A/N: Hey, y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. :) The Writing Club prompts are listed below.
Assignment 5: Arithmancy Task 1: Write about good and evil.
Back to School: Rowena Ravenclaw
Word Count: 750
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.
Thanks to Kyrie and Lucy for beta'ing.
WARNINGS: Dark themes, allusion to death.
Enjoy!
Poisonous Minds
Rowena Ravenclaw had learned many things over the years. Books held the histories and mistakes of the people who came before; tradition held the skeletons of the ceremonies of their ancestors; her diadem was a well of wisdom, ready to grant some to its wearer. All these things Rowena treasured, and she held their lessons close to her heart. But it was people, she'd found, who taught the greatest of all truths. A single person could teach someone more than a thousand years of education.
Her daughter Helena had taught her the most. Namely, where the line between a thirst for knowledge and a thirst for power stood.
"Helena—what are you doing with that?"
Her daughter spun around guiltily, Rowena's diadem clutched tightly in her hands. "I only wanted to wear it for a second," she tried to assure her mother. "I only wanted to put it on for a second."
Alarm bells went off in the back of Rowena's mind, but like any mother who had trouble finding fault in their child, she ignored them. "Helena, you know why you can't to that." Her voice was tired, having had this conversation before. "Put it back. In the wrong hands, it could lead to disastrous consequences."
Helena's dark eyes clouded with anger. "I won't abuse its power."
Rowena's own eyes, much like her daughter's, narrowed in warning. "Now, Helena. Don't make me tell you again."
Helena put the headpiece down, but her eyes flashed with jealousy. She began to walk out of the room, but stopped in the doorway to turn back to her mother.
"Do you really love me?" she whispered.
Rowena reeled back, horrified. "Of course I do," she gasped. "Helena, why—"
"Then why have you denied me this one wish? Why do you put my heart through such anguish?"
Rowena stared at the young woman before her, her eyes hardening. "You don't know what you want," she admonished. "The lure of the diadem is too strong for you. You shouldn't be so desperate for answers that you compromise your morals."
Helena chuckled darkly. "One cannot develop morals without knowledge's aid."
Rowena shook her head. "Go."
With a glare, Helena obeyed; Rowena followed her out, and after a moment's thought, locked the door behind her.
Weeks went by, and Helena became more and more consumed with her desire to claim the diadem as her own. On more than one occasion, she'd had to physically wrestle the crown from her daughter. It was terrifying to watch; Helena's eyes grew wilder each day, but Rowena kept telling herself that she wasn't too far gone to save. Logically, she knew that her affection for her daughter was blinding her to the truth of Helena's true intentions, but she couldn't quash her hope. Both women were too headstrong to talk about the issue seriously; neither wanted to risk being wrong.
Rowena had taken to sleeping with the diadem clasped in her hand, as an extra precaution. She knew the dangers of infinite wisdom—only someone who didn't desire to tap into such an overpowering well could wield the diadem successfully. If Helena tried to access all the diadem offered at once, then it could destroy her mind.
Rowena refused to believe it was already broken.
She settled down to sleep that night, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. Many hours later, she was awoken by the sound of a door shutting. She blearily opened her eyes, black hair spilling around her. It took her a moment to realize what had happened; once she did, she leapt out of bed to look around her chambers and Hogwarts castle, to no avail.
Helena and the diadem were gone.
Rowena's health was failing; just an hour ago, she'd sent a young man after her daughter, desperate to see her before death came. There was a large inheritance waiting for Helena—a chest of emeralds and other jewels, and precious family heirlooms. It was a last-ditch effort to show her love, and she didn't know if it would work. She hadn't been sure of anything in a long time.
Breathing was a struggle now, but Rowena waited for her daughter. Her heart was screaming, but she couldn't believe that Helena was gone for good.
She'd learned to hate the human flaw of temptation. It had driven a wedge in her family; now her daughter could be lost to the evils of greed and jealousy.
Still, Rowena waited. Until at last, she could wait no more.
A/N: Writing Club Prompts:
Character Appreciation: 26. [Plot point] Sneaking an item away/stealing something
Disney Challenge: 3. Bagheera - Write about a stern character
Book CLub: 9. Enzo: (dialogue) "Do you really love me?", (word) affection, (emotion) jealous
Showtime: 8. All I Ask of You (Reprise) - (word) denied
Ami's Audio Admirations: 14. Tap, Tap, Tap — Write about a strange sound at night
Angel's Arcade: 3. Knuckles the Echidna: (plot point) guarding something, (object) emerald, (trait) headstrong
Lo's Lowdown: 1. Good vs. Evil