Okay, right off the bat, I wanna apologize for the long delay. I had to deal with college exams and an otherwise pretty hectic time. Now it's all done and updating should come back to the weekly format. I actually wrote this chapter a few days ago, but when i went back to finish and post it, I decided it sucks so I rewrote the entire thing this weekend. I hope you like it. I made sure it's a really big one, as kind of a peace offering for screwing up the update schedule. Make sure to leave a review and have fun! Oh, and almost forgot! I own neither Harry Potter nor The Witcher and am only doing this for fun.

Dumbledore and Harry stood silently and watched Sirius drink yet another potion, while muttering darkly under his breath. The time he spent in Helheim seemed to have taken quite a toll on him. He was weaker, both physically and magically, thinner, and seemed to have difficulty in remembering how to properly use his limbs. He did not know much from his time spent in the Realm of the Dead. He only remembered living in a house identical to Grimmauld, although the view outside the windows was one of a desolate, icy wastelands. He could not leave the house, and he was completely alone. Not even the portraits would talk to him. Every once in a while, he would work himself into a panic, being sure he could hear voices, once even hearing his mother, Walburga. But every time he ran to investigate, nobody nor anything was to be found. Seeing large, menacing shadows always in the corner of his eyes certainly did not help his mental state.

Harry looked sadly at his godfather, his heart sinking more and more with each passing second. He never saw him so skittish, not even when he was still fresh out of Azkaban. He would look at the two wizards, then randomly turn towards his sides, screaming and shaking, certain that he saw one of the shadows that loomed over him in Helheim's Grimmauld. It took a great deal of potions and charms to calm him down into a somewhat stable state.

Once that happened, Albus turned towards Harry expectedly, conjuring the boy a comfortable armchair with a silent flick of the wrist. Harry, in turn, began feeling increasingly nervous. It was a foolish hope, of course, but he hoped he could delay this as much as possible.

"Do you wish to tell this tale yourself, Harry, or will it be easier if I asked questions and you answered?"

His tone was polite and tried to be reassuring, but anyone that knew the old Headmaster would have noticed he lacked his usual patience and calm demeanour. The young wizard threw a fugitive glance at Sirius, hoping to find support, but he too looked at him with a mixture of gratitude, concern and curiosity.

"Well, it started earlier tonight…"

And so, he began. Both wizards listened patiently, though Sirius was only silent because of how ill he felt rather than because he did not feel like interrupting his godson and screaming at him for his remarkably stupid choices. Albus on the other hand, stood absolutely still, his face betraying no emotion. Harry finished his tale, conveniently letting out the part where he learned that he was a Horcrux, and overall keeping the mention of them to his own. When he was done, he looked up and seeing Dumbledore's penetrating gaze he could only lower his eyes. It was Sirius that broke the silence.

"Harry, I know I told you that you should take more risks… but kid, of all the stupid things…"

"I know, Sirius. I just…" He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. "…I just couldn't have lived with myself if I let this chance pass." He choose not to mention how he blamed himself for Sirius's death to begin with. He knew the other two would try to convince him otherwise, and he did not want to hear it. I plunged head first into an obvious trap. It was my fault he died.

"Harry, you said this entity presented itself as Master Mirror?" the Headmaster asked slowly. He is worried. Deeply. And this isn't like when he is worried about Voldemort, this is something else, thought Harry. The boy only nodded in response.

"How extraordinary…" the wizard muttered.

"And what exactly is so extraordinary about it, Albus?" asked Sirius weakly. The Headmaster stood silent for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought, before turning to him and answering.

"I have heard that term before, though did not care much for it then. A long time ago, when I was just starting my Mastery in Transfiguration."

Harry and Sirius looked at each other. "From whom, professor?"

"My old head of House. Harry, this new turn of events is… very troubling. More so, perhaps, than you imagine. We must deal with this entity, just as we must deal with Tom."

Harry froze when he heard those words. So far, he managed to turn the story in a way that made no mention of his status as ex-Horcrux. It was something he wanted to keep to himself, even he himself forget it if possible.

"You mentioned in your letter that one of them is here. The locket?"

The teenager's eyes widened and he spluttered incoherently, while Sirius only snorted in anger.

"It fits. No wonder the Noseless Wonder gave one of those things to my family for safekeeping, what with Bellatrix and Regulus being in his inner circle and my darling mother almost worshiping him like a god!"

Albus looked at him with surprise. Horcruxes have been mentioned quite a few times that night, but neither he nor Harry actually explained what they are. "You know what a horcrux is, Sirius?"

The man shook his head weakly, disgust clear on his face. "Only the basics of it. Last Christmas, Harry asked me if he can borrow some books from the Black family library. I wanted to go through them first, check if they don't have any curses on them, and some decrepit, French tome was stashed on one of the shelves. It mentioned horcruxes." Sirius rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I was actually going to talk to you about it once I had a better grasp on them, Headmaster. I had an inkling that our darling Lord might have dabbled in some recreational Soul Magic."

Albus nodded, clearly concerned. "Did you tell anyone else about this?"

"Remus. He travels more than any of us, well, probably besides you. I told him to keep an eye out for any books mentioning the term. He knows how to be discrete, Albus. Don't worry."

Dumbledore only sighed and leaned back on his conjured, burgundy armchair.

"The more people know, the more likely it is for Voldemort to find out we know and move them."

"Sir, did you know? That he made these things?" asked Harry slowly. Albus looked at him intently, and the boy immediately lowered his gaze. He was still a fiasco when it came to Occlumency, and he was a firm believer in the old saying, better safe than sorry.

"I did since your second year, my boy."

"The diary." said Sirius.

"The diary" nodded Albus. "I never knew how many he made, however. In fact, Harry, I wanted to enlist your help in convincing one of Tom's teachers, Horace Slughorn to return to Hogwarts. Tom once asked his counsel on horcruxes, and I believe Horace knew exactly how many Tom planned to make."

Sirius, as bad as he felt, could not help but chuckle. "Sluggie?! Merlin, now I feel better about jinxing him to smell like catnip and Minnie to turn into a cat during the…"

"Sirius." Dumbledore said warningly, while shaking his head. Somehow, the stern teacher face he tried to pull was ruined by the edges of his mouth turning up into a smile. "But to continue, I think I can do that on my own, now that he will no longer feel like I try to trick him into an interrogation. And speaking of plans which will have to change, I wanted to take you to the Burrow after our meeting with Horace, Harry. Now, I think it's best for both you and Sirius if you remained here. Alternatively, you could move into the Potter Manor. It will need a thorough cleaning first, I assume. And I would like for you to let me strengthen the wards, and add a few of my own. I'd also appreciate it if you had an adult living with you."

Harry looked up at the Headmaster, a wave of conflicting emotions flooding him. The Potter Manor? But what about the protections at the Dursleys?!

"But sir, you said there are blood wards…"

"So I did, my boy. But your little excursion across the stars seems to have collapsed every bit of magic attached to you or your house."

"What? You mean…"

"I mean, there is no reason for you to return to your Muggle relatives. The main argument for your residence there, the special defences keyed into your maternal bloodline, are now gone. I presume magic like that does not resist the journey to a different world."

"Sir, you mentioned my letter…" Harry did not know whether to feel euphoric for finally being rid of his relatives or guilty because of causing such a mess in the first place. "You've been there tonight. I don't understand why, you were supposed to come a couple of days from now."

Albus sighed. "It was not only me, my boy. Alastor and Kingsley both came along. You actually gave us quite a busy night. We had to Obliviate half the street."

Sirius frowned and looked up at him. "Why, though?"

"Because we made a rather spectacular entrance." Dumbledore allowed himself a smile and his tone became quite light. "When I saw all the wards and charms on your house fall, Harry, I immediately called Alastor and Kingsley as back up. Fawkes took me there in his usual, fiery manner, while the other two surrounded the house after Apparating. We all cast quite a lot of protective charms the moment we popped up there, and I'm afraid I conjured a small army of beasts to aid us. I have to say, my boy, your uncle will probably avoid the lion den the next time he visits a zoo! Unfortunately, quite a few of the neighbours saw us, so we instantly shifted into damage control once we realized you weren't being mauled by Death Eaters."

