Chapter XXIV: You choose.
Cypres the Awakened was a very good hisser. He hissed the language with his hissing brothers and wrote it with them.
He wrote the Codex in the language of serpents on the leaves of the serpent tree in the ink of his blood.
Page 3.
Eddy had an outburst as soon as they got back to Selsey. The moment they had Apparated in front of the house, seeing the disappointed and mortified look of his guardians that Charm was dead, Eddy had completely lost control.
He has not been able to explain anything, and he exploded a second before weakness almost literally mowed him down. He only woke up after a week and had not really regained use of his legs since. He spent most of his time asleep and comatose, but perhaps that was mainly to avoid meeting Tina's eyes when she came to bring him food. He hadn't seen Newt since his return to the Cottage and would have been unable to even look at him.
Charm was dead because of him, and every time he thought about it, his organs liquefied inside him as if they had been put through acid. It was excruciating and painful. Eddy thought back to the day he met Charm while he was still trapped in Obscurus form; he was the one who managed to turn him back into human form. Just with a little paw and a meow, he had awakened all that was left of humanity in him and saved him. And Eddy hadn't managed to save him in return. Riddle had tortured and murdered him without remorse, and his old Kneazle was gone forever.
In his bed, Eddy curled up against the mattress and pulled the blanket up to his eye level to hide his tears. They rolled from his eyes to his cheeks on their own, and Eddy no longer had the strength or the desire to stop them. If crying was one of the only things that could ease his pain without exploding, then he was ready to cry for the rest of his life.
There was a knock at the door just as he was settling into his lugubrious thoughts. Eddy peeked out from under the blanket and froze when he saw Newt at the entrance to his room.
"You know, by hiding, we don't disappear. It's the memory that others have of us that disappears," Newt said gently as he entered the room.
To calm himself down, Eddy quickly dried his tears before emerging from the sheets. He didn't know what face to display to his guardian.
"I'm not going to disappear," he whispered. "Not immediately."
Newt gave him a small smile, wrinkling the lines around his mouth, and he sat down delicately at the foot of his bed. Eddy was troubled by his guardian's attitude.
"Theseus and his companion should arrive soon," Newt told him. "Are you going to stay in this room all the time?"
The arrival of Theseus was the least of his worries, but the question presented did not really admit a negative answer. Eddie shook his head.
"I'm starting to feel my legs, but I'm having trouble walking," he murmured. "For Charm-."
The words left his mouth again without him being able to explain.
"I know it was Mr. Riddle who killed Charm. I know he has done you a lot of harm," his guardian replied with a low tone. "I have just returned from the Ministry and was interviewed by the Commission concerning the Obscurial Law."
Eddy sat up abruptly on the cushions. With all his pain and shame, he had completely forgotten that the ministry had a law review during the summer to rule on his case. The teenager glanced at the old man's grey eyes and saw enough sadness in them to understand that things were not going his way.
"He reported that you attacked Charm and one of your comrades. I know this is false, but the Minister was very concerned."
In other words, it was a safe bet that this law would be passed, and then what would happen to him was very unclear. The two exchanged glances and shared the same concerns.
"Lally has a colleague in Castelobruxo; she sent us the registration papers. We'll look at this together. It is not good for you to stay in this country for too long."
Eddy would have had dozens of things to retort, but fatigue and guilt finished his rhetoric as soon as it had been formulated in his head. Maybe Newt and Tina were right, and he would be better off there? At least he wouldn't do harm under orders or because of a black mage.
He nodded vaguely, while below the cottage we heard the voices of Tina and Theseus.
"We'd better get down." Newt smiled. "You know Tina. If we don't come and help her, we're both going to have a hard time."
Eddy nodded limply, but his tutor widened his smile. He felt that nothing was completely finished, but that for once things had been sorted out between them. Newt delicately came to take his shoulder to help him get up, and Eddy did so. His legs struggled to listen to him; he felt weak and muddy, but the old man's firm hand helped him put one foot in front of him.
As they descended the steps at the bottom of the stairwell, the silhouettes of Tina and Theseus were clearly discernible in the small living room.
"Did you have a nice trip? You both look tired! I haven't finished lunch yet; how about you go get some rest?"
"We are not sugar-coated, Mother," Theseus grumbled, blushing a little.
He stopped when he noticed Eddy and his father a few steps away from him.
"Hello, Father," Theseus said slowly, frowning. "Hi, Edward."
"Hello, Theseus," Newt replied gently, coming to shake his son's hand.
Eddy held on to the stairwell to keep from falling as father and son greeted each other. The teenager noticed behind Tina a little witch. She was a small woman with bobbed hair, plump, and Asian with very gentle features. She gave a little cough so that Theseus would introduce her.
"Oh, uh, Father, Edward, this is Wendy Li. Wen, after my mother, here are my father and my brother."
"Theseus has been so discreet about you," Wen began. "It's an honour to meet you, Mr. Scamander!" whispered the young woman as she came to shake Newt's hand. "I studied at Ilvermorny with your books; they were my favourites."
"Delighted too. You're welcome, Wendy," Newt replied.
The little woman pulled away and literally melted into Eddy's arms, too shocked to react. He glanced at Theseus, who had a little pout. Theseus never considered Eddy his brother, and to be called by him in those terms was deeply confusing.
"Theseus told me a lot about you, Edward. I'm delighted to finally meet you. Call me Wen."
"Only if you call me Eddy," countered the teenager, breaking the embrace.
The young woman gave him a magnificent smile before going to find her fiancé. After these outpourings, there was a moment of hesitation in the light wooden living room before Tina clapped her hands.
"Let Wendy and Theseus take their things up there. In the meantime, Newt, can you set the table outside? Eddy, come to help me peel the potatoes."
"I only just left my room," the teenager grumbled. "My legs are barely holding on."
"Exactly," said Tina, just as dryly. "Sit down; your hands are still usable, according to the latest news. I have two kilos to peel, and some help would not be superfluous."
At this injunction, Theseus chuckled as he grabbed the luggage to carry it upstairs. Eddy, escorted by Tina into the kitchen, carried out his dirty work. One would have thought that the situation had been resolved and thawed by the arrival of these two guests. But while the teenager was peeling the potatoes with a peeler, he felt Tina's gaze on the back of his neck. When he turned around, his guardian pretended to stir her pan with an annoyed pout.
Lunch passed without incident, as did the following days. Theseus changed a lot with Wendy's company. The young woman worked as a Judge at MACUSA, and if she had the same passion as Theseus for paperwork, she was also very funny. Sometimes, she froze mid-conversation and cracked a joke that would either cause discomfort or laughter. The most amusing thing was seeing Theseus's expression when the joke concerned him, and he no longer knew how to hide his blushing. Tina had literally adopted Wen and spent her time chatting with her when she wasn't accompanying them to visit wizarding and muggle London.
Eddy, therefore, often stayed alone with Newt but didn't really complain about it. He had regained full use of his legs now and spent a lot of time helping Newt with his suitcase. It didn't make up for the lack of Charm, but at least it made him feel useful.
Newt hadn't talked about his transfer to Castelobruxo again, but Eddy had seen the papers on the desk in the living room and knew that this conversation was coming—probably that Wendy's presence was delaying this confrontation.
"Be careful with Tibine," Newt advised him. "Fire crabs don't like being too close to humans during their ovulation period."
Eddy pulled away with a small smile, thinking that Salazar had told him almost the same thing months earlier. Thinking about his friends hurt him because the solution provided by his guardians was to abandon them.
"If I go to Brazil...could I send letters to Sal and Medusa?" Eddy finally asked. "I will be careful; I will never say where I am."
"It's not a good idea," Newt admitted half-heartedly. "I know you have a lot of affection for the Riddles, but their father could hurt them if he knows you communicate with them. The best thing is to let the situation settle down; Riddle's actions will eventually be revealed."
Eddy doubted it but nodded, even gloomier. He wanted to pet Charm and bury his head in the animal's fur to forget his sadness. But Charm was gone forever.
