The Grindelwalds 3

Off They Go Part 3

Weeks had passed now and it was now August 1st which meant back to school. The girls came down stairs and ate toast in the dining room. Gellert was in the kitchen talking to Mildred.

"Gellert! Gellert! Gellert!" Sarah shouted from the living room.

Gellert got his wand out and ran to her. "What is it?"

"Read this." Sarah was holding the Daily Prophet, there was now only one newspaper every 2 weeks due to the outbreak of Riddlease still infecting people. Even though the chance of infections were much less than a few months ago.

Gellert took the newspaper and read the headline out loud in a whisper, " 'Grindelwald not to blame for teachers death'. What? I thought people  knew that, you said McGonagall knew."

"Only officials know not everyday wizards. This is big news to the average wizard."

"Jesus."

"What will the girls do? They have to go to school soon, how can they if everyone knows their mum killed the Hogwarts old headmaster?"

"Does it even say your name in it, though?" Gellert quickly speed read the article. "No, it just says someone told them it wasn't me."

"Who? Everyone there is dead or in this room. Albus obviously is dead, Credence is dead-"

"Aurelius."

"Yes that's what I meant, and Oris- what about Mildred?"

"Why would she tell anyone?"

"I don't know, but she is the only other person who knows for a fact that I did it, nobody else was there." Sarah told him.

"Maybe someone has heard us speaking about it, but who? It isn't something you talk about openly in public and I haven't spoke of it in public for over a decade, I was dead all this time."

"Well I haven't said anything either."

"So how do people know? Surely someone is just stirring old drama up."

"Must be, but whoever it is should be punished. I can't go through moving house and going into hiding all over again-"

"Not a bad idea though, considering I am in hiding anyway, we could fake your death and run away." Gellert told her.

"Just mine?"

"Well to the world I am already dead, so you are the only one who needs to pretend."

"And the girls?"

"They can go to Hogwarts and pretend you died tragically over the holidays, Mildred won't say anything to anyone if they come knocking and we can move countries without a fuss."

"Gellert I-"

"Listen." He closed the living room door and sat with Sarah on the sofa. "We can fake your death once the children are off at school, we can tell them a random story about you needing to fake your death and make them promise to not tell the truth to anyone at school, then we can all relocate to another country, the children will visit us at Christmas and in the summer and it will be all fine."

"But if it was that easy everyone would fake their deaths and run away from their problems. Nobody even knows I did it anyway, this is all just rumours."

"Then admit it."

"NO! WHY ON EARTH WOULD I DO THAT, GELLERT. IF I FAIL TO CONVINCE PEOPLE I AM DEAD THEN I MIGHT AS WELL DIE FOR REAL, I'LL BE HUNTED DOWN LIKE YOU WERE WHEN DUMBLEDORE DIED! DON'T MAKE ME HIDE AGAIN!"

"Shhh, sorry. I just want us not to worry anymore, I want it to just be us now. Away from all the drama and everything else."

"I know, but we can't. Penelope and Luzia need to be our main priority, not running away."