"That kind of straightforwardness doesn't really sound like Mad-Eye." Commented Sirius.

"Ah, yes, but when it comes to battle, I always believed that offence is the best defence!" said Dumbledore genially.

"I'm sorry, sir. For everything…"

Albus looked at him and shook his head. "I do not approve of your decision, Harry. It was foolish, and it may end up costing you more than you are willing to pay. But in the end, we can only be as we are. You could have passed on this deal, but you would not have lived with yourself afterwards. Now, we must make sure the fallout is in our favor."

"Let's hope this O'Dimm character won't offer Riddle the same offer." Sirius said grimly.

"I doubt it" Harry shook his head, frowning. "He doesn't sound like he likes him that much. Though, I'd say it's more like he feels a disdain mixed with pity than actual hatred."

Albus had a brief expression of sadness on his face when hearing that. He would not have admitted it, but his feelings for Tom were of a similar manner. He often remembered various moments which now, in hindsight, he thought to be milestones in Tom's descent into Voldemort, and wondered how acting even slightly different could have pushed Tom onto a different trajectory. He knew the boy was never going to be some paragon of virtue. But Albus always blamed himself for not making sure he would at least be a respectable citizen. It seemed that the more he aged, the more regrets he seemed to accumulate. And looking at his dead hand, the less time he had to make amends.

"Albus" Sirius saw him looking at his injured limb. "What happened?"

He sighed. "One of Tom's horcruxes had more fight in it than I believed."

Black nodded and looked graver than Harry ever saw him. "I'm sorry. How much do you have left?"

What does he mean how much he has left?!

"A year. Give or take a few months, depending on how much magic I perform. I dare say, the taking part would be more accurate."

"I'm sorry, Albus."

So am I, thought Albus, while remaining silent.

"Wait a minute! What are you talking about? Sirius, what do you mean how much time the Headmaster has left?"

The two wizards looked at one another, then Dumbledore spoke in a very professional tone, as if he was once again in class, teaching first years how to turn a matchstick into a needle.

"The Withering Curse, Harry, is essentially a much slower version of the Killing Curse. Once hit with it, its effects appear around the area and expand. I think, that if I was to stop doing a great many deal of healing charms and drinking the potions Severus makes, it would quickly expand into my torso, giving me complete organ shutdown. As it stands, it will probably take away my lungs first. It can only be lifted by the caster, unfortunately."

Upon hearing that, Harry shot up and looked at him incredulously. The panic was clear in his voice, when he spoke.

"But… why don't we just cut off your hand?!"

Albus chuckled and shook his head. "It's the blood that is cursed, my boy. Not the tissue. If we cut the hand, the curse will manifest itself in a random part of my body, and it is quite likely that it will be a part that will kill me immediately. It is better to leave it like this."

Not willing to give up, Harry kept pushing.

"Then, why don't we cut off your hand when the curse is near to your lungs?! There will be a chance it will appear in a non-vital part, and buy you some more time!"

Albus smiled and looked with genuine love at him, once more shaking his head. "No, Harry. I will not mutilate myself only to buy a few more months of life. I do not fear death, my boy. Neither should you. I would advise you to show more caution in making deals which will potentially result in your death, but after my recent debacle with the horcrux, I do not think I am in a position to judge."

"Speaking off" Sirius cut the two off, while Harry still looked perplexed at the old man, his mind racing while trying to figure out ways to save him. "Which one was it?"

"The Gaunt Ring. Harry, if you will want it, I ask you to give me what time I have left to study the stone engraved in it. I believe it is older still than the actual ring, and it may serve you well if it is what I think it is."

The teenager only nodded numbly and sit back down, while Black looked at them confused.

"Why would Harry want the blasted thing?"

Albus looked at his student, expecting him to answer that question, but when he saw how distracted he was by the news of the Headmaster's imminent death, he answered in his stead. "The Potters and the Gaunts were once so interwoven with one another that some historians and family grimoires refer to them as a single family that coincidentally uses two names. Almost everyone associates the Gaunts with Slytherin, but what is not so well known anymore is that they were equally proud of their link with the Peverells. One they shared with the Potters, and brought the two together in the first place."

Sirius shrugged. "I don't see how being related with those inbred weirdos would be something Harry wants to associate himself with. But I suppose I don't have much right to judge, me being a Black and all. Albus, does that mean Harry can claim lordship of three more families when he becomes an adult?"

This time it was Harry that shook his head and answered. "No. Both Slytherins and the Peverells died off before the Wizengamot was a thing. Before Gringotts had a presence in Britain too, so no vaults with hidden riches either. I could claim lordship of House Gaunt, I suppose. Theoretically, it's held by some guy, Morfin, who is locked up in Azkaban."

"Morfin died a few months ago, I'm afraid." Albus interjected sadly. "After I realized Sirius was innocent, I pushed and pushed with the Ministry to clear Morfin as well. As unpleasant as he was, he was innocent of his crimes. He was taken to Azkaban after Voldemort framed him for the murder of Riddle Senior." Dumbledore sighed and looked at his left forearm, where he kept the Elder Wand. "Yet another failure on my part, I fear."

"You did your best, sir. So now, I suppose the strongest claim is with Voldemort. Assuming I live to see the end of the war…"

"Which you will" interjected Sirius strongly, to which Harry smiled.

"Well, I could easily claim the lordship then, but honestly, their most infamous kinsman left quite a sour taste in my mouth. I'll probably just leave it be, and if some future Potter wants to use it, he or she can be my guest."

Albus nodded, and looked at Sirius. "Now, as to the horcrux here in Grimmauld. How do you suggest we go about finding it?"

"Each of us takes a floor and goes through it?" suggested Harry, hoping to be helpful, but Black shook his head.

"No, I have a faster option. Kreacher!"

With a loud pop and a sneer, the old and unfriendly elf appeared in the room, but did not bow. "Filthy mongrel of former master that is too stupid too die properly returns to soil the ancestral house of the Blacks even more."

Sirius's eyes narrowed and Harry knew he instantly became annoyed at the sight of the house-elf. "What in Merlin's name you mean, former master?!"

"Kreacher now serves the degenerated great-spawn of most wonderful mistress Dorea. Oh, how the family must be turning in their graves, a filthy half-blood, heir of House Black."

"Sirius? What does he mean?"

His godfather looked at him sheepishly and shrugged. "I may have left a will at Gringotts naming you my heir and adoptive son. It seemed that crossing the Veil severed my link with the house-elf. But why didn't it do the same to you?"

The teenager did not truly know what to say, so he stood up and hugged his godfather, who hugged him back.

"I love you, Sirius."

Black's hold merely tightened and kissed him. "I love you too, kid."

"Perhaps, it is because Harry went willingly" supplied Albus. "Also, I think, if the Veil of Death was originally a portal, it may have been damaged. If it was commonly used, it couldn't have severed the magics of those that crossed it, it would have been too inconvenient. It could have also been a fluke that Harry didn't appear dead, as far as legalities are concerned."

"Harry, order Kreacher to bring the locket. The sooner we finish this, the better."

"What does the unnatural stain on the Black name want with master Regulus's locket?" asked the elf warily.

Sirius sneered when he heard his brother's name. "So, it was Reggie who was given the damned thing? I figured it would be Bella, but my dear brother was quite the obsessed fanboy too."

"Degenerate, undead half-breed will not talk ill of the Blacks in their house!" the house-elf screamed.

"It's my house, you poorly enchanted maggot!"

Kreacher let out an animalic snarl and immediately conjured some spheres of electric, blue light in his palms, while Sirius tensed and got close to lunging at him. Fortunately, Harry intervened right before things escalated further.

"Kreacher, you will not attack Sirius! And stop insulting us! That is an order! And Sirius, Bellatrix was given a horcrux too, it's at Gringotts. Kreacher, listen! We want the locket so that we could destroy it! Bring it here, please."

