7

TSummary: "You know that Grindelwald once walked this path?" "I know…and half of Europe burned because of it. But look at the results. He ensured equality for every man, woman, and child in the countries he conquered, even for a short time." "We both know that's not true anymore." "Then I guess we'll have to make it true."

HP Notes: MoD! Harry. Pairing: HPDG. Non-epilogue compliant. Dark, but not evil! Harry. Grindelwald was in power from 1939-1955

Notes:

Chapter One: Whispers

Harry James Potter-Black-Peverell kicked an empty pop can across the street of Diagon Alley as he contemplated the last several years. 'It's been ten years since I defeated Voldemort, and nothing has changed. The scum still oppresses the weak and those of "lesser" blood are unable to get a leg up in magical society. The "I was forced to do it" + lots of money = all Death Eaters acquitted.' His vision of the world, both literal and philosophical, had become gray after the Battle of Hogwarts. Because he had the Stone, Wand, and Cloak, he became the Master of Death, and everything became so bleak. The…wrongness of the world began to stick out more to him and all the sins of humanity became more obvious to him in a way he never thought possible. Harry heard someone trying to get away from someone else and sighed. He recognized the bastard, too. 'Markus Flint. You haven't changed one bit.' He was going to walk away, knowing he couldn't do anything without serious consequences when he hesitated. Something about this situation made him very angry. It reminded him of all the times he stuck up for people who couldn't defend themselves and even those who could but do nothing but watch. He refused to be one of those people. He felt the Elder Wand materialize in his hand. 'This will have far reaching consequences.' Even with that thought, he didn't hesitate. "Sectumsempra!" The spell truck true. Marcus was covered in deep lacerations and in severe pain. His victim was no better. Though she was unharmed by the spell, she was hurt in her own way. He slowly approached her. "Are you alright miss?"

The woman merely nodded. "Y-y-yes. Thank you for saving me." She got a good look at his face. "You're Harry Potter."

"Yeah, I know. What's your name?"

"Greengrass. Daphne Greengrass."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Daphne."

She nodded and looked at her former attacker, who was convulsing in pain. "What's wrong with him?"

"He took a nasty curse to the side and only Snape knew the cure for it. He'll likely bleed out on the street."

Daphne saw the crowd gathering around them. "You should leave before the Aurors arrive."

Harry nodded and left. His destination; Knocturn Alley. A place where the Aurors would lose him in all the other scum in that area.

Ten minutes later

Contrary to popular belief, Knocturn Alley is not a run-down place filled with dark wizards and whores trying to sell themselves. It was well-maintained and clean. It still had those things; it wasn't the stereotype that most wizards made it out to be. Like Diagon Alley, it had restaurants, shops, libraries, bars, and other interesting attractions. However, this place had the more exotic foods, the rarest potion ingredients, books that teach dark cures, stronger liquor, and many more interesting attractions.

Harry used the notice-me-not charm and a glamor to make sure he wasn't noticed. Although he only intended to hide here until the shitstorm passed, he saw the most interesting library sign. "Ministry UNregulated Spells." A library that sold spells the Ministry of Magic doesn't want people to know was just what he was looking for. He came for anonymity but stayed for the resources. When he walked into the library, he noticed it looked exactly like a muggle library. Something that benefited him greatly. He walked down the aisles, seeing what there is to see and looking for something interesting on his way to the Dark Curses section. He found a section labeled Diaries of Important Wizards and decided to take a walk through there. 'Maybe I'll find something on Dumbledore or Voldemort.' He found neither. Surrounded by wizards whose names are lost to time, he found the diary of Gellert Grindelwald. 'Is this real?' Grindelwald's diary is a priceless artifact that should never be opened but be protected at all costs. It could be his for 20 Galleons. He opened the diary.

"To whoever finds this diary,

I see you managed to find my diary. Congratulations. This diary was written towards the very end of my life. It shows my greatest victories…and my greatest defeats. My greatest strengths…and my greatest weaknesses. This diary also contains a complete list of all the spells I used. From the summoning charm to the clear blue fire that killed countless wizards and muggles alike. Be warned; the spells in this diary are not for the weak-hearted. Well, I've said my peace. Turn the page and learn everything there is to know about Gellert Grindelwald."

