章節 25: I’ll Be Home for Christmas
It was snowing in Austria, adding to the already festive feeling in the air. Christmas was only a few days away after all, but the excitement that could be felt had little to do with the impending holidays.
No. One needed to only frequent a muggle bar or coffee shop to hear the not so hidden whispers of the fever that had gripped the nation.
According to most, and to the apparent joy of many, the Germans were coming.
When that would be, Harry didn't know, but his interest was not in the movement of the little Austrian that had somehow ascended to the very heights of German politics.
His attention was solely on Bregenz where he had been sent by Federov only a few days prior.
Flashback
Pierre Laurent had been a difficult man to capture, his proclivity towards violence and surrounding himself with equally violent men having made him an unattractive target for most Hit-Wizards.
As a native Parisian, he knew the streets well enough to know where the aurors would patrol, where he could flee if needed, which wasn't often. The French aurors were fearful of Laurent and were certainly not inclined to even try to apprehend him.
According to his file, he and his associates were responsible for the murder of eight aurors and three Hit-Wizards already who had made an attempt at bringing him in.
What was immediately clear was that these people had been foolish in their approach by openly challenging the man.
They lacked the needed cunning, something that Harry had come to appreciate in recent months, and something that had become an invaluable asset.
Instead of confronting Laurent in such a brash manner, he had the watched the comings and goings of the Frenchman and his cronies and learned that they had grown arrogant in their ways.
They had become used to the fleeing aurors and brash methods that other Hit-Wizards employed, and as such, they were not prepared for the ambush Harry had sprung on them.
With only some clever transfigurations and charms work in a place they passed through daily, he managed to apprehend all but one of the men who had made a rather poor showing at confronting Harry when he'd appeared to take Laurent in.
With a well-placed severing curse and a little parselmagic, the man had run for all he was worth, his wand hand cleaved in two and a rather persistent python attempting to throttle the life out of him.
Harry let him go.
By this point, quite the crowd had gathered, and Harry had left Laurent's men bound in thick chains where the aurors would easily find them and apparated away with his target who could only spit obscenities, his own bindings holding firm under the strain of his protests.
"Oh, shut up," Harry huffed, hitting the man with a silencing charm.
Laurent continued to mouth his vile insults. Not that Harry could really understand French, he had merely grown tired of listening to his voice.
"Pierre Laurent," he announced to the woman who verified the captured targets.
She nodded appreciatively.
"Wanted for extortion, promoting illegal duels, and eleven counts of murder," she recited from the file she had retrieved from a draw in her desk. "An impressive catch."
Harry simply nodded and waited for the wizard to arrive who would take Laurent off his hands.
When he was free of his prisoner, he collected the 300-galleon reward and returned home where he showered and sorted through his mail.
Finally, his investment into the Dr Filibuster range of fireworks would soon begin to bear fruit. The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office had approved the production and sale of them, and they would hit the shelves soon.
His partnership with the owner of the Nimbus company was still very much in its infancy, but he was receiving regular updates from the man explaining his progress, so Harry was not concerned.
That investment alone would make him quite wealthy in the future.
Other than his business ventures, he'd received letters from Tiberius, Charlus, and Minerva in his absence. He would write to them in the morning.
It wasn't an indecently late hour, but he was tired.
Deciding to turn in for the night, he fed Theseus some owl treats before checking on the egg Newt Scamander had given him.
It was growing and Harry didn't know if he should be concerned about that.
When he'd received it, the egg had already been rather large, around the same size as the golden egg he'd retrieved during the tri-wizard tournament.
Now, it had swelled to be considerably larger, and whatever creature was within was becoming more active by the day.
Confident that the egg was developing well, but still no closer to hatching, he got into bed, only to be disturbed a moment later by the vibrating of his licence that was kept in his wallet and was currently on the bedside table.
"What now?" he groaned.
This wasn't like the first time where he had been summoned to meet with Federov and a gathering of fellow Hit-Wizards.
