January 4, 1945
Monday Afternoon
"Hope you're ready to hold your wand and fight Grindy's follower's mate, looks like he can't be stopped recently," Aster said with a resigned hand on Harry's right shoulder as he pulled up a chair without any sense of urgency or worry on his face. "You reckon we'll be safe in the dungeons when he makes it over or do you think he'll go to us first so he can get at you?"
"If I were him, I'd blitz for the middle of the school and cut portions off once I've done that. I'd lose a lot of people, but he doesn't seem to care about that anymore. Not if he's giving Muggles wands and sending them ahead as bait before he gets to the right proper fighting," Reinhard said, announcing his sudden presence as he took a seat with his two friends.
Harry was shaking his head, which was all he was doing externally. It wasn't much, especially since he didn't want them to think he was freaking out, but Merlin was he. Grindelwald, a man who he swore he'd met through Sarah's 'Uncle' figure, was personally coming after him. Walburga, her little missive hadn't been as important as he'd thought it was going to be but the simple fact that her family could potentially be drawn in was worrying.
He didn't need House Black to be hostile in the event of an invasion any more than he needed them to prop up Walburga or Elaine. If he could keep them staunchly opposed to the two young women and led by Orion or his son, he would do so. Politics, games, anything that didn't matter was now required to be thrown out - Grindelwald was getting closer to Hogwarts and all of the political shoulder rubs he was giving or attempting to were not nearly as high a priority.
"I don't think he'll do that when he gets here. It'd be pointless, wouldn't it?" Aster asked, breaking Harry free of his thinking as the other boy leaned across him so that he could better look at Reinhard.
"I wouldn't say it'd be pointless, but it'd drag the battle on a good bit longer. That shouldn't matter too much, not if he blitzes everyone here and closes his rear," Reinhard huffed and folded his arms, the larger boy looking more bothered than usual; he elaborated as to what that was shortly after, before Harry had the chance to ask him. "I don't know, I guess I don't get what he's doing. He wants to take over the world, but he's throwing away his people and not actually getting any added land under his control since he pushes forward in a circle. All he's doing is getting closer to us, really."
"For Merlin's sake you big lump of pudding, I've already told you why he's doing what he's doing. He wants to get closer, for Harry - the Hallows, mythic as Harry assures us they are, were always held by his family so any knowledge on them will be with Harry, a true Peverell. You better not have forgotten that Grindelwald uses the Peverell crest as his calling card either, that bit of information is pretty important considering we're friends with a Peverell," Aster finished with a smug, knowing look at Reinhard and then promptly sat back down, completely in his seat while at the same time getting further from Reinhard.
It was a smart move based on the very cursable expression that he was wearing.
"I hadn't forgotten that, arsehole. I'm not as dumb as you are, and yes, I'm talking about those sheets you got from your sister and her friends. You wouldn't have needed them if you actually studied, but Aster Rosier doesn't go about doing that often, now does he?" Reinhard flipped the other boy off for a strong finishing statement and very easily turned to face Harry with as friendly as usual a look about him. "Tell you what mate. With Aster here getting worried, nervous or what have you with talks about Grindelwald, I can promise I'm game for kicking his arse all the way back to Europe proper. He'll be expelled back to the Russians, French, Americans - don't care who so long as they deal with him."
Harry nodded once and fist-bumped Reinhard. He was happy to hear that from his usually violent friend. Grindelwald and most of his inner-circle needed to go and so long as any of them lived, the war as a whole couldn't be ended. There would always be that chance that somebody survived and decided to continue Grindelwald's goals. Obviously, that couldn't be allowed and for the time being, it was up to the Aurors as well as the volunteers to ensure that all of Grindelwald's followers, as well as the man himself, are dealt with.
"Cheers to that, we have to stop him and he has to get locked away. That's if he survives too, I wager Professor Dumbledore could beat him," Harry smirked when he said that, knowing it was very much the truth; his own inside jokes were entirely too often amusing since he'd begun cracking them.
"I'd like my own odds too, Harry," Elaine said, butting into the conversation from a few chairs over. "I'm sure you'd appreciate those odds if we were together in staring him down, our wands together are unbeatable regardless of who we're up against. I've said as much before and I'll do so again."