The house-elf looked at him, his eyes growing wide. He seemed to be shaking. "You will destroy master's locket? Kreacher tried. Kreacher tried everything! Kreacher even punished himself by no longer cleaning the ancestral house of the Blacks because of his failure."

All three wizards looked at one another confused, and after a moment, Albus broke the silence.

"You mean Regulus actually wanted to destroy the horcrux?"

The house-elf's ears lowered and he looked up at Harry. "Kreacher will not be answering the dried-up mummy that befriends Mudbloods and blood-traitors, young master."

"Kreacher, I ordered you to stop insulting us!"

"Kreacher did not insult master's guests" he said seeming honestly confused. He then pointed at Dumbledore's hand. "Kreacher only said what he saw, and the mummies' friends are not in the room, master."

Sirius shook his head. "Damned thing could even give O'Dimm a run for his money with how he twists orders."

"Sirius, stop insulting him! Kreacher, stop insulting anyone, period! Tell us, why did Regulus wanted to destroy Voldemort's horcrux?"

The house-elf closed his eyes and began speaking in a shaky voice. "Master Regulus turned on the Dark Lord not long after he joined. He said the Dark Lord is not even pureblood. That he enjoys tormenting purebloods even more than the filth…. than the half and muggleborns. He said he will lead the Black family to ruin. That the Blacks will be bound to him like slaves. So, when the Dark Lord wanted an elf, Master Regulus sent Kreacher. To spy. To watch. To listen. The Dark Lord took Kreacher to a cave. And we crossed a water."

"Tom went there in his youth. It was my suspicion he hid a horcrux there." Albus mentioned, while the elf looked as if he was close to breaking into tears.

"He made Kreacher drink an awful potion, that showed awful things. Kreacher did, and when the Dark Lord was pleased, he placed a locket in a vase in the middle of an island, and covered it in the potion. He left Kreacher to die there. But Kreacher returned. Kreacher had orders from Master Regulus. He nursed Kreacher back to health, and listened. We went there some time later. No matter how hard Kreacher pleaded, master drank the potion himself. It hurt him badly. We've then been attacked. Kreacher wanted to fight. Started to fight. But master Regulus replaced the locket with a replica, refilled the vase, and ordered Kreacher to leave and destroy it."

At this point, the house-elf was crying and sitting on the floor. "No matter what and how much he tried, Kreacher was never able to destroy it. To accomplish Master Regulus's last order."

Harry looked at Sirius, who stood still, with teary eyes, looking at nothing in particular. "So… little Reggie was my brother after all. I wish I could tell him that. I… I'm afraid I failed him."

"Are you alright, Sirius?"

He shook his head. "Not at the moment, really." He placed one arm over his godfather's shoulders and turned towards the elf.

"Can you bring it, Kreacher? The locket?"

"Yes, master" he said, bowing and snapping his fingers. When he did so, a small, seemingly benign locket appeared on the floor. It was circular, made of gold, and on one side had an emerald serpent in the shape of the letter S, and on the other a beautiful, emerald tree. On the edges, Harry instantly recognized the Parselscript, the written variant of the Noble Tongue, invented in India and greatly resembling the Sanskrit alphabet. It was some invocation of a Celtic god named Belenus, which Slytherin seemed to associate with healing.

"How exactly will we destroy it, sir?"

"I suggest you command it to open using Parseltongue, Harry. Then, we have a few options. The Killing Curse and Fyiendifire can both destroy a horcrux. So does Basilisk venom, which, I think is our safest option right now. Tixie!"

A young, female house-elf appeared in the middle of the room, looking at the Headmaster with her giant, blue eyes.

"You'se be calling Tixie, famous master Dumbledore, sir?"

"Yes, Tixie. Could you please bring me Gryffindor's Sword?"

The young house-elf nodded vigorously, while Kreacher looked appalled at the insult of having a foreign elf in his beloved house. She snapped her fingers and left, in the same time summoning the sword in the middle of the room. Albus grabbed it before it could fall, and handed it to Harry, who looked at him surprised.

"You want me to do it, sir?"

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. "This is, as they say, your party, my boy. Seems only fair to let you do the honours."

Potter nodded and took the sword, while standing up over the locket. Sirius curled up in the bed, while Albus set up some shields around the two of them. Kreacher however, remained close to Harry, eyeing the locket with pure hatred.

"I'm ready!" the boy said. He turned towards the horcrux, speaking to it in Parseltongue. Open!

In that moment, the locket opened, and a wave of coldness swept through the room. Instantly, Harry started hearing voices, whispering around him, and shadows seemed to dance through the room, as if jumping at the teenager.

"Harry… Potter… I see your heart! I see your desires! I can make them happen! I can give you the world. Join me!"

Harry noticed some of the shadows started taking a familiar shape, his heart sinking when he realized the horcrux was trying to conjure up the image of his parents. Mustering up all the courage he had, Potter swung the sword, striking the locket with all his might. The moment the blade touched the golden piece of jewellery, the soul-shard let out a horrifying scream, shaking the whole room, even causing ripples of golden light on the shield Albus placed around him and Sirius.

And just as quickly as it started, the screech went silenced. Forever, Harry noted proudly. He looked up at everyone else, making sure they are alright, and then went down to pick up the object.

"That was… unpleasant" said Sirius.

"Quite." Albus agreed darkly. Oh, Tom, how foolish you have been! "I assume you wish to keep the locket, Harry?"

"If that's okay with you" he said nodding. Dumbledore did not have any objections, and lowered the shields, turning towards Black.

"I have many things to take care of. And I need some rest too, as critical as time is. I shall take my leave from you two for now. Harry, the sword, if you will."

The boy handed the poisoned blade to the Headmaster, who took it carefully and looked at them. "Oh, sir, I almost forgot! Hela wanted me to say this to the first wizard I saw!"

"Besides me, she said you needed that specified" Sirius chuckled, amused. Harry glared at him, and shook his head theatrically.

"Sir, she said: cheat death once."

Both godfather and his nephew noticed how Albus tensed up at the words, and for a brief moment, his eyes were full of surprise.

"You know what she means" remarked Black.

"I do. But I fear that is a story for another time. I truly must depart now. Stay safe, you two. And I should mention, Sirius, that your name has been cleared after the battle at the Ministry. However, unless you wish to become a prisoner once more, this time in the Department of Mysteries, you find another story to tell the public than being stuck on a faraway planet ruled by an Aesir."

Black nodded, and with a final bow of the head, Dumbledore Apparated away, leaving them alone. It was Kreacher that broke the silence, saying happily: "Kreacher be going to clean the house!"

Harry took a seat next to Sirius, prodding the man to lay down in bed and rest. And in that moment, seeing how his godfather looked at him, hearing him say that he is proud of him, made Harry certain that no matter what comes next, he made the right call. O'Dimm may have been dangerous, but he had a family now, and he would not have traded it for anything in the world.

It was three days after Harry's adventures that Albus Dumbledore would find himself on Diagon Alley, amiably exchanging greetings with all the passers by that would smile to him and salute him. His elegant, silver robes sat elegantly on him, and he took in the many shops, restaurants, and offices filling the Alley. Diagon Alley, although the most famous attraction in the Magical quarter of London, most likely due to the many shops and the Gringotts presence, was only one small part of a much larger area. Diagon neighbourhood boasted with the most famous alley of the same name, the equally infamous Knockturn Alley, known, depending on who you asked, either as a hub of dark and dangerous magic, or a valiant rebel stronghold, fighting back the ever-increasing government interference in the day to day life of Wizards and their Magic. In addition, there was Pendragon Square, on the other side of Gringotts's building, the high-end and posh Aureus Avenue, filled with expensive restaurants and homes frequented only by Purebloods, or others that managed to attain a rather impressible wealth. There were also the twin streets, Ambrosius and Avalon, and right at the edge of the Diagon Neighbourhood, the Jade Historical District. A famous little addition to Diagon set up centuries ago by Chinese witches and wizards exiled from either the Ming or Qing Empires because they allied themselves with the ICW and campaigned for China to conform to the Statute of Secrecy. The Emperors, along with their Wizard advisors became infuriated by the aligning of some of their brethren to the foreign political body. Even more so, since Chinese Wizards and Muggles have never been in conflict with one another, the two societies being the most open and cooperative muggle and wizarding societies in the entire world. Neither the wizards nor the muggles saw the need for a split, and the Chinese adamantly refused to stop mingling with one another in the open.

