It had taken a while before Roxanne had stopped pestering and in Rodrick and practically everyone else's opinion stopped smothering Daphne over the whole fire whiskey event. At the end of it all, Daphne didn't actually get into much trouble for the simple fact she'd drank with Rodrick around to make sure nothing happened, there really wasn't much danger in that regard.

The fact Astoria had practically pouted out her parents to help make sure her sister got no punishment definitely had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

On a completely unrelated note, Daphne couldn't complain about Astoria's eating habits for the next year.

In all the commotion surrounding the fire whiskey event the adult's had failed to notice Rodrick buying a book on Apparition.

The family had reached the Greengrass Manor before Cyrus had finally decided to give Rodrick the news, in the form of an envelope.

Rodrick blinked as he read through the letter penned to him by Sirius Black although the handwriting looked suspiciously similar to his defense professors...

"Black wants me to visit some sort of gathering of sorts?" Rodrick asked as he handed over the letter to Daphne. As he looked up towards Cyrus he found the man nodding along.

"I believe the gathering is supposed to be for tomorrow, it'll last for a couple days, you'll be back here before Christmas of course," Roxanne added from the side, she was currently sitting on one of the chairs surrounding the large table, Astoria in her lap.

"Who else will be there?" Daphne questioned curiously, she turned towards the house elf before taking the drink and thanking it.

"It didn't say," Cyrus frowned.

"Probably Harry's friends and their family." Rodrick shrugged as he swept over towards an empty chair. He sighed as he sat down contemplating whether he should go or not. A thought however quickly came up to him.

"Can Daphne come with me?" Rodrick questioned quickly, the girl's eyes widened slightly before she turned to her parents.

The two adults eyed each other at that wondering what to answer. "It didn't say you couldn't bring a guest with you I suppose,"

Cyrus stroked his chin before he sighed and agreed to let his oldest daughter go, "Of course I expect you to behave," He heard his wife add.

Daphne quickly nodded somewhat excited at that causing her parents to shake their head in amusement.

"I want to go to Luna's house then," Astoria spoke up.

A frown marred Cyrus face at his younger's proposal which in turn made the girl grin as she knew it meant he was letting her go.

"It seems the children are trying to get away from us dear," Roxanne remarked amusedly.

Cyrus shook his head, "And here I went through the trouble of getting a holiday,"

Roxanne smirked at her husband before walking up to him and whispering something in his ear.

The two third year's watched it curiously before they almost jumped back at the sudden change in Cyrus's face.

"I am sure Mr. Lovegood won't mind," there was a cheerful tone to his voice, one that seemed to make Roxanne shake her head at him.

Rodrick blinked once before muttering "Perks of having a pretty wife huh" causing the adults and Daphne to look flustered while Astoria simply asked what he meant. Rodrick adopted a grin as he went towards her, about to tell her before he heard everyone cry out a resounding "No!"

He shook his head and was about to turn before his eyes widened slightly when he noticed a secondary chord surrounding Astoria's heart... Unlike the rest this one wasn't entirely white, there were strands of red going around it... He shook his head and the sudden display disappeared. 'Maybe this necklace was a bad idea...'

...

That night, as Rodrick was about to turn in for the night, he heard his door creak open. Lifting his head, his gaze quickly landed on Daphne. She swept over towards his bed and jumped in sitting beside him.

"Hello," she spoke up grinning at him.

Rodrick raised an eyebrow at her wondering why she was so cheerful. "Are you ok?"

Daphne rolled her eyes at him before she spoke up again. "You heard my parents this morning," she had a bright smile etched onto her face.

"You look far to excited about visiting The Black Family home," he remarked.

Daphne stared at him for a few seconds. "I meant before that, idiot,"

Rodrick chuckled at her "I wonder what they'll think if they find you here"

A flustered look took over the 14 year old before she quickly schooled her expression "What are the odds of them actually blaming me for it though," there was an amused tone to her voice which quickly disappeared as soon as Rodrick reminded her of the fire whiskey event.

The two wound up talking about the upcoming visit to Sirius Blacks home before Daphne brought the subject back to earlier.

"You weren't serious right..." she started, her voice somewhat apprehensive. "About saying no," she finished.

Rodrick started laughing at the face shed made which earned him a slap and a glare from her. He levelled a hand towards the locket around her neck before speaking. "If I was I would've never given you this," he smiled at the girl next to him.

Daphne face cheered up before she grabbed him into a hug.

Rodrick wasn't expecting the sudden shock he got out of it. It was only at that moment did he remember the cursed hollow surrounding his neck. For that split second time seemed to sit still. His sight was covered in darkness.

...

