Chapter Text
This is where the plot started to unravel. Thank you for your patience.
Enjoy. Unbetaed.
Between the time Harry realized he was stuck inside the 1920s and before he got baby Tom, Harry found himself distracting himself with the war and news. Dumbledore and Grindelwald were the figure he focused on, but it was rather hard for Harry to find anything on them outside the publicly provided information. They just freshly graduated from Drumstrang and Hogwarts respectively, thus their contributions to the news of the current era has not started yet. The last thing he knew was that both of them were involved in some kind of politic parties between Britain and Germany.
Between the time Harry realized he was stuck inside the 1920s and before he got baby Tom, Harry found himself distracting himself with the war and news. Dumbledore and Grindelwald were the figure he focused on, but it was rather hard for Harry to find anything on them outside the publicly provided information. They just freshly graduated from Drumstrang and Hogwarts respectively, thus their contributions to the news of the current era has not started yet. The last thing he knew was that both of them were involved in somekind of politic parties between Britain and Germany.
Harry wondered whether the fateful fight that killed Ariana has happened or not.
After he became a single father, Harry had no time to spend on researching on those figures; so he was shocked when he found out that the two men went separate ways; one becoming a Hogwarts professor and the other seemed like gone. Harry noticed that meant that Grindelwald was already the Dark Lord, while Dumbledore most likely have not yet started his small fighter group, The Order of The Phoenix.
But that would be something that happened at least eight years from now, so Harry forced himself to prepare for the future, for Tom's sake.
He found out the news just the next morning he hired Merrit; so while he slowly gave Merrit the duty to take care of his precious Tom, Harry went to enjoy his newfound freedom with casual research over the politics situation. He slowly found out that Grindelwald supported Adolf Hitler, and acted like one of the behind the veil player who controlled the prominent muggle figure. Harry knew from history lesson (not courtesy to Professor Binns, of course, it was Hermione who forced him to read the whole articles on what happened in the muggle world for the last century) that Adolf Hitler is somekind of the muggle version of Dark Lord. It made Harry wondered whether Grindelwald was more ambitious than dear Voldy, because while Voldy only focused in Britain, Grindelwald was systematically destroying Europe.
Smiling at the facts, he patted the baby in his arms. "Maybe you are still better, dear Tom."
Before Harry finally brought Tom out from the flat and ate in the café (and was busied by the Sherlock Holmes invasion), Harry usually went to the Diagon Alley daily to buy newspaper. He couldn't have it delivered to his place since his landlord was already hot on his pants, watching him like a hawk because Tom's loud crying. Harry couldn't risk giving the man another reason to kick him out. At least not until Harry knew it was safe to move into the wizarding communities with Tom in tow.
During one of the morning outings to buy newspaper, Harry found himself looking longingly into the Quidditch store. Since it was slow season, nobody has the excess money to buy a racing broom, so the store was dark and deserted. Harry looked into the display window to find a Comet—the brand of broom that used to be popular before Nimbus or Firebolt came out. Chuckling to himself, but still wishing to buy one, Harry gave himself fifteen minutes of pure enjoyment hawking at the broom.
It was then someone bumped into him quite hard. Harry was startled, but immediately became alert. Many pickpockets happened in those eras. He quickly made sure that he still had his money pouch before looking around.
A man was standing near him, and was smiling. The man looked like the walking advertisement for modern male hairstyle—it was the most noticeable part—golden, wavy and puffy as if it was weightless. The man's blue eyes were striking as well, blue like the sky. All in all, he looked like an angel in muggle advertisement. Harry was stunned for a second.
"My apology." The man talked in a bit of accent, "I am in a hurry."
"It's fine." Harry smiled.
"…By any chance, can you tell me where the nearest bookstore is?" the man asked. Harry nodded, describing the way to that era's version of Flourish and Blotts. The man thanked him and went away. Harry immediately forgot the man; returning to ogle the broom by the window. He then returned to his flat where Tom was waiting.
Harry read the words slowly to the almost sleeping Tom.