Newt removed the bandage from Ulrick the Hippogriff's wing and watched as he fanned out his feathers with a loud croak.
"It's very good, very good. You will be able to go home soon," the old man promised. "We will fly together soon."
He stroked the animal's beak and invited Eddy to do the same. Slowly, he approached the hippogriff and bowed, waiting for Ulrick to allow him to move forward. He stroked the tip of the creature's beak before, tired of these conveniences; the hippogriff turned his back on them to eat a rat from his feeding box.
Newt's office and found that Theseus, Wendy, and Tina had returned from their visit.
"I was wondering where you two went," Tina said, taking off her overcoat. "But usually, if I can't find you, it's because you're in this suitcase."
"You know me well, Tina." Newt smiled softly as he emerged from the suitcase.
Tina cast a concerned look at Eddy while accompanying Wendy and Theseus into the living room to drink a cup of tea.
Eddy and Newt joined them. Wendy helped Tina place saucers under the steaming cups of tea and did not hide her joy at seeing the British wizarding world.
"We went to Gringotts to collect some money. Your mine-waggon system is so amusing. I didn't think collecting money could be so fun!"
"In the United States, it's simpler," agreed Theseus, who had clearly not liked Gringott's waggons.
"Where did you go today?" Newt asked, grabbing a cupcake.
"We made some purchases at Flourish and Blotts," said Theseus, "then Mother took us to visit a Muggle museum. "It was … interesting."
His parents and his girlfriend laughed at his hesitation. Eddy watched them do it with the impression of being too much in the cosy little living room.
"The Ministry is asking wizards not to crowd too much in the streets because of Grindelwald's return, Tina pointed out. I told myself that it was a solution like any other. The British Museum is one of the most beautiful museums in the world.
"It's true that you were attacked recently," Wen noted. "Merlin, thanks Him; no one died."
Theseus took some purplish notes from the pocket of his tweed jacket.
"I received tickets for the inauguration of the new Wizarding Derby by purchasing a grimoire from Flourish and Blotts. It's impressive the speed at which the English reconstruct things when it comes to betting. The inauguration is tonight."
Theseus cast a pointed glance at his father. Newt hated all social events and didn't feel very comfortable there. Therefore, Theseus hoped his father would make an effort to put stars in his girlfriend's eyes.
"I don't know," Newt began slowly. "I'm not really into horse racing."
"Me neither," Wendy agreed, "but I've never seen one. This seems to be a tradition among the British."
Eddy thought about how many times Salazar had let it slip that he often went to the Derby with his sister. Perhaps this was the last opportunity he would see them?
"I would like to go," added Eddy, who had until now remained very silent.
The four adults glanced at him, then nodded. They had three hours before the Derby started, so Tina urged them to get ready quickly. When Eddy returned to his room, Tina poked her head in as he got dressed.
"There's nothing you shouldn't tell me, Eddy?"
The teenager tightened the knot on his tie so brutally that he almost strangled himself.
"Not that I know of," he stammered.
She gave him a piercing look, as only she knew how to do, then let him get ready.
At nightfall, they apparated to Derby. It was a huge grey stone building gleaming in the faint light of the moon. From outside, we could hear the wizards' exclamations of joy as they lined up to enter the building. Ministry Aurors stood watch on either side of the Derby to prevent any attack. This vision somewhat reassured Eddy as he moved forward with Tina and Wendy. The two women had exchanged their witches' dresses for long plum-coloured evening dresses.
"Tickets," growled a dishevelled, sinister-looking wizard.
Theseus handed them to him and waited for the security guard to finish his examination. This man there, Eddy, would have put his hand to the fire and said that Mr. Riddle knew him because he observed him with amused eyes. The teenager held back a shiver as the wizard handed over the tickets.
"All is well. Good evening, gentlemen and ladies."
They had barely entered the hallway when Eddy heard the wizard lean towards another wizard and whisper.
"Notify the Master that they have arrived."
This created a vague feeling of panic within him. For a second, Eddy wanted to tell his guardians, Theseus and Wendy, to flee immediately, but he would be neither understood nor heard. However, this place inspired in him a feeling of unease so violent that everything seemed blurry. They emerged high up in front of the enormous stadium, where gigantic thestrals and abaxans with numbers painted on their backs were placed. There were shouts and excited wizards as one of the first races of the evening began. After a loud bang, the thestrals emitted a frantic neighing and galloped away, carrying with them clouds of blackish dust.
"I've never seen thestrals this fast," Newt said in surprise. "Usually it is not a species that likes speed and even less the company of wizards."
For these timid creatures to participate in the tumult of the Derby, Eddy suspected that they were forced to do so. This reinforced his worry as Wendy let out an exclamation.
"Look at this one! He's going to fly away!"
Yet barely had the cloven hooves of one of the thestrals left the dusty ground when earth's gravity suddenly caught up with him, and he collapsed with his jockey. The stands let out a cry of exclamation, and the race continued. The jockey scolded the creature, which neighed weakly as he and his mount were led away from the race. This image upset Eddy and Newt, who absolutely did not see what beauty could be found in it. Even Tina showed a grimace at the distress of the creatures, while Wen and Theseus watched the race with delight.
"Mrs. and Mr. Scamander?" called out the security guard at the entrance. "There was a problem with your tickets. "You are upgraded to the honorary box."
"Why?" Tina asked. "Why upgrade us?"
"I don't give orders," said the hairy security guard with a twisted smile. "But a world-famous celebrity like you, Mr. Scamander, is entitled to this little privilege. Please follow me; I'll escort you."
Tina and Newt glanced at each other before nodding, a little confused. Wendy and Theseus followed the movement, so Eddy complied, even more worried. As they climbed into the stands, the teenager noticed Ludo Bagman, who was with a big man who must have been his father. Bagman gave him a grimace, then, meeting the guard's gaze, looked so terrified that he was nothing more than a poor statue. This further reinforced the fear of Eddy, who was about to turn towards Tina to tell her to leave, but the security guard placed a burning, hairy hand on his shoulder.
"So you're the Obscurial? I expected you to be bigger."
"That doesn't concern you," retorted the teenager. "And who are you? How do you know that?"
"Fenrir Greyback," the other chuckled as he introduced himself. "Besides, I know you know."
As Newt and Tina watched their exchange with wide eyes, they arrived in the head box. It was on the entire top floor of the building, allowing you to see the entire Derby ground from above. Wizards in expensive clothes moved around small, intimate tables and feigned a most banal conversation. When Eddy and the Scamanders arrived, he could have sworn everyone here was expecting them. It was a strange and disturbing sensation, as if he were willingly entering a bowl of hungry piranhas.
"I'm going to take over, Greyback," the voice he wanted to never hear again in his life interjected.
Riddle, in a black satin suit, slicked back his hair with a kind smile on his face. His lightning bolt-shaped scar on his cheek lifted slightly to offer them an amused expression.
"You—" Eddy hissed immediately.
"Good evening, Mr. Lee, Scamander family, Miss Li, welcome."
Wendy turned pale and looked like she was wondering how this man knew her identity. Theseus did not know Riddle but had a protective movement towards the young woman, while Newt placed himself in front of Eddy.
"What do you want from us?" Newt asked, trying to make his voice as quiet as possible.
"Discuss. In the meantime, you are my guests at this place. Follow me."
Eddy glanced worriedly at Tina and Newt. If they acted against Riddle, what would happen here? He had already proven in the past that witnesses were not his main concern. Like automatons, Eddy and the family allowed themselves to be guided to a separate table. Eddy's heart leapt in his chest when he recognised Salazar, Medusa, and Nagini sitting at the table.
Sal had a white costume, while Medusa had donned a long dress made of pink pearls and white gold thread. She looked like a Persian princess next to Nagini in an intricate black sheath that looked grey.
"Good evening, Mr. Scamander," said the Maledictus after a moment of silence. "It's been a while."