Harry couldn't believe it. He skimmed through the book and saw some of the most genius and powerful spells he'd ever seen. And that clear blue fire. Just the thought of being able to use that made him shiver in excitement. And the other curses he used were so powerful that they brought entire countries to their knees. All of them were beyond dark but still powerful. And his speech in the Lestrange Mausoleum was downright inspiring. Harry still didn't believe in what Grindelwald was preaching, but the man still inspired him and many others to get off their asses and do something. In his own words, "We stand in the fire and complain that it is hot. Ladies and gentlemen, this is unacceptable. If we are standing in fire, then we must either put it out or remove ourselves from it. Am I wrong?" – Gellert Grindelwald. He closed the book and moved on. He had other things to do.

A few minutes later, he entered the Dark Curses section of the library. Most of the books didn't interest him. They were too niche. "101 Rituals". Hard pass. Harry knew little about rituals, just that the effects vary. However, the book "101 Curses the Ministry Doesn't Want You to Know" seemed promising. And the one about elemental magic, light and dark seemed helpful. When the boy who lived went to pay for the books, the total was 100 Galleons. Expensive, but at least the cashier didn't question why someone like Harry Potter was in a place like this. He apparated to the Potter Manor in southern England. He had a long road ahead of him. He couldn't afford a moment's rest between learning these spells and many other things he hadn't figured out yet.

Time skip: 18 months, Location: Potter Manor

Harry tossed another Daily Prophet article about how Harry Potter vanished off the face of the Earth and was planning to take over Europe. They were right, but because no one had seen him for 18 months, it was merely the ravings of a mad reporter with a poison quill. During this 18-month period, he did many things. His arsenal of spells increased exponentially, and he developed a way to mark his followers the same way Voldemort did but made it removable, he made plans to enter the political arena and made more plans for open combat when things could no longer be settled in the chambers. The Master of Death took a deep breath. 'Innocents will pay in blood for the war I am about to start. But even more innocents will die if I don't. Their deaths will lie on my shoulders alone until the day I die.' He apparated out of the Potter Manor and into the Ministry of Magic. The annual Wizengmont Meeting is today. Even better, every Wizengmont Meeting is shown live on Wizarding Wireless. Everyone would hear Harry Potter's message to the world. Whether they want to or not.

The people in the chamber were already talking about him and what he was doing over the past 18 months and why he chose this time to appear. And why? What does Harry Potter have to gain? In the equation of individual successful politics, Harry Potter is the only unknown variable. Harry sighed. "Here goes nothing."

The regent of the Longbottom house called the meeting to order. "Other than cauldron standards, is there anything important to discuss?"

Harry Potter stood up. "Yes, there is."

"Lord Potter? You've missed the last several meetings and have not been sworn in. Would you like to do so now?"

"Yes, Lady Longbottom."

"Do you, Harry James Potter, swear to uphold the laws and ethics and use your best judgment to decide on issues for the good of the people and not yourself?"

"I do."

"So mote it be."

Harry took another deep breath. "Issue number one. Muggleborn rights." A few cannon blasts from the Elder Wand shut them up when they started shouting at him. "As I was saying, we must give muggleborns more rights. They are leaving the magical world left, right, and center, and we will breed ourselves into extinction if we don't introduce new blood." He silenced them again with his wand. "Take the Lestranges for example. That line is dead. It died when Bellatrix Black married her 1st cousin. They were unable to produce a magical heir, and both died during the war. Notice how their Wizengmont seat no longer exists. That is why. The Black family did the same thing. Inbreeding and backstabbing are what made me the only male heir to the Black family through blood adoption. How many of you remember Nymphadora Tonks? She was a metamorphmagus. Another fun fact: that's an ability that the Black family used to be famous for. But it hasn't been seen in over a century. Andromeda Black married Ted Tonks and she was born. Funny how that works."

Lucius glared at Harry. "You have a lot of nerve, disappearing for 18 months, and then demanding we give mudbloods privileges they don't deserve."

"And you have a lot of nerve to talk down to people can kick your ass up and down the halls of Hogwarts. Hermione Granger landed a particularly nasty blasting hex on your left foot, Malfoy. Not even skele-grow could fix that."

The Malfoy family head tried to burn a hole through Harry with his eyes. "How dare you?!"

"It's not that hard. I open my mouth and speak. You are doing it right now. Even if nothing intelligent is being said."

Kingsley Shacklebolt used the cannon balls spell. "That's enough, both of you. Potter, you want more rights for muggleborns. What do you propose?"

