Chapter 28
Harry felt his shoulders relax as soon as he appeared in his living room. Despite that, he didn't take his arms off of Priya, deciding he'd rather linger on the hug than anything else. Eventually, he kissed her on the top of the head and let go of her.
He moved toward the front door and stepped outside. There was little reason to think that the others would have followed but it still seemed pertinent to make sure. Granted, they couldn't have followed directly without turning into an assortment of red goo. Well, at least that was what he assumed would happen if someone who wasn't he, Priya or Emily tried to apparate into his house. He'd never gotten around to actually testing it.
He peered down the path. Nothing seemed abnormal to him so he started down it. It only took a few minutes until he passed the point where his defensive spells lessened. He continued down for a few hundred meters before casting a few spells on the surrounding trees.
The signaling charm he used was the smallest impact spell he could think of. Unless someone was looking back into the trees specifically for magic it would be near impossible to sense. Even for someone of his caliber. But he set up a large enough cone that it would ping in his mind if someone made their way down the path.
While he already had similar charms set up closer to the home, something about what he'd seen in Anders's head made him think a little more warning might be helpful. Although a large part of him wondered if he was being paranoid.
Perhaps he was. But it couldn't hurt to know sooner rather than later. And, as a whole, he didn't think they were overtly hostile to him. Still, he finished with the charm work and walked back to the house.
Part of him debated adding even more onto the charms out the back of the home. But they extended past the Greenhouse and he figured that anyone who decided to clamber down the small mountain that was their backyard deserved whatever they got themselves into.
When he re-entered the house he found Priya in the living room. She'd changed into a black silk nightgown and was jabbing her wand in the general direction of the fireplace, adjusting the strength of the fire as she did. Given that she was far more particular about temperature than he was, he figured it would take a while.
He zapped himself into flannel pants and a basic black shirt before ducking into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of red from the wine rack, not bothering to look at the label, and opened it before pouring two glasses. He was unsurprised to find she was still putzing with the fire when he returned to the living room. He set her glass on the table and sat on the couch, leaning against the arm and stared at her backside while she fidgeted.
Eventually she stepped away from the now roaring fire and joined him on the couch, pulling one of the furry blankets over both of them as she leaned against him. She grabbed the free glass of wine and took a rather large sip of it before deciding to speak up.
"So what did I miss?" she asked. Harry chose to take a sip of wine rather than answer. She'd obviously know something was up. She knew him better than that. A quick trip outside to examine the defensive spells he'd set up could only really mean one thing.
"Anders is working for Grindelwald. Not for Fudge," Harry sighed. He took another sip of the wine as he finished speaking. Priya stayed silent for a moment.
"Doing what?" she asked. It was, Harry knew, a crucially important question. And unfortunately not one he could answer.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't get much in the moment I made it into his head. He had surprisingly good defenses in place past the initial intrusion. I should have probably broken them. But I don't think they were his and felt breaking them might cause some unexpected consequences,"
"That may not have helped anything," Priya agreed.
"Would have given me more peace of mind," Harry countered.
"And may have sent him to a hospital for the rest of his life, depending on how careful you were," Priya scoffed. He should have known it wasn't the best snide comment to make, given that she'd dealt with magical trauma to the mind before. But that little detail didn't stop him.
"He also might have just exploded. May have been the best outcome if he's with Grindelwald," Harry answered. Priya scoffed again and sipped her wine. He could sense the argument coming. How that was a stupid mentality for him to have and how he shouldn't joke about such things. Instead she responded with one simple word.
"If?" she asked.
"He's with Grindelwald," Harry said. "I'm just not sure how much he's with Grindelwald."
"You're going to have to explain that more."
"It's clear where his loyalties are. I'm just not positive that Grindelwald is aware of that and using him as a proxy or if he's new to the cause, as it were," Harry admitted. He frowned as he said it. Knowing deep down that he should have just forced his way into the man's mind. But he hadn't. So he'd have to speculate based on limited information. And that was never the best cause.
"Which means he might not really be with Grindelwald at all," Priya said.
"Correct," Harry admitted.
"Yet you still added to the outside defenses," Priya said.
"Well, not really. I just added a bit longer of a warning in case they followed us. I think I've left enough clues that we live near Hiroshima for them to be scouring that area rather than here," Harry said.
"Assuming they haven't already done that," Priya countered.
"Even if they have, I think the clues would be enough for them to give it another look. It should buy us until Friday at any rate."
"You're probably right," Priya said. She swirled the wine in the glass as she thought, pursing her lips as she did so. Harry gave her a few minutes to see if she was going to voice her concern. When she didn't he asked the question.
"What's on your mind?"
"I don't think it's ethical for me to ignore patients until Friday," Priya chewed on her bottom lip as she spoke. Harry thought the solution to that particular problem was easily evident.
"Don't," he answered.
"Won't it bother you if I go into town and act normal?" she asked, peering over at him on the couch with her brows raised.
"No," Harry said.
"Really?"
