Chapter 73: Professor Blygull
Whatever the shock of hearing Professor Blygull's name was, it was another thing to see her - that calculated, put-together sheen of marble, like the stones beneath her feet - actually standing in front of him. Her short, white hair was curled neatly underneath a witch's hat, and her folded hands were concealed within the cranberry robes. Her lips were a thin line, like her wrinkled and narrowed eyes. "I trusted you," she said, not sounding betrayed or grief-stricken; simply saying it. "I trusted you after the trial, at the start of the semester, and after the incident with Percival Boyd. The very idea of your living here depends on trust." She paused, letting him guess what was coming, "And yet you plan and execute something like this."
Credence couldn't look at those eyes. Her words, her voice, her expression, it was all too calm, too calculated. And the worst part was that everything she was saying was true. He couldn't defend himself. That sick, boiling hatred of December had been doused like a flame. It wasn't that he wasn't angry anymore. But that guiding light had been put out, and now he was lost, and exhausted. Controlling the Obscurus on a rampage like that and then ending up so stymied had left him completely empty.
Professor Blygull had noticed the wand-stand that Mr. Hodges had given him, which was sitting on the center on his trunk. She touched the tip with a long-nailed finger, pulling it away to check for dust. "Let me tell you something, Credence. Several years ago, I was asked to undertake the role of headmistress of the biggest, most well-respected school in America. It was a promotion that I had been long expecting, and had been working towards my entire life. A great honor. But a responsibility. That was something that the freedom and authority, which was so overwhelmingly publicized, had somewhat blinded me to. In the end, everything that happens in this school falls on my shoulders; every child, every judgment, every expulsion."
"You're going to expel me?" Credence couldn't help but ask.
"I am not finished yet."
As she continued her tripping cadence, the old woman moved to the other side of the room, smoothing the sheets on Loner Joe's bed. "After that initial shock, I decided that the responsibilities of Ilvermorny were enough for to satisfy my appetite. I was not about to run for President of MACUSA or some such nonsense." She stood straight back up and looked back at the Obscurial, the slightest crease of her eyes making him shrink even further into his shoulders. "But then you showed up one night, and my syrup of power became sickening."
Credence didn't look up again. He knew where this was going. Professor Blygull came back over to stand in front of his bed. "I never asked to judge the life and future of a human-parasite fusion. You never asked to become one. Yet both of us were handed these curses. Every responsibility comes with a power, and every power comes with a responsibility. If we forget the other half, we live to do wrong by it.
"You think of your burden as a curse, and so you almost hurt someone with it. Remember, it is a great gift; a great power. To be a member of society, you must learn how to respect that." She picked the wand stand up off of his box and gently handed it to him. "This is well taken care of. I do not even see any finger prints on it. I know you are capable of respecting the things you care about. When Percival Boyd was injured, it hurt you as well. And you have demonstrated that you have gained control over the Obscurus. My occupation is rooted in noticing the students with potential. You simply must learn to respect yourself a little more, your whole self. That is why I am not going to expel you, this time."
She began walking out of the room almost before she could see the expression of stunned relief on the Obscurial's face. "Please do not assume that this means you do not have detention for the rest of the year though," she added when she got to the door. "Perhaps it will give you and Finnley a chance to sort out your differences. You have become a better wizard than I gave you credit for this summer, Credence. I hope your choices lead you to become a better man as well."
A/N: THE END! This is my longest project ever and certainly my longest fan fiction piece. Each chapter was named after something spoken by either Rocky or Percy. This book started as 66 chapters and ended at 73, so I was forced to redo a lot of the titles. Fall from Winter was always the soul of the trilogy (yes, another book is coming soon), and it just came together beautifully. Maybe it helped that I actually outlined this one. It was also my first experience with a beta reader, so it's definitely more polished than Summer Trials. I recognize that not as many people read this book because it requires a bit more of a time commitment in general as well as having to go back and read Summer Trials. It is also very separated from Fantastic Beasts. The next book (it will have the same cover as the previous two) will probably be coming out towards the beginning of next summer at the latest. I have started writing it so hopefully I can begin posting earlier than I expect. I have yet to get any reviews on this story and I know that that was one of my favorite parts of posting Summer Trials. So, if you would like to review, now's the time to do it! See you later!