Flutter360: Thank you!
wiccancharmedguy: Thanks!
Ad23: Thank you! I'll do my best!
White crazy Rabbit: Thanks! Euphemia Rowle (she's female, not to be confused with the Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle) was a character introduced in the Cursed Child, but we don't know anything about her except that she took care of Delphi. Since there's so little known about her, I kept her name and her pure-blood status, but gave her a backstory. I personally think that Harry acted extremely out of character through the way he tells Albus that he sometimes "wishes that he weren't his son" and the horrible way he treats Professor McGonagall - the woman who bought him his first broomstick, who defended him from Umbridge, and for whom he used the Cruciatus Curse on the man who spat on her. It just didn't seem like Harry to me. There are a few other characters who I thought acted a bit out of character as well, but it was minor enough not to mention here. Yeah, I was really interested in the Department of Mysteries - especially the information on Pottermore that says that some parts of it predates the Ministry. I was going for a bit of a Lost take on the Unspeakables (if you've watched that show)- a sort of combination of the Others and the Dharma Initiative. Although I'm not planning on having them worship any God or practice a religion, I'm still aiming for a sort of cult that revolves around the mysteries of magic. And I'd be very glad to discuss the Cursed Child with you! Just send me a PM and I'll do my best to respond in a timely fashion!
Guest: Haha same! I was very disappointed by the blatant disregard of canon more than anything else. I want to make Delphi a bit more positive, but more just to add dimension to her. She's still going to be the villain in the story, but her motives might become clearer in this story. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES, 21 JUNE 2014
Euphemia Rowle sat alone in the darkness on a simple mat - her eyes closed and her expression thoughtful. Unlike the other rooms in the Department of Mysteries, the chamber that she sat in was unlit, so the usual blue illumination that permeated the rooms was replaced by inky blackness. Though this meditation chamber was open for all Unspeakables to use, few but Rowle herself ever came inside. Indeed, Rowle's visits to this chamber had been increasing ever so frequently in the past year alone - so much that some of her colleagues jokingly suggested that she make the place her new quarters.
Since last month, however, the reason for her visit all had a common cause: the girl. It had been more than sixteen years since that fateful night, when Rodolphus Lestrange had brought her to the Department of Mysteries. Euphemia had known at the time, though Lestrange did not, that his master's time in this world was short. Mere hours after his visit, news raced across the Ministry that the Dark Lord had been vanquished. Euphemia had once wondered what had become of Rodolphus - whether he was incarcerated in Azkaban or had eluded capture, now on the run from the Aurors. But she quickly banished the thought from her mind - all that mattered now was the problem he had brought with him.
They had named the girl Delphini, though as of late, she had begun demanding that she simply be called Delphi. Examinations quickly verified Rodolphus' claims about her parentage, and her prodigious talents confirmed it every day. Nevertheless, she continued to remain at the heart of all of Euphemia's problems.
A soft knock on the door interrupted these flow of thoughts, though she did not open her eyes. A portly man opened the door and walked in quietly, sitting cross-legged opposite to her.
"Professor Croaker," she addressed. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Madam Rowle," the man said. "We cannot delay any further. The girl comes of age today - it is only a matter of time befor-"
"I am well aware of the situation, Saul," Rowle said coolly. "But we both know the Delphini cannot fulfill the Twin Prophecies until she has been marked."
"As we should have done when she was orphaned!" Croaker insisted. "Madam Rowle - Euphemia - I don't understand why you have delayed in marking Delphi! The girl possesses immense magical power, and she has already proven her loyalty to us on multiple occasions!"
"Our problem, Saul," Rowle said. "is that she still does not possess the right temperament to do what needs to be done! Loyalty to us alone will not make her the witch we had hoped she would become. She is not ready to bring back the Dark Lord. And do not call her 'Delphi' - it only encourages her," she added as an afterthought.
Croaker remained silent. After a few moments, Rowle opened her eyes and took in Croaker's form. Years of living in the darkness had trained her eyes to discern shapes from the shadows. Although she could not make out his face, she knew that he was looking expectantly at her.
She sighed and said, "I do not need to use Legilimancy to know what you're thinking. Harry Potter is not the answer."
"But if what they say is true, Euphemia - that Harry Potter has the Deathly Hallows - then we have everything we need to fulfill the prophecies!"
"You know as well as I that Delphini will not kill him." she retorted.
"We don't need her to kill him - she simply needs to Disarm him, and the Wand is as good as ours!" Croaker cried. "We don't need to tell her the whole truth - just telling her that Potter murdered her father would be enough to send her over the edge!"
"For Merlin's sake, Saul!" Euphemia cried. "Do you really think she has the makings of a killer?"
"She's a rebel," Croaker said. "And she has a fiery personality. But her destiny doesn't depend on killing Potter! Her purpose is to reunite the Hallows."
"Precisely," Rowle said. "And therein lies the problem with her. I concede it possible that she could defeat Potter, but the fact of the matter is that she is simply too weak to master the Elder Wand. It would be impossible for her to unite the Hallows."
"The Elder Wand doesn't care about whether she'll use it to blast apart wizards or to conjure toys for children! The only thing it understands is power, and Delphi - Delphini - is stronger than any witch or wizard alive!"
"You mistake power for skill, Saul," Euphemia said. "I admit that she is a witch of prodigious skill, but she has neither the ambition nor the cunning needed to master the Elder Wand."
