Relative Revelations
They had been sitting at the bookstore for quite a while now, the sun having turned to streaks of red and orange on the pale winter sky. Harry sat down the book he had been reading, A Complete History on the Terror of Lord Voldemort and looked up to find Griselda quietly observing him. Harry saw that she was opening her mouth to speak just as the words flowed out of his own.
"You didn't say Voldemort had all these followers, the Deatheaters…" Harry did feel slightly betrayed that she failed to mention this, but kept that out of his voice. No doubt it was not Griselda's fault, there had been so much he was unaware of back then. In these few short weeks he had already learnt so much he could not possibly bite the hand that had fed the knowledge to him.
Griselda pursed her lips, almost pouting. "I'm sorry Harry, it just slipped my mind. I didn't mean to neglect that part of history."
It's alright, I'm not mad or anything. "I was just curious, the book mentions how, as of the publishing in 1985 the trials and quest to expose the crimes of all who participated were still continuing. It doesn't say however if they caught all of them. Did they-"
Harry was cut off by Griselda snapping out an answer in a rather clipped tone. "They didn't. Not really at least."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean society is terrible and most of them were purebloods who often had enough money to invest in their defense, as long as they did not get caught in the act at least."
"Like the Lestranges?" Harry asked, remembering a name which had appeared near the end of the book.
"Yes, like the Lestranges. It's horrible what they did, torturing the Longbottoms like that. The Cruciatus curse is a terrible terrible thing to inflict on another being."
"The Cruciatus?" Harry asked, that had not been something he had read in a book…
"Right, A complete history is really the incomplete history. It's been edited to remove discussion of dark magic, classic ministry suppression." Griselda sighed deeply, her face twisted into a mask of deep displeasure.
"The Cruciatus known by the incantation Crucio is one of three unforgivable curses, named as such because they are reprehensible dark magic which cannot be forgiven for they leave a permanent mark on the soul.
"Oh…" Harry exhaled, that did not sound at all pleasant.
Griselda had more to say however, continuing to expand upon her meaning. "It's terrible because it requires true hatred to be wielded. Without the darkness in one's heart it cannot be achieved. It is born of anger and twists and screws its way into the soul to turn it to anger more and more, a curse of a dark wizard's own doing."
"Sounds almost like you are speaking from experience…" Harry trailed off, unsure if this was the right thing to say.
Griselda smiled sadly, eyes glinting in the candle light of the booth, they shone with an agedness that Harry sometimes only recognized in himself. They were the eyes of a child who had been exposed to things beyond their years, suffering which no child deserves. "Sometimes you're awfully perceptive Harry. It's actually kind of funny how it flips like a switch. But yes, I am. unfortunately…"
"You don't need to tell me Griselda…"
"No, but I want to…" She trailed off, gathering herself quietly. "My father, he was… is, a Deatheater. Or at least mother says so, he was never a bad man, not once do I remember them shouting like the night it happened… But I suppose the dark magic, it made him evil over time, corrupted him.
"I'm sorry, that is difficult."
"All I remember is that one day daddy snapped and he and mama had a great big tiff. Mother had sent me to my room, but I came to watch on the banister and he shouted Crucio at her… I can still remember those screams. and When I woke up the next day he was gone… And mother said that they took him to Azkaban. She saw his dark mark I suppose, not sure how he hid it but he had… all that time, she never knew she'd married a dark wizard."
At that Griselda trailed off with a far off expression in her eyes. Harry sensing the dangerous territory he had crossed into reached across the table and took Griselda's cold hands in his own. "Thank you for sharing that with me, and for trusting me as a friend Griselda. Thank you."
Griselda squeezed his hands, "thanks Harry, I mean it. You're a better friend than any of the pureblood girls I've had the displeasure of considering my acquaintances."
"Friendship goes both ways, doesn't it? I'm there for you and you're there for me."
Griselda laughed lightly and smiled. "Right Harry, so right."
Changing the topic Harry asked a question that had been nagging at him since he had first met Griselda. "So, one question I had. Its about your foster brother… you mentioned him when we met but not much after that. Why is that?"
"Oh! Reginald…" Griselda laughed, well that's certainly a simple one Harry. Reginald is with some friends for the holidays and so he's off in the muggle world, somewhere in London but nowhere close so as he couldn't make the trip daily he chose to stay over. We will no doubt see him soon enough when the winter hols are over."
"What's he like?"
"A bit like you I suppose, just not as… shall we say… enthusiastic about our traditions here in the wizarding world. He's only going because it meant the ministry would put him with a family and he was in a muggle orphanage before, ghastly business really those things."
"He's an orphan?"
"Yes, his parents died when he was just a baby or so we are told, his aunt, a teen delivered him with a note to the orphanage before she herself disappeared. It was all rather mysterious."
Harry laughed in disbelief, "and how do you know all that?"
"The ministry of course, they are rather thorough in these cases, well, not like they told me… Mother was told and she told me. So I knew to treat Reginald right, he's had a hard life and mama says that compassion is what makes the difference in that. We must break the cycle of bitterness and all that…"
"Glad to see you've been listening to my lessons my dear Zel." A voice purred from behind Griselda making her jump in her seat. "Mother! Honestly, why must you sneak up on us?" she groaned but submitted to the caress of her mothers hand on her cheek.
How in the world? Harry thought to himself it was impossible for him to not have seen her from the direction she had come, yet he had not seen her. Mrs. Grimore smiled at Harry… as if reading his thoughts she laughed, like the tinkling of bells high and melodic. "Well young Mister Potter, there is magic after all."
Right, Harry thought to himself, there was magic. And all its wonders, there would be so much he could just not wait to learn. If only Hogwarts started earlier. Just thinking about it Harry could not contain his excitement, there was a magic castle and he, Harry Potter would be going to it.
"Are you ready to go, children? Gotten all the books you'd like and paid already I hope?"
"Yes mother!" Griselda dutifully reported lifting her bag and motioning Harry to collect his books and do the same.
"It has been quite an enjoyable day, children, but now is time for home." And yes, Harry could not agree more. Today was quite the day for sure. For once in his life Harry could actually not wait to get back to number 4 private, sleep called to him and he wished to answer its call.