Soon, Harry found out the first-hand experience of having a different body.
In his past life, he had read several accounts of animagi- mages who learned to transform their bodies into animals. Documents and diaries about the topic were available at the Ministry of Magic, and other esoteric sources which Harry dabbled in during his years.
The experience was extremely odd, just like they said. The soul was strong, but the body was weak. Harry Potter was now limited to the physical constraints of his body. He slowly succumbed to sleep a few minutes after being taken out of the house, his soul fighting against the pull of unconsciousness until sleep reclaimed him.
The next time he awoke, it was in a different place. No longer was Harry being carried outside by Grindelwald himself, but was in a dark room with an elaborate ceiling. Harry quickly tried to move, struggling to maneuver his newborn body. He could move his arms and legs wildly, but lacked the muscle to try and turn his body around.
This is going to suck.
Harry internally sighed. If he was just a newborn, then he doubted there was much he could do. Not even magic could help him here, as the well of power he was accustomed to was all gone. His magical core was nonexistent, most likely the result of being reborn into a new body…
…or life.
Harry recalled the events that transpired earlier.
A fight. Someone calling out the name of his father…possibly a coincidence? Harry dashed that thought at once. He heard the voice of his old potions professor during the battle. He was demanding for Lily…his mother…to leave. The following roar of Stupefy and two collapsing bodies must've meant the man stunned his parents and had them evacuated by the others. Then…
Harry replayed the last few moments of Snape. The man rushed over and…getting shot trying to rescue him.
It was…Harry didn't know how to feel about it. For much of his life after the war with Voldemort, Harry recalled the memory he received from Voldermort's Horcrux- the scene of him killing Snape.
Yet, just like then, Snape sacrificed himself.
Harry could never forget about his potions professor for the rest of his life. Not even to his next. If that was what this life was supposed to be. Harry lingered on the last scene of his professor protecting him from…soldiers.
Why soldiers?
This was where Harry's mind flooded with questions. The battle had involved gunfire. Guns. Then the appearance of the…Gellert Grindelwald. Harry couldn't believe it. The old Dark Lord had lost to Dumbledore, locked away in Nurmengard for the rest of his life. How was the wizard walking around? He continued to simmer over the few minutes of memory, replaying it in his mind and recalling every small detail he could pick up on.
In the end, there was nothing much to give away. Every review brought more questions. Questions that Harry Potter could not answer, not without more information.
What the hell was going on?
If this was a rebirth…which it was looking like one, then what happened…? What changed? How?
Harry continued to simmer over it until a sound interrupted his thoughts. He blinked as the sound of a door opening caught his attention, followed by the footsteps of two people. They appeared over him- two girls in maid outfits. Harry watched them intently as they carried him out of what looked like a crib.
The thing did not look anything kid-friendly enough to be called a crib.
Harry noted that he was already dressed in some simple clothes, also just as weird since he was supposed to be a tiny baby. They perfectly fit him, which suggested magic was involved.
The two maids brought him through some halls until they ended up on front of ornate dark wooden doors. Two soft knocks on the door announced their presence.
"Lord Grindelwald, we've brought the baby." The first maid informed.
The doors swung open smoothly, revealing a grandiose room with a scenic view of some mountains Harry could not recognize. What he did recognize was the man sitting inside, busy looking over some papers.
"Leave him on the chair. I shall call you to return him later." The man didn't look up from his work as they left Harry sitting on an unusually high stool. Not even questioning just how odd everything was.
He was obviously a baby just out of birth, yet he was being placed on some high stool without support? Wasn't it dangerous to leave newborns on hard objects for some period of time?
They both departed quietly, the doors closing behind them with a soft sound.
Harry watched the infamous dark lord from before his time work silently for a moment until he spoke.
"I know you have lots of questions. I did too, when I was returned back to my birth with all my memories."
Harry froze. His reaction must've been noticed because Grindelwald looked up at him with a frown.
"Just like you now, I couldn't do anything until I regained my magic years later. So please understand that I'm explaining the situation to you."
Harry inwardly groaned. Years? He was going to suffer a few years of being locked in a baby's body. He had forgotten to consider that reality with all the questions running through his mind.
"I'll keep it short. I, Dumbledore, and Voldemort all returned to life from our childhood." Grindelwald paused from his work and stood up, walking closer to Harry's baby form.