No, the man was coming to see him and would arrive imminently.
With a sigh, Harry pushed the duvet off himself and slipped into a thick dressing gown to stave off the cold, ensuring that his wand was in its holster on his forearm.
He had no doubt that the message had come from his superior, but he was not one to take even the slightest chance that something was amiss. Not with how dangerous the world was.
When he reached the landing, he peered through the window that overlooked the front of his property and saw that Federov was waiting for him to allow his entry, and with a gentle stream of hissing, his protections were lowered enough that he could.
"What an ingenious set of wards you have," Federov commented as Harry opened the front door.
"They're not wards, they're some very unique charms," Harry corrected, gesturing for the man to come in. "There's very few people that could break them, the most likely of which will not get that chance. Anyway, what can I do for you?"
Federov released a laboured breath.
"I've had my suspicions for some time that someone is feeding vital information to Grindelwald or one of his agents. What happened in Prague only confirmed that."
Harry frowned and nodded for Federov to continue.
"As yet, I do not know if it is a Hit-Wizard or a representative of the ICW, but I am certain the information could only have come from either of those sources."
"And you want me to find out who that is?"
"One day soon, I hope," Federov replied. "No, for now, there is a man that I wish for you to bring in. The gold will be significant, but there are some drawbacks. You can refuse, and I will understand. This is a dangerous undertaking for even the most experienced of us."
"Then why are you asking me and not one of them?"
"Because you are the only one that I know for certain who is not passing on information."
Harry snorted.
"How can you be sure?"
"Because you almost got yourself killed in Prague to save the others when you didn't have to. No one who has been compromised would break their cover."
"I could be double-bluffing you," Harry pointed out.
"Are you?"
"No."
"Then shut up, Evans," Federov muttered.
Harry offered the man a grin.
"What do you need me to do?"
Federov released a relieved breath this time, evidently convinced that Harry would not refuse the request.
"I need you to head to Bregenz."
"Bregenz?"
"It's in Austria. Get a damned atlas Evans," Federov huffed. "There is a man that I am certain is an agent of Grindelwald there. He was seen in Bulgaria, and then Czechoslovakia before both fell to him. Now, he has surfaced there."
"How trustworthy is the information reporting the sightings?" Harry asked.
"I saw him with my own eyes, Evans. It is me that has been watching him."
"And there was me thinking you were sitting behind a desk all day."
Federov laughed.
"No, the busy work drives me mad. Occasionally, I will take on a chase of my own, and this one is as important as they come. I suspect that this man is key in the fall of whatever country Grindelwald targets. As such, I would like him taken out of the equation."
"Why do I have a feeling that there is more to this?"
"Because there is," Federov confirmed with a nod. "This will be dangerous for so many reasons. You and I will be the only people that know about this. I will not be meeting with the ICW again until January where I will request permission to dispatch teams to Salzburg and Vienna."
"Not Bregenz?"
Federov shook his head.
"No, I do not want it known that we are as close as I believe. That is why this is being kept between only you and I. That means that there will be no support for you, and I cannot promise that he will be alone. He is a dangerous man, Evans, and as slippery as they come. He could have an entire army with him for all you would know."
Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly.
He had been looking forward to spending some additional days at home before Christmas, but it appeared that would no longer be the case.
"Who is this man?"
Federov gave him a smile as he removed a folder from within his thick coat.
"His name is Karl Katz. He is a former aide to the German Minister of Magic, a former auror, and he used to be one of us. I have been able to observe him from afar, but he knows me, Evans, and would know I was there If I dared get any closer."
"So, he is well connected and knows how we operate."
Federov nodded.
"I know this is a lot to ask, especially of someone who hasn't as much experience as I'd like, but I wouldn't if I did not believe you were capable. Katz is in our top five of most wanted men. I need you to be certain that you are capable of this before you agree."
