the devil's redemption [tom r.]

47|| Hymns for the Haunted.

"HEADMASTER DIPPET," ROSALIND GREETED when she walked into the Headmaster's office. Dippet gave her a small, sympathetic smile, that made her once again wonder what she'd done. Dumbledore was standing by his chair, behind the neatly organised desk, and another man that she did not recognise was seated in the armchair right beside the bureau.

The Headmaster gestured for her to sit across from the stranger, and she obliged silently.

"Miss Bonaccord, this is Mister Theseus Scamander, a well-known auror from the Ministry," Dippet introduced, causing Rosalind to feel her heart drop into her stomach. It all made sense. They were about to question her on Samantha's case.

"He's here to ask a few questions about Mrs. Hallock, seeing as she was your mother's nurse," Rosalind nodded silently, averting her gaze to the rather intimidating auror across from her. She could tell he was in his fifties, if not even older.

The french blonde was still composed, but she had to leak a few tears.

She'd been preparing for this since the moment she read about Samantha's disappearance on the Daily Prophet. She knew this time will come, she had to be interrogated, and she'd spent all her sleepless nights at Noah's hotel making up and revising the lies she'd have to tell. But Rosalind felt utterly and completely screwed. Would she really be able to deceive an experienced auror, as well as her headmaster and her wise professor?

"Miss Bonaccord, what do you know about Samantha Hallock?" Scamander was observing her intensely, as though trying to read every one of her movements and actions.

She sniffed, staring at a certain point in the scarlet carpet. "I'm afraid I d-don't know much, sir," Rosalind started, her eyes getting slightly watery as she tried her best to look sullen.

"But there's one thing," she looked into his eyes, because a liar would not make eye contact. She made sure to stare at him, a sad gleam shining in her green irises, "One very important thing."

"Do tell, my dear," Dippet leaned forward in his chair, anticipation and curiosity clear in his posture and eyes.

"Samantha Hallock works for Grindelwald."

Her statement rendered the room silent. Dumbledore and Scamander were analysing her, while Dippet seemed shocked to the core.

"Oh dear Merlin! A mother of a Hogwarts student! She seemed like a kind woman. Kind, indeed," the headmaster seemed to be speaking to himself, a wrinkled hand covering his mouth in astonishment.

"Headmaster Dippet, it would be much more convenient if you control your nerves," the auror spoke rather harshly, but the ancient man seemed to ignore him.

"Go on," Theseus urged, "how did you discover this sensitive information, miss?"

"I- my mother wrote me a letter. She told me everything. How Samantha threatened her, how she kept messing up her medications, Samantha even told my mum that she would've killed her if Grindelwald hadn't asked not to." Tears were spilling out of her eyes then, because everything she said was completely true, except the letter part, of course. She felt angsty and dread at the thought of her mother suffering so much. She was glad Jewel was living happily with Robert, safe in Australia.

"And what did you do about it?"

"N-nothing, sir. I was too scared. I couldn't tell anyone about Samantha or else she'd hurt my mum. I was afraid and clueless," she whimpered, wiping her eyes hastily. Rosalind didn't know she had such acting skills.