RoLP Ch.82: MACUSA's Troubles (Patreon)

6th July 1996

Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts

Sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows, glinting against the silver instruments in the room. Fawkes rested atop his perch, his head tucked beneath his red and gold wings, fast asleep. The headmaster sat behind his desk, holding a slim ring in front of his face, examining it with a golden monocle, like a jeweler determining the worth of a diamond.

“That is some marvelous enchanting there, Harry. But then again, nothing I wouldn’t expect from Gellert.” Dumbledore slid the ring back, slipping the monocle into his coat. “This has some of the most complex blood magic I have ever seen. And something akin to a portkey enchantment— one whose destination can be changed by another. It is one step beyond Tom’s Dark Mark.”

“What’s important is that now we have a way straight into Grindelwald’s forces,” Harry said. “If we both go in, we can take Grindelwald by surprise and be done with him once and for all. The only problem is that the ring will only carry one person— the wearer who is keyed in through blood magic.”

“And while you could fool the wearer enchantment with the blood of the person you obtained this from, you can’t manipulate it further without compromising the other enchantments.” Dumbledore leaned back. “I see.”

“Exactly. But I can replicate it.” Harry pulled out a box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a pair of bronze rings. “I recreated the portkey enchantment that Grindelwald made. The only part I cannot figure out is how to bypass the wards like Grindelwald’s ring should. If I do that, I can go to his camp and call you at the right moment through the ring.”

“Harry, the blood magic on the ring is forming a bond with another,” Dumbledore sighed. “And a rope cannot be tied only at one end when making a bridge. You need access to the other end too.”

“The other end which is in Grindelwald’s possession.” Harry pursed his lips. “We need an alternative, Professor. You or I can’t take Grindelwald and his acolytes alone. It would be suicide. But together? That’s a whole different story.”

“Indeed.” Dumbledore inclined his head. “Perhaps it is a flawed outlook. We could use it to surveil Gellert’s forces. Spies turn wars, Harry.”

“Like Snape is much help,” Harry muttered. “Even if we do go down that path, who would be insane enough to do it?”

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, wrinkles marring his forehead as he stared at his hands. 

The clock on the wall chirped, a tiny Fawkes popping in and out of the small mahogany door. The phoenix on the perch opened a beady eye to stare at it, before going back to sleep, tucking his head under his wing. 

“I… do not know, Harry,” Dumbledore sighed. “Many men are brave. But bravery to the point of insanity to do what’s for good is seldom found.”

“So, what now?”

“Hold on to the ring for me,” Dumbledore said. “If there is a way, we will find one.”

“What if I hold on to it with a vial of polyjuice potion,” Harry suggested. “They’re not going to check every single goon who shows up, are they? And if they do, well, I’d love to see them try.”

“And what of your escape?” Dumbledore asked. “You’ll be neck deep in the enemy territory and probably under permanent wards designed by Gellert, in the middle of an army of his followers, facing him.”

“I’ll find a way.” Harry shrugged. “And I have my cloak. No wards can stop me, professor.”

Dumbledore’s eyes suddenly twinkled and his lips curved into a smile. “That’s our way in, Harry.”

“The cloak?” Harry frowned. “You cannot use it to its fullest potential.”

“I know, Harry. But you can.” Dumbledore picked up the ring. “Instead of you, it will be me who will go when Gellert comes calling. And once I am there, you can follow.”

“He’ll sniff you out. He knows you,” Harry argued. “If you’re found—”

“I know how to hide, my boy. Gellert may be a master of magic. But there’s one field I always excelled at, even over him.”

“Transfiguration.”

“Precisely. I just need to hide in the shadows for long enough.”

“That could work,” Harry licked his lips, his heart twisting into a knot. “Are you sure though, Professor?”

“It is a risk you were willing to take.”

“I am younger and I have the hallows, sir.” Harry pursed his lips. “I have a way to escape when I need to. You don’t. Not with Grindelwald and Voldemort having warded against phoenixes everywhere they go.”