"At least give the girl a chance, Euphemia. If nothing else, let her find the Stone!"
"And do you have any idea where the Stone is? How do you expect her to scour the country in search of a pebble?" she said. "Until we have more information, there's no chance of her recovering the Stone. And do not forget that according to the prophecies, there is still a chance that she could fail."
"The Cloak, then!"
"Absolutely not. The Cloak lies with Potter, and he cannot discover her existence until she is ready to face him."
"Then what do you propose, Euphemia?" Croaker demanded. "She has to learn the truth sometime! How do you expect her to fulfill her destiny if she never enters the real world?"
"A world that does not even know that she exists!" Euphemia snapped. "Sixteen years has failed to drill reason into her naive head. She is too impulsive and emotional!"
"How long do you plan on coddling her?" Croaker cried.
"As long as I must, Saul!" she shouted. "Delphini cannot fail us! She cannot fail me-"
Her voice suddenly broke. There was silence ringing in contrast to their shouting match, punctuated occasionally by her shallow breathing.
"This is about Augustus, isn't it?" Croaker asked gently.
"The world he lived for - there is still a chance that all is not lost," Euphemia choked. "If the Dark Lord returns, we need not hide any longer! Augustus and I will be reunited once again, just as how we should have been for years. But if Delphini fails - everything Augustus fought for will have been in vain - I may never see him again."
"Euphemia, look at me," Croaker said. He took her hands in his and looked at her eyes, barely discernible as they both sat in the dark.
"I swear to you that Delphini won't fail. And once the Dark Lord returns, he will break open Azkaban - you'll see Augustus again, and this time, you'll truly see him - under golden sun in the full light of day, not in the dark by dim candlelight! But you have to trust in the girl - trust in the prophecies - and your future together is as good as assured."
She looked up at Croaker. He had long been her confidante, but more recently, he had become the closest thing to a friend she had. His words rarely failed to take away her pains.
"There may be a way to ensure that Delphini ensures the Dark Lord's return."
Euphemia looked up. "How?"
"We need to send her to Narcissa," Croaker said. "Delphini is her niece, after all. But we'll say that the father is Rodolphus. No one except him knows the truth - I'll personally deal with Rodolphus."
Euphemia hesitated. "Saul, the risks are far too great- "
"Narcissa will not betray her, Euphemia. No matter how she feels about the Dark Lord, Bellatrix was her sister."
Seeing that she was still convinced, he added, "No harm will come to her, I swear. This is the only way to bring back the Dark Lord. The only way to bring back Augustus."
After a few moments, Euphemia sighed. "Very well. Send for Delphini - we will mark her tonight before sending her off."
Satisfied, Croaker stood up and left for the dining hall. Euphemia remained there for a moment, enjoying another few moments in the darkness, before getting up and following suit.
That night, their members gathered in the Room of Thought, which was completely devoid of Ministry workers. Their numbers were few - only around two dozen remained after Euphemia ascended to leadership. Few knew of their existence, and even fewer had ever met them - Augustus Rookwood and Saul Croaker were the only two in the last half-century that had been in regular contact with them. Now, Euphemia regarded them in the greenish light emitted by the liquid in the brain tanks. Once all was quiet, she took a breath and began.
"Unspeakables! We gather tonight to bring another to our numbers - one who has heard the Augurey's call and learned its mysteries. I need not remind you all how significant our decision was to take her - an outsider - into our sacred halls. Our history is clandestine - indeed, our very existence is unknown to the world above us. But we are followers of true magic - our roots are older than the Ministry building above our heads - the same Ministry that threatened to tear us apart more than three centuries ago! Few of us remember the Great Schism of 1707 - when the fledgling government was established and demanded us to reveal our secrets to unworthy witches and wizards. But we all know the result: the Ministry established the Department of Mysteries, taking our home and our name for their workers. Yet they could not eradicate us fully! We hid ourselves deep within our ancestral home, guarding our ancient secrets from the unworthy. Meanwhile, the world above has changed greatly over the centuries - few witches and wizards of true magical lineage remain, their progeny corrupted by Muggle blood. Our home now remains the only sanctuary of magic on Earth - we, the followers of the Augurey: the rainbringer, the herald of death to the unworthy, who flee before its call! But for those who do not run - those who follow its call - come to us and return to the roots of true magic. And tonight, yet another is to be marked as one of us, having learned and followed our ways. Delphini, kneel before us."
A young woman in her late teens walked silently forward. Her features combined the best traits of the both the Riddles and the Blacks. Her hair was silver-blonde with blue tips - she had artificially created the latter, as a mark of teenage rebellion. True to Euphemia's words, the girl did not reflect any of the sadism and viciousness found in her parents, though she was rather hot-headed and unruly. Her true parentage had been kept a secret from her, though she had been told that her parents were powerful wizards that fought for the Augurey.
"Delphini, on this day, you come of age. When you were brought to us, we agreed to keep you safe from your father's enemies. But with your orphanage, we raised you and taught you our ways. You have proven yourself to be one of us. And tonight, we mark you as one of our own."
She raised her wand and tapped the back of Delphi's neck. A burning flash - and in its place was a greenish-black bird.
"Rise, Delphini, and meet your destiny for the Augurey: rainbringer, herald of death."