Harry pondered what he had just learned about the man he would be pursuing, and what effect his capture could have.
"How pivotal is he to Grindelwald's plans?" he asked.
"Very," Federov said assuredly.
"Then I'll do it."
"Just like that?"
Harry nodded.
"We were both at the last ICW meeting, and we know that they will not act until it is too late. The best we can do is hinder him for the time being, for all the good it will do."
"Politics," Federov grumbled. "It's always damned politics."
"And it's the rest of us that suffer."
"But that is why we do what we do. Never lose sight of that," Federov urged as he headed towards the door. "Good luck with Katz, Harry. I'll see you on the other side," he added placing the file he had brought on the coffee table.
End Flashback
Harry had left the same night and arrived in Bregenz only a few hours after Federov had left. For the past three days, he had been going from bar to bar, and coffee shop to coffee.
Katz was known to frequent these, but never the same one twice, and Harry knew that it was unlikely he would simply bump into the man, but his movements were unpredictable.
What else could he do?
He couldn't be seen to ask the locals about a German national, so he had resorted to wandering around the city in the hope of some inspiration.
The abundance of coffee he was drinking served to keep him warm whilst he did this, though nothing was forthcoming.
Perhaps he should retrace his steps from the previous days, or even select a coffee shop to stay in. He could always leave every hour or so and change his appearance?
With a shrug, he headed towards the very first establishment he had visited, a small café near the train station.
"Hello again," the barista greeted him, smiling brightly.
She was a young, local woman, her English accented but quite fluent. She was petite and short, so much so that Harry wondered how she managed to reach the cups on the uppermost shelves behind the counter.
"Good morning," he replied sitting on one of the stools in the corner of the serving area.
"A black coffee with one sugar," she recited from memory. "Can I interest you in our selection of cigarettes?"
"Just the coffee please," Harry confirmed.
She smiled once more and busied herself with preparing his drink.
It wasn't as though she wasn't selling the cigarettes on offer. The other half-dozen patrons were puffing away on their own, and the ashtrays on the other tables that had been occupied throughout the morning were not empty.
"A busy start?" he asked politely.
The woman nodded as she placed the coffee in front of him, tucking an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Yes, and it is not even lunchtime yet," she huffed. "It would be easier if my assistant had not left last week. She went back home to Denmark. She didn't feel safe here anymore."
"I can see why," Harry murmured, eying a group of men walking past the shop holding an unmistakable flag aloft as they shouted in their native tongue.
"Do you think they will come?" the woman asked excitedly.
"They will, but I would not be too eager for that," he warned before taking a sip of his coffee.
"Whyever not?"
"Because when they do, war will soon follow."
The woman's excitement vanished.
"Do you really think so?"
Harry nodded.
"Do you think France, Britain, and the rest of the old enemies of Germany will let them continue doing what they want? No, Hitler will cross the line soon, and there will be no going back."
The woman bit her lip worriedly.
"What should I do?"
"Honestly, if I were you, I would get out of Austria before it is too late," Harry advised. "When the Germans come, they will close the borders."
"What about you? Won't they kill you for being English."
"I will be long gone when they arrive," Harry assured her, "hopefully within the next few days when my business is concluded here."
The woman nodded thoughtfully.
"I will get you a refill," she murmured.
Harry shook his head.
The problem with the Austrian people was they believed that the Germans would take them back to the days of the empire and had not considered the alternative.
Had they, there wouldn't be so much keenness for Hitler to march into their home.
"No, this one is on me," the woman insisted when Harry made to hand her a schilling, "as are these."
She placed three cigarettes in front him and moved on to serve another lady that had entered, but Harry did not touch them.
They would help him blend in better, but he did not want to smell like an ashtray himself for the rest of the day.
That's where they remained as Harry whiled away the rest of the morning and watched the coming and goings of the locals during the busy lunch period.
When that had passed and only he along with another customer remained, he was ready to deem the day to be a lost cause. That was until another three men entered and took a table only a short distance away.