Harry smiled, much to Malfoy's fury. "Thank you, Minister. I propose that all ministry positions be decided based on academic scores instead of blood status." He smirked. "This is not currently a law, but a small recommendation. One that almost no one follows. It ought to be made a law. The muggleborn retention rate is ten percent. That means one out of every ten muggleborns stays in magical society. Just something to think about."

"All those in favor?" Everyone from the light side and some from the neutral side raised their hands. However, it wasn't enough. He was outvoted.

His dark scowl put many on edge. "You are leading this country to ruin. One day, they will revolt…and you will be unable to stop them."

The Minster said nothing in reply. Instead, he went around the room and asked if there was any issues or laws that anyone wanted to propose or amend. Once again, more laws were passed that discriminated against muggleborns and creatures. Harry chose not to say anything. The yearly session ended with the light side pissed off and sad, and the dark side feeling superior.

Leaky Cauldron, three days later

Harry spent the last three days looking for any sign of hope for the European Wizarding world…but found none. They were too stubborn and arrogant and bigoted to change peacefully. 'Carrot, stick, axe.' The carrot was through politics. The stick was the threat of revolt. The axe is the revolt itself. He had no army, not right now. But appearing as a muggleborn, challenging a pureblood to a duel to the death, and winning? That would make waves, one way or another. After making himself look like a muggle he found on the street, he got up from his chair and used the levitating charm to drag Flint to the ground. "Markus Flint. I challenge you to a duel to the death." Time seemed to stop moving. Muggleborns never challenged purebloods, not without consequences. "Well? Do you accept? Or are you afraid a mudblood will use your ass as a muggle mop?"

The pureblood glared hatefully. "I accept, mudblood. When I'm done with you, you'll be begging for death." He turned to Malfoy Rr. "Draco, announce us."

Draco nodded. "Marcus Flint vs.?"

"Martin Salazar," replied Harry.

"Vs. Martin Salazar. Begin."

Marcus Flint opened with the organ-rotting cure that Harry smacked into the floor. "That was a nasty boy. Try not to hit any bystanders." He took a deep breath. "PROTEGO DIABOLICA!" Harry twirled in place, casting the half-shield, half-curse. After that, he used the basic animation charm on the flames. The result was three large, flaming wolves that attacked Flint on principle. He was torn up and incinerated by Harry's wolves of fire. 'There's no going back now.' To Harry's surprise, the wolves were still intact. They did not disperse after completing their task.

The Elder wand whispered to him. "Kill them. They are in your way."

Harry froze. The crowd was going crazy for one reason or another, but he didn't hear them. 'Did the elder wand just speak to me?'

"Kill them. They are in your way."

It had to be. No one could whisper to him that clearly.

"Kill them. They are in your way."

'Are they?' Harry took note of the faces in the crowd. There were a lot of purebloods and prominent half-bloods. He recognized them either from Hogwarts or the war. Not a single muggleborn. This made Harry angry, and the Elder Wand's "voice" kept getting louder. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was right. These former Death Eaters and pureblood supremacists would only cause problems. Harry made three more fire wolves from his original spell. The crowd stopped cheering, as they were confused. But they felt cold terror when the six fire wolves advanced on them. "Kill them. And destroy the building." Harry's protego diabolica protected him from the counterattacks and backlash as he quickly fled the scene.

Two days later Potter Manor

"PUREBLOOD PURGE?! THE LEAKY COULDRON BURNED TO ASHES WITH BLUE FLAMES!

By Rita Skeeter

Before I get to the story, I ask that you indulge this humble reporter. As my story might help the current one make sense.

I was born in Dunkerque in 1951. Towards the end, but also during the height of Grindelwald's era. When I was about three years old, Grindelwald burned the city to the ground with a spell called protego diabolica. The same spell that burned down the Leaky Cauldron and killed our good members of society. Grindelwald is dead, we know that. Are we dealing with a cheap copycat with a fancy fire spell? Or Grindelwald's successor? Either way, this does not bode well for our society.

The most notable casualties were Crabbe Sr. and Jr. With no heirs, designated or otherwise, the family assets fall to Daphne Greengrass through distant relation. For a full list of casualties, see page 10."

Harry smirked. The pureblood population just lost two of the Sacred 28 and Daphne got some compensation, even if it's only money and property. He didn't expect the end the Crabbe line, but he wasn't complaining. A surprise to be sure, but not an unwelcome one. His muggleborn disguise was unofficially on the run…but you can't arrest someone who doesn't exist. He set the newspaper down and began plotting how to recruit followers.

Well? What do you think? I know it's a little short. Remember to leave a review.