Never Cursed

𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔈𝔫𝔡

Morticia Frump

The Quad

Morticia loathed two things more than anything. Firstly, the cheerful, sunny days of summer at Nevermore when everyone was relieved by the end of the exams. And secondly, when Gomez was tardy, which occurred quite frequently. She couldn't fathom how the boy could maintain such a vexing habit of consistently arriving late, especially when the bells of the Copernicus Tower were so loud. And today appeared to be one of these occasions when Gomez had chosen to test her patience.

A dozen echoes of midnight's bell resonated in Morticia's ears, yet Gomez still hadn't appeared. Each toll seemed louder than the one before, heightening Morticia's expectations. Waiting at the Quad, she shivered in the cold, lamenting her inability to cast warming spells like those wizards. She would freeze him to death if he wasn't showing up in the next five minutes.

"We should act quickly," Peter urged, breaking her train of thoughts. He was fidgeting on his feet like an impatient child and looking sideways at Zafyr, perched on the wall with a notebook in his hand. "I know they're here!"

"Shh!" Lily tried to calm him down with a wave of her hand. "We better be careful, Pete. We still don't know who's behind all this." She tugged a strand of her red hair behind her ear, looking anxious.

Only a powerful magical being would be interested in bone crafting, thought Morticia. Why else would they steal the bones? Decoration seemed unlikely, although it would match the theme of Nevermore's vibes.

Morticia, Gomez, the Marauders, and the girls, during their little "sleepover," had brainstormed hypotheses about why the bones might have been stolen. Peter had asserted it was for more power, while Zafyr and Morticia were relatively aligned in their thinking, although their interpretations of power differed. James and Sirius, as usual, were on the same page, suggesting it was for fame, a prank, or a bet gone wrong. According to the boys, it was more likely a student had done it, possibly afraid to put the bones back in place. While this theory seemed challenging to believe, it would explain why the incident had happened at the beginning of the school year and why the bones were well hidden. Maybe it's all some kind of hazing— who knows?

Remus and Lily, however, had a more 'historic' theory, suggesting it might be possible that the thief was a History fanatic collecting artefacts. Morticia found this theory somewhat reassuring, as it suggested the bones might not be used for evil purposes but for a private collection. However, she bore another story.

She was not fooled. Her vision had left its mark on her soul. The mere memory of the purplish mist covering the ruins of an ancient manor and the cold whisper of the person, whom she was certain was the culprit, kept awakening her at night. The bones had been robbed for a reason that was anything but good. But Morticia couldn't blame the others for being so naive. She was the one concealing important information from them. She had kept her vision for herself, lying to Lily and the girls when they had asked her what had happened. She had been too troubled to speak then, but she knew she would soon have to tell the truth. She had searched for clues on her own and although she knew Nevermore's grounds like the back of her hand, she hadn't been able to find the ruins. Still, she was certain they were somewhere in the park. But even with this certainty, Morticia was struggling with intrusive thoughts born from their stalling, from her fear of losing Gomez. What if there was a mole among them?

This mole could take a cruel pleasure in sabotaging the investigation, providing false clues, and leading them astray with their magic wand. They could be solely responsible for Gomez's dismissal if the truth wasn't uncovered quickly. Morticia grappled with the question of who could have done it – was it a student, a teacher familiar with the grounds, or perhaps even the Marauders? Despite various incidents at Nevermore, nothing like this had ever occurred; putting Gomez in such peril. Morticia was feeling herself going mad. What will happen if Rendell discovers the truth and Gomez is dismissed? Upon reflection, the disappearance had occurred shortly after the Marauders' arrival (likely in their first or two weeks). And, she had sought their help immediately afterward. Perhaps, unwittingly, she had sought help from the culprits, and they were the reason the investigation had reached an impasse.