He half-heartedly listened in to their conversation, not following as much as he was listening out for familiar words.
Not that he could if he wanted to.
For all of his talent in magic, his linguistic skills needed work.
Harry frowned as they quietened but continued to mutter amongst themselves whilst the server cleaned around them.
Now, he could hear nothing, but watching them in the reflection of the metal coffee machine, he watched as one of the men grabbed the woman by the wrist and made what appeared to be a lewd comment.
She shrugged him off, her rebuttal equally unpleasant if the laughter of the man's peers was anything to go by.
The perpetrator did not take the rejection well and followed the server to the bar where he seized her by the top of the arm.
"You should probably let her go," Harry sighed, picking up and lighting one of the cigarettes that was next to his now empty coffee cup.
He didn't inhale the smoke, but he could feel it coating his teeth, and blew out the thick cloud, fighting the urge to grimace at the taste.
The man who had not been paying attention to him was doing so now wearing an expression of questioning curiosity.
He did not speak to Harry, but the woman he still held.
"He says that you should mind your own business," she translated, wincing as the man squeezed her arm tighter. "That you don't know what you're getting yourself into. Please, just leave it," she added.
Harry released a deep breath before taking a long draw on the cigarette and standing.
The man released his hold on the server and stepped towards Harry.
As he did so, he screamed as the lit end of the cigarette was rammed into his eye, grunted as a knee was driven into his groin, and fell silent and unmoving after Harry smashed his head off the counter.
With the attacker dealt with, Harry turned his attention to the two other men who were staring at him wide-eyed but fled from the coffee shop instead of confronting him.
"Are you okay?"
The woman was open-mouthed and pale, her eyes fixed on the downed man and a trembling finger pointing at him.
"Gestapo!" she gasped.
Attached to the shirt sleeve beneath his jacket was a gold eagle emblem, one that was familiar, but not one he had seen recently.
It had been during his years at the muggle primary school he had seen this symbol, but this wasn't what Harry was focused on.
The wand protruding from the other sleeve was what caught his attention.
This man was a wizard, but it wasn't Katz.
"You must run!" the woman urged. "They will be here any moment."
"No, you should run," he returned, drawing his wand, and hissing under his breath.
With his hastily created work done, he concealed it back within his sleeve once more.
When he turned around, the woman had gone, though only as far as the cloakroom at the rear of the shop where she had seemingly hidden herself.
It was only a moment later that Harry heard the stomping of approaching feet, and several men burst their way from the streets.
There was silence for a moment as they took in the scene before them, mostly Harry stood over the still form of the unconscious man.
When the newly arrived group had gotten over their shock, they drew their firearms, levelled them at Harry, and the man that had led them in spoke.
"My colleagues tell me that you are English, that is correct?"
A German man, this one too carrying a wand. Harry couldn't see it, but he could feel the man's magic.
It was cautious, but confident, and he nodded his response.
"My name is Gruppenfuhrer Katz. You will keep your hands where I can see them, and you will come with me."
Harry frowned, before a grin tugged at his lips.
Katz looked different than he had in the photo Harry had of him in the file.
This man was a blonde instead of brunette, but he had not changed his appearance with magic. He had used muggle hair-dye.
Why? Harry couldn't fathom, but Katz installing himself within the gestapo did make sense.
Grindelwald would want to have an agent that could keep him appraised of the Germans plans but who could also serve to pave the way for his own endeavours.
It seemed to be that Katz was just a pivotal in his plans as Federov believed.
"The German authorities have no power here," Harry pointed out.
"This is true, for now, but you have attacked a member of the gestapo. The Fuhrer does not take kindly to that, and the Austrian government will not care for one Englishman who has caused trouble."
Harry chuckled.
The man seemingly had not figured out that this was a wizard he was confronting.
"Hello Katz," he hissed, tired of sitting on ceremony.
