Author's Note
Yes, it's actually - finally! - the next chapter of "Sorcerers' Nook"! I won't bore you with the many - MANY - reasons why it's taken me so long to complete this but I promise - Acts of God aside - that I won't take that long again with any future chapters. I did consider writing a synopsis of sorts, but decided the time taken to do that would be better spent on the story! As always, my undying gratitude to Kirsti and a special hello to Tim, Holly and Chuck (who may well be the only three people to read this after all this time...) Janie xoxo
SORCERERS' NOOK
By JanieB
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
In which Verity tells her story…
`So, it all began during the war, the first war…'
As Verity spoke, her eloquent and articulate recount made all three avid listeners feel as though they were present during the events she was so effortlessly describing…
Verity's Story
It didn't take long for the effects of the war to reach us here, in our quiet little corner of the world. Of course, much of what I am going to tell you is now history, but please bear with me.
Voldemort was gathering more and more followers and was well on his way to creating his reign of terror when your father was in his first year at Hogwarts, Harry. Things rapidly declined within both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds from that point on as Voldemort and his Death Eaters began to take control, although then, as in your early years, Hogwarts was the safest place to be. The unexplained disappearances and sudden deaths, the terror and distrust that Voldemort fostered amongst wizarding kind - it all reached us here via the wireless and newspapers. We also had some firsthand accounts from visitors, although not many. Nevertheless, it was enough to fill the hearts and minds of us all with fear: they were dark times, indeed.
Esmerelda's father, Hugo Wilkes, was landlord of the Nook at the time. Perhaps I should explain that Emrys and I, as the builders and owners of Sorcerers' Nook, have had a long and satisfying relationship with the Wilkes family. Esmerelda's grandfather, Herbert Wilkes, was one of the first tenants here at the Nook. He was a young boy at the time he moved here with his mother after his father died, and he grew up here. He later married Esmerelda's grandmother, Tilda, here in Harminster Leigh, and they lived their whole lives here. When Emrys and I decided we should travel while we could, our natural successor was, without a doubt, Herbert. He was more than happy to be caretaker landlord in our absence and this enabled Emrys and I to spend many extremely enjoyable and rewarding years travelling the world. When we returned home, it was to find that Herbert and Tilda had done an exemplary job of looking after the Nook and had also produced a baby boy - Esmerelda's father, Hugo. It was shortly afterwards that we asked Herbert if he would honour us by taking part in a Pactum Cura Obtineo; this meant that on our death, ownership of the Nook would pass automatically to Herbert and then to his descendants. We were very pleased when he agreed. Then, since Herbert and Tilda were doing such a wonderful job, we continued our travels knowing all would be well here at home.
It was about ten years later that Emrys and I began to weary of travelling; we were getting on in years and so we came home to the Nook to stay. We were dismayed to find Herbert and Tilda quite heartbroken on our return. Their beloved son, Hugo, had fallen in love with a beautiful Scottish witch during her stay at the Nook; she was travelling around Britain with her parents. Wynda, like Hugo, was an only child, and her parents doted on her. Despite returning Hugo's feelings, she wouldn't leave her home in Scotland. For many of the years of our absence, Hugo's parents tried desperately to find a girl who would win Hugo's heart away from Wynda. It wasn't to be, and eventually, Hugo told them he was marrying Wynda and would be going to live with her in Scotland. This all happened just as the Muggles' First World War was ending. It was in those years that we had this portrait painted, for we both knew we could never leave our beloved home. Herbert and Tilda were also very gracious about our decision and we were humbled by their expressions of joy and delight when we told them we wished to remain at the Nook in this manner.
It was two years later that Herbert and Tilda received some joyous news: they were grandparents. Hugo and Wynda brought baby Esmerelda to the Nook to meet her grandparents. We could see on his face that Hugo was shocked at how much older Emrys and I looked. Tilda told me months later that she and Herbert had spoken to Hugo, reminding him of the Pactum Cura Obtineo. She didn't say so, but I know she would've begged Hugo to move back to the Nook. Wynda, however, was so dedicated to her parents she would not spend so much as a second considering a move away from Scotland. What really made the whole situation even more difficult is that Wynda had never passed her Apparition test. You see, sadly, she is one of the few members of the wizarding world who are unable to Apparate, while Flooing causes her to suffer a condition called "Floo Flinch", not unlike sea sickness in a Muggle. I think that for Hugo, his parents' sad, gentle disappointment was harder to bear than their anger would have been.
