Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit
Acknowledgments: Rpeh for beta work.
Chapter 2
"You really have no regard for international law, do you?" Neville asked as the Portkey landed on the edge of the destroyed town.
"None," Harry said.
"You can't just make a portkey to the south of France on a whim with no care about who sees you when it arrives!" Neville said.
"I just did," Harry countered.
"Yes. Fine, you can. But you shouldn't. You have no idea who could have seen you. You have no idea what chaos you could cause," Neville countered.
"Or I just don't care," Harry said.
"What if you landed on someone and killed them?" Neville asked.
"I didn't," Harry said.
"Yes. But you can't just be entirely reliant on luck," Neville said. "That's amazingly self-centered and brash. You can't just get by on that."
"It's worked so far," Harry said. Neville paused as they continued to walk toward the ruins of the seaside town. Harry made no attempt to hide himself as he walked down the path. Neville caught up with him after a few steps.
"Just what happened to you?" Neville asked. It was Harry's turn to pause. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his mind wandered down a black tunnel ending with an all-too-familiar icy chill.
"A lot," Harry said.
"Going to elaborate on that?" Neville asked.
"I'd prefer not to," Harry said.
"And I'd prefer to not go into a danger zone with someone whom I'm not entirely sure has any interest in anything other than himself," Neville said. Harry took another deep breath.
"It's a long story, Neville," Harry said.
"Well, get started, we have a bit of a walk until we make it to the perimeter," Neville responded as he walked by Harry and continued toward the town. They were silent for a few steps.
"Ten years ago," Harry said. "I was lured to the ministry by Percy Weasley because they wanted to hear a prophecy about me and Lord Voldemort."
"And they needed you or her to access it," Neville said. "Why didn't they just ask?"
"I like to think they were smart enough to know I would just flat out refuse. But I'm honestly not sure. w that I would have the power to end Voldemort."
"Well it was true," Neville said.
"To an extent," Harry responded.
"You killed her, Harry," Neville said.
"To an extent," Harry said again.
"Are you going to clarify this or just be vague the entire time?" Neville said.
"I can't really do more than theorize. And theorizing about a prophecy strikes me as something an insane person would do. The short answer, again, is just that I was tricked into gong to the ministry by ministry officials. I was saved by the first person I'd truly grown to love. And then I killed her," Harry said.
"Wait. You loved Lord Voldemort?" Neville stopped in his tracks.
"At the time," Harry said.
"And now?" Neville asked.
"Now I'm older and wiser," Harry said. "And can see that she was no different from the government. They both just lied to me. They both tried to use me. They had different reasoning and practices. But their goal was identical."
"So you left," Neville said.
"So I left," Harry agreed.
"And I'm guessing you came to some sort of realization along the way," Neville said.
"That they were both wrong," Harry agreed. "It wasn't hard to see with the ministry. The government in power was more concerned with maintaining that power than doing anything productive. It had no real interest in helping people or solving problems or anything of that nature. It just wanted to win more elections and keep its station."
"And Voldemort was an insane radical that was more interested in murder than anything else," Neville said.
"She wasn't entirely wrong about that," Harry said. "Can you think of anything past death that will get Fudge out of office?"
"You can't seriously be advocating that," Neville countered.
"I am not," Harry affirmed. "But there is our problem."
"Explain?" Neville said.
"Emily truly wanted to make the world a better place. That I can't fault her for," Harry said.
"Who's Emily?" Neville asked.
"Lord Voldemort," Harry said.
"Emily?" Neville blinked.
"Emily Mary Riddle," Harry said. "She married an accountant in the fifties and become Emily Mary Price."
"You're pulling my leg, right?" Neville asked.
"No," Harry said.
"She wanted make the world a better place. And decided that wanton murder was the best course of action," Neville said.
"Yes," Harry said. "It was a dying wish, of sorts, from her husband. In the end I think her…life experience…led her to forming a wrong conclusion, which then led to the murdering. But I can't fault her intention."
"Just her means," Neville said.
"Both their means," Harry said. "Through it all, through all of the shit she had to deal with, she somehow remained an idealist. She wanted to foster change by changing the government, by changing the rules, by convincing them to change. Eventually it grew violent and failed. But she wanted change through those means. And the ministry? Well you've seen how Fudge likes to get things done."
"Well you're rather anti-ministry," Neville said. "And the government should be an instrument of change and improving lives."
