A Star Too Far | Sirius Black

Chapter 26

   Growing up, Cassiopeia always obeyed her parents without much thought. She hated muggles just because her parents did so, she hated muggle-borns, half-bloods, half-breeds, and blood-traitors just because her parents did so.

Her views only started to shift when she was old enough to understand that most of them had no choice.
Muggles cannot choose to be muggles or wizards.
Muggle-borns cannot choose to be born to muggle parents or not.
Half-bloods cannot choose to be born to one magical parent or not.
Half-breeds cannot choose to get bitten by a werewolf or not.

The first time she tried to express her opinion about the topic was the first time she was introduced to the feeling of an unforgivable curse. The Cruciatus curse.

That was the first time the little girl truly wondered how a human being was capable of being so harsh.
So heartless.
So cruel.
If a mother who had carried her child for nine months was capable of hurting her child so mercilessly, how would she hurt a stranger?

If a father who would stay next to his child after a nightmare, comforting her until the little kid fell asleep could be so cruel to her, how cruel would he be to a stranger?

Apparently, more than the naive little girl ever thought.

Cassiopeia always hoped that her parents would change back to the way they were with her. She could still remember core memories of when she was a mere toddler.
Her father handing her a white rose and smiling at her warmly.
Her mother painting her little nails in the bright pink Cassiopeia had chosen.

For some reason, the little girl's parents had changed one hundred and eighty degrees for the worse.

It was all gone.

Their love for their daughter was gone.
Their love for each other was gone.
Their care was gone.
Their affection was gone.
Their devotion was gone.

It was all gone.

Everything was gone along with Cassiopeia's respect for her parents.

But, for the first time, Cassiopeia thought that maybe not everything was gone.
Maybe she had a chance to start a new life, away from her parents, with her new family.
Her real family.

The news had come as a shock to the little girl. Probably the biggest shock she had ever received in her life.
But she had hope.

Hope for a better life.
Hope for a loving family.
Hope for her scars to heal.
Hope for a new beginning.

Every ounce of hope that filled her small body was gone when she woke up in the comfort of her bed.
Her bed.
The same bed she had been sleeping in all her childhood.

It was all gone.

Maybe it was a dream.
Maybe that was her brain tricking her, giving her false hope.
 But her body ached too much for everything to have been just a dream.

Remembering the events of the night before, Cassiopeia held a strand of her hair between her fingers.
She had no idea how to control her metamorphic abilities if they were even real and not just a dream.

With a deep frown, the little girl imagined her hair a soft brown colour. Her hazel eyes widened when she saw that her previously blonde strand of hair was now a light brown colour.

So it wasn't a dream after all.

Getting out of bed, Cassiopeia couldn't help but stare down at her waist in confusion. If all this in fact wasn't a dream, then she should at least feel some sort of pain considering she had been stabbed with a cursed dagger.