a flash, the spirit of Albus Dumbledore appeared from nowhere. Hermione squealed briefly with shock as the deceased Headmaster stood in front of them.
"Harry, young man, what have you done?" he asked in shock.
"Albus, this will be brief." Harry replied with authority. "We need information.
"I will do what I can for you."
"Did you know if there was ever a connection between Lord Voldemort and Grindelwald?"
"There was no connection that I know of, Harry. However, I do not know everything of my old friend's life. To my own fault, I stayed away from him even after he was captured."
"Well how could we find out?" Hermione asked, bravery seeming to find her.
"Grindelwald lived in a massive home, a castle, in the deep woods of France. If there is any information to be had, it would be there."
"Thank you, Professor." Harry replied with a warm smile.
"You are most welcome, Harry." Professor Dumbledore replied before fading away into nothing.
8:31 PM
Potter Manor
After spending the day working on arranging a visit to the French Ministry for later that week, Harry invited all of the Weasleys and Cho to his house after a long day. Potter Manor had been owned by his parent's. However, they were not living there when they were murdered and he wasn't able to inherit it until his 17th birthday by which point, he had other things to worry about.
When the war finished, the goblins of Gringotts made him aware of his home. Instantly, he moved from his small flat in Diagon Alley to his massive family home in the country. He took Kreacher with him and hired Winky, the former house elf of Bartimeus Crouch to work for him. The pair had kept themselves busy annoying each other and cleaning the house during Harry's time away and they were both overjoyed to see that their master had returned home, especially since he was going to be bringing guests soon.
"How is the investigation going?" Arthur asked as Kreacher began to serve dinner. "I was told by Percy that you made a trip to Moscow this week."
"We did." Harry answered. "We found out that I was right to be paranoid. Vitali Osin was working with her."
"Seriously? Of all people, I would have thought that he was safe from her." he replied.
"Me too. Unfortunately, just like Voldemort, Vinogradoff is proving to be very persuasive." Harry replied. "However, I think we will find her."
"Good. Can we stop talking about it, then?" Ron replied, a plate full of food in front of him. "I know a lot may have changed. But talking about depressing things during dinner is never a good idea."
"The man's got a point." George added next to him, hungrily looking at the plate in front of him.
"Then, by all means, dig in." Harry said from the end of the table.
Instantly, Harry was transported back to his days in the Great Hall of Hogwarts watching the Weasley stuff their faces. He was also taken back to several feasts at the Weasley home. However, things weren't exactly the same. Ginny had brought Dean with her, as much as it looked like the two were fighting again as they hadn't said a single word to each other all evening. Charlie remained in Romania and Bill in Egypt, neither looking to come home any time soon. However, there was one seat that was permanently vacant and another that was unlikely to be filled, the seats of Fred and Molly. Harry gazed sadly around the room, noticing how much destruction had been caused in this room. The weight of it all made his heart heavy and he wished beyond all wishes that if there was one family he could have saved, it would have been the one that had taken him in.
Alas, they could not be saved and Harry knew better that to hope falsely that anything about that could change. All Harry had to do was remember back to third year when he had been convinced that he had seen his father save them. Obviously, it had been impossible but Harry had hoped beyond hope. While in the end he was glad to know that it was him, he was also saddened to know that it was not his father returned from the grave. This thought, while it had been buried by the knowledge of Sirius Black and his true identity, weighed heavily on his heart and on his mind for a long time.
However, things were not all bad. While there had been damage done by Lord Voldemort and by himself, there were new additions. Despite their constant bickering, Dean and Ginny normally appeared to be very happy with each other, regardless what Ginny might have said. Harry noticed the addition of Angelina Johnson, now Angelina Weasley and George's wife, which had made Harry very happy. Reports were that Charlie had found himself a very special girl in Romania, which was much of the reason he was choosing to stay there. Percy had started dating a woman named Audrey who he had worked with years ago in the Ministry.
But, it was the happiness that he saw between Ron and Hermione that had truly lightened his mood. He knew that things between the two of them had been rough during his time away, both of them had told him so themselves. While Harry never thought of himself as very important, he knew that his absence had done something. Maybe he was the release they both needed from each other whenever they were upset? If he was, he would do his best in the future to be that person.
