Riddle And Grindelwald (Book 3)

42. The Thief

Tom kept his word, and stopped hunting for the Elder wand in December, so that he could spend all of his time with Genevieve. And she took some time off work, to be with him.
She loved that it was just the two of them again, like it had been many years ago.
Only this time, they were not in hiding. They could go out for a walk anywhere, without fear of being arrested.
On Christmas Eve, Genevieve laid out all the presents below the tree, ready for the next day.
But suddenly Tom gripped his head in pain, causing Genevieve to run to his side.
"What's wrong?" Questioned Genevieve.
Instead of looking angry, Tom smiled.
"Nagini has Potter" announced Tom.

"Really? I guess Harry decided to visit his parents graves on Christmas Eve, despite the risk" sighed Genevieve.
She frowned, as she knew that her quiet Christmas with Tom was now ruined.
"Yes, Potter is just as predictable as I knew he was. I must go to him now, don't worry though, I will bring him back here alive, so that you can watch me kill him" admitted Tom.
"I'm not letting you go alone" informed Genevieve.
"But I don't want to put you in danger, by bringing you with me" replied Tom.
"The last time I let you go alone to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry Potter, you died. So, I'm not going to let you to alone this time"
"Fine, but we have to leave now, for I do not want Potter to escape".

Genevieve took hold of Tom, and the pair apparated to Bathilda Bagshot's house in Godric's Hollow.
As they stepped inside the woman's bedroom, they saw two figures disapparate in front of them.
Tom screamed in rage as he ran across the room, realising that he had been too late.
Harry Potter had escaped, yet again, in the very town he had destroyed Tom in, while still an infant.

Tom looked out the window, at the house across the street, and his whole body tensed up.
Sensing his distress, Genevieve walked up to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"That's the house isn't it, where you died?" She asked quietly.
Tom nodded, "I felt pain in there, that I had never felt before. As I was ripped from my body, I felt sure that I was dead, for I was in such agony... When I realised that I was still alive, I fled from the cottage. But I could only move slowly, as I was in such a weak state. It was the worst night of my life" revealed Tom.
"I wish I had been there with you. Then I could've helped you in some way" replied Genevieve.

Tom turned to look at her face, "I'm glad you were not there, for I wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt as well. I also wouldn't have wanted you to see me like that".
Genevieve moved to kiss him, but stopped as Nagini slithered across their feet, ruining the moment.
"Harry isn't here, and I don't think he will ever return to this town again, so we should go home" sighed Genevieve.
She stepped away from Tom, and stumbled as her foot stepped onto a broken photoframe, which lay smashed on the floor.
Tom leant down and picked up the frame, and as he did, the photo slipped out of the frame.
"It can't be" mumbled Tom, as he stared at the photograph in his hands.

Genevieve turned back around to face him, "What is it? What have you found?".
"I've found the thief. The man who stole the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch all those years ago, was your father" revealed Tom, as he raised the photograph to show Genevieve.
"It can't be" muttered Genevieve, hoping that denial would save her from Tom's wrath.
"Well, it is. I couldn't see it clearly in Gregorovitch's memory, but in this photo, Gellert's Heterchromia stands out, clear as day. Just like yours does" replied Tom.
"What is a picture of my father doung here?"
"That's what I was going to ask you".

Genevieve frowned as she racked her brains and tried to remember every single thing Gellert had told her about his time with Dumbledore.
And then it hit her, and she realised exactly who's house she was standing in.
"Merlin's beard" mumbled Genevieve.
"What is it?" Demanded Tom.
"I know why Gellert's picture is here"
"Go on then".

"Bathilda Bagshot is my great great aunt. I knew Gellert came to stay here with his great aunt after he was expelled from Durmstrang. But I had forgotten that the woman he stayed with, was Bathilda Bagshot. Gellert hardly ever mentioned her in his stories, as he only stayed here for a couple of months, and most of his tales about this town were about his relationship with Dumbledore... Bathilda was a relative of mine, and I didn't even know. And you killed her, without a second thought, so that you could hide Nagini inside her body. To kill a member of your own family is one of the worst sins. And it's a sin I have now committed" admitted Genevieve.

"You are focusing on the wrong details. Forget about Bathilda Bagshot. What Gellert's picture is doing here, is not the big issue. What's important is that your father has the Elder Wand, the very thing I have been searching for, for so long" said Tom.
"He doesn't have the wand now though. His wand was confiscated when he was thrown in Nurmengard" reminded Genevieve.
"But he was the last person to see it, so I expect he knows where the wand is. Which is why we are going to find him"
"But we don't know exactly where he is, as I don't expect he stayed where we left him after we broke him out of prison"
"We will search every single one of his safe houses, until we find him. I will not rest until we have tracked him down, and he has given me the information I require. Soon, I will have the Elder Wand".

Genevieve's heartbeat quickened as she began to realise how much danger they were all in.
If Tom made her take him to Gellert's safe houses, then they might accidentally bump into Mathilde and Hannah, as Genevieve didn't know exactly which house they were hiding in.
And even if her and Tom did manage to find Gellert, Genevieve knew her father was unlikely to co-operative with Tom, which could result in his death.
But what scared her most, was what Tom would do if he figured out that she had known all along, who the thief was.