CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Gertude Wiles
Mystyk didn't know why she was asked by Professor Dumbledore to come to his office Sunday afternoon. As far as she knows her weekends are free like the rest of the students at Hogwarts.
She saw her house head, Professor Snape, waiting for her outside the Headmaster's office. Somehow she couldn't read his expression, and when she tried to read his mind, she found out she couldn't read his train of thoughts.
"Good afternoon Professor." she greeted when she reached Snape. "I'm here to see Professor Dumbledore." she informed him in case he didn't know the reason why she's here.
"I know. He asked me to wait for you, Rydel." he replied curtly.
Mystyk's eyebrow rose. Something is wrong. She can sense it, but she just doesn't know what it is that is wrong. She stood beside her house head and waited until the gargoyle moved to let both herself and Professor Snape enter the Headmaster's office.
"Wait here." Snape instructed and left her alone for a few minutes.
Mystyk took advantage of this and took a look around the Headmaster's office. She remembered Harry mentioning Fawkes the phoenix, Dumbledore's pet. She hasn't seen a live phoenix yet and since most of her and Professor Dumbledore's study time are spent in an empty classroom somewhere in the school, she has never been in his office since that first night Hagrid picked her up from her aunt uncle's house. Even on her first night she didn't notice Fawkes anywhere.
"Ms. Rydel?"
Mystyk jumped at the sound of the Headmaster's voice behind her. She turned around slowly, a shy smile forming on her lips.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to snoop."
Professor Dumbledore smiled, "It's quite alright. Most of my visitors are quite intrigued to see my office."
"Uhm...well, H-Harry mentioned your pet Fawkes to me and I just wanted to see him." she shrugged, "But I guess he's flown elsewhere today."
"You're quite right. Fawkes decided to take a stroll and flew into my sleeping quarters. But I'm sure he'll be back any minute now." Dumbledore told her.
"Oh. Well, uhm, you wished to see me, Professor?"
"Yes, Ms. Rydel. Please, have a sit." he pointed her to one of the two chairs placed facing his large table. "I need to discuss something very important with you."
"Does it have anything to do with my lessons?" she asked worriedly, "I know lately I have been doing poorly on some of my lessons, but I have a good reason for not paying too much attention--"
Professor Dumbledore raised his hand to silence her. Smiling he nodded his understanding and said, "I know what has been bothering you lately, Mystyk. And that's the reason why I called you to my office today."
Mystyk looked surprised. "Y-you do?" she stammered.
"Yes." he looked over her shoulder at someone standing there. With a curt nod he heard somebody being ushered into the room. "Mystyk, may I present to you your guardian, Gertude Wiles."
Mystyk's eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets at the mention of her guardian. She shot out of her chair and spun around, coming face-to-face with the old hag who has sent her almost all over Europe. She doesn't know what her guardian is doing here in school. What does Gertude Wiles have to do with what's been bothering her lately? She cast a questioning glance over her shoulder at the Headmaster, pleading with him to bring some light into the matter of her guardian's presence at Hogwarts.
Professor Dumbledore pushed himself off his chair and extended his hand to the newcomer, "Nice of you to make it, Gertude."
Gertude Wiles reached out one bony hand and shook hands with the headmaster.
"I couldn't possibly refuse Severus when he appeared outside my doorstep, Headmaster." she replied with her chin held high.
Mystyk had a distinct feeling that her guardian is very well acquainted with the headmaster and the teachers at Hogwarts.
"Please, have a seat." he indicated the chair behind Gertude and turned back to Mystyk. He motioned for her to sit down as well before sitting himself. He rested his arms on top of his desk, lacing his fingers together. His eyes watching each woman carefully. "I'm sure you are both wondering why you are called in to my office on such short notice. And don't worry, your questions will soon be answered. But first, Gertude, I think it's high time Mystyk learn the truth about her past--and about her parents." Dumbledore gave Gertude Wiles a pointed glare, silently telling the woman that he knows the truth. Any alterations to what she will tell her young charge will be dealt with accordingly.
Suddenly Mystyk felt very apprehensive. She doesn't like this. She doesn't like any of this at all! Gertude never told her about her parents, except that they died a long time ago due to some accident or other, but she never really talked much about it. Mystyk tried asking her once or twice about her parents' death from years before, but each time she did so Gertude became testy with her so she quit asking all together. She shot an alarmed glance at the Headmaster then back at Gertude then back to Dumbledore.
"What-what do you mean, Professor?" she asked in alarm, but it was Gertude who answered her.
"I am your mother, Mystyk." Gertude Wiles announced, shocking the young woman seated beside her.
Mystyk shot the woman she grew-up knowing as her guardian a look of utter disbelief. "What?"