Harry flashed Elaine a happy, toothy look before she went back to her discussion with the others, but he truly wasn't entirely convinced. Not if the battle between him, Elaine and those three followers had lasted as long as it had. Granted, it was Harry's first real test of battle back in time against Grindelwald's followers and while using darker magic, but still, it shouldn't have gone on for as long as it did. Had Elaine not arrived when she had, not only would the duration have been a problem, but his continued existence could just as likely be an issue.
Grindelwald would most definitely kill him once he got what he needed. There wasn't any way that he would leave a Peverell alive once he gleaned every bit of information regarding the Hallows from their minds or resources that he could. In fact, Harry was so certain of that he went as far as to convince himself that Grindelwald would attempt to take over his home too. It was the real, original and antique-filled Peverell home.
"You have never shown us that, you know. We still need a real showing of that 'strength' when you're working against the same target. Until you actually give one, I think I'm going to have to call it a load of shite," Aster whispered all of that after leaning in, just so that Elaine wouldn't hear him, and then he moved back to his original seated position. "Tell you one thing for certain, hands down, you can't deny."
"What's that?" Harry asked, his head now fully resting on the back of the chair as he closed his eyes, sleep beginning to call him.
"Advancing as fast as he is, hard as he is and vicious as he is, I wager he'll either be killed to a man or outside of Hogwarts within the next week, Muggles and all. It'd be a hell of a battle, wouldn't it? " Aster's final question almost seemed anticipatory, but that couldn't be right.
Nobody could really look forward to a battle. What it probably was, no, what it had to be, was a simple fact about Aster that Harry seldom forgot. The other boy didn't see Muggles as their peers, countrymen or in any form of brotherly love. Aster saw them as a separate, similar species that shared most of their characteristics, like Veela or Werewolves, but inferior if not outright at pet status. With all of that considered, Harry supposed it did make sense that the other boy was excited to see them fighting in large numbers with their fancy weapons.
Wands were wicked because magic was, but guns and tanks and bombs were the truly horrible parts of fighting. Hogwarts, the magic protecting her didn't matter if the school was hit with those bombs that the Yankees had.
"He's already lost thousands and thousands, so you'll probably be right - let's hope it's only him when the time comes, what do you say to that?" Harry got up and patted Aster on the back then, yawning as he did so.
Sleep. It sounded amazing, relaxing, refreshing and a myriad of other positive words, but it wouldn't be his mistress for quite some time. Not with Elaine needing him in the chamber for Grindelwald preparations and not with all of the extra training he was now receiving from her.
Yule had been relaxing, filled with intrigue thanks to Corene, and enlightening in regards to Elaine, but that was over now. War or at the very least, a portion of it, would be on them before too much longer. That would spell trouble to the tenth degree, but he'd be ready. Professor Dumbledore would kill or capture Grindelwald and failing that, he and Elaine would have to do it.
She'd be the saviour right alongside me, we'd get that title instead of Dumbledore.
Harry swallowed, his throat constricting as he stepped out of the Slytherin common room and into the greater hallways of the Hogwarts dungeon system. That was a very… appealing idea, to say the least. One that would open up dozens upon dozens, hundreds possibly, of options for them post-war.
I could see it now. We'd earn Dumbledore's Order of Merlin title, all of the prestige he was given, the respect he was afforded internationally. It could all be ours and if it were, with Elaine as charming as she is, the grabbing of power could be all too easy.
Harry shook his head and cast one final look back, over his shoulder and into the room at large in the direction of his girlfriend. If he told her about that idea and if he explained what he saw in a 'dream' regarding Dumbledore's accolades thanks to a 'future' where he beat Grindelwald as a keystone to said idea, he was absolutely certain she'd make it come into fruition.
That could be amazing for the lives of everybody considering it'd likely win her an easy majority of all support, but if that was some- no, no he wouldn't debate it in his mind anymore. Hesitance was poor form, it had nearly been his undoing. He would speak with her, they would discuss his plan and then, they would execute it.
"There you are," Elaine said with a beautiful, blushing smile as she walked over to him with her arms outstretched before her for a hug. "My apologies for arriving later than we discussed. I was kept by Corene and Emilene, the pair of them wished to join us this evening but I made mention that there was additional information you and I would be discussing that's better kept private."
"You didn't insinuate anything graphic, did you?" Harry asked with a nervous lilt to his voice, only partially joking.