Things escalated with the infamous Opium Wars and the Century of Humiliation, when European powers pounced on the Great Qing Empire and forced it into submission. The ICW immediately seized the opportunity and fan the flames of war, discreetly aiding the European muggles and launching incursions of their own, trying to both make sure the war won't reveal the existence of magic, and at the same time, force China into accepting the Statute. The conflict was one of unprecedented brutality, and if Grindelwald would not have launched his war roughly a century later, the Great Eastern War, as the Wizards came to call it, would have remained the most violent confrontation in the history of magic. Ultimately, the ICW failed to fully enforce the Statute, the law only being imposed in China as a result of World War Two, when the ICW sided with the Japanese muggles only to bring the Chinese into submission. It was something which always baffled Albus, how the frontline in Asia was completely reversed than the one in Europe. While Grindelwald aided the Nazis, essentially using them to thin the numbers of the Muggles before he would reveal Magic to the world, sweep in and conquer them all, in Asia, his support was behind the Chinese wizards, with whom he signed an alliance, promising them a return of the Qing monarchy. As for the ICW, while they supported the Allies in Europe, they had been forced to support the Axis in Asia. It was only at the end of that conflict that the ancient mages of China finally broke and had to accept the Statute, despite Japan's loss. Although, some groups still occasionally popped up in China, raising the old yellow banner of the Emperor.

But the Jade District was older, one of the consequences of the Great Eastern War. The Emperor of that time exiled every Chinese witch or wizard which supported the ICW, many of them finding a home across Europe. The Jade District was one such place, and the Chinese families lived there had been in Britain for over a century now.

Eventually, Albus reached his destination. He looked up and smiled, reading the dusty old sign: Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Ollivander, was, without a doubt, the oldest magical family in the whole of Europe, and one of the oldest in the world. Originally known as Eliandros, the family rose to fame for being the most skilled wand-makers in the ancient Greek city of Argos, eventually coming to spread their presence in other cities as well, such as Athens, Sparta and Elis. When the Romans spread their might across the Mediterranean world, the Eliandros family seized the opportunity, striking deals with the magical elite of Rome, and thus spreading their influence across the whole Empire. That was how they arrived in Britannia, coming here with the Roman legions in 43 AD. Eventually, they became known as Ollivander, though branches of the family still in Greece or Italy retained the original name. Now, they were also a brand known across the whole continent, having an absolute monopoly in Magical Britain, Greece, Italy, and the Free State of Alexandria, while maintaining an important presence in other places of Europe, the Mediterranean world and North America.

"Are you going to stay there in the middle of the street like some kind of scarecrow, or are you coming in?"

Albus quickly looked down from the sign and smirked, looking at Garrick Ollivander. The man stood with the door of his shop half opened, and looked at him with his gray eyes. He seemed to half a cup of tea in his other hand, while keeping a tight grip on the handle of the door with the other one. Dumbledore nodded and went towards the door, the man in a deep, purple robe leaving it open for him.

"Courteous as ever, Garrick" he said while closing the door behind him. The old wand shop was still as suffocating as ever. Albus more than once considered if there wasn't some kind of war preventing the proper air flow. "Not going to recite my wand specifications?"

Ollivander's gray eyes narrowed and shook his head. "You prick, you know your Occlumency is too good for that little Legilimency ward I have on the door. And plus, your wand was actually from before my time. Both of them. Merlin be damned, Albus, don't tell me you somehow snapped the Elder Wand!"

The old man was leaning on the counter and his face contorted in fear at the mere thought of such a precious artefact being destroyed. Albus chuckled and shook his head, pulling out the beautiful wand from his robe.

"She's fine, old friend. So is my original one."

"You still use it?" Garrick asked while taking a sip of the jasmine scented tea.

"Every once in a while, yes. An old man likes reminiscing, as I am sure you know."

Ollivander's eyes narrowed, but let the comment slide. "Ebony wood, right? What was the core?"

"Fairy wing."

"Ah, yes. One of my father's creations. So, Albus. What brings you to my humble abode? And can I get you anything?"

Albus shook his head and conjured an armchair, while Garrick rolled his eyes at the display. "No, I'm fine. In fact, if you will agree, I will only be here briefly."

The old wandmaker sighed and rubbed his temples, throwing a quick look outside. "And what exactly do you hope I agree with?"

Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle. "I am going on a little trip, and would have liked to have your back up. Both your wand and your sharp mind."

Like clockwork, Dumbledore thought as he saw his old friend's whole demeanour change. He tensed up, and a strange glint appeared in his eyes. He looked like a starving lion that finally found prey but was refraining from pouncing on it instantly, afraid of scaring it away. "What kind of little trip, Albus?" he asked slowly.

"Frankfurt."

When he heard that, Ollivander stopped, his teacup midway to his mouth, and looked at Albus, the hunger in his eyes increasing. He immediately placed the cup on the counter and went to the door, switching the sign on it so that it showed closed. He pulled out his wand and pointed it towards the door, activating every privacy ward he had placed on his shop. When he was done, he turned towards Dumbledore and asked carefully.

"And what would we be doing in Frankfurt?"

"We will infiltrate the old Magisterium building, and make our way to Archmage Aldin's tomb. There, we will see if he buried himself with any notes, or books, or perhaps grimoires."

For a second, Garrick stood there silently, but Albus saw his breathing increase in pace.

"Merlin damn you, Albus! When are we leaving?!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "So eager, old friend?"

"Oh, shut up!" Garrick snapped. "You have no idea how boring my life is nowadays!"

He sped passed him, motioning the Headmaster to follow him. The two made their way into the back of the store, where Ollivander took his wand out once more and pointed it towards a wall filled all the way up to the ceiling with shelves with wand boxes. With a feint, white light, Albus saw the stack of shelves dissipate into the air. He looked at his friend and raised an eyebrow. Garrick shrugged when he saw him.

"You can never be too safe."

In stead of the wands was now a small, wooden door. Ollivander pointed a finger towards the handle, and kept his wand in the other hand. He made a small cut appear on the tip of his finger, levitating a drop of blood from it, then healing it immediately. A beautiful, vivid, blue light engulfed the handle, a metallic noise being heard inside it.

"Blood-payment enchantment? How crude of you, Garrick. I did not expect it."

Ollivander snorted and turned back before opening the door. "A pointless comment? How typical of you, Albus. I did expect it."

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head at his friend's antics. The two entered in a small room, lit up by floating spheres of white light. Albus had to pause for a moment when he saw what was inside, feeling himself swept by a powerful wave of memories and nostalgia. He could not help but smile as he looked around. The walls were filled with pictures, of him in his youth. Him, Garrick, Charlus Potter, Arcturus Black, and Nicholas - with Fawkes on his shoulder - and Perenelle Flamel.

How young we were! So young, and hopeful.

"The old crew." Garrick said wistfully.

Albus nodded. "The original Order of the Phoenix." He stopped near one of the pictures, and placed a few fingers on it, almost wishing it would be a portkey back in time. They were at Griffin's Nest, an old Potter property, overseeing Big Ben from the living room's window. It was back in 1942, and Charlus just charmed Arcturus's hair into a bright red colour, while his eyebrows were golden. Arcturus seemed to point his wand towards him, while everyone else was in the background laughing.

"Sometimes, when I close the shop, I come back here. Grab a bottle of Firewhisky and just… remember, I suppose."

"I know how that feels, old friend. Sometimes I get lost in thought too. Quite often, recently." He made a quick gesture with his cursed hand, and Garrick sighed, his eyes filled with pity. Albus saw it and instantly cut him off.