"Really," he agreed. She kept looking at him for a moment as he sipped his wine. He only managed to suppress the smirk for a moment.
"What?" she asked.
"Well, I mean, I may spend the entire day camped near the clinic, but it's not like I don't want you to do your job. I know you love it," Harry said.
"That seems like a very boring day for you," Priya commented.
"I mean not really. If I'm honest I'll probably walk you to the pharmacy if you didn't want to apparate or bike. Hang around for a bit to see if anything is unusual, then go home and take care of my usuals," Harry explained with a shrug of his shoulders.
"And that will take you to what, eleven?" Priya asked.
"Perfect time to wander back and see if you have time to get lunch or if you'd like me to bring you something," Harry shrugged.
"That sounds more or less like your normal day," Priya said.
"Funny how that works out," Harry said.
"You're too paranoid for that," Priya countered.
"Maybe. But I honestly don't think they have any clue where we are," Harry said.
"So you think it's a pure coincidence that you found them wandering down the same street my pharmacy is on?" Priya asked.
"I'm starting to think so, yes. I did see that they've been over most of the country looking for us. They were actually close to giving up. Anders didn't think anyone worth anything would spend time living on Shikoku," Harry explained. "And that's not all?"
"What else?" she asked.
"I'm honestly not sure even Grindelwald could get through the protections Emily and I put up around the house. And it's not like your clinic is undefended. And you have your watch," he said.
"It is nice to know you're only seconds away if there's a problem," she admitted.
"Are you worried?" he asked. The thought hadn't ever really occurred to him. He always assumed he was the worrier and she was more likely to tell him he was overreacting. But now, as she continued to more or less ignore her wine and stare at the fire, he wondered if he'd underestimated something.
"A bit," she admitted. She frowned and turned her attention from the fire to the wine. She took a small sip of it and turned her attention back to the fire.
"What about?" he asked. She shook her head. For a moment he thought she wasn't going to tell him. But he knew her better than that. She needed a few minutes to compose her thoughts before sharing them. He obliged her. Underneath the blanket he slid an arm around her and held her reassuringly to him.
"I guess I don't fancy winding up in a standoff with Grindelwald," she said. "I don't mean to doubt you, but whatever he did in France would probably get through our defenses."
"On the clinic probably, on the house, I'm not sure," Harry said.
"But I'm not going to spend all of my time cooped up in the house waiting. That sounds like the worst idea of all time," Priya said. At first, Harry only nodded. There wasn't much more he could do. He agreed with her.
It actually made him wonder about his parents. What had they felt during the final bit of their life where, as far as he knew, they'd been more or less sequestered into their house underneath a Fidelius charm. He'd found other ways to protect his small family. Ways he thought were equally, if not more, secure. But, deep down he knew he was a better Wizard than his father. And he knew Emily was at least on par with him. While he didn't doubt Dumbledore's ability, he suspected the two of them had a rather significant advantage. Not even counting the extra time they'd been given.
Still, he knew he would never subject Priya to that fate. He knew he couldn't tolerate it himself. It seemed overly cruel to subject someone else to a fate he wouldn't wish upon himself.
"I don't expect you to," he said.
"But if I don't there's always going to be that lingering thought of an unstoppable explosion in the back of my mind. Something I can't control. Some vague attempt to eliminate both of us before we could be a problem," Priya sighed. "And I really don't like that thought."
"I can understand that. But what can we do about it?" Harry asked. Priya shook her head.
"I'm not sure," she admitted.
"Would you like me to try to contact him?" Harry asked.
"Grindelwald?" Priya looked almost alarmed.
"Yes."
"Why on Earth would you do that?" she asked.
"Set some ground rules. See what he was hoping for. See if we can avoid a senseless battle that endangers far more people than we have any right to. Maybe there's a common ground. Maybe there's something we can agree to," Harry shrugged.
"You don't honestly believe that," she said.
"If you told fourteen year old me I'd have consensual sex with Lord Voldemort I would have laughed at you," Harry said.
"Oh please," Priya scoffed. "If I'd have spoken to fourteen year old you, you would have fainted."
"I may have just assumed you were Padma," Harry chuckled.
"Racist," Priya laughed.
"I don't believe it," Harry agreed, looping the conversation back around to Grindelwald. He paused to sip his wine and think. "But a part of me doesn't think that it's too absurd of a notion. And I'm not sure I want to fight."
"Are you serious?" she asked, looking absolutely aghast.
"Yes," he answered.
"That could condemn thousands," Priya said.
"The same thousands that fought me every step of the way," Harry shrugged. "I don't particularly like it. But I'm willing to entertain it if it means safety and life for my family."
"Part of me gets what you're saying," Priya said. "And part of me wants to slap you. And I'm pretty sure Emily would hex you for talking like that. You can't just give up."
"She almost certainly would. Speaking of, should we try to contact her?" Harry asked.
"I don't want to ruin her fun. She'll make her way back soon enough. If we're even here," Priya sighed.
"Do you want to go back to England?" he asked.
"No," she said. "But when do we get what we want?"
