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𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖗𝖕𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖆𝖌𝖊
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14 June 1943
"What do you mean they could close the school?" Elena as she paced back and forth at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The library wasn't exactly the place to talk about murder so they had opted out for the forest. With classes cancelled this was the only place discreet enough to talk. "I don't have anywhere else to go!"
"Do you think I do? We are in the same boat! Calm down a little." Contrary to Elena, Tom wasn't panicking. "Apparently one death is enough for the school to close, that is unless they find the person responsible."
"We are the people responsible!"
"Stop shouting!" Tom shouted.
"I'm scared!"
Tom took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "I am going to talk to Dippet. I know who is responsible."
"Apart from us?"
"There is no us. You and I witnessed this beast before once too. It attacked you and I saved you. We thought the beast was gone and we didn't have proof so we couldn't report it."
"You are evil! Are you just going to throw that boy into the fire?"
"Didn't we kill an innocent young girl just yesterday? The boy isn't innocent either, that beast would've killed you if I hadn't arrived in time." Tom was too calm. In response to Elena's silence he put a hand on her shoulder and tilted his head. "Don't trouble yourself with this. I will deal with it. If I were you I'd work on getting the cloak from Potter. The fact that Grindelwald hasn't done anything doesn't mean he won't and you need to be prepared for when you're away from Dumbledore."
He was absolutely right and Elena cursed herself for not thinking of it sooner. Grindelwald and his people had done enough to cause her trouble already, she at least needed some sort of leverage if she wanted to survive. "I'll go find Potter."
"Good call."
•❅────✧❅✦❅✧────❅•
"Hey Charlus!" Elena called out after the boy, trying to catch up to him.
"Hey Elena." He waited for her. "Did you hear the news?"
"About the girl?"
"They caught what killed her."
That was quick. "I'm glad." She smiled. "Umm... I was wondering if I could borrow your cloak today."
"I mean sure... but why?"
"I have to go to the forbidden forest to get some plants for a potion I'm working on." Elena sighed, "I'd ask Slughorn for permission but all the teachers are in panic mode at the moment."
"Okay, come along. I was already on my way to the common room."
"You're the best."
When they got to the common room, Charlus went in and got back to her quickly, discreetly handing her the cloak. "I'll meet you at dinner to take it back."
Elena took the cloak. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and entered Charlus' mind. Every memory of the cloak she could find, from his father giving it to him to them using it together to spy on Rin... She erased everything. Oh how much trouble he'd be in when he got back home... Elena whispered another sorry before she ran away.
She wandered around the corridors until she got to the seventh floor with the cloak in her hand, trying to figure out what to do with it. It wouldn't be safe at the orphanage and she could lose the one thing she had to bargain with Grindelwald. She could give it to Dumbledore, but the question of how she got it would remain. She didn't want to relive what had happened before. She needed to find somewhere in the castle to hide it, somewhere only she could find...
Suddenly a door appeared on one of the walls, one she had never seen before. It was ornate and large, unlike any others in the castle. She approached it... Could it be? She had heard of the Come and Go Room before, but she never thought she'd run into it. She held onto the handle and opened the door. It was a small room, lit up with one gas lamp in the middle. There was a cupboard with one single hanger in it. She smiled to herself, thanking the castle. She hung the cloak up and left the room, she knew she'd find the cloak again if she really needed it.
•❅────✧❅✦❅✧────❅•
19 June 1943
"Are you sure you don't want to come? I'll pressure my parents until they accept it." Orion said after spending the whole day trying to convince Elena to spend the holidays at her house. It was the last day and they would soon board the Hogwarts Express back to London.
"I'll be fine really," she refused once again. She normally would think about it, but this time it was best to stay away from Orion. Something in her told her that this summer would be more eventful than the others.
"I just don't want you to be alone."
"I won't be. You don't have to worry."
"Elena be careful."
"Careful? Are you talking about Tom? Orion we had this conversation before. He's fine."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"What does Rax think about you wanting me to come?" Elena was curious, the boy had been distant ever since they returned from winter break. She knew he was hiding something, something other than the fact that he had made Nott break up with Orion. It had something to do with her mother, and Elena needed to find out what, sooner or later.
"He doesn't want you to." Orion sighed. "Elena, is why you don't want to come the fact that you're afraid of..." Elena looked at Orion sharply and Orion started to regret ever starting that sentence.
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid of seeing your mother there?"
Elena froze in place, was she really afraid of that? No, she wasn't. She just didn't want to have another thing to deal with. "No, I'm just.. I don't want to."
Orion didn't say another word until they were on the Hogwarts Express, sitting with Tom and Abraxas as usual. The journey back to the orphanage had begun and as much as Elena wanted to stay at Hogwarts she had to return. At least this time she wouldn't be alone, Tom was with her.
•❅────✧❅✦❅✧────❅•
Elena walked into her room at the orphanage, her heart beating rapidly. This moment, every year she was a bird returning to her cage. Soon, she'd get used to her dull and uneventful life, the only thing keeping her entertained being studying for the next year. She didn't bother opening her suitcase, she walked over and sat at her desk, which now had a mirror on it. It was nice, seeing the orphanage's conditions improve but it didn't change the fact that she'd be stuck there for three more months.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she thought about all the things that had happened that year at Hogwarts. It was by far the most interesting year she had but she couldn't decide if it was bad or good. She now had Tom as an ally and despite their disagreements from time to time Orion was still there for her. But Abraxas, oh how he had changed. He was one of her best friends but he just wasn't the same. He had become hostile towards her and she didn't know why. Elena sighed as she threw herself onto her bed and closed her eyes. It was peaceful, being back. She didn't feel the need to do anything, she could relax. Without realising she fell asleep.
