Ducking inside the witch's hump, Animo clambered down the steps into the secret passage that led to Honeydukes. Thankfully the tunnel existed as it had in the future and Animo had no trouble navigating the twists and turns, even stepping over the occasional divot in the rough stone beneath.
After half an hour, Animo stood with her chest heaving, looking up towards the chipped trapdoor with an expression of uncertainty. Closing her eyes, she took a steadying breath, settling her nerves. If she didn't go now, she never would.
Swinging up her hands, Animo hauled herself up the ladder, tapping her head as she creaked open the trapdoor, careful not to let the hinges fall away. The Disillusionment Charm slid into place, as comfortable as a second skin. Waving her hand over the shelves, Animo relaxed when she saw that it was impossible to tell her body from the background. She hadn't realized how much she missed being anonymous.
As she strolled through Hogsmeade, Animo observed just how little the shops had changed despite her time travel. The wizarding world had always seemed rather set back, with fireplaces and medieval architecture and Animo reckoned magic was rather timeless in itself. She shivered as another icy breeze encircled her before she ducked into an alley, tightening her black scarf.
Today, Animo had dressed simply in a long black dress and boots. It eerily reminded her of her Death Eater uniform, but she knew that drawing attention would be detrimental to what she was trying to do.
Closing her eyes, Animo turned on her heel and apparated with a 'pop.' To her relief, the tugging sensation in her stomach returned. She had never been very good at navigating the movements properly and had splinched herself more times than not, despite Albus's corrections.
She righted herself in another alley, this one darker and dingier than those in Hogsmeade. She watched an unordinarily large rat scurry behind a rubbish bin overflowing with bloodied fabric and knew she had come to the right place.
Animo pulled her hood over her head, hiding her light strands and glancing once more in her pocket mirror, ensuring her eyes had remained a muddy brown. She had taken to recasting the enchantment every morning, but there was always a nag in her brain that wondered if any violet were showing through.
Strutting out into the marginally populated street, Animo adopted the hurried pace and conniving posture common to those who frequented Knockturn Alley. She held her breath as she passed a restaurant called "The Hag's Hind," which smelled like its namesake. Whatever they were cooking, Animo made a mental note never to ingest.
She paused outside of a Gothic style shop, the wooden border of the window peeling with age. A single turret rose up from the right side of the roof, lending the structure a bizarre sense of balance. Animo drew her cloak closer to her chest. The cracked glass was impossible to see through. She hated The Starry Prophesier.
Avoiding the gold handle of the door, Animo ducked into the alleyway beside a crooked full-length mirror. Any entrant who wasn't aware of the secret entrance would try the door handle and instantly be sucked inside the shop's basement. For how long, Animo had never wanted to ask. Only a true Seer could look ahead and predict where the real door was. She ran a gloved finger along the surface of the mirror, causing the glass to ripple. Thankfully, Gellert had taken her a handful of times as a child.
Animo closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, not wanting to watch as she stepped through the mirror and into the shop. It felt as though the blade of a knife was being held against her throat, cold and bitter and warning her not to make any sudden moves.
Blinking, Animo straightened her posture while a swirl of fog glided into the entryway. Before her loomed a dark hallway that was lit by the occasional glass orb hanging midway in the air. As soon as Animo passed underneath, the flame inside shuttered out.
After several steps, Animo paused at the door to her right. The iron paneling was dark and malevolent with solid elder trimming the border. She touched the series of script impressed into the metal. The outlines of the ancient lettering bubbled where heat had once seared.
Fauhrt Incint Ulsom
Where many fear most.
Animo placed her palm on the door and it swung open, revealing a swath of darkness. For a moment, nothing moved and even the air seemed to hold its breath. Then, Animo's vision went dark as her body tipped forward into the entryway, falling down into an infinite space below.
Wincing, Animo tried to focus her thoughts. Wind rushed past her face, bringing the smell of mildew and moss. I must find my brother. Her arms flailed in the air as she tried for a sense of balance. I must find Gellert. I—
"Quit your jabbering!"
Animo let out a cry as her body was jerked to a halt, her neck snapping back at a painful angle. Breathing heavily, she cracked open her eyes and nearly gave another shriek.
Standing a few meters in front of her was an exceptionally hairy creature with silver hair that hung in curtains from the backs of its arms. Bright yellow eyes peered between its bangs ad it adjusted its stance, spreading out bare feet that were gnarled with age.
"Are you—"
"A demiguise?" the beast snapped, not appearing at all impressed when it turned away. "Mostly. Though, I've got an eighth of Sphinx in me, if yous can't tell."
