Heaven of Devotion & Whispered Dreams | Regulus Black

Revelation

After Cordelia left the living room, James turned to his parents with a questioning look. Euphemia and Fleamont exchanged glances and gestured for the boys to follow them to the study. They all settled into the sofas, a tense silence hanging over the room like a storm cloud. James fidgeted, his patience thinning with each passing second, until he could no longer bear it.

"So? What's going on? I know something's up, so don't bother hiding it anymore," he blurted out.

Euphemia shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flickering between James and Sirius.

"I could leave," Sirius offered, half-rising from his seat. "After all, it's a family matter."

"Nonsense," Fleamont said, stopping him with a raised hand. "You're as much a part of this family as James is." He looked to Euphemia, encouraging her to break the silence.

Euphemia cleared her throat, her expression fraught with worry. "Well, when we arrived, Cordelia suddenly started insisting we transfer her to Hogwarts. We were baffled. She's always adored Beauxbatons-"

James snorted, unable to contain his irritation. "Adored? She practically worshiped it! She'd go on about how Beauxbatons was like walking through a fairy tale. 'The towers were spun from moonlight,' she'd say, 'and the hallways were like stardust made solid.' It was like she thought she'd found the magical equivalent of paradise." He shook his head. "And now she wants to leave? With only two years left and the NEWTs looming? It's like a star student deciding to drop out of the top school a month before finals. It's completely bonkers!"

Euphemia sighed deeply but remained silent. Instead, Fleamont took over. "We were just as perplexed by Cordelia's request. She was adamant and refused to share her reasons. She even threatened to have the Clermont family solicitor handle the transfer if we didn't comply and mentioned she wouldn't mind attending Ilvermorny if necessary."

James's eyes widened in surprise. "Ilvermorny? She was willing to go that far?"

Fleamont nodded, his face etched with sadness. "Yes. When we went to Beauxbatons to handle the paperwork for Cordelia's transfer, the headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime, informed us of what really happened." He hesitated, his voice trembling with difficulty and a hint of anger. "She was given a love potion."

James felt a cold rush of shock, like ice flooding his veins. The news hit him with a visceral jolt, leaving him stunned and disturbed. His mind raced, grappling with the gravity of the situation and the implications it held for Cordelia's well-being.

"Nothing happened," Euphemia quickly added, trying to calm the rising tension. "Some things did occur, but a staff member intervened before it could escalate further."

"When did this happen?" James asked numbly, struggling to process the information. He still felt as if he were on shaky ground.

"Earlier this year," Euphemia replied softly.

"Earlier this year?" James's expression morphed into one of utter shock. "Why are we only hearing about this now? Why didn't that old hag, Cressida, inform us? Didn't she think it was important to let her family know? What about the school?"

Euphemia took a deep breath, her frustration barely contained. "The school informed Cressida because she is Cordelia's main guardian there. As for why Cressida didn't say anything, we don't know. But honestly, I'm not surprised." Her tone was tinged with anger toward her aunt.

Sirius, who had been silent since the revelation, spoke up, his voice tense. "Was the perpetrator punished? Expelled?"

Euphemia grew even more uncomfortable, her eyes downcast. "Yes and no."

Fleamont took over, his expression hardening. "I think the better way to describe it would be that he received divine punishment."

James shot him a bewildered look. "What does that mean?"

Fleamont continued, his face a mask of grim resolve. "Cordelia didn't want anyone to know. She was concerned about her reputation, her marriage prospects, and how people would perceive her."

James's frustration was palpable. "She shouldn't be worried about that. None of this was her fault. An incident like this doesn't define her value."

Euphemia's expression softened with sadness and understanding. "I agree, James. But Cordelia has been raised in an environment where personal reputation is heavily scrutinized. To her, any incident-even one she didn't cause-can feel like a stain on her dignity."

James shook his head, his face etched with frustration. "That's unfair."

Fleamont nodded, his gaze troubled. "It's a harsh reality for her. She's been conditioned to think that any blemish, even one beyond her control, could reflect poorly on her. It's not right, but it's how she's been taught to view her place in the world."

James took a few breaths to calm himself before speaking. "What did you mean by divine punishment?"

Euphemia and Fleamont tensed again. "He fell from a stairway and got paralyzed," Fleamont said.

James's mood lifted slightly. "Good for him. Otherwise, I might have traveled to France to break his legs myself."

"And," Euphemia added with a pained expression, "he's also blind, insane, and has maggot-like creatures crawling over his body."

James turned horrified, his eyes wide and face pale as the gruesome details sank in. He was momentarily at a loss for words.

Sirius seemed to recover from the shock earlier than James. "But falling from a stairway doesn't cause that," he pointed out.

Euphemia nodded grimly. "Even the healers were at a loss. They'd never encountered anything like it before. There were no signs of magic involved, and it all seemed unnervingly natural. They couldn't figure out how to treat him because it was as if he was born with those afflictions."

James's voice broke, laced with fear and reluctance. "Do you think Cordelia..."

"Of course not," Euphemia interjected firmly, stopping him before he could finish. "Your sister doesn't have the capability for such cruelty, nor does she have the heart." She exchanged glances with her husband. "We're speculating it was Cressida. Although it shames me to admit it, my family has always had their hands dipped in dark magic. I'm quite certain she's behind this."

"It's possible," Fleamont said, his face contemplative. "The incident happened while Cordelia was under Cressida's care. It must have been a huge blow to her pride. Even though the school had warned the boy, there was no way to ensure he wouldn't talk. If word got out, it would tarnish her reputation and the years of hard work she invested in Cordelia would be for nothing. She likely did it to silence him and protect the family's name."

The family remained silent for a while, the weight of the revelation hanging heavily in the air. The older members gave the younger ones space to process the gravity of the situation.

James broke the silence, his face contorted with frustration and disbelief. "This happened months ago, and now she's only moving schools? Cressida must have known how miserable Cordelia was there. Yet she only gets to come here now, after Cressida's death? Why did she force her to stay there if she couldn't even take proper care of her?" His voice was filled with a mixture of anger and anguish.

"James," his mother interjected gently, trying to calm him down. "Let's-"

"No, Mum," James cut her off, his tone sharp with bitterness. "That old hag was supposed to be like a mother to her. But we all know how 'lovingly' she raised Cordelia," he said sarcastically. "She already lost one friend there. She should have been taken-"

"Two," Fleamont interjected grimly.

"What?" James's confusion was evident.

"Three months ago, Louis committed suicide," Fleamont said quietly.

James fell silent, processing the devastating news. He knew Cordelia had two close friends, though he didn't know much about them except that both came from notable pureblood families.