"Ní mhaireann solas na maidine don lá." // "No morning sun lasts all day."

A few days after their visit to Newt, Tara had been cleaning up the training room after one of her evening workout sessions. This one had been with a relatively newer batch of Aurors, and therefore had gotten a bit strenuous at times in regards to the teaching process. Nearly mirroring the tension that had filled her first couple weeks at the Ministry all those years ago. Every new group of Auror’s that got, essentially drafted into the Ministry those days were more and more…well, erratic. It was less of the arrogant personalities of the ones she had known when she first started, and more so people who were ready, and willing, to commit unspeakable acts of violence at the drop of a hat.

It was admittedly worrisome, but they did take instruction well. So there was at least a bit of a silver lining.

As she threw the small hand towel she had been using over her shoulder, Tara suddenly heard a rapid, scuttling sound echoing off of the walls of the otherwise empty room. With a paranoid turn of her head, the witch glanced towards the open window just a few paces away from where she was standing.

Her eyes quickly widened at the sight of a large, six-legged creature tumbling down from where it had momentarily been teetering in the windowsill. After it had landed on the floor in a heap, it took a moment to get its bearings, before turning and trotting its way across the room, directly up to where she was standing dumbfounded. It appeared to be some sort of cross between a crab and a tortoise. The large, rocky shell that took up most of its body was dotted with multiple different-sized gleaming gemstones.

The creature stopped right next to her feet. And it was only then that she noticed that it had been holding an envelope in its mouth.

Finally putting the pieces together, Tara carefully crouched down to the creature's height, cocking her head to the side.

“You’re one of Newt’s, aren’t you?”

The creature didn’t answer her, but instead dropped the letter onto the ground. It didn’t have her name written across the front, but that was common practice at this point. Taking it into her hands, she had nodded her thanks, without even stopping to consider whether or not it would understand her mannerisms. 

The moment that she began to rip the letter open, the creature turned heel and made its way back towards the window, expertly crawling up the wall and disappearing out into the dark of the night.

Tara’s eyes speedily danced over the words on the page. It was simple script. No hidden code. Just a message that told her plainly that Dumbledore had called them to some sort of meeting.

That was practically unheard of in those days, so she knew that it couldn’t be the result of anything good.

The letter had also stated that Theseus had been summoned as well. 

Letting out a breath of disbelief, Tara quickly used her wand to incinerate the piece of parchment before grabbing her coat and slipping out of the training room altogether.

It had taken a bit of convincing to get Theseus to agree to the meeting, especially given that she had very little information to give him in regards to its purpose.

But in the end, for better or for worse, his trust was still with her.

So the two of them apperated together onto the snowy grounds just outside the school of their youth.

Glancing up the pathway in front of them, they could see the first few buildings of the sleepy village of Hogsmeade. And after making momentary eye-contact, the two began the trek up the hill.

After walking in silence for what felt like forever, Tara had suddenly shaken her head.

“I don’t think I can even remember the last time we were here.” she noted quietly.

Theseus hummed in response.

“I can.”

Tara turned her head towards him in surprise.

“Huh?”

The wizard smiled, his gaze floating rather far away.

“You had bought some sort of candy from Honeydukes.” he began to recall fondly. “But I don’t think you ever got to eat any of it. Threw damn near the entire bag at Richard Bradely after he had stepped on the back of your robes. Had real good aim too. I think he had a red eye for like a week or something after that.”

Tara blinked, the memory returning to her easily under his guidance.

“You-” she breathed. “You remember that?”

“Of course I do.”

Tara just stared back at him, bewildered. 

In her silence, Theseus glanced over, smiling victoriously upon seeing her expression. He then stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, turning and beginning to walk backwards so that he could face her as they continued up the path.

“You know, a while ago, Leta had said something to me. It had to be during your first week at the Ministry-” he began to recall.

Immediately, a small smile flickered onto her face at the mention. Hearing Leta’s name those days didn’t hurt as much. Instead, her guilt and pain had slowly been replaced by a bittersweet, but ever so comforting, sense of nostalgia.

“-I didn’t believe her then. But she was absolutely right.” Theseus concluded.

Tara was still walking in time with him, occasionally glancing over his shoulder in order to make sure that he wasn’t about to run into anyone or anything.

“Right about what?” she asked absentmindedly.

Theseus continued to smile.

“That I’ve had a crush on you since I was a Hufflepuff.”

Tara scoffed loudly, coupling it with a defensive roll of her eyes.

“Yeah. Right.” she said, pointedly shoving his shoulder back as she surged past him, heading for the building that Newt had told them to meet at with a new sense of urgency.