•❅────✧❅✦❅✧────❅•
"It's been a long time since we last met," the man said walking out of the shadows. "Are you purposefully letting your guard down?"
"Maybe I am, maybe I am not. That doesn't matter," the girl said avoiding looking at him, she glanced around the cave they had met in before. "Why am I here again?"
"How was school? Did you pass your exams?"
"Probably." This was awkward. "Is that why I'm here. You wanted to ask me about my grades?"
"Of course not. How is the search going? Did you get any of the Hallows?"
"Yes." Elena said proudly. "The cloak."
"Where is it?"
"At the castle. I didn't think it would be safe here."
"Don't lie to me Elena..." The man shook his head, "You're working with the Riddle boy. Do you think he's going to protect you?"
"No. I have to be close to him. He is a descendant of the second brother."
"You told the Riddle boy about the hallows, but didn't tell him he owns one, I admire that. But be careful, don't get too close to anyone. I'm sure you've learnt that lesson now." Grindelwald turned to go back into the shadows. "Be careful, Elena..."
"Do you know-" Elena cut herself off, scared that the man would disappear. The man stopped in his tracks. She gathered up her courage and spoke again. "Do you know how to make a horcrux?"
"That is a surprising question coming from you." The man locked eyes with the girl, what was she up to? He walked in circles around her now, "I do know how to make one, but you're not going to like it." He gestured for her to get closer and whispered in her ear...
Elena woke up in her bed feeling exhausted. The dream... it felt real, too real. She rushed out of her bed and over to her desk, reaching for a pen and paper to write down the instructions Grindelwald had given her. It was only after she was finished that she sat down and tried to process what had just happened.
She hadn't let her guard down intentionally.
•❅────✧❅✦❅✧────❅•
22 June 1943
Elena wondered around in the garden alone. She felt empty, she couldn't sleep and she couldn't rest. Everything was so dull here something bad was bound to happen. Above all she had not been able to bring herself to talk to Tom. Grindelwald knew, because of course he did. She saw Tom, sitting in a corner by himself.
"Can we talk?"
Tom seemed surprised to see her. "Hello to you too."
"Yesterday, I saw Grindelwald again in my dream," Elena said looking down at her feet. Tom immediately stood up, making her sit down. Elena continued, "He knows I told you about the Hallows... Tom he can read my mind... I don't know what to do."
"Why did you come to me? What exactly can I do?"
"You're the only person I can trust." She sighed, "You were able to read my mind at the beginning of the year. So far, you're the only person who has."
"Are you okay?" Tom knew it was his fault from the start that Grindelwald could read the girl's mind. That was one thing Rin had unveiled on his last seconds. "Will you be okay?"
"I don't know." Elena debated whether or not to mention what Grindelwald had said about the horcruxes. Tom would find out if he was to test her mind, but it could've been a good way to test if she could keep important information secret. I now know how to make a Horcrux. "I asked him."
Tom knit his brows, "What did he say?"
"He told me. I wrote it down. Try to find the information in my head. I will try to defend it."
"Are you sure? Elena it could get worse."
"I have to try." Elena was getting impatient. "I'm not going to tell you unless you help me with this."
"Fine." Tom sighed and took his wand out making sure nobody could see it. He whispered 'legilimens' and Elena felt a force trying to enter her mind. It was fairly easy for her to defend herself. After about five minutes Tom gave up. "It's not working Elena."
"You're not trying hard enough. Try again." If Grindelwald could enter her mind surely Tom could too. She felt the force again and this time it was easier to block than the last.
"Elena this isn't going to work."
"No, it will. You're just not trying hard enough."
"I think the problem's you. I do my best, your mind is impossible to get into."
"No, Grindelwald can so there must be a way and I need you to find it so I can close it."
"Maybe you let him into your mind."
Elena couldn't hide the shock his accusation had caused. The whole point of this was to keep him out. She couldn't have been letting him in.
"If I was doing it intentionally why would I ask you to help me?" she said almost shouting.
"I don't know. I didn't say you were doing it intentionally, maybe it's because you wanted to talk to him about the horcruxes? Or maybe secretly you want his approval-"
"I want his approval? Do you hear yourself Tom?!"
Fuming, she got up and started walking away. Elena didn't know what hit her as Tom cast the spell once again, this time catching her off guard. He was searching for the memory of her dream, but everything else started flooding into her consciousness. As he dug deeper and older memories popped up all he saw was a scared girl, running through the halls looking behind her shoulder at every turn. Then he got to the memory he was all too familiar with.
He hadn't seen Elena this scared, he hadn't seen her trembling like that ever before. Then the thoughts changed, she saw the girl come to terms with dying. She had thought Tom was going to kill her.
"ENOUGH!" Elena shouted and Tom was pushed out of her mind at once.
After returning to reality, Tom saw Elena running away, tripping over her step and looking back scared. Was that what she really thought of him? Did she really think he would kill her?