Hey everyone!
Another round of updates and I need to get writing some more... which I'm about to do as soon as I have uploaded these latest updates. I have no plans to drop the bi-weekly updates. They may not be on assigned days but they will be happening still. I have some time off next month and I'm hoping that when the schools start up again it'll be a bit calmer as well.
Lots of love,
LSH xxx
Sisters Divided – Part 11:
Hogwarts:
Against the odds Newt had managed to rescue his brother from the Erkstag and the group had now arrived at Hogwarts and that was a relief for Dumbledore.
For Tina, Queenie and Lally it was the chance to see another school, other than Ilvermorny and they weren't going to admit it out loud but it was an impressive school for sure. They found the Great Hall interesting and then they were able to meet McGonagall as well. Jacob was just finding everything amazing but he'd had some run-ins with Slytherins, which had resulted in him eating some Cockroach Clusters.
"Congratulations," Dumbledore spoke when the group were alone.
"Congratulations?" Theseus asked confused as he couldn't understand why Dumbledore was congratulating them.
"Indeed. Professor Hicks managed to foil an assassination. And you are alive, and you are well. The fact that everything did not go precisely to plan, was precisely the plan," Dumbledore said.
"Countersight 101," Lally said as she looked around at the group, "now Grindelwald shouldn't be able to know the true plan."
"Forgive me Albus but aren't we back where we started?" Tina asked, blushing as she spoke feeling Newt's eyes on her.
"Actually, I would argue that things are a great deal worse," Dumbledore said before turning to Lally, "You haven't told them, have you?"
"What?" Newt asked.
"Grindelwald has been allowed to stand in the election," Lally replied before showing the brothers a copy of the Daily Prophet.
"What? How?" the two said at the same time.
"Because Vogel chose easy and not right," Dumbledore said before he waved his wand in the air causing grey smoke to erupt from it and form images. Jacob looked around, feeling rather disorientated whilst the other watched the images join to make a landscape.
"It's alright," Theseus said to Jacob and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Bhutan…" Newt said as he looked at the landscape.
"Correct. Three points to Hufflepuff. The Kingdom of Bhutan sits high in the Eastern Himalayas. It's a place of indescribable beauty. Some of our most important magic has its origins there. They say if you listen carefully enough, the past whispers to you. It also happens to be where the election will be held," Dumbledore spoke, "it is because of what I've just spoken about why it's being held there."
"He can't win… can he?" Queenie asked suddenly.
"Only a few days ago he was a fugitive from justice. Now he's an official candidate in the International Confederation of Wizards. Dangerous times favor dangerous men," Dumbledore spoke, "he also has a weapon in Flora who he can use to his advantage. She's caught on the wrong side of this and we will rescue her… when the time is right," he said before beginning to walk away, "we'll be dining in the village with my brother. Should you need anything Minerva is here," he finished before walking away."
"Dumbledore has a brother?" Lally asked before the Scamander brothers nodded.
It was later on that night when Newt, Lally and Theseus were upstairs in the Hog's Head pub and the rest had headed into the Case. Jacob had learnt more about the Qilin and Newt and Theseus had learnt about Credence, Aberforth and Ariana before Lally had to ask the question on her mind the most.
"Can we save Flora?" she asked, "will Tina and Queenie get their sister back?"
"Yes… and no," Dumbledore spoke, "we will get her back but there is the question of how and when and if…"
"Albus…?" Theseus asked as he sensed Dumbledore was hiding something from them. "What are you not telling us?"
Dumbledore moved to the window and looked out of it. He'd been having an internal debate on what to tell everyone.
"What I say does not leave this room," he said eventually, "there is a prophecy surrounding Grindelwald and a witch… the witch is neither good nor evil but she is caught up in something that she has no choice in. She's the light in the dark and will have a connection with Grindelwald that could change the world as we know it."
"More than you and he had?" Newt asked and Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes and that witch will float between the two sides from one side," he said, "she is the most important person in this war and she doesn't know it."
Lally had been listening in silence as she thought before she looked at Dumbledore.
"It's Flora isn't it? That's why she was abducted in Paris…"
Dumbledore sighed as he looked back at the group.
"We do not know if it is Flora. I have no doubt she will be in Bhutan by either Rosier's side or close to Grindelwald's," he said, "if she is the witch then she and Grindelwald will have a matching mark on their hands."
"Now I know why you do not want Tina and Queenie knowing this. Tina will blame herself," Newt spoke as he looked at Lally, "she's still reckless when she wishes," the professor nodded as she looked at Newt.
"The less they know the better. Karma will be able to provide insight when he rejoins us and keep an eye on Flora and Grindelwald's hands to see if they have any marks."
"Now things are starting to make more sense. Karma is keeping an eye on Flora as well isn't he?" Theseus asked.
"He is and that is something that will provide an insight on what is happening in Nurmengard," Albus spoke as he looked at the group before there was a knock on the door and Jacob appeared, "it's late. You all should be heading to your rooms and prepare for the election. It's going to be long and intense I feel," he said before sweeping out of the room leaving everyone behind.
Lally, Newt and Theseus looked at each other, trying to process what they'd learnt about Flora and knowing that keeping it a secret from Tina and Queenie was going to be hard. For Lally it had been a stab in her heart as Flora was like a sister to her, having grown up with Tina and now the thought of losing her was something she did not want to face, let alone accept.