"I tried to confirm others, but nobody else seemed to have returned. Not until I met Dumbledore a few years later." Grindelwald stopped in front of him, looking at Harry. "Dumbledore was also investigating, so you can assume our shock when we came across each other." He chuckled lowly. "It was…hilarious, I'll admit. Dumbledore was tiptoeing around me while I just headed straight for him."
"Moving on." Grindelwald stopped reminiscing. "After Voldemort's return was confirmed years down the line, I simply had to keep an eye on any future events that were of importance- your birth." The man nodded his head to the side. "And just as guessed, you also returned."
He then walked back away, headed around his table. "Everyone was obviously preparing for your return. Dumbledore wouldn't have moved your family out of Godric's Hollow to some hidden corner of Britain. Voldemort and I had our spies track your location until your birth- just a day ago actually."
Harry was shaking furiously. Grindelwald was straight up admitting that his kidnap- including Snape's death- were all planned in advance.
"I understand you are mad. It is expected, you were just forcibly taken away from what could've been your old life." Grindelwald returned back to his seat. "I am not asking for forgiveness- it would be stupid. Though, I am requesting your cooperation. I do not have memories past my death at Voldemort's hands. I do not know if you are suicidal. Understand that I cannot let you die, or else all those lives sacrificed to protect you would mean nothing."
Harry knew Grindelwald was playing to his righteous side. It was a safe plan, considering the man didn't know if he stayed good, or strayed away from the path.
"All you have to do, is grow a few years. I will provide everything you need. Then, we can continue this conversation."
Grindelwald looked him in the eye.
"I look forward to meeting you properly."
Then, the Austrian dismissed him.
"Take the boy away. It is time to nurse him."
Harry continued watching the despicable man in front of him. This was his first meeting with the dark lord that terrorised Europe before Voldemort. Grindelwald had admitted that it was his intention to kidnap Harry.
Harry had just lost his parents…again.
At least this time, they were alive. Somewhere in Britain, Albus Dumbledore should be keeping them safe.
As the maids picked him up, Harry couldn't help but inwardly curse his situation. A helpless baby in the hands of an enemy. Or what he presumed was an enemy.
Snape's death would not be forgiven.
Harry continued to glare at Grindelwald at the desk, and action that barely showed physically. To others, it would've just looked like a baby watching someone. He continued to glare, until the doors closed and he was brought back to the previous room he was held in.
"How should we take turns?"
Harry was jolted out of his thoughts when the first maid from earlier spoke. They spoke in German, something Harry didn't learn.
"Take the next one. I'll begin first. Just hold him for a moment." The second maid answered.
Wait…Grindelwald said to nurse him…
Harry began moving his arms and legs wildly.
No. This can't be happening.
It was.
Grindelwald can't be serious.
Harry was going to make sure that bastard understood that he was not happy with this.
You wanker- Grindelwald!
Harry inwardly screamed as the maid brought him close for nursing.
Dumbledore stood outside St. Mungo's. He was gazing at the peaceful night sky, a contrast to the inner turmoil boiling within him.
Everything had gone so utterly wrong.
Several Order members dead, others in critical condition. The muggle and wizard doctors in St. Mungo's were doing their best to stabilize the wounded, but it was difficult.
Worst of all, they had lost.
Harry Potter had been taken by Grindelwald.
Dumbledore leaned back and sighed. At least, the boy would be alive. He knew the Austrian Dark Lord wouldn't kill the baby. Grindelwald was too fascinated with controlling the world. He would rather try and influence Harry to joining his side rather than kill a future Lord this early.
Footsteps approached.
"Dumbledore."
The wizened Light Lord faced the new arrival. "Alice." He nodded. "How is your husband?"
"Frank is fine." Alice wrapped her coat around her to ward off the cold night. "They'll release him tomorrow."
"That is fortunate." Dumbledore admitted. So many others lost their lives. Any good news would be worth its weight in gold. "How are the others?"
"Remus Lupin is critically injured. Robert is gone-" Dumbledore inhaled sharply. "Elaine…" the list of names went on as Alice Longbottom updated their leader on the current circumstances of their members.
"What of Snape?" He inquired. Severus Snape was the first to initiate the retreat, even going as far as stunning the Potters and sending them ahead with the others. A regroup was called, reinforcements summoned, and they returned a quarter of an hour afterward.
"The doctors don't know if he'll make it. One suggested that only prayers could help him now."
Dumbledore closed his eyes. He wasn't a religious man, none of the wizards were. But if prayer was what it took to save lives, then he would pray. Even if the action was ultimately useless.
