Rey had vanished. Helena had searched every corner she could think of, but he was nowhere to be found.
Desperate, she sought out her mother, Rowena Ravenclaw. In her heart, she suspected her mother had something to do with Rey's disappearance.
Rowena, who had just finished reviewing a stack of parchment, looked up to see her daughter storming in.
A few days prior, she and Helena had gotten into a heated argument over Terence. Rowena was surprised; usually, when they fought, Helena would give her the cold shoulder for weeks. For her to initiate contact so soon was unexpected.
"Mother, Rey is gone. What exactly did you say to him?"
Helena walked straight up to Rowena's desk, her opening words filled with accusation.
Rowena, brilliant as she was, was momentarily stunned by the question. After all, she had been looking for Rey as well, with no success.
"What?"
Rowena paused, her quill hovering over the paper. But as the accusation sank in, her expression turned stern. "Helena, surely you don't think I told him he wasn't worthy of you?"
"Is that not it?"
Helena was a woman of strong opinions. Rey was gone, and there could only be one reason: he had left on his own accord, without even saying goodbye.
And the timing of his departure coincided perfectly with Rowena agreeing to marry Helena off to Terence. It was too much of a coincidence. Helena was convinced her mother had driven him away.
Under Helena's fearless glare, Rowena sighed. "I did speak with him once, but the conversation was not what you imagine."
"Then what was it, Mother?"
Helena didn't back down, her face wearing an expression that said I knew it. This rebellious attitude gave Rowena a headache, and she furrowed her brows.
After a moment of silence, Rowena sighed again. "I spoke to him about the situation between the two of you..."
"I knew it!"
Helena interrupted furiously, feeling her suspicions were confirmed. Unwilling to accept this fate, she continued, "I will not marry Terence just because you wish it. Never."
Helena turned to leave, her demeanor absolute. If this was how things were, she felt there was no reason to stay at Hogwarts any longer.
"Wait!"
Rowena stood up, calling out to her daughter's retreating back.
"What is left to say?" Helena was a incredibly strong woman, but now, her eyes were misty. On one side was the man she loved; on the other, her closest family.
"Don't you want to hear exactly what I told him?"
It is an age-old struggle for parents—watching their daughters drift away as they grow up, their hearts leaning toward outsiders. Rowena felt helpless; she didn't want her relationship with her daughter to remain this fractured.
"What's the point? The ending is the same, isn't it?"
Helena replied coldly, turning away. She didn't want to hear a single word of explanation. It was the first time she had spoken to her mother in such a tone, a clear sign of how deeply she was hurt.
---
"Helena, you really should hear the rest of what your mother has to say."
Just as Helena was about to step out, Helga Hufflepuff spoke up. She had Apparated into the office unnoticed.
While the school had established wards banning Apparition within the grounds, those rules obviously didn't apply to the Four Founders.
"Fine. I'll listen." Helga's presence changed Helena's mind. Sometimes, Helena was more willing to listen to Helga than her own mother.
Helena turned back to face Rowena. Deep down, she did want an explanation. Since the proposal to marry Terence was Rowena's idea, everything circled back to her.
"Rey MacFusty comes from a Hogwarts one thousand years in the future."
When people are angry, long-winded explanations are useless. Only a sharp, direct truth can cut through the noise. So, Rowena went straight to the point.
"What?"
Helena was startled. It wasn't that she didn't understand the words, but the sheer absurdity of the statement left her dazed. Immediately after, she decided her mother was just making up a ridiculous excuse to justify separating her from Rey.
People in love often have clouded judgment. When emotions run high, logic plummets. Things that would normally be easy to verify become impossible to accept.
It was too absurd. Helena shook her head, ready to leave again. She didn't want to hear any more nonsense.
"Helena, it is the truth."
Helga stepped forward and caught Helena by the arm.
Human nature is funny that way—especially with young people. Sometimes, a parent can say something a hundred times to no avail, but a single word from an outsider works wonders.
"Really?"
Helena hesitated. She could believe her mother would lie to break them up, but Helga had no reason to deceive her. Growing up, whenever she fought with Rowena, it was always Helga who comforted her.
This was unexpected. Helena finally calmed down enough to listen to Rowena's full explanation.
"Mother, even if that's true... that is no reason to pledge me to Terence."
"I did it for your own good."
"You have no idea what is good for me." Like thousands of families before and after them, mothers and daughters clashed. But finally, Helena understood why Rey had been so distant lately.
"Helena, your mother truly is looking out for you," Helga explained gently, though her voice carried a heavy weight. "Rey's fate holds only two paths: death in this era, or a return to the future."
She didn't elaborate fully, but the implication was clear. The longer Rey stayed in this time, the more dangerous it became for him. And even if he returned to the future, there was no guarantee of survival.
---
After hearing her mother and Helga out, Helena fell into deep thought. The revelation that Rey was a time traveler shook her.
Suddenly, all the mysteries surrounding Rey made sense. Why he knew so much, why he seemed more mature than his age, and why he used strange words and mentioned things that didn't exist yet. It explained everything perfectly.
But even so... what did that have to do with love?
"Helga, did you find any leads?" Rowena asked, seeing that her daughter had fallen silent.
"Leads on what?" Helena asked, confused.
Helga gave Helena a knowing look before replying to Rowena. "Nothing specific. We only know the Church has been abducting children showing magical signs around Godric's Hollow. We don't know if Rey is among them."
"You're looking for him too?"
Helena's voice was filled with surprise and deep concern.
Helga rolled her eyes at her. "You think you're the only one who cares about the boy? He is a Hogwarts student, after all."
"And a future member of my House," Rowena added.
Helena looked slightly embarrassed as the two Founders teased her.
Just then, a breeze swept through the office, and Godric Gryffindor suddenly materialized.
A longsword hung at his waist, and in his grip, he held an unconscious old man—one missing both ears.
Godric tossed the man carelessly onto the floorboards after Apparating. He looked at the three women and said, "I might have found a clue regarding Rey."
---