Chapter 11

An Expected Visitor

A week was all the time they had left. Harry had spent the time rigorously drilling Emily in various magical spells and evasive maneuvers. She was certainly no longer the same woman he'd trounced when they had met. But despite the magic he taught her, she still rarely came out on top in their mock trials.

"Depulso!" Harry moved to sidestep her banishing charm, and returned fire with a disarming charm. Emily didn't bother dodging, simply choosing to swat it away with magic. This was the stark difference between the two. Harry did everything he could to conserve his magic, and as a result was a very mobile combatant. Emily was prideful of her power, and would much rather flaunt it about. Both were effective, especially since Emily could move when she needed to.

Harry was still far more inventive than she was. "Accio Emily!" Emily's grounded stance was futile as she found herself hurtling towards Harry. But she'd faced this situation more than once from Harry and knew the best way to fight it.

"Incendio." A stream of fire spewed from her wand, and Harry had no intention of getting cooked. Diving to the side to avoid the flames, Harry fired off a bludgeoning hex at Emily as she slowed down.

"Battuoso." The dark red curse streaked towards Emily, but the spell was aimed low and deflecting it would be difficult.

"Protego." Harry watched as his hex ricocheted off into the distance. Shaking his head, he warily watched Emily. She in turn looked at him. Neither moved for a brief moment, but when they did, it was in sync.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Deleus."

Harry's disarming charm would normally not stand up to a powerful dark spell like the Destruction curse. However, as with all dark magic, one had to have real intent behind them. Emily, having no real desire to destroy Harry, could only perform a second rate curse, one that was easily punctured by Harry's disarming charm.

Watching her wand fly from her grasp, Emily sighed.

"I keep telling you to be more practical. Stop using Dark Arts against me when you know they won't pack the same punch."

Emily shrugged. "The Dark Arts are a pretty integral part of my arsenal, Harry. I don't want to be out of practice with them. Besides, it was just a little warm up, anyway." With a quick change in attitude, she began to smile with anticipation. "What are you going to teach me today?"

Emily was practically beaming at him now. She loved learning something new from Harry. For Harry always had to reach into the obscure recesses of his mind to teach Emily something. Today was no different. He didn't mind teaching her something new, but she had clear preferences in his lessons. She liked magic that was powerful, so he did his best to provide.

"Okay then. How about the corruption curse?"

When her eye's brightened further, Harry figured it was a winner. "Another spell I never really got the hang of using, but I can explain it well enough. You can curse a person with it, but that's not really the best use for it."

"Infuscous." Pointing his wand at the ground, Emily watched as Harry used the dark magic. For a moment, it seemed as though nothing happened. Quickly enough, however, the green grass began to brown. Even faster, the decay began to spread only coming to a stop about a full meter and a half from the point of origin.

"The corruption, as you can see, spreads. The spell lasts for only a minute or so, but any living thing who falls prey to it will begin to 'decay' just like the grass did. Though for complex organic lifeforms, its more of a abrupt sickness. The effects aren't permanent, nor are they particularly long lasting. Not really the kind of magic you use to kill someone, but its a great makeshift barrier. Anyone who steps on the spell will feel its effects. Perhaps its most important feature is that it disrupts a person's magic, so most people won't be firing spells at you until it wears off. Those behind you will choose to go around it, but you can cover a larger area with more power."

As Harry spoke, he watched Emily casually strolled into the spell's effect. He watched as she doubled over briefly, before straightening back up, breathing heavily.

"Wow, certainly seems effective. I feel rather nauseous. Though, as for my magic, I don't really feel as though I can't cast spells."

Harry smirked at her, "Try disarming me, then."

Emily nodded, before silently casting the charm at Harry. What would have normally been a bright red light erupting from her wand tip actually was a pale pink. The spell only made if half the distance between them before fizzling out,

"Wow. Impressive." Emily was shocked by the corruption's effectiveness.