"Probably," Harry said. "But it isn't. That's where she was wrong. If you want change, be the change you want. That's what I learned when I was gone. The government is too big, too slow, and too worried about self-preservation to actually help. So, I decided to just do it myself."
"The Kinnikinic orphanage, Alberta, Bihar, and Japan," Neville said.
"Exactly," Harry responded. "Those kids deserved far better than being sold off in a broken youth penitentiary system. Bihar was more of a happy accident. And Japan, well, that had more personal reasons. But, in the end, I just had to see if I could do the impossible, consequences be damned."
"That leaves out Alberta though. And I suppose Vancouver," Neville said. Harry took a deep breath before speaking.
"It does," he agreed. "Those were….different. I was chasing something. And unfortunately, someone else got to her first."
"What she okay?" Neville asked.
"No," Harry said.
"I'm sorry," Neville responded.
"It's fine," Harry said. "But the French have realized we're here."
"Oh goodie," Neville said as he peered toward three wizards approaching them. "Nothing I like more than the French."
"Good day, sirs," A voice called from the middle of three approaching wizards.
"Good evening," Harry said. Both he and Neville noticed the three men were all armed, wands casually pointed their way. Harry stopped moving and shifted into a more relaxed position, his hands up with the palms facing the men.
Of course, he knew full well that he didn't need to be armed to rid himself of their minor annoyance. But he didn't think the mere fact that there were French people in France warranted attacking on sight.
"Evening," Neville added as he himself shifted into a very similar pose.
"Good lord, is that…are you Harry Potter?" the man in the middle, a tall and handsome man with dark features asked.
"Guilty," Harry said. "Just came to see if we could lend a hand for the weekend."
"Of course, of course, I am Jacques Morin with the Department for International Relations," the man said. "Come, let me show you around."
"I don't think a tour is necessary," Harry said. "Just point me to where work needs to be done."
"Nonsense, nonsense!" Jacques said. "Please come with me."
"Alright," Neville said and took the lead by stepping toward the French officials. Harry smiled as Neville had reacted exactly how he would have wanted him to without any discussion and lagged a few steps behind the other men.
Jacques Morin led them into the destroyed town. Harry had to give credit where it was due, Avery's map was nearly flawless. He couldn't help but wonder just what sources the former Death Eater had.
Neville and the Frenchman conversed for the entire walk. The two others stayed behind Harry as they walked. Jacques Morin talked with an animated flair about the destruction of the town the entire time. Neville was mostly silent but asked questions whenever Jacques started talking. Harry couldn't help but think his investigative skills returned rather quickly and that he was asking very pointed questions. Questions that Harry wasn't sure he would have thought of if their roles were reversed.
They eventually made it into the main square of the town. There were about fifty or so people milling about, going over what appeared to be the last vestiges of a shared meal. Jacques made a point of talking about how it was likely ground Zero. Harry looked at the makeshift camp set up perhaps forty odd tents littered the outer perimeter of the square. He recognized one from the World Cup all those years before.
"Harry Potter!" George Weasley yelled from across the way. Everyone in the square turned to face him.
"So much for subtlety," Harry said as the Weasley twins walked toward him.
"And Neville Longbottom!" Fred said. "And here we thought Ron might actually decide to come help."
"Really?" Harry asked, raising his brows.
"No," George said, holding his hand out to Fred. His brother plucked a galleon from his pocket and relinquished it to George.
"Didn't think so," Harry said.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom have come to help," Jacques said proudly, as if he had some part in convincing Harry to be there.
"Seemed important to lend a hand," Harry responded, waving at the crowd that gathered around him.
"What are people even doing?" Neville asked.
"Clearing rubble mostly," Fred said.
"Looking to see if anyone survived. There have been a few bodies, but mostly it's just a layer of dust," George explained.
"And the French ministry?" Harry asked.
"Keeping a perimeter and trying to identify everyone who was here," Jacques said. "Lending a hand where we can."
"How do you identify dust?" Harry asked.
"You do not," Jacques said. "We are scouring through monetary records and trying to figure out whomever spent money here and then going to identify if they are alive or not. It has been painstakingly slow."
"I imagine," Harry said.
"What's left for tonight?" Neville asked.
"Probably nothing," George said. "The work is exhausting. It's almost like there's leftover magic in the air suppressing everything."
"I noticed," Neville said.
"I didn't," Harry shrugged.
"Must be nice," Fred shook his head.