And how were things for him? Truthfully, Harry wasn't sure. He was glad he was back, that he was certain of. However, he knew that he wasn't happy chasing Dark witches and wizards around anymore. Simply put, that did not make him happy like it had in the past. He no longer held the personal connection with these evildoers that he had held with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But, being back home did make him happy and being around his friends made him happier.
The newest addition to the room was the most curious for Harry, though. Cho Chang had been such a brief and largely unremarkable part to his life when he looked back on his life. In fact, a year after the Battle, he had expressed how that period of his life was when he felt the most like a normal teenager. While he was constantly being mentioned in the Daily Prophet, he was doing what he could to win the heart of the girl that he liked. It was the most normal thing he had done up until that point.
But, it wasn't meant to be. Cho placed her trust and her support in another and Harry couldn't stand for that. Even years later, Harry could still feel the sting anytime anyone brought up her name. However, in recent weeks, that had changed. Now, he felt a little bit like he was fifteen years old again. He enjoyed her presence more and more each day. Was there something there? Harry couldn't be sure but what he did know was that he certainly was enjoying the time they were spending together.
Suddenly, Harry felt himself standing, a glass raised high in his hand.
"To those of you who are here tonight, I thank you for coming. I also apologize for my behavior. I ran from my problems instead of facing them and when the time came that you needed me, I was not here." Harry said firmly. "To those of us who are not here, we miss you."
"Cheers, mate." Ron said sadly next to him, a tear falling down his face.
As Harry looked around the room, he met the eyes of every single person. He hoped the look he gave was how he was feeling. He wanted each of them know to that he loved them all, that they were his family and that he would never leave them again.
Never again would he leave the world he knew behind.
9:00 PM
Somewhere in Paris
He had known that she was coming. He had sensed her when she Apparated down the street. He had sensed her when she reached the doorstep and he had sensed her as she climbed the six sets of stairs to the room he stood in now. He stood, facing out the window and looking out on the cold Parisian night, as she entered the room.
"I believe that I told you never to come here."
That voice had not been spoken, at least not by his voice. Instead, it had been a thought pushed into her mind. Just like it had done every other time, it stripped away her vicious facade and showed the true person underneath. The moment she heard the voice, she knelt the ground and averted her eyes as she should have.
"My apologies, Master." she said, her voice trembling with fear. "I have news."
"And what news is that?" he replied without looking at her.
"Your home on the Siberian Sea has burned to the ground."
Suddenly, without a single movement from him, The Jester was picked up from her place and thrown against the wall where she then remained. The pressure that kept her pinned there slowly pushed the air out of her, forcing to her to start gasping for air.
"I gave you that house so that you could protect its secrets and learn from it. Pray tell me, how can you do that if the house has been burned to the ground?"
"I didn't know that Potter would know how to cast Everlasting Fire?" she replied weakly as the air began to leave her.
"I find your lack of respect for Potter disturbing. You attempt to attack him at his home and fail. You leave my home to do whatever it is that you do and he burns it down. Do you wish to prove yourself better than him?"
"YES!" she attempted to shout but all that came out was a rough whisper.
"Then, respect your opponent." he replied.
Suddenly, she fell to the floor. While the pressure on her body relaxed, the pressure on her throat increased.
"What else do they know?"
"Cast-c-castle." she gasped.
"Grindelwald's?" he asked.
A cough and a nod that he didn't need to see gave him his answer. So, Potter and his gang had discovered the connection. Maybe Potter was just as good as he thought he was.
"What will they have to do?"
"F-f-f-renc-c-ch Mini-i-m-inistry." she whispered, only a hint of air left in her voice. "C-c-c-o-mmme he-rr-r-re..."
"They will come here then? That is certainly an interesting development." the man said darkly.
Then, without a hint of motion, he appeared in front of her. He watched as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head and her face turned purple and blue. Finally, just moments before she would have passed out, he released her. Coughing and hacking, she collapsed to the floor, doing everything she could to pull in air.
Slowly, he leaned down in towards her and breathed into her ear.
"That is your one and only mistake, Azoli. Fail me again and there will be no mercy." he growled.
"I understand." she whispered through her sobs. "I will not fail you again, Master."
"I expect not." he replied formally as he stood.
He slowly turned around and walked deliberately back towards the window. When he reached it, he stared out into the open air of Paris as the lights of the Muggle town shined bright.
"You are coming to me, Harry Potter, and you will join me." he whispered softly to himself so that no one else could hear it. "You will join me or all of your friends will suffer and then, you will join me."