"Die Schlange!" Katz gasped, attempting to apparate away as the room filled with snakes.
He was unable to do so and drew his wand as the ensuing chaos unfolded around him.
His muggle companions attempted to fight the snakes off, but the stream of them was never-ending. When one was killed, two more appeared to take its place.
They served as the perfect distraction whilst Harry and Katz began to trade spells, the latter in an effort to escape.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry summoned a nearby table into the path of the spell, the jet of green light reducing it to splinters.
Katz was a competent duellist, but he had nothing on Rosalina Nott.
Just how good was his mentor?
He shook his head of those thoughts as he brought his wand to bear once more, his bonebreaker and follow-up piercing hex nimbly avoided by the German.
Delving into his transfiguration practices, he turned a chair that had been broken in the melee into a large dog that clamped its jaws on the arm of a man that had pointed a gun at Harry.
The firearm discharged with a loud bang, engulfing half the room in darkness as the lightbulb was blown out.
Harry used this to advantage, with a gentle hiss, he vanished into the shadows, and a breathless Katz circled on the spot with his wand poised to attack as he searched for any sign of him.
"I was hoping it would be me to find you, die schlange," he said.
By now, the muggles had been overwhelmed, most buried under a pile of snakes, and one other whimpering in the corner as he clutched at his mauled arm.
"You should be careful what you wish for," Harry whispered, his voice reverberating off the walls.
Katz smirked as he took in the carnage around him.
The situation was not to his advantage. He no longer had the back-up he had brought, and he was being stalked by a man he had been warned about.
"Well, since you are too cowardly to face me, then we should postpone our little get together until you have found your spine."
"I think it is your own spine you should be concerned with," Harry returned as he stepped from the shadows.
Katz yelped in surprise as the door behind him was ripped from its hinges and slammed into his back.
He was sent sprawling to the ground where he was quickly set upon by a mass of serpents that had been slithering about the floor.
He managed to fend them off for a moment, but as he raised his wand to continue with his attack, Harry stamped on his hand, eliciting a scream from the German who lost his grip.
The wand clattered atop the hard wood, but instead of pleading for a reprieve, Katz began to laugh.
"You are a stupid man," he declared. "You may take me now, but Gellert will come for me, and he will come for you too. Mark my words, schlange, he will not let this lie."
Harry snorted.
"You are not so important to him that he would risk his plans for you," he replied, "but for now, I'm tired of your voice. Why don't you take a nap?"
With a flick of his wand, Katz was stunned, and Harry turned his attention to the mess he needed to clean up.
With a wave of his wand, the snakes were vanished, and one after the other, he obliviated the muggles before sending them on their way.
The one that had been mauled by the dog now believed that he had been bitten by a stray, but nothing could be done for the wizard that had attempted to assault the server.
He had died, and though Harry would have preferred to leave him where he was so that his family could at least be informed of his demise, the black stream of fire he conjured reduced the body to an ash that was carried off by the breeze from the exposed doorway.
With the people dealt with, he repaired the broken furniture, and replaced the door.
The lightbulb was a lost cause, but when he was done, all that remained was the seemingly sleeping Katz, and only one further thing to attend to.
The serving girl pleaded in her native tongue as he opened the door to the cloakroom she had hidden herself in.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," Harry sighed.
The woman looked at him in surprise, her lips trembling before she burst into tears.
Harry pulled her to her feet and waited for her to compose herself, acutely aware that time was of the essence.
He had subdued his target, and though he wasn't expecting any further surprises, he did not wish to linger here any longer than necessary.
"H-how?" the woman sniffled. "What was that? Who are you?"
"None of that matters," Harry said dismissively. "They won't come back here, and by the time anyone else does, I will be long gone, and you won't remember a thing."
"No, please," she pleaded.
"Obliviate."
Having cast the spell, he was met with a blank expression and Harry released a deep breath.
He felt bad for wiping her memory, but it was safer for her not to remember what had transpired.