"There were three brothers travelling together. Upon their journey, they reach a treacherous river. They make a magical bridge over the river. Halfway across the bridge, they meet the personification of Death who is angry for losing three potential victims. He pretends to be impressed by them and grants each a wish as a reward. The eldest brother asks for an unbeatable dueling wand, so Death creates the Elder Wand. The middle brother asks for the ability to resurrect the dead. So Death gives him the Resurrection Stone. The youngest brother doesn't trust Death and asks for a way to stop Death from following him, so Death reluctantly gives him his Cloak of Invisibility. Afterwards, the brothers go their separate ways…."
Harry chuckled when he found that baby Tom was already asleep in his crib. But Harry continued reading the story.
"..The eldest brother, bragging about his powerful wand, is robbed of it by a man and murdered while he is asleep. The middle brother uses his ability to bring back the woman he loved, who died before he could marry her. However, she is not fully alive and is full of sorrow. He kills himself to join her. As for the youngest brother, Death never manages to find him, as he stays hidden under his Cloak. Many years later, the brother removes his cloak and gives it to his son. Pleased with his achievements, he greets Death as an old friend and chooses to leave with him as equals."*
Harry closed the book. He knew the story by heart. After all, it was the story about three deathly hallows. And talking about the Hallows, Harry realized that he had his invisibility cloak with him. He wondered how that could happen, because supposedly the said invisibility cloak should be a Potter family heirloom. That meant the current Potter family head and Harry have it. How can a thing be at two different places at the same time? Would it disturb the integrity of the said Hallows, and would it affect the other two Hallows?
In his own era, Harry had dumped the ring inside the Forbidden Forrest and the wand was safely hidden inside Dumbledore's tomb. But Dumbledore was alive, and Harry was sure the Elder Wand was not his as yet. The ring should be still with the despicable Gaunt family. And Harry wasn't sure whether he would be a Potter to inherit the invisibility cloak. So that meant some variables Harry didn't know, and he didn't like the sound of that. To be honest, currently he should be searching how to return himself to the correct era (while dodging Mr. Sherlock Holmes) but he found himself content watching the little baby in the crib sleep.
Maybe he could be an auror, still. Harry wondered, wouldn't it be great if Voldemort was never created, and Thomas Potter took a mentally healthier career (like chef or sumo fighter)? Maybe that was what he should do then. He could make life better for little Tom.
To make life better, that meant he needed to stop war before it started.
He needed to stop war before it started. The fucking world war.
Wow, suddenly the simple task wasn't looking so easy anymore.
Oh, Harry knew the consequences of playing with time and history and all those stuff Hermione drilled into his head in third year when they used the time turner. But well, the future hadn't happen as yet, and since Harry was already meddling with time, so what is another change? He shrugged off and closed the book, then groaned as his bones crackled when he stretched. He needed to collect more information.
So tomorrow's first stop; library it is.
Library was not his favourite place to be in. Hermione has been dragging him and Ron too much to the library during their Hogwarts year too much. It made Harry associate the library with a place of silent torture and overload of information. After all why should he stayed in library extracting information from extensive research when he could just tapped Hermione on her shoulder and asked? Hermione was some kind of walking magical Google for all Harry knew.
Now he really regretted his lazy and ignorant attitude to information research skill. Without Hermione around him, Harry felt like he was lost. He didn't even know where to start, to be honest. How to make sure he didn't ask the librarian too much details, or information on books about something that had not yet happened yet?
So Harry found himself standing stiff in front of the library's front; wishing he knew what to do. He looked around, watching as people reading around him, the scent of old books and dusty parchment filled his nose. He might as well spend the whole day standing if not for the sudden tap on his shoulder. Harry turned to see the man he saw yesterday, the one who asked for the way to Flourish and Botts.
"Hey, I recognize you. Do you need help?"
Harry smiled. "Hi. I want to find some information, but I am not sure where to start."
"Why don't you just go straight to the index list on the librarian's desk?"
"What is that?" Harry genuinely felt out of space. The man smiled. He looked like an angel more than an angel could.
"You are new to library, I see." The man chuckled, and Harry recognized the heavy European accent. Evidently the man was not British. "Come and I'll try to help you."