"You got me."
"Please I have to share you with a psychopathic mass-murderer," Priya laughed.
"That you are trying to rehabilitate," Harry chuckled. "You're the one who caught her cutting herself and wanted to do something about it. And the sharing was wholly your idea."
"She's not supposed to know you know that. She'd be mortified," Priya said.
"Well she isn't here right now, is she?" Harry asked.
"No. But I'm not wholly sure that will stop her from knowing anything. She's insidious that way," Priya said. She looked around, narrowing her eyes as she did, as if expecting to find some type of spy gear behind their mantle.
"She's just observant and makes educated guesses acting like she knows everything. I can do it too," Harry laughed.
"Uh-huh, sure," Priya gave him her best faux-skeptical look. He smiled with her and finished his glass of wine. He summoned the bottle from the kitchen, half wondering why he hadn't just brought it with him in the first place. He refilled his wine and topped hers off when she tilted the glass toward him.
"So what were we talking about?"
"You being a coward that doesn't want to fight Grindelwald," Priya said.
"Would you believe me if I told you I never want to fight anyone?" he asked.
"No, and your attitude has proven otherwise on many occasions," she said.
"I don't back down when people challenge me. Because most of the time they need to be put into their places and aren't nearly as strong as they think they are. And I don't like bullies. That doesn't mean I go looking for a fight," Harry sighed. He didn't feel much of a need to defend himself. She'd known him long enough to know this. Still, she'd never pushed him on the subject before.
"So everyone you fight deserves it?" she asked.
"Almost certainly not," Harry admitted. It drew a raised eyebrow from Priya. Enough of one that he decided his best course of action was to continue. "I'm not the one to make that decision. Sometimes a disagreement goes too far. I don't think I was ever in the wrong but I'm not infallible."
"That's why you're different from the others," she said.
"How's that?" he asked.
"You can admit you were wrong. It took Emily a whole death, quite possibly two, to even fathom that idea. And even then I think it was more because she gave up hope in succeeding than ever thought she was wrong. And Grindelwald was clearly just waiting for Dumbledore to be out of the picture. That you let yourself doubt says something about you," Priya said.
"They'd both probably just find it to be a weakness," Harry responded with a sip of his wine. He couldn't think of anything good to ever come from doubt. But for what it was worth he hadn't spent that much time thinking about it. Maybe his wife was right. Maybe it was something that set him apart. Although he'd have preferred it called something more akin to introspection, or, well, anything that felt less negative than doubt.
He really didn't like that word. And the more it repeated in his head the more it sounded like cowardice. He stewed on it while both of them took a moment to sip the wine. She broke the silence.
"We're left with a bit of a moral quandary, aren't we?" she asked.
"How so?"
"We think Grindelwald is evil," Priya said.
"We do," Harry answered.
"We think Grindelwald is attempting something that will harm hundreds if not thousands of innocent people," Priya continued.
"Well, we might be wrong," Harry argued.
"We don't think we're wrong so for the purpose of the argument that is irrelevant," Priya interjected.
"I'm not sure I agree with that but I doubt we'll get anywhere arguing about the semantics."
"Fair enough. Anyway, are we not obligated to fight against things we think are evil? Do we have the moral authority to stand to the side when we know something grievously wrong is about to occur. If we do, does that not make us complicit?" Priya asked. She sipped her wine again and turned her gaze from him and back to the fire. Harry paused to mull her words. He didn't have a specific answer. But he was at least smart enough to know she was more interested in the debate than anything else.
"You're being more philosophical than I would have expected," he said. His intention was to buy some time while he thought over her words.
"What does that mean?" she countered. It was the wrong answer, he knew he'd put his foot into his mouth. He shook his head as if trying to absolve himself of any sort of blame before he continued.
"Nothing. I just hadn't approached it from that angle yet," Harry said.
"I see," she countered with narrowed eyes, giving Harry the distinct feeling he was walking on eggshells.
"As a whole I'm not sure I would say it makes one complicit. But I can see the argument. I don't necessarily believe one's action or inaction makes them accountable for the actions of someone else," Harry said. He stumbled over the words and half wondered if it sounded as nonsensical aloud as it did in his head.
"I've been thinking about it a lot and I'm not sure I agree," she said. He watched as her lips curled slowly downward into a frown. Her eyes stared off at nothing and her expression was blank.
"Why not?" he asked.
"I tried to think of it in smaller terms. I'm not sure if it makes for the best direct comparison but it was the best I could think of. If, say, I knew the Knight Bus was going to crash, I would prevent people from getting on it. If I knew a friend was going to disappear in the Floo Network, I wouldn't let them get into the fire. So if I extrapolate that to a larger situation would I react any differently? Do you understand what I'm saying?" she turned her gaze back to him as she spoke.
"I think I get your point, yes. But I have one minor counter to it," Harry said. Priya raised her brows at him. Again he got the rather distinct feeling she didn't appreciate being questioned at that moment. But she loved him and would humor him.