Elaine raised an eyebrow. "So what if I did? We're to be married in nought but months at this point, do you really think anybody amongst our most inner group of friends would care if I described our happenings? Beyond that, what would there be to worry about considering the furthest extent of our physical relationship?" Elaine leaned forward, pressing her lips aggressively against his and separated just as forcefully, a hand fisting up the front of his shirt. "I'll have you know that I insinuated nothing, but one of these days, I'll do so just for the look it'd bring to your face. Your blushes, anything in all reality, are visions that I would kill to store in my mind for perpetuity."
Harry swallowed and nodded a few times, mainly to himself. He didn't doubt her final sentence in the slightest, as terrifying as that was. Elaine's love for him, he didn't doubt the authenticity after such a long time. That would be pointless at this point, now, he only wondered how strong the bond was on her side if it were the direct cause of her feelings as he thought it to be.
"Thanks for not doing that, and you're right, it's just a bit better to keep private. I'm not embarrassed about doing anything with you, I just think that type of stuff is more of a couple's secret. You're beautiful beyond measure too, I won't have you make me the only one with heated cheeks," Harry poked softy at her face then, to where her cheeks and neck were still vaguely flushed.
He loved the latter detail the most, and when that spread to the top of her chest when she wore a dress, it was only all the more enticing; the epitome of aggravating and the definition of perfection, his mind would say, only this time the latter was easily dominant in comparison to the early days.
"I'm glad you find me as beautiful as I find you handsome, though I hope you know I have other ways of confirming those feelings," Elaine's eyes flickered so quickly that he couldn't see where they'd gone, but he mentally shrugged that away as she continued with her speaking. "We'll spend tonight together in Slytherin's bed, I've finally ensured its safety so there's no point in trying to dissuade me from doing so. I'd like to rest down here, in our own little kingdom."
"That's the reason you brought me down here? I thought we were going over a game plan for Grindelwald? You specifically mentioned that just to keep us alone, like the special information to keep the other two away, didn't you?" Harry asked, catching on and shaking his head even as he found it hard to keep himself from smiling or looking goofily over at Elaine.
She wanted his presence that badly, that desperately, that she went so far as to lie to them all for the sake of cuddling. There was so much that either of them could be doing, that the pair of them should be doing, but they were instead alone in a dank dungeon in the bowels of the school.
"It's awfully romantic, isn't it? I spirited you away from all of our friends and those who haven't earned the title all for the sake of your time being completely mine. Aster and Reinhard are unable to distract you or steal you away for male talk just as Corene or the rest of our witch company is kept away," Elaine pressed up against him, her arms pulling him closer with startling strength and the usual assertiveness. "With the war very likely upon us in the next few days and with it, a degree of uncertainty for our safety, I wished to capitalise on all available time before our friends are packed down here with us."
Harry wanted to acknowledge her altruism just as much as he wanted to agree with her; ever since that night where she'd admitted her empathy to him, he had felt stronger feelings towards her than ever before. It was as if he finally recognised her as a real person, as shallow as that was to say - maybe her own person fit better, whatever it was, she wasn't as cold-blooded as Voldemort had been.
He had that being to thank, the one that he hadn't seen in recent times… again. She'd abandoned him to his own devices, as it were, and he only hoped that could mean he didn't need her going forward despite how wonderfully helpful she'd been.
That other bloke better not ruin my world, especially not since I've managed to save his.
"I'll make you a deal. Every spell that you teach me, I'll give you a snogging token," Harry said, joking as he moved closer to her with a readiness to cuddle that he couldn't and for obvious reasons, wouldn't put into words.
"Snogging token? Is that a currency you plan on introducing is it a joke that I'm failing to get?" Elaine asked curiously and with a startling level of seriousness on her face as she was holding him at arm's length with that stupid strength she'd gotten from a ritual.
"I don't plan on introducing any currency, least of all while I'm still at Hogwarts and definitely not one meant for snogging," Harry said with a laugh, kissing Elaine smack dab on the lips before he withdrew towards the giant bath. "Think I'm going to have a quick wash, get clean before bed. I'll see you under the sheets, yeah?"
Elaine managed to look disappointed at his refusal and denial of a kissing currency, but she very quickly shook her head in the negative at his latter question. "No, you won't see me under the sheets upon your finishing of a bath. Rather, I do believe I'll join you for the sake of getting clean before we sleep, though that seems to be a pointless gesture if you don't mind my saying so. I do enjoy the lavishness, however."
"Lavishness? It's just a bath, what do y- don't try and distract me away from you suddenly joining me in the bath. Shouldn't you have asked?" Harry had caught on to how she aimed to distract him to get her way and even late as it was, he was still sharp enough regarding her ways to catch that.
