Gideon Drake and the Fire Within (Harry Potter Sequel/Spinoff)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Reprieve

Dear Gideon,

While clearing your medical bay I happened to come across the rubbish in your drawer. I do hope you will pardon my rudeness, but I happened to read some of your correspondence by accident.

Judging by the fact that the envelopes were torn up as well, I don't think you had a chance to read the letters. The healthy thing to do would be to read them, and I believe they contain information that you would want to know about, so I have reassembled them for you and put them in your bag.

Yours sincerely,

Madam Longbottom

Gideon was mildly annoyed but couldn't help being intrigued by what the matron had thought he would want to know about. So, he reached into his bag and removed Caroline's three letters, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. Neither the envelopes nor their contents showed any sign of having previously been ripped to pieces. Gideon opened the first and read.

Dear Gideon,

I don't know if you will get this letter in time, but something terrible has happened. I don't know how to explain myself properly in a letter. I've done something very silly. Something that will hurt you.

I use notebooks to keep ideas for stories and jot down my thoughts. I was planning on writing about the attack on you and your mum. I intended to write about how the Ministry could allow Dementors in London. It was supposed to be for your benefit. However, I quickly realised that any story about the attack could also be damaging to you.

I'm ashamed to say, though, that I was careless, and my notebook went missing from my desk. I learned today that my editor took it without my permission and is running the story with everything that I know about you. Naturally, I'm furious with him and I'm doing all I can to stop it from getting out, but there's a good chance it will be in the next edition.

I can't tell you how sorry I am. I can only hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me for my foolishness, whether the story gets out or not.

Love,

Caroline

Gideon instantly regretted reading the letter. His cold certainty that another family member had betrayed him had been shaken. If Caroline was telling the truth, and that was a big if, perhaps she wasn't as bad as the others. No, how could he accept that? She had obviously been planning to write the story. And she was stupid enough to leave the notebook lying around. She didn't deserve his forgiveness. Not after a mistake of this magnitude.

Gideon opened the next letter, tearing it slightly in his haste. He could see it was just a follow-up on the previous one, written after the Prophet had gone out with the story, his story, on the front page. Seeing that it was just more explanations, apologies, and requests for him to write back or ask the school to let him make a Magiphone call, he tore it up in a rage and took a deep breath before opening the last.

Dear Gideon,

I understand if you don't wish to contact me. Again, please know that I'm deeply sorry and I hope to hear from you soon.

I'm just writing to you today with an update about your mum.

After her monthly test results, the Healers are saying now that she is doing very well. Her vitals and levels are all completely back to normal, if not better. They let me in to see her and she looks so much better.