"How hard would you try to prevent a pregnant woman from drinking?" Harry asked. Priya's eyes narrowed again and he expected an instant argument. He was being disingenuous and they were clearly not the same things. But she swallowed her words with a gulp of wine and composed herself.
"I would make sure she understood all of the repercussions of her decisions and if she were a witch then I would point out that even magic has a hard time combating fetal alcohol syndrome," Priya explained. She kept her tone even, almost clinical and she spoke. Harry nodded at her.
"But would you take it out of her hand?" Harry asked. Priya bit her lip and then glared at him.
"No. People are responsible for their own decisions. I can't make that one for them," Priya admitted.
"And I think that's our answer," Harry said. Priya frowned at him.
"Can I just hex you for being stupid or do I have to wait for Emily to come back?" she asked. She drained her wine and refilled her glass. She shook the bottle, seeing how much was left and poured most of it into Harry's glass. She peered at the bottle for a moment, shrugged again, and poured the rest into her glass, filling it nearly to the brim.
"I mean you can hex me if you like. But I bite," Harry shrugged.
"Promise?"
"Always."
"I'm not sure what your point is," Priya admitted, drawing him back into their conversation. She took a large sip of her wine, drinking until the glass was filled to a more respectable level.
"You wonder if we're morally responsible to do something about Grindelwald? Largely because we both think he's evil and his version of good will result in countless needless deaths and suffering. You think that it's our duty to prevent it," Harry said. Priya pondered his words for just a moment before nodding.
"I swore an oath," she said, as if it was something as simple as that. The words rang through his mind. He'd never sworn them himself. And he never would. He would never be the type who could agree to do no harm. That wasn't in his nature. It was a glorious sentiment, and one that many, many people should strive for. But the ones who didn't. Well, they'd have to be dealt with somehow. And if he was the one that had to do it. So be it.
"Do no harm," he repeated.
"Among other things," she said. "And I take it seriously."
"I know you do," Harry said. "And I respect it. I'd never ask you to do something that violates it."
"I know you wouldn't. But it runs right into the conundrum I have. Doing nothing feels a great deal like I'm doing harm. It may not be direct and physical. But something about it still feels like harm. It feels like I'm not holding myself to a standard that I should be. I'm not a particular fan of the feeling," Priya explained. Harry let her words wash over him. He didn't understand her. But he'd always been more action orientated. To him, the key word in the sentence was 'do' but to her it was 'harm'.
It was a flimsy distinction, he thought. And probably one that he'd think differently about had he been the one who spent years in medical school and hospitals. But, as is, he hadn't. Still, in the end, there was only one real thing he could do or say.
"I agree with you," he said. Perhaps not to the letter of her words. But the concept, at least, was something he could at least understand.
"So you want to go back to England?" she asked. He shook his head.
"Want is such an interesting word, isn't it?" he asked. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Only if you're being incredibly pedantic," she countered.
"I want to stay in Japan. I want to help with your clinic. To grow plants in the greenhouse. To do little experiments that interest me. To spend my days and nights with you. I want to kiss you every night before bed and every morning when we wake. I want to hold you as we sleep and I want our life to be what it's been for the last few months," Harry said. He paused for a moment and took another sip of the wine and paused. "Going back to England doesn't seem to figure into any of those plans."
"And yet here we are, having this discussion," Priya said.
"I think I'm going to have to return," he said. "I can't see a scenario where it doesn't happen. Fudge isn't wrong. Grindelwald knows I'm a threat regardless. I will freely admit I thought I'd handle him far more easily. Now it's a question of whether or not I want to fight him on his terms or mine."
"You've tried on your terms twice," Priya said.
"Once," Harry countered. "I didn't really fight him in Iran."
"Well either way it ended poorly."
"It did. I'm not sure if he's more clever than I gave him credit for or if people are just dumb. I didn't think people would believe him so blindly. Hell, I assumed there'd be a manhunt as soon as he got out from that tower but instead, nothing," Harry sighed as he spoke. That still bothered him. Could the illusion of reform really be such a powerful factor to most people. Did the general populace so desperately want to see someone reform that they could forgive so much?
Harry doubted it. But, at the same time, many had seen another war in their lifetime. And Grindelwald's most heinous acts were sixty to seventy years earlier. Things he himself had done a decade ago seemed inconsequential now. How could he expect people to care about something someone else had done practically a century earlier?
Still, they'd hold Voldemort over him. He knew they'd do that. He knew no matter what he accomplished that his decision to spare her. To give her essentially a third chance, would mark his legacy regardless. But, to counter that, most of the people judging him for that had far more direct and negative experiences with her than they did with Gellert Grindelwald.
"So we're going back?" she asked. Her voice managed to sound how he felt. He took another deep breath and then shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't hard to imagine her concerns. They may have only spent a few months building up their house and her clinic. But would it now all go to waste because of a spur of the moment decisions? Just how would such a decision impact their lives for the months and years to come? And the lives of some of the locals who'd grown to rely on them?
"I don't know," he admitted.
