The Boy Who Cried Wolf -- [Tom Riddle]

10 - Research and Secrets

The walk back up through lower Hogsfield was a miserable one. Elphias limped the whole way complaining every other minute, and none of them had ever taken a Healing class. Goldie was withdrawn and irritable, too emotionally exhausted from the chaos of the night to put up with the teenagers. Riddle was similarly withdrawn, lost in his thoughts and ignoring everyone.

They trudged through the mud, taking turns to drag Nott, until they reached a crossroads with a few older wizards waiting. The Purebloods and Riddle greeted the wizards politely, and Nott hissed to her as she held him up that the wizards were servants bringing them to the English Avery Manor. She thanked him and then shoved him to lean on someone else.

Splitting into pairs, they took one arm each of one of the wizards, who then apparated them across Great Britain. It was a peculiar feeling; her body was spinning and breaking down as she shot across the country, reorganizing itself as they landed in a well-kept front garden. The grass was neat and trimmed evenly, not a speckle of mud visible anywhere other than on her shoes. Within a few minutes, the group of them were back together, staring up at the majesty of the Avery Manor.

The mansion was tall, looming over them with a hefty shadow. The garden was filled with bushes and trees trimmed into the shapes of magical creatures, some enchanted to move. A House Elf was tending to one of them, trying their best not to glance at the group.

"Wow." Goldie murmured, turning to Avery. "Is this your family's main manor?"

"Yes, it is." He confirmed, glancing at her oddly. "We have two holiday ones in mainland Europe, but this is the main home."

She smiled in response, hiding her initial irritation at how privileged he clearly was. He had no sense of humility, it seemed.

They cross the garden and step through the main doors, into an exquisite entrance hall lined with what appeared to be gold. A curved staircase split into two straight ahead of them, leading up into two opposing wings of the Manor. Portraits with ancestors of the family lined the walls, peering at them suspiciously.

"How disgusting." One sneered, glaring over the teenagers. "Mud caking your clothes, and you brought filthy blood? How disgraceful, Nathaniel."

Avery ignored the portrait, leading them all up the staircase and into the Eastern wing. They each get a bedroom for the weekend. Without paying attention to who was in the rooms beside or opposite hers, she entered her assigned chamber and practically collapsed on the bed.

Never in her life had she produced such a powerful Patronus. Something about the situation in Azkaban had driven her to cast it, her lynx protecting her with everything it had. She was aware in the back of her mind that the Ministry knew what her Patronus was, and could easily recognize her should they see the lynx again, but for now that was a dismissible thought.

'Ask Grindelwald', her brother had said. Again, the conversation had turned back to Grindelwald. The man simply could not let Goldie live, it seemed. He was somehow entwined with her story, yet she did not understand how. What connection would a German wizard have to her Irish family?

For now, the advice was to speak with him. How to achieve that, she did not know. Perhaps her friends could help.

Speaking with the most feared man in the wizarding world was certainly going to be a troublesome feat to achieve, but if they could break in and out of Azkaban as a group of unruly teenagers, they could handle a conversation with a murderous villain.

They just had to find him.

Abandoning her dirtied robes, she changed into a provided nightgown and succumbed to sleep the second her head hit her pillow. Her dreams throughout the night were centred around her brother, the dark wizard she had no face for, and her lynx.