Rylin Riddle

chapter 39

October 10, 1997 (Monday)

        Mattheo and I haven't left Tom's house since we arrived again the other day.

        My body still throbs in pain when I move and I get flashbacks constantly of it happening. Our own father performed the crucio curse on us.

        Harry, Hermione, and Ron all supposedly fled after Dumbledore's death. They're on the run from Voldemort officially. No one seems to know where they are or what they're really doing.

        It's driving our father insane that he doesn't know where they are. Dozens of death eaters are on the lookout, searching muggle towns and wizard ones. Snape is running Hogwarts now.

        Theo wrote and told me it changed drastically. The classes are darker, the people are quieter. Snape has everyone under strict protocols and is not handling any misbehaving. Theo told me he thinks Harry is sneaking in and out of Hogwarts to train people. He and Enzo think Harry is trying to start some kind of bullshit army.

~~~

October 20, 1997 (thursday)

        I was laying across the couch in the living room reading when something crashed into the window.

       It was a huge brown owl. The owl has slammed into the window and fallen to the ground outside.

        I jumped up and ran outside, not even bothering with shoes. The owl looked familiar and I saw the parchment crinkled in his talons.

The Weasley owl!

        I picked it up and made sure it was ok before it flew off.
Inside I unfolded the letter and brushed off the chunks of dirt.

Ry,

I'm worried about you and everyone at Hogwarts. I heard that Dumbledore was murdered this past week and also heard you fled that night with Draco and Mattheo. I've heard rumors even at home about how you and Mattheo were somehow involved in it. Harry has told everyone you three are death eaters. A lot of people suspected it because he is your father and all. Most people are shocked about the whole thing.

Ron ran off with Hermione and Harry a week ago. They wouldn't say a word about where they were going or how long they'd be gone, they just left. I haven't heard anything from my brother since.

I hate to ask you this, but I need to know. Is it true? Are you really a death eater? Did you really kill Dumbledore? I just want to know if you're safe and ok. No one's heard about you or your brother either. I'm not even sure if this letter will actually make it to you since you've gone missing too.

I'm hoping my owl isn't as dumb as I thought and will be able to find you. Please just tell me you're alive and ok. I need to know that at the least.

-George Wealsey

       A tear dropped onto the parchment as I finished reading. Everyone knows about us now.

We can't go back... ever.

        George has somehow even heard about it, which means everyone has.

        "Have you guys seen this?" Mattheo asked, storming into the living room holding a stack of paper. Tom followed him in and Mattheo waved around the paper.

        He threw it to me and I read the front page of the Daily Prophet out loud. "Albus Dumbledore: Dead! Murdered by a group of death eaters in his own school. Dark mark in the sky raises growing concern for the public's safety."