Esmerelda was five years old when Emrys and I died; Hugo returned alone to attend our funeral. He stayed for almost a month, helping his parents, whom he could see were beginning to struggle with looking after the Nook. He told us later of how torn he was at that time, and when his beloved mother, and our adored friend Tilda, died in her sleep on his last night at the Nook, his mind was made up.
Wynda and little Esmerelda came to the Nook for Tilda's funeral. During the night after the funeral, our treasured friend Herbert joined his beloved wife, unwilling to live without her. Hugo was heartbroken and sick with grief. He begged Wynda to stay and she agreed to do so for a "wee bit", as she put it.
Esmerelda was an enchanting child and she loved the gentle softness of the Kent countryside - as she does to this day. She fell in love with the Nook and would spend hours playing down by the stream. She would come and tell us of her adventures, perched on an old footstool that used to sit in front of the fireplace here. She also liked to play in Hewett's Field, at the end of the street - or what's left of it. As is the case for all the land around here, it was once part of an old farming estate, many centuries ago. Little did we know how important Hewett's Field would become to us in later years.
We had many conversations with Hugo during this time, predominantly concerning him staying on at the Nook. He had come to realise that he didn't want to return to Scotland, and he spent hours in fruitless conversations with Wynda trying to convince her to stay with him. Sadly, he didn't prevail; Wynda's parents were both still alive and she wouldn't, as she put it, "abandon" them. Wynda was heartbroken when Hugo said that he chose to stay, and would have done so even without the existence of the Pactum. I'll never forget the day Wynda and little Esmerelda left. All three of them were crying - perhaps Esmerelda the hardest; the poor little pet didn't understand at all and she was calling out for her Daddy, even as her mother pulled her into the fireplace, braving a bout of Floo Flinch in her haste to return home.
They kept in regular contact by owl and Esmerelda regularly Flooed her father, too - although Wynda never again set foot inside the Nook, and in her mother's lifetime, neither did Esmerelda. Wynda died just before the first war with Voldemort and Esmerelda came to live with her father here at the Nook, much to his delight. She was wonderful company for her father and also a great help to him in running the Nook.
In the early years of his separation from his wife, Hugo discovered that Wynda had used a slight Memory Charm on Esmerelda. She'd done so, he assumed, to alleviate her distress at being taken away from her father as well as the Nook, both of which she loved very much. The Charm hadn't removed the memory of her father, or her love for him, but she remembered nothing of her time here as a child, nor did she remember us. It was heartbreaking, but when Esmerelda came to live here, we respected Hugo's wishes that we leave her in peace. I think he was afraid that if we attempted to bring back some of her memories, it might damage her mind.
And so it was that when the first war with Voldemort began, Hugo Wilkes was here at the Nook with his beloved daughter, Esmerelda, who to this day uses her mother's maiden name in her memory.
May I just say that I appreciate your patience when I'm sure all of this may seem somewhat irrelevant. However, I believe it will give you a better understanding of my story as a whole.
As I said, Hugo was the landlord at the time of the war, when the cold wind of reality began to blow into our lives, bringing Alexander Riley to the Nook and the cruel tendrils of war, inexorably weaving them into our lives.
It was a week before Christmas when Alexander arrived - the first Christmas in a long time that would be celebrated openly and with true joy, all because of a little boy named Harry Potter. Alexander's plight tugged at my heartstrings; he was a solemn and serious man and you could see in his eyes that he'd survived many horrors - not the least of them being the enforced separation from his family. He would come and sit here, where you are now, and read the paper before the fire. Besides Hugo, he was the first person we'd spoken to here at the Nook since Herbert and Tilda. I think initially I gave him the wrong impression because I was so concerned about him and, well, I'm sure you would understand Hermione - he was an extremely handsome man and I took quite a liking to him. Oh, not just because he was good-looking, but his innate sadness made me want to mother him. And may I say, Dean, that you have inherited your father's good looks? You may remember the day you arrived here at the Nook; you reminded me so much of your father, although at the time I didn't know who you were.