“You don’t believe me?” Theseus called out to her, jogging in order to catch back up.

Tara just shrugged her shoulders as the wizard finally began to match her pace again. A brief silence fell over them as they continued their walk. The sounds of their boots trudging through the thick layer of snow that covered the ground was momentarily all that reached their ears as they finally hit the main streets of Hogsmeade.  

“I guess I don’t really…think about Hogwarts much these days.” she finally admitted, only briefly glancing up at the large castle that loomed on the hillside high above their position.

“Ah.” Theseus mused quietly.

As they continued their walk, his shoulder had brushed up against hers a few purposeful times, but he did not take her hand. This was common practice for them, as they were significantly more careful in wizard-populated spaces. However, she could still sense his intention, and the comfort that he was offering was more than accepted.

“That’s gonna be a bit of a problem.” he then added, lifting his arm up to wave at someone further down the street. “Considering who we’re here to talk to.”

Glancing forward, Tara saw Newt push himself off of the stone wall that he had been leaning against, waving back at his brother awkwardly. 

The two wizards landed in front of him only a few moments later, and the Magizoologist had been quick to urge them further into the village.

As they passed by many of the buildings, they could see a few other wizards milling about, but the place was more or less deserted. And Tara also couldn’t help but take note of the hundreds, upon hundreds of wanted posters plastered across nearly every stone wall in the village. Each of them depicting the moving mugshot of one Gellert Grindelwald.

A shiver traveled down her spine, as she swore she could feel the eyes following them as they went.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what this is about, would you?” Theseus asked as Newt continued to lead them through the snow.

“He just asked that we meet.” Newt replied quickly. “And that I be sure to bring you.”

“Right.” Theseus replied, sounding wholly unconvinced. 

Tara glanced over at the man, and upon meeting his gaze, sent him as apologetic of a wince as she could muster.

Newt finally led them up to the door of a small, shoddy tavern at one of the far edges of the village. There, a half-broken sign swung over their heads, the words “Hog’s Head” engraved, barely visible, in the half-rotting wood. 

Pushing the door inside, they found the building completely empty, spare the lone proprietor behind the bar. Who was running a rag repeatedly over a dirty mirror splayed out against the far wall. The bearded man, upon seeing the three of their reflections in said mirror, scowled in acknowledgement but did not turn around to greet them.

“Here to meet my brother, I expect?” he grumbled.

Newt shuffled forward awkwardly.

“We’re here to see Albus Dumbledore.”

The man paused for a long moment before finally turning around to look at them. His scowl only appeared to deepen as he did so.

“That would be my brother.”

“Oh. Sorry, um…brilliant.” Newt stuttered, extending his hand in greeting. “I’m Newt Scamander, and this is-”

The man promptly turned his back on them again.

“Up the stairs. First on the left.”

Newt stood frozen with his hand held outwards for just a moment longer before eventually managing to nod his head and usher his companions along after him. 

After walking up the creaky stairs, and through the first door as instructed, the three wizards found their old professor standing in a column of grey sunlight that was streaming in through a far window. 

Upon hearing the door open, Dumbledore had turned around to greet them with a kind smile.

“Hello professor.” Tara said, swallowing with a bit of difficulty as the man’s eyes found hers.

“Tara.” Dumbledore replied. “Lovely to see you. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

A scoff left the witch’s throat without her permission.

“It has.”

Dumbledore’s eyes then slid the man at her side.

“Theseus. Thank you for coming.” he said. “Has Newt told you why you’re here?”

“Was he meant to?”

The professor stared forward at the Auror for a moment, clearly sensing his mild annoyance with the whole situation.

“No, as a matter of fact.”

Theseus looked over at his brother, but Newt had long since turned his attention to the floor.

“There’s something we- that Dumbledore wishes to speak to you about. A proposal.” the Magizoologist admitted quietly.

Tara’s head snapped towards Newt in surprise. Nothing in the message he had sent her indicated that he knew anything of the professor’s plan.

“All right.” Theseus said after a loud sigh.

In turn, the professor crossed the room so that he was standing directly in front of the odd group of three. On his way, he had plucked a small metal object out of the front-most pocket of his gray vest. The firelight in the far corner of the room glinted off of the silver in a way that forced a sharp chill down Tara’s spine. 

Once he was in front of them, Tara could make out more of the object itself. It was intricately formed into an almost cross-like shape. And at its center, there was a small, glass bubble that contained what appeared to be two red, liquid dots. Both of which were continuously bouncing around inside.

Dumbledore held it up towards them, letting it dangle off of the long, silver chain that it was attached to.

“You know what this is, of course.”