"Yeah, its surprising like that. Of course, it is possible to cast effectively, especially people like you, who have lots of magical power. You just need to force out more magic than normal. Still, keep in mind how quickly this thing spreads. The last thing you want to do is cripple your own magic in a fight, Oh, and never try to disapparate out of the corruption zone. You won't make it far."

Stretching her legs, Emily watched as the grass slowly began to become a vibrant green again. She herself felt her nausea slowly fading as well. Looking to Harry, she couldn't help but ask, "I don't really see the practicality of this spell though. A wall of fire would certainly be more effective as a barrier."

Harry agreed, ''True. But this curse isn't really a wall, despite it being able to function as one passably. Most people don't notice it until they step inside of it. The sudden feeling they get from it slows them down considerably. Its a convenient trap to spring on someone. And while they are defenseless, its a good time to strike as well."

"But its effects are so short, its not something I can just lie in wait and use. It sounds most useful in a chase. Creating a good situation to turn on my pursuers."

"Pretty much, yeah. Its not really a useful in a lot of scenarios. And if it is noticed, the corruption can be reversed fairly easily too. Its not the best tool, but if you find yourself doing a lot of guerrilla tactics, you'll get a good bit of worth out of it."

"Guerilla tactics? When have I ever shown the propensity to 'clash and dash', Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "You're capable of anything, Emily. And the more options you have available to you, makes you that more competent. The chess player that has the advantage is the one with more options than his opponent." Nodding his head internally at his own words of wisdom, Harry was disappointed to see them immediately glossed over.

"Ugh, I'd kill for a good game of wizard's chess right now." Emily complained.

Snickering at her, Harry could only give her a less exciting alternative. "There's always the muggle version."

"I know, but its far more satisfying when the pieces tear each other apart." Emily sat down gently on the grass and began casting the corruption curse in a space nearby. As per usual for the brilliant girl, she started gaining noticeable progress immediately. "Why is it, Harry, that you don't really teach me anything lethal? Something to put an enemy down permanently. You've fought in a war, after all. I'm sure that you have a certain skill kit for the task."

Sitting down on the other side of the girl, lest he be a victim of her practice, Harry answered honestly. "I figured you'd have lethality down to a fine letter. I'm rather surprised to hear you don't."

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "I can get the job done better than most fifth years, I suppose. I can perform the killing curse, but my performance with it is rather dubious. Of course, there's enough mundane spells that can get the job done so long as you're inventive enough, but I'd like an all purpose spell. Something that fits every situation."

"Don't you already have the infernal chains charm? That's about as all purpose as it gets. Its a binding spell, it burns like hell, and you can use them to kill by piercing your target. It can even break through most shield charms, though it'll take a minute."

"Yes, but as you showed me, a simple banishing charm makes them completely worthless."

"Well, there isn't an 'end-all' spell I can teach you that will win every duel you're in, Emily." Harry understood what she was asking for, but it simply wasn't something he could give her. "But there is always a spell for every situation. So long as you have learned enough, you will never be backed into a corner you can't get out of."

Emily was now widening the zone of her spell to almost five meters. She stayed quiet as she fiddled with her magic. After a time, Harry watched, impressed, as she began to shrink the corruption spell. Of course, it was more than possible to do, but there was a counter curse for it. The fact that she could reverse it just by gaining a certain level of experience with the spell was something no other teenager could do.

"If you and I were to fight, no holes barred, do you think I would win?" Emily's question wasn't particularly surprising, so Harry didn't have to put much thought into the answer.

"You'd certainly have a chance. But I'd say its only about forty percent. Which is a lot more than I'd have given you two months ago. You've got the magic, and you're gaining the dexterity. You're still a bit slow in your dodging motions, but you're decision making is almost reflexive. You just need a bit more experience, but with your natural talents, even I won't stay ahead of you consistently for much longer."

Harry expected her to ask for a comparison between herself and perhaps Albus Dumbledore or Gellert Grindlewald. But she surprised him.

"How are you compared to Grindlewald? Could you beat him? Is it close?"