Now, I believe your father found solace in our company as well as security; it was safe for him to talk to us and he hadn't felt safe in any way for a long time. After the first day that we spoke to him, he returned late the next night. Hugo had gone to bed and Alexander sat and talked to us for some hours. He told us that both his parents had been murdered by Death Eaters. He told us of his journey after leaving his home, and why he'd left his home - and his wife and baby son. He cried when he'd finished and it broke my heart. All he wanted to do was to go home to them; they were his world and all he had left.
Whilst the war officially ended when Voldemort vanished, that didn't stop the remainder of his followers continuing to kill as many as they could and destroy as much as possible, all in Voldemort's name and in the name of revenge. But until the last Death Eater was in Azkaban, Alexander refused to return to his family.
It was just a few days after Christmas when everything began to go dreadfully wrong. Perhaps you have noticed the two small cameos carved above the front door of the Nook? That was Emrys's rather clever idea: it meant we could see anyone before they entered. Dean, you may recall the first time you came to the Nook, I commented to Emrys that you reminded me of someone and we opened the door for you? Well, this particular day your father had Flooed to his old home - he was keeping it for you, Dean - to visit their house elf, Toby, and make sure all was well.
Less than an hour after Alexander had left, we saw two strangers walk out of Hewett's Field. We watched as they approached the Nook and when they reached the gate, we could see that they wore masks under their hoods. They were Death Eaters - I could sense it, although they were employing Occlumency and I could sense nothing else of their thoughts. We had no doubts that they'd come to kill Alexander; we still don't know to this day how they found him. We immediately returned to our portrait and called out for Hugo, but he was working in the office with the door shut. We had to watch helplessly as they entered and rang the bell on the front desk - which also rings in the office - and Hugo came out, smiling, ready to help...
Verity closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath before continuing.
One of the Death Eaters already had his wand in his hand and without even acknowledging Hugo's greeting, he placed him under the Imperius Curse.
Emrys reached over and took his wife's hand in his as she hesitated once more. Giving him a grateful look, she began to speak again.
They asked Hugo if any of the flats were empty; he told them that the tenant of Flat 2, Mrs Phipps, was in London for the day. They then told Hugo to say nothing to anyone about them and to continue on with his business as usual. It was so horrible to watch and to be so helpless! I was grateful at that moment that they hadn't hurt Hugo, though.
A few hours later, Alexander returned. He came immediately to our portrait, saying he needed us to do something for him; he was carrying what looked like a box, wrapped in thick, dark cloth. We couldn't wait to hear what he wanted to tell us - we told him what had happened earlier and that Hugo was now under the Imperius Curse. He looked almost defeated when we finished, but then he took a deep breath and, holding up the wrapped object he was carrying, he told us it was his family's Book of Records and that it was imperative it be kept somewhere safe, especially so now that the Death Eaters had found him. We told him of the small, secret cupboard in Hugo's office and how to open it. Since Hugo had finished in his office and was now in his own flat, Alexander was able to hide the book. Afterwards, he came and told us that it was done and that he'd also put the small portrait of me in with the book, a portrait owned by Hugo's parents and which had been sitting on one of the book shelves in the office. Alexander then cast the Fidelius charm, making me secret-keeper. Because of the portrait, I would be able to check that the book was safe if necessary.
Alexander then explained to us that he was going to tell Hugo he was going for a walk down by the stream, certain Hugo would pass this on to the Death Eaters. I begged Alexander to contact the Ministry, to have more Aurors come to help him, but he was determined to end it there and then. He'd had enough and he wasn't going to run anymore. That was the last time we saw him truly alive.
We don't know precisely what happened, but less than half an hour after he'd left, the two Death Eaters came down to see Hugo, who told them, of course, where Alexander had gone. They ordered Hugo to go with them. You can't imagine how distraught and heartbroken we felt as we watched them leave, wondering whether Alexander and Hugo would survive. We kept watch from our cameos above the front door, but we could see nothing.