"Regardless," George said. "We'll probably just sit around and discuss the plan for tomorrow. I think we're going to try to build some actual residences as a base tomorrow and then perhaps try to begin getting through some of the large rubble piles. There might be people beneath them but so far magic doesn't indicate that at all."
"Interesting," Harry said, hoping his tone didn't betray that he found it rather uninteresting. "Well, I'm a bit full of energy at the moment. So I think I'm going to take a walk around instead."
"I shall accompany you," Jacques Morin said.
"Oh, that's not necessary. It seems I've already kept you from dinner. I'll be fine."
"Nonsense. I insist, Mister Potter. It is the hospitable thing to do," Jacques said. The two men that had accompanied them earlier walked back over and flanked Jacques. They were each taking bites from a chunk of bread.
"Alright then," Harry said.
"I'll come with," Neville said. "Never liked sitting around."
"Okay," Harry said. He picked a direction and started walking toward it. Neville fell into step next to him. He could hear Jacques and the other two men behind him.
"How could magic even do this?" Neville asked they cleared some rubble only to see more of the same as they stepped out. He took out his wand and lit the tip silently, holding it up to get a better view in the quickly darkening sky.
"With a lot of power and very few qualms just about anything is possible," Harry said.
"It can't be that easy," Neville said.
"Sometimes it is. Sometimes it isn't. Tell me, Neville, when was the last time you were in a fight?" Harry asked.
"Why?" Neville responded.
"Curious," Harry said.
"Oslo," Neville responded, his voice immediately hardening.
"Ah, that was one hell of a scrap," Harry said.
"It was," Neville said. "I've always wondered something. Well, a few things really, about that night."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
"Well, I mean, why were you even there?" Neville asked. "You shouldn't have been anywhere near it."
"I don't take kindly to fledgling cultists trying to siphon life out of the world and then claiming they're doing it to bring back The Dark Lord. In fairness to me, though, I thought there would only be like ten of them."
"You aren't big on recon are you?" Neville asked.
"Not when angry, no," Harry said.
"Good to know the thought Lord Voldemort's return at least still makes you angry," Neville said.
"Nah. They wouldn't have succeeded anyway. It was more than they gained credibility by throwing her name around carelessly. That irritated me," Harry said.
"Right," Neville shook his head.
"You implied there was more than one thing you wondered about that night," Harry said.
"Well I'm not even sure I want to know how you and Avery managed to take out sixty plus wizards without seeming to break a sweat or get hit by anything in the process because I know you'll just give me some coy answer," Neville said.
"Hey now we didn't do all of the work. The ICW task forces got quite a few," Harry said.
"Eighteen. Of sixty total, we tagged eighteen. You and Avery accounted for forty-two," Neville commented. "And I am still no closer to learning how you did it."
"Well you've been in a fight," Harry responded. "You know it's more instinct and reaction than anything else. So saying how really has to be a silly coy answer because that's the most truthful answer one can give."
"Anyway, what really got me was your entrance and how you two moved," Neville said.
"Forgive me but I don't remember the entrance," Harry said.
"Well, I probably shouldn't have said entrance. You both just apparated in. Which, I mean, should have been difficult but not impossible. But we all thought you were Death Eaters when you started moving around in that black mist. How do you do that?" Neville asked.
"Oh, it's not that hard," Harry said as a black mist started to swirl around him. A moment later he flew to the top of a rubble heap as Neville started to climb it.
"Well it looks evil as hell," Neville said.
"I guess," Harry shrugged. "I think I could probably change the color of it if I wanted to. But that would take more effort and more concentration and be more likely to result in a mistake. It seems to default to black."
"Well, how do you do it?" Neville asked.
"It's like Apparating, but you don't force yourself there. It's hard to explain without doing it. You just let the magic take you and as you drift off you wrest control back from it. It's less intensive than actually Apparating and you don't have to know your specific destination," Harry explained.
"And it's faster than walking," Neville said. "Even if it makes you look like a Death Eater."
"Please. Not all of them could do it. It takes a fair bit of practice. I spent weeks figuring it out outside of some tiny city in Montana. The locals kept thinking the floating mist thing was some type of alien or alien craft," Harry said.
"You did it in full view of muggles?" Neville asked, his expression one of utter disbelief.
"I did it at night in a secluded forest, but it's not the easiest thing to control at first and you don't always wind up over what you think you're going to be over," Harry said.
"Hermione was right, you are amazingly reckless," Neville responded.
