It was a particularly cold November and a thick frost covered the surface of the moor. The gravedigger had a great deal of trouble breaking through the ground of the churchyard to dig the hole in which the body was laid to rest. Most of the village had turned out for the funeral, and they gathered around the grave in the shadow of the church and watched as the body was covered, the grave filled and a simple wooden cross set in place on top of it. For one young woman present, carrying a small child in her arms, the sight was especially uncomfortable, as it reminded her of the grave of her husband, far away. Rowena wiped a solitary tear from her eye.
No one present was more affected than Godric however. He wept openly over the grave, and it was a strange sight to see for Rowena as this was a side to Godric she had not expected. He was a warrior, and must have seen much death in his time, yet the loss of his friend seemed to have devastated him.
The four of them, Rowena, Helga, Salazar and Godric, had all come to pay their respects to Godric’s murdered friend. They waited in silence until Godric was ready to leave the graveside, before moving inside the church for shelter. The small church was of wooden construction and really little more than a barn, but it provided some respite from the cold winds that whipped across the moor and into the Hollow.
Godric’s home village, located deep in the heart of Wessex, sat in a small depression in the midst of moorland, and was known simply as –the Hollowâ€. It was a small and isolated community and for that reason, plus the presence of the ancestral home of the Lions of Wessex, it had attracted a number of wizards and witches, who dwelt peacefully alongside the non-magical inhabitants. It seemed such a quiet and tranquil place to Rowena, yet the wizarding conflicts had reached even here, with tragic results.
The four sat down in the church and Salazar placed a comforting hand on Godric’s shoulder. –You and Tolan must have been very close,†said Helga.
–We grew up here alongside each other as neighbours,†replied Godric. –We shared everything together. We played together, learned together and eventually fought together. Though my service to the king took me all across the land, I always looked forward to returning here, to see him again. We had many adventures together. It was he who helped me tackle the Exmoor Dragon. He aided Salazar and me in our search for the killer stalking Gloucester. He was the best and bravest friend I ever had.â€
There was a long silence before Rowena spoke up. –I want to visit the place he died.â€
–Why on earth would you want to do that?†asked Salazar.
–Don’t you want to find out who killed him?†said Rowena.
–Rowena, he died from the Killing Curse. It leaves no mark, no damage, nothing that might point to the killer. What evidence might you find?â€
–We don’t know until we look. Godric, you just said you’ve stalked a killer before. You know it can be done. Let us at least see what we can find.â€
Godric looked up at Rowena, and then got to his feet. He wiped away his tears and his expression turned to one of determination. –You’re right,†he said. –I owe it to Tolan to at least try. Come on.â€
He led them out through the village towards the house where Tolan lived. But as they passed down one street, Helga stopped, let out a slight cry and rested against a wall. –Are you all right?†asked Rowena.
–I had... I think I had a premonition,†she answered hesitantly.
–A vision?†said Salazar, full of curiosity.
–No, more like a brief flash, an echo through time.â€
–What did you see?†pressed Salazar.
–Death,†said Helga. –A family, a tragedy. Nothing more. But this place, this very spot, something of great significance happened here, or will happen here, something big enough to be felt right now by someone such as me.â€
–Is it connected with Tolan’s murder?â€
–It’s impossible to say. It may just be an echo from far off, as I said. I’m sorry.â€
–Tolan had no surviving family,†said Godric. –Let’s keep going.†Rowena looked at Helga, who nodded and said nothing more. Helga was always sensitive and wary when it came to her gift of the Sight, and she did not like to discuss it with anyone. Rowena knew better than to press the issue.
Shortly, they arrived at Tolan’s home. It was a simple cottage, no different from those around it. The front door had been left ajar. –Who knows how many people have passed through here since he was found?†pondered Salazar.