When Grindelwald sent his agents, she would be of no help to them, and with only a single lightbulb to replace, the outcome was as fortunate as it could've been considering all that had happened in the past hour.
Placing a lightbulb in her hand from a box on a shelf, he made the final modifications to her memories.
She would remember nothing and believe she had come into the cupboard to retrieve what she now held.
With his work now complete, he entered the serving area once more, took hold of Katz and activated his portkey.
If truth be told, there was little satisfaction to be had from this job.
Yes, he had caught the man he had been pursuing, and he had done so quicker than expected, but there was something rather hollow about it.
Katz would no longer be able to serve Grindelwald, but with his connections, this would be but a minor setback for Gellert.
Still, Harry had gotten a very dangerous man off the streets, and he allowed himself a little satisfaction that he would make it home for Christmas.
"Karl Katz," he announced to the lady he had seen only a few days prior.
"Well, you didn't hang around," she replied appreciatively. "Bear with me for a moment, he has asked to be notified personally when you returned."
Harry nodded and brought Katz around as the woman tapped her wand on the top of her desk in an odd pattern.
After only a few moments, Federov entered from the door behind her, and he paused at the sight of Harry who held his prisoner by the scruff of his neck.
"Unbelievable," Federov whispered. "You have only been gone a few days."
Harry snorted.
"He made it easy by coming to me," he replied.
Federov chuckled, his expression darkening as he looked at Katz whose eyes had narrowed.
"It has been a while, Prowler," Katz greeted him. "You have certainly ascended the ranks."
"And you have somehow sunk lower than I thought possible," Federov spat. "A traitor and a snivelling bastard."
Katz laughed humourlessly.
"I merely like to be on the winning side," he shrugged. "I have found it. You can lock me away, but I will be liberated soon enough. Neither you nor die schlange can stop him, Prowler. I have seen his power, and your pathetic Hit-Wizards cannot compare."
"We will see," Federov grunted before turning to Harry and handing him a sizable bag of coins. "As promised."
Katz laughed once more.
"You fight for money?" he asked. "If gold is your motivation schlange, you will die. Perhaps you will realise that before it is too late. If you wish to survive this job, gold cannot be your reason. Take it from one who learned this soon enough to get out."
Harry smirked at the man, eliciting a frown from Katz.
"I don't do what I do for gold," he denied. "I fight to survive so that one day I am able to live."
It was an ominous statement to make, but one that rung true with the teen, the prophecy that hung over him shaping his words.
Katz, much to Harry's surprise, nodded almost appreciatively.
"Then you may just make it," he declared thoughtfully.
"That's enough out of you," Federov grumbled, relieving Harry of his prisoner. "You have once again exceeded my expectations of you, Serpent. Now, enjoy the holidays. You have more than earned that."
Harry nodded tiredly and took his leave from the room.
It may have only been a few days, but he'd had no respite, not since before he'd begun tracking Laurent almost two weeks ago.
Some time off was much-need, and with Christmas day fast approaching, it couldn't have come at a better time.
(Break)
Gellert nodded as he pored over the large atlas spread across his desk. Over a decade ago he had warned the Americans as to what was coming, had felt the rising tensions amongst the countries of Europe.
Instead of listening to him, he had been vilified, dubbed a criminal, and an enemy of the people.
The reputation had followed him to the land where war would soon descend upon the continent, but he had not been deterred.
The muggles would no longer be able to avoid conflict soon enough. They never had, so why would it be different now?
He shook his head at their ways.
Most would believe that he was responsible for what was coming. He wasn't. Gellert was merely taking advantage of the situation to show the witches and wizards of the world the danger the muggles posed.
It was them that would be the cause of war, not him.
He stiffened suddenly, a deep frown marring his features as he hung his head in anticipation of the unpleasant news he was about to undoubtedly receive.
"I can only assume that you are here without invitation because something is amiss."
"Katz has been taken."