"Nagini," Newt recognised her, "it's been over forty years... You haven't changed at all."
The witch gave a strange little smile as they sat or were forced to sit. Eddy felt a pressure on his shoulders just from Riddle's gaze and thought that his guardians, just like Theseus and Wendy, must feel the same thing.
Riddle took his place between Salazar and Medusa, who were giving him worried looks. Medusa had lost a lot of weight in recent weeks, and her face was pale and sunken. She seemed to be screaming in her head for him to go away.
"You are Headmaster Riddle," Theseus understood.
"That's right, Mr. Scamander."
"What do you want from us?" Tina asked again, grabbing Eddy's hand under the table.
"From you, Mrs. Goldstein, I want nothing. The Obscurial, on the other hand, has on many occasions piqued my interest," Riddle replied quietly.
A spotty waitress came to ask about their orders and left once Riddle had ordered for them. No one spoke anymore; Wendy and Theseus understood the terror the man inspired in them without considering the full extent of the danger. On the outside, Mr. Riddle was charming and cheerful, but anyone who had spent more than a minute in his company knew that was a lie. Eddy clenched his jaw and fists under the table. He wanted to jump at the sorcerer's throat to take away his smug smile, but this black look worried him to the point. Here, Newt and Tina were in danger, as were Theseus and his friend.
A blond man looking a lot like Lucius approached Riddle and whispered in his ear:
"The first races are almost over downstairs, Master."
"So let's move on to the main course, Abraxas."
The questioner nodded happily and went back to the back of the room, where there was a small stage lit with candles. Riddle looked at Newt:
"You testified before the commission regarding the Obscurial. Did this seem convincing to you?"
He had almost laughing eyes and a velvety smile, while Medusa and Salazar lowered their heads pitifully.
"No," Newt murmured after a delay. "But I still hope to speak to the Minister."
"He's here; we can go see him if you want," Riddle replied, pointing to Minister Tuft at a table near the stage. I invited him to a show for which he was very passionate. Consider that after the show he will be in a much better mood."
"What show?" Tina squealed despite herself.
"At this, Riddle only smiled like a Cheshire cat as the blinds of the lodge were lowered. Soon, darkness surrounded them on all sides, and an impatient silence took over the large room as if they were preparing to witness a unique event.
Suddenly, a thestral appears on the stage. Eddy recognised him by his number painted on his chest. It was the one who had fallen earlier in the race, and on its back was Mrs. Riddle. She was dressed in a long, flowing dress, revealing her skin at her hips and back. A strange music began; it was composed of the sound of drums and distant flutes. As soon as the first notes began, Mrs. Riddle came to life on the thestral and snaked her arms. His hips undulated in the darkness over the creature as it raised its head. Without giving him any orders, the animal reared back.
Mrs. Riddle followed the movement, and no sooner had her long black hair flowed towards the creature's side than they seemed linked in the darkness. The candlelight dimmed even further, Mrs. Riddle and the thestral becoming one strange entity in the dark. The shapes and counter-forms came alive to the rhythm of the drum, and this music evoked something nostalgic in Eddy. A violent impulse told him not to look at Mrs. Riddle, but he couldn't let go of the strange shape of the gaze.
"Do you know the Kalbeila?" Riddle's voice purred. "The kalbeila of the kalis is a dance that has been banned for a long time. Notably, by the Indian Ministry of Magic."
"It's a snake charmer's dance," Newt intervened quietly, who also couldn't take his eyes off Mrs. Riddle's form. "Why is it prohibited for Kalis?"
Eddy managed to tear his gaze away for a second to see his teacher with a purely joyful smile. Neither Riddle nor his children watched Mrs. Riddle dance. As if attracted by the rhythmic percussion of the music, Eddy felt almost hypnotized by the dancer on his thestral. Mrs. Riddle mastered the form of the thestral like a detached puppeteer. With each wiggle on his part, the creature followed and seemed to radiate more darkness around it. In this darkness, the counter-shapes drawn on Mrs. Riddle's hips and along her back by the black fabric of her dress seemed almost luminous in the darkness. And it looked like the face of a strange cobra of skin and clarity that totally hypnotised him. The percussions were even faster as the thestral's hooves struck the ground faster, as if in a trance. He began to spin around at full speed, striking the ground with his black hooves, and the form of Mrs. Riddle followed. Every time her face was visible in the dark, Eddy felt like he was getting flashes of light right in his retina.
The thestral reared its head back, and Mrs. Riddle's face emerged from the darkness. They had been immersed in darkness for so long that the face almost blinded Eddy, who narrowed his eyes with a mixture of fear and desire. The dance that the woman offered was most sensual, as she flowed down the side of the thestral until she found herself under the belly of the creature like a curious tightrope walker.
It looked like a snake circling its prey, and the thestral froze. It seemed as if he was incapable of moving while the black form moved, clinging to his stomach, beating the time of the instruments in small, rapid quivers. The thestral was just a blackish statue when Mrs. Riddle suddenly appeared on its head like a snake. She charmed the animal, and when Salazar gave a muffled shudder in front of him, he knew what was going to happen. Mrs. Riddle waved her arm and lowered it in front of the thestral's muzzle. The creature's wings then rose around it, forming a scaly cocoon. Mrs. Riddle appeared to exchange a kiss in the darkness, and when the wings parted, Eddy saw to his horror that the creature was literally disappearing. Slowly, as if following the rhythm of musical notes, the thestral was transformed into black dust, a film that flew away in the dancing movements of the Darkblood.
In a second, Mrs. Riddle had made the creature disappear. The candlelight flickered as she continued her little dance. She waved away and reappeared in the corner of the room, making a witch giggle, then faded into the darkness again.
She reappeared on a table not far away, offering a small graceful movement, and then, when the light flickered again, she disappeared to reappear further away, facing the minister. She undulated like a snake, facing a greedy prey, and the minister was simply unable to move. The last notes of music were heard, and Mrs. Riddle reappeared on the stage.
The light was turned back on, and Eddy thought he was literally blinded. After staring into the darkness for so long, the faint light of the lodge seemed to burn his retina. Eddy narrowed his eyes; he couldn't move or see around him properly. He noticed that this feeling was shared throughout the lodge as silence took over the place. Soon, however, applause was heard from both sides of the room as Mrs. Riddle greeted her ecstatic audience.
When Eddy succeeded in turning his head, he noticed that neither Tina and Newt nor Theseus and Wendy could move and were completely frozen between blindness and panicked fear. Because after greeting her audience, Mrs. Riddle joined them next to her husband, and it was an air of predator that she too wore. Mr. Riddle stood up and, with a strange gallantry, pulled out his wife's seat to allow her to sit down. Mrs. Riddle did so with a candid smile, no doubt very proud of her effect. As Mr. Riddle sat down again, Tina woke up.
"What does all this mean? What the hell are you playing at, by Merlin!?"
She tried to find help from her husband, who had watched the death of the thestral with catastrophe, but was no longer able to regain his footing. Sal seemed to understand this because he leaned over his glass towards Newt.
"He didn't suffer... He didn't feel anything—nothing at all anymore."
This did little to reassure him. Mr. Riddle gave his son an unforgiving look, and his wife chuckled. Nagini and Medusa remained silent, their hands crossed in front of them as if to spare themselves a painful spectacle.
"This dance only blinds those who have already plunged into darkness in the past. Judging by your expressions, this little experiment was not uninteresting. It's nice to see you and your son, Mr. and Mrs. Scamander. I prefer that you hear in person what I am about to tell you without the difficulty of an intercessor who will distort or amplify my words."
Newt grabbed Eddy's hand under the table and was observing Riddle like he had observed a dementor, with apprehension and fear. Never had Eddy felt his tutor so helpless, and this feeling made something dangerous hover while everyone was glued to the professor's lips.
"I know who you are," Newt whispered. "You won't hurt my boy."
