Riddle And Grindelwald

45. Big Top

As Easter approached, Genevieve was looking forward to having two weeks off from lessons, especially as most people in her year were staying to revise, which meant she could spend even more time with her roommates, who she knew she probably wouldn't see once they all finished school
Although she knew that she would have to revise as well, Genevieve was confident that she could get Outstandings in her NEWTs, without having to work too hard before hand. Which is why she wasn't stressed about revision.
But a few days before the holidays began, an owl arrived during breakfast, with a letter for Genevieve.
Since she never got mail, and Gellert had been ignoring her since the previous summer, Genevieve was suprised to see a letter addressed to her.

"Who's it from?" Asked Tom.
"I don't know. Gellert is the only one who would write to me, but as he's been ignoring my letters thus far this year, I can't see why he'd start replying to me now" answered Genevieve, as she reached across the table and took the letter from the owl, allowing it to fly away.
Once she'd removed the letter from the envelope, she immediately noticed how scruffy the handwriting was, as if it had been written in a hurry.

'To Gen,
I'm sorry I left so abruptly after such a dig argument. I never meant to upset you. You mean a bug deal to me. I want to make up with you, which is why I am writind to you.

I wand you to come home for the Easter holidays, so that we can make up. I know you nurmally stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, but I'm begging you to come back this year. There are some things I need to say to you, that I can only say in herson, so please come home for Easter.
Love Setä'

Even though Gellert had signed the letter, Genevieve didn't feel like any of the words were his own, for he would never apologise for anything or write a letter so heartfelt.
As she reread it, she began to notice just how many spelling mistakes there were, which she had ignored the first time around, assuming that he had misspelled words, because he'd written the letter in a hurry.
This was when she remembered one of the codes Gellert had taught her.
So she grabbed a spare piece of parchment and quickly wrote down all the mispelled words.
Genevieve then wrote each missing letter below the word, and then put them together.

"Big top" mumbled Genevieve, as she realised what the missing letters had spelt.
"Big what?" Questioned Tom.
"Gellert wrote this letter in code, to hide its real meaning. If anyone else read this, all they would see is a guardian, desperately asking his child to come home. They would see a man who wants his child so much, that he wrote the letter in haste, hence the misspelled words. But I know better. Gellert taught me loads of codes as a kid, to keep my letters safe. So I know how to decipher this letter. He purposely misspelled several words, and if I take all the correct missing letters into a line, it spells out big top" explained Genevieve.
"And what exactly does big top mean?" Asked Tom.
"Big top is also a code word. Gellert once told me that when he was ready to take on the Ministry of Magic and bring an end to the Statute of Secrecy, he would use the phrase big top, to call his followers to him".

"Why big top?" Quizzed Tom.
"In a circus, the big top is where all the main acts get performed. Gellert's big top operation is the main show in his performance. After decades of building up his followers, and planning to take on all the governments of Europe at once, he is finally ready to do it" revealed Genevieve.
"And he wants you to go to him, to fight by his side?" Asked Tom.
"Well, he certainly wants me to go to him. Whether or not he actually wants me to fight, is a different story. He might just want me at the side, and out of the battle, waiting until he has succeeded in overthrowing the oppressive Ministry's around Europe".

"But his letter hasn't left you any instructions on how to get to him. I mean, you don't even know which country this revolution is happening in" pointed out Tom.
"I just have to trust that he's got everything planned out. I'll take the Hogwarts Express back to London, like I do in the summer, and hopefully he will have someone waiting for me. If not, I will head to the place he usually leaves me a Portkey, and I'll make my own way to him" informed Genevieve.
"But you've already written your name on the list of students staying at Hogwarts for the Easter holidays" reminded Tom.
"Then I'll just have to unwrite my name. If I show this letter to Dippet, I'm sure he'll have no qualms about letting me go".

"I still think this all sounds a bit risky. And I don't like the idea of letting you go to a potentially very dangerous place. Especially without me" admitted Tom.
"You can't come with me Vee. Spending the summer at my home in Bulgaria is one thing, since there was no one else there. But Gellert is only going to want people he trusts around him. He has been planning this, since before we were born. And he won't want any liabilities involved in this" replied Genevieve.
"I'm a liability?" frowned Tom.
"To him, yes, because he doesn't know you. Which is why you have to stay here".

"I don't like this plan at all" Tom said glumy.
"I know, and I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. I can hardly pretend that I'm going home to fix my relation, with the man people think is my father, if you are coming too. I can't let Dumbledore get suspicious about why I am going home. Because Dumbledore knowing what Gellert is about to do, is the last thing my uncle needs right now" admitted Genevieve.
Tom sighed, "I guess there really is no way I can persuade you to take me with you".
"No, there isn't" replied Genevieve.
"Then just promise me that you will keep yourself safe. You are the only thing I care about, besides myself, and I can't lose you"
"Don't worry, I'll keep myself safe. I promise".