"You are my daughter, Mystyk. My own flesh and blood. And...and the heir of the feared Lord Voldemort."
Voldemort. The name of the man who wanted Harry dead. He's her father? She looked back at Gertude Wiles, the old hag with rotting teeth and greasy hair. She couldn't believe that she is her mother. She looked so old!
"H-how could you be my mother?" she questioned, "You're at least over seventy years old! You couldn't have possibly had me when you're in your late fifties or early sixties!" she exclaimed, not wanting to believe what she heard.
Gertude looked at Dumbledore, asking him permission for something and before Mystyk could voice out her question the woman seated beside her whipped out a wand from the insides of her rag of robe and pointed it at herself, muttering a spell or incantation that soon transformed her from an old, ugly woman to a beautiful young woman with long, shiny jet-black hair similar to Mystyk's. Her eyes too changed color from metallic gray to a bright violet shade similar to the young woman seated before her.
"Oh my God..." Mystyk gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands. She nearly fell off her chair as she watched the woman before her transform into somebody else much younger. She looked like she's in her mid-thirties.
"Your mother used an aging spell on herself when she ran away and took you with her, Mystyk." Dumbledore explained to an awestruck Mystyk. "She used the aging spell as a cover to hide you and herself from Lord Voldemort's men--and from Voldemort himself."
Once her transformation was complete, a now younger Gertude Wiles faced her daughter, smiling shyly and she picked up from where Professor Dumbledore started.
"I was a young and foolish witch back in the days of Voldemort's reign, Mystyk. I fell for him because of the power he promised he will have--and the lure of power blinded me from everything else. Then the night he murdered Harry Potter's parents I finally knocked some sense into myself. The man I believe to love wholeheartedly just murdered my best friend and her husband, and he was going to kill Lily and James's offspring too. I got scared and panicked. You were just a year old the night killed James and Lily Potter. I didn't want to be the wife of the man who killed my best friend and her family. So I ran. I went in hiding from everybody, casting an aging spell on myself so that my looks would be altered. Every month I cast a different disguise on myself. I figured that nobody would dare look for me once I disguised myself as an old woman raising an orphaned child." she paused and dabbed the tears that started falling in the middle of her story.
Mystyk sat motionless where she was, her mouth hanging open as she stared at the woman she never knew was her mother until now.
"So...so you kept up the pretense of not knowing how my parents died all these years?"
"I'm sorry, love. It's the only way I could protect both you and myself. I know that Voldemort didn't succeed in killing young Harry Potter, and I also know that he didn't die as well. I got scared for both our safety. I know that Voldemort's alive somewhere and he will use every means to get to Harry Potter."
"And--and by 'every means' you're referring to me?" Mystyk looked confused, "But he doesn't know where I am!"
"No. But his blood runs in your veins. He can find you, Mystyk. Don't underestimate him."
"He knows that I'm at Hogwarts now, doesn't he? He knows that I'll be around Harry, doesn't he? Is that why you kept me from replying to the Hogwarts letter I received when I was eleven? You know that I'll be mingling with Harry once I start attending school here." she accused.
"Yes." Gertude nodded, "And I did my damnedest to keep you away from here and from Harry. But I guess I didn't try hard enough." she cast an annoyed glare at Dumbledore's way, "You know why I went into hiding, Professor, and yet you managed to drag my daughter to attend school here. Why?"
Professor Dumbledore didn't look the slightest bit upset, he sat back in his chair and stared at the beautiful young woman before him, "You can't deny Mystyk of her education, Gertude. After all she is a witch. She needs to be taught about the ways of the witches and wizards."
"And risk her life as well as Harry Potter's life in the process?" she accused.
"I did expect that Voldemort will soon realize that his daughter is here." he nodded.
"Well he knows. He sent a message loud and clear through Mystyk in her sleep. I kept my daughter far away from this place for five damn years because I know what will happen once she starts attending the same school James and Lily Potter's son attends!"
"But it's up to Mystyk to fight off her father's advances to lure her to do his every bidding, Gertude." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"Even so! You just gave Voldemort plenty of ammunition to use."
"Gertude, Professor, what are you two talking about?" Mystyk cut in between her mother and headmaster's shouting fest.
Gertude tore her angry violet eyes at Dumbledore and settled it on her daughter's confused face.
"Lord Voldemort's going to use you to kill Harry Potter, love, just like what your premonition showed you."
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~*~ OMG!!! Mystyk Rydel's secret has been revealed. what do you guys think? i tried to explain as much as i can, but it's already getting late and i need to catch a few Z's since i have to go to work early tomorrow. please review & let me know what you think, thanks! ~*~