“I am not afraid, Harry. You will be there to back me up.” Dumbledore smiled. “It could be a great opportunity. One we will only get once. If Gellert escapes—”

“He’ll know how we reached him and never use the rings again.” Harry slumped in his chair. “But if we succeed, it will be half the battle. We would only have to deal with Voldemort.”

“Along with his horcruxes,” Dumbledore reminded. “I believe there’s someone we can consult. Someone Tom trusted in his childhood. A man I need to find.”

“A Death Eater of his?”

“No, an old colleague of mine.” Dumbledore picked up an odd-looking, bronze device whose tip spun, the globe below it glowing. “We might obtain a clearer picture of Tom’s intentions and even the hiding places of his horcruxes.”

“But we know what they are. Or probably are.” Harry gave him a frown. “Can’t we locate them directly?”

“If we could, I would already have done so, Harry.” Dumbledore waved at the books behind him. “Alas, there is no such way or magic that could find what are perhaps the greatest secrets of a soul. The soul is a mysterious thing, Harry. And horcruxes are soul magic at its most obscure and most abominable form.”

“We will just have to keep looking then.”

“That we will, Harry. That we will.”

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9th July 1996

Grimmauld Place, London

A shrill whistle pierced through the air and Harry jerked awake, his hands clutching his bedsheet. Susan flinched next to him, wincing and pulling the pillow around the back of her head, covering her ears. 

“What in Merlin’s name is that thing?” Susan sat up, the covers falling off her body, moonlight shining against the curve of her pale skin as she heaved. “And why the hell isn’t it stopping?”

“Because it’s meant to wake everyone up if needed.” Harry threw off his covers and got off the bed, his clothes leaping onto him, followed by his cloak. “That’s the new alarm that was installed by Mr. Weasley to support the Order’s new position. It means someone is under attack beyond Britain’s borders and calling for help.”

Susan leaped out of the bed, tying her hair into a bun. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you aren’t.” Harry pushed the Elder Wand into his holster. “You are going to call Daphne on the mirror and make sure that if there’s an attack in Britain, I am informed. And even be ready to deal with it just in case.”

“If there is one, should I get the Legion?” Susan frowned. “Because with the Order gone—”

“The whole Order won’t be gone.” Harry pulled on his boots. “Only half of our numbers would respond and one of us— Dumbledore or I will stay back just in case. The Legion is always the last option to be called upon. See you later.”

Harry vanished from the room, reappearing in the kitchen right in front of Sirius, who let out a startled yelp.

“Merlin’s balls, Harry. Make some noise when you apparate. Don’t appear out of thin air.”

“Sorry.” Harry turned around to the table where the portkeys were. “Who’s calling for help?”

“MACUSA, of course,” Amelia said. “They are scared shitless of Grindelwald. And he is hell-bent on crushing them under his heel.”

“Right.” Harry glanced around the room. “Is everyone here?”

“We are fifteen of us,” Mrs. Weasley said after doing a headcount. “That’s not counting Amelia and I. The Headmaster is on his way too.”

“This will do.” Harry strode toward a glowing portkey, plucking it from the table. “Everyone, hold on.”

“Wait for us!” Fred and George appeared through the doorway, buttoning their Dragon Legion robes, the dragon emblem glinting in the light of the room. “We can help.”

“Absolutely not!” Molly screeched, bustling across the room, brandishing her wand. “You have no business—”

Behind Fred and George, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione appeared, dressed similarly, and Molly glared at all of them, stopping them short. 

“No, go to Susan. She’s in my room,” Harry said over Molly’s shoulder. “In case Voldemort attacks—”

“Why is Susan in your room?” Amelia whirled around at him, her eyes narrowed.

Harry felt his heart clench, a pain twisting beneath his ribs. “That’s a great question. One I will answer later. Right now, we have to go.”

Sirius guffawed loudly, thumping Harry on the shoulder as he held out the glowing rope. Harry glared at him before turning to the other Order members.

“What are you all waiting for? Let’s go.” Fingers curled around the rope, a faint glow spreading up their arms. “Ready? To the call of arms.”

