Wayfinder (HP au)

act i, scene i

AURELIA BISHOP hadn't always been the golden child. There had been a time where even she was neglected, and sometimes Aurelia really, really, missed those days. The sweet summer air that she spent curled up amongst the flower beds. She had every quality of every plant memorized to heart. She craved those blissfully quiet winter nights spent under the sheets, reciting lines from the old potions books found in the family library.

Despite Aurelia's viscously competitive nature, along with her innate desire to achieve greatness, there had always been that little piece missing from her life. Aurelia had always felt a little out of place amongst her family, always a little less than the rest. Despite how the Bishop family members pratteled on about her undesirable blood status, Aurelia firmly believed that her blood was not the contributing factor to this oddness she felt. In fact, contrary to what most of the Bishop family might say, Aurelia's mother ensured that being a half blood should never be a source of insecurity. It was abundantly clear to little Aurelia that her blood never made her any less. And it never did.

So why did she still have that nagging feeling of inadequacy?

The final piece to her mystery. And the very thing that broke her heart came to her in the post, via owl.

"Dear Miss A. Bishop," the letter had poshly spoken, "we have after much research found the source to the manifestations that you've previously identified to Healer Jones. Please find an appropriate appointment date amongst the following as shown below for further discussion. Kind Regards, Penelope Proctor." Aurelia remembered how neatly the lilac letter folded itself up and gently settled down onto her table, no hint to the chaos and grief it now represented to her.

Now she had to live with the knowledge that a choice had been stolen from her. Because Aurelia Bishop had then soon discovered that she could never ever dream of having her child of her own again.

The promised motherhood that haunts every girl running towards their coming-of-age, just as how the moon chases after the sun, has abandoned her. She would never be able to know a child born from her own flesh and blood. The ability to be able to see what her love could personify has all, but now become a figment of her own imagination.
In short, Aurelia Bishop would always feel one step below being an actual mother.

As a result, Aurelia had sought out her own solution amongst her bottles and brews. Committing herself completely and entirely to her craft. Because for Aurelia Bishop that was all she had that she could say was hers. And hidden amongst the cauldrons, from the ash of her misery, a successful potioneer rose. With the success came greatness. And with greatness came fortune. With fortune came status. And with status came the recognition.
Recognition from a family she never wanted anymore.

That was how Aurelia went from the Bishop black sheep to their very own poster child. The golden child they needed to parade around like a trophy.
Aurelia became the evidence they needed to prove their statements true. To flaunt how progressive the Bishop family was amongst the Sacred Twenty-eight to the whole Wizarding World. To reasure the ministry tagt the Bishop family would never support blood supremacist. Not at all.

She was the dark secret come to light, showing how even the most purist families could change. She became the symbol of her family's innocence. The necessary alibi keeping the Bishop family from ruin and one step out of Azkaban.

And why the need for such an elaborate play, one may ask. And one may, does not validate an answer, but Aurelia had her theories. All of which came down to one simple fact. One event that has stormed into their wold in the form of of War.