"He has already done harm and will do it again. Your obstinacy in protecting him, even against the Ariana law currently being voted on, is a mark of naivety and credulity that I cannot tolerate any further. You hope to flee the country to take the boy to Brazil, but I must inform you that this fact is excluded. The boy stays here."
All eyes were turned towards Eddy, who felt himself turn pale as he trembled with rage and perhaps with fear. Here he was in enemy territory. The mocking looks from the room at their curious assemblage were not misleading. All these wizards were under the control of the Riddles, who would not let them escape.
"You can't forbid us anything; you're just the school principal," Tina yelled.
"And soon to be Mr. Lee's official guardian, due to my ability to master the Obscurial, something that has long been out of your hands. The law has not yet been completely passed, but the documents are ready and official."
Riddle took a piece of parchment from his sleeve and threw it carelessly onto the table. Newt slowly grabbed it as if he were afraid the paper would swallow his hand. Written in glittering letters on the whitish paper was his guardianship. Eddy was terrified, as were Newt and Tina. Theseus watched Mr. Riddle and his parents with wide eyes while his companion seemed to hold her breath to disappear as much as possible.
"All that's missing is the minister's signature, and all this will be made official," Riddle commented. "The child belongs to me, and there's nothing you can do about it. Nevertheless … I graciously leave him to you. I don't care about having one more child in my hands. You can keep him, but he answers to me from now on."
Riddle glanced at Nagini, who took out of the bodice of her dress a strange necklace that looked exactly like a dog's collar. It was a simple piece of silver metal, and a cold, black magic emanated from it. Nagini placed it on the table, and Salazar gave his father a horrified look.
"No, father-
"It's enough, Salazar. From today on, you will wear this, Mr. Lee. I will be kept informed of your movements in this way. If I call you, you will come to me."
Eddy felt so furious that he could have grabbed that awful necklace and thrown it to the other end of the room. Medusa gave him a pleading look, silently urging him to obey, for he was not alone. There was everyone he cared about around that table. Mrs. Riddle smiled slightly to see him in such distress.
"You get used to everything, Mr. Lee," the woman cooed.
Her husband gave her such a sharp look that she looked away. Eddy felt his guardians' grip become even tighter on his wrists.
"Eddy, don't take that thing! How can you be so despicable?" Tina whispered, upset. "He's just a teenager. Leave him alone."
She glanced around the area, looking for support that wouldn't come.
"I don't think you understand the situation you're in, Mrs. Goldstein," Riddle said calmly. "Your dear friend Dumbledore will soon be nothing more than a distant memory, and this country is already my possession. You no longer have control. Because that was something you wanted, wasn't it, when you adopted this little gipsy? After failing to educate your son, you found a consolation prize in this child. I am not taking the toy of your good conscience from you; I am ensuring its unwavering loyalty."
Newt stood up abruptly, having finally regained the use of his legs, but Fenrir Greyback immediately pointed his wand in the magizoologist's direction.
"You're not going anywhere," Greyback whispered.
A few guests snickered, and Eddy thought the situation was going to escalate further. The minister and his aurors, not far away, were drinking quietly without worrying about the threats uttered a few metres from them. Newt glared at the security guard, but Eddy knew he would be no match. There was nothing he couldn't do. The teenager grabbed his guardian's arm to urge him to sit down.
"Will you leave them alone if I do what you tell me?" Eddy finally let go of his lips.
"Eddy," Tina whispered.
"As I told you, Mr. Lee, I don't care about your false semblance of family. Put on this necklace."
With reluctance, Eddy approached his hand to the jewel, which gleamed blackly. He closed his fingers on the cold, icy metal under Riddle's satisfied gaze. Slowly, hating himself, he hung the collar around his neck with the horrible feeling of being a good, obedient boy. As soon as the clip was hooked, he knew he could never remove it alone. The metal weighed a tonne on his neck and almost burned him.
"Perfect," whispered the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "Now that this problem is resolved, I am speaking to the Scamander family. Theseus and his companion will soon leave this country; do not think that you are not being watched. Darkness creeps in everywhere. The same goes for you, Mrs. and Mr. Scamander. Contact anyone regarding our matter; try to leave the country, and the consequences could be very unfavourable for you."
Tina to Eddy's left could not hold back a slight worried gasp, while her son and Wen were stunned.
Mr. Riddle looked at his watch smugly, then stood up. It must have been a sort of signal because his family followed him in this movement. Salazar was trembling and had tears in his eyes, and Medusa was staring at a pearl on her dress as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
"After this most instructive conversation, I must leave you. Other matters call us to these places. But have fun; after all, you are my guests."
He left with a little satisfied smile, his hand on Mrs. Riddle's thin waist, who turned around to give Eddy a little childish wink. Nagini was the last to get up to join the Riddles. As she stood up, she quickly leaned forward and whispered to Newt:
"I am very sorry."
Then she left to join them, leaving Eddy, Wendy, and the scammers stunned and horrified in their chairs. Eddy touched the cold metal of his necklace. He was quivering with dangerous, black waves; he felt it, and that didn't bode well.
.
.
Eddy had dodged every member of the Scamander cottage in the days that followed. He spent his days hidden among the dunes, came home late at night, and scrounged something from the pantry. He wouldn't and couldn't see anyone since that Derby night.
The silence of others and the ocean surf in front of him all day was one of the only sounds he could tolerate. With the horrible necklace he now wore, his world had taken a new turn. It was no longer fighting to live; it was just hoping to grab a little freedom, the one that Riddle would like to grant him. He hated himself for thinking like that.
"You spend your time being sullen; you haven't changed."
Eddy looked up at Theseus, who was sitting near him on a dune. In his grey suit, with his tall stature and large hands, Theseus looked almost clumsy on this mound of sand. The man offered him a little half-fig, half-grape smile.
"You don't really know me; we've only seen each other four or five times in recent years," the teenager muttered.
"It's true," Theseus agreed. "But from what I know, even if you often whine, you're not a bad person. Of your own free will, I mean."
Eddy looked away and started to move, but Theseus tried to make a gesture in his direction. It was so surprising on his part that Eddy slipped off the dune slightly below. Covered with sand and a little ashamed, he got up to Theseus' sneer.
"What do you want from me? I've already ruined your trip enough."
"For being ruined, it is ruined, indeed. You see, I was afraid that it would be the parents who ruined everything, like they always had the habit of doing, but strangely, it was you."
Theseus gave a bitter little chuckle, but he didn't seem angry, on the contrary. He had a little, slightly dated smile on his long face that Eddy usually found so unpleasant.
"Come on, sit back down. I booked a portkey at 6 p.m. to go home with Wen. It would be nice if we talked like adults for once."
The pike hit him without harm. Theseus had perhaps changed, but in Eddy's opinion, he quickly remained insupportable. But groaning, he complied, telling himself that in any case, whether with him or with Tina and Newt, he couldn't escape it.
"You know, in the short time you have left to live, you have managed to get yourself into quite a mess and to get us all into this very mess. I know you're sorry that you didn't want to... But I think that's a bit of what I feared when I learned that my mother and father had decided to keep you. The expression is crude, but the first time I saw you in the suitcase, you were just a ball of black energy. To me, you weren't human, just something that was going to die sooner or later. I told myself at that moment that they were mired in problems again. They have always had this gift of finding themselves embroiled in problems bigger than themselves, with ever-stranger creatures. Billywings in the sink one morning, a niffler on the bed at night, a ghoul escaping into the garden another time-
"A clabbert who jumps on you in the shower," added Eddy, to whom a similar mishap had happened a few months earlier—and whose half-frog-half-monkey creature had traumatised him a little from the amphibians while he had clung to him with his suckers.
"Exactly," Theseus said with a vague chuckle. "And it's always been like that with them. Things breaking and exploding, and animals escaping. They are always in movement or fighting against poachers; believe me, I had enough. I needed calm; they never really understood that when I left after my diploma. When they adopted you, after you regained human form, I saw how they were with you and what I didn't have during my childhood."