Harry was stumped for a moment. "Mmm, that's tricky. If Grindlewald was alone, I can confidently say he would have no way of killing me. Well, I shouldn't say that. Rather, so long as I don't get sloppy, and kept vigilant, I wouldn't fall to his wand. But not dying is a long, long way from beating him. If I wanted to beat him, I'd have to get sloppy, inviting more risk of being beaten myself."

Emily nodded. "So you are confident in your defense, but not your offense?"

"People like Grindlewald and Dumbledore aren't going to fall to a stupefaction charm. They're like magical calamities. Sure, I can take out a team of aurors, but its gonna take time or luck. Those two can do it with a single spell. I don't have that kind of fire power. You do, but in that regard, I am lacking."

"You say that a lot, you know. You say I have a lot of power. A lot of magic. Why do you think that is?"

Harry shrugged, "I'm not really sure. Honestly, you probably just won the genetic lottery. Its not a bad thing."

Pursing her lips, Emily traced her wand lazily on the ground. A gentle smoking rose from the grass as it slowly burned. "Born for greatness. Greatness. I was once told I could be great, you know."

Harry, not particularly surprised by this, asked, "Oh, just once?"

Emily smiled. "Well, there was only one time that I ever took pride in. It happened before I even entered Hogwarts."

Emily paused, but Harry had a feeling he knew where she was heading, so he interrupted her. It was something he enjoyed. "You're wand may be new, Emily but I can assure you, it is as capable of great things as your first one was. Ollivander isn't a seer, he's just perceptive."

He enjoyed the surprised look on her face. But before she could even ask him how he'd known about that moment from her past, Harry swooped his head down to peck her cheek with his lips. Jumping up to his feet, he exclaimed, "Come on, there's still some daylight left. Let's get in some more practice."


Harry was seated alone in the sitting room, when he heard a knock on the door. His stomach immediately sunk as a heavy weight settled inside him. There was no reason for an innocuous visit from a neighbor. After all, given the muggle repelling charms, it was certain his guests were magicals. Harry cursed the fact that Emily was not in the house at this time.

For the first month of their time in France, Emily had agreed to Harry's stipulations that she remain indoors. But she soon came to him claiming she needed to see something more than the house and its small backyard. Harry had wanted to tell her no, but he was all too aware how reckless people could get when kept prisoner in their homes. After making her swear to always carry her wand, invisibility cloak and the Gaunt family ring, he acquiesced. Though he made sure that she knew in any confrontation, her first goal was always escape.

The first three times Emily went on one of her little jaunts to a small muggle café nearby, Harry followed her under his own cloak. His first priority was her safety. His second priority was the safety of those she came into contact with. Though he cared for Emily, he wouldn't blindly trust her when it came to the safety of those she didn't care about. Which... was pretty much everyone but himself.

Surprisingly, all the girl did was order a drink and a sandwich, and sat at a small table outside the restaurant. She would finish her meal, pull out a book and read for about an hour before leaving. Most patrons of the place seemed to be German military, and Harry waited anxiously for something bad to happen. However, not a single person other than staff approached Emily. It was rather perplexing to him. A pretty girl sitting alone and enjoying a small meal would normally invite a man's interest. But not only did no one ever bother the girl, on her second trip, a young man dropped his glass and it shattered. When Emily turned her eyes towards the noise, the man bent at almost a ninety degree angle and apologized profusely. Of course, the words were in German, so Emily rolled her eyes and ignored him.

After the third of Emily's outings, when Harry was certain she would not be a danger to others, he relaxed his guard and let her go alone. Fast forward to now, meant Harry was alone, with a magical visitor at his door.

Muttering to himself, "Worst person it can be is Grindlewald himself, I suppose." Upon opening the door however, he was extremely annoyed to find out he was wrong.

"Harry Potter, a pleasure to see you again."

Because not only was it Gellert Grindlewald, the leader of the anti-muggle magical group hell bent on taking over the continent, he had brought along his masked attendant. Emily hadn't had much to say about Grindlewald himself after Harry expressed his extreme distaste of the man, but Emily did share her opinion on the other man.

'That guy's a real creep. I wish I could've killed him'.