"...and James? Lily?"
"They're…" Alice pettered off. "They're managing."
Losing their baby, even after all the efforts Dumbledore underwent to protect them.
"How did Voldemort and Grindelwald bypass the Fidelius charm…?" Alice murmured slowly. "It should've been impossible…Alastor Moody was with us in that fight. We also checked his memories. They had not gone after him. He was the secret keeper of that base…"
"I don't know, Alice. I, too, am struggling to understand how we failed."
Dumbledore had made sure not to make Peter Pettigrew the secret keeper this time around. He also allowed the man to continue operating, leaking false information and whatnot to the Voldemort spy. Tom played along, letting the hidden game continue between the two British Lords.
One Lord bypassing the Fidelius Charm was one thing. But two? Grindelwald had appeared with his own elite fighters. They just walked through the boundaries like they didn't exist.
Now, Harry was in his grasp. Off to somewhere in German-controlled Europe. Most likely at his headquarters at Nurmengard Castle. It would be impossible to reach the boy, simply because it wasn't just in the middle of enemy territory, but also because it was the strongest fortress in Europe, both magically and technologically.
"I will have to study the Fidelius Charm." Dumbledore sighed. "It seems that I have underestimated them."
"You did not underestimate them." Alice turned on him angrily. "You had planned even beyond the Fidelius Charm. All of us were confident in that spell. You went further, personally reinforcing that base. You planned for an attack. If it wasn't for you, none of us would've been ready for Voldemort, much less Grindelwald. Grindelwald hasn't even been active in Britain for the last twenty years! Then suddenly he shows up with soldiers. You prepared for that." Alice finished her rant.
"You were so confident that Voldemort would go after the Potters. You were right. Somehow, even with Grindelwald showing no interest, you still assumed he would also come. Just…why? Why the Potters?"
"...because of a prophecy."
The one thing he had faith in. Now, the prophecy had gone off the rails and Dumbledore was lost on what to do. He was not sure if it would still pan out because Voldemort had avoided his first demise. Voldemort may have just succeeded, just as Grindelwald had won the war this time. Dumbledore's failure to curve Grindelwald had changed the world. How would his failure with Voldemort turn out?
"A…prophecy?" Alice Longbottom looked at him.
"Yes…a prophecy." Dumbledore sighed. "But…I don't know what will happen. The prophecy has failed."
Albus Dumbledore returned his gaze back to the night sky.
"I guess…fate is in our hands now."
Two days after the sudden infiltration of Great Britain, an emergency meeting had been called.
Gellert Grindelwald arrived at the French Ministry of Magic in Paris after the French and German royal wizarding families urgently requested to meet him.
Just like all his previous visits, the crowd of mages parted like a wave once they laid their eyes on him. The famous Austrian Dark Lord was just as feared as he was respected. After the end of WW2, the Third Reich of Germany announced its policy, up to and including the designation of Gellert Grindelwald as the head of all wizarding communities underneath German control.
They respected him, for Grindelwald changed the world. Wizards and witches no longer had to hide. Instead, they became a sort of upper echelon in the world similar to the rich class. They were seen as force multipliers and as indispensable citizens. Though, they still had to follow the laws set by Nazi Germany and Lord Grindelwald.
But to achieve that, Grindelwald broke the Statute of Secrecy.
The Wizarding World had been turned on its head and revealed to the entire world. Suddenly, the leaders of every nation had to surrender to their people's demand and reveal the magical society hidden within each nation.
They feared him, for Grindelwald had many dark crimes. Many of which would never see the light of day. The ones that did were big, but those were proven to be necessary for his goal of reuniting the magical communities under him into a world power.
In the following years after WW2, Grindelwald forcibly integrated the magical communities into the muggle world- turning the European communities into what was considered the fourth unofficial Axis Power. Japan, seeing the success of Grindelwald's efforts during WW2, also followed in his path. They enlisted the help of their magical community to invade Southeast Asia, conquering the region and forming an equally powerful domination over the area similar to how Nazi Germany controlled Europe. The American and African continents followed shortly behind in merging muggle and wizard communities.
Changes didn't come without problems.
To control the European communities effectively, Grindelwald had to bring under his heel the greatest magical families of the continent.
The doors to the meeting hall barged open by his will, revealing the tense atmosphere within. The heads of the greatest European houses all stood as one to greet their leader upon his arrival.