"Don't be sad, my dear Garrick. I prefer to focus on life, for as long as I still have it. I suppose, I always knew one day, I'll go. One way or another."

"And now you are, and you wish for a few moments more."

Dumbledore did not move, but he felt tears forming in his eyes. A few moments more. But if he got them, would he be ready for death, afterwards? Or will there always be just a few moments more he wanted. He needed. The next great adventure… He felt a pang of fear in his heart, as he thought about it. Albus sighed, pushing his Occlumency shields to the maximum, trying to regain his composure.

"I keep here everything I have back from the war. Look!"

He pulled a drawer and took out a silver medallion in the shape of a hammer, decorated with sapphire runes on it's handle.

"I got this from that Flag-Bearer in Aachen!"

Albus smiled. "The one that enchanted the German machine guns to replenish their ammo?"

"And stop overheating." Garrick confirmed. "Me and Perenelle cornered the prick when he was making a run for the theater, to regroup with his friends."

"Those portable warding arrays Nick made were quite useful."

"Unless we wanted to Apparate ourselves, in which case we pretty much screwed ourselves over."

Dumbledore puffed in frustration, suddenly remembering something.

"Remember when I almost died in that SS ambush because you accidentally put your array in my bag?"

"Not my fault they were identical." Ollivander muttered.

The two remained in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Are we rounding up what's left of the old crew, Albus? I'm sure Nick and Perenelle would Floo over if we called them."

"No need. Between the two of us, we can handle anything the tomb throws at us."

"Why are we going there anyway?"

"Aldin was the longest owner of an artefact that suddenly became quite important to me. There are a great deal of popular stories about him and it."

"And what would it be, Albus?"

Dumbledore leaned on the wall and wiggled the Wand between his fingers. "The artefact itself is the Mirror of Erised. But I was referring to something more specific. A being known as…"

"Master Mirror."

Albus immediately looked up at his friend. He had the distinct impression that the temperature in the room dropped by quite a few degrees, and the light charms were failing. Apparently, Garrick thought the same thing, as he looked up at them and frowned.

"What do you know of him?"

Ollivander shook his head and shrugged. "What everyone that read about that blasted Mirror does, I suppose. He is an entity presumed to dwell inside the Mirror. He sometimes interacts with those that look into the mirror for too long. The persons become obsessed with the things they see, and develops an avid interest in Runes, warding and enchantments of every kind. No one ever had any proof that the being actually exists, however. And no scanning of the Mirror suggests that he does either." Garrick sighed and looked at Albus worriedly. "If you asked about him, am I correct in presuming that Master Mirror is real and you somehow encountered him?"

Albus nodded. "He does, but it is not me that met him. Harry did."

"Why am I not surprised. Life really has it in for that kid. What happened?"

"They made a sort of pact at a crossroads on midnight. The being claims its name is Gaunter O'Dimm. He agreed to fulfill three of Harry's wishes, and in exchange, he will take the boy's soul if a condition is met."

"I read things like that in Muggle literature. Pan Twardowski and Faust are the most famous. Never imagined there is a real equivalent in the Magical world."

"I'm not sure O'Dimm is from the Magical world. Garrick, Sirius Black is alive. The being arranged his return."

Ollivander's eyes widened. "Merlin's beard!"

"Indeed. I need to find out how to keep Harry from its clutches. Apparently, Harry's ancestors managed to bind him once. I hope we can replicate the achievement."

"The Potters?"

"I'm pretty sure it was the Peverells, actually. Are you leaving the store unattended?"

Ollivander shook his hand and waved a hand. "No, I'll Floo-call one of my nephews, Alexis. He'll take care of things. Just a minute."

Garrick removed his purple trench coat and opened a drawer from where he pulled a dark, gray leather coat, with purple inflexions and purple buttons. Albus instantly recognized it as one of his friend's favourite dragon-hide robes, wearing it often during the war. The now old man put it over his white shirt, and motioned Albus to follow him. He then waved his wand, and the door disappeared behind the illusioned wand box shelves. They then made their way to a fireplace, Ollivander throwing some Floo powder in the fire.

"Athens Academy of Magic" he said in Greek.

"Garrick Eliandros! What a pleasant surprise! Do you wish to visit?" Headmaster Archelaos, a Charms Master whom Albus knew quite well, had a pleasant face, and had been with the Academy for around the same time Albus had been with Hogwarts.

"No, my friend. I was actually hoping you would allow me to loan Alexis for the rest of the day, if that is okay with you?"

"Of course, a day off won't kill him. I'll have him over to your place in a few minutes!"

The green fire extinguished itself, and Dumbledore turned towards his friend, with mocked outrage. "I still don't understand why you didn't send your children and grandchildren to Hogwarts!"

"Bah! The Athens Academy was a world-renowned institution of magic back when England was still Celtic! Your castle is good Albus, but it needs a few more millennia of heritage before it can compete with the big boys."

In a couple of minutes, the green flames erupted once again and from them came a young man, no older than seventeen, dressed in a light blue tunic with a white belt, with two navy blue stripes on it.

"Grandfather! What happened?"

The young man's voice was melodious and he hugged Garrick tightly, before letting go and inspecting him, fearing his grandfather was ill.

"Nothing, Alexis. Me and Albus have to go on an errand, and I was hoping you could watch over the store for me."

"Right, and do you usually wear your old war coat during your errands, grandfather?"

Albus chuckled and Ollivander merely muttered something incorrigible, but Alexis cut him off.

"Just be careful, alright? You're not a young man anymore."

Garrick gasped and shook his head. "I'll have you know that I am still in my prime by Wizarding standards!"

"Grandfather, your alchemist friend isn't what passes as usual Wizarding standards. Just promise me you'll watch yourself, alright?"

"Fine, fine. And you promise me to dress up like me and use the Legilimency ward on the entrance. It will be a blast seeing people working themselves up over how I managed to de-age myself."

"Oh, I'm sure Tom especially will appreciate your forays into tampering with your life expectancy, old friend!"

Garrick turned towards Albus and glared at him. "As if that upstart conjurer is any match for me or you, Albus!"

In the meantime, Alexis looked at him bemused and shook his head. "You really are something else, grandfather. But fine, you promise to take care of yourself and I promise to aid you in your little scheme."

"Perfect! Albus, are we getting out of here?"

"On it!" Dumbledore nodded and removed one of his gold rings, pointing the Elder Wand at it. He cast a silent Portus at it, engulfing it in blue light for a few moments. When he was done, he extended it towards Garrick, who grabbed it with two fingers.

"Have fun, you two!"

"Phoenix!" said Dumbledore.

In that moment, the two wizards felt a sharp pull from their navel, as if getting hooked into a small tunnel, and saw the world change around them, a loud noise ringing in their ears. This chaos engulfed them for a few moments, then everything came to a halt and they opened their eyes. Instead of the small wand shop on a cosy wizarding alley, they were now in a dark, filthy back alley, riddled with trash bins and half torn posters. Sitting next to one was a beggar, that looked at the odd pair with pure shock, and tried to say something, but no word came out. Before he had time to do anything however, Albus pointed his wand at him and cast a silent Obliviate. He then placed his ring back on, and motioned for Garrick to follow him.

"It's just down the block, let's go."

"Gods, how I missed this, Albus!"

The two went out on the main street, garnering quite a few looks with their odd attires. Some Muggles even made a conscious effort to pull away from them as they passed. Garrick, on the other hand, looked around with distaste, occasionally muttering something inflammatory in Greek.

"Why is it that every time I go into the Muggle world, the Muggles manage to become even louder? Gods, I can barely hear myself think!"

Albus rolled his eyes and smiled at his friend. "Do you remember when Arcturus got into that big fight with a Muggle after insisting they must have somehow turned horses invisible, because there is no other way a Muggle could enchant a carriage to walk on its own?"

Ollivander laughed and looked at him. "Merlin, I'm pretty awkward around them too, but even I'm not that hopeless! We had to pry them from one another and Obliviate the Muggle afterwards! So, how are going to do this? I thought the old Magisterium was closed off and kept under ICW guard at all times."