"I get that a lot. But if I was so reckless I probably wouldn't still be in one piece," Harry said.
"That or you're just amazingly durable," Neville responded. "I seem to remember you being able to take a beating. I'm going to go with that option instead."
"Well is there anything else you wanted to know?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, one thing," Neville responded.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"If our roles had been reversed. Would you have done what I did?" Neville asked. Harry paused on top of the rubble and turned to look at Neville. Jacques Morin and the two men with him hadn't bothered to scale up after them. Instead they were just staring up at the hill. Harry shifted into smoke once more and found himself on another pile, further away from the town square.
The distinct crack of Apparition sounded throughout the open air as Neville appeared next to him.
"Is that my answer?" the Defense professor asked.
"No," Harry said. "It isn't. That isn't an easy question."
"I know," Neville responded.
"I don't know that I would have been brave enough to stand up to you, Ron, and Hermione in first year. I don't know that I would have had the drive to become an Auror. I don't know that I would have gone any further than getting the most basic of acceptance and finally fitting in. So as a whole I think I would have valued my career too much. I think I would have been too afraid of losing my acceptance to let you leave there unimpeded," Harry said.
"I see," Neville said.
"I do think you did the right thing. For more reasons than just personal attachment. And you did the right think despite knowing the consequences that were coming. You've earned everything you have. And you struggled for it. You're far more of a Gryffindor than me," Harry said.
"I don't think that's true," Neville said. "You've certainly earned a great deal. And most people would say you exemplify the Gryffindor ideal."
"Good thing groups are usually wrong," Harry said. "You were far braver in that moment than I would have been."
"Well I'm not going to argue with that," Neville said.
"Good," Harry said.
"So, when's the fight coming?" Neville asked.
"What?" Harry asked.
"You wouldn't have asked the last time I was in a fight if you didn't expect one coming our way," Neville said.
"I could just like to be prepared," Harry said.
"If I had to guess I'd say you prefer to be as unprepared as possible," Neville responded.
"You might have a point there," Harry said.
"And you're intentionally walking as far away from the relief workers as possible," Neville said as the soft French words of Jacques Morin and his companions continued to follow them through the rubble. Harry smoked his way further away from the Frenchmen and paused while Neville followed.
"You picked up on that?" Harry asked.
"Of course I did. And you're gradually growing tenser with each passing moment. So I can assume you expect something to happen," Neville said.
"I thought it would happen before we made it out of the blast radius," Harry said, eyeing the fields that they were approaching.
"Thanks for the heads up," Neville responded, rolling his eyes.
"No problem," Harry said.
"Who's the threat?" Neville asked.
"Grindelwald," Harry said.
"Obviously," Neville responded. "But you can't expect he'll be here."
"Sure I can. He strikes me as the type to observe and gloat. Where better to do that than here. And given that he hasn't come out and claimed and responsibility I would think he's waiting to see how best to play this," Harry said.
"If you blew up a magical city, wouldn't you have step two of the plan in place?" Neville asked.
"I mean we just got done talking about me and planning," Harry responded.
"Okay, fine," Neville said.
"But yes, I like to think I wouldn't go in blind to stage two," Harry said.
"So why wait so long after to do anything?" Neville asked.
"I think he's waiting to see just who's attention his little stunt draws. Perhaps to see how long their attention lasts. To see how the various governments react. Hell, I don't know. Maybe he's just trying to see how much time can go between tragic events to properly plan before they all seem connected," Harry shrugged as he spoke.
"None of that seems like a great choice," Neville said.
"Well I'm not a megalomaniac," Harry said.
"Yet I don't think you'd want to debate that with Hermione," Neville said.
"I don't want to debate anything with Hermione. Like most things I get bored halfway through," Harry said.
"Do I even want to know what all that includes?" Neville asked.
"Probably not," Harry said.
"Have you two?" Neville asked.
"Not recently," Harry said.
"I see," Neville said. "With you being back, are you going to…"
"I don't know. Maybe after she settles into the job and calms down a bit. Right now she's a little too persistent and focused for my taste. A little too afraid to put her hair down and just have fun," Harry said. "I'm not sure she'll be able to separate work from life and I don't want to, say, go on a date and have her lecture me about Hogwarts the entire time."
"Ah," Neville said. He paused for a moment. "Out of curiosity. Would you be opposed if I asked her out?"