"""""Herr Grindelwald. Seigneur Grindelwald."""""
Grindelwald didn't deign the greeting with his attention, strolling towards his seat at the head of the table as everyone remained on their feet. He eased himself into the chair before giving everyone a look.
"Well? Begin."
The house heads all seated themselves orderly, accustomed to Grindelwald's treatment. He was their Lord after all. None of them held as much power as he did, nor as much influence.
"Mein Herr-" The first one spoke, his ancient German accent leaking through. He was the oldest wizard at the table, older than Grindelwald by a good forty years at least. "Der Britisch Ministry- they demand answers."
"Of course, Lord Habsburg. I was simply removing a conflict of interest. Lord Dumbledore and Voldemort were fighting for an objective and I decided to remove it." Grindelwald lied. "In fact, it plays in Britain's favor because Voldemort would be placated."
Out of everyone, Lord Habsburg had the most seniority. At 137 years old, he had the best grasp of Grindelwald and his policies. When it came to matters of statehood and governance, he was the most experienced and the one with the biggest weight in the room. It was to be expected of him, being from the royal line of Habsburg, the kings of the Holy Roman Empire from the 1400s to the late 1700s before its transformation into modern Germany. He was not truly the head of the entire house, but was the most senior wizard of the line. Therefore, the muggle lord and true leader of House Habsburg granted him the position as the head of the magical affairs for the house.
He was one of two royal German representatives at the table, the other being Lord Hohenzollern, the succeeding royal family who replaced them in the 1800s, and Lord Bismarck, a steward house subservient to House Hohenzollern.
"Vhat vas ze point?" One of the French heads inquired. "Vhat vas Bretagne have zat interest ze two Bretagne Lords? Iz better to let zem weaken each other, no?"
"Not quite, Lord Valois." Grindelwald raised his hand. "The object in question is a baby…one Lord Dumbledore believed would turn the tide against Voldemort." Grindelwald never uttered the title 'Lord' with Voldemort's name. He was not worthy of the title in his eyes. Unlike he and Dumbledore who relied on their own ability, Voldemort used Horcruxes of his underlings to strengthen himself- something which Grindelwald detested.
Why should a Lord rely on the power of others to grow stronger?
Disgusting.
Grindelwald would never consider Voldemort an equal.
"A…babe?" The youngest French representative spoke, his accent fluent as he had grown with the language. All meetings used English as the medium, a common neutral meeting ground for Grindelwald and all the French and German royals. "What for…?"
"Lord Bonaparte, the baby in question, is part of a prophecy foretelling Voldemort's doom. Voldemort saw this as a threat and is willing to throw the precarious agreement their country stands on."
The agreement was that Dumbledore and Voldemort would not spill their fight into the muggle side of Britain. That both Lords were to deal with one another through their factions and themselves.
The British Ministry and Government were on their toes, navigating a tight line between helping Dumbledore and placating Voldemort from unleashing untold destruction on the country, and therefore weakening the nation. Britain would then be an easy target for Nazi Europe to invade.
In a roundabout way, Grindelwald's actions just kept the status quo between Britain and Nazi Europe. Britain's magical and military strength needed to remain above a certain threshold to ward off any ideas of invasion. The losses would not be worth the rewards.
After all, it was in Grindelwald's best interests to keep Magical Britain- and by extension Dumbledore and Hogwarts- independent from his rule. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang lost a lot of mages during WW2, and were still recovering alongside Magical Europe. To invade Britain would mean a collapse of another magical community, possibly throwing the world back hundreds of years in lost knowledge.
Grindelwald would not have that. He already ruled most of Magical Europe. He would not further damage it.
"That is…ideal." The final French royal spoke.
"Indeed, Lord Bourbon." Grindelwald agreed with the last French royal family representative.
Between the Royal French Houses of Valois, Bourbon, and Bonaparte, House Bourbon had the most experience in leading France. They were the royal kings from late 1500s to the end of the 1800s, sharing the throne with House Bonaparte in the 1800s. House Valois may have been the oldest royal line, but they were only second in kingship, having only held the throne from 1300s to the 1500s. Between House Valois and House Bourbon, Valois was the older, while Bourbon was the longer. Still, it was a close comparison. House Bourbon had 300 years of the throne compared to the 200 years House Valois had.
Both of which had nothing in comparison to House Bonaparte, the last French royal line of kings.
Where House Valois and House Bourbon governed France with skill, House Bonaparte did not.
