Chapter 345: The Dumbledore family could use a little expansion
[The Delacour Residence]
"Don't worry, darling. Fleur will be fine."
Mr. Delacour's voice was gentle but carried little reassurance. Beside him, Apolline Delacour dabbed at her tear-streaked face, her sobs muffled by a silk handkerchief.
Gabrielle Delacour sat nearby, her wide, innocent eyes fixed on her father. There was a glimmer of worry in those blue depths, a fear she couldn't yet articulate.
Her thoughts drifted back to the day Fleur had left.
"Gabrielle," her sister had said cheerfully, "I'll find Blake and sort this all out. Don't worry about a thing."
At the time, Gabrielle had felt a burst of pride. Her big sister cared enough to tackle her problems head-on by going and looking for Blake. But Fleur hadn't returned. Not that evening. Not the next day. And now, an entire week had passed without a word.
Even though she was young, Gabrielle understood something terrible must have happened.
"Do you think that boy, Blake, could have taken my Fleur?" Apolline asked suddenly, her voice trembling as she wiped away more tears.
Mr. Delacour hesitated, his brows furrowed. "It's possible," he admitted reluctantly. "Gabrielle said Fleur went looking for him. And from what I've gathered, she borrowed an alchemy tool from her classmate Carlos to assist her."
He picked up the crumpled Daily Prophet from the table and spread it out. Blake's face dominated the front page, his shy smile frozen in the photograph.
"Even if Blake didn't take her," he continued grimly, "she may have encountered trouble while trying to find him."
Apolline's sobs grew louder. "Whoever is responsible, I just want my daughter back."
Mr. Delacour rose, determination hardening his features. "Stay here with Gabrielle. I'm going to investigate further."
"Where will you go?" Apolline asked, her voice raw.
"To speak with others who've lost someone," he said. "We're not the only ones."
[The Worley Family]
At a luxurious hotel across the Channel, similar discussions were taking place. Mr. Worley sat at the edge of a velvet chair, gripping a copy of the Daily Prophet in his shaking hands. His usually composed demeanor was shattered, anger flaring in his chest.
"I knew that boy wasn't trustworthy!" he bellowed, throwing the paper onto the table.
The headline screamed "Heiresses Missing! Dark Magic Suspected!" Cassandra Worley and Fleur Delacour's pictures were prominently displayed, along with Blake's.
"Calm yourself," Mrs. Worley said, her tone measured despite the gravity of the situation. "You know how these sensationalist papers operate. There's no proof Blake had anything to do with this."
"No proof?!" Mr. Walley exclaimed. "The Delacours' daughter is gone, and so is ours! Both girls were last seen near him. It's too much of a coincidence!"
Mrs. Worley sighed, her gaze thoughtful. She had spoken with Blake before. The boy was ambitious and clever—far too clever to resort to clumsy schemes like kidnapping.
"I still believe he's innocent," she said firmly. "If he wanted to harm Cassandra, he'd be much more subtle. He wouldn't let the media catch wind of it."
Mr. Worley grunted but said nothing.
Still, Mrs. Worley frowned. Cassandra's disappearance had been baffling. They'd been shopping in a Muggle boutique when, in the blink of an eye, her daughter had vanished. Witnesses claimed she had run after someone, but no one could identify who.
Efforts to trace her with both Muggle and magical means had yielded nothing. It was as though Cassandra had vanished off the face of the earth.
Mr. Worley broke the silence. "Whoever's responsible should've sent a demand by now. Kidnappers always want something—money, revenge. But there's been no word."
Before Mrs. Worley could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
Mr. Worley opened it to find a striking man with long silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Fleur Delacour.
The visitor asked, "Are you Mr. Worley?"
"And you must be Mr. Delacour?" Mr. Worley replied, recognizing him.
Mr. Delacour smiled faintly. "Yes, and I think you know why I'm here."
Mr. Worley invited him inside. "I do—your daughter..."
Delacour nodded grimly. "Do you know a boy named Blake Green?"
Mrs. Worley responded, "He's my daughter's friend."
Delacour leaned forward urgently. "Do you know where he's from? Their disappearances might be connected. Investigating him could give us clues!"
Mrs. Worley sighed. "He told me once, but I forgot. You were distracted with those seeds that day," she added to her husband.
Delacour pressed, "Can you tell me now?"
"If he was truthful, he said he's from the Dumbledore family," Mrs. Worley revealed.
Both men were visibly shocked.
At Hogwarts, Dumbledore sat at his desk, reading a French version of The Daily Prophet. With a sigh, he murmured, "How does Blake manage to stir up trouble wherever he goes?"
Grindelwald's voice interrupted. "Do you really think Blake did it?"
Dumbledore glanced at him. "Of course not."
Grindelwald chuckled. "Even if he did, it wouldn't be an issue. The Dumbledore family could use a little expansion. If Blake marries a few of these girls, it'll only strengthen your legacy."
Dumbledore scowled. "One wife is the law!"
Grindelwald shrugged. "As long as they're not officially married, it's not illegal."
"You old scoundrel! Is this your plan for Blake?" Dumbledore snapped.
"Why not? It's perfectly reasonable," Grindelwald said, unbothered.
Dumbledore, ignoring the comment, asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'm the minister's special advisor now. I can go where I please," Grindelwald said smugly.
Dumbledore sighed in exasperation. Grindelwald's influence within the Ministry had grown, leaving Dumbledore sidelined.
"Regardless of Blake's involvement, he's missing too," Grindelwald said.
Dumbledore rubbed his temples. "We can't locate him—not even Fawkes can sense him. It's as if he's no longer in this world."
Grindelwald frowned. "You think his magic—the crack from before—is involved?"
Dumbledore stiffened, recalling the strange magic Blake had awakened. If Blake had been pulled into that otherworldly force...
"It's troubling," Dumbledore admitted.
Grindelwald said firmly, "We need to go to France. That's where he disappeared. And as his guardian, you owe the missing girls' families an explanation."
"I'll go!" Dumbledore said quickly, wary of Grindelwald dealing with the grieving families.
Dumbledore began writing.
"What are you doing now?" Grindelwald asked impatiently.
"I need to file an entry application," Dumbledore said.
Grindelwald rolled his eyes. "You old fool! Forget the paperwork. As a diplomat for the Austrian Ministry of Magic, I can take you as my follower. No formalities needed."
Dumbledore bristled. "Follower?!"
"Yes or no?" Grindelwald snapped.
"Fine," Dumbledore conceded. "Let's go."
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