She laughed, then she patted him on the cheek and finally, she cocked her head at him with her typical charming smile. "I'll never ask to join you in a bath, especially one that's not inherently sexual. I'll invite myself and if you choose to, you can tell me no, that I can't come… I'll convince you to think otherwise in those specific instances, but you catch my meaning, darling. "
Harry huffed and grabbed her hand, pulling him with him in the process. He would let her think she'd won; he could enjoy how beautiful she was, a hot bath, allow her to think she was completely in charge all the while he likely fell asleep in the steaming water. It sounded like a wonderful end to one of his few remaining peaceful nights.
Well, unless Deputy Director McMacson somehow with the support of his Director and Professor Dumbledore routed Grindelwald and his followers.
Call him cynical, Harry didn't see the odds of that happening as being very high. Not remotely.
January 8, 1945
Friday Afternoon
' Grindelwald and his followers are now only days away from Hogwarts. This comes only hours after a large battle was fought in the rolling hills of Northern England, between massive forces spearheaded by the Minister himself on one side and the Dark Lord, bringer of wanton destruction, Grindelwald, on the other.
Casualties, be they civilian or military in nature, are not yet publicly available. Attached at the bottom of the article for your convenience, are photos of the battlefield submitted by our war correspondent and Ministry liaison, Riley Skeeter.'
Harry didn't look at the photos of the battle, nor would he ever. He didn't need to see the untold hundreds of bodies laying on the ground to know how poorly that particular conflict had gone. With the Minister wounded, a majority of the seasoned Aurors dead - McMacson nearly amongst them - it was very clear who had won.
The Yankees, the Canadians, it was up to the magical reinforcements that they had sent to temporarily halt Grindelwald's advance and if they couldn't do that, it was over. There wouldn't be a future for Hogwarts if they lost the next battle, for that next battle would most assuredly be at Hogwarts itself.
"You shouldn't be looking half as worried as you currently do, my love," Elaine said from beside him, one of her cool hands finding his at the same time that her hot breath splashed against the side of his face, a tinge of alcohol detectable in that same breath. "Grindelwald will die, be it by our hands or the hands of others, and when that happens the future of our very own society will be ours for the taking."
"Elaine," Harry said, a tone in his voice that meant he was likely making a very, very poor choice in regards to his old self; nowadays and especially at this specific moment in time, it was a decision that had to be made and one that he would make if it meant less suffering.
Based on her words, her train of thought was similar to his and he would have to back that up.
"Do go on rather than pausing. You know that leaves me very irritated, Harry," Elaine said, motioning for him to continue with a brow arched.
"I had a vision, recently," He prefaced whilst watching her; he was thankful he did just that too, for it allowed him to see the visual stillness that took hold of her when he chose to reveal that information. Nothing had ever prompted it so quickly from her. "Professor Dumbledore managed to best Grindelwald, the conditions weren't clear to me but the repercussions were."
"Go on," Elaine immediately said, eagerness and a touch of venom in her tone as she drew close enough that their bodies were touching.
"Professor Dumbledore was given an Order of Merlin, assigned numerous prestigious titles and most of all, was afforded respect by all of the magical world based on that single merit alone. I was thinking if you were serious and you truly believe we could do it, that… if the opportunity presents itself, we take out Grindelwald," Harry swallowed and side-eyed her, pointedly looking away to avoid an overly negative expression should she wear one.
Elaine lightly, intimately even, drew his attention back to her with a soft touch. "If what you saw is true or has the chance to be so, then it is we that should seize them. Professor Dumbledore dislikes me, Harry, he believes I purposefully opened the chamber for the killing of Myrtle, to which I can only say to you what I have before insomuch that I didn't," Elaine shook her head then, her upper lip twitching. "It should be us that defeats him and earns those titles."
"I don't suspect we can do that if Professor Dumbledore gets to him… what more do you know about his condition at the Ministry? Is it likely that he'll be feeling better soon?" Harry asked, changing the topic over to the man's health rather than his potential capturing or slaying of Grindelwald.
"His condition remains unchanged, by that meaning stable and still unconscious. There's nothing more than can be done for him that we've not tried, so I'm told," Elaine sounded pleased, almost. "Good riddance if he was meant for this role."
Harry looked away for a split second, debating on whether to say something or keep silent and eventually deciding to do the former. "What if we were meant to get his assistance? I know he's not entirely helpful in his current state and he was rather short when we last saw him, but what if he plays a part in it all?"