Animo stumbled to her feet, the parched tufts of grass beneath digging into her palms. "Sorry," she brushed a few pebbles from her robes. "Didn't mean to be rude."
"Don't matter whether you mean to, yous were," the demiguise grumbled in irritation, waving for her to follow him through the heather. "Yous not supposed ter be here anyways."
Grimacing, Animo glanced around at the empty prairie that stretched in all directions, waves of heather blowing in the wind among the desolate space. The air was silent and eerie. It seemed to be mourning people and places long forgotten. "Is this really—"
"The present?" the demiguise quirked an eyebrow. Or at least Animo thought so. She couldn't tell beneath all the hair. "Yes." He trodded over a bit of stick with a muffled curse. "More fruitless and abandoned every year." He pinned her down with an accusing glare. "Youse see, people want to relive the past or build their future, but the present?" the shaggy creature shook his head, causing several stray hairs to tumble to the ground. "No wizard wants to admit who theys truly are. Only what they have been or the hope of whats they could be."
Nearly tripping over a sharp chunk of boulder, Animo stopped, uncertain she could carry a conversation AND navigate herself through.. wherever they were.
"I need to find—"
The Demiguise interrupted again, baring a set of pointed teeth. "The fortress of Gellert Grindelwald, yes, I know. Now stop rushing me."
Stammering, Animo ran her fingers through her tangled locks, mussed by all her travel. Satisfied that she was obeying his command, the Demiguise turned his face towards the pale sun above them as it emitted a watery light. He raised his arms and the full length of his curtain of hair tumbled to the ground in silver sheets.
"Truien de Ouse fo maegi."
The sand beneath Animo tilted and she scrabbled for balance, shielding her eyes with the crook of her elbow as the dust began to spin upwards from the ground, graining speed with the Demiguise's continued mutterings.
"WEINT FRATE!"
A gust of wind shot around Animo's feet, sending her tumbling with a yelp. Still, the storm did not let up and she could feel grains of sand piercing her exposed skin. She tucked her limbs in closer in an attempt to protect herself.
There was a mighty roar that filled her ears as the prairie lurched once more. And then everything was still.
The smell of smoke and fresh grass mingled in Animo's nose as she lay on the ground, still hesitant to attempt to stand.
"Well, do get up," the Demiguise grunted above her, giving her leg a healthy kick. "We don't have all day."
Groaning, Animo rolled herself over on her elbows and spat out a few mouthfuls of sand. "Where are we?"
The Demiguise shuffled forward into what had now become a thicket of forest, the smell of pine sharp in the air. "Where you wanted to be."
She staggered upwards uncertainly, following the glimpse of silver hair between the branches in front of her. Several sticks snapped beneath her feet as she narrowly avoided being hit in the face with a clump of oak. The demiguise passed through the undergrowth easily and she struggled not to fall behind.
Then, the creature stuck out an arm. Although he spoke no words, Animo instantly understood she should be silent. She ducked behind the nearest trunk, trying not to wince as sap stuck to the back of her robes.
"Did ya see da mudblood?" a heavily accented voice guffawed as a pair of figures crept down the path, hidden beneath violet hoods. Animo shivered at the deep color. Gellert had wasted no time displaying his mark everywhere. "Begged me on her knees."
"In her proper place." A cold laugh echoed in response, the second figure jerking out an arm. The trunk of the pine on his left split in half, falling to the ground with a groan and uprooting several layers of vegetation beneath it. The men passed through the destroyed clearing without a second glance.
Rolinski. The hulking posture and swaggering gait was instantly recognizable, despite the many years that had passed since Animo had seen the man. A few wisps of grey hair poked beneath his hood, hinting at his old age. Vladmir Rolinski had been one of Gellert's first followers and while he was several years older, he had always been the most merciless of the crowd.
"Yes, despicable blighter 'e is," the Demiguise grunted, trading carefully about the splinted wood that had decimated the grass.
Now beginning to feel increasingly uncertain, Animo sped up her footsteps. She couldn't give herself anytime to back down. "Are we in Germany?" The forest was fairly ordinary, outside of the dark air that hovered beneath the treetops. The peeling bark sagged, seeming to speak of abuse and torture. She doubted that Gellert would be so foolish to build his base with a barbaric Muggle dictator so near, but then her brother had always been defiant.
"Austria." The outline of the demiguise blurred before the creature disappeared entirely. Animo watched in fascination as the branches of the holly bush before them parted on their own. "I would suggest you hide yourself as well. Unless you want to confront your brother early."
