A Memorable Tale

67 | Solve

We have strict guidelines on the decorations permitted on our wards, but it appears that Healer Strout, busy over the Christmas period, overlooked the dangers of the plant on Mr. Bode's bedside table.  As his speech and mobility improved, Healer Strout encouraged Mr. Bode to look after the plant himself, unaware that it was not an innocent Flitterbloom, but a cutting of the Devil's Snare, which, when touched by the convalescent Mr. Bode, throttled him instantly.

"St. Mungo's is as yet unable to account for the presence of the plant on the ward and asks any witch or wizard with information to come forward."

I lowered the paper quietly and handed it back to Neville. It was so short. Too short.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

My mind strayed for a while, to the days when I was too young to be left at home, and instead brought to the Ministry, secretly of course, not that Fudge could do anything about it.

•••

"Uncle Broderick!" I pointed my stubby finger at the gloomy-looking man and he looked down at me, his mournful expression fading away and turning into a bright grin. "Oh, there's Trouble!"

"Quit humouring my daughter, Bode," my dad said as he looked through paperwork.

"Please, if you're going to bring a kid here, at least let her be a kid, Griffin." Broderick lifted me. "Come on, why don't we play catch with the prophecies?"

"Bode!"

"I'm kidding! For the most part."

"I'm warning you."

"You'd never fire me, Y/N loves me too much."

I giggled, my hands placing themselves on either side of Broderick's face. I was a toddler, so I couldn't have understood why he looked so mournful all the time.

"You're lucky to have a kid, Griffin. Some people aren't that lucky."

My father paused and sighed. "Just make sure it's the prophecies that are boring."

Broderick had lost his wife and baby in childbirth. He always seemed sullen after that, not until his boss started bringing his kid to work.

I didn't know until I was around ten and I found a photo of my dad, Broderick and some other Unspeakables, along with Broderick's wife, pregnant. I asked who his child was, and my dad had told me that it didn't make it.

•••

I cleared my throat, partially wondering how I remembered such an early memory. I hadn't heard from Broderick in years, not since I was five, I was sure. "Yeah, I'm fine."

My eyes lingered on the newspaper. Somehow, I desired the word Solve??? written in red ink, a sharp quill tearing through the paper because nothing other than the article mattered. My dad had stopped sending those things at that point, seeing that they were becoming too dangerous for someone as young as me.

But I saw it anyway. I desired to solve it.

My mind was already recalling the important parts of it.

Strangled by a potted plant...

Devil's snare...

Health improving steadily...

I shook my head, shaking off the desire.

"Y/N?"

"I'm fine," I repeated, more firmly this time. "Sorry. It's just... Merlin, the universe is not on my side, is it?"