"Whatever part he plays can be done by me. Have confidence, Harry, because you have me," Elaine smiled, her eyes alight with a fire he saw all too often as her hands wormed their way within her satchel. "There's much and more I'll be putting into your mind in the coming days. We have spells to learn, my darling, and that'll mean very long hours of studying. I hope you're ready."
Harry sagged, but he nodded. "I'm ready for whatever we need to do to beat him or anybody who follows him. I don't want my next fight getting as close as it was in Hogsmeade."
That was putting it mildly. Harry couldn't afford to draw with anybody, regardless of the skill differential between them and the odds of that still happening thanks to his recent advancements? They were minimal unless he faced off against that same woman. If that somehow happened, the odds were incredibly high that Elaine would be right at his side.
Together, they were nigh unstoppable. He believed that just as much as she seemed to.
"You're too hesitant, even now. I've already told you that indecisiveness will get you killed, so why does it persist within that brilliant mind of yours?" Elaine tapped him a few times on his forehead in a gesture that made it seem like she was checking for an echo when she did so. "I've told you your spell won't hit me, I won't let it."
"What if it goes through your shield or if you've grown over-confident? I've been improving upon myself since the fourth month or so that I met you. It wouldn't be too surprising, if I managed to slip a curse, especially one that short, through your shields," Harry folded his arms when he was finished speaking.
He wanted it to be known that he thought it was a terrible idea and if she wouldn't stop him, he'd at least attempt to slow the situation down in the hopes that common sense won out. Evidently, one minute later with his wand aimed at her chest, that hadn't happened - it shouldn't have been all that surprising considering Elaine was… well, Elaine.
"Aim for my chest. Remember, your goal is to beat my reflexes and catch me off guard," Elaine used one of her slender fingers to brush against her opposite wrist, where her wand was stored.
As promised, she wouldn't start with it out, much less readily available to her. It was stupid, the spell she'd taught him would cause temporary blindness even with the countercurse applied, but she didn't seem to mind. He didn't get it, not remotely, but he couldn't question the sanity of a person who clearly lacked it if her recent addition of empathy was anything to go by.
Merlin, if only I didn't have morals by and large. If that were the case, reckon doing this would be a whole lot easier.
"If you manage to blind me, I'll do whatever you'd like for the duration of one Hogwarts school day," Elaine said, an inviting, promising look on her face that was made perfect with her typically beautiful smile. "You've moved past rituals, but who knows, there could be one that you failed to find. Anything, Harry, if you can manage to best me."
Harry nodded once. "Have we started?"
In response to his question, Elaine nodded once, her smile still present. "Thre-"
His wand let loose the spell as quickly as he could, the word barely audible even as the spell streaked towards her at terminal velocity… or so he'd thought. As if she wasn't impressive beyond all measure, the meer twenty feet between them had been far enough that her wand was in hand and her shield charm was up; the silence with which she did the latter action was impressive as always, the smug smile on her face when she let it fall again was far worse.
"Two tries, now. I respect the attempt of taking me out early, as it was. My only advice for you is to avoid broadcasting it as much as you did. Your body betrays your actions before they happen, don't forget that whenever you shift your hips or slide your feet around," Elaine pointed out the two specific parts of his body before she fell silent again, her wand once more on her wrist as she enjoyed staring at him in renewed silence.
Harry wouldn't get agitated into wasting a second spell. He couldn't afford to do so, nor could he afford to any degree the risk that letting his emotions rise too close to the surface would provide. Elaine had made it clear in her lessons and in that singular dual with Cade that she enjoyed mind games. If he bit back any retort, lost his control in any manner, she would win and that would be that.
No, he lied, it'd be worse. Elaine would come over after his third attempt, one of her spells already having caught him in the chest since he was finished, and she would describe every little thing that he had done wrong in his attack. Normally, he wouldn't say that was unwelcome or tedious, but the way she described it down to the smallest rock on the duelling field made it take far longer than was necessary - that self-satisfied look she'd have wasn't fun either.
"You're taking a while this time, are you deep in your thoughts or have you decided to wait me out? I'll warn you, I'm very patient as you very well know by now," Elaine said, her hips jutting out to the left as she shifted her weight to look at him.