The hours seemed to pass so slowly and it was dark. Mrs Phipps, who lived in Flat No 2, returned from London, puzzled that none of the candles had been lit and that Hugo wasn't to be found. We realised then that we hadn't seen any of the other tenants all afternoon and assumed that they too had been put under some sort of spell or curse. It was shortly after Mrs Phipps had gone upstairs that a house elf Apparated into the sitting room. He introduced himself, but we already knew he was Toby, the Riley family house elf - Alexander had told us about him. He was almost incoherent with grief, but we finally managed to piece together his story. Alexander had been trapped by the Death Eaters in a small, old, deserted cottage in the middle of Hewett's Field; of Hugo, Toby knew nothing, and we feared he'd been injured or killed. Alexander had ordered Toby to go back to the house and return with the family chest, which he did. On his return, Alexander gave him instructions, one of which he was now carrying out by telling us what had happened.
Verity paused again, her eyes closed and her hands clutching at her apron. Emrys looked distressed for his wife, but she took a deep breath and spoke once more.
A Dementor had joined the Death Eaters. They must have summoned it, and waited for it, while they were in Mrs Phipps' flat. Toby was too distressed to give us a clear picture of exactly what happened, but apparently one of the Death Eaters stormed the cottage and engaged Alexander in a duel in the front room. Alexander called out to Toby and ordered him to keep himself safe. The second Death Eater blasted his way in through the back door, and between the two of them, the Death Eaters managed to disarm Alexander and tie him up, although not without suffering injuries themselves. Poor Toby could hardly speak at this point. He had no choice but to follow his master's orders and keep himself safe; Death Eaters have never paid much attention to such as house elves and they didn't bother with him. The Dementor entered the room and -
A strangled sob was all that was heard as Verity dropped her head into her hands, her shoulders heaving. Emrys put his arms around her. Harry, Hermione and Dean sat horrified, spellbound, waiting...
It was quite some time before Verity stopped crying, using her now rumpled apron to dry her tears. Holding her husband's hand tightly, she continued in a quiet, tense voice.
That poor little elf had to watch while that Dementor administered the Kiss to his beloved master, to our dear, brave friend. They laughed when it was over and they congratulated each other as they simply left, leaving Alexander lying there. Once they were gone, Toby moved him to the one bedroom in the cottage which held a dilapidated old bed. He returned to the house, bringing back fresh bedding, and remade his master's bed. Once he knew he was comfortable, he set about sealing the cottage before coming to see us.
Since that day, all those years ago, Toby has cared for Alexander - or rather, for Alexander's body. That's why I said to you, Hermione, that he asked me to care for the Book of Records before he died, because in truth, he did die that day. The Dementor's Kiss, as you may know, steals the living soul from its earthly body. But neither we, nor Toby, could abandon the body that was left. Toby cared for the body of his beloved master until the day it, too, died, only three days ago.
As for our beloved friend, Hugo, his body was found down by the stream. One of the Death Eaters had used the killing curse on him and I've always believed that prior to killing him, they would've allowed the Dementor to perform its sickening Kiss; no one checked for that, because no one knew that a Dementor had been present that day.
Toby magically concealed the cottage to ensure Alexander's body was never found; it was presumed that he had somehow been involved in Hugo's murder and run away. No one else knew of the Death Eaters, you see, and we chose to keep silent. We were so heartsick at the time and there seemed no point - nothing would bring back either Alexander or Hugo. Poor Esmerelda was beside herself, but also determined to carry on her father's work - and of course, the Nook now belonged to her.
Dear, loyal Toby painted a small portrait of us - he's quite artistically gifted, actually - and hung it in the living room at the cottage so that we could visit him and Alexander. The family chest is also in the living room, Dean: the chest that holds the Riley family artefacts. You have inherited everything that belonged to your father - including Toby.
As for the whereabouts of your father now - Toby took your father's body back to Riley Manor and buried him in the family graveyard, beside the manor's chapel.
And so, all you need to do now, Dean, when you're ready, is go the cottage in Hewett's Field and call for Toby. He can help you with everything you might wish to know.
Verity smiled weakly as she attempted in vain to return her damp, rumpled apron to its usual smooth, pristine state.
And so this is where my story comes to an end. If any of you wish to ask me something, I will answer you to the best of my ability. So, do any of you have any questions for me?
*
Hermione glanced across the hallway at her small mantel clock as she and Harry entered her flat. Half past eleven.
`Look at the time,' she said tiredly, `and not only do we have work tomorrow, the next meeting at Hogwarts is supposed to be tomorrow night!'
