Call of the Void // t.r (ON HOLD)

Chapter 14

"My very existence, my life in the world,
seemed like an hallucination."
– Haruki Murakami

Eleanor grumbled, annoyed at being awoken by her cat. She had been up all night going through a book she found and it left her with a pounding headache the next morning.

Her lack of sleep, however, would not keep her in bed. Classes were not optional.

She opened her drapes and got ready, putting on her uniform. Any sudden or abrupt movements sharpened the pain in her head.

She walked into the shared bathroom and turned on one of the taps, splashing her face with water before patting it dry with a soft towel. That should wake her up a bit.

Class began soon and Eleanor walked in to her Transfiguration class. She sat in the front and nodded at Professor Dumbledore, offering him a polite smile to which he returned.

She pulled out her parchment and quill. and sat ready at her desk. It was still quite early when Tom Riddle walked in and took the seat next to her.

She did not like the way he looked at her. It made her feel like he was picking away her layers and discovering every single secret she had. She knew he knew nothing but they way he made it seem like he did made her skin crawl.

Eleanor stared ahead, focusing on every word that came from Dumbledore, blocking out all distractions.

She knew the work. It was something her tutor touched on during Summer. She would often summarise the next year's topics to help Eleanor understand it better when they went into detail.

The class ended and students got out of their chairs, packing away their things. None of them really cared about rushing because it was lunchtime. Not that they cared much for classes either.

Eleanor, herself, was starving. She could not wait to leave the classroom.

Her plans, however, were cut short when Professor Dumbledore stopped her and asked if she could stay after class.

After the last student had left, she stepped forward to stand in front of his desk.

"Is there anything the matter, Professor?" She asked, trying to remain calm. She did nothing wrong but the worry that he knew something burned.

He smiled, "Nothing at all, Miss King."

"I have a few questions, if you'll answer them?"

"Of course, Professor," she nodded and sat down in the chair he gestured to in front of his desk.

"Your parents, or more so, your father. He was assumed dead and that the direct King family line ended with him." Eleanor nodded, prompting him to continue, "No one knew he had a wife, or a daughter. I've never met your mother, what was her maiden name?"

"I don't know, Professor. Neither of them mentioned it before."

"I understand that there must have been a reason for your parents to be hiding from the world. Specifically Grindelwald, if his men were the ones who killed them."

Eleanor frowned. She hated this. "Do you really believe it was him?"

Dumbledore nodded, "We have no other evidence. If they were hiding to keep a secret, it seems likely that it was Grindelwald. We need to find that secret, it might be one that could put you in danger."

"My mother was a Necromancer," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Dumbledore could help her. He could help her find out why her parents were hiding and who her mother really was.

Dumbledore nodded, bringing his hands together. He looked deep in thought. "I'm assuming you are too then?"

Eleanor sighed and nodded. "I recently found out."

"Be careful from now on. Necromancy is a," he stopped to find a good word, "sensitive topic. Regular wizards, well skilled wizards, can raise the dead in the form of mindless Inferi. Skilled Necromancers, however, can bring back people from the dead. Though it takes a lot of practice and skill and very few have been able to accomplish that feat.

"Many are either terrified of it, want to experiment with it, or want to use it for evil. I suggest you refrain from telling anyone."

Eleanor nodded, "One of my friends know, but I trust her not to tell. She's the one who helped me figure it out actually."

"I'm going to keep looking into Grindelwald and your mother. For now, I ask you to focus on your studies." This was fantastic. Dumbledore would reach a dead end on Grindelwald, which worried her, but if her mother had a real reason to hide her secret and herself then it could work.

Dumbledore would also be focused on finding out everything about her mother, which would mean she could focus on other things.

Eleanor nodded, and moved to stand up but stopped. "Anything else, Professor?"

"Nothing, dear, though I may call on you again for another chat in the future." He smiled, dismissing her with a wave.

Eleanor returned the polite smile and left the office.

Dumbledore knowing was an advantage. With him looking into her heritage, it would be much quicker finding results. He had access to more resources than her.

He didn't need to know she was a Weissanger though. When he found out who her mother was she could look up her ancestors and find out how she got the magic.

And then, how to use it.

Without killing anyone in the process.

________________________________________

Hope you liked this chapter!

I've been busy all weekend when I planned to write but I'm hoping to pump out at least 2 other chapters this week, as well as chapters for my other story, Roses, if you would like to check that out.

– walkingmasterpiece xx