Chapter 273: Bright Vines

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I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

I would like to thank my beta, Awdyr, for his help in this chapter.

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11 November 1994, Beauxbatons, France

Albus Dumbledore sat in the office that Madame Maxime had provided him with, and wished that she would have allowed him to take it with him… It was far more luxurious than he expected the headmistress to give him, especially considering his scandal when he was still Hogwarts' headmaster. The half-giantess did not like the idea of someone hurting students on school grounds, and he felt her respect for him plummet after what had happened, even if he was doing it for the greater good of magical Britain.

Well, not really, he didn't necessarily need to trap the boy in the Gardens of Avalon; he could have used anyone else. However, a younger child had far more potential for growth to maximize the spell, and frankly, he could be petty. The idea that the Potter boy, the brat who had done so much to damage his plans, would end up powering his ritual, did appeal to him. It was a shame that everything had gone to shit afterwards…

Anyway, with his plans in Britain becoming a lost cause, he still had some considerable influence in the ICW. He hadn't planned on using it so much if it wasn't for Gellert showing him the truth about Ragnarök.

They had both tried to circumvent the prophecy, but it was just too fundamental… No wonder it did not break at Camlann… The release of magic alone could wipe out humanity at the very least and that wasn't even to mention the possible chaotic outcomes that could be caused by such a release. The conclusion was very evident… Ragnarök had to happen, but that didn't mean that the world would have to end with it.

And so, he and Gellert hatched a plan to minimise the inevitable damage that their final conflict would cause, which brought Albus to this beautiful office…

He would miss it…

Unfortunately, with the first task being effectively over, he was going to leave with the rest of the delegations to Italy for the second task. He had achieved his main purpose; the first seal was broken, but he had eyes on more than just that. To say that Nicholas Flamel's diary being used as a prize was a surprise would be a massive understatement. Albus could see Perenelle's fingerprints all over it and that terrified him. Frankly, that woman was the greater threat between the two Flamels, even if she tended to be unconcerned with 'mortal affairs'.

It also gave him an opportunity. Perhaps Nicholas had shared where he hid the philosopher's stone in his journal – and it was the genuine article; he had checked. He had tried to take the book, but Nicholas' damn Alchemical Ownership Enchantments had stopped this… It was annoying that even after so long, the man still managed to stomp him.

And it was at a time when he really needed the stone… The fragment of Light, that Nicholas had accidentally used when creating the stone, would give him an edge during the inevitable confrontation with Grindelwald. They might be allied at the moment, hoping to limit the damage of Ragnarök, but they did not forget that they would end up fighting one another. Albus needed to win that confrontation. The Light could not be allowed to be defeated, and the stone would be a great trump card to have. If only Nicholas had just given it to him; as the Champion of Light, he was its rightful owner, after all.

Thankfully, the answer to this little problem was very simple; he only had to buy it from whoever won it. Most people would happily accept his generous offers, except for the Potter boy, of course. After all, the knowledge inside this book could be dangerous for him and the rest of the world, especially in the hands of someone antagonistic towards him like the Potter brat. Albus had tried to rig the game against him by using a small compulsion on the tournament organizers, but they had gone overboard, and somehow made the boy look even better.

Which ended up with him resorting to more desperate measures, by forcing the boy to bring back the diary for the award ceremony and using a dreamscape attack to put him to sleep. They battled there, and the boy was certainly very impressive, going so far as to trick Dumbledore into lowering his guard using illusions of his dead sister. The former headmaster had frozen in both the material and dream worlds, feeling overcome by rage at the thought.

The day had gotten worse with Lily Potter being alive, somehow, and the journal turning to ash before he could read anything. That last one was the final nail in the coffin. The diary was the genuine article; Albus could recognize Nicholas' work anywhere, and now it was gone, and it was such a stupid mistake.

Albus had sensed a curse when he took the diary. He analysed it before trying to open the book, of course. He wasn't stupid enough to touch an object without knowing what enchantments it held. It was a pretty nasty withering curse… He thought that it might have been the work of the boy, a vicious way to stop thieves from stealing it, and dispelled it. Somehow, that triggered a failsafe that destroyed the entire thing in less than a second, and with it, the chance of finding the Philosopher's Stone.

Oh, he was tempted to just rage and destroy everything around him, but he controlled himself. The main plan was still in motion, and he had a role to play. Getting caught up in another scandal would complicate things immensely, something that he didn't need at all.

It really wasn't fair. He had done everything right. He had gotten one over the Potter brat and everything, and yet he got nothing in return?

Releasing a deep sigh, Albus calmed himself. He wouldn't let his temper get control of him… Perhaps the Potter boy knew something about the stone. Yes, that could work… It was rash, but it was the best plan he had…

Of course, the moment this thought crossed his mind, he felt someone sneaking into his room. It was a very familiar presence, "Hello, Lily Potter. I believe we are due a very important chat."