As Grindlewald gave his greeting, Harry stared at the man behind the dark wizard. Harry felt the man out with his magic, but it told him nothing. Only extremely powerful people could get a sense on someone using this method, unless there was something extremely wrong with whoever they were probing. So either the man in the mask was a normal wizard, Emily was very sensitive to his magic, or the man was now actively repressing what Emily noticed.

"You know, a dutiful host would have invited us in by now."

Grindlewald's voice pulled Harry's attention from the other man. Plastering on as convincing smile as he could, Harry responded, "Do come in."

Harry wasn't an idiot. He'd been waiting for this visit, and though he'd rather have Emily around for back up, he knew it was safer for her to be gone. Even if it meant his chances of survival were drastically decreased as a result.

But Harry had not been at this home and sat around idle. The home was filled with magical defenses, some of which were extremely lethal. Harry had invited the two men into the home's coat closet, right next to the door. Harry had told Emily to never enter the closet without him, which of course she had defied. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. He'd had to rescue her, but he left her stuck inside the room for a couple hours as a lesson.

Though the room had once been miniscule, Harry had expanded it to its very limits with magic. Of course, that meant that it was still a very tiny room, but it was large enough to receive a guest or two. In the small room were two sofas, facing each other with a small table in between. Both sofas had sticking charms attached to them. They weren't shoddy either, anything that touched the couch would not be easily removed.

"Please, have a seat." When Harry motioned to either seat, he was dismayed to see Grindlewald dispel the sticking charm on both pieces of furniture before sitting. The masked man, did not sit, but stood behind his master.

"Clever tricks, Mr. Potter. Clever tricks. I wonder what else you have in store for us." Gellert Grindlewald smiled at Harry. Sighing, Harry also sat down. While there were certainly enough tools in the home for him to kill the two men before him, Harry was all too aware how easy it would be for him to lose his own life as well.

"I entertain my guests thoroughly. I can assure you, you won't be bored here."

As Harry sat, he watched as the dark wizard crossed his legs and leaned back on the plush cushions of the couch. Everything was wrong. Harry would never sit like that near an enemy. It would take too long to fight. Even now, Harry sat crouched forward, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Either Grindlewald was utterly confident in his superiority... or he trusted that his attendant could handle Harry.

While Harry had no such illusions to a confrontation with Grindlewald, he was more than certain that he could chop the other man into bits at a moment's notice. Even if that mask was a powerful magical artifact that had loads of enchantments and protections, a single killing curse in a room this small would not miss.

Striking first in that manner would put him on the back foot against Grindlewald though, and Harry couldn't afford that. No, first he'd see what the man wanted. He'd decide if the man needed to die after that. Otherwise, he'd let the timeline do its normal thing and the dark wizard would be dead in a few years time.

"I am certain we will be leaving in good spirits, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled at the man, but with an edge of steel in his voice, asked, "I'd prefer you refer to me as Harry Gaunt. Harry Potter is dead, you see."

The older man nodded his head in understanding. "Ah, yes, the fire. I'd heard about that. Such a nasty way to go. Though to be fair, I do love a trial by fire myself. Really tests the mettle of those who could be all talk. I hear that Miss Riddle is also a fan of such trials."

"Hmph, not a fan of trials, per se. She just likes to burn things."

"Things like... Paris?"

"Yes, things like Paris."

Though the men's conversation was running smoothly, Harry was inwardly confused. There was absolutely no way that Gellert Grindlewald could know of his death in the alternate timeline. The Inner Eye simply didn't work like that. Or perhaps, Grindlewald's eye could foresee things beyond what Harry was aware of...

"You can't fix her, Mr. Gaunt."

"She doesn't need fixing at all." Harry fired back.

"But you would have her change?" Grindlewald was intent on grilling him mercilessly now.

"I would have her be better person tomorrow than who she is today."

"Whose to say that such a person is better? You'll dull her teeth and claws, tame the majestic power she wields."

"And you would do little more than let her be a caged beast. Releasing her at whatever target you deemed fit. Until the time she tires of your leash and tears off your head."