They…they were talented in other fields. Napoleon Bonaparte was an example of this, the greatest general France ever had. House Bonaparte was not a nation-leading kind. They were an army-leading kind. They could bring the people to their side- so long as they were not the ones on the throne. France had undergone dark times during their reign, ending up overthrown at the French Revolution of 1799.
In Grindelwald's eyes, should France ever revolt against Nazi Germany, House Bonaparte would be the greatest threat. It was by this metric that Grindelwald decided to allow them a seat in his council for Magical Europe.
The meeting would be long, but most meetings ever were when it came to concerns involving Magical Europe.
1983, July 31.
3 years later.
.
.
.
Harry Potter made a hasty escape, waddling through the corridors of Nurmengard Castle. Yes, while crawling was faster, he'd be damned if he spent any more time on four limbs. What little dignity he had left necessitated he walk on his legs, short and stumpy as they are.
He needed to escape before the nursing maids arrived.
He was already three years old, goddamn it. Harry was not going to let himself suffer breastfeeding any longer. Infants only required a minimum of one year for breastfeeding, two years tops to maximize development. Harry didn't even
But three?
Harry was considering how to ruin Grindelwald's morning for the rest of his life. His short remaining life, that is, before Harry wrung this throat. Elder wand or not, Harry had a few tricks up his sleeve to deal with stronger opponents. When he beat Voldemort at 18, Harry hadn't reached his magical peak yet. Whereas the British Dark Lord kept his for over 40 years by that time.
A 72 year old Wizarding Lord against an 18 year old who hadn't graduated.
Talk about stacked odds.
At least, he was facing more reasonable odds this time. Harry only had to avoid two normal maids, and an entire castle of people.
Easy, right?
It was made a little easier when the staff were a mix of mages and muggles. Three years of living in Nurmengard made sure that Harry was familiar with the visible security. Soldiers and wizards commonly guarded the outer grounds. The interior of the castle had less people, but the magical defenses were stronger. Harry had visited the fortress in his old life to see the defenses for himself and they were definitely eye-watering. No wonder Grindelwald couldn't escape the place despite having designed it himself.
Harry darted behind a row of armors as two soldiers neared his location. The path he chose this time ran into a few patrol routes- mostly those of muggles. The uniformed SS soldiers walked past him without slowing down their pace, perfectly in step with one another. Their eyes scanned the hallways they walked with professionalism Harry only saw from some of the best mages he had worked with in his previous life.
Normally, they would've sensed him. Harry's early attempts were all botched the moment he crawled into any patrol sections. Not even minimizing his presence worked- the Boy Who Lived hiding as best as he could behind any object with his tiny figure. The SS soldiers had an impeccable 6th sense of the castle, catching Harry in the past 3 years should he slip and make a mistake.
Yes, Grindelwald's muggle guards had become very skilled at noticing if magic was at play. When Harry turned two, he had his first burst of accidental magic- turning himself invisible in his desperation to avoid the nursing maids.
He managed to escape his room easily for once, invisible across from his door as the wards alarmed the maids of his escape. Harry would've been crawling away at the speed of light during that time, but his accidental invisibility allowed him to escape them easily for the first time.
Then, he ran into the SS soldiers.
Not even invisibility stopped them from combing the hallways until they caught his invisible body hiding underneath a table.
Harry was brought to Grindelwald right away. A brief report that they found him invisible, to which the Lord acknowledged calmly. Harry had hoped his accidental magic would be enough to convince Grindelwald that he was ready for the meeting.
No.
Grindelwald sent him back to his room and everything continued on as normal- or as normal as can be. It was a daily occurrence for Harry to break out of his room. It was only warded to inform the maids- and definitely Grindelwald too- that he was escaping. The SS guards and the patrolling wizards were kept in the public areas, so the inner sections of the castle were only for muggle staff and officials with Grindelwald's permission.
The reason Harry escaped every day was to familiarize himself with the castle. Any plans of escape required an intimate understanding of the fortress, even if Harry didn't have the means to learn what magic wards were placed down.
All of that changed last year.
Once Harry had his accidental burst of magic, he immediately delved into his newly formed magic core and began testing what he could do. Without a wand, basic spells were out of his reach. The fledgling magic core was also extremely weak, so Harry couldn't even churn out accidental magic on a daily basis. Though, the attempts accelerated his growth when his body was pushed constantly to perform magic. Harry's need to explore the castle secretly led him to mastering his best spell to date in this second life.
