It all started out as a normal day in Grayson Manor. Pearl and
Bridget had been at Grayson Manor for almost four whole months by then and
with each passing day, Pearl found life with Tom easier. She was far from
respecting him, considering the fact that he still wanted to be the most
evil, feared wizard to ever walk the planet, but she was learning.
Pearl was helping Hilda clean up after breakfast one morning, as she usually did on Sundays. Tom had left earlier that morning and ever since he had left, Pearl had a sinking feeling. She and Tom had been staying up most nights, talking about Hogwarts and the feelings they experienced there. Pearl was relieved to see that Tom hadn't changed that much. He was still power-hungry, but he wasn't as horrible and intolerable as she had predicted he would be.
"Mommy, where did Daddy go?" Bridget, who had been sitting at the end of the long table colouring, looked up at her mother suddenly.
"You know where he is, honey. He's at work." Bridget went back to colouring, a concerned look on her face, leaving Pearl worried. Tom had been leaving the house at the same time every day ever since they came here; why did Bridget find it so difficult to understand where he was today. The distressed look on her daughter's face was enough to drive Pearl outside the manor where she stood for several minutes, trying to debate why she was here. Then without thinking, she left the property, without her jacket, and walked towards Hogsmeade.
She knew it couldn't be too far. Using her incredible sense of direction, she managed to find her way to the small village, only to find it in a complete uproar. People were running and hiding in fear. Frightened faces peered out from alleyways and children were sobbing. Looking around, Pearl noticed that there was a small group of Death Eaters clustered around a body on the ground. Walking towards them at a rapid speed, ignoring the calls of, "Get out of the way, miss!" she came across Tom staring down at a small girl, writhing in pain. Tom's wand was aimed directly at the girl's throat and Pearl tried to drown out the sounds of her whimpers of pain as Tom muttered the curse words every wizard and witch feared.
There was a flash of blinding green light and the girl stopped writhing. She lay still, her eyes closed peacefully. Pearl wasn't sure who was screaming, but they sounded awfully upset. It wasn't until a Death Eater clasped her by the shoulder that she realized the scream was coming from her. She turned to Tom, furious.
"How could you?" she shrieked, making the Death Eaters move forward, advancing on her, their wands outstretched. Tom held his arm out, preventing them from moving further.
"How could you?" she asked again, more quietly this time. "She was just a little girl. What did you have to kill her for?"
"This girl, Pearl, was the only daughter of Bruce McKellen. She witnessed me killing her parents and I killed her, too, to put her out of her misery." His voice was so calm that it made Pearl want to scream in frustration. She felt like running at him and physically hurting him until he wasn't able to move. She looked down at the limp body on the ground and began to sob. If Tom was capable of doing this to a little girl, couldn't he do it to his own daughter? The very thought chilled her to her bones and suddenly she realized what she had done.
She had not given her daughter the life she wanted. She had introduced her to the face of danger. Pearl was wrong; Tom had changed. He had become more manipulative and frightening. She couldn't stay here with him. "I'm leaving, Tom," she said quietly, to the ground. "And I'm taking Bridget with me. I was wrong. You are a different person from the one I knew at Hogwarts. You're sick and twisted and demented and you should be locked up."
"Mommy!" Pearl turned towards the call to see Bridget, followed by Hilda, running through the streets. Pearl lifted her arms towards her daughter, but felt a staggering pain hit her body. Hilda's screams rang out and Tom lowered his wand.
"That's one," he said, advancing on Bridget. Hilda tried to intervene but the Death Eaters held her back. "Time for the second one," Tom said, aiming his wand at Bridget. She was bent over her dead mother, sobbing hysterically.
"Daddy, please." Bridget's voice was weak, and Tom felt a deep feeling of regret. But no matter how bad he felt, no one could interfere with his plans. He raised his wand and seconds later, his daughter lay beside her mother on the pavement, lifeless.
Hilda dropped to the ground heavily and began crying. Several of the witches and wizards who had been hiding in alleys took this opportunity to run without being noticed. The village of Hogsmeade emptied quickly as Hilda's sobs grew louder. Panic began to ensue outside the village and Hilda knew that it was only a matter of time before the Ministry came to clean up. In the center of all the emotions of panic and disarray, Lord Voldemort stood, clutching his wand, a sincere grin on his twisted face.
