* * *

"HIYA VALERIE— OOF!"

Rubeus Hagrid cut off his own words as a pair of arms wrapped around him, looking down to see the girl who wore the ghost of a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Valerie spoke quietly, before pulling away from the half-giant, "For everything."

"I should be the one tellin' ye that!" Hagrid chortled, before putting his hands on her shoulders, "Now, ye be good this summer, a'right? If ye need me ter pick ye up and take ye away from that dreary ol' castle, I'll be there."

Hagrid's gaze then shifted someone behind her, pointing in his direction, "Hey, it's Harry!"

Valerie looked over her shoulder, before waving cheerily at the gamekeeper. "See you next year, Hagrid."

"Valerie, wait!" Harry called, just as the girl was about to make for the train. He ran towards her, panting. His hands rested on his knees as he tried to regain his composure.

"Hi, Harry," Valerie greeted, laughing softly at his behaviour.

"I just wanted to say," Harry spoke in between breaths, "That I wouldn't have gotten through this year without you. So, thanks a lot."

Valerie raised her eyebrows, a little confused, "Right back at you...?"

"N-no, really. You don't care about what people say about you, you've forgiven me for being a completely unreasonable twat, and you-you've been the best friend anyone could ever ask for,"

Valerie was about to reply, not knowing where all this rambling was going. Harry opened his mouth, closing it again before putting on a nervous grin.

"I-I guess what I'm trying to say is, that I well, uh— never mind."

Valerie furrowed her eyebrows at the boy, shrugged it off quickly. Her eyes darted around the station, and she pointed towards Hagrid before looking back at Harry.

"Hagrid wants to see you. You should get going. Have a nice summer, Harry!" Valerie gave the boy a quick side-hug before boarding the train.

Harry Potter was left motionless, a flabbergasted look on his face as he sighed in frustration. Whatever he was about to say, it would indisputably have to wait.

*  *  *

"—Then, Blaise's foot got caught in the gap as we were about to board, but he's alright now, just a little bit shaken." Theodore Nott wrapped up his words, comfortably sitting cross-legged on the cushioned seats of the Hogwarts Express.

He then turned to Valerie, "So, how was your day?"

The duo was back where they started, in the very compartment they had met each other. It was crazy, how fast time passed since her first trip to Hogwarts.

"Well, er— nothing interesting," Valerie told him, averting her eyes, "Lugged Harriet and my trunk down by the cargo section, said goodbye to Hagrid, and had a bit of an awkward chat with Harry."

Theodore nodded, before tilting his head at her nonchalantly, "Five galleons says he was going to tell you he fancies you."

Valerie rolled her eyes at the boy, "Five galleons says you're deluded."

Theodore sent her a glare before questioning, "Well what did you say?"

"Nothing..." Valerie trailed off, "Was I supposed to?"

Theodore's slapped a frustrated hand to his forehead, "You have got to be kidding me."

"What was I supposed to say?" Valerie asked, slight panic on her face.

"You were supposed to ask him what was on his mind, can't you read in between the lines?" Theodore explained, watching as she shook her head, "You, idiot! This friendship won't work if we're both stupid."

"Hey," Valerie shoved him, "How do you expect me to know what to do?"

Theodore blinked, "Most decent people do."

"ln case you haven't noticed, my social skills are impossibly sidetracked," Valerie grumbled, "Besides, he said 'never mind'."

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?!" Theodore asked incredulously.

"I don't know!" Valerie threw her hands up in the air defeatedly.

"You should go and ask him—" Theodore was interrupted by the blow of a horn, signifying that they had arrived at King's Cross, "...Next year?"

Valerie grimaced, feeling terribly hopeless, "Next year."

"Probably best, Potter's a loser anyway," Theodore shrugged, earning himself a smack upside the head.

"Shut up, Nott."

*  *  *

Valerie and Theodore had parted ways as they got off the Hogwarts Express, and the latter had been intercepted by his parents before he could even pass through the platform.