"You are very unhelpful," she scoffed and turned her attention back to the wine.
"There's a reason I gave Friday as the meeting date," Harry said. "It gives us time to think about it. And if we decide to go, some time to try to get things set up here."
"There'd be a lot to set up," she said. Harry shrugged.
"It's less daunting than you'd think. Shoka and Suzu are both smart girls. I'm sure I can teach them inventory management and ordering and the like if need be. Bump their pay for the added duties," he shrugged his shoulders. "It's not a perfect solution. But it is a solution."
"I'd have to find someone to cover the patients," Priya frowned.
"Yes," Harry agreed. "Or commute. Or stay."
"I'm not letting you abandon me again," she growled. Her glare could have killed a lesser man in his tracks but Harry couldn't help himself, he felt his lips curl into a smile and he nodded.
"Different circumstances this time," he said. "I'd have every interest in returning and returning as quickly as possible. But before we argue about it I would prefer you to accompany me. I don't want to be separated. I'm just pointing out that there are options available if we would like to discuss it," Harry said.
"I'm not sure I could deal with you off challenging Grindelwald while I stayed here and acted like everything was normal," Priya said. "I don't like the thought of you rushing into danger and me not being in a position to help."
"I can understand that," Harry agreed. It was an odd thought. He wondered just how much he'd changed in the last year or so. The concept of putting himself in danger seemed absurd then. People had tried sure, in Oslo, in Bihar, in Canada, but at the end of it he'd never felt like he was in any form of danger.
And then he'd lost.
It wasn't that absurd. It wasn't like he always won. He'd been bested before. But never in a situation where he thought it could result in losing his life. And never in a situation where there were others relying on him and his survival. It altered his perspective.
He couldn't help but wonder if it was also part of the reason for his general delay in facing Grindelwald again. He'd tried to convince himself it was a matter of laziness and general disinterest. But could it be something else? Could it be fear?
He shook the thought from his head. If it was fear, it wasn't worth thinking about. And it was nothing more than another thing he'd have to conquer.
He watched as Priya finished her wine. She glanced toward the kitchen, pondering if they should open another bottle, before shaking her head and placing the glass down on the coffee table in front of them.
"So what have you been pondering then? I know you well enough to know you wouldn't be bringing this up if you hadn't thought of some sort of alternative. What is it that you want to do?" Priya asked. It was his turn to finish his wine. Part of him thought they got through the bottle a bit faster than they necessarily should have. But it wasn't like they had anywhere to go that evening.
He levitated his glass until it joined hers and took a moment to close his eyes and peer at his defensive charms. Not a single thing, not even some type of vole or other vermin, had crossed his charms. That told him they were working as intended. He refocused on Priya just in time to feel her shifting so they were laying on the couch rather than sitting. She let her weight rest on him as the blanket fell around the both of them.
He couldn't help but let out a contented sigh as she waited for his answer. He didn't bother giving it until he wrapped his arms around her and they wiggled into a comfortable position.
"It's a bit dumb. And kind of simplistic. I'm worried you'll think I spent about five minutes thinking it up," Harry said, doing everything in his power to make himself sound as sheepish as possible. Priya burrowed into his neck, her breath intoxicatingly hot on his skin when she spoke,
"And how long did you spend thinking of it?" she asked.
"About ten minutes," he answered. It earned him a giggle as she shifted herself upwards so she could peer at him as they spoke.
"I didn't know you had that long of an attention span. Now I'm suitably intrigued. What is your grand plan?" she asked.
"I think it's time for the world to meet Harry Potter," he said. Priya's brows shot upward and she looked startled.
"But you hate people," she said.
"No I don't. I just prefer them to leave me alone."
"Same thing."
"Not really. When all this started I thought I'd be able to just squash it. That I'd snap my fingers and the problem would be solved. That it would be little more than a minor inconvenience to me as I went about the rest of whatever my life would be. I'd save everyone and go back to obscurity," he explained. He didn't even need to be looking at her to know she rolled her eyes.
"That is so you," she said.
"It didn't work. And here we are almost a year later with little having changed on that front. He outplayed me. And he did it by being present. Being charming. Faking repentance. It's sickening. But no one, and I mean no one, bothered to challenge him," Harry said.
"So that's what you want to do? Be the one who challenges him? You think that will work?" Harry asked.
"I have a hard time believing people aren't opposing him because they agree with him. I suspect most are either just tired of constant threats of war, or fear for their lives. I think if they had someone else to get behind they'd be willing to do so," Harry explained. It seemed so simple in his head.
Why would anyone challenge Grindelwald when he didn't seem to actively be committing atrocities. When he was saying all of the right things? When what little he let out showed he was trying to help? He was, afterall, Grindwald. And if they said something, it might end poorly for them, or their family, or their cat, or anything that could be seen as a message. Was it worth the risk?
Hell, he'd practically done the same thing. He'd shot his shot, as it were, and then scampered back to his castle to lick his wounds. He'd done, what, one interview? Where he only briefly talked about the other man? He'd kept quiet. He thought he knew more but he never made the opinion public. He'd sulked and waited for an opportunity to prove himself correct.
