Wow, thank you so much for the reviews. When I introduced Sherlock, I had no idea that he would be this popular. I had originally not planned much for him, but it would be a waste to leave a his character alone so he will appear again in the future. The comments are really uplifting to see after a long day that people are reading my story. I will try to expand on the world a bit because I feel like that JK Rowling had built a great setup in the original books with the reveal of parts of Dumbledore's history but few people have really taken advantage of that. I apologise for any spelling and grammatical mistakes, as English is not my first language and I have no beta reader. Thank you all so much for reading.
To UnknownWriter3513, your question will be answered soon.
To everyone else, thank you for reading again, and if it is possible, please review. Thank you!
Chapter 18 What happened in 1880?
1895
Seraphina POV
It has been a few months after commencing of the Muggleborn Adjustment Programme, or the Map, an oddly fitting abbreviation. We have just started our fourth year. I owe Albus yet another chocolate frog. For the exams, we tied in Runes, Arithmancy and history, I won in Charms, Astronomy and Defence, he won in transfiguration, Herbology, Care and Potions. It's funny how it has become a sort of tradition for us to bet against each other on our grades with chocolate frogs. They aren't even that tasty, although victory does make them ever so sweet.
During the holidays, I brought books on martial arts and tried my best to practice them in my tiny apartment. It was difficult, but I was careful not to hurt myself. I started small, simply stretching, running and basic cardio. I need to get myself into top shape first, starting to regret not thinking to do that sooner. By the end of the summer, I was starting on a branch of Chinese Kung Fu known as Wing Chun, learning the Chinese language in the process through an old master who was stuck in London and running out of money. It was hard. But I know it will be useful in the future. It is weird to think that I am almost the age I was before I first got here again.
…At least, I think so, I can't remember it clearly anymore.
My plan went without a hitch. Soon enough, the muggleborns' behaviour began to change. They were still loud, but they had begun to understand that they were literally in an entirely different world. And have finally realised, with some mortification that they waltzed in like they actually owned the place. Honestly, I am surprised that my plan even worked so well. It was just an idea that came to me while I was talking to Athena. I just wanted to try musical casting, I tried sending the image of a water droplet as it moves through the water cycle through my song, I never thought it would be that powerful. I stopped because a kid ran into my door, with a dazed look on his face, like a moth into a lamp. I might have overpowered that one spell.
Oops.
But I digress, my plan came along quite nicely, the Slytherins were taking the muggleborns under their wing. Even if they did not intend to do so exactly. While I suspect most Slytherins joined initially just to show off their superiority, they warmed up to the muggleborns rather quickly, kind of helps that the muggleborns were behaving like lost puppies. So the last source of the rumours against Slytherins were quenched…Except for Aberforth and some of his friends, but he only has a thing against me anyways. So not too big of a deal. The Gryffindors still harbour resentment and distrust towards the Slytherins and vice versa. But I can't solve a thousand year old grudge in three years.
I walked up the stone steps to the Great Hall for breakfast, pleased to see groups of muggleborns following some Slytherins who were patiently explaining something to them in the corridors. Walking over to the Slytherin table, I dropped into a seat opposite of Arcturus.
"Good morning." He greeted me.
"Good morning, where are the others?" I asked, while grabbing some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast onto my plate.
"Hesper and Lestia are late as usual. Alvis is sleeping in."
I nodded. It was not too unusual for them to miss breakfast on a Saturday. Suddenly, one of the skylights darkened, as dozens of owls went flying through. I continued eating, keeping an eye out for my copy of the Daily Prophet. After grabbing the bound paper as it was dropped above my head, I placed it onto the table and continued eating.
A much older and unbalanced post owl crashed into a hanging banner, attracting the attention of the few people present in the Great Hall. The letter on its side is quite a ways thicker than normal. I pity whoever the owl is a messenger for.
To my surprise, the owl hobbled over towards the Slytherin table. I can't imagine any Slytherin willing to be humiliated by such an owl, it is risky to let other families gain an idea of financial weakness after all. Every little thing in Slytherin is politics, which is why everyone here is so much more reserved than in other houses, one wrong word and you can accidentally topple your standing and your family alliances. It is kind of thrilling too, like walking on the edge of a razorblade, but also good practice for if I do end up on the dark lord path. My eyes left it as it hobbled past me. It's rude to stare afterall.
SQUAWK!
I looked up, and found a pair beady eyes with milky cataracts staring back at me. The owl indignantly Squawked again, pompously sticking out a shaking leg. I raised an eyebrow. Who on Earth would send a letter to me? Through such a terrible owl no less? Just as I reached out to untie the letter, the bird lost its balance, face planting into the bowl of butter.
Arcturus snorted at the sight. Rolling my eyes, I wandlessly levitated the bird, using my wand to cast a vanishing spell on the butter stuck on its feathers. The bird squawked indignantly, flapping its wings. I cast a severing charm at the leather string tying the thick letter to its leg, which promptly fell into my hand. Seeing the letter in my hand, the bird gave one last squawk before flying off, barely missing the wall a few times before finally making it out the window.
"Who is that from?" Arcturus asked curiously.
I picked up the plain letter. No wax seal. Not parchment either. Instead, it felt like normal paper. I guess it must be from a person not living in the magical world. A squib. Sherlock Holmes then.
"An acquaintance." I replied.
Conjuring a letter opener, I sliced open the top, expecting a long and heavy letter. To my surprise, I pulled out a dozen pages of messy notes, and a few news clippings, placing them onto the table.
I picked up the top one.
Miss Astrum,
Per your request, I have conducted some investigation. The package contains the details regarding the life of your mother shortly before your birth and the entirety of my investigation. Imagine my surprise when it was closely tied to an unsolved murder of a young runaway Earl. Thank you for bringing such an interesting case to my doorstep.
