Ch. 2
The tower bedrooms were not warm ones at Blackeagle Castle. June was fast coming to a close, and Regina Blackwood still wore full sleeved nightdresses to bed despite the summer season. She looked out the window of her room and enjoyed the feel of the cool night air as she wrapped her shawl around her. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders and the breeze gently played with her curls. She sighed. On a night such as this, other children would be packing a magical tent to sleep out of doors or practicing flying on toy brooms (or maybe even real ones purchased for them in secret by doting guardians.) Even Muggle children would be having a more enjoyable evening than she had, stuck in her tower with no company save the paintings on the wall. One of which was a portrait of her mother's aunt, but she had stepped out for the moment to speak with another portrait about borrowing different colored robes. A navy blue would be brilliant against a seaside background, she'd reasoned. Having the painting in the room was almost as horrific as being locked in a room alone with Cora Blackwood herself. Regina had lost count of the times that her Aunt Rosaline's portrait had informed Cora of what Regina was doing, the little spy. She had half a mind to toss the picture frame – sans subject – from her tower bedroom, but she would only be in worse trouble than she was already. Aunt Rosaline would tell her mother what she'd done and she'd be confined to her room until September. She sat on her bed and complained out loud to her painting of a beautiful, young woman well-kept royal blue medieval robes with a beautiful sapphire tiara adorning her midnight hair.
"I don't understand why mother has forbidden me from leaving my chambers this time," she said as she sat down in front of her vanity and brushed her hair.
"Tell me what happened," the woman replied.
Regina began, "We were having dinner, mother's favorite – roast quail with apricot-port wine sauce – when I asked what Muggles eat for dinner."
Her brows furrowed in concentration as the Blue-Robed Woman asked, "Does your mother carry a bias against Muggles?"
"Yes," Regina confirmed, putting down her brush and turning to face the painting directly. "She asked why I cared what Muggles – or mudbloods – for that matter ate. I said I didn't like 'mudblood,' that it was a cruel word to use. She dismissed me from the table to come here for the night. I am confined to chambers for the week, only allowed out for meals." Regina walked over to her bed, just underneath the portrait. "What's so wrong with Muggles and Muggle-born wizards anyway?" she complained, to no one in particular.
"Oh, dear child. I am sorry. Some Wizards have always believed that being born a Wizard in a Wizarding family grants them superiority. They dislike anyone not like themselves." The Blue-Robed Woman's smile, normally vibrant and inviting, became a sad, close-lipped half-smile.
Just at that moment, there was a knock on Regina's door.
"Come in," she called as she sat up.
The door quietly creaked open to reveal Daniel, Regina's twin. He entered the door and walked over to her quickly, a bounce of obvious excitement in his step. When he had reached her, he handed her an envelope with her name on it.
"Open it, Gina!" he exclaimed, with a quick, polite, "Hello!" to the painting on her wall. He then refocused on his sister adding, "It's your acceptance letter! Has to be! This close to our birthday, what else could it be?
"Alright," Regina agreed as she got up and walked over to her writing desk. She retrieved the penknife kept in her quill jar and gently tore the top edge of the envelope to access the letter. Her eyes were the first of her features to show the truth of her excitement. Her lips followed suit, curling into genuine happiness.
"We're going to Hogwarts, Danny!" she laughed. Suddenly, the moon and stars outside seemed to shine a bit more brightly in her tower room. Perhaps it was just a reflection of the rare joy she was having. Hogwarts! Far from her mother's control and prejudice. A place where the portraits in her room would not spy on her. A place where, perhaps, she could actually find a kindred spirit, a friend. Daniel was entertaining company and a good heart, but he did not share Regina's love of stories, songs, and the odd Muggle trinkets she kept hidden from Cora. A pen had been fascinating! A quill with the ink inside it, so one never had to redip? Regina had been delighted. Cora would have been furious.
Regina hugged Daniel and clasped his hands in hers. "This is amazing!"
Daniel nodded. "Mother said she'd take us to Diagon Alley tomorrow, on our birthday!"
Regina let go of Daniel's hand and looked over the list of school supplies.