"Yes, visitors need to register a couple of months before the date they visit."

"I assume we didn't."

"I do enjoy surprises, as you know."

Garrick chuckled and became thoughtful. "So, how will we play it?"

"You forget, my old friend, that I was until recently, head of the ICW? There are some advantages to being me, you know."

"So, we just bullshit our way through and hope no one calls us out on it?"

"No need to be so crass, but yes, essentially."

Garrick laughed and looked at the funny Muggle cars, commenting more to himself than to anyone else. "Reminds me of that time we infiltrated House Siegmar's manor, in Bavaria."

The two men finally took a turn into another dark and filthy alley, and made their way all the way to its end, where an unassuming brick wall stood. Albus was ready to tap his wand on it and open the gate, but then he heard his friend mutter some insults and turned towards him. Ollivander was looking at the walls, or better said, at what was written in graffiti on them. They were filled with Grindelwald's mark, the mark of the Deathly Hallows, and various inscriptions in German and Old Norse were written beneath the symbols. For the Greater Good! was the most popular one, followed closely by Free Grindelwald! and Wizards are not slaves! Down with the ICW!

"Idiots… I bet you, the fools that wrote these haven't even been in a propel duel before, much less an actual fight. What do they know of the war!... Stupid children, and they leave it out in the open for Muggles to see, too!"

"They leave them specifically for Muggles to see" commented Albus. He pointed his wand towards the walls and did a small wave, immediately erasing every sign of magical presence from them. The two then turned towards the wall, and Albus tapped some bricks on it. Then, a circle of burgundy light appeared on the wall, and it simply transformed into a beautiful archway, the two walking through to a wide, cobblestone alley, flanked by Medieval looking homes build in a truly whimsical and logic defying way. At the end of the street was a large, beautiful square, with a burgundy dragon beautifully enchanted on the pavement, still moving his head and looking at anyone that walked over the square. At the other end of the square rose a large, imposing building made of white marble, with burgundy columns across the entire, solid arc shaped façade. Behind the columns, the entire façade was made of stained glass, depicting all the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of the old Empire lined up and saluting a glowing, burgundy Valknut, which symbolized the Archmage of the Magisterium, the unquestionable leader of the long-fallen giant of a nation. At each end of the arc shaped building were small domes, and a larger one was in the centre, all three made out of solid gold. At the imposing entrance, with doors adorned with Norse imagery combined with Imperial political propaganda, stood a small, metal plaque. The plaque read as followed:

On 2nd of April 1945, ICW forces liberated the Magisterium from the Dark Lord Grindelwald's forces. The building stood as capitol of the Empire from 912 AD to 1931 AD, when the Empire was officially abolished by Grindelwald's forces and replaced with the Tevinter Imperium. This building continued to be used as capitol until it's liberation by ICW. Now, it stands as a museum dedicated to Magical heritage in Germany and as a reminder of the horrors of The Great Wizarding War.

"They gave us medals for this, remember?"

Albus nodded grimly. "I also remember how many we lost trying to take this place."

"Those idiot politicians only cared about scoring big wins to keep the public opinion behind the war. Bastards, the lot of them." Garrick spit at the feet of the plaque. "I'll never forget how that poor volunteer from Spain looked at me after the Inferius tore his stomach open. So helpless. He was just a kid, Albus, couldn't have been older than sixteen! And then that idiot Mugwump expected us to come over to New York to drink champagne and regale the rich snobs with tales of the war!"

"Charlus and Arcturus gave them quite a piece of their mind, I remember."

"And rightfully so" said Garrick slowly. "C'mon."

The two made their ways up the stars, eventually making their way through the eerily empty halls, and only when they neared the inner chambers that they were stopped by a guard which noticed the two were not with any of the tourist groups. The young guard wearing a dark blue outfit approached them, his wand at the ready.

"I'm sorry, but who exactly are you two?"

"That would be your boss, lad."

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, former Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and current Delegate of Magical Britain. My friend and I merely wanted to visit the place and reminisce of the old battles while keeping a lower profile. I'm sure that is not such a grave problem, is it not?"

The young man spluttered and began apologizing, but the two man merely waved him off and continued on their way without being interrupted anymore. The wizards started descending on the abrupt stairs, with each level they passed by, the air becoming thicker, colder, and more and more unwelcoming. The tombs of the Archmages still retained most of their secrets, as it was considered illegal during the times of the Empire to excavate or study them. When Grindelwald took over, he blasted a lot of them open and removed the treasures inside, using them to fund his war, and stashing the books in his personal collection. And now, since the site was a museum protected by the ICW, the decision had been made not to disturb the old curses and enchantments on the tombs, leaving a large area of the building's underground unexplored.

Eventually, they reached a dark corridor, filled with simple, wooden doors, each with a name written on them in golden Runes.

"Keep your wand ready, old friend. Who knows what kind of curses are still here."

The two advanced slowly, with each step feeling the temperature dropping and the flames on the torches twisting unnaturally, as if an evil took control of them and turned them around its fingers.

"We're here…"

Albus pointed the Elder Wand towards the door, a sphere of purple light appearing on its tips, and some tendrils of the same color enveloping the door.

"Look's like we're not the first ones here."

"Merlin damned Grindelwald… You think the trail's gone cold?"

"Only one way to find out!'

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the door. Initially, there were only sparks of blue light on its tip, but eventually the sparks grew into a small sphere, and then the sphere turned into a large ball which hummed dangerously. The light then darted off the wand and smashed into the wooden door, tearing it apart with ease, and shaking the entire corridor.

"Subtle" said Garrick dryly.

The two then entered the obviously magically expanded room, being awed by the intricate reliefs on the walls, and the serpent like columns which supported the ceiling. Ceiling which was enchanted to look like the night sky. What was more problematic however, was that the hall was completely empty. The two cast various detection charms, explored the room by hand, and even tried muttering some famous Imperial sayings, hoping at least something will trigger a reaction in the room. Unfortunately for them, nothing seemed to work.

"Whoever plundered this place was thorough, Albus. I don't think the sleeping beauty here" he pointed towards the large, stone sarcophagus in the middle of the room "will be of much help."

"I fear I must agree. We should return to Diagon, see what other leads we can follow."

"Depulso."

The two wizards raised their wands and instantly turned towards the door, only to see a smiling man leaning on the threshold. He looked at them clearly amused, but did not move. He merely stood there; face half lit by the disturbing fires on the hallway.

"Depulso. Such a simple spell. A spell one uses almost daily, isn't it? And yet, such an easy spell to misuse too."

"Who are you supposed to be?!" Garrick asked irritably.

"Ah, I will get there. But first, let me tell you two a story. A story about three young wizards and a witch. You see, long ago, two great friends, perhaps more lovers than friends, thought they had their whole lives planned and ready for the taking. Until, the brother of one of them, forever a skeptic, decided he could take no more of their self-importance and grandeur, and gave them a rather harsh reality check. All of them being young, tempers flared, insults were thrown, and eventually, eventually wands were drawn."

Ollivander noticed Albus being unusually still and pale, but thought nothing of it and instead kept his eyes on the stranger.

"Eventually, neither one of the three wanting to back down, they ended up firing spells at one another. Hearing the commotion, the sister of the two brothers came down, and tried to break up the fight. And you know what happened next?"

At this point, the man had a ferocious grin on his face, and something in the light and his unsettling tone made Ollivander's blood freeze in his veins. He took one more look at Albus, who was absolutely livid. He was starting to figure out why, as this was a story his friend told him a long time ago.

"Shut up and tell us your name!"

The stranger ignored him and looked straight at Dumbledore.

"Such a shame, how you killed your sister with a simple Depulso charm. Don't you think? You aimed for the chair, trying to push it into your own brother, but the dust Gellert conjured earlier made you off balance. Five centimeters. Five centimeters to the right, and you hit poor, little Ariana right in the shoulder. She fell and hit the edge of the table. You broke her neck and killed her instantly. A clean kill, at least. I'm surprised how you manage to delude yourself so far into thinking anyone of you could have killed her. It was clearly your spell. I am glad I managed to clear up this misconception of yours."

