"My sweet child!" Parthenos Higgs lamented. His beloved daughter and son-in-law would reside in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies for the remainder of their lives. "The barbarism!" he cried out.
Augusta Longbottom shook with rage, as her brother-in-law Algie held on to her. Enid Longbottom craddled her great-nephew Neville in her arms and sobbed.
Gloxinia Higgs remained silent. It was as if she was in a trance, "My Alice loves sunflowers, she likes to watch them grow" she finally murmured. All would be in attendance as Wizengamot sentenced Barty Crouch Jr, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange to life imprisonment for the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Udolf Lestrange father of the Lestrange brothers looked unnerved and held his head high in what seemed as approval. "My sons and daughter did the Dark Lord's work. It is quite unforgivable when the pure learn such traitorous behavior." Gloxinia never took her eyes off of the man who was one of Voldemort's first Death Eaters. "My Alice loves sunflowers, she likes to watch them grow." Parthenos took her by the hand and guided her out of the courtroom "we know darling, we know."
A few years later, the sunflower garden that Gloxinia and her daughter cultivated slowly began to wilt and wither. The garden became barren.
In 1985 it was plastered on the front page of the Daily Prophet that the infamous patriarch of the Lestrange family was found dead. Rumors abound was that he met a grotesque demise.
Seven years later in 1992 at the age of fifty-four Cygnus Black III, father of Bellatrix Lestrange died. The manner of his death frightening his wife Druella so, that she died ten days later.
Gloxinia's husband tried to coax her out the house. "A bit of fresh air will do you good Xinia, We can visit your nephew at the Winogrand Conservatory." Neville will come to visit soon, I hear he has a knack for herbology."
"Perhaps you two can start the sunflower garden again." It would be lovely to see them flourish once more."
"Oh but they did Parthenos they did! So tall and vibrant!" his wife exclaimed. "You must be patient to ensure a successful rooting." "Didn't I tell you?" "Sometimes you need blood to help plants grow."
(painting by Gail Potocki, “Botanica No. 23)
@essayofthoughts dark herbology?