"Albus Dumbledore… I would have called you Headmaster, but I'm not a student anymore, and you're not a headmaster either…"

Albus suppressed the urge to chuckle. The redhead always had a sharp tongue, "Now, now… There's no need to be rude. Especially considering the fact that you survived the attack on Godric's Hollow… Although I am curious about how you achieved this feat."

"Luck, I suppose. Or the power of love…"

The former headmaster could hear the mockery in her tone, "Now, what did I say about being rude…"

"I'm allowed to be rude. You arranged for the attack on Godric's Hollow, tried to force my son into becoming one of your sycophants, then when you failed, you publicly painted him as a future dark lord, and then tried to kill him by forcing him to live a lifetime of torment in the Gardens of Avalon. Frankly, the fact that I haven't tried to kill you yet is me showing as much restraint as I can… So, don't you dare criticize me for being rude?"

Well, when she worded it like this, it did sound very wrong. Oh, Albus had a reason for every single action he had taken, and the Potter brat had caused him more than enough trouble in return… However, Lily Potter was not exaggerating. She was genuinely furious and wasn't that an odd sight?

"Oh, how unexpected… Who would have thought that you could be so sentimental? Has the boy finally melted the infamous Red Witch's heart, when even her husband couldn't? I am glad, truly, that you're finally starting to connect with someone else, to finally care about someone other than yourself."

And of course, that was another vulnerability against the Red Witch, who returned his comment with a sneer, "The boy is necessary for my plans… You will not touch him until he has played his part."

That sounded pretty ominous, to say the least, "And would you care to enlighten me about these plans?"

"No," the redhead simply returned.

"Then why should I follow along with your request, especially considering that he has information that I don't need spread out."

"About the Philosopher's Stone?"

She smirked at Albus' guarded look, "Oh, don't be alarmed, the boy simply trusts me. Who knew that the infamous stone was made accidentally with the essence of a Light Champion killed in a ritual? It was a fascinating read. I put a small charm on the boy which would record everything he saw when he won the diary. It was just too good an opportunity to miss. Unfortunately for you, there was nothing in Flamel's Diary about the location of the stone, at least nothing that the boy has read, so don't be worried about him trying to find it… And since you took the Diary from him, there isn't any risk of him ever finding out. The kid was bluffing, and the fact that you fell for it is hilarious, to say the least."

Albus frowned… He needed to confirm this statement, and the Light seemed to agree as well, eager to become whole once more. He channelled the Light's power, his eyes glowing white, "Do you swear that this was the truth?"

He caught the panicked expression on the redhead's face which quickly smoothed back to her impassive one after a fraction of a second, "I do."

Albus' truth sight confirmed it, and he stopped channelling the Light, "As much as this might be true, the boy does know too much and has been a nuisance many times…"

The redhead gave him a dangerous look, "Let me put it in a way that you would understand. You will stay away from Harry Potter, or I'll dedicate every moment of my life to ruining every single one of your plans. I will burn everything you fight for, even the world itself just to make you pay…"

"What makes you think I have a plan?"

"You're Albus Dumbledore, you always have a plan, and the magic discharge during the task is proof of that. Let me guess, a broken seal… Seven tasks, seven schools, seven seals… How close am I?"

The former headmaster grimaced; Lily was always too smart for her own good, "Then you know what's at stake, the world needs…"

The redhead interrupted him, "The world could burn for all I care. You might be an Archmage of Light, but you know perfectly well how dangerous I could be when I'm dedicated, the damage I could cause to anyone's cause. You know the stories, you know who I am, what I'm capable of… It took members of your precious Order, the department of Mysteries, Voldemort's top lieutenants, and a small army of mercenaries to ambush me and my child, to even stop me, and even then, I was the one who won. Do you think you can make that happen again, especially when I'm prepared for a fight?"

Albus Dumbledore summoned the Light once more and released his presence, "And what would stop me from killing you now and taking care of your son later?"

"Then it would be such a shame to see your tournament go on without any champions left to fight in it… What a shame it would be if giant explosions of Light were activated in France's premiere magical school, killing every school's delegation, headmaster, and a lot of Europe's most influential wizards and witches. You'd survive, probably, but everyone would blame you… This would have made the scandal in Hogwarts look like a small mishap… How would your plan proceed if the tournament is cancelled, and you're hunted down all over Europe with a passion? Now, look me very closely in the eyes, Albus Dumbledore, do I look like I'm bluffing?"

Albus Dumbledore did just that and noticed the madness and sheer will on the woman's face. Yes, she was perfectly capable of this and had the magical knowledge to pull it off. She wasn't bluffing… He released his hold on the Light and sat down. The redhead smirked, "Stay the fuck away from me and my son, Dumbledore!"

She then turned and left the room without saying another word. Yes, if he'd had any reservations, then they were gone. This really was the Red Witch, and she was back. That was another variable, a new piece on the board that he hadn't foreseen.

The plan would need to be adjusted to compensate for it. He had to admit that the thought of her teaming up with the Potter brat was very troublesome…

Yes, very troublesome indeed.

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.