The man's light and sadistic tone both annoyed and unnerved Ollivander, who looked at his friend again and this time saw tears flowing down his face.

"I wonder, did you ever tell your friends? That your fight against Grindelwald was more akin to self-imposed penitence? That deep down in your heart, you still believed in his cause? Dare I say, still do?"

"Enough! Who are you supposed to be!"

"Ah, of course! Gaunter O'Dimm, at your service…"

"Master Mirror?" Ollivander cut him off.

"In person!"

"Ignis Sagitta!"

The spell immediately formed at the tip of Ollivander's wand. A sphere of hot fire, which shot out towards O'Dimm and split into a multitude of smaller balls of fire, similar to the pellets of a shotgun. However, much to both him and Dumbledore's shock, the fire merely touched Master Mirror and faded away without doing any damage to him. He then laughed and looked back at Garrick with an absolutely feral look.

"That wasn't very nice."

He raised his arm and with a small twist of his finger, he ripped away Ollivander's wand arm. The old man grabbed the bleeding forearm, kneeling down on the floor and screaming. Dumbledore immediately darted to his side, raising a powerful shield, but for the first time in many decades, Dumbledore felt unprepared. He never felt that way in a battle, not even when facing Tom. Yet this time, he had absolutely no clue what he got himself into.

O'Dimm then snapped his fingers and sparks of deep, purple light appeared between them. He merely grinned and turned to leave, the two wizards remaining alone, and Garrick being in agonizing pain, unable to stop the bleeding.

Just as Albus was about to start helping his friend to his feet, a violent punch was heard in the room. The two wizards stared at it, not daring to make a sound. They could both feel the cold sweat on their foreheads rolling down. And then, the sound appeared again. It came from inside the sarcophagus!

"We need to leave!"

"I agree!"

The two started moving just as a third punched threw open the lid of the sarcophagus and from it stood up a screeching, hideous Draugr. More skeleton than man, with long hair coming out straight from its skull, and orbs of purple light in the empty eye sockets. The monster which smelt like rotting flesh lunged towards Dumbledore, however the man pushed it backwards with a flick of his wand, immediately helping Garrick to his feet. While his back was turned, the undead tightly grabbed him by his hand and pushed him into the wall, Albus letting out a muffled scream. The Draugr was using its other hand to hit him repeatedly, his nose already bleeding, while Garrick was far too weak to be of any use. The Headmaster managed to regain his wits and channelled his magic into his healthy hand, punching the monster with the enhanced hand. Sparks of yellow light emerged where he made contact, and the monster flew into the wall, immediately turning its head towards the two and screaming.

In the few seconds of respite, the two were already out the door, Albus conjuring a brick wall where the wooden door used to be, however the Draugr was punching it violently, probably even throwing himself at it head first, bits and bits of it getting chipped away with each hit.

"Can't we Apparate?!"

"No, the ICW warded this entire building, and since I'm not Supreme Mugwump anymore, I can't bypass it!"

"May Hades take them, that thing will be on our tail soon enough!"

The two stopped, no matter how poorly of a decision that was in those moments, they could not refrain their shock at the multitude of screams they heard. And if that wasn't enough, that very instant, every single door on that corridor was swung open, the monstrous Draugr emerging from every single tomb in the building!

"Ignis Malus!"

Dumbledore did not even hesitate. He cast Fyiendifire immediately and encapsulated himself and Ollivander in an empty sphere of fire, sending jets of fire up and down the corridor every five seconds. For a few moments, he thought his plan was working. Until two of the monsters somehow jumped inside the fire sphere, almost making Albus loose his concentration enough to collapse the flames on himself and Garrick. The two screamed, and Ollivander pulled out a cursed dagger he carried at his belt, planting it deeply into one of the beasts, however doing absolutely nothing to him. Dumbledore wandlessly banished him, while the second one gripped Garrick's right leg tightly and appeared to try and rip it off. The wandmaker managed to conjure a panther that swooped in and pinned the Draugr down into the flame, eventually disabling it.

"How did they penetrate Fyiendifire?!"

"They are Draugr, not Inferius! More resilient!"

"Blasted Necromancers!"

"If I surrender you the spell, do you think you can control it?"

"What will you do?!"

"A ritual powered spell! An old trick I learned in my youth! Garrick, it's our only chance!"

"I… give it here!"

Garrick lifted his wand, a small sphere of blazing hot fire appearing on its tip the moment he took over the spell. He added his own twists on it, reinforcing the flames with more curses and charms, turning them from the blinding red colour to a pale, blue wave of flame. Outside, they could hear the roar of the undead, and every once in a while one would pop out through the flames and jump on them, the rotting flesh on them completely charred. Ollivander was now full of cuts, bruises and bite marks, having to protect both himself and Albus.

In the meantime, Dumbledore pulled up the sleeve on his healthy arm and performed a cut with his wand, levitating some blood out of it. He healed himself and extended his wand towards the blood, a dark, sickly purple light appearing at the tip of the wand. He began an eerie chant, one that Garrick managed to vaguely place as being in Ancient Egyptian, the same as the hieroglyphs which started to be moulded out of blood. They began shining in the same purple light, and expand, forming a circle. Next, Albus pointed his wand down and conjured a beautiful black dog, which he had sit in front of him, and surrounded him with the glyphs, as he placed them on the floor. Ollivander almost lost control over the spell when he heard the next words Albus said:

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light instantly killed the poor dog, and then a low humming noise filled the corridor, the runes lighting up brighter than ever. Dumbledore pointed his wand at them and shouted Give me allegiance!, in what Garrick was pretty sure was Ancient Egyptian. In that instant, the glyphs shifted into a symbol similar to the Valknut, but not as straight and pointy, and Albus took it on the tip of the Elder Wand, pointing it in front of him. With a loud noise, the symbol darted through the hallway, extinguishing the flame and with it, every Draugr collapsed on the floor, unmoving. After a fraction of a second of silence, the ones behind them let out a horrible scream in unison, and ran head first towards the two wizards.

"Run!"

Dumbledore and Ollivander ran as fast as they could, jumping through the disabled undead, and firing curses over their shoulder.

"Ignis Sagitta!"

"Ignesco Caeli!"

"Bombarda Maxima!"

The spells flew into the undead, burning them, blasting them, conjuring chains that bound them in place, Dumbledore even blasted the ceiling, collapsing the entire corridor. Eventually, the two got to the stairs, turning back towards the Draugr and conjuring a brick wall that closed the exit from the tombs.

"It won't hold them forever!"

"Garrick, how's your hand?!"

"I managed to slow the bleeding, but it's not stopping."

Albus looked at him worriedly, then pulled out his ring and turned it into a Portkey. He extended it towards his friend, but he only looked back at him indignantly.

"Run across the wards and say sanctuary. It will take you to Hogwarts! And get everyone you see out of here!"

"You're mad, I won't leave you here!"

The Headmaster only smiled and shook his head. He was exhausted after that small ritual he performed, but he did his best to hide it. "I'll be fine! It takes more than some shoddy skeletons to get rid of me." He saw his friend was determined to stay, so he took his hand and put the ring in it, closing it around it. "Go! You'll bleed to death if you don't get to a medic soon!"