Grindlewald smiled darkly at him. "And you think she won't tire of your leash? Do you think you can contain her? What makes you so very certain she won't tear you apart?"

"She needs me."

"You're replaceable." Grindlewald mocked him.

"To you, perhaps." Harry followed up with a quick dismissal. The dark wizard stared at Harry for a hard moment before sighing.

"I don't believe this is getting us anywhere, Harry." The switch to the informal use of his first name caught Harry off-guard, but he did his best to hide that fact as he reciprocated.

"Then what do you propose, Gellert?"

Grindlewald smirked. "A simple wager of sorts. Not even that, really. Merely allow me the chance to offer my services to Miss Riddle. Should she spurn me after I have made my offer fully, then I daresay you've outplayed me. I will leave the two of you in peace."

Harry couldn't deny his temptation. Surely, there was nothing the man could offer Emily that she would accept separating herself from him. Why not let it happen? But there was an underlying danger that everything could be a sham. In the end, there was no guarantee the dark wizard might just try and take her by force. If the masked man could buy his master a precious few seconds, that may be all Grindlewald needed to whisk Emily away.

Harry doubted that shoving the girl's face in a pensieve and showing her his memory of Lord Voldemort would separate the two of them now. So even if Grindlewald told Emily everything about Harry's origin in this timeline, Harry felt confident that she'd remain by his side. Emily had a horcrux, she had power, and she had Harry. There was nothing else the girl could be wanting for. So, it stood to reason that Grindlewald could offer her nothing of value. Even if he offered Emily an entire country or half of the continent, Emily would see no value in that. Not anymore.

"I don't mind gambling, Gellert. Especially when the odds are stacked so heavily in my favor. But I do tend to question when someone starts giving things away to me. Whose to say you won't go back on your word?"

"I am more than willing to show you my sincerity. I have here," Grindlewald reached into his robes and pulled out a glowing piece of parchment. "A magical contract, made by the goblins of Gringotts themselves. Once signed, it is indestructible. It will ensure my sinceri-" The dark wizard froze as Harry wandlessly burned the contract to ash.

"Nonsense, Gellert. Are we wizards, or are we goblins." Harry sneered at the man. Extending his hand out for the other man to take, he spoke chillingly. "You can show me your 'sincerity' in the same way witches and wizards have done for six hundred years. With a vow. An unbreakable one."

Harry knew he was playing with fire here, but this was his best shot. Gellert Grindlewald would be very unwilling to make a second deal that could potentially hinder his ability, the first being with Albus Dumbledore himself. Though, Harry had no idea if the blood pact between the two men was broken or not at this point in time. Harry didn't spend much effort researching this dark wizard as he had spent learning about Voldemort. But if he could get Grindlewald to agree, then Harry would be confident of his plan's success.

Indeed the wizard in front of him stared at his hand as though it were a venous snake. In the end, however, he nodded slightly, before grasping Harry's hand in his own. The attendant came forward with his wand drawn, clearly ready to cast the spell.

"Do you, Harry Gaunt, swear to allow me to speak freely with Emily Riddle today without any interference?"

"I do." A thin line of red flame began to wrap around their hands. "Do you, Gellert Grindlewald, swear to not attempt to force Emily Riddle to do anything she does not agree to?"

Grindlewald's grip tightened as Harry spoke, and Harry knew the dark wizard was not happy at him. Harry was intentionally widening the scope of their agreement. Restricting the man as much as he could in his actions towards Emily.

"I do." This time, a pale green flame wrapped around the men's hands. Harry didn't know too much about unbreakable vows and did not like the sight, but he wasn't going to abandon his plan now.

"Do you, Harry Gaunt, vow to sever your ties with Emily Riddle should she choose to leave with me?"

Harry had to pause. Grindlewald was earnestly hoping to shut Harry out of Emily's life if things went according to his plan. Knowing he was playing an ever more dangerous game, Harry closed his eyes and thought of the girl he'd grown to love and cherish above anyone else.