Harry noticed her feminine curves, the softness of her body, but most of all, the subtle weakness that her more relaxed posture had put her in. It wasn't entirely exploitable, not as much as a flat-footed person was or somebody that was caught flat-footed, but the chance for her to lose her balance was definitely present. One well-placed spell alone, regardless of it having a blast radius or not, could see her dispatched so long as he did it correctly.
"You're right about that, yeah. You were patient enough to wait me out until you lost control and snogged me. From that point on, I seem to remember you losing yourself around me from time to time," Harry smiled winningly at her, hoping to mimic the general charming look that she could so easily throw around. "Even now that's still present in our relationship. You catch me on the couch, in a chair, in a bed and you dive onto me. I think if it wasn't for the restraint you've been showing since our talk all those months ago, you'd be well on your way to having me on the ground or against the wall in the middle of this training session."
"You know, you weren't nearly as confident a few months ago. I take pride in the fact that I could break that shell of yours and I'll saviour it when I get to that gooey centre you've been hiding from me," Elaine winked at him, her posture growing more pronounced as she shot him a domineering leer.
He had attempted a game of distractions, one that inevitably turned lustful thanks to his partner, but he wouldn't lose it easily.
"You know, I think I remember you saying something similar awhile back. Kids, wasn't it?" Harry asked, continuing shortly thereafter and before she had a chance to answer him. "We could probably make that happen the year I graduate from Hogwarts."
"I dou-" Elaine's eyes snapped to his wand and she jolted to the right, one of her feet nearly slipping out from under her as she managed to make his aim fall short of its goal. "You very nearly caught me with that, Harry, you have my respect for the attempt. Still, I can't help but think your heart wasn't totally in it."
"Why's that?" Harry asked curiously, open to a bit of advice and some insight on her behalf.
"If you really wanted to hit me, you would do so. Magic can move as fast as your mind can if you allow it to. It's a fact that many know though most have guessed their way to it. One that nonetheless remains underutilized on account of focuses - wands - and incantations being used as crutches for those unable to bind magic completely to their wills," Elaine raised her hands higher at that point, her arms in a Muggle surrender gesture.
He waited for her to continue, for more advice or words to come from her, but none came. She had fallen silent, her eyes staring at him as they'd been doing before.
I think I understand, but can I pull it off?
Harry felt his confidence waver at that self-imposed question and personally assured limitation; there was no way he could use a recently learned spell, regardless of the fact that it was in his favourite school of magic, and cast it silently at her. If it wasn't impossible to do so, that being casting silently, it was close to it. Few could ever manage any real spell beyond a Tempus or Levitation charm without their wand, and those few were the likes of Dumbledore, McGonagall… a quality that he couldn't quite match.
"You're standing still, darling. Do remember for your sake what happens if that continues beyond a few seconds, for I very much doubt you'd enjoy the repercussions currently," Elaine warned, an eyebrow raised as she still held that relaxed, careless posture with a hip now stuck out easily to her left side.
"I remember," Harry said, smiling at her even as his wand flashed and his spell found its mark right about where her heart would be. "Thanks."
Elaine's deafening silence that came in response was something he doubted he would ever forget; for the first time in all of their exercises, he had beaten her, and it was by doing something that he'd only just told himself was impossible for those like him.
"Harry," Elaine said suddenly, her voice eerily calm as she slowly and carefully moved towards his position, or where she last remembered it being.
He nearly nodded out of instinct, but he found his voice. "Yeah?" Harry asked warily, his feet already silently moving towards the slightly taller young woman.
"Bring me to a couch and pull me into your lap. I'd like to rest while this spell lasts, then we'll go over the Curse of the Tree, as it's translated," Elaine spoke with a degree of finality and assurance despite her state of blindness that he began to wonder if she was even hampered by her current state.
That question was answered when she bumped a coffee table and fell towards him, only catching herself by grabbing all over him. Every bit of contact, some as low as they were below the belt, had been 'accidental' and so that she didn't 'fall' after her failure. He didn't believe that for a moment, but he didn't care; he had finally bested her and with that came a sense of accomplishment that he doubted he would ever feel again.
January 10, 1945
Sunday Afternoon
"I thought you said the Yankees were going to stop them?" Aster asked first thing in the morning, smug-sounding and at the same time, seemingly at the most nervous that Harry had ever physically seen the other boy.
Reinhard, on the other hand, seemed visibly bothered, shaken up even. "I said they stood a chance, or more accurately, that we better hope they stand a chance because it would mean we're right and proper fu-"
"Good morning guys," Harry said right then, interrupting the other, larger boy before he could finish as he made his appearance for the morning. "Did he win, then? Is it truly going to happen?"