–A good number,†said Rowena, pointing to the path up to the door. –You can see how last night’s frost has frozen over the trampled ground from dozens of footprints. It would be impossible to make out an individual person. But murderers rarely enter through the front door. Let us scout around the house.â€
Sure enough, at the side of the house, Rowena discovered frozen footprints clustered around a side window. The shutter on the window was half ajar. –This is how the killer entered,†declared Rowena. –Look at the window; in this cold and wind, no man would fail to latch the shutters throughout his house. But the murderer could not close them from the outside when he made his escape. The tracks lead both to and from the house. Let’s look inside.â€
They entered Tolan’s home. Most of his belongings were untouched, but some things had fallen or been overturned with the comings and goings since the discovery of the body. –With no family, it will fall to me to sell on this house and its contents,†said Godric sadly. –I shall not look forward to that day. Too much does this place remind me of him.â€
–The murderer entered from that side of the house,†indicated Salazar. –It seems Tolan slept over here, on the other side. It seems the murderer knew where in the house to enter to avoid waking his victim.â€
–So he may well have been a local man and not a stranger,†said Rowena. –Godric, would you know if anything is missing from the house, something the murderer may have come to steal or destroy?â€
–I couldn’t possibly say,†replied Godric. –Tolan was not a wealthy man, he had little of great value worth stealing.â€
Rowena went over to examine the hearth. The fire had long since gone out, and a heap of charred ash lay on top of two almost burnt through logs. –This is not the typical remnants of a fire,†she stated. –From this quantity of ash, I would say that a large amount of parchment or similar material was burnt on this fire. It seems the murderer did come to destroy something, though what it was I cannot say, nothing survives here.â€
–Tolan was skilled in writing, and recorded much of his trades and business dealings. The murderer must have known that,†said Godric. He sighed, and looked about the room. –There seems nothing else that might aid us.â€
Just then however, a young boy burst into the house. –Lion,†he said breathlessly. –We have him.â€
–You have who?†demanded Godric.
–The murderer,†gasped the boy. –It is Atelic. From what I hear, when he heard you had come back to town, bringing friends with you, he took flight and struck down the gatekeeper on the east gate in his escape. A group made after him and captured him a mile from the village. They are bringing him in now. There is talk of a hanging.â€
–Wait, how do they know he is guilty?†asked Helga.
–An innocent man would not flee. The men seemed sure. They sent me to tell you.â€
–Go and tell them at once to bring Atelic to my house, Wregan,†said Godric. –He shall be judged justly. There will be no summary hanging, do you hear me? Go at once.†The boy left as fast as he had come.
–Who is this Atelic?†said Rowena.
–A tradesman and wizard from the village,†said Godric. –A surly fellow, but I had not thought him capable of murder. He may be wholly innocent. I must go. As head of the House of Gryffindor and member of the King’s Guard, I am recognised as the lawful authority in this village. I must go and see that justice is done.â€
–We will go with you,†said Rowena. They left the house, and as they did so Rowena stopped and went over to the footprints the murderer had left. Whispering a spell, she cut an outline in the frost around one of the footprints and turned the resulting section of frost and earth to stone. She lifted it out and carried it with her. –We can see if the man’s boot fits if nothing else,†she explained.
Godric’s home, the home of the House of Gryffindor for many generations, was a fine house located at the north end of the village. When the four arrived, there was already a large crowd outside, shouting angrily. At the front of the crowd, held firmly by two strong men, was Atelic. A well-dressed man, he was short and dark haired, his eyes were narrow and his mouth twisted in an angry snarl.
Godric opened his house and had the two men bring Atelic inside. They sat him in a chair while Helga set a fire going in the hearth to warm the cold house. One of the men quietly handed a wand to Godric. –I took this from him when we cornered him,†the man explained. –I think he would have used it on the non-magical folk in our group if I had not, and the Lord only knows what would have happened then.â€
–Thank you,†said Godric, taking the wand. –Wait outside. We shall question him.â€
–Do not take too long,†said the man. –Tolan was well loved in the village, and the crowd are restless and eager for justice.†The two men left. Outside the crowd could still be heard shouting.
Atelic sat silent in the chair in which he had been placed. Godric called the others aside out of his earshot. –How shall we proceed?†he asked. –Even if he is guilty, we have no evidence against him.â€
–Do you have a truth potion in the house, or the ingredients to make one?†suggested Salazar.
–No, and fresh ingredients would take too long to find,†said Godric.
–Then we must bluff him,†said Rowena. –Let me try.†She handed Helena over to Helga and strode over to Atelic, a calm, cold expression on her face. She dropped the stone footprint at Atelic’s feet. –Put your foot in that,†she stated firmly.