"I do." Opening his green eyes, Harry watched as a black line of fire wrapped around their hands. Looking to Grindlewald's face, Harry watched as the man grinned.

"Do you, Gellert Grindlewald, swear to inform Emily of every consequence of her decision to leave with you?" This is it, Harry thought to himself. If he tells Emily we must sever ties, she'll never agree to go.

The man didn't even balk at this. "I do. And do you, Mr. Gaunt, swear to never raise your wand against me or my followers should Miss Riddle leave with me?" Harry knew at the man's tone, that this was his final stipulation to Harry. This would effectively mean Harry would never be able to make a move against the man if Emily went with him. It would also mean that should Grindlewald desire, he could kill Harry at any time, as Harry would not be able to defend himself.

Knowing that he was long past the point of no return, Harry plowed forward. "I do. Do you, Mr. Grindlewald, swear to never harm or send anyone to harm myself or Emily should she agree to stay with me."

With a single nod, the man spoke, "I do." All three of the final strands of flame that wrapped around their hands were the normal red color. Harry watched as the threads of fire sunk into their hands. He could feel the heat travel up his arm into his body. The fire settled above his heart and Harry wondered if a broken vow caused those strands to constrict.

Both men's fates seemed to rest upon Emily's future decision. Both men would be at the other's mercy. To Harry, Grindlewald's decision here was a fool's folly. Surely, Emily Riddle could not be so pivotal to his plans that he'd put so much risk into acquiring her.

"Hmm, now that we've settle the unpleasant business, how about some refreshments." Grindlewald reached into his cloak and procured a steaming kettle and three ornate tea cups. For a moment Harry thought the man was planning for Emily to have a cup, until the man, who was once again standing behind Grindlewald, suddenly broke character and settled himself with a sigh into the seat next to the dark wizard.

"Couldn't agree more." The man's voice sent a chill up Harry's spine. It was so relaxed, perfectly at ease despite the seriousness of the situation. Of course, technically speaking, only Harry and Grindlewald were bound by their oath here, but that didn't necessarily mean the masked man could kill Harry. The first clause in the vow was for Harry to allow Grindlewald to speak to Emily without interference. This forced Harry to do so, but it also forced Grindlewald to allow Harry that chance. An unbreakable vow could not be taken in bad faith to trick someone into their demise, after all.

Grindlewald elegantly poured all three men a drink, and Harry didn't bother refusing the beverage. As the three men each partook, Harry's eyes were locked onto the masked man.

"I see you're curious about my friend here, Harry." Grindlewald's voice cut into Harry's thoughts.

"Not really. But I certainly feel as though I've been deceived here. Care to explain?"

The dark wizard shrugged. "Simply put, I am afraid you'll not be surviving the day, Mr. Gaunt."

Harry's eyes began shifting between the two men seated at the table. "So he's not a follower of yours, but I think you're forgetting that I specifically said you couldn't send anyone to kill either Emily or myself if she chose to stay with me."

Grindlewald nodded. "Indeed. But I can assure you, this person wishes for your death dearly for their own reasons. I am simply ensuring they have the chance to make that dream a reality, Harry."

Harry relaxed. He wasn't particularly worried. It didn't matter who this person was. So long as Emily chose to leave with him, it would be a two on one fight. They'd completely destroy whoever was hiding behind the mask. Even if Albus Dumbledore himself had lost his mind and was behind the mask, Harry would still bet on him and Emily. Dumbeldore wasn't a killer, while Emily very much was.

"You're real cocky for a guy who has pretty just much shit on the floor." Harry's words were at odds with his genial tone. "I don't think you realize just how badly you've screwed up. And it won't be something you can clean up either. You're at a very real risk of dying here today."

"And I could say that you're far too overconfident in your ability to hold onto Emily Riddle, Mr. Gaunt. I can assure you, I know far more than just your original surname."

Harry smirked. "Oh? And what else could you possibly know that would even remotely surprise me?"