One that, the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how unlikely it was to come organically. But the more he reflected on what he'd seen in the Iranian mountain, the more he thought he could bait it.
"We're a bit far behind on that front. He'd had months of messaging and, as you said, everyone seems eager to run with it. You think you can stop that?" she asked.
"I'm Harry fucking Potter," he said. Again, she chuckled, shaking her head.
"And that's all it will take?"
"I doubt it. But we both know how much the media loves a controversy or an argument. And I'll give them one. I'm still not sure what to think of Fudge but I'll be the young and British counterpoint to Grindelwalds old and not viewpoint," Harry said. "And, as far as we can tell, he doesn't like talking to the press or doing anything impromptu himself. He staged all of it, always on his terms. I don't care about that."
"Except you're a fugitive in England."
"And yet the Minister himself came looking for me to ask for my help. I've famously helped Fudge before. What's one more favor for the old man?"
"That's all fine and dandy. But you helped him get rid of Lord Voldemort. And she, allegedly, returned again. Grindelwald himself saw her."
"She is back. It's unfortunate but under control."
"Excuse me?"
"Complicated dark magic linked the two of us. In my attempts to remove the last vestiges of it some unforeseen circumstances made it so she returned. It was an unavoidable consequence of the magic. There was nothing that could have possibly been done. In fact, my own prodigious skill likely prevented it from being an even worse situation. But she's not what she was," Harry said.
"She's a psychotic mass-murderer who's responsible for hundreds of dead Wizards," Priya countered. It was the obvious argument. And the one he'd rehearsed.
"Yet the dead she's responsible for dwarf the dead Grindelwald is responsible for. Everyone seems content giving him a second chance. How is she any different?"
"He at least spent time in prison. He was punished for his actions."
"She spent two separate decades dead. During one of them her spirit was bound and flayed. Hell, part of her essence was diluted and used in magical drugs in Canada. She's been tortured beyond points most people can imagine. If sitting in a cell being fed three meals a day, allowed to befriend the guards, and given books and magical research from the likes of Albus Dumbledore himself is a punishment. Then that word is not strong enough to describe the hells she's gone through."
"And you'll elaborate on said hells?"
"If necessary. You should ask her instead."
"She's going to hate you, you know," Priya said. He could sense the tension in her body shift. She was done playing devil's advocate and was back to their general discussion.
"Yeah, but in her own fucked up way she's still going to love me. And worst case I just say it was your idea," Harry said. "She can't stay mad at you for more than a day or two."
"I'm not sure I want to test that."
"And I'm giving her an out. If they buy my story, and we win, there will be little reason for anyone to doubt her or her loyalties. She'll be free, if she wants it. She can go climb mountains or be a professor or disappear. It doesn't matter. I can't imagine she won't jump at the chance," Harry said.
"She won't. She'll sulk and glare at you. Call you stupid. Accuse you of having no idea what she wants, what she thinks, what she needs in her life. Threaten to hex you and probably actually hex you while training or maybe just have slightly off aim when the bubotuber vines are getting oddly close to your neck," Priya laughed.
"Yes, all of those things sound like her."
"But then when she thinks you're asleep she'll whisper that she loves you, because she can't say it to your face. She wishes she could but the words won't come. And then she'll whisper her thanks while she clings to you in a way she denies vehemently come morning," Priya continued.
"Also sounds like her," Harry chuckled.
"I still don't think she'll like it," Priya said.
"I'll keep mentions of her to a minimum. But implying that we're linked with the magic will calm some people. I'll stand against her no matter what and if people think her killing me will kill her, well, I guess I hope no one questions it too directly," Harry explained. He knew it was all crap, of course. But he needed to sell it. He'd have to think of exactly how to do that.
He should have talked to her about it months ago. But even then, he hadn't bothered with any real sort of contingency plan for this situation. So the best he could do was make it up on the fly and bounce ideas off of Priya.
As much as he was enjoying Priya's comments, and her warm body pressing against his, he also wished Emily was there. Not specifically there in that moment. He actually far preferred just Priya in bed with him. But he'd grown used to getting both of their opinions on most things. And how he felt oddly empty only getting one.
"You think she'll do that? Slip away into obscurity and call it a day?" Priya asked.
"I would," Harry shrugged.
"You base a lot of what you think she'll do on what you would do," Priya countered. Harry nodded his head.
"We're shockingly similar. We like a lot of the same things. I actually wondered if I'd change when the last bit of her was ripped from me. I was almost surprised I didn't," he said.
"I feel like that makes me Martin Price in this situation," Priya said. He saw her lips curve downward and knew her focus was on not only their wedded status but his untimely death.
"In more ways than one," Harry joked, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Haha," Priya said. They were silent for a moment. His arms tightened around her as he tried to say that he would never let anything like that happen to her. He'd watch the entire world burn before that was even a possible outcome.
