You wicked child.
Monstrous little beast.
Magic like yours is evil and I won't be having you use it in in this house.
Accident or not, you used your darkness and must be punished.
If I wasn't here then you would have already been sent to Azkaban. The Aurors would take one look at you and see that you're only capable of doing evil, just like your parents.
There is no mercy for things like you.
These were the words that Delphi had become accustomed to throughout her short life, their sting was as familiar as her own face, and she would be lying if she said she was numb to the pain. They weren't reserved only for when she had misbehaved, taken a book from Aunt Rowle's room or dared to step outside; depending on the crone's mood, it could for something as simple as looking at her the wrong way.
These incidents paled in comparison to using magic.
When she was still too young to know better, she committed this offence far more regularly. Shattering a tea cup when she was being shouted at, levitating a book in boredom, these simple actions were akin to the unforgivable curses in the eyes of Euphemia Rowle. As she grew, however, Delphi did not gain better control of her own powers, as one might assume from the drop in their frequency. Instead, she bottled it up inside, accepting her torment with the knowledge that even the slightest use of magic would deprive her of what little food she did receive.
By the time of her eleventh birthday, Delphi was beginning to think that her magical abilities were simply a fluke, a talent that had died as she aged. There had been no incidents in over a year, but this didn't stop every creak of a door and gusts of wind being blamed on her.
Curled up under her thin blanket, she could hear the chiming of the clock downstairs, signalling midnight.
"One, two, three, four…" She mouthed along with the chimes, smiling to herself as she reached twelve. She knew that no presents waited for her once the sun rose, not even so much as acknowledgment of the day from her guardian.
Delphini was realistic in her expectations for the day ahead, years of disappointments had made her realise that this was to be no different to any of the others that came before it and those that would follow. There was no hope for a miracle.
Eleven years old and still trapped in the same house that she had lived for that time, exiled to the attic each night, or locked in the cellar if she had particularly irritated Aunt Rowle that day. I've stopped my magic, I couldn't have made you sick, was her defence on one of the occasions when she was dragged into the pitch-black depths of the house, but that wasn't enough for her guardian. Hours, even days were spent down there, thirsty and utterly alone in the darkness.
Still lying on the mattress, she closed her eyes and focused, trying to sense any of the same magic that she had always tried to suppress. Please she begged to herself, let me know you're still there. She held her breath until she felt her chest could burst, tears gathering in the corners of her dark eyes. Sensing nothing: she relaxed, panting as her body scrambled for air. Delphi didn't want the unpredictable outbursts that got her into trouble to return, but was desperate for some sign that she hadn't destroyed her magic forever.
Last year she would've given anything to get rid of this power that made her life so miserable, but seeing how her punishments continued regardless and noting the empty numbness that threatened to swallow her, she just wanted to feel something. Anything.
Although she had no memory of it, she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she heard was a screeching voice telling her to make breakfast that very instant. Usually Delphi was already up by this point, but she realised that her midnight efforts had made her more tired than normal.
She was not allowed time for a wash this morning, that would only be given once she had finished her chores, ones that usually took well into the afternoon. There was no choice in clothes, only the same grey dress that she wore every day, dirty and creased.
"You're late." Greeted Delphi the moment she entered the small kitchen. She quickly apologised, ducking her head as she spoke to the woman sat at the table. The breakfast process was now instinctual to the girl, preparing it every day for the last four years-although it never escaped some form of criticism.
"The bacon was burnt yesterday, it better not be the same today."
"Yes, Aunt Rowle." She obeyed, thinking again how curious it was that despite the title, it was clear that they shared no such relation. Her guardian was short, or perhaps it was just that Delphi was tall, for there seemed only a short difference in heights. There was no shared feature, impossibly straight brown hair against Delphi's shorter black curls. Once a year, Delphi dared to take Euphemia's scissors and cut her hair to a manageable length, and now her uncontrollable curls only just passed her shoulders.
Starting to cook the bacon, she used this time to set the table: one plate, one knife, one fork, one glass, and nothing for herself. As she stood at the counter, able to do no more until the food cook, she stole a glance at the calendar on the wall, the only confirmation that it was in fact her birthday today, the twenty-third day of September.
"What are you staring at, foolish child?" Euphemia snapped, jolting Delphi out of her out mind.
"Nothing, just the wall." She quickly lied, desperate not to provoke her on her birthday of all days. Her most recent imprisonment downstairs had lasted 4 days, a record, and she had no desire to repeat it.
Unfortunately, this seemed to only infuriate her guardian more. "Don't lie to me!" The woman rose from her seat, stalking towards her young ward. Delphi tried to pacify her, reiterating how it was nothing, she was just distracted.
Euphemia grasped Delphi's face in her claws, forcing her to meet her eyes. "Liars have to be punished, and you are nothing more than a filthy monstrous liar. I never should've taken you in."
Unable to help it, her body started shaking at the thought of the cellar, allowing Euphemia's nails to dig further into her face. "I was just looking at the calendar, it's my birthday. That's all."
Her pale eyes narrowed in suspicion, before suddenly scoffing. "Your birthday… as if that means anything to you. You are worth nothing, less than a speck of dust, you don't deserve a birthday."
Momentarily, her fingers relaxed and Delphi hoped that the confrontation was over. Soon she realised she should've known better, for the claws returned even sharped, breaking skin. Her guardian's outbursts often left bruises, but Euphemia always made sure that there was no injury that would leave a lasting mark or scar, for what reason, Delphi didn't know.
"It's ironic, of course, but you don't know any of it. When you were first given to me I was actually the one afraid of you, for weeks I tended to every last whim and cry that you gave, as though you were important. I thought that my actions would be rewarded, that my custody of you would give me more wealth and power than I had ever before, I actually saw you as something beneficial." She paused in her tirade to pass her gaze over the girl she held powerless in her grip, sneering in disgust. "That all changed when the war ended and suddenly you were nothing. Hardly anyone knew about you, and those that did tried to forget that you ever existed. You have no one in this world, no one that cares if you live or died. I'm stuck here with you, a pathetic, cowering creature that means nothing anymore. You would be such a disappointment anyway, a weak girl who doesn't deserve anything."
Weak.
So that is what she was. Not powerless. She was weak, like Euphemia said, too weak to stop this vile woman abusing her, too weak to even use her magic anymore.
Did she have to be weak? Delphi thought, as her guardian began dragging her towards the cellar door.
As she was moved, she felt herself shaking again, but not from fear. A tidal wave was building inside her, vibrating through her bones, pulsating outwards and exploding the glass frames on the wall as she passed. The walls shook as her vision blurred, a dark mist overtaking everything. Her body was no longer constraining her power, and with a thunderous roar, Delphi felt no more.