“Newt had it in Paris.” Theseus quickly answered. “I can’t say I have much experience with such things, but it looks to be a Blood Troth.”

“That would be correct.” Dumbledore replied.

“And whose blood is contained within?”

“Mine,” answered the professor. “And Grindelwald’s.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees in a fraction of a second. Even the fire in the background sputtered briefly, as if a rush of wind had passed through the entire space. 

In contrast, Tara’s skin instantly alighted with a heat so powerful that she had winced due to the flash of pain that had been brought with it.

“I’m assuming that’s why you can’t move against him?” Theseus noted.

“Yes. Nor he against me.”

Tara was stuck staring at Troth, her eyes burning into the two droplets of blood. Watching as they moved around each other inside their translucent container.

“Why?” she suddenly whispered, looking up at her old professor incredulously. “What possibly could’ve possessed you to make such a thing?”

Dumbledore stared back at her with a sad, knowing expression.

“Love,” he replied. “Arrogance. Naivete. Pick your poison. We were young. We were going to transform the world. This ensured that we would. Even if one of us had a change of heart.”

Tara’s mouth fell open.

“You-” her throat immediately went dry. “You loved him?”

In the deadly silence that followed her words, Dumbledore simply stared back at his former student, seemingly unable to conjure up any words in response. His expression was contorted into what was clearly intense amounts of pain and guilt. He knew about everything that Grindelwald had taken from her. And he knew, better than most wizards, of her anger, desire for vengeance, and longing for the very blood that he was now holding in the palm of his hand.

For a moment, Tara was astronomically furious with the man standing before her. 

For a moment, Dumbledore was the enemy. 

But just as quickly, she reminded herself who was seemingly the only wizard making any sort of effort to take a stand against Grindelwald those days.

And now she was realizing just how much harder that had to have been for him to do so.

A single, hot tear began to track down the path of Tara’s face.

“And what would happen if you were to fight him?” Theseus asked, breaking the tension and allowing Tara a chance to subtly wipe at her face.

Dumbledore didn’t immediately answer, instead he raised the troth up even further , dangling it in front of his face. He then took a long moment to stare intently at its contents.

“It’s really quite beautiful, you have to admit.” he mused. “Were I even to think about defying it…”

The Blood Troth suddenly flashed a bright red color, and in response, Dumbledore rather aggressively threw it down to the ground at his feet. It ricocheted off of the wooden panels as the wizard drew his wand. The piece of metal then flew across the room, burying itself into a crevice in the wall. 

As Dumbledore approached it, wand raised, the Troth’s long chain began to visibly constrict around the arm that it was still wrapped around, despite the distance.

“It knows, you see…” Dumbeldore mused as the chain continued to tighten around his arm and hand. Those standing in the room with him could see the way his skin was quickly turning a sickly blue color as the blood flow was getting more cut off with each passing second. At some point, he had even lost the ability to keep a grip on his wand, causing it to clatter down to the floor. “It senses the betrayal in my heart.”

Tara looked on in horror, watching as the Troth shook violently in the notch of the wooden wall panel it was stuck in. The chain then began to slither up Dumbledore’s arm until it eventually settled around his neck, his face quickly turning bright red just as his hand had.

“Stop it!” Tara screamed.

“Albus!”

The Blood Troth suddenly fell from the wall, and Dumbledore reached forward to catch it with ease. The chain slumped down from around his neck and arm, now seemingly void of any and all sentience. The professor took in a deep, shaky breath, closing his fist around the Troth again before turning back to the group, smiling as if nothing had happened.

Tara stared back at him absolutely horrified.

“That would be the least of it.” he reported. “A young man’s magic, but as you can see, powerful magic. It can’t be undone.”

Theseus had been the first of the three to speak after a long, and tense, silence.

“So this proposal-” he huffed. “I take it the Qilin has something to do with it?”

Dumbledore glanced over at Newt with a raised eyebrow.

“He promises he won’t tell a soul.” the Magizoologist said quickly.

Dumbledore nodded.

“If we are to defeat him, the Qilin is only part of it.” he began to explain to the Auror. “The world as we know it today will seem inevitable tomorrow if we don’t stop him. Should you agree to do what I ask, you’ll have to trust me. Even when every instinct tells you not to.”

After the professor had spoken, Theseus looked to his brother in order to gauge his reaction. He then chose to turn to the witch standing directly at his side, who was still eyeing the Troth rather warily. 

With another quick, covert swipe at her face, Tara managed a quick nod in response to the Auror’s unasked question.

Heaving another sigh, Theseus finally brought his attention back to Dumbledore.

“Let’s hear it.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* : ｡☆ﾟ.･ ───