But he also knew that if he were to put himself in danger there was almost zero chance she wouldn't be right at his side. And he knew that control of any situation was a slippery slope. It wouldn't be Japanese Aurors with orders not to kill standing across from him this time.
He pushed that thought from his head. He feared for anyone on a battlefield if he were to see something happen to Priya. He doubted he'd even care about sides at that point.
"There's one more thing I think we should do," Harry said in an attempt to bring the conversation back around.
"I don't have any Polyjuice handy," Priya mocked
"Not that," Harry derided.
"Well what then?" Priya gave him her best practiced pout, as if she couldn't fathom he'd be able to come up with anything more interesting than her idea.
"I think you should take Grindelwald's research to Tokyo and disperse it among some of the people you're closest with at the hospital," Harry said.
"What?" she blinked in response, clearly thinking she'd misheard him.
"Especially the researchers," he said.
"But."
"I know. But we're not making nearly as much progress as we'd like to think. And we both know we're looking for excuses to not look into it more than we have been. I mean I built a damn greenhouse instead of reading his journals. I think it's time we got more eyes on it," Harry said.
"That could be very dangerous. He might not take kindly to some of it becoming public information."
"I'm sure he won't. But you heard Fudge. Even he wasn't quite sure what Grindelwald was attempting. We have a fairly good idea. I feel like if Grindelwald wanted people to know, he would tell them. So I think we should get as many eyes on it as possible," Harry explained.
"I take it you had more people in mind than just my former coworkers in Tokyo?"
"I still have some contacts in the Canadian ministry from my time in Vancouver. I'm going to send them copies. I know they have contacts with the Americans so I'll ask them as well. I'll get a missive to Avery and Fumiko and see if they can get it circulating in France. I also thought your grandmother might be interested," Harry explained. He paused for a moment at that one, wondering how Priya would take it. She pursed her lips and seemed to contemplate his words for a moment before nodding.
"She would," she agreed. She paused for a moment and he thought she was going to raise an objection to that but instead she added another option. "We can also send it to the various journals that published our research and ask them to circulate it around people they know."
"Good idea," he said. He knew the amount of contacts he had who would be able to help were limited. But they also had contacts who could find contacts.
"I do worry we may be putting others in danger," Priya said.
"If it's everywhere all he can do is claim it's fake. It'll become a he said she said type situation but I can be convincing if I want to be."
"Sadly true," Priya teased.
"And I'll be around to take the blame for it if he wants to take issue with it," Harry said. "He'll look really petty if he goes after anyone other than me."
"Well, I think we have a plan then. I'm not sure I like it but I don't have a better idea," she said, resting into the crook of his neck and closing her eyes.
"We have a few days to think of something better. For now, bed?"
"Imma take a bath," she said. She didn't move. So he took it as his cue to lift her up and carry her to the tub. He left her in the warm bubbles and retired for the evening.
Their resolve didn't falter in the morning. Although it wasn't until lunch that they broke the news to Shoka and Suzu. Both girls seemed shocked that they would be abandoning them, their emphasis added undoubtedly for dramatic effect, but as he discussed options with them moving forward, both jumped at the opportunity.
He spent the better part of the next few days teaching them all of the little details about the day to day behind the scenes work at the pharmacy. It had the added benefit of keeping him on site in case Fudge or his Aurors had any ideas. But there was absolutely no sign of them in the days that followed. Priya did find a former colleague who was willing to step in for the appointments and be available if need be.
All-in-all it came together quickly. They'd received a message from Emily that she'd reached the top and made it back down. Priya had tapped the pages of the journal with her pen as she attempted to formulate a reply but nothing came. She offered it to Harry to see if he'd have any better luck.
He hadn't.
They knew she planned on trekking back to civilization before apparating back to Japan. So it wasn't like she needed to immediately know that they wouldn't be there when she returned. And given that she seemed to be willing to join in a party, it seemed petty to have her worry about their decisions on a night where she should celebrate.
So they closed the journal as Priya locked up the clinic for what may well have been the final time. Her hands shook as she did it and he whispered his assurances to her that they would be back.
It was a quiet walk back to their house. After dinner they each packed and shrank a bag. He wondered just what it meant that they took very little. It wasn't like they couldn't easily acquire anything they would need. But did that reflect how long they thought the journey would take? They hadn't given the girls a timeline.
Come morning they apparated together to Hiroshima and made their way to the Mitaki-dera temple. It was early but he hadn't given Fudge a time. He knew the man wouldn't miss the opportunity for a meeting so he'd expected the others to arrive early as well. A more petty part of him wanted to make him wait all day. But that seemed excessive even for him.
They walked toward the hiking trails up the mountain and waited. Priya examined the foliage as Harry surveyed the scene. It wasn't crowded. He knew from experience that the temple was more of an Autumnal attraction, and the early hours didn't help.
It was only a half hour or so before the other gaijin appeared. Fudge led the way up the path. He saw Harry and started moving toward him. Entwhistle followed behind, favoring his left leg. Anders was nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning, Mister Potter," he said as he approached. He was moderately winded and flushed crimson.