Harry felt a tug beneath his navel and the wind screamed in his ears, bodies pressing against him from both sides as the world whirled in a rainbow of colors. A moment later, his feet slammed into the ground and he stumbled as Hestia bumped into him, clutching her head.

“It’s Britain!” A man yelled. “They responded.”

A man twisted away from a group of wizards and witches dressed in dark navy, muttering something to them before striding across the room toward them.

“The Order of the Phoenix.” The man gave a short bow as the group disappeared in a swirl of colors behind him. “Your help is much appreciated. Allies are—”

“Right, what’s happening?” Harry cut in, stepping forward. The man’s eyes flicked to his forehead and widened. “And who is in charge here?”

“I am in charge, Mr. Potter.” The man held out his hand. “Commander Jenkins, head of MACUSA’s National Protection Service. And I am very glad you responded. Gellert Grindelwald has attacked us on three fronts at once: Isle Royale, Montague, and Saipan.” 

“They are island states of the United MACUSA,” Sirius frowned. “You are not bound to protect them.”

“Grindelwald is a threat every nation should be protected against. He is here to rip our peace to shreds and our world with it.” Jenkins scowled. 

“What’s the status of these places and where’s Grindelwald?”

“We have to assume that he has already taken over Montague, as our guys are no longer in contact,” Jenkins told Harry. “The last message they sent was, ‘It is Grindelwald, we need help.’ before all connections were lost.”

“Harry, you are the only one who can fight him,” Bill said. 

“And I will.” Harry looked at the man in front of him. “Which place is more important for you? Where would Grindelwald be attacking?”

The man hesitated and a feeling of uneasiness rose in Harry’s mind as he met his eyes.

“Merlin be damned, this is not the time for secrets,” Harry raised his wand. “Legilimens.”

A faint resistance rose, but Harry crushed it to dust, pushing through the uneasiness, anger, and fear that rose. Scenes flashed in front of his eyes— A white building formed, parting to reveal the faces of children glancing up at him from white hospital beds, before being torn up by a storm of purple and blue magic that rose from them.

Harry stumbled back, his fingers curling up tighter around his wand.

“A hospital full of Obscurials,” he whispered and Sirius and Bill’s head snapped to look at him. “Are you all fucking nuts?”

The man’s face tightened, his eyes hardening. “Now, look here—”

“I don’t have time for you.” Harry flicked his wand, ripping away Jenkins' wand, sending it rolling across the hall. “The words should’ve been out of your mouth the moment I showed up. We cannot give Grindelwald a dozen Obscurials on a silver platter. Sirius, get them to Isle Royale. I am going to Saipan to clean up this mess. And someone go back to Headquarters and get me, Scamander.”

Harry took a deep breath and a flash of purple fire washed over him. Hedwig’s talons dug into his shoulder as he vanished from the hall.

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9th July 1996

Saipan, United States

Spells flashed in the distance, a line of wizards and witches standing behind a shimmering silver shield, fighting the storm of magic. Harry felt the magic thrum, chaos running through the soil beneath his feet, the stench of death lingering in the air.

“Hedwig, go and calm the kids down if needed,” Harry muttered. “I will make sure they don’t get to the building, come what may.”

Hedwig cooed and fluttered away, disappearing through a window in the building behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Harry strode forward, his knuckles white against his wand. An itch rose from his left sleeve where he had kept the Elder Wand, as it thrummed with power, wanting to be used.

‘Not yet.’ Harry pushed the temptation down. ‘Not unless necessary. These are mere henchmen.’ 

A yellow curse flashed from his wand, tearing through a pair of wizards, shattering their shields. The faces of the MACUSA Aurors around him lit up with hope as Harry strode past them, the spells of the enemy bouncing off a white wall of magic, back onto them.

“Men of Grindelwald!” Harry poured magic into the shield, strengthening it. “I will give you one single change. Get lost.”

In response, a bolt of lightning shot from a witch’s wand, hammering against his shield, sparks of electricity falling to the ground. 

“So be it.” A spell sliced through the air and she fell to the ground, her eyes blank.

Around him, spells flew as the MACUSA Aurors fought back, flashes of red and blue flying toward Grindelwald’s Acolytes.

