Event: Rowing: Coxed 8

Prompt: Angel

Character: Bathilda Bagshot

Chocolate Frog: Silver - Bathilda Bagshot - Challenge - Write about Bathilda and her relationship with Gellert Grindelwald

Word Count: 1010


My Angel

Bathilda sat across from the headmaster of Durmstrang with a smile on her face.

It had been less than twenty four hours since she had received an owl from the man in front her requesting a face to face meeting with her. The only snippet of information she had was that it had something to do with her darling nephew.

"Ms Bagshot," he began, looking everywhere except directly in her eyes.

"Bathilda please," she insisted. "There's no need for such formalities."

"Okay, Bathilda," he said. "I guess I should start by explaining exactly why I've called this meeting with you."

"Yes, that would be much appreciated; your owl mentioned something about my nephew, Gellert," she answered. "Is my little angel alright?"

The headmaster bit his lip and Bathilda noticed that he had a look of worry in his eyes.

"Headmaster, my nephew? What's happened?" she asked.

"It's difficult," the headmaster started. "You see, Gellert has been a—disruptive influence on the other students."

"No, no, that cannot be right," Bathilda refuted. "Gellert is an angel. He is the most well behaved child I know. And believe me headmaster, I have known a lot of children in my time."

"Maybe the old Gellert was," the headmaster said. "But ever since his parents passed away last year, it's as though he's become a different boy."

"Of course he's going to be different, his parents are dead!" Bathilda exclaimed. "But he still the same angelic boy he always was."

"Ms Bagshot, I'm afraid you have blinkers on when it comes to that boy."

"I most certainly do not!" Bathilda cried.

"Ms Bagshot, your nephew cursed several members of the student body—"

"An attempt to help them learn, I'm sure," Bathilda stated, cutting the headmaster off.

"Really, Ms Bagshot, you're going to defend the usage of an unforgivable curse on several other students?" the headmaster asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Did you witness this alleged occurrence?"

"No—"

"Then how can you be sure that my angel of a nephew committed this offence? Has he even had an opportunity to defend himself?"

"The other children involved are some of the most honest and genuine that I have ever had the pleasure of teaching," the headmaster said.

"So in other words no," Bathilda stated, raising an eyebrow at the man. "Where is Gellert now?"

"For the safety of the other children, he is being roomed separately from them and he has been confined there until further notice, without his wand."

"How dare you segregate him from the other students!" Bathilda exclaimed feeling appalled, jumping to her feet. "I would like to see my nephew. Immediately!"

"An excellent idea, Ms Bagshot, Gellert should be here for the next bit," the headmaster said in an even voice, clapping his hands together to summon his personal house-elf, who appeared almost instantaneously with a quiet 'crack'. "Ahh Perky, please could you fetch Master Grindelwald from his room."

"Perky will go straight away," the house-elf answered with a bow, before disappearing from the office with a 'crack'.

Bathilda paced the width of the office whilst they waited for the arrival of her nephew. With every passing moment, she could feel her annoyance and displeasure with the headmaster grow. She could barely bring herself to look at him let alone exchange words with the man who was attempting to sully the name of nephew.

By the time Perky the house-elf arrived back at the office with Gellert, Bathilda was fast approaching boiling point.

"Knock knock," rang the angelic voice of her nephew Gellert. "You wanted to see me, headmaster. Aunt Bathilda, what are you doing here?"

"Take a seat, Gellert," the headmaster instructed.

"A please would be nice," Gellert muttered, throwing himself into the chair

"Excuse me?" the headmaster asked, rising to his feet.

"I believe my nephew was reminding you of you manners, headmaster," Bathilda snapped, offering her sweet nephew a smile. "It's called common courtesy, as is listening to everyone's side of the story before dishing out undeserved punishments."

"Well said, Aunt Bathilda," Gellert cheered. "Stick it to the man."

"Shut up you insolent child," the headmaster cried. "I have had just about enough of you and your backchat, but most of all I have had enough of seeing you in my office every other day for breaking the school rules. I have tolerated your diabolical behaviour for long enough, and the most recent event is the last straw. I cannot be seen to allow a child who freely using unforgivable curses on fellow students remain in my school."

The headmaster's gaze shifted from Gellert to Bathilda.

"It is at this point I come to the reason for asking you here today Ms Bagshot," the headmaster stated. "I am left with no other choice but to expel Gellert. I want you to take your angel of a nephew from this school immediately. You will find that his belongings are all packed and sitting just outside the door."

"Excuse me?" Bathilda seethed. "Are you having a laugh, headmaster?"

"No. Please leave," he said waving his hand in a dismissive way.

"Oh, don't you worry, we're going to leave. Quite frankly, I wouldn't want to leave my nephew in this school a second longer than I have to, but first I have a few things to say."

Bathilda took a deep breath and offered her nephew a smile.

"You, sir, are a completely incompetent and disgraceful headmaster. You have victimised my darling nephew without cause or reason. You are making unfounded accusations and it is unbecoming of someone the students here look to for guidance. I cannot and will not allow this to stand. By the time I am done with you, you'll be lucky if you can a job as a cleaner. Your name will be worth nothing in the wizarding world."

Bathilda stalked over to the headmaster's desk and claimed her nephew's wand, before spinning on the spot and walking towards the door.

"Come Gellert, we are leaving. You'll get a much finer education from me anyway."