"Go for it," Harry said, despite the fact that the thought of Neville and Hermione left a sour taste in his mouth. But they were both adults. What they wanted to do was their own business. Still, perhaps he should have eased his way back into England rather than just showing up. Maybe then things would be different between he and his older friends.
"Is she still interested in…?" Neville asked.
"I doubt she'd say no if I asked her out," Harry said.
"Are you going to?" Neville said.
"I don't know," Harry said. "It's been so busy and now this. If you want to give it a go, I say go for it."
"It has been a crazy few months," Neville agreed.
"And we're to the end of the blast radius," Harry said.
"And no sign of anyone," Neville said.
"And here I thought you had years of Auror training," Harry said.
"I do," Neville slid his wand out, gazing around the area. The three Frenchmen stopped a few paces away from them.
"Is everything alright?" Jacques Morin said.
"I'm not sure," Neville said.
"Peachy," Harry said.
"How about with you, Gellert?" Neville said
"Excuse me?" Jacques Morin looked startled.
"You didn't think that I was that daft, did you? You show up as soon as we do. You follow me around the entire time. You try to stay behind me without me noticing. I mean I can be a bit dense, but I'm also a trained investigator," Neville said.
"And I had a hunch but have been known to be mildly paranoid," Harry said as he stepped between Neville and Jacques Morin.
"You two are insane!" The Frenchmen yelled, his eyes darting around like a frightened animal. The two men with him took a few steps away from him as he spoke.
"You can either show yourself or I can force you out," Harry said.
"Fine, boy," he scoffed as his features started to change before their very eyes. He grew a few inches, his hand turning from a chestnut brown to a pale blonde as his eyes lightened into a piercing blue. His clothing shifted into a black uniform. And Harry was reminded of a battlefield half a century earlier. A battlefield he'd never actually been to. Yet it seemed so very familiar as Gellert Grindelwald loomed before him.
His youth struck Harry. Gellert Grindelwald should have looked much older than forty. But yet, here he was, looking exactly how he had in the archived footage from the war. Every details seemed the same, down to the dark uniform. Although the dual lightning bolts he'd sported in his prime were now absent. Harry wondered how he'd regained his youth. But, in the end, he figured it didn't matter.
Moments later the clothing on the two men with him also shifted into less elaborate versions of what Grindelwald wore.
"You think you can handle them?" Harry asked, nodding toward the two men.
"What, you don't want all three?" Neville asked.
"Didn't want you to feel left out," Harry said. "I'm content with the grandpa."
"Grandpa?" Neville laughed. "I wish I looked that good when I was a hundred or so."
"You two will regret your flippancy," Grindelwald said, drawing his wand and holding it loosely at his side.
"Stronger men than you have promised me that," Harry said. "And yet here I am."
"Draw your wand boy," Grindelwald said. "I like my toys to at least have a fighting chance."
"Eh, I don't think so," Harry said.
"If you want to die a coward," Grindelwald said.
"Oh, it's not that," Harry said. "I just don't think I'll need it."
"Harry, I don't think now is the time to play around," Neville said.
"He's used to being the biggest fish in the sea," Harry responded. "And he's about to get a nice lesson on what happens when you come across a bigger fish. I'm going to educate him."
"You think you have a chance?" Grindelwald laughed. "I must say, I like your spirit, Harry Potter. I can see what Albus saw in you."
"I suspect he was more annoyed with me than anything," Harry said.
"For a time," Grindelwald agreed. "But he always wished you'd come back. He said so in his multitude of letters."
"Of course he kept in touch," Harry rolled his eyes. "The holocaust wasn't enough to find you irredeemable."
"That was more the Austrian than myself," Grindelwald said.
"Sure looked like you tried hard to stop it," Harry said.
"No reason to. It kept him entertained and they were simply muggles," Grindelwald said.
"Yeah, indifference makes it worse," Harry said.
"Does it? I don't see you reacting to every little case of muggles killing muggles," Grindelwald said.
"I'm uninterested in being their lord and savior. But I would certainly step in to stop a genocide," Harry said.
"Rwanda," Grindelwald responded.
"I was like fourteen," Harry said.
"Still you sat idly by," Grindelwald said.
"He is not all there," Neville said.
"Yeah half a century in prison probably does that to you," Harry said.
"Are you going to insult my mental capacities or are you going to try in vain to defeat me, Mister Potter?" Grindelwald asked.
