When the Roses Bloom Again by TheBlack'sResurgence

Chapter 65

Retribution

Neither Grindelwald nor his men had made any effort to clean up the devastation wrought during the last battle that took place in Belgium. Both buildings near the Ministry that had been toppled remained in the same state, the debris still strewn across the street.

Only the bodies had been removed, and even the Ministry building that had been blown up by William Potter had been left untouched.

"My father really did that?" Charlus asked in awe.

Harry snorted amusedly as he nodded.

"He did," he confirmed. "We were told the Ministry wasn't to fall into Grindelwald's hands, and it didn't."

Charlus shook his head.

"I just can't imagine my dad doing something like that," he murmured. "The more I think about it, the more I realise he wasn't cut out for war. He was a peaceful man…"

"Who died doing what he believed was right," Harry pointed out. "Grindelwald will pay for what he did to your father."

"He will," Charlus agreed darkly. "Come on, let's take it back."

Harry watched as Charlus made his way back to where the rest of the men were lying in wait.

It had taken them a week to make it here while having to avoid the other surrounding countries Grindelwald currently occupied.

Not that he would be keeping them.

Harry had promised he would take everything the man had worked for, and he fully intended on following through with that promise.

"How many are there?" Yaxley asked nervously as Harry arrived.

"No more than two-hundred."

As expected, Grindelwald had left an insufficient force to hold Belgium, and sneaking in had not been as difficult as it should have been. At first, Harry suspected that they may be being lured into a trap, but he'd come to realise that his foe had truly been negligent, his focus solely on invading and capturing France.

Such negligence was to be his downfall here. Evidently, he had not been expecting a response so quickly, likely believing the ICW forces would take much longer to lick their proverbial wounds.

Perhaps they would have had Harry not been so insistent on striking back but waiting truly wasn't the correct course of action.

Grindelwald needed to be reminded that he was not facing men who would allow him to simply have his way, and the world needed to know that the fight against him would continue.

"That still leaves us outnumbered," Gilbert pointed out.

"Only for a few minutes," Charlus comforted. "As soon as the fighting starts, the others will arrive."

That was the plan at least.

Sneaking an entire army across the continent without being seen was not an option, but once Harry and his group began the ambush, Grindelwald's paltry force would face a considerable number of the ICW men.