"As if you were to be pitied," snapped the teenager. "I spent half the life I can remember stuffed into a suitcase."
"I'm not complaining," Theseus retorted in the same tone. "I refused what they gave me at the time because they and I were too different. We still are, in fact, but I have more or less learned to understand it."
He stopped as he visualised Wendy's silhouette leaving the cottage and walking in their direction along the shore. The sun was slowly lowering towards the horizon as the afternoon passed, and the young witch's fair skin seemed to sparkle in the sun.
"Wen helped me see things more clearly. In a way, we understand each other the way parents understand each other. That's enough for me. The other evening, I understood that when trouble comes, all we have to do is stick together because that's what family is. She would have had every reason in the world to dump me, but thanks to Merlin, she didn't."
"Do you consider me part of your family now?" Eddy asked, thinking about how he had introduced him to his friend.
"I wanted to simplify the situation for Wen, but yes, if we simplify things, now we're in trouble together. Even if you can't do anything from here, we will help you. We will find allies in MACUSA against Riddle."
"He might find out and get to you," the teenager muttered. "He said you are watched."
"I know, but there's no way I'm going to leave you with a dog collar, dammit! What is happening in this country is not normal. Other countries will be affected because this man will not stop there. We're all concerned."
Eddy thought he was right. Riddle had control of the school; he would soon have control of the country; if he didn't already have it completely and quietly, perhaps the world would follow. Wendy arrived at their level in her purple travelling dress. Theseus stood up nimbly to offer a slightly goofy smile to the young woman.
"The baggage's are ready. We should go to the Leaky Cauldron and take our portkey."
"I follow you. Are you coming, Eddy?"
The teenager didn't want to return to the cottage to face the Scamanders, but tried to be polite and decided to at least walk Theseus and Wen home. After this strange discussion, Eddy couldn't tell if he felt closer to Theseus, but he was grateful to him for not being so unpleasant. Wendy was a little tense in his presence, but what could be more normal given what she had witnessed? She seemed to be looking for something to say to fill the silence.
"If you only knew what I found while putting away your things, Tete," the young woman who was walking with Theseus in front of Eddy finally snapped. "When we get home, we do our revenge by putting away the luggage."
"Prepare your quill, Wen," Theseus said with an air of defiance that he shared with his companion.
"A revenge for what?" the teenager interjected timidly.
"Crosswords," said Wen, very seriously. "Every morning we challenge each other, and the loser does the chores."
Eddy didn't know what it was. When Wen tried to explain the concept to him, the teenager thought it was the most boring thing he had ever heard. But it seemed to spark a passion in both of them, which made him thought they had found each other well.
"In any case, despite all that, I'm happy to have met you, Eddy," smiled Wen as they arrived at the Scamander portal. "Theseus had warned me that his family could be a bit spectacular; he was right. That dirty man Riddle won't get away with this; we'll find wizards ready to fight against him."
"I hope, but be careful; if he has been so sure of himself, it is because he already has allies in the United States."
"That means that some wizards on the good side have realised that things are changing. So we have to find those who want to fight to avoid a shift," said the young judge.
She looked so confident that Eddy preferred to give up. The couple entered the garden, where Tina and Newt were waiting for them. Seeing them, Eddy made a dodging gesture before Theseus grabbed his arm to take him after him.
"I'll accompany you," said Newt. "I have to go to Diagon Alley afterwards for an errand."
The two interested parties nodded and walked towards the two old men. Tina and Newt exchanged a little knowing look, and Theseus literally pushed Eddy into Tina's hands, which closed around his shoulders like claws.
"Mother asked me to bring you back by the scruff of your neck," Theseus said to Eddy, "she said you would be less likely to see the blow coming."
As Eddy felt the burn of betrayal, Newt, Wendy, and Theseus apparated away with their luggage, and Theseus gave him a sly wink before disappearing. Eddy found himself alone with Tina and saw that the old woman had a cold, pinched expression. Since he returned from Hogwarts, Tina had been very reserved about him, but since the Derby, something had changed. Tina had shown him in the past that when she was angry, she could be so cold as to make a dementor blush. In those moments, he felt pitiful and ashamed, and in that moment, he lowered his head.
"Ulrick needs to be fed. Come."
The words could have been shouted, and they would have had the same effect. Eddy had had enough adult talk for the day, but he knew Tina wouldn't let him go.
Ulrick the hippogriff was tied to the large beech tree at the bottom of the garden. A few muggles ventured into the area, but he was still lying down and hidden behind a small bush of pinkish azaleas. Tina retrieved a jar of dead shrews from the porch and cautiously approached the creature.
She bowed just like Eddy, so Ulrick agreed to let them approach. They fed him in silence, and the teenager wondered when she would decide to talk to him. Ulrick got up and shook himself before gulping down the small rodent he was holding out to him. The old woman's gaze focused on the watch Eddy wore on his wrist.
"You know, this watch belonged to our father, Queenie, and me. She found it a few months ago in some old things. I thought it was symbolic to offer it to you in some way. From what you're going through, you could be considered an adult for a while now... but all I see is a terrified little boy, Eddy."
Eddy didn't dare respond, lowering his eyes. She was certainly right, but a part of him growled otherwise. He closed his eyes for a moment to calm this contradiction.
"Queenie read your mind the other time. She told me that you had made an unbreakable oath with your teacher and that you were forced to hide it."
He looked up abruptly at the woman; she looked stern and disappointed. Eddy weakly tried to articulate what he could say now that Tina knew:
"He abused me when I was at my weakest, after the story with the stairs. He isolated me from Sal and Med. Tina, this man is evil in person. I think... I think he's not really human anymore."
He thought back to the words that the Romni woman had spoken; she was a demon, and all his attempts to try to escape her had been bitter punishments. His eyes must have betrayed him because Tina's cold pout wrinkled into a softer look.
"I'm not mad at you, Eddy. In a way, I understand that you were desperate, and we failed to see it. What he did to you and is doing to you... I can't tolerate it; it's beyond my strength. I can't stand by and do nothing while he hurts you. I can't."
Eddy would have liked to lower his head further, hating himself for causing so much sadness in his guardian, but his neck could hardly move with the necklace. He had tried numerous times to remove it or use magic to get rid of it, but each time an electric shiver ran down his spine.
They remained silent for a moment longer. Tina caressed Ulrick, and then, with surprising vitality for an old woman, she jumped on his back. She held out her hand to Eddy to encourage him to do the same.
"Let's go for a walk; Ulrick needs to practice before we release him."
He still complied without saying a word, grabbing his guardian's wrinkled hand. He was a little annoyed to have more difficulty than Tina getting onto the animal's side, but he held on tightly to the warm chest. Once he had stabilised behind Tina, just in front of the hippogriff's enormous wings, she untied the rope around his neck. It took support from its large legs and flew away suddenly. Eddy had to hold on tightly to his guardian's waist to avoid falling backward.
Soon they were high in the sky as the sun sank further and further towards the horizon. The beach and the houses of Selsey were only small whitish and greyish dots in the countryside. The sea undulating beneath them like an immense limpid and pinkish expanse under the rays of the setting sun on the horizon. The hippogriff moved diagonally towards the sun to prevent them from being blinded. And as they moved away from the coast, it slowly descended until it was almost level with the waves.
"I would like you to know that you are not a replacement for Theseus. Never. Newt and I never thought of you that way."
"I know. Riddle said that to hurt us."
"Riddle read this fear in Theseus's mind. He told me that last night. It has, at least, had the merit of clarifying things and bringing us closer together. Perhaps this is the only good thing this man is capable of."
They were moving further and further away from the coast, which was now only a dot on the horizon. When Tina directed Ulrick with a caress on the side to make him turn obliquely. Eddy shuddered to think that they had both left England and didn't know what would happen when Riddle found out. He couldn't suppress a tremor that Tina felt.