Rodrick vision quickly cleared up... He found himself standing in the middle of what looked like a city. His eyes widened as he realised the level of magic that inhabited it. It was overflowing in an abundance of magic. He could feel it seep into his very bones. Shaking him. Looking around he found incredible buildings that reached into the sky, the colours were as large in variety as the headmaster's choice of clothing... Which really said a lot in its own way. His eyes widened as he saw clusters of magic flowing through the city easily.

It was an entirely magical place... Buildings all around him easily moved along with magic, roads were crystal clear and clean. Sweeps scoured through keeping the place in check. There was an abundance of greenery decorating the metropolitan looking area and in the distance his eyes landed on the most beautiful castle he'd ever seen. Hogwarts may have had a beauty in its ancient looking design but the one his eyes landed on had a more modern look to it.

He could never have imagined the level of magic displayed in front of him... It was almost a fantasy to experience. The quality of magic shown outclassed that of Hogwarts and the quantity... Simply made it impossible. It was almost as if it was a world filled to the brim with magic. A world where muggles had never existed... He knew a place like this couldn't exist... it was simply incomprehensible. That thought alone could break him.

He walked through the city, wonder and astonishment lined his eyes... it looked like there was no end to it. A screech made him quickly turn before his eyes widened in shock as they landed on a flying creature... it looked like a dragon only... It had no arms... Instead it had claws etched to its wings. There was a large number of the creature as they flew across the spiralling city without a care in the world. He looked around and his eyes landed on other magical creatures. Ones he'd never even heard of...

He quickly came to a single startling realization however. He was the only human in the area. There was no sign of any other person aside from himself. That thought made him squirm slightly. Before he could contemplate further however...

He blinked as he took in the single object lay unceremoniously in front of him on the ground... It was the book. The book of the hollows. Opened to the first page. He read the title. He'd opened up the book to the first chapter and for a strange reason felt a shudder.

The title itself should not have had any effect on him really... He'd never actually seen it before and yet he couldn't help it.

The tale of the four brothers

He had no idea what it stood for. When he crouched intent on picking it up however the pages suddenly flipped through surprising him, as soon as his hands touched the book. His eyes widened in shock as he read through the title of the current chapter.

The tale of Gellert Grindelwald

He could feel his heart beat harder and faster. Could feel his hands shake as he traced the wording on the book wondering what secrets hid behind them... However as soon as he made an attempt to read the first word. The book snapped shut on his hands. He winced in the pain. He looked down and found it open once again... At another page... The title stilled him... He was frozen in shock as he read through the next tale... It was... Well... He didn't know how to describe it. 'what the hell is this supposed to mean!?'

The tale of Rodrick Grindelwald

He didn't know how long he'd stood there... Staring at the pale dark words... Words that supposedly controlled his short lived life... He made no attempt to move... Nothing at all. When he blinked however the book had disappeared. In its place stood a shadow. No, not a shadow. A cloaked figure. Rodrick squinted trying to make out the features on the things face to no avail.

"who are you?" Rodrick questioned the pale shadow in front of him. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach. He knew who it was... Some thing just stood out... Some thing about the thing in front of him just screamed the answer in his face.

Rodrick was staring at the figure of death.

He made no reaction when the cloaked shadow lowered his head in agreement to his thoughts.

He made no reaction when the figure drew out the four hollows and laid them at the floor in front of him.

He made no reaction when death bowed in front of him.

"Where am I?" Rodrick questioned the pale horsemen.

"My home."

Rodrick narrowed his eyes at that. "Where is your home?"

The answer he received would stick with him for the rest of his life. An answer that shook him to his core. He knew then and there that it was no fantasy world he imagined. He knew there that he would not read that cursed book any time soon. For the simple word of location shattered everything he'd ever believed of the world he'd lived in.

"Many have tried and failed to master the hollows..." the pale rider spoke in a language Rodrick had never heard before and yet somehow understood.

Rodrick understood the shadows meaning... He expected him to follow in the list of failures.

"I don't want anything to do with the hollows,"

Rodrick flinched as he saw a glimpse of the shadows face... A glimpse of his smile.

"Which is why you will succeed,"

Before he could ask for the pale riders meaning however the world quickly dissolved and Rodrick found himself back in his bed room, embraced by the girl in front of him. Letting go he gave the girl a wane smile before remaking his need for sleep.

Daphne stared at him curiously, wondering what was wrong before she simply nodded and left for her room. If there was a problem he'd tell her. However there was a nagging part that wondered if she could help him with this one.

Rodrick stared at his ceiling. Trying and failing to find the drive to read the cursed book... It would no doubt give him his answers...

He sighed when he settled for ignorance... His grandfather had been right after all... This was nothing like a simple matter of killing and he definitely wasn't ready for it... He settled for the book of curses instead of hollows and read through the last spell his grandfather had ever shown him... Once again squirming when he read through its effects.

It really was one screwed up spell... The unforigveables didn't hold a candle to it.