"I know everything, Harry Potter. Born July 31, 1980. Parents died a year later on Halloween to the Dark Lord Voldemort. But she perished that night too, supposedly. You were raised by the worst sort of muggles for the next decade before receiving your Hogwarts letter. Of course, your reemergence into the wizarding world was not done alone, was it? The Dark Lord was dogging your steps the very same day. Over the years you clashed often, before she finally revived in 1995. She remained intent on your destruction, until finally, you met your fate. At the tender age of 19, Lord Voldemort cornered you and burned you alive with fiendfyre. Did I miss anything?"

Harry smirked, "What did I have for breakfast this morning?"

The man blinked his strange eyes once, before chuckling. "So, you figured me out. I suppose I didn't play the part well enough."

Harry shrugged, gently placing his cup down on the small table. "You played it wonderfully. But the impossible is still impossible. My future is gone, I destroyed it by changing the present. Knowing my name, that was something that could be explained with Legilemency. You tried to overplay your hand, but I'm not that stupid. By trying to prove the impossible, I learned what you're capable of. You can't see me at all, can you? Your inner eye can't percieve me, because I don't belong here."

Grindlewald smiled. "Had things been different, Harry Potter, I would have recruited you in a heartbeat. But, alas, that can't happen. You're an amazing wizard in your own right. You're perceptive, and you're diligent."

Harry nodded, accepting the compliment. "But still, you have succeeded in the impossible. You know things that you can't know. There isn't a single Legilimens master in existence that can pull a person's entire history out of their mind in a single glance. So you were told this information. And only two people know everything. Myself and Albus Dumbledore. " Harry turned to look at the masked man hard.

"You could offer me every ounce of gold in Gringotts, but I could never be convinced that the man behind that mask is Albus. So that just leaves me, and I'd know if I were sitting across from myself. I'm not."

Harry sat up a little straighter returning his gaze to Grindlewald. "I've noticed them, you know. The little inconsistencies that have been popping up. Myrtle's missing corpse, even if I used it as a medium to get here, there would still be evidence of her death. But Dumbledore assures me that the aurors can't find a single trace of her. He's certain that Emily can return for the next school year, so long as the headmaster agrees."

Allowing his words to become more crass, he continued, "And let's not forget cousin Morfin. How is it, that one of the dumbest men in Britain contrives a plot to kill me in an hour. He could wipe his own ass with his hand rather than toilet paper and think nothing of it. Yet, the dundering lout thought, 'hey, let's team up with my long lost niece and kill this guy.' He can barely remember to eat three meals a day. Yeah, not buying it."

"As for the apothecary debacle. Come on. I know the Maledict Draught is pricey, but its still sold fairly often. I know for a fact its used to remove infertility curses that are cast commonly on pureblood lines that go astray. Gotta prevent those mudbabies from being born, am I right? But for the entire Vollstrecker to jump onto my balls like that, there's no way." Harry was on a roll.

"But the real tipping point... and I mean the real screw up here... was you." Harry stood up and slammed his hands on the table as he rounded on the masked man again. "I don't care if you're Merlin himself. No one can sense and distinguish a lycanthropy curse from ten meters away. And that applies to a regular werewolf. For me, who only has a small amount of the curse in his body, you're barking up your own ass. If that was possible, then witches and wizards would have long since rounded up the infected and killed them off."

Harry sat back down and took a deep breath. It had felt good to vent. He'd long since noticed these problems and they'd long since been making him anxious. Because they only spelled out one thing.

"Almost every issue that I've faced since arriving in this time has been a deliberate attempt to impede me. And the only way anyone could and would do that, is if they know who and what I am. Meaning, I am not the only time traveler here. Am I?"

The two men in front of him seemed speechless. As Harry's gaze bored into the two men, he noticed that they weren't quite looking at him. Instead, they seemed to be glancing over his shoulder. Before Harry could even move his head, he felt two slender arms drape over his shoulders. A head of black hair came into view in his peripheral vision, as a small body leaned over him.

"I believe he asked you two a question. You should answer him. I'd hate to have to curse our guests for being impolite."

Harry's cheek burned as Emily kissed him there softly. The masked man, however, scoffed in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me."