Pearl was helping Hilda clean up after breakfast one morning, as she usually did on Sundays. Tom had left earlier that morning and ever since he had left, Pearl had a sinking feeling. She and Tom had been staying up most nights, talking about Hogwarts and the feelings they experienced there. Pearl was relieved to see that Tom hadn't changed that much. He was still power-hungry, but he wasn't as horrible and intolerable as she had predicted he would be.
"Mommy, where did Daddy go?" Bridget, who had been sitting at the end of the long table colouring, looked up at her mother suddenly.
"You know where he is, honey. He's at work." Bridget went back to colouring, a concerned look on her face, leaving Pearl worried. Tom had been leaving the house at the same time every day ever since they came here; why did Bridget find it so difficult to understand where he was today. The distressed look on her daughter's face was enough to drive Pearl outside the manor where she stood for several minutes, trying to debate why she was here. Then without thinking, she left the property, without her jacket, and walked towards Hogsmeade.
She knew it couldn't be too far. Using her incredible sense of direction, she managed to find her way to the small village, only to find it in a complete uproar. People were running and hiding in fear. Frightened faces peered out from alleyways and children were sobbing. Looking around, Pearl noticed that there was a small group of Death Eaters clustered around a body on the ground. Walking towards them at a rapid speed, ignoring the calls of, "Get out of the way, miss!" she came across Tom staring down at a small girl, writhing in pain. Tom's wand was aimed directly at the girl's throat and Pearl tried to drown out the sounds of her whimpers of pain as Tom muttered the curse words every wizard and witch feared.
There was a flash of blinding green light and the girl stopped writhing. She lay still, her eyes closed peacefully. Pearl wasn't sure who was screaming, but they sounded awfully upset. It wasn't until a Death Eater clasped her by the shoulder that she realized the scream was coming from her. She turned to Tom, furious.
"How could you?" she shrieked, making the Death Eaters move forward, advancing on her, their wands outstretched. Tom held his arm out, preventing them from moving further.
"How could you?" she asked again, more quietly this time. "She was just a little girl. What did you have to kill her for?"
"This girl, Pearl, was the only daughter of Bruce McKellen. She witnessed me killing her parents and I killed her, too, to put her out of her misery." His voice was so calm that it made Pearl want to scream in frustration. She felt like running at him and physically hurting him until he wasn't able to move. She looked down at the limp body on the ground and began to sob. If Tom was capable of doing this to a little girl, couldn't he do it to his own daughter? The very thought chilled her to her bones and suddenly she realized what she had done.
She had not given her daughter the life she wanted. She had introduced her to the face of danger. Pearl was wrong; Tom had changed. He had become more manipulative and frightening. She couldn't stay here with him. "I'm leaving, Tom," she said quietly, to the ground. "And I'm taking Bridget with me. I was wrong. You are a different person from the one I knew at Hogwarts. You're sick and twisted and demented and you should be locked up."
"Mommy!" Pearl turned towards the call to see Bridget, followed by Hilda, running through the streets. Pearl lifted her arms towards her daughter, but felt a staggering pain hit her body. Hilda's screams rang out and Tom lowered his wand.
"That's one," he said, advancing on Bridget. Hilda tried to intervene but the Death Eaters held her back. "Time for the second one," Tom said, aiming his wand at Bridget. She was bent over her dead mother, sobbing hysterically.
"Daddy, please." Bridget's voice was weak, and Tom felt a deep feeling of regret. But no matter how bad he felt, no one could interfere with his plans. He raised his wand and seconds later, his daughter lay beside her mother on the pavement, lifeless.
Hilda dropped to the ground heavily and began crying. Several of the witches and wizards who had been hiding in alleys took this opportunity to run without being noticed. The village of Hogsmeade emptied quickly as Hilda's sobs grew louder. Panic began to ensue outside the village and Hilda knew that it was only a matter of time before the Ministry came to clean up. In the center of all the emotions of panic and disarray, Lord Voldemort stood, clutching his wand, a sincere grin on his twisted face.