"We are not going to go any further for the moment. The rest is up to you. You are like our son, Eddy, forever. It simply seems that we have no solutions to what is gnawing at you. Even if you're still a child, you've been in an adult world for far too long. To try to protect you, with Newt, we tried to offer you a framework or limits, if you prefer. You'll probably find it old-fashioned, but it's the most precious thing we have to offer you. To not make the same mistakes as us... or as me."
Eddy felt the old woman tense in front of him. A little inquisitive, he leaned to the side to try to see her face. The hippogriff shifted to the right and almost fell into the water as they drew wide circles in the ocean. The sun set into the sea, and they could almost see the French coast.
"What do you mean?"
"Years ago, when Grindelwald was near the height of his power, Queenie joined him," Tina began.
"What?" cried Eddy, who couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes, it's not an episode in her life that she likes to talk about, nor me, for that matter. Grindelwald was, and probably still is, very good at manipulating people. She quickly left him, thanks to your uncle Jacob. Of course you didn't know him; he died long before we adopted you. But when Queenie left, I felt something inside me break. Newt and I went our separate ways; I ran the auror office without looking up. There was a rage and anger within me that would not stop, and to fight the forces of evil, I crossed the line several times. There are spells I shouldn't have cast, but at the time, I didn't realise it. It was later, with time, that I understood what I had done. We cross the limit without seeing it. I did it, and so can you."
Eddy froze when he felt that the tone of Tina's voice had hardened.
"It was by finding her and finding Newt that I was able to see what I had done. I resigned from my position because I had abandoned everything I was sworn to. I was no longer worthy of this position. It was with my family that I was able to understand what I no longer wanted to be; it was they who were the limit that should not be crossed. I feel like we haven't been able to bring that to you. So now, Eddy, what do you want to do? We can continue to fly straight. You decide today."
The teenager looked confusedly at the thin silhouette of this unknown country while Tina waited for his response. The tone of the woman's voice made him understand that something was forever broken between them, after all his lies and his misguided ways. What should have caused terrible anguish and pain only made him feel apathy. Riddle had indeed succeeded; he had broken this precious bond he had with his guardians. Everything seemed superficial between them now.
"If we continue, we will cross the border. We will be wanted by Riddle and his henchmen, but you will be free. No one knows, not even Newt. I left him a note when he returned from Diagon Alley."
The prospect of escaping, of heading straight to this country with Tina, of escaping Riddle—his fear of him and his plans made his chest jump with hope. Yet he still had this necklace that no one could take off. He would find them; Riddle had made him understand that he couldn't beat him, not by running away.
He would put everyone in danger again and have no answers to their questions. Tina and Newt, after everything they had given him, did not deserve a life on the run. In the middle of the sea, the lights of the houses on the English coast shone like little stars in the night. This was the way he had to go.
"No. I prefer to go back."
.
When they arrived on Selsey Beach, it had been dark for a long time, but they were surprised to see that they were not alone. They thought they were muggles, but when Ulrick placed his huge claws on the sand, Eddy noticed that the individuals were wizards, judging by their outfits. Riddle had sent people after them, he thought, terrified.
"But it's not forbidden to have such horror in your home?"
This voice, which Eddy recognised, was that of Bellatrix. At this insult, Ulrick croaked furiously and began to rear up. The young girl pulled back, holding out her wand, but her companion pulled her further while Tina tried to calm the hippogriff by clinging firmly to its neck. Eddy toppled backwards and fell into the sand.
"Don't take out your wand, Bella! The Ministry-
"I don't care about the ministry; if this thing touches me, I'll burn it!"
His companion, who was Rodolphus Lestrange, pulled her back even more fiercely. Eddy noticed that they were not threatening because Bellatrix seemed to recognise him with a delay:
"What are you doing there, Obscurial?"
"We were going for a walk," the teenager simply replied, dusting off the sand he had on him. "And you?"
"We were walking around too," Rodolphus replied cynically before leaving a tense silence with his wand raised. "Well, good evening, Mrs. Goldstein, Lee."
With these words, the Lestrange took Bellatrix's hand and walked up the gravel path to the hill where the Black Cottage stood. Ulrick croaked snarlingly at the pair as Tina climbed off his back. The glow of the moon had become more discreet, behind heavy black clouds coming from the horizon.
Without a word, the witch accompanied the creature back to the house and hung it hidden behind her azalea bush. Tina entered the house without even glancing at Eddy. He returned home, a little empty and a little stuffy, as if he did not yet fully realise the magnitude of his choice this evening. Yet somewhere, he knew he had done the right thing. Because in the living room of the cottage, besides Newt, it was the person he least expected at that moment.
"Sacheen' chavo? (Are you okay, boy)?
Bill Berry sat awkwardly on the living room couch. He seemed very uncomfortable in the middle of this little stone room and looked around him with a worried air. He looked old and thin in comparison to the year before.
"Uh, good evening…"
"You didn't tell me you had invited a friend, Eddy," said Newt, a little taken aback.
He had obviously just returned when he encountered Berry. Eddy blushed. He had sent him a letter a few weeks earlier to tell him that he was willing to join him on the road. But he had not thought for a single moment that he would show up here without warning.
"I have been camping since yesterday in a nearby field. I met two people like you who told me about your house. I'm going to head back north."
The question he didn't ask was, Do you want to come? Eddy thought again that he looked very tired, and his voice was a little hoarse. Tina just shrugged before heading upstairs. His detachment hurt, but the teenager had expected it.
Eddy turned to Newt, who was confused by his wife's attitude and the turn of events this evening.
"You're not going to leave tonight after all," Newt procrastinated. "It's late, Eddy; you're being watched."
"He knows where I am in any case. If I don't leave the country, he doesn't seem to care. I might as well find my people while he still allows me."
Bill didn't seem to understand anything about their discussion and got up on his old, tired face.
"We're leaving this evening," said the gipsy categorically. "A storm is brewing. I don't want to be there when it breaks. Are you able to follow me and work chavo, yes or no?"
The man's impatience reaffirmed his will. Berry was as impulsive as he was, for better or for worse. He gave Newt a look before running at full speed upstairs to collect his things from his room. He only had a few pieces of muggle books, but he quickly picked up some things—a bar of chocolate from Honeydukes and other things lying around. When he came back down in fourth gear with his little backpack, Berry was already outside, looking much more at ease in the light of the moon than in the house's magic candlestick.
"You have a curious necklace, Chavo."
"I know."
"Isn't the cat that was with you coming?" asked the gipsy.
"No," the teenager whispered, his face closed.
Newt was near the entrance, leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of tea in his hands and Peaky, the little botruckle, on his shoulder. The old man looked up softly from over his cup.
"I will come back," the teenager promised. "I won't let him hurt you. I just need answers." Newt smiled softly.
It seemed a little too solemn and embarrassing for him, but Eddy continued in a small voice:
"Kiss Tina for me. I will be back. Promise."
He left the house, following the old Romani in the darkness of the night, in this mixture of torpor and blindness that he had felt since he had decided to stay here. Mr. Berry didn't seem in the mood to talk. His caravan and his two old mares were tied to the fence of a field adjoining the tarmac and damaged road.
"Come on, we have a long way to go," Berry murmured.
When Eddy climbed onto the trailer with the horse pulling it, he turned his head towards the Scamander cottage behind them. The lights in the house were off, and its facade plunged into darkness.
They left like that, slowly, following the shore, with the only sound being the sound of the sea surf and the rhythm of the mares' hooves on the asphalt. It was quiet and nice, and that was all Eddy needed at the moment. He fiddled with his 'collar' with his fingertips as they got further away from Selsey. Eddy had expected to receive a punishment or something, but no.
As the night wore on, the teenager grew tired and struggled to stay awake, as Berry sometimes asked him to clear the way in front of them or guide the horses on foot. They had taken a shortcut through the gnarled trunks and dead trees of the English countryside. The dirt road was narrow, but flat for now.
"Go to sleep, Chavo. No camp before dawn; my Kushti is too old to move forward in the heat," Berry finally said, pointing to the oldest mare.