"Honestly, I was waiting on you to make the first move. Seemed low to attack an old man," Harry said.
"And I was standing here thinking attacking an unarmed child was a low move," Grindelwald said.
"I swear, its boy and child all the time. Fudge, Dippet, and now Gellert Grindelwald. Do I look young as hell or something?" Harry turned to Neville as he spoke.
"I'd guess early twenties," Neville said.
"A bit on the young side then," Harry said.
"Not young enough to be called a child, though," Neville retorted.
"I didn't think so. You'll be fine with the two minions?" Harry asked.
"We should take them together and then focus on the grandpa," Neville responded.
"I'll be fine," Harry said. He stepped away from Neville and toward the taller blonde man. Grindelwald slashed his wand toward Harry as he moved. A shockwave exploded from Harry a moment later. The power was enough to knock Grindelwald and his men back a few feet as well as shattering one of the piles of rubble nearby.
Harry heard the crack of apparition as soon as he cast the spell. He saw Neville appear behind one of Grindelwald's stumbling followers. A quick blast of red light took the first man out of the fight. Grindelwald spun around and slashed his wand toward Neville. The former Auror apparated away once more but Harry slashed his own hand up at the same time causing a pile of rubble to block the spell.
Harry didn't give the old man the time to recover. He thrust his hand out and another blast of pure energy sped toward Grindelwald. It hit him square in the back and forced him into the pile of rubble Harry had just conjured.
The rubble exploded away, pieces of it flying everywhere. One large chunk impacted the follower who Neville had stunned, collapsing a chunk of his head. Neville shielded the rubble that flew toward him, while the remaining follower ducked behind some cover.
Another crack of apparition resounded through the area. The remaining follower appeared directly before Neville, just inside his shield. He shouted something in German but before he could finish the spell Neville threw his shoulder into him and they both went tumbling down the debris.
Blasts of light flew toward Harry and he turned to face Grindelwald once more. He held up his left hand and let the magic impact against it. He felt the power slip into him as the magic impacted against his skin. Each spell caused him to glow faintly in the evening light. Grindelwald kept up the barrage until the area was nearly bright enough to be mistaken for day.
"What are you doing?" the old man yelled.
"Blocking your spells," Harry said as blandly as he could muster. As he finished speaking he released the energy and directed all of it as Grindelwald. All that followed was a brilliant flash of light and heat with an almost inhuman sounded scream.
"Well that was easy. Hope there's enough left to identify the body" Harry said to no one in particular as the light faded. He paused for a moment and turned to find Neville. He found his friend restraining the remaining man with conjured ropes.
"What the hell did you do? I thought another bomb went off. I'm sure we'll have company shortly" Neville said.
"Trick I picked up in Bihar. I'll show you when we get back to Hogwarts," Harry said. "Good work with those two."
"I look forward to it…Harry! Look out!" Neville yelled. Harry spun around and brought a shield charm to the front of his mind, but he was too slow.
A cutting hex cleaved through his left arm, a chunk of flesh impacting on the nearby rubble. An agonized scream ripped through him before his eyes flashed toward where the spell originated. His shield charm blocked the second and the third and then he saw Gellert Grindelwald once more.
The man looked singed. Smoke rose from him as he leveled his wand directly on Harry. Part of his uniform had burned away and his icy blue eyes shot around as if taking in every detail of the battlefield in mere moments. Harry glared at him, keeping a large bright shield between he and the older man. He took a moment to grit his teeth against the pain in his arm. He held his right hand up and directed it toward the wound, letting magic flow from him and back into the arm, wincing against the pain as it corrected his flesh.
"That was a mistake," Harry said.
"Oh I doubt that," Grindelwald responded. "Your best shot was interesting. Unique almost. But it was not very effective."
"You've just made me mad now," Harry said. He flexed his left arm as the healing magic finished its work. Once that felt normal enough he lowered the shield and reached for his wand.
"I always assumed you'd remind me of Albus. But you aren't very like him, are you?" Grindelwald said.
"Depends on my mood," Harry retorted.
"But you do remind me of someone. I can't quite place it yet. But there is something very familiar about you," Grindelwald said.
"You won't live long enough to remember who," Harry said.
"Oh? Are we being serious now, boy?" Grindelwald taunted, his lips curving into a slight smirk as he spoke.
"I am going to enjoy this," Harry said, shaking out his left shoulder as his eyes narrowed onto Grindelwald.