Ollivander knew that was true, as much as he hated to admit it. He also knew that Albus was more than able to take care of the undead, but leaving his old comrade behind still hurt him. Reluctantly, he nodded and ran up the stairs, Dumbledore looking after him. When he finally lost track of him, he turned towards the collapsing wall of bricks and played with the Elder Wand between his fingers. The Hallow was humming euphorically, feeling in his hand like an addict that was battling his addiction but suddenly got a rush of his drug. Wands, based on their cores and wood, had affinities to various branches of magic. They were able to perform any kind of spell, albeit sometimes reluctantly, however, there were things which they absolutely loved doing. They would unleash all their power, anxiously anticipating the next thing their owner would do. And the Elder Wand was, above all, a wand of Necromancy. It is why it loved so much being wielded by Gellert, which, in his studies, gained mastery over the deepest secrets of the ancient art. Albus looked at it, then cocked his head to a side, and smiled. In that instant, a flash of flames appeared above him, and his beautiful Phoenix swung his wings in the air, letting out a menacing thrill. The usually serene and soothing bird rested majestically on Dumbledore's right shoulder, gazing with menace towards the corridor where the undead struggled to come out from. Albus felt the excitement of his feathery companion in the same way he felt that of the wand. Everyone thought that Phoenixes were the epitome of virtue. Of goodness. They thought that having a Phoenix familiar was a mark of purity and innocence. Albus, on the other hand, knew better. Phoenixes were symbols of power. And power was something often beyond the traditional lines of good and evil.

"Ready, my friend? We can't allow them to reach the people above."

Fawkes thrilled dangerously, while Dumbledore pointed his wand towards the conjured wall, dispelling it with a silent movement. The chaos was instantaneous. The noise was deafening, and the Phoenix instantly darted into the air making a sharp roll and throwing off small balls of fire off its body in the process, taking out quite a few of the undead. In the meantime, Albus stood guard at the base of the stairs, conjuring lions, panthers and tigers out of thin air. The Draugr managed to fend them off, ripping them to shreds, but the short loss in momentum gave Albus the opportunity he needed.

He stepped right in the middle of the swarm, pointing the wand upwards and doing some elegant swishes in the air which seemed to energize the air, sparks of white light flying everywhere. The floors then seemed to instantly rise up, smashing violently into the roof and tearing a large part of the undead apart. Continuing the motion, Dumbledore lowered his wand and pointed it towards the end of the hallway, the now elevated floors turning into menacing spears and darting off into the darkness.

The entire building shook, the wizard and his Phoenix unleashing their most menacing moves, fire, light, and conjured animals tearing through the summoned army. After a few more minutes, Albus was breathing heavily, with Fawkes on his shoulder, and looked around at the sight. The Draugr had been destroyed, and the damage to the historical building was significant. The old wizard was filled with cuts, bruises and scorched marks on his silver robes.

When he heard noises from behind him he pointed the wand towards the stairs, while the Phoenix sang a menacing song. In a few moments, the entire place was swarmed by ICW guards and local Aurors, all pausing instantly when they saw the battlefield.

"What the hell happened here?" whispered one of them.

Albus lowered his wand and took a few more moments to catch his breath. Here goes the last remains of pull I had with the Confederacy, he thought dryly.

"Me and a friend have been attacked by some unknown Necromancer" he said in perfect German. "Which one of you is chief of security?"

"I'm… I mean, I am, sir" one shaking, blonde wizard said.

For some unknown reason, Albus's mind instantly drifted off to what the newspapers would say about him tomorrow. Albus Dumbledore, Defeater of Tombs, or Albus Dumbledore tries Archeology and blows up German heritage site.

Rita will have a field day!

"Right" he said with a twinkle in his eye and suppressing a smile. "Make sure the German Department of Mysteries seals this place until they figure out how and by whom this was done."

"Sir, I think you should remain here for questioning!"

Albus shook his head. "I will certainly make myself available for your inquiries, but right now, I have a friend that needs visiting. Fawkes?"

And with that, the impatient bird thrilled merrily and engulfed itself and Dumbledore in a flash of blinding fire, tearing through the wards with no difficulty, much to the dismay of everyone present. The travelling flame materialized itself in the Hogwarts infirmary, where the bird instantly flew out though one of the open windows.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake Albus, I almost hexed you!"

The impatient tone of Madame Pomfrey made him anxious, and he immediately apologized for startling her. The witch was looming over a petulant Ollivander, who was trying to get out of bed every time the Mediwitch looked away from him, but she would always seem to sense that and turn back, wand in hand. Albus smiled and approached the man, observing his injuries.

"I apologize for dragging you into this, Garrick."

"Ah, nonsense!" he said looking warily at the potions Madame Pomfrey was lining up next to his bed. "So, that was our guy, that Master Mirror fellow? Odd one."

Dumbledore nodded, and looked down at the Elder Wand. "We know what he is capable of now. He won't surprise us in the future. Although, I'm sorry our little outing brought no results. I was hoping we would find a clue with the Archmage."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Ollivander spit out most of the blood-replenishing potion and muttered something in Greek which Albus thought was less than complimentary. "Well, we actually did."

Dumbledore frowned and looked at the man confused. "What do you mean?"

Ollivander grinned and tapped his temple. "You should pay more attention to details, old friend. The tomb itself, the sarcophagus. Did you see the etchings on it?"

"I thought they were just decorations."

Garrick smiled and shook his head. "No. Goblin. They were some kind of map, I'd wager. We will need a Goblin for this, though."

"How extraordinary…" Albus muttered. "How carefully did you look at those markings?"

"Good enough for your fancy Pensieve to tell us everything we need to know."

The two men smiled at one another, for a few moments forgetting they were old and grizzled, and still feeling like the energetic men of their youth, who would feel they just shifted the world from its axis with even the smallest victory. "I'm surprised though, an Archmage leaving Goblin markings on his tomb. I thought the Empire looked down on them."

"They did. It's why no one would had been able to decipher the real meaning of those symbols too, nobody cared about Goblins." Garrick looked grimly at the enchanted bandages on the lump that was now his hand. "I guess we have something in common, Albus."

Dumbledore and Poppy Pomfrey exchanged quick looks, the witch's wand lighting up like a Yule tree, casting all sorts of healing spells on the wound. "I will do my best, Albus, but.."

"Dark Magic always does things thoroughly. I understand if you won't be able to save it. Alexis will kill me though..." Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder. "Quite interesting that ritual powered spell of yours, Albus." Garrick said slowly.

"Another time, old friend. I'll go prepare the Pensieve. Poppy, I trust you will not mention Garrick's presence here to anyone else?"

The witch seemed to bite back a retort, but settled to a short nod, then left to her office. "Dangerous woman, that one" muttered Ollivander, who remained in bed. Albus barely managed to leave the infirmary when he already saw Hagrid on the end of the hallway, making his way to him. The Headmaster quickly advanced towards him, smiling.

"Headmaster sir, I heard you returned to the castle! Been meaning to tell you at once sir, Harry dropped by the castle earlier! Said he had some business to take care of, but he still hasn't left. Sir, he's here with…" The half-giant looked around to see if the hallway was empty, then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, yet still incredibly loud. "He's here with Sirius."

Albus's eyebrows rose up upon hearing that, but he recovered quickly. "Thank you for telling me, Hagrid, I'll make sure to find them."

The man nodded vigorously and left, Dumbledore looking after him, yet his thoughts darting off in a thousand different directions. When he was finally alone, he walked towards a portrait and pointed his wand at it, a feint, blue light appearing on it's tip.

"Do you know where Harry Potter is?" The painting of a Medieval witch remained silent for a few minutes, during which it connected to the entire portrait network in the castle, and then spoke. "He and a black dog walked into the girl's bathroom on the second floor about an hour ago."

The Chamber of Secrets. What are you up to, my boy? The Headmaster nodded at the portrait and lowered his wand, setting course for the abandoned bathroom.

I hope I flushed out all the typos. Sorry if I missed anything. To quote a classic, 'sorry for my bed england'. The meaning of fairy wing as wand core comes from a fic I will link shortly. To quote, fairy wing wands bond with those that are light-hearted, free-spirited, caring, kind, and cheerful, among a few other traits of similar kind. The owners of these wands loathe violence and injustice, but are still capable of using force if need be. The fic I am referring to is this one: s/7136712/5/HP-TUTORIAL-1-WANDS-AND-WAND-CORES-OUT-OF-DATE I was originally meaning for this chapter to be even longer, but it's already quite the mammoth, so I decided to leave it here. I hope you all enjoyed it! See you within the week!