Frowning slightly, Animo cast her Disillusionment Charm once more. Had the Demiguise some glimpse of the future?
She decided that the brusque creature probably wouldn't tell her either way and continued onwards, finding a well-paved path on the other side of a clump of thistle.
"DON'T!"
Animo hovered at the edge of the rock while a firm hand on her arm pulled her backwards.
"Those paths are designed to trap any fool who lays a finger on them." The Demiguise's tone was biting. "You'll eventually die of starvation or be torn apart by wolves if Grindewald's forces don't find you first."
"Right." Animo swallowed thickly, silently scolding herself. She knew Gellert's twisted ways. Now was not the time to act like a troll.
The next few moments passed by agonizingly slow. Blisters had begun to rub on Animo's heels when the Demiguise popped back into view, motioning for her to look over the ledge.
Craning her neck to peer over the rocky overhang, Animo sucked in a sharp breath.
A massive stone fortress loomed hundreds of meters ahead of them, its cobblestone foundation crudely set and making it sag to the right. Still, the pointed iron spikes that encircled the highest tower spoke of cruelty and very few windows were lit. Most contained a darkness that wasn't entirely empty, as though some sort of conniving force dwelled beneath the walls. Below it all was a massive stone door, which Rolinski and his partner disappeared behind before it slammed shut with a thundering crack. The sound seemed to make the very mountainside shiver.
Animo turned to see the Demiguise observing her reaction with an unblinking expression. "How—" she stopped herself. "Will I be able to stop him?"
There was a long pause and the nerves bunched in her stomach as a crisp wind blew through the trees, warning them to leave.
"The future ever changes, girl," the Demiguise tipped his chin, causing several silver hairs to fall into his eyes. "But you cannot act alone." He turned back to Nurmengard, the shadow of the daunting structure reflecting his gaze. "Gellert has long abandoned the love that once fueled his passion. But I do not believe he has forgotten it."
Animo angled her posture towards the fortress once more, scanning the turrets that ran along its peak. A lone crow circled in the stormy sky above, looking for a place to land. Eventually, the bird gave a mournful cry and disappeared, flying behind the mountains.
"My advice would be to remind him of it."
---
Animo pulled her cloak tighter as she sprung from within the humped witch's back, tapping the statue's head to cover the passage way once more. Returning to Hogwarts had taken much longer than she had thought and night had settled into the castle. After seeing Nurmengard, Animo couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her. Even the suits of armor that she was so familiar with were ominous, holding some sort of spirit behind the gap in their helmets.
Taking the stairs down to the dungeon at a near sprint, Animo had just began to relax when a cold voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Going somewhere, Wallis?"
The silky voice was instantly recognizable and Animo turned around slowly, already attempting to concoct some sort of believable response.
"Hello, Tom."
The dim light of the torches illuminated his chiseled cheekbones, making the hollows beneath his eyes even darker. The silver Head Boy badge gleamed on the Slytherin's chest, seeming rather out of place on his subdued form.
Tom strode forward, twirling his wand between his nimble fingers. "And what are we doing out during this hour?"
"I wanted a bite to eat." Animo tilted her head to the side, inwardly cringing at the lame excuse. "Haven't had much of an appetite." She gestured down to the boy's badge. "Out on parto—"
"Spare me your incessant rambling," Tom snapped, his eyes flashing a red hue. Animo tried not to wince. The scarlet shade was nearly exactly the same as Voldemort's. "What are you doing out of bed?"
Adjusting her stance, Animo tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Fancied a walk."
The muscle was twitching in Tom's jaw once again. Animo had begun to realize it did whenever the Slytherin was growing particularly angry. Grabbing her upper arm, Tom thrust her against the stone wall, his nails digging into her skin painfully.
"Believe it or not," the boy hissed with his teeth gritted, "I can see through your little game." He released her with a shove, making the back of Animo's spine hit the wall. "And I will find out sooner or later."
There was a slight pause as their breath mingled in the crisp air, shadows darkening on Tom's face. Secretly unnerved, Animo forced another grin. Albus had had a way of deflecting suspicion by making others uncomfortable. "If you wanted me against a wall, you could have just said, Riddle."
An angry flush spread across the back of Tom's neck as his nostrils flared. "You'll pay for that."
Without another word, the Head Boy whipped around, the hem of his black robes disappearing down the corridor. A few moments later, the click of his footsteps faded. Animo watched him go with a furrowed brow, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. She needed to keep Tom off her trail. If he and Gellert ever met..
Animo shook her head. That was a battle of wills she didn't want to witness.