The next moment they were sitting together, the man introduced himself as Gerald (Harry wasn't sure about the spelling though) and he was a scholar from Germany. He was trying to find somekind of literature and treasure (Harry wasn't sure what too) from the Britain's children books. Harry found it interesting, but the man inclined to speak further. Instead he ushered some old tomes on Harry, showing that maybe Harry should start from history section, then continue to the chronological news for the last few years.
Harry thanked the man, and they exchanged some personal information and went on their merry way.
Oh, how Harry wished it has been that simple. When he thought back, Harry had always regretted the fact that he had judged a book by its cover.
Back to the current time where Harry was busy changing Tom's diaper while the baby clapped his hands, with Sherlock watching them in deep interest (but showed no interest to lend a hand in the process), the door bell rang. Harry, hands full of his little Tom's poo, sighed.
"Can you make yourself useful and open the door, please?"
"Of course, Harry." Sherlock smirked and went to the door. Harry tried to wipe his hand onto the towel, but it was rather tricky. Once he managed to clean his hand and Tom's butt, he put some powder onto the baby's skin and patted the bum.
"I swear little Tom, I will embarrassed you when you bring your lover in the future." Harry smooched his baby on the baby's forehead. "I should limit your milk intake. You smell so bad."
"Harry! A man named Gerald ad his friend are here to see you!" Sherlock shouted from the door. Harry sighed and patted Tom, putting him back into his basket and went out.
"Hi!" He greeted his guest, to find that the angel Gerald have another man beside him. Both of them were standing and smiling like normal human being, but somehow Harry got the feeling that while Gerald was an angel, then the other man was a Satan in disguise.
"Hi Harry." Gerald smiled. "I am sorry to suddenly visit you. This is my dear fellow, James, James Moriarty. He is my politic study partner in university, mind if he come along?"
"Oh, I don't mind." Harry smiled. Sherlock, meanwhile, protested weakly in the background, "…why those people can easily enter while I need to beg before?"
"Hush, you." Harry smiled and swatted Sherlock on the head. The man pouted and left the room to the drawing room, and Harry invited both men to his guest room.
"How may I help you?" Harry asked lightly. "And please wait a moment for tea and refreshment. I live alone with my son, so I need to make my own tea. Be right back in a minute."
"Don't mind us, Mr. Potter." The man named James smiled. Harry didn't trust the smile. His auror instinct was swearing at the man. "Please sit down. We won't take long time."
Harry nodded and sat on the sofa, waiting for the men to started. Gerald smiled like an angel and asked, "What do you feel about pureblood and muggle politics, Mr. Potter?"
Harry's eyes budged when he heard the question. He turned to see that Sherlock was nowhere to be found around them, but he couldn't discount the possibility of the nosey man to eavesdrop on his conversation. He turned to Gerald.
"I think this inappropriate stuff to talk about. I think the statute…"
"I know, Harry." Gerald smiled. "That's why I have cast confidentiality ward around this room. Quite strong, actually. Your ward is very hard and quite new, something I never seen before. Did you spell it yourself?"
Harry unconsciously nodded, while pondering the implications. His ward was definitely new, since it was one of Hermione's and his collaborated invention. No normal wizard should be able to cast another ward inside this new ward, and that was why it became one of the most important finding in Hermione's career as an unspeakable and head of muggle research.
"…Fine. I warn you beforehand, though, Gerald and Mr. Moriarty. If you harm my son, you will not come out of this flat alive." Harry calmly smiled and composed himself into battle mode. His wand was ready beneath his sleeve, ready to strike on a moment's notice.
"Please calm down, Harry." Gerald waved his hand. "We mean no harm. We just want to know where you stand in pureblood and muggle politics. Do you think of wanting to improve our current predicament? I mean, our current wizarding predicament?"
"I don't know what you mean." Harry smiled back, but hardening his mind against any legilimency attack. He started to have stomachache. "By the way, may I ask what your full name is, Gerald?"
"Oh, it's actually Gellert, but the way you call me is so adorable, and that's why I let you call me that." Gerald—no, Gellert smirked. "My full name is Gellert Grindelwald."
Harry's smile hardened. "Well, gentlemen, since I have no idea what you are talking about, then we have nothing to talk about. May I show you the way out?"
