Pity the Living ♔ Tom Riddle

10 || Trivial Tarts

November 1936.

Durmstrang Institute.

Gisela

The distressing reports that Gellert Grindelwald had recruited many members in senior positions in the German and Austrian Ministries for Magic did not seem to faze many students over breakfast in the last Saturday of November. They were all too excited at the first signs of snow, ready for a white Christmas filled with a dozen great feasts and gifts to celebrate what had previously been a terrifying time of year for Gisela. The vivid memory of curling up tightly next to Tom in front of their faulty fireplace, freezing in the winter air with no proper blanket to protect them was not easily forgotten. She stared at the newspaper in front of her, intensely reading the updates regarding Grindelwald's bold claims at his latest gathering of followers, plastered across the front page of the German Wizarding Times, which noted that Grindelwald also spoke out about the growing tensions in the Muggle world with Mussolini aligning Italy with Hitler, which he says is another sign of a war to come. The First World War had affected the Magical community deeply, and the thought of another war was the perfect persuasion the man needed to recruit followers into his 'Magic Army'.

"I don't understand why people aren't worried about any of this," she muttered quietly to Olga, who was busy elegantly stuffing her face with crepes.

"Why would they? I bet you over half the student's parents are involved with Grindelwald. I think he's an idiot who underestimates the power of Muggles," Olga replied, carefully keeping her voice quiet.

"Half the students? Christ. Do they really think a man who currently rules Germany with an iron fist and a significant army with deadly weapons, even to Wizards, is going to put up with people like Grindelwald trying to rule over the Nazis?" Gisela whispered, shocked at such ignorance.

"Germany is bad enough. Try those child-slaughtering Soviets, and they'll be rounded up and shot," Olga hissed quietly.

Gisela nodded her head in agreement, continuing to read on about the propaganda spread by Grindelwald as she finished her breakfast and headed to the library, for her designated 'quiet time' she needed each week. It was often when she'd write letters to Tom and research Magical history more in depth. She became fascinated with how tightly integrated the Magical community was with the Muggle only a century ago, with many famous Muggle historical figures being Wizards. Only two centuries earlier, the Muggle and Magical community were one and the same, with Wizards hiding their abilities but using them to their advantage. It made Gisela wonder if the monarchy was the lifeblood of Europe for a reason; that would spark a massive conspiracy.

Every week she would send Tom more books from the collection of second-hand books free to take from the libraries storage, where she would send him the majority of the first and second-year curriculum books she could get her hands on. She even managed to find an English print of 'Hogwarts: A History' in the storage rooms, which she avidly read and passed onto Tom soon after. She felt sorry for the poor owl who had to carry these books back and forth to England. How they flew so quickly, she would never know.

Olga had proved to be all the company she needed and accepted her level of privacy required to feel comfortable at the school. The girl, although very obnoxious and outspoken, was a loyal and charming friend who bonded with Gisela over their political ideas that other girls wouldn't care about or agree with. It became quite clear early on that Olga disliked Grindelwald, and was an avid hater of Russia's current situation, both Muggle and Magical. They were also supporters of Woman's Rights and found the separation of the sexes at Durmstrang was insulting. However, as much as Gisela enjoyed Olga's company, she would never replace Tom in her heart.