The Notice-Me-Not Charm.
It was a common everyday spell one cast on themselves. Only locked to the user with a powerful scaling effect depending if people were looking for you.
In this case, the muggle and wizard guards hadn't been alerted of his escape yet. The spell was performing at the peak of Harry's current ability- which was not much. The spell would fail once they began hunting for him. Harry only had a few minutes to reach his destination before the castle was scoured for him.
Once the two SS guards disappeared, Harry made a break for it. He waddled through their hallway and up a flight of stairs. He navigated around the castle until he reached his goal.
The library.
The doors were closed, but Harry had trained enough with his fledgling magic core to perform some basic magic. Outside of the Notice-Me-Not charm, the rest of his ability relied on instinct. Pushing, pulling, and other small physical effects were the limit of his repertoire.
Harry willed the doors open with his magic, nudging them a little for him to pass through. Just as quickly, he closed them with his magic before waddling off to a section of Nurmengard's library. He maybe had an hour or two before he would be found. Harry needed to make the most of his time.
Luckily, Nurmengard's castle was Grindelwald's domain. Nobody was stupid enough to stick around without permission. Most of the people around were hand-picked staff to maintain and protect the castle. The library was cleaned once a month, so Harry was sure there would be no one here.
That was why Harry was immediately alarmed when the English-German dictionary was gone from the bookshelf.
"Looking for this?"
Harry closed his eyes in surrender. After a few seconds, he slowly waddled his small body around to look at the source of the voice.
There, a certain Dark Lord was holding the dictionary Harry had been using to learn German.
Why had Grindelwald come out to meet him now? The man didn't have any reason to be in the library aside from seeing him. Harry was sure that Grindelwald must've combed the entire place clean. The Austrian Dark Lord was about a century old by now. He would've built his own personal library and kept it somewhere private rather than the easily accessible library here.
"Have you learned well?" Grindelwald switched to German naturally.
Harry shook his head. Even with the past three years spent around maids speaking in German, he would not call himself fluent in the language. At two years old, Harry's body developed enough for him to start speaking. He tried English, but his mouth was unfamiliar with speaking the practiced muscle movements that would soon develop later. Harry was able to gain some of that mastery back in the past year, but he couldn't say the same for German.
Listening to the language for three years helped a lot, but not enough to overcome the physical barrier that was the baby body. To advance forward in German, Harry had to engage in conversation. Something which he had little of since the maids were only around to feed and nurse him. When he did speak to them, they redirect the topic back to his food.
Harry bet they were simply unnerved when his first question was "What happened to the world?".
"Then I shall continue in English." Grindelwald slipped back to Harry's first language effortlessly. "I am sure you have lots of questions. Before I answer them, how about we take a walk?" A stroller appeared out of thin air.
Harry looked at the stroller.
You can't be serious.
When he didn't move, Grindelwald gave him an incentive.
"Join me on a walk. If you do, I'll give you an update about your family. Surely, you would be interested? They are alive and well."
Harry's eyes widened. His parents died in his previous life, leaving him with the Dursleys. Sometimes, Harry tried to imagine what life would've been for him if he grew up with the Potters. How life would've been if the weight of a prophecy wasn't left on him. How life would've been growing up normally with a loving family.
It was a cruel incentive to dangle in front of him.
One Harry could not ignore.
With suspicion, he nodded.
"Good. We have a lot to talk about." Grindelwald smiled.
Harry couldn't stop the shivers that ran down his spine. Grindelwald's expression showed a hidden agenda, one he didn't mind hiding from Harry.
Author's Note
Send help…I spent a few hours looking through German and French history just to develop the "royal wizarding families/houses" i.e. ancient wizarding branches of royal lineages in history.
Heck yeah, it was epic but painful. It brings a lot of depth when you consider these families have been around long before reigning as kings of Germany and France. Then turning them into fictional wizards? I'm tempted to just make this a crack medieval fic now.
We get ourselves a little peak at the political and magical state of Europe under Grindelwald's control. Dumbledore didn't succeed in beating Grindelwald this time, the Austrian inching out a small advantage over his British counterpart and changing history as we know it. Now, Dumbledore's influence only extends to Britain, which is also the same space Voldemort is stuck in. I don't know if Voldemort had any long term aspirations for Europe.
P.s. Please send Harry Potter lore experts and discord writer servers. It would be appreciated.