"Don't be harsh, Mr. Potter." James suddenly spoke, and his words were like steel. "We can offer you great reward. You may want it, since you just have a son and no income at all."
Harry shook his head. "Why me?"
"You are quite strong, I assume." Gellert smiled. "From your aura and your reading materials… I think you are fairly familiar with the Deathly Hallows?"
Harry smiled back. "Oh, is that the fairytale I read to my son at night? What about it?"
"You have one of them, Mr. Potter." Gellert stopped smiling. "And I need you to, let say,… share it with me."
"What it has to do with politic?" Harry asked. But James suddenly smiled.
"So you didn't deny that you have one of them, Mr. Potter. Interesting."
"I don't know why you think so. I don't have any idea about what you are talking about." Harry shook his head and wished he had made the tea. He opted to stand instead. "Would you leave now? You are making me uncomfortable."
"I will cut to the case." Gellert suddenly stood, and the height advantage Harry had just a second before disappear. The man was a head taller than Harry. "You are somehow related to the Last Peverell. I know you have one out of the three Hallows and since I like you, I will not take it by force. I offer you to share them with us, and help us built an empire for a better world. Magical and muggle world. Look around you, Harry, people are lost. They need some guide. They need to be oppressed. They need one leader to show them what to do. This is the nature of muggle and weak wizards. It is our duty to guide them, Harry Potter. You are currently one of the strongest wizard in this world, along with me and Albus. James here is one of the finest mundane specimen with brilliant mind. If you join us, we can make a better world."
Harry shook his head. "This is getting out of hand, Gellert. I don't think I can…"
James cut Harry's words short. "…Come and join us, Potter, and we will swear for you and your son's safety."
Harry turned to the man, watching him sharply. The man was as good as threatening Tom's safety for Harry's agreement.
The room became tense. Harry was thinking how to take down the two men (one which was the former Dark Lord and the other is a very dangerous satanic muggle) when suddenly the guest room door was forced open.
"Harry!" Sherlock entered the room, heaving like he just ran three kilometres in ten minutes. "Why is the door so heavy?"
"Gentlemen." Harry coldly spoke out, "I think its time for you to leave. I will… I will give you my answer in a week. Thank you for the offer."
The two men looked at each other and then nodded at Harry. Hastily they left the flat and onto the road. Harry closed the door behind him and non-verbally used the strongest locking charm he knew. Then he proceeded to get Tom from his crib. His baby was laughing and half naked aside from the cloth diapers, watching him with a smile.
The baby gurgled as Harry swept him into his arms. Then he used his wand to detect any harm or alternation on his ward. It seemed that Gellert left nothing attached to his ward, and Harry sighed in relief. Maybe he should move someplace else. It was getting unsafe for him and his baby.
"…I would say you are somekind of psychic. Are you?"
The question startled Harry, and he turned to see Sherlock Holmes smiling as he sat on the chair comfortably. Harry cursed under his breath and while decided what to do. Should he obliviate the man?
"I can see that the conversation has upset you. You are afraid of Tom's safety… did they threatened your son? They wanted something from you… your power, perhaps? The power to alter mass without trace, the power to move things without touching them, the power to create somekind of invisible barrier around a certain area which momentarily block any audio or smell or any other stimulus to come out from that barrier over a certain time length. I would say you are a very unique type of human being, Harry. Care to explain?"
"I am sorry, Sherlock. It seems I can't explain this to you, and I need to wipe out your memory." Harry smiled sadly. "It was fun to know you."
Sherlock smiled. "Oh, you can affect memory as well? Amazing! But I remind you, don't bother with that. I kept many journals for hidden insurance and I know my head inside out. I will know if you have altered my mind—and that is one of the thing I want to know, and now I know! You are really not from this era, aren't you? Are you even human?"
"Yes, I am a human. I am not biologically different from you." Harry shook his head. "Look, please keep this information to yourself. I don't want to harm you or my son's safety. This interrogation is the last thing I need right now. I still need to obliviate you, Sherlock. I am truly sorry."
And Harry waved his wand toward Sherlock's face.
TBC.
*The tales of Three Brothers-JK Rowling.