Somehow, Eddy thought that the old man was not in good condition either, as he seemed so tired, and ended up giving up. They had moved away from the coast and were deep inland. The man opened the thin panel connecting the interior of the trailer, and Eddy entered. It was pitch black, yet Eddy had the feeling that he was not alone in the small cabin. He felt a dark shape to his left.
He looked curiously and approached, then, without warning, the shape jumped on him. Eddy let out a small, startled cry as he rolled onto the trailer floor against his attacker.
"Hey! What's going on in there?"
"Ouch! Let me go, Lee!"
Having heard this voice just a few hours earlier, Eddy knew very well who it belonged to.
"Bellatrix?"
There was another small noise, and this time Bellatrix's figure froze and grabbed another person next to her. It was the young woman's turn to be surprised and turn her head towards a point in the dark. Berry opened the small door abruptly, pointing a flashlight. Eddy noticed, in addition to Bellatrix, emerging from an enormous pudding bag, was the small form of Narcissa.
"Cissy?" Bellatrix whispered, stunned.
.
.
.
The summer was surprisingly hot and humid for Scotland. A thick heat haze had invaded the grounds of Hogwarts, making it almost unbreathable, as if a heavy storm were coming to the country. In the Hogwarts library, Medusa couldn't hope to gain some freshness either. The large windows poured in the sun and heat from outside all day long, and there was nothing they could do about it.
"Who wants butterbeer?" Rabastan asked the crowd upon arriving from the kitchens.
Salazar did not emerge from his notebook near the window to respond, but Medusa snatched the bottle in the air when Slytherin threw one at her. There were several young Death Eaters alone in Hogwarts in the middle of summer, and instead of enjoying it, they were literally cooking in an overheated library. This would not have bothered Medusa too much if she were not in the company of Lestrange, doing such a boring job. While Mrs. Breviary was absent, the young witch's father had entrusted his young recruits with the mission of classifying and arranging all the works in the library and the reserve.
The most powerful and darkest manuscripts would then go discreetly into the director's office. Those of white and too pure Magic were stored in a large box in the centre of the room, just like those speaking in too good terms about muggles. With this little mid-summer cleaning done, few people would see the difference if it weren't for the librarian, who would not be difficult to control.
"What a nuisance," said Lucius Malfoy, the youngest of them, who had received his mark a few days earlier. "I hope Narcissa and Bella come soon."
He took a sip of his butterbeer and wiped his forehead before climbing the ladder to retrieve some heavy grimoires. By inspecting the work they had already done over the last two days, Medusa could see that they had made progress and that the shelves were now more sparse. No doubt, these would be satisfied by an order for books of greater interest.
"Is divination in the pile? Do we keep it or throw it away?" Lucius whispered to Medusa, afraid of making a mistake.
"Leave some, or keep it for yourself if it makes you happy," said the young girl, thinking that her father would have little interest in this type of book.
The most interesting and deadliest books had undoubtedly been in his possession for a long time. He left it to his young recruits to do the heavy lifting.
But Medusa put up with it. She was doing something; she had Sal in her sights; all that remained was to win back her father's favour. And then, since her discussion in the marshes with her mother, Medusa had in mind a book much more interesting than anything that could be found at Hogwarts. The Slytherin's Codex.
Her mother had said that answers to her father's plan concerning them were there, yet Medusa had reread the version she had without understanding. The book spoke of their history, their gifts, black spells, and curses transmitted exclusively between them. But the young girl didn't see how any of this explained anything about them. One chapter was about Isolt Sayre, who possessed a powerful gift for magical creatures and fled his people to the mountains of the New World to build Ilvermony. But that was all. Simply put, Medusa, like Salazar, had never been able to access the original version of the Codex.
She therefore concluded that it was not complete, and to have access to it, she was going to need time and patience.
Rodolphus Lestrange entered the overheated compartment of the library somewhat sheepishly, and his brother greeted him. They spoke for a few moments in a low voice with Anthenor Dolohov, who was in seventh grade, before getting to work.
"Salazar, would it be possible for you—if it's, of course, not too much to ask of you—to help us?" Rabastan asked in a falsely perky voice. "I wouldn't want to seem like I'm bothering you, of course."
Lestrange's irony froze Sal, who didn't know what to say. He gaped for a moment with a confused look.
"You don't bother me. I have to finish this first."
Sal dove back into his notebook, and Lestrange rolled his eyes before returning to throw several books into the layaway box.
Medusa walked through a rack of books, retrieving grimoires from the muggle study section. As this ray was the most targeted in their cleaning, the Lestranges and Dolohov were nearby without noticing her, and she could hear them snickering in low voices.
"Always immersed in his diary. I wonder what he could possibly be saying that is so interesting."
"It seems that the Master also had a diary at his age, Dolohov chuckled. "Maybe they're feeling like poets?"
Medusa expressly made noise by taking a book to stop their giggling. When they noticed her, she gave them a small smile before turning her back on them, pretending to have something to do. The young witch knew very well that if their father had not been so frightening, no doubt Salazar would have been their favourite victim.
"Do you think I could attend tonight's meeting now that I'm here?" Rodolphus asked hopefully.
"We're not invited there either," sighed Dolohov. "Our mission is here; then we have the castle to ourselves all the rest of the time."
He was right; only qualified wizards could join the evening meetings that took place in the Great Hall. Her father seemed to have started a battle plan, or at least was preparing something with his troops. The coming and going of sorcerers with a lugubrious appearance could have raised alarm, but he was the only master on board because no teacher other than the janitor was present. Hogwarts had become a Death Eater haunt for the summer.
"I thought you were Bella and Cissy's chaperone in the absence of her parents," asked Dolohov.
"Yes, but she left during the night. Narcissa too. I didn't have any explanations."
"Did they run away?" Questionned, Rabastan. "It's related to, you know what?"
"The elf wouldn't tell me anything; Bellatrix tortured him so much that he was mute. I sent a letter to the Blacks and came here."
"Bellatrix and Narcissa are missing?" Medusa interjected, returning to the group of Slytherins.
"You had lost Cissy?" Lucius Malfoy roared as he emerged from his bookshelves.
"Yeah, and besides, it's none of your business," Rodolphus said through his teeth. "Their father will eventually get his hands on them. It's not my fault that Bella is crazy; I'm the victim in the story! She fooled me!"
"Don't get on your big hippogriffs; I just want to understand," Medusa hissed.
"Mind your own business, Riddle.
The Lestranges gave him a bad look. They had not forgotten the disappearance of Rosier, who, in the eyes of the Death Eaters, had fled after having failed in a mission. This excuse was poor, but most accepted it, except for them trying to find their friend. Médusa didn't know what Rosier had told them, but she didn't want to know. The main thing was to bring them into line to ensure her peace of mind.
"If you lose your fiancée just by turning your back, one wonders what will happen when the Master gives you real missions. That doesn't inspire confidence," she cackled in a cruel little voice, throwing a book on the floor. "I am his eyes and ears; don't forget that."
She had the satisfaction of seeing the boys look worried. Although she was younger than the Lestranges and Dolohov, she was the most powerful here. And she took a lot of pleasure from that fact. She read in their eyes they hated her, but the uncertainty concerning Rosier's fate calmed all their dispositions to respond to her.
"Keep working," she ordered sharply.
"At your service, princess," Dolohov snapped, taking care to rush into a shelf to avoid a traitorous spell.
She needed to clear her head from the overheated library. She had been working here for hours, and it was time to end the day. She left the Slytherins there, indifferent to whether or not they would carry out their task. She arrived near Sal, who had also not deigned to participate in cleaning the shelves because it disgusted him. Delicately, she approached, and this made him jump slightly.
"Would you like to go swimming? We're dying of heat here."
Sal viewed his notebook with desire and hesitation, then the idea of going outside delighted him. They left the library and the castle quickly, passing the ghost of Nearly Headless Nick wandering in the Hall.