She, on the other hand, was never as lucky. She did try to find Harry on the way, but with the swarming crowd, it was impossible. Valerie walked to the station's entrance, waiting for whichever guard was to pick her up. Her thoughts were answered when a dark-cloaked figure turned up in thin air. She looked around in panic, knowing they were surrounded by muggles.

"Cloaking spell," the guard explained curtly, before motioning for her to take his hand, "Have you apparated before?"

"No, but—"

The man didn't wait for an answer, and before Valerie knew it, they were spliced into oblivion. She could barely tell where up or down was as they landed on the dull grasses behind Nurmengard Castle, her belongings toppling out of her hands, along with her.

Valerie stumbled to the ground with a thud, catching herself with her hands out. Her trunk sprung open, and even Harriet looked dazed. Her mind was spinning as she shoved her things back in the trunk, stopping dead as she picked up the familiar book she had nicked from the Restricted Section. She might have had her fun at Hogwarts, but it was time to face reality.

Rushing inside the castle, she braved the tedious staircases and hallways to get to the tallest tower, taking a deep breath before looking up at the assigned guard.

"Let me in," she demanded. The guard was about to laugh, when she held her hand up, flames burning at her fingertips threateningly.

The guard scoffed, not bothering to meet her eyes, "Scram, girl. I'm not afraid of you."

Valerie only glared at him, kicking him where the sun don't shine and unlocking the doors with her wand. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was dragged out, but she had to see him.

"Valerie," Gellert Grindelwald breathed out, standing up on his frail legs, "You're back."

The girl said nothing, showing him the book in her hands. Her grandfather stared at its cover, 'Reign of Terror' written in bold letters under his own name.

"It explains everything," she told him, "Your life of crime, your murders, your imprisonment. It's all the answers."

Gellert sighed, knowing that her perception of him would never be the same. He knew he had lost her, and there was nothing he could do about. Gellert Grindelwald, history's most powerful dark wizard, could do nothing.

Valerie placed the book in his hands, "I didn't read it."

Her grandfather furrowed his eyebrows, looking up at the girl in unhinged perplexity.

"I want you to read it to me, when you're ready to tell me everything. Until then," she paused before continuing, "You're the same person you always were."

"You're the same person who taught me everything I know, the same person who'd bribe guards to see me, the same person who never once judged me. You're still my grandfather, and that will always stay the same."

Valerie could not say that all her anger for the man had subsided, but her first year at Hogwarts had taught her things she would never have realised beforehand.

"Sometimes, our minds tend to believe the most manifest of notions. We forget that it is our hearts, that decide on what we truly hold dear."

Dumbledore's words would forever be engraved into her mind, and despite what her head might think, her heart knew that her grandfather was the only family she had. And she considered herself damn lucky to have that much left.

"You were right, grandfather," Valerie spoke, "Hogwarts is unequivocally beautiful."

Gellert let out a laugh in disbelief, and daresay there were tears welling up in his eyes as she smiled at him.

He then set his sights on the pendant around her neck, "Where did you get that?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore gave it to me. Do you like it?" she grinned, about to take it off to show it to him.

"No," he stopped her, "Wear it all times."

Valerie was taken aback at the similarity of his words, but nodded anyway, "I promise."

Valerie left the cell after that, before an angry guard had the chance to drag her out. Heading into her room, she found herself seated on her desk. She picked up a quill and a piece of parchment, letting her hand ink the words she knew she had to write. After all, there was one more conversation she had left unfinished.

Dear Harry,

        I feel awful for being so quick to leave this morning, and I'm sorry. But, it's not just that I'm sorry for. I'm sorry that you have to live in that wretched house with people who could care less about your well-being, or that you have to spend the whole summer alone in some dingy-looking room. You don't deserve it.

        You're one of the strongest people I know, and I'm so proud of you for making it through this year. I used to think that my problems were the worst thing in this world, but I was wrong. The worst thing in this world, is that I had the audacity to feel sorry for myself.

        Thank you for helping me realise it all, I couldn't have gone through this year without you. Catch up before school, yeah?

P.S. This is the nicest I'm gonna get, so thanks a lot, Potter.

Signed,
Valerie Grindelwald