"Yes, that's the look, the narrowed eyes, the pent-up anger. So very familiar. But just where do I remember that from. Oh well, I guess it's unimportant," Grindelwald said.
"Are you going to fight or talk?" Harry asked.
"Civilized combat should always include a little conversation," Grindelwald said.
"You're insane," Harry said. He slashed his wand repeatedly at Grindelwald, stepping toward him with each blast. He felt his magic buckle against the man's counter. He felt Grindelwald fall back with each impact. He felt his own fury pouring from him. He felt everything, until he didn't.
He'd lost track of how many spells he cast. The number wasn't important. He knew he'd overwhelm Grindelwald eventually. His strength was in his determination and stamina. So he just kept firing. Until a blast broke back through and he was forced to pause and shield himself.
"You're quick for an old man," Harry said, wondering why he hadn't sensed that spell until it was almost too late. Perhaps his attention hadn't been nearly as focused as he'd thought. Grindelwald stood across the field from him. The same distance away he'd been when Harry started his barrage. He shook out his left arm as the power from repeated spells dissipated from him.
"And you're a bit of a disappointment. Your first trick was much better," Grindelwald said.
"And yet you've done absolutely nothing of consequence," Harry said. A moment later the hair on the back of his neck stood up and he dived beneath a bit of rubble. Grindelwald launched it back at him and Harry slashed through it easily. For a moment he thought he saw more rubble flashing around him, but he blinked it away as a trick of the eye.
"Perhaps," Grindelwald said. He slashed his wand toward the ground and Harry felt the heat rise up immediately. Harry let the black smoke envelope him once more and floated away from the lava that had appeared where he'd just been standing.
A barrage of spells hit his new location as he arrived. Harry parried them easily enough, weaving through the spells and launching a few of his own. But the barrage kept up for longer than he would have thought possible. Eventually he shifted back to smoke and charged through the barrage right to Grindelwald.
"Bombarda!" Harry yelled as he appeared. A blinding flash of light followed as Grindelwald shielded the assault. Harry continued to force power into the spell, enough that pain started to sear through him and into his wand. But he kept the spell up and soon enough Grindelwald's shield cracked and Harr's basting curse demolished the rubble they were perched on.
Harry tensed as the smoke cleared. For a moment, he thought it might be over. But there was no body beneath him. He rolled his left shoulder gently as surveyed the area, waiting for any sign of Grindelwald.
"You do have some power," Grindelwald said from a perch across the field. Harry turned on him. "But the fight is already over."
"Says the man who's landed nothing more than a cheap shot," Harry said.
"And you've done any better? Here I stand, Mister Potter. You've managed to singe my clothing. Quite frightening," Grindelwald said.
"Why are we talking?" Harry asked, staring up and Grindelwald.
"Just passing the time," Grindelwald smiled down at him. Harry rolled his shoulder again and then frowned as another voice rang through his head. Grindelwald liked spells that did more than one thing. Dumbledore had told him that. Harry shook out his left arm again.
No, he'd heard Dumbledore say that. But it hadn't been said to him. No, he'd been explaining it to a confused teenage girl as he tried to soften the blow that she'd turned into a genetic dead-end.
"You poisoned the cutter," Harry said. "And I made it worse by healing it right away. That's why my left arm is going numb."
"Very good, Mister Potter," Grindelwald said.
"How long?" Harry asked.
"Three to five minutes," Grindelwald said.
"Alright then," Harry said. "Neville?"
"Yes Harry?" Neville asked. "Should we take him together?"
"No," Harry said, unclasping the silver watch on his wrist and tossing it to Neville. "Hang onto that."
"What?" Neville caught it and stared down at it in his hand. Harry held his right hand up over his left arm. He closed his eyes and took a very deep breath before sending a cutting spell from each of his fingers. He yelled as the spells ripped through his flesh.
"Bloodletting?" Grindelwald laughed. "That won't help."
"Perhaps," Harry said, shaking his arm more and letting the blood fall to the ground beneath him. "Five minutes should be enough time though."
"I will enjoy watching the moment when you realize you are not enough to stop me. And then I will enjoy watching you die," Grindelwald said. He leveled his wand toward Harry, but Harry was already gone.
He appeared behind Gellert Grindelwald and leveled his left arm on him. Another shockwave emanated from his body. But it was less focused than his first, blood spilling to the ground around it.
