Vengeance| Harry Potter

nineteen. a dawning realisation, pt two

-CHAPTER NINETEEN-
~a dawning realisation, pt two~

THE NEXT TIME VIOLA saw Edwin, she was going to curse him into oblivion for being so vague.

There is something wrong with father.

But what, exactly? Had he gotten himself thrown into Azkaban, or was he just overcome with a bad case of spattergroit? It was Edwin, after all, so who was to say her father had just lacked interest in something Edwin was saying, who had then taken it the wrong way?

Viola stared at the words despite having memorised them after the first read, as if hoping some hidden explanation would jump out at her. Something wrong with father.

Her thoughts were directed back to that day at the Ministry a few months ago when she had gone with Mr. Weasley. Her father and Lucius had been in the corridor that day, the latter threatening the former over something... 'He is, after all, more expendable than the girl,' was how the conversation had ended.

Did this having something to do with that? And, by correlation, did it mean that Edwin was in danger?

Viola reached into the drawer beside her bed and took out some parchment and a quill. She needed answers, not time to dwell on all the possibilities.

Edwin,
   I am going to need more information than that. Send a letter back immediately. Do not mention anything to anyone else.
Viola.

She went to fold up the letter, then paused. Do not mention anything to anyone else. This had to remain hidden, kept between herself and her brother, but... what if the owls were being intercepted by Umbridge? After all, hadn't Hedwig been attacked one day?

Maybe Edwin not giving too many details was a good thing. But even so, Viola was certain she didn't possess the ability to flush his letter from her mind, and needed more information. But how to do it?

Perhaps a coded message? But who was to say Edwin would fully understand and write back in his own secretive words? It was risky, but it was her only hope.

Just as Viola was about to retrieve a new slip of parchment, the door burst open and she shoved Edwin's letter into her pocket.

Hermione stood in the door frame, eyes wide and looking frantic. "Harry's just come back and told us what happened," she said. "Dumbledore's gone."

The letter almost slipped from Viola's mind. "Gone? What do you mean he's gone? Gone where?"

"Come on." Hermione waved her hand hurriedly. "Harry can explain what happened."

Viola set her things aside and followed Hermione down to the common room. Something wrong with father, Dumbledore gone... Could it get more cryptic than this?