Gellert turned towards his most reliable informant, Weber's expression grim and jaw tight.
"How has this happened?"
"Late this afternoon, he was called to deal with what he believed to be a routine assault against a member of the gestapo. There are still some Austrians that do not wish for their liberation," Weber explained. "He arrived on the scene with his most trusted men and found himself in a trap."
"A trap?"
Weber nodded.
"Die Schlange."
Gellert's fingers twitched towards his wand.
"I do not suppose this was coincidental?"
"No, it was not," Weber confirmed. "I think you should perhaps view the memories I have obtained for yourself. One is from a muggle who witnessed the first assault, the second from an injured gestapo man I traced to a nearby hospital where he was being treated for a rather gruesome bite from a dog."
Gellert held out his hand and Weber placed two vials in his palm.
"I will wait for your return and further instructions."
"Very well," Gellert agreed, summoning his pensieve before adding the contents to the stone bowl.
Entering, he could not have been prepared for what he was about to see.
Having witnessed what had unfolded, he arrived back in the room, his mood considerably worsened by what he had seen.
"What happened to Gregor?"
"I believe that he died from his injuries," Weber replied. "As you saw, he was in the second memory, but I have found no trace of him, and he did not move during the fighting. I would assume that die schlange would have gotten rid of the body."
Gellert nodded his understanding.
"See that his family is taken care of."
"Of course," Weber assured him.
"And the woman, the server?"
"She remembers nothing. Her memory has been wiped and there is nothing to recover. I allowed her to return to her work."
"Good."
Gellert paced slowly back and forth across the breadth of his quarters for a few moments trying to make sense of what had happened.
"This serpent, he is a unique wizard."
"A very dangerous man from what we have seen of him so far," Weber agreed.
"But he is young, and he will make a mistake. When he does, we will be ready for him."
"So, we leave him?"
"We have tried already to find him, but no avail," Gellert reminded his spy. "I would not waste so many valuable resources on one man. Were we not so fortunate that Katz had finished his work in Austria already, perhaps I would be inclined to seek the serpent out. No, we proceed as planned. See that Katz is replaced. The information he provided on what Hitler is preparing was invaluable."
"I am not sure we have another German capable, Gellert," Weber sighed. "Our only option would be Gaulitier, but he lacks the subtlety and cunning."
"Then find someone suitable!" Gellert snapped irritably, his temper getting the better of him.
"I will," Weber vowed.
"And ready the men," Gellert instructed. "With Katz' work done, there is no need to prolong the inevitable any longer. We make our move. The little Austrian is already paving his own way into the country to arrive in the coming weeks."
Weber nodded and took his leave to carry out his instructions.
When he was alone once more, Gellert turned his attention back to the atlas and tapped it with his wand, turning another territory red.
"It is only a matter of time now," he murmured, his thoughts occupied not by the great victory he foresaw but the young wizard that was beginning to make quite the nuisance of himself.
"Die Schlange," he mumbled in displeasure. "Perhaps our paths will cross more intimately soon enough."
Instinctively, he grasped the handle of his wand in anticipation, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
(Break)
He hadn't visited Godric's Hollow much during his childhood. For Charlus, it had been where he and his parents would spend a part of their Christmas day and little else. It wasn't until he had gotten older, and his father had explained the significance of the quaint village that he had come to appreciate what it meant to his family.
Even then, he wasn't given much opportunity to visit, but since he had left school, he made it a point to be a presence here. Usually, he would come along with his father when he came to check on the place to ensure that all was well, to speak with the villagers, and provide anything that was needed.
Christmas, though still a day that the Potters came to watch over those they had been charged with protecting, was different.
He couldn't quite fathom what it was, but there was something almost magical in the air.
It could merely be that everyone here came together and it only felt this way, but Charlus liked to think that there was more to it, that the presence of magic was just a little stronger.
He kept these thoughts to himself, not that he was embarrassed by them, but because it felt almost sacred, a secret that should not be spoken of.
