𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒

「 book seller 」

chapter forty seven

「 book seller 」

♱

HER FEET CARRIED her down the barren halls as she tried to fight with every brain function she had left. Sometimes she gave in, like today, and took the all too familiar path down the tunnels of Hogwarts towards Hogsmeade. Each time she walked this way, Ada could have sworn the tunnel got longer. Maybe it was just her dread that dragged the distance, either way it became painful to walk it. She knew who was waiting on the other side. In the distance, she saw the little wooden hatch to which she'd exit into the old building. Crawling through, her eyes snapped to the tall figure by the window: waiting. All she noticed was how cold it was, so very cold. The goosebumps clawed up her back as she made herself known. Her mind screamed at her to leave but her feet were planted firmly to the floor.

"Seems your father isn't as loyal as he once pledged." The tone was low but calm, like it should cause her a degree of fear. It did. Mainly because she couldn't do anything about it, not even warn them. "I fear his love for Florence has hindered these plans once more. Even after all these year, after everything I gave him." The man emphasised out of frustration. He didn't understand, Ada knew that much. After her many interactions with Tom Riddle, that was the only distinct thing she recognised beside his craving for power. "The locket. That was your choice." His eyes finally met hers and she couldn't help but gulp, haunting. His eyes were haunting.

"Well it's the only thing Eleanor consistently wears." Adelaide defended, her tone far too meagre for her own liking. Oh how her sister would laugh at her for how weak she was. "That's what you wanted right? Something she'd keep close."

"But she never wore it, did she?" Tom already knew the answer to that. The brunette looked down, picking at her nails as she did so. No, Eleanor never did.

   "Her friend... Eleanor was the one that hospitalised her, not the locket." Adelaide spoke softly as she continued to peer down. His intrigue peaked, urging the girl to continue. "Well I had overheard a friend of her's, Dorcas, discuss it. Apparently, Eleanor lost control of her emotions and attacked the girl. They all saw it, Eleanor's friends saw it." The girl rambled but Tom was getting impatient. "They saw how dangerous she is, her position is questionable. If they see her as a threat, she loses them. And the one thing Eleanor needs is those around her. Death will make her vengeful but turning them all against her, well they'd be an itch to prove how dangerous she can really be. Harness that." It was like impulse. Her words came streaming out before she had a chance to think them. Like the man before her was dragging them out by the word. It wasn't right. What had she done? Why was she going after one of very few that had protected her? She couldn't stop.

♱

   "There hasn't been a disappearance in weeks." Mary pointed out, flicking through the stacks of papers they'd collected in the room. They were still no closer to getting a lead on what was happening to these people. Only why. To send a message. "Not since Silvia Hekkles." The last muggle-born to be taken, one straight from Hogsmeade. Not only was it a message but it was now a threat. Anyone was next. It had prompted the ministry to post Auror's in and around the school, there was limited access in and out of Hogsmeade. Students and Residents only.

   "Because there message is out there." Eleanor  retorted to Mary, looking at the newspaper the day her friends had been taking. No one knew they were gone, there names yet to be published along with the book shop owner. That was a planned attack, well it seemed that way. "Wait." She paused, maybe there was more to it. "The copy of Beautiful Mysteries was in the restricted section, torn out and scribbled over." She grabbed the newspaper, looking for the list of shops in the daily prophet. "There's three bookshops in England that sell magic texts.  2 in Ireland and none in Wales or Scotland. This book is not known here. It's been purposely hidden and restricted. What if somebody was selling this book in masses? Someone that was a bit too close to comfort." Holding up the newspaper to Mary, pointing at the undisclosed muggle-borne that had been taken. "I received a copy of the book around the same time they disappeared. Now there original intent may have been to send shock waves, what if it got personal?"

"What if that message wasn't for you?" Mary pondered, looking at the names for clusters of missing people. "I mean there's more then you out there, what if these disappearances are a route, a map?"

"Like communities my kind exist in?" She asked, receiving a nod. "And the book seller?"

"Helping expose that you're all real makes eradication harder, he wasn't muggle born. He wasn't wanted on purpose. Maybe for conspiring with Anthians. Getting the name out there." She explained, looking over the locations and mustering a map with her wand so she could pinpoint each place. "Who sent you the book?"

"I don't know..." Elle said, causing a frown to plaster on her friends face. "I've had two others, all anonymous."

"And what if the person you who sent you those notes was the target of this message." Mary quizzed, making Eleanor pause. "Someone that knows your truth, it may be there's too." There was a pause, like a light bulb had exploded in the girl's mind. Frantically grabbing some of her stuff, she had an inclination to whom it could be. There was only one way she could get a true answer and that was not from those closest.

"There's someone we need to talk to." Was all the blonde said as she hurried out the room of requirement, Mary fast on her heel. She didn't question it, if this brought them closer to an answer then that was all that mattered to Mary.

A few turns and a couple of staircases across the castle, Eleanor prepared herself to what was on the other side of the door. Who knew what mood she'd be in. Turning to Mary, the girl looked absolutely baffled by the choice of location. Mary went to say something but Elle merely shook her head. This could go drastically wrong at any point if they asked the wrong thing or used the wrong tone. So they had to go careful. It could possibly be the only person that would give her a straight answer, it was worth a shot. Carefully leaning her weight on the large doors, they were instantly met with the chill of the bathroom. The room seemed to lack any kind of essence. Only the sink had changed in the past thirty years, crumbled by Eleanor's hand. Mary didn't seemed to pleased, only hearing rumours of the bathroom's quite unpleasant guest. As soon as the door swung shut, there was a rattle of the pipes that informed them both of the ghost's entrance. Myrtle.

"Who dares disrupt-"The ghost came bounding towards them, only to stop at the sight of the blonde. A frown pulled on her features as she noticed a new addition with her. But she knew Eleanor to be safe. "Who's this?"

"Hi, Myrtle. This is Mary." She introduced as Mary offered her a quaint smile. To that the ghost floated down to them as the pair took a seat, ready for a long discussion. "You went to school with Florence Knightley?" The girl asked, intriguing Mary. Myrtle nodded, a pout on her lips.

"Her sister, Aurora actually." She replied, the reaction that Eleanor hoped for.

"Would you tell me ab but about her?" Eleanor smiled, hoping this would be the lead she needed. Not just for the muggleborns.

♱

A/n: i haven't forgotten you all! sorry this is a short one but it's a filler of what's to come :)

I can't lie, i had full intentions of abandoning this book but recently i found myself in a predicament. I have found myself a Sirius to my Eleanor and as you can probably guess that it's been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, it hasn't encouraged me to write them a good ending because my god i need it more then them 😭