"Fudge," he answered. He said nothing else until Entwhistle made his way up to them. The man steadied himself and grit his teeth as he came to a halt.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.
"A parting shot from Anders," the man said. Harry raised his brows.
"Turns out you were right. He was spying for Grindelwald. I had to slip some truth potion into his beer to find out. He took it poorly," Fudge answered.
"You should have warned me," Entwhistle argued. Fudge shrugged his shoulders in a way that made it clear he didn't think he needed to do such things with his subordinates.
"What'd he do?" Harry asked, peering at Entwhistle's leg. He could feel dark magic radiating from it but he couldn't place the specific hex.
"Some type of bone dissolver. Hurts like hell but is mostly contained. They gave me some potions at the hospital in Tokyo. But it's a delay tactic rather than a cure," Entwhistle said.
"Interesting," Harry said. He let the magic swell in him as he held a hand up. A shimmering purple tendril emerged from him and shot toward the other man's leg.
Entwhistle screamed as it pierced into his body. He went for his wand but fumbled it. Priya summoned it to her in an instant. Fudge stumbled backwards, alarm evident on his face.
Harry felt the curse in the man's leg. He poked around it for a moment and then, with little more than a flick of his wrist, absorbed it. He pulled the tendril back and it vanished in an instant.
Entwhistle stumbled forward, looking ready to fight Harry with his fists if he had to. But his expression changed when his weight shifted to his leg. He paused, bounding slightly on it as his expression softened. He barely noticed as Priya handed him back his wand.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"Magic," Priya deadpanned with a roll of her eyes before Harry could get the word out. Entwhistle looked ready to argue but seemed to think better of it.
"Thank you," he said. Harry only shrugged his shoulders, as if he didn't think it was worth mentioning.
"Have you come to a decision then?" Fudge asked as he regained his feet. He spent a moment dusting himself off but didn't look nearly as embarrassed by the situation as he should have been.
"Have you come up with a better offer?" Harry asked.
"If I'm honest, Mister Potter, I'm clueless as to what to even offer," Fudge answered.
"Well I can think of something," Harry said. Priya raised her brows at him. They hadn't discussed this yet. Honestly, it just popped into his head.
"And what's that?" Fudge asked.
"When I win, you're done," Harry said. Fudge blinked at him.
"Is that a threat?" Fudge asked.
"No," Harry sighed. "It's my terms. When I win, when Grindelwald is defeated. You retire. You fade into obscurity. You take no interview requests, you offer no advice to other budding politicians. You disappear from the public eye. That's my terms. I'll help you in exchange for the end of your career."
"Mister Potter," Fudge growled. He looked ready to rant at him so Harry shrugged, took Priya's hand and started walking away. They made it ten steps before Fudge changed his mind. "Wait."
"You agree?"
"No. That's unacceptable. But I'm sure we can come up with something."
"Look, Fudge, it's that or nothing. And honesty, you're not losing much," Harry said.
"I am the Minister of Magic!" Fudge yelled, clearly agitated by the implication that his career wasn't worth much.
"Not for long," Harry said. "You already said you're losing power. Either he forces you out in a way that I'm sure will be public and humiliating. Or I do it in a way that will at least let you keep your dignity. And with one final grand victory before you fade away. Make your choice."
Fudge glared at him. He turned red, then purple, and his teeth ground together so hard Harry half wondered if he'd wear the enamel away. But the man said nothing, so Harry continued.
"I need to know why you're doing this. I don't care at all about covering your ass. I care about helping people and making things better than they are. I have no vesting interest in you staying in power," Harry said. "If your priorities are different than mine, then I'm going home."
Fudge didn't respond right away. He turned his glare to Entwhislte. His expression was easy to read, even without any magical aids. He clearly regretted this and wanted someone to punish the insolent man before him. But Entwhistle merely had his brows raised and his arms crossed, as if waiting intently for the answer.
Fudge peered around the temple once more and then looked to deflate. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. Harry thought he saw tears forming in the corner of the man's eyes.
"Fine," Fudge said. "Once it's over I'll retire."
"Great," Harry said cheerily, using a tone not dissimilar from picking a lunch restaurant or noticing the favorite brand of biscuits in a grocery bag.
"So how," Fudge asked, but Harry interrupted him.
"I'm going to need a few days to get myself situated," he said. He squeezed Priya's hand and waited for her to squeeze back to indicate she was ready for the next step in both their plans and their life. After only the briefest of moments it came. "I'll find you at the ministry on say, Wednesday and we can go from there."
"Mister Potter!" Fudge started but Harry had already apparated away. He felt the magic spur through him as it carried him a distance many would have said was impossible. But, well, there were benefits to being Harry Potter.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I do appreciate all of the support I receive. If you wish to support me further I am available on PAT RE ON at TE7writes. There are I believe 5 additional chapters of this story live over there, as well as I think the next nine of my other WIP, Conjurations and Catacombs.
Thanks again!