Harry, right behind her, reached out and took her arm, gently turning her to face him before wrapping his arms around her. Hermione sighed gratefully as she leant against him, her arms automatically reaching around his waist.
`I think,' Harry said firmly, `that we should both take some time out to digest everything we've learnt tonight. And I think we should accept Dean's invitation to go to the cottage with him tomorrow. And I also think we need to postpone the next meeting, although not for too long, and - '
Harry felt Hermione shake gently as she chuckled. `And I think that's enough thinking for one night!'
Harry gave a low laugh as he told her, `And I think you're quite right!'
Hermione stifled a yawn against Harry's chest.
`Bed time,' he said, dropping a soft kiss on the top of her head.
Hermione looked up and gave him a tired smile. `Good idea. You'll stay? Please?'
Harry lifted his hand and tenderly cupped her face. `Of course I will,' he told her softly, `now let's go to bed before we both fall asleep on our feet right here.'
*
In the flat below, Dean sat hunched over in one of his slightly battered looking armchairs, staring into the empty fireplace; his elbows rested on his knees, a half-drunk mug of sweet, black coffee cradled in his hands.
His head felt as though it was about to burst from the swirling maelstrom of confusion and thoughts it contained. He, Harry and Hermione had sat, stunned and speechless for an endless minute after Verity had finished speaking. None of them had been able to form a coherent thought immediately, but once they could, a veritable torrent of questions poured from them, Verity calmly answering each one as quickly as she could.
And now, for some reason he couldn't fathom, one thought detached itself from the swirling mass in his head and he found himself thinking about a question Verity had asked him. She'd wanted to know when he'd found out that Cary Thomas wasn't his father.
Dean had frowned in puzzlement, but explained that his Mum had told him in his fifth year at school.
`Why did you want to know that?' he'd asked her.
Looking a little disgruntled, Verity had said that it was the first time she'd made a mistake; Emrys had looked a little shocked on hearing this.
In a rather acerbic tone, Verity had reminded her husband of the time, only recently, she'd smugly assured him that Dean had no idea about who his real father was, that he thought his stepfather was his father. Yet this night, she had seen that he had actually known Cary Thomas was his stepfather; it puzzled her and worried her, too, as she thought perhaps her ability may be fading.
Dean had shrugged. `Well, I've always thought of my dad as my dad, even after Mum told me he wasn't. And I never knew my real dad's name until that night when Harry and Hermione told me -'
Verity had interrupted, a thoughtful frown creasing her forehead. `It was just after you'd moved in here Dean and I, well, I can sense people's thoughts sometimes,' she shot her husband a glance designed to silence him; she didn't think a slight twist on the truth of her ability was a bad thing, `and that's just what I did sense - that you believed Mr Thomas was your father and you knew nothing of your real father.' Verity looked at Dean musingly. `I suppose that thought about Mr Thomas being your father was the most prominent in your mind simply because you have always felt he was your father. And you didn't know either Alexander's name or what he looked like, so you could hardly think about him much, really.'
Dean had shrugged again, not concerned with Verity's need to reassure herself about her abilities. He wanted to know so many other things and it had been somewhat frustrating waiting for Harry's and Hermione's questions to be answered along with his own. He sighed and took a gulp of his coffee, sitting back, his shoulders feeling stiff with tiredness.
At least some things were clear: Tomorrow morning he'd be going to the cottage with Harry and Hermione - no doubt Verity and Emrys would also be there via their portrait - and he'd be meeting Toby and opening his father's chest. And he'd also decided that tomorrow evening he'd be going to see Ginny, to tell her what had happened. He felt a deep and desperate need to talk to her. As to what might take place between those two things, he wasn't sure of at all. He would just have to wait and see.
He drank the last of his coffee, putting the empty mug on the old trunk that was his makeshift coffee table before standing up and stretching in an attempt to drive the tired tension from his body. He wasn't sure whether he'd be able to sleep, but he knew he had to go to bed. A few minutes later, as he slid into bed and pulled the covers up, he found it was thoughts of Ginny and an image of her smiling face that rid his mind of all other distractions and he was able to slip into an exhausted sleep far sooner than he'd expected...
TO BE CONTINUED...
*Janie runs off to get back to work on Chapter 25*
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