"Are you sure he will be here?" William asked.
Charlus nodded.
"I haven't heard from him in a few weeks, but he promised he wouldn't miss it."
"A few weeks?" Angelica asked worriedly.
"It's not unusual now," Charlus sighed. "He's unreachable when he's away. See, there he is."
Harry was speaking to Reverend Mackay, the older man beaming as the two of them conversed.
"Ah, William," Mackay greeted his father cheerily as they approached. "I was just telling young Harry here how nice it is to have him in the village. We do not see much of him, but we appreciate him choosing to live here."
"It's my pleasure to be here," Harry replied.
He looked tired, and Charlus shot him a look of concern.
Harry never slept much, but it looked as though he was sleeping less than ever. Instead of greeting him with words, Charlus pulled him into a tight embrace.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"Busy," Harry huffed. "I was hoping to be back more than a week ago, but something came up."
"But you're okay?" Angelica broke in.
Harry nodded.
"I'm fine," he chuckled. "It's just been a tough week."
"One we look forward to hearing all about," Angelica said pointedly before turning her attention the priest. "Where would you like us to set up?"
"At the front will be wonderful," Mackay replied. "As ever, your efforts here are appreciated."
"It is the least we can do," William returned, gesturing for Charlus, Angelica, and Harry to follow.
They got to work immediately by placing plates, cutlery, and the food that the Potters had brought along with them. When they were done, they waited for the villagers to arrive.
"So, where have you been?" Charlus asked Harry.
"France at first," Harry explained. "I was pursuing a rather unpleasant gang of people there. I was going to take a few weeks off over Christmas, but when I was done, I was sent to Austria."
"Austria?" William asked curiously. "Merlin only knows what you were asked to do there. I've been hearing some rather troubling reports that the country is on the verge of aligning itself with the Germans."
"They are," Harry confirmed. "I spent the few days I was there trying to slow that down. What good it will do, I don't know, but the muggle side are mostly all for the German alliance. They're hoping to relive the days they once had as an empire."
William nodded thoughtfully.
"So, your efforts were wasted?"
"Not entirely," Harry replied with a frown. "I managed to take an important person off the streets. With a little bit of luck, it will delay whatever Grindelwald is doing."
"Grindelwald?"
Harry nodded.
"The man I caught was an important follower of his. I don't suppose he is so happy with me right now."
"No, I doubt he would be," William sighed, shaking his head.
"But you're okay?" Charlus pressed. "You're not hurt?"
"Not this time," Harry replied. "I'm just glad I made it back here for Christmas. Have you heard from Minnie? Did she get my gift?"
Charlus offered him a look of amusement as he nodded.
"I saw her a few days ago and she's happy with whatever it was you got her. She didn't tell me what it is, but she's happy."
"Good," Harry declared, "and we're all still meeting before the end of the holidays?"
"It's all arranged," Charlus chuckled.
As stressful and as difficult as Harry's job was, he always made time to write to and see all of his friends when he could.
It wasn't as often as he nor a certain transfiguration protégé would like, but Harry was doing the best he could with what time he had.
"It will be nice to see the others."
It had been weeks since he had done so. Not since the night Augusta and Frank had announced their engagement had they all been together again.
"What's wrong?" Charlus asked as Harry cursed under his breath, staring into his open wallet.
"It seems that all my work this week was for nothing."
"What do you mean?"
Once more, Harry looked more tired than Charlus had yet so see him, his expression grim as he turned the wallet for him to read.
Austria has fallen.
"I don't understand," Charlus muttered.
"It means that Grindelwald has taken his first key territory," William explained. "With the Austrians soon due to be allies of the Germans, it means the situation on the continent has taken a very unfortunate turn."
"What does that mean for us?" Angelica asked worriedly.
"It means that war will be all but inevitable now, for us and for the muggles," Harry replied in acceptance, almost as though he knew that this was coming.
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