Atelic looked up at Rowena in contempt. –And if I refuse?†he snarled.
Salazar drew his wand. –Then we may be forced to persuade you,†he said darkly.
Atelic snorted, but lifted his right foot and placed it in the footprint. It fitted exactly. –That proves nothing,†he said at once. –Any number of people might have the same size and shape boot as me. You’re just like them out there, you’ve decided I’m guilty already. You can’t wait to put the noose around my neck.â€
Rowena stared firmly into Atelic’s narrow eyes. –We don’t have to assume you’re guilty, Atelic,†she said calmly. –You see, the fire you left didn’t do its job.â€
At this, a flicker of doubt moved across Atelic’s face, just briefly, but enough for Rowena to catch it. –What are you talking about?†he said quickly.
–You know very well. The fire died out too quickly in the cold. Some of the parchment was still readable. Your name was there plain to see.â€
Atelic was getting agitated. –So what if it was? I’ve done business with Tolan in the past, everyone knows that.â€
Rowena looked Atelic up and down: his fine clothes, his neatly cropped beard, the silver ring on his finger, and made her final bluff. –It always comes down to money in the end, doesn’t it Atelic? Greed got the better of you and you were caught.â€
Atelic snapped. –Greed? You call it greed when a man uses his wits to make the best of his life? Most of us aren’t like your friend Godric, born into money. We have to make what we can get. So a few people got less than they were due from me, it serves them right for being such fools. Tolan was no different.â€
Godric advanced on Atelic in a rage. –And Tolan found out, and you killed him for it.â€
Atelic laughed coldly. –The naive fool actually wanted me to pay back to everyone I owed. He had it all neatly recorded and written down. He thought he could persuade me privately. He never thought to tell anyone else, the stupid...â€
Atelic never finished, for Godric leapt at him furiously and had to be restrained by the other three. It took some time before they managed to calm him down. –What shall we do with him then?†asked Salazar.
–Trial and execution, as he deserves,†answered Godric.
–Oh yes, a public trial,†said Atelic scornfully. –And what will you tell the crowd out there? That I killed a man with magic, with a single curse? You know how thin the thread is on which peace between magical and non-magical hangs. We keep ourselves to ourselves and they leave us be. Do you really think they will continue to do so if they know what we are capable of? Do you think they will understand? You would not dare risk it.â€
–This is what they all say,†said Salazar. –Violence between magical folk goes unpunished, because no one dares expose the truth to the world. That’s why so many think they can get away with it.â€
–He will not be allowed to get away with it,†said Godric. He thought for a moment. –The crowd already believes you guilty. They will not miss a public trial.â€
Atelic looked up at Godric. –So a summary execution it will be after all,†he sneered. –How just of you, Lion of Wessex.â€
–Godric, no,†said Rowena. –This is wrong. You cannot abandon justice. There must be another way.â€
–I do not see one,†Godric answered. –We are all assured of his guilt, yes?†They each nodded. –Then by the law of the land, he must die. If we are in agreement on that, then that is all the justice we can give him. Are we agreed?â€
–Agreed,†said Salazar
–Agreed,†added Helga
Rowena could see that Godric was right, despite all her misgivings. At last, and with great reluctance, she said –Agreed.â€
Godric conjured ropes and bound Atelic’s hands and put a gag in his mouth. He drew his sword. –You will be spared the noose, Atelic. This is something I must do myself. The responsibility and the consequences are mine.†He led Atelic out of the door to the waiting crowd. None of the other three followed him. They had no wish to watch. Rowena heard Godric speak. –People of the Hollow, I bring you Atelic, who has confessed to the murder of Tolan. Therefore, by the authority of the House of Gryffindor and by my hand, he shall be put to death, in accordance with the laws of England.†There was a long pause, followed by the swish of Godric’s sword and a great cheer from the crowd as Atelic’s head was severed in one blow. Helena, on Rowena’s knee, began to cry softly.
–There should have been another way,†Rowena said to herself softly, cradling Helena. –There will be another way.â€
The Raven's Claw by Sonorus
Chapter Endnotes: The Hollow wouldn't have become Godric's Hollow in his honour until after his time, of course. The church would have been rebuilt later, but in my imagination the graveyard in which Tolan is buried is the same one in which the Potters would later be laid to rest.