Black Rose [Regulus Black]

64 - devastating decisions & tense invasions

Alessandra Rosier gawked at the diadem of Ravenclaw, which she was clutching in her grasp.

Dorcas had said that the wearer of the diadem would possess immense knowledge but it was rumored to come at a terrible price, and Alessandra was honestly considering putting on the diadem so she could find a way to destroy the demon that was possessing her. She couldn't think of any alternative solution... other than death.

She needed to die for Voldemort to die.

A bitter feeling rose up within her as she gazed at the twinkling blue jewels of the diadem. After everything, this simultaneously felt like a fitting ending to her life but a tragic one at the same time. How could she leave this world behind when she'd finally found love and family? She didn't even get to follow her dreams. Didn't get to work for one of the biggest chefs in Britain or even set foot outside the damn country, two things she'd wanted for years. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about her life.

At least she'd met the right people. Made good friends, found a brother, met Regulus... oh, how was he going to take this?

He will recover. He has Evan and Sirius.

She decided that once she handed off the diadem, she would take her own life. It would be quick and quiet, so that nobody would suspect and nobody would get hurt.

How did this even happen? How did he make her a Horcrux? She'd considered the possibility of it being during her captivity, but she'd had this feeling for a long time. She remembered when Voldemort had confronted the Rosiers, he said her existence wasn't known to him... so how did he make her a Horcrux if he didn't even know who she was?

Because he lied, you fool.

If he had, he'd played his cards remarkably well, Alessandra had to admit. He was so volatile that nobody would've expected this of Lord Voldemort, but then again, he didn't rise to power just by being angry all the time. No, he was cunning and manipulated all those people around him.

Her resolve strengthened. She decided that she wouldn't say a word of this to anyone. And then, when they were poised to kill him, and he'd kept his guard down because he was certain the Order didn't know she was a Horcrux, she would kill herself, making him mortal once more.

He wanted to use her for destruction? Fine, she'd bring about his.

Everything happening with her made so much sense now... why she gravitated towards the other Horcruxes and why the connection with her father had strengthened as the other pieces of his soul were destroyed one by one. She would've been ecstatic about arriving at this realization because it meant that there wasn't anything wrong with her as a person, but it didn't matter now anyways.

Because she was going to die.

She clambered to her feet and dusted herself off, and an exit materialized. She strolled towards the exit, footsteps echoing in the room. She made sure to wipe her tears and conceal any traces of the devastation she was feeling before she pulled open the door and left the Room of Requirement, walking straight into a group of panicking wizards.

"Why would you just let her go?" Evan was yelling at Regulus.

"I don't know! It just seemed like the right thing to do!" he yelled back.

"Stop yelling!" Dorcas yelled.

Alessandra cleared her throat and the wizards jumped. Remus was so shocked that sparks flew out of his wand, and Evan landed on Regulus' toe, causing the latter to hiss in pain. The confusion disappeared, however, the moment they saw the diadem in her hands.

"Stop," Sirius whispered. "Is that-?"

"The Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw," Dorcas exhaled in awe, and Alessandra let her pick it out of her grasp, too numb to protest. "No way. No fucking way. I thought it was legend, but it's actually real, and it's just as magnificent as the books described it... you can even feel the power rolling off of it."