‘These are rookie spells,’ Harry grimaced. ‘Time to end this lot once and for all.’

Harry poured his hatred for Voldemort and Grindelwald through his wand, and flames buffeted, taking the form of a hazy dragon that burned through the men nearest to him. Flames swirled, swooping across the field as the Aurors and Acolytes backed away from it.

A crack rang through the field and Harry felt a tug on his spell. A moment later, the flames guttered away, vanishing into the air, leaving charred bones behind, lying on the ground. Gellert Grindelwald stood between the smoking ruins of his followers, his heterochromatic eyes glowing while his wand rested by his thigh, held loosely between his fingers.

Behind him, a line of red-robed, hooded witches and wizards stood, their hands in their pockets.

“Harry Potter.” Grindelwald inclined his head. “We meet again. Sooner than I had expected. Though, I must say it is a bother to have you here, that too, standing with them.”

“Sorry for ruining your plans,” Harry drawled, letting his shield fade into motes of white light. “Now, feel free to go back to whichever hole you came from today.”

“I am afraid that is not possible.” Grindelwald’s eyes hardened. “Especially from here. Because I am not here to conquer or convince. I am not here to take out those who stand in the way of the greater good. Today, I am here to liberate the children of magic whom your allies have imprisoned without fault.”

Harry threw a glance at the Aurors behind him, resisting the urge to scowl.

“You are not getting the children, Grindelwald.” Harry drew himself up. “I will not let them be a part of your schemes so you can use them for your own gain.”

“The children would be better off with me than they would be with them,” Grindelwald spat, waving his wand at the Aurors, who flinched. “Do you even know what they are doing with them, Potter? Children of magic are being violated. They are being used for the gains of men in a false bid of power.”

“And I will ensure that won’t continue,” Harry said. “Scamander is on his way. By tomorrow morning, the children will be free of this place, from MACUSA, and from you. Safe from being used by anyone for conquering the world.”

“My goals are beyond a throne atop the world.” Grindelwald frowned. “All I wish for is the greater good, dear boy. I want a new dawn for the world. A better world where mother magic shall flourish and those blessed by her gift shall live freely and without fear. A world where children won’t be used as experiments by governments to further their own cause. And if I have to conquer the world to do so, so be it.”

“And to do so, you will have to go through me.”

“It will turn out to be no better for you than the last time we fought.” Grindelwald raised his arms. “But if that is your choice, who am I to deny it?”

He raised his wand to the sky and the clouds darkened, the light of the setting sun vanishing into darkness before Harry could react. The sky rumbled and Harry tensed for a moment until Grindelwald gave him an apologetic look.

“Unfortunately for you, dear boy, I have made a promise to myself. I have to act for the greater good. And the good of the children of magic.”

“I am not letting you pass, Grindelwald,” Harry kept an eye on the sky. “You will have to go through me.”

Grindelwald waved his hand and the followers behind him lowered their hoods, their blood-red eyes glowing in the darkness, their pearly white canines bared.

‘Vampires.’

“Is this what you are going to do every time we meet? Throw over glorified dead bodies at me?” Harry raised his wand. “Are you too afraid to face me yourself?”

“The last time we did that, I drew first blood and won, dear boy,” he chuckled. “It is not worth my time. If we meet again, perhaps I will oblige you personally. Not today.”

The vampire to Grindelwald’s left prowled forward, a smile curling on his lips.

“For the first time in centuries, Lord Vlad, you and your kin can feed on the blood of wizards freely and fairly. I hope you can relish it.”

“We will.” The silky voice of the vampire grated against Harry’s ears. “You can fulfill your mission for the greater good.”

“For the greater good,” Grindelwald repeated, turning to Harry. “You still have a choice, though. You needn’t support them. I give you my word that I will not harm the children.”

‘Hedwig,’ Harry felt a warmth in his chest. ‘Take the children away. Somewhere safe. Somewhere no one can harm them.’

He heard faint music in his ears and smiled.

‘Now I just need to buy time.’

“How about a counter?” Harry said. “I walk away with the kids and let you take this land? No one will harm them. But no one would use them either. You say you want to protect the children of magic? Prove it.”