The afternoon ended at Hogwarts, and in the humidity, the lake was very tempting. Sal looked longingly at the forest but followed his sister towards the water, taking off their shoes. They splashed a little in the clear, warm water, enjoying the rays of the sun. In the distance, two Death Eaters were making their way around the Forbidden Forest.
A few trees had been replanted, but no one was allowed to go there. Her brother had barely risked it; the disaster of the fire had upset him so much that he even feared going inside.
"Are you doing well with the work father gave you?" she finally asked as Sal landed on the shore.
"I have more and more translations. Father makes me test certain spells a few times."
Her brother grimaced slightly. Medusa wrung out the bottom of her apple-green summer dress that was lying in the water, then went to sit next to him.
"Mostly it's just white magic, so he doesn't really care. With Eddy's lexicon, I'm making good progress too."
They remained silent about the young man, aware of what they had witnessed at the Derby. Eddy had once again been humiliated and tortured by their father without them being able to do anything. Medusa was silent; she let it happen.
"At least he stays with the Scamanders," murmured Medusa. He is with his family at the moment.
"For now," Sal repeated. Until he calls him to torture or dissect him. I don't know what will go through his mind. He hurts everyone—Rita, Silvana, and Charm. Medusa, he is impossible to stop."
"Then you might as well do what he says," she sighed. "It protects us and keeps us out of trouble."
Salazar looked outraged, as if she had insulted him, but Medusa looked into her little brother's eyes.
"I need him to be happy and proud of us. You have to coax him. For now, this is the only thing we can do. We're going to free Eddy and protect the others. Keep doing it as usual. Just try to smile at him and not run away from him too much; I'll take care of the rest. You have to trust me."
Once again, her brother looked between anger and confusion, so the girl poured out all the feelings she felt towards him. And for once, Sal didn't want to cut this connection between them too abruptly. He let all the anger come to him, and with the emptiness she felt, he gave her something warm and pleasant. It was nostalgic; they had communicated like that as children by not sharing words but just outpourings and feelings.
"I trust you."
Later, the sun was setting over the castle, but Salazar and the young woman had not moved from the shore and were finally enjoying a little freshness after the heat of the day. They saw the hooded figures of Death Eaters leaving the castle. In the lot, Medusa spotted the silhouette of Rodolphus following his father with his brother, and a detail came back to her memory.
"Bella and Cissy are missing."
"Yes, I heard you in the library," Sal whispered dreamily, looking at the stars in the sky. Where did they go, do you think?
Knowing Mr. Black was anywhere but far from their father, she hoped. The latter was just leaving the castle with small, hurried steps. After Andromeda, had Bellatrix and Narcissa also decided to leave their families behind? It didn't make sense to Medusa when Bella was one of the most fervent believers in blood supremacy.
They then saw the recognisable and dangerous silhouette of their father leaving the castle. He immediately spotted them coming in their direction. Medusa gestured to her brother to calm him down as their father approached.
"Hogwarts is beautiful at dusk. Since I entered this school, it has been a landscape that has never tired of me."
He looked happy and content, and best of all, he had come to see them. Delighted to regain paternal favours, Medusa nodded. Salazar followed with a somewhat placid mimicry. The three of them were now alone in the park and even in the castle. There was something exhilarating about being alone in the middle of this immensity. This exceptional moment was confirmed when their father sat calmly near them at the water's edge. In the grass, with his black wizard's robe spread around him, Medusa had rarely seen him like this. Even Salazar seemed not to understand this sudden reunion and gave his sister a confused look.
"This is all between the three of us. To our blood. Part of Salazar Slytherin's work was done by my hands."
With the tip of his yew wand, he lit a brazier, which hung at the height of the water like a ball of flames, illuminating them in the night. He smiled slightly, but the corner of his cheek where his strange scar was twitched slightly. He was worried, as the young woman realised.
"What about Suzy?" asked Sal, thinking of the Basilisk locked in the chamber of secrets.
"We are going to postpone this part of his great work until later," he whispered abruptly. "Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament at the start of the school year."
"Seriously!?" Medusa exclaimed despite herself, excited by the idea.
The young woman had read many books about this tournament, but even her own excitement surprised her. Her father gave her a little tight smile, apparently not sharing her new joy.
"You will both promise me not to participate. You will not put your name in the Goblet of Fire. Under no circumstances, am I being clear?"
The order was dry and admitted no argument, so she swallowed her joy and promised Salazar. The tournament was not something planned; it had been negotiated before he took power. By Dumbledore. And Dumbledore was still on the run, as was his brother Aberforth. Had her father gained as much from the old man as he thought?
"How is mother?" the young girl ventured.
"Fine. She is in Paris with Nagini. They visit, among other things."
Medusa knew he was lying, and he seemed rather insecure towards her. An average person would not have noticed it. But, after spending her life alongside her father, the young girl perceived it, and he was worried. Whether it was the disappearance of the Dumbledores or the scar that Eddy had given him, Medusa didn't know. But for once, he looked fallible behind his quiet little smiles.
"The Obscurial wanted to take a little trip. He's looking for his family all over the country, their father said after a moment. This seems to be unstoppable about this little idiot."
He looked at them both to see their reactions. Salazar frowned.
"Aren't you going to do anything?
"Why would I stop him from taking me to other potential hostages to break him further?
Salazar looked away and pulled his feet out of the water, putting his shoes back on. Medusa did the same because she felt everything that remotely touched this boy, threatened to explode something inside her. She decided to start the discussion from another angle.
"While he is running faster than his shadow to his doom, I must confess to you that I miss this work here, father."
He looked suspicious and frowned slightly. After his apathy, this change of heart intrigued her, and her father wanted to know what the cause was. She hid her thoughts in the glow of the flames.
"You needed to rest, it seemed to me," her father whispered slowly. "Do you not consider the privilege I give you to be here, working with my servants for my plans?"
"Your servants are, for the most part, all stupid and rude; we both know that, Father. I only wish to evolve to serve you better. My internship at Burke last summer was very interesting, but I think I didn't express my full potential there."
There, she felt it; she had captured his interest. Salazar didn't understand and was playing with a tadpole hanging out in the middle of the water and observing their duo thoughtfully. The little manipulation game that her father had himself taught her over the years would not allow her to reach the original Slytherin Codex. A diversion was needed.
"It's that opal necklace, isn't it? When I worked there, the darkness was most captivating. You didn't manage to make it what you wanted."
No, and neither did he, in his time, show so much interest in this necklace. Medusa, like her father, could not deny her deep affection for dark magic, and this necklace had potential.
"Might as well extract information from the little rat's nose of this scabrous old man from Burke.
"I'll think about it," he murmured. "When your mother gets home, I'll check it out. Let's go back now."
The fireball went out, and he stood up. They returned to the castle without saying a word. When they entered the hall, the heavy, solid oak doors closed magically. In the darkness, knowing they were alone, the heady feeling Medusa felt faded into something more oppressive. Like in the swamp, they were trapped here. Every secret passage they knew of had been closed, and every breeze or creak of stone echoed mournfully. Their father left them to go back to his office, and the twins found themselves alone in the hall. Sal prepared to return to their dormitory, like during the school year, but Medusa pulled his arm towards the Great Hall.
"This castle belongs to our blood. We can sleep wherever we want."
She made cushions and bunks appear in the middle of the four long tables. Under the starry sky of the magical ceiling, it was a bit like they were camping. Sal rushed in and laid on his back, looking up at the sky. Medusa joined him, quickly taking off her shoes to slip under the sheet next to him. There, next to her twin, watching the stars twinkle on the ceiling, everything seemed a little smaller. A shooting star passed with a whir of magic between two bewitched arches.
"I hope Eddy sees the same sky right now," Sal whispered wishfully. "And that Bella and Cissy are fine."
"I'm sure they're fine," assured Medusa, no doubt trying to convince herself of that too. "We're talking about Bellatrix."
"Yeah, that's why I'm worried."