"Mother will let me out of my chambers tomorrow?" The hope in her voice was masked by disbelief. Cora had never let her daughter out of her room except for meals – at times, not even then – when her punishment had been confinement to her tower. She had become incredibly familiar with the deep blue drapes that stood in front of her windows, as well as the matching azure and silver linens on her bed. Her duvet was white with blue roses connected by silver stems that mimicked real roses. They would bud and bloom and repeat the process. She had counted all 426 of them she didn't know how often.
Many books, as well as dolls in robes from the Middle Ages, the Elizabethan era, and the Victorian as well as modern ages adorned the shelves on her walls. They were entirely ordinary looking dolls, porcelain and lifeless until being played with.
"Yes! It's Hogwarts shopping, Gina. Of course she's letting you out," he said with an added roll of his eyes.
Regina smiled, and replied, "Tomorrow will be wonderful! And you'd best get back to your chambers before the paintings snitch to mother."
Daniel agreed, gave a playful bow to his sister, and made for his own room, closing the dark wood door behind him noiselessly.
The stars twinkled brightly and a soft breeze blew through her window as she walked over and closed it for the night, letting down her drapes. She snuffed out her candles and climbed into bed. The Blue-robed Woman said good night and sang Regina a lullaby in a language Regina did not recognize until she was certain Regina slept. Sleep came quickly, but not restfully. Regina dreamed tragedy and terror – of "Mudblood lover" being graffitied over her bed at Hogwarts. Of green lights from wands and spells she'd never heard, of that green light passing from Cora's wand to Daniel and him falling cold to the ground. Of realizing that Cora had not uttered the incantation, nor held the wand...but Regina.
She woke with a muffled start after her dream. She shook her head and cleared her mind, seeing the sun shining through the gap in her drapes and knowing that a trip to Diagon Alley was in her near future. She removed the covers. She stretched and yawned, covering her mouth, her breath gently warming the back of her hand. She walked over to her wardrobe and selected a green silk dress with small golden diamonds embroidered throughout in a diagonal pattern. After bathing and dressing quickly, she walked down to the dining table and sat quietly. One of the house elves – they all looked remarkably similar to Regina – brought her warm oatmeal with sliced peaches in a small silver bowl and some eggs, bacon, and toast on a matching silver plate. Cora had already been seated, as was Henry Blackwood, Regina's father. Only Daniel failed to appear for breakfast.
"Regina, dear, have you seen your brother this morning?" Henry asked.
"No," Regina said, after taking a drink of her milk. "I haven't seen him since he gave me my Hogwarts letter."
"Probably sleeping in, the laze-about," Cora criticized. The clock struck 7 a.m. Just after the final toll of the clock, they heard someone running at speed down the stairs. Daniel appeared a moment later, cheeks aglow with spent energy and catching his breath. The house elf again appeared and gave Daniel his breakfast.
"Thank you, Tunny," he said.
Tunny bowed in response and squeaked, "Master Daniel is too kind. There is nothin' to thank Tunny for, Master Daniel, nothing!" Tunney hurried away before Daniel could say anything else.
"Hurry with your breakfast, Daniel. Don't waste a breath on houselves. What next? Associating with mudblodds? At any rate, we're going to be at the shops of Diagon Alley as early as we can. Hopefully, as soon as they open," Cora said.
Daniel swallowed his bite of oatmeal and replied, "Yes, Mother," biting his tongue from any other response.
The children ate in silence. Cora took advantage.
"Now, children, when we go to Diagon Alley, you must remember to only speak with the Pureblood wizards. The half-bloods and mudbloods are beneath you," she practically spat. "They'll be there with their Muggle parents as well. Why they allow their kind there is beyond me." Regina bit her lip as the outrages continued. She would not risk her mother's wrath when she was so close to a small taste of freedom.
After a moment, Henry interrupted Cora with a goodbye and a kiss on Regina and Daniel's foreheads. He went to the chimney and used the floo network to get to the Ministry of Magic, where he worked in the Department of Mysteries. The mystery he worked on was a mystery even to Cora. Short of lacing his tea with Veritaserum, he would never tell.
The remaining Blackwoods finished their breakfast. When every bite was gone and every drop drunk, Cora, Regina, and Daniel all held hands and apparated to Diagon Alley.