S. Holmes
I raised an eyebrow. Murder? My mother was involved in a murder? Waving my wand, I packed the notes back into the envelope and finished my breakfast in silence, heading for my room once I was done. I am not risking reading that and revealing my emotions where people can see me. I brushed past Athena just as she entered the hall. She was mildly surprised and amused at my rushed state.
"Good luck on whatever you're researching!" She called behind me.
"Thanks!" I called as I continued my speed walk.
Once I reached my dorm, I locked the door behind me with a few locking curses. I quickly conjured a large cork board, then layered both sides with sticking charms. Opening the envelope once more, I levitated all the clippings and their corresponding notes next to each other onto the board. The result looked like the work of a conspiracy theorist. I started with a random clipping.
April 3rd, 1881
ELDEST SON OF EARL HENRY FOUND MURDERED IN EAST HILL
In a shocking revelation yesterday, the constables received an anonymous tip from East Hill. Their investigation resulted in the discovery of the decaying corpse of a young man, amongst clear signs of a fight and explosion with a thin broken wooden stick stuck inside his heart. The man was later identified as the missing Henry Reinhart Jr. Witness statement claims that a white ghost covered in blood was seen fleeing the scene.
"We don't know what kind of monster would murder the young man in this manner, but we are doing our best to bring the murderer to justice." Officer Broderick said in the statement.
While the identity of the white ghost remains unknown, other witnesses report seeing Henry Reinhart Jr going home with a blonde woman, who was not seen at the scene of crime.
Snapped stick could be wand, explosion a result of magic? White ghost could be a witch in nightgown, unplanned murder? Potential lover's quarrel. Matching description of the 'White thief' also known as Selena Astrum.
Attached to the clipping was the photo of a regal young man. With jet black hair, high cheekbones and sharply angled, almond shaped eyes. He looked pompous and regal. Aristocratic.
My mind whirled. My mother killed a man? Steeling myself, I kept reading the next piece of information.
June 18th, 1881
WHITE THIEF STRIKES AGAIN!
In the early hours of morning, in Borough Green, a baker reported seeing a white ghost steal a loaf of bread before running at the sight of the baker…
Her path seems oddly random, like she had no idea where she was going….
I spent the day reading every clip and every note sent by Sherlock Holmes. The man is truly talented in his field. Making connections where no one else would.
Slowly, the entire tale became clear.
Towards the end of 1880, Lady and Lord Astrum caught a very bad case of dragon pox. They passed away sometime in December of the same year. Distraught, the 20-year-old Selena Astrum fled to muggle London to escape the magical world, where her parents just died, wandering the muggle world in search of relief for months. In her vulnerable state, she stumbled upon a man in a muggle bar. The man was none other than Henry Reinhart Jr. Who wanted to escape his duties for a while before taking up the mantle of a Lord.
The two who were both running away from their problems quickly hit it off, moving in together in an inn in London. Reinhart's parents caught up with him two weeks later. Wanting to continue his prolonged holiday, Reinhart convinced Selena to move with him to a foreign town. The two moved into a flat in East Hill, not bothering with disguises where no one knew who they were. Reinhart lived off the surrounding land, hunting.
All was well until Reinhart returned early from one of his overnight hunting trips one day. Selena, a pureblood lady who had never had to clean a day in her previous life, resorted to magic to manage the house, always hiding all evidence before Reinhart returned home. Reinhart, who had returned early that day, saw Selena performing magic, enchanting the dishes to prepare a cup of hot cocoa for her sleepless night. Remembering his Catholic upbringing, Reinhart immediately accused Selena of being a witch, deceiving him through tricks and potions.
Panicking and in fear of the Statue of Secrecy, Selena tried to Obliviate Reinhart, only to be tackled by a fearful and crazed Reinhart. In the resulting scuffle, Reinhart snapped Selena's wand, resulting in an explosion that tore the house apart. Thinking that Selena was attacking him, he tried to strangle Selena, enraged. Scared and now defenceless, Selena grabbed the broken stump of her wand, and shoved it in Reinhart's heart. Killing him.
Realising what she has done, Selena tried to flee the scene. But without a wand, she cannot apparate, and in her love ridden haze, Selena never noticed the direction back towards London.
So she fled on foot.
Without any form of preparation and terrified of people hunting for her, she travelled from town to town in a half-crazed state. Stealing food and water whenever she needed.
What she did not realise was that she was pregnant.
As time passed, Selena moved through various towns randomly, never going in the same direction twice in fear of discovery, treading an erratic path. She soon realised that she was pregnant, as her stomach became more swollen while the rest of her grew thinner.
She travelled for months, hiding as the days became colder, and her belly swelled even more. She knew she was pregnant, and for too long. At ten months of her pregnancy, she began heading towards larger towns, at risk of discovery.
Eventually, on that fateful, freezing first night of December, Selena stumbled onto the doorsteps of Angel's Haven Orphanage, in Swanley, where she gave birth. Naming her child with her last breath, she departed from this world.
I was completely silent after reading through the information. The enchanted window showing the outside world had grown dark. At least now I know who my parents were. Hearing the knocking on the door, I wandlessly packed up all the information back into the envelope, hiding it in the depths of my trunk and vanishing the board before unlocking the door and face planting into my bed.
"Seraphina, are you okay?" Athena asked.
"Yes." I replied monotonously, I am still processing my parent's information, and I most certainly do not want to share just yet.
Sighing, I waved my hand, the curtains drew shut around me.
"I am here to talk if you want me." Athena offered in a hopeful voice.
"Thanks. I'm just tired. Good night." I replied. Despite my head being too filled to even think about sleep.
"Good night."