“I have nothing to prove to you,” Grindelwald said.

“Then you are just another dark lord who wants nothing but his own gain. No different than Voldemort.” Harry snorted. “You are a fraud.”

“You cannot provoke me, dear boy. I have gathered the patience of decades in my cell.”

“It is exactly where you belong.”

“Once my dawn brightens the world, I shall gladly take it back. I have spilled too much magical blood, dear boy. But sacrifices are essential for the greater good.”

“You will not have your dawn.”

“No man or magic can stop the tide that’s already coming. Weaken it, delay it, but not stop it. The dawn is coming, Harry Potter. It always was. You are as much a part of it as I am.”

Harry’s forehead creased. “What do you mean?”

Grindelwald smiled mysteriously. “Perhaps you will live long enough to find out. Feed, my friends.”

The vampires dissolved into motes of dark mist, the fog rolling over the ground toward Harry and the Aurors while Grindelwald disappeared with a crack to the edge of the hospital’s wards.

‘Hedwig, hurry.’ Harry flicked his wand, sending Vlad spinning to the ground, the black mist around the vampire fading away.

The creature lunged in a blur of red and Harry disapparated, appearing amidst the swirling mist, looking at Grindelwald, who was working on the wards in the distance. The Aurors were already falling as vampires appeared, their teeth sinking into their necks, draining the blood of MACUSA’s men.

‘If Hedwig can’t do it in time, I will have to stop Grindelwald. To do that, I need to deal with the vampires first or they will kill all of them.’

Harry let the Elder Wand slip into his palm as the mist around him rose.

‘Death conquers all, even what’s already dead.’ 

Magic roared from the tip of his wand, crushing the nearest vampire to smoke, its bones crumbling to ash. Harry spun his wand, pulling up the smoke and thrusting his wand, sending vampires falling near Vlad’s feet. The vampire looked at him in surprise, his red eyes wide.

The Aurors stumbled back, breathing a sigh of relief, before raining fire on the vampires. Vlad raised a hand, a red shield stretching in front of him and his men, protecting them from the assault.

“I do not know what magic this is,” Vlad said, meeting Harry’s eyes. “But you shall die for your insolence, mortal.”

Harry raised the Elder Wand, pouring magic through its wood. “I would’ve stopped to fight but unfortunately for you, I’m on a tight schedule.”

Razor-sharp threads of magic roared from the tip of the wand, bursting through the wall of red, piercing the vampires through their hearts, who began to crumble to dust while Vlad watched in horror, grasping for his men.

“You had no business here. But now, you are my enemy.” Harry slashed his wand, conjuring and banishing a wooden stake that pierced through the vampire’s chest.

Vlad fell to the ground, the glow in his red eyes dying away like the embers of a campfire.

A second later, the phoenix song rang in his ears, warmth curling in his chest like a summer breeze as the image of the Hogwarts castle flashed through Harry’s mind.

‘Yes. Hedwig did it. Time to deal with Grindelwald.’

The hospital behind him shook and he twisted to see the walls crumble, the earth beneath his feet shaking while thunder rumbled in the sky.

Harry pushed the Elder Wand back into his sleeve, taking a deep breath and tapping the ring on his finger.

‘Time to trap Grindelwald.’

With a crack, the dark lord appeared in front of him, his eyes glowing with rage as he swung his wand. Across the field, MACUSA’s Aurors crumbled, their necks twisted at odd angles, leaving only the two of them behind.

“So be it, Harry Potter.” Grindelwald’s knuckles whitened. “Today, you die.”

“We will see about that, Gellert.” Dumbledore appeared behind the man, and a shimmer of magic spread, tingling down Harry’s skin. “Once and for all, hopefully.”

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes. I ended it on a little cliff-hanger. And I am a terrible tease. Next chapter, will Dumbledore and Harry take down Grindelwald, or will he escape again? If they defeat him, what would be the consequences? And how would MACUSA react to their Obscurial children being stolen?

Stay tuned to find out!

A huge thanks to ShadowCheck, Nanu and Mughil for betaing this chapter.

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