At dinner, I stayed quiet, digesting the news from Ogden's letter. Mrs. Cole watched me with concern.
"Bad news?" she asked anxiously.
"Both good and bad," I replied. "The good — the relatives who used to hurt me are now in prison. The bad — I might have enemies who could now want to find me…"
Mrs. Cole immediately set down her spoon, her face filled with alarm.
"What kind of people are they?" she asked.
"I don't know. But my acquaintance from London said I should be careful."
Mrs. Cole thought over my words briefly, then nodded.
"Then we'll be careful," she said decisively. "I'll lock the door with the bolt from now on. And don't walk the dark streets alone!"
"I always go with Maggie," I said.
"With Maggie it's fine, but you never know." She sighed. "Merope, of course, don't answer if you don't want to, but who are you really running from? What kind of family beat you so badly that they even have dangerous friends?"
I looked at her. The old woman with kind eyes, who had taken me in knowing nothing… she truly deserved to know the truth, at least in part.
"My family… they aren't exactly ordinary people," I began slowly. "They dealt with… various things. Not very good things. And they thought they were better than everyone else because of their lineage. I was a burden to them."
Mrs. Cole listened silently. She stayed deep in thought for a while.
"Your relatives… are they some sort of cult?" she finally asked.
"Something like that," I agreed.
To be more precise, a cult of deranged pure-blood wizards.
"Good heavens," she even crossed herself. "And how did you survive there?"
"I don't know," I said honestly. "I guess I was just lucky."
The woman shook her head.
"All right. You're under my protection now. And no one will touch you. Understand?" she said seriously.
"Yes," I smiled.
Nevertheless, that night after our conversation, I lay awake for a long time.
I stared at the ceiling, thinking about my relatives. Seven and ten years in Azkaban. I remembered from books what a dreadful place it was. Dementors, who suck all happy memories from people, leaving only emptiness and despair.
Undoubtedly, those two deserved punishment. They beat me and tormented me. They turned Merope Gaunt's life into pure hell.
At least, regarding my father, Marvolo Gaunt, I felt no regret. It would be good if that wretch simply rotted in that prison and never returned.
But as for Morfin…
An unwelcome memory flashed briefly in my mind. The very day Marvolo and Morfin were arrested at our house. I thought, back then, that the boy looked at me without malice. Rather, that expression in his eyes… seemed more like regret?
But I immediately shook my head as soon as I thought about it. No, really, what useless thoughts are these? Morfin Gaunt was just as cruel a bastard as his father. What difference did it make?
Most likely, I had imagined it, or it just seemed that way. And that strange dream I had recently was also only part of my imagination.
In any case, I decided not to dwell on such thoughts and just go to sleep.
***
The next day, at midnight, I went to the well. Just to check something.
I had to slip out of the house secretly, as Mrs. Cole would never have let me go alone so late at night. Nevertheless, when I arrived, there was no one there.
The village was utterly silent in the middle of the night; even the dogs were quiet.
I stood there for a while, looking around. No suspicious figures. But I still felt a strange sensation — as if someone were watching me.
"Hello," a voice suddenly sounded behind me.
I jumped and turned around.
A young man stood before me. Tall, slender, with dark hair and gray eyes. He was dressed simply and unobtrusively, like any ordinary passerby.
"Who are you?" I asked, stepping back.
"I am the one assigned to watch over you," he said. "Auror Shacklebolt. Mr. Ogden asked me to tell you that you can trust me."
I looked at him. He appeared about twenty-five, no older. Young, almost a boy. And at that age, already an Auror? Incredible.
Nevertheless, at that moment, I decided to push aside all useless and unnecessary thoughts.
"You've been watching me?" I asked tensely.
"Yes," he nodded. "I'm sorry. But it was necessary."
"And for how long?"
"Since you came to this village."
I whistled softly.
"You've been hiding all this time?" I frowned.
"Of course, I'm your secret protector," he smiled faintly. "That's the job."
I studied him. He really seemed harmless. Just a normal guy.
"Then why show yourself now?"
"Because you came to the well on a full moon," he nodded toward the sky. "Mr. Ogden said you might want to reply to his letter."
I had forgotten. It was the full moon tonight.
"I have no reply," I said. "Tell him thank you. And that I am alive… well, and very grateful to him."
Shacklebolt nodded.
"I will. Also…" He hesitated. "Be careful. Lately, suspicious people have been seen around here. Not locals. It seems they are looking specifically for you."
A chill ran through me.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"I don't know. But they're clearly not good wizards looking to help," he paused. "Nevertheless, I will be near you. If anything happens, just call for me. I will hear you."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Eustace. Eustace Shacklebolt."
"Thank you, Eustace."
He nodded and disappeared. Just vanished into the air, as if he had never been there.
I stood by the well for another minute, staring at the full moon.
Then I went home.
Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy. Someone was looking for me. Someone who knew I was here…
And not knowing who exactly these people were made me feel even more anxious.