Aster nodded once, the action solemn and eager at the same time; Harry wasn't sure why the latter emotion had remained so prevalent. If Aster had truly seen war, battle or any of the other horrors that could be inflicted upon people you consider your enemies, he wouldn't be even a quarter as excited as he currently was.
"Yanks and the Canadians were routed South by the man himself, so it seems. That's written by Skeeter too, which makes me think it'll be true since she rarely submits falsehoods under the Prophet," Reinhard huffed and fell backwards onto the edge of his bed, his two large hands being brought up to cover his face. "We won't be able to take him, hold him off or anything of the sort if professional soldiers aren't able to. Headmaster Dippet, he best get us out before Grindelwald turns up"
Somebody nearby snorted, and a few seconds later, Joe was present as well as Ash - the latter was the one that spoke first. "Haven't you heard what happened in the Great Hall five minutes ago or near enough?"
Reinhard shook his head and grunted, the meaning very clear. Harry, on the other hand, felt his stomach flip. If Grindelwald or the others… no, they wouldn't be inside.
"What happened?" Harry asked quickly, not bothering to debate himself.
"Aurors arrived alongside Volunteers and lots of 'em," Ash turned to Joe then, the latter boy leaning up against a bed that didn't belong to him while the former was playing with some shiny, silver-made object that Harry couldn't determine the usage for. "What do you reckon, a few-hundred came out of the Headmaster's floo over the course of an hour or two, yeah?"
Joe shrugged. "I wasn't keeping track, all I saw was just how spread out they were on the grounds of Hogwarts. It seemed like the locals over at Hogsmeade decided to join the defence too, which means we have at least another thousand or so people to keep us clear of Grindelwald's lot."
"That's the plan, so I hear. What about you, Pev, or Malfoy? What do you two know thanks to Elaine?" That question, one that had been asked by Reinhard, had drawn all of the attention in the room back over to him.
Harry hated it and he knew the two closest to him knew as much too, but there wasn't any real course of action he could take without seeming like an arsehole through and through.
"Elaine wants to see how it plays out," Harry prefaced, recalling exactly what she'd told him as he decided to share limited bits of the plan with the other boys; they didn't need to know anything more until the worst was upon them. "If Grindelwald starts bombarding Hogwarts, we'll go to the place she made sure was safe. On the other hand, if he attempts a breach for us, we'll hold up in the dungeons so we can limit his forces as well as their abilities to move. We'd have the advantage in our home grounds."
Reinhard looked very eager, Ash and Joe didn't seem too far behind him, but Aster looked… hesitant. It wasn't good, not with things looking the way they were and people only now waking up to realise that. Seriously, Harry couldn't believe how many seemed to believe that every lost battle was only a minor problem - all of them collectively, especially the recent few in these horrible defences, had gone very poorly to the point that this assault on Hogwarts was now possible.
Not only was it viable with the Muggles holding the rear while Wizarding kind advanced, but the chance of both portions of that side getting Hogwarts as their base of operations was also very high. Such a strong, defendable and provisioned castle in the hands of Grindelwald was catastrophic.
Though Harry did suppose that it only mattered if he survived. On the off chance that he and Elaine failed horribly in fighting the Dark Lord, he wouldn't have to worry all that much about the repercussions.
"Wait, before we go off on all this battle stuff, I feel like I was supposed to tell you something, mate," Ash said, his eyes solely on Harry as a look of concentration came to his face.
"Corene wanted to see him," Joe said, snapping his fingers and nodding. "Something about studying together from a new book she'd found that mentioned his family. It sounded pretty boring, really, though I'm not sure if that's the Corene element or the reading about random history."
Harry snorted. Joe's love for the Dark Arts was widely known just as the status of his family as a practitioner of it was. In other words, his opinion was the one you didn't want to go with.
Well, in Harry's opinion, that is.
"I'll go see what she needs. Who knows, maybe It'll lead to me finding out about a fourth artefact that her family got from death that could make us the Grand Master of Death," Harry said, totally joking with the other boys and laughing at said joke despite the lack of quality it had.
That went on for roughly five seconds, possibly ten, before he realised the other four were silently staring at him. He nearly asked why until he rolled his eyes; the idiots thought the title or a fourth artefact was real. Unfortunately for the lot of them, that wasn't the case and even if it were, he was certain the information would be in that stupid book that remained hidden even now.