Grindelwald braced himself against the magic. He raised a shield as Harry sent more spells, easier, quicker ones toward the shield. Grindelwald absorbed them without faltering. After Harry's seventh spell he started to fire back.
But Harry was gone, simply leaving a small pool of blood in his wake. He appeared behind Grindelwald once more.
As soon as he appeared, Grindelwald disappeared. It was Harry's turn to shield spells that came at him from all direction. He raised his shield windlessly, instinctually, with his left hand and winced as the spells sent pain through his wounded arm.
But he found Grindelwald in the chaos and countered until he knew his arm, and his shield would fall. Again he apparated away. This time when he appeared Grindelwald was waiting for him. Their spells collided in a flash of color as they struggled to overpower each other.
Harry forced everything he had into his magic. He focused all of his power down through his wand. He felt the energy leaving him. His mind grew light, his eyes blurry as he focused on nothing more than making sure the spell hit and ended Gellert Grindelwald. Images of a miraculous victory flashed through his mind.
But his eyes betrayed him. He didn't see victory in the light before him. Instead he saw the spells move toward him rather than Grindelwald. He tried to force it away. He tried to break the connection. But it didn't matter. He realized far too late, mere moments before the spell impacted against his chest, that he'd lost.
He flew back, landing in his own blood. He felt his ribs shattering as if part of a delayed reaction, he felt bones penetrating into his lungs. He felt the blood and bile rising to his throat. He coughed against it and felt it leave him through his mouth.
Grindelwald walked toward him, clapping as he moved.
"Bravo, Harry Potter. You fought well. Probably at least in the top ten of duels I've had. But you are not Albus Dumbledore," he said.
"Fuck you," Harry coughed.
"And now you die," Grindelwald said. He stepped toward Harry, his wand raised. Grindelwald slashed it down toward Harry, a jet of green light bursting from it. A bright green explosion and then smoke filled the sky. When it cleared, Harry looked up to see Neville Longbottom standing between him and Grindelwald.
"Not today he doesn't," Neville growled.
"That was stupid," Grindelwald said. "I was going to let you live. Someone to tell the tale, as they say. But now, I will have to punish you as well."
"Neville," Harry choked. "Watch."
"I won't go that easily," Neville said.
"Watch," Harry choked again. But it was too late. Grindelwald engaged Neville. To his credit, Neville managed to block the first two spells, and parry the third and fourth. But the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth all pierced through him.
Neville fell next to Harry, gasping for air and clutching at more wounds than he had hands.
"You do not make the top ten," Grindelwald said, stepping over them. "I think I'll make Harry watch you die before I kill him."
"Burn," Harry said, raising his right hand up toward Grindelwald. No magic flew from his fingers.
"Effective," Grindelwald laughed.
"It was," Harry choked, his hand falling to the ground. Grindelwald laughed in the cool night air, his confidence apparent on his face. He didn't notice the droplets of blood sliding toward Harry. He didn't see them rising around him. And he didn't have time to react as the blood flew toward him, turning to fire.
Grindelwald raised a shield against the flames, but part of the fire splashed around it and caught him in the face and shoulders. He screeched as Harry's blood-fire burned through his skin.
Harry reached out with his right hand, wrapping his fingers tightly around Neville's arm. He closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could, hoping he had enough left for one more spell. One challenging spell. Away, he thought over and over, away, away, away. He didn't care where, he just needed to get them away.
He splinched himself, he knew. He could feel the sharp pain in his legs. But he couldn't see it. He could barely open his eyes. Everything was fuzzy. There was only pain and blood. But Neville seemed to come through alright. And so Neville would have to save him.
"Watch," Harry said again, gagging against the blood in his throat, wondering if he'd drown on it before the poison killed him. "My watch."
"What about it?" Neville choked out. Harry thought every word sounded like agony. Neville struggled but managed to slide his hand into his pocket. His motions were slow and clunky, but he drew out the silver watch.
"Top button, side," Harry gagged. "Hit it."
"Okay," Neville said. His hands fumbled around the face of the watch, his thumb slipped against the metal. But on his second attempt he pressed the button. Harry closed his eyes and let the blackness envelope him.
Moments later, two loud cracks filled the air.
"No…" Neville gagged. "He found us?"
"Oh God," Fumiko Avery gasped loudly.
"Forget the Portkey. We'll have to take them back individually," Alexander Avery said.
"I…I…I don't think I can go that far carrying someone," Fumiko said.
"You have to," Alexander said as Harry drifted away before them.