Cordelia Potter-Clermont, born a Potter but raised as a Clermont, is a girl caught between two legacies. When she arrives at Hogwarts in her sixth year, she is a whispered enigma-brilliant, alluring and veiled in shadows. Unlike her brother James, C...
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Cordelia Potter-Clermont's life was a tapestry of contradictions, much like her name. If asked about the saying "blood is thicker than water," Cordelia would find herself at a loss. While the Potters were her biological parents, it was the Clermonts who raised her. Her parents encouraged independence, while her grandaunt drilled her in the ways of becoming a proper lady, fit to find a good husband. The Clermonts preached blood purity, a stark contrast to the Potters' advocacy for equal rights. Cordelia spent her life navigating the delicate balance between these conflicting influences.
For the Potters, Cordelia's arrival was an unexpected variable. For the Clermonts, she was an opportunity.
After ten long years of treatment and prayer, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter were blessed with a son, James Potter—their golden child, their heir. He became the apple of his parents' eyes the moment he was born, completing the Potter family. The couple shared the responsibilities of caring for their newborn, following a strict routine. After almost a year of maternity leave, Euphemia returned to her job as an Auror, a career that had sustained her through the difficult years of trying to conceive. When she had learned she was pregnant, she had immediately taken leave, fearing a miscarriage. Returning to her beloved work brought her great joy.
Life was perfect until Euphemia discovered she was expecting another child. The news filled her with fear and uncertainty about managing two children. The couple's structured routine, which allowed them to focus on James and their careers, was about to be upended. Nonetheless, they were determined not to consider the option of termination.
This pregnancy was smoother than the first. Euphemia experienced minimal morning sickness and fatigue, and her small baby bump was the only visible sign of her condition. The couple didn't feel the need to take any leave and Euphemia was determined to make up for her long absence. She continued to manage her work and family without issue, thanks in part to Fleamont's role as Head Auror.
However, the wizarding world was turbulent with dark wizards on the rampage. During a particularly dangerous mission in her seventh month of pregnancy, a spell struck Euphemia directly in the stomach, causing her to collapse immediately.
Cordelia Potter-Clermont was born on a stormy night, defying expectations. She wasn't expected to survive, and the primary reason for her delivery was to alleviate her mother's suffering. Fleamont's directive was clear: "Save my wife at any cost." Cordelia did not cry upon entering the world, nor did she open her eyes; her breathing was labored, and she was small and fragile, like a delicate flower bud. The head healer had discreetly suggested that Fleamont should prepare for the worst—his daughter might not survive or could grow up with severe health problems. Fleamont barely listened, too focused on his ailing wife. Remarkably, after 17 days of staying in ventilator, Cordelia's condition began to improve.
Three weeks later, the Potter couple brought their fragile daughter home. However, Euphemia, just recovering from childbirth, was not in a condition to care for a sickly infant, and the father was preoccupied with their energetic one-year-old. Realizing they couldn't manage, they made a difficult decision: they would have to send Cordelia away temporarily. With Fleamont Potter being the last of his name, they had only one option.
The Clermonts. Euphemia's maiden family, a prominent pureblood family based in France, who welcomed Cordelia with open arms.
They had been going through a succession crisis for some time. So when they were offered a newborn pureblood girl with Clermont blood, they jumped at the chance. Even if she had blood traitor's blood and was the offspring of the daughter they had not talked to for years, she was still a better option than the other available one. After all, a newborn child was like a blank slate. They could mold her as they wished. At that time, only two Clermont family members remained: Euphemia's elderly father, whose passing could come at any moment, and her uncle's childless widow, Cressida Clermont, from the main branch. The Clermont's imposed two conditions for taking Cordelia in: first, they would legally and magically adopt her; second, she would be raised not as a Potter, but as a Clermont. Desperate, the Potters accepted these terms, leaving their less-than-month-old daughter in the hands of the Clermont's.
Thus, Cordelia Potter became Cordelia Potter-Clermont, marking the beginning of a life divided, a story of navigating identities and loyalties.