Whoever tucked it away, Harry hoped they were cursed at least once in their life. The number of nights he'd been kept up thinking about that book that likely contained many of the answers he sought were innumerable.
"I'm kidding, hahaha," Harry finally ended up saying, the laughter as forced as it sounded as he had to explain a stupid joke to them. "You guys are dumb, I'm going to go find Corene in the hopes of having an intelligent conversation - by the way, I've got one-hundred on the Cannons winning. I reckon this'll be their last one for a while too."
As if on a queue at the mention of money, betting and Quidditch, the room was filled with life once more with all lingering awkwardness or hope for another item gone. Harry used that convenient happening to make his escape and a few seconds later, he found himself in the Slytherin Common Room.
"Hello, Harry," Greeted him almost immediately, Corene's soft, near-monotonous voice the culprit.
He turned, having to look back to the other side of the exit from the boys' dorms so that he could see the girl that had been waiting for him. "Hey Corene, sorry it took so long, the two you sent to get me are very easily distracted. You're aware of that though, there's not much that avoids you as I've come to see recently."
Corene gave him one of her beautiful, dazzling smiles - those being the ones where her lips would moderately shift upwards - and held out an arm for him. Her request clear, Harry fulfilled it almost immediately just as quickly as they'd greeted one another, they were making their way free of the common room.
"How long it took wasn't an issue, you have my thanks for coming down in the first place. I wasn't sure that you would on account of the lateness, but what better time than now for us to go exploring?" Corene cocked her head at him, her pleasant near-smile and a slightly higher amount of energy in her movements making him realise just what this trip was for.
He felt like a right prick forgetting in the first place, so he wouldn't bother asking or making any note on it. Corene was in the know more than Elaine, at least until this battle was over and as such, she deserved the courtesy to be fully in the know.
"Over to the room then?" Harry asked, smiling at her as a yawn fought its way into expression.
"Yes, that would be very pleasant," Corene agreed, her eyes dancing around and her ears moving ever so slightly before she gave him an incredibly apprehensive-looking true smile; one that moved her cheeks and showed a radical curve were the two basic requirements he had.
"Just for my sanity, there isn't any book, right?" Harry asked as the pair continued on their walking, silence making them ensure their voices were kept low as they wandered through the various halls of Hogwarts.
"You would be correct. There is no book, nor is there anything else in my possession that you would be particularly interested in," Corene drew slightly closer to him, maintaining what others would likely see as romantic or intimate closeness while he knew it wasn't intended as such. "Elaine believes that it will come tomorrow and if not then, surely the day after. I'm of a similar opinion, Harry and so it would be best if you remained with friends at all times."
He blinked at Corene before a wide, genuinely pleased smile came to his face. "Are you that concerned about me too?"
Corene nodded once, returning his blinking and not at all understanding the smile that was on his face. "Yes, your health is of great concern to me. I'll ensure it's constantly peaking so long as I'm able to do so; a better friend I have never had the pleasure of knowing, not even Elaine would qualify as such."
"I'm glad I'm your friend," Harry said with a less comedic, softer smile replacing his previous one as he side-hugged the girl. "We're almost here. I'll check for tracks, lurkers or that sort and once it's clear, we'll go on in. Make sure I touch the door handle first… actually, I think it'd probably be for the best if you didn't touch any of the handles."
"I never thought to ask you of the safety or lack thereof with this secret room you found. Would you enlighten me before we make our entrance? It wouldn't do, being caught off-guard by magic hundreds of years old," Corene stopped moving after she finished speaking, and quicker than he could speak, she had pulled them into a room to which the door had already been open.
"Have you been in here before, or was this from somebody else?" Harry asked, nodding towards the door as Corene walked in and over to a chair near the window, the girl paying not an ounce of attention to anything within the abandoned potions room.
"I have been in nearly every room that Hogwarts has at least once," Corene said quietly, her eyes gazing out into the water. "This one is no different, nor do I suspect the one you'll be showing me is. Now, why don't we speak about the security of this room - what do you believe I should know before we enter?"
Harry raised an eyebrow and glanced at the door, but Corene shook her head.
"It is covered already. This classroom, like few others long since forgotten, come with various charms and wards already on them. If you'd please?" Corene sat with her hands neatly folded in her lap from then on, her eyes staring into his.
It was time for him to share the whole bite now, as the bits and pieces he'd been doing up to that point would no longer suffice.