Chapter XI
Aspiring for Evil
"I still can't believe I saw you snogging Lucian Daungiere," said Severus, shaking his head in disbelief as he, Lily, and Diana sat doing homework in the central courtyard the next day. He was thumbing through a battered Potions book as he spoke, occasionally stopping to make a note in the margins or add something to the essay he was trying to complete.
"And I still can't believe you found out you have an uncle!" said Lily excitedly, looking up from her essay on the Draught of Peace. "You've got to try and find him, Di!"
"I don't know," said Diana doubtfully. "There must have been some reason why I was left at that hospital instead of going to live with family. Maybe he doesn't want to see me."
"Maybe," said Lily thoughtfully. "But there may have been a different reason. Besides, you have nothing to lose by just trying to contact him."
"Your owl could probably find him if you wanted to send him a letter," said Severus, not looking up from his book.
"I hadn't thought of that," said Diana, slightly embarrassed at her oversight. "I suppose I could at least try. And maybe," she added excitedly, "I could ask Dumbledore about him, too. I have my last Occlumency lesson this Thursday, so I could bring it up then. If anyone knows something, Dumbledore does."
"Good point," said Severus, turning back to his essay. "Or you could ask Lucian to help you find out about him," he muttered, sniggering.
Diana frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Only that he has a strange way of finding things out when he wants to. Surely you've noticed."
"He's resourceful," said Diana loyally, flipping through her Potions book.
"Oh, please," said Severus. "He's rich, that's all he is."
"Is that a crime?"
"No, but Di, you don't know Lucian like I do." Severus looked up from his essay, speaking more seriously now. "I would watch out for him if I were you. I've known him ever since our first year and he can be, well… devious."
"I've seen nothing to make me think he is anything other than a gentleman," said Diana loftily, pointedly not looking at him.
"That is a bit odd though," said Lily, copying Severus and adopting a serious tone herself. "I know you're very taken with him, Di, but no one's that perfect. Don't you think he's a little too good to be true?"
"No."
Lily sighed heavily, and out of the corner of her eye Diana saw her exchange a glance with Severus. "Just please be careful, Di," she said earnestly. "There's a reason he's in Slytherin."
"Diana, I must remark once again that you have an incredible talent at your disposal," Professor Dumbledore said at the close of their lesson on Thursday. Diana smiled appreciatively – not only had the voices been unable to penetrate her mind for almost two months, she had just managed to hold her own against the Headmaster's continuous mental assaults for two entire minutes before finally giving in.
"Thank you, sir," she said, beaming exhaustedly.
"But forgive me, Diana," he said, leaning forward over his desk. "For I, being the rather accomplished Legilimens that I am, could not help but notice that there is something you wish to discuss with me."
Diana had long since recognized Dumbledore's honesty as one of the things that made him such an extraordinary individual, and she smiled.
"You're right, Professor, as always," she said. "I wanted to ask you about my family."
"Ah, your family," said Dumbledore, putting his fingertips together. When he did not speak again Diana continued.
"I recently found that I may have an uncle still alive somewhere," she said. "Lucian took me to the Daily Prophet office in Hogsmeade and there was an article –" she paused and took a deep breath, struggling to keep her voice even. "It said that – that my mother had a brother named Marcus."
"Lucian Daungiere, of Slytherin?" asked Dumbledore curiously. He chuckled quietly when Diana nodded, peering at her closely over his half-moon spectacles.
"The Prophet was correct, Diana," he said. "Your mother did have a brother named Marcus, and I believe he is still alive."
Diana's eyes widened eagerly. "Do you know anything about him, sir?" she asked hopefully.
"That I do not, or at least, I know very little," said Dumbledore regretfully. "I lost contact with him shortly after your mother's disappearance."
"Do you think – do you think he knows I exist?"
"I cannot say," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I think there is a good chance he does not."
Diana nodded silently and bit her lip, looking at the floor and trying to chase away the tears that were threatening to form in her eyes. Dumbledore regarded her kindly, as only Dumbledore could do, and she soon found her voice again.
"The article said that – that he kept looking for her long after the Aurors had called off the search," she said quietly.
"Marcus loved your mother, Diana," said Dumbledore gently. "She meant a great deal to him. And I think, if you wanted to contact him, he would be glad to hear from her daughter."
Diana looked up in surprise. "You really think I should write to him?" she asked.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore, smiling and looking slightly wistful. "He is family, after all."
Late that night, Diana sat in the darkened Gryffindor common room, staring intently at a blank piece of parchment and trying to decide what to say. Her quill had been poised to write for several minutes, but the right words didn't seem to want to come. She had waited for everyone else to go to bed so she could concentrate fully on the letter, but she now wished that she had tried to write it with Lily or Julie still around to ask for advice.
After several hours of throwing pieces of ink-stained parchment into the fire and starting over, she decided to simply tell the truth.
Dear Marcus Cementire,
My name is Diana. You may not know who I am, but I believe I am your sister's daughter – your niece. I am currently fifteen years old and in my fourth year at Hogwarts school, and I have just learned of your existence. I don't exactly know where to go from here – but you're the only living family member I know of. I want to get to know you, if that's all right with you.
Diana Cementire
P.S. The owl's name is Larissa.
Thinking it was rather simple but deciding it was the best she could do, Diana folded the short letter neatly. A glance out the window revealed it to be early morning, and she realized that she was very tired. She had been so focused on her letter that she had hardly given sleep a thought, and it was beginning to catch up with her. She guessed that she had less than two hours in which to sleep before classes began – if she was going to class today at all. But first, she had to deliver the letter. She found that she was possessed with a strange sense of paranoia, as if something were going to happen to it if she didn't send it away with Larissa right now.
Tucking the letter into her robes, Diana left the Gryffindor common room and headed for the Owlery. It struck her, as she was walking, that she had never seen Hogwarts this empty in daylight. The beams of early sunlight that shone through the windows gave the ancient castle a serene and mystical beauty that Diana found mesmerizing. And it was so peaceful….
"She's a fucking Mudblood! She doesn't know anything!"
With a heavy groan, Diana realized she recognized the voice that had cut into her moment of serenity. Mulciber, she thought grimly. And I think I know who he's talking about.
She heard another, quieter voice, and out of sheer curiosity (and maybe a little foolishness) she began to move toward the room she heard it coming from. The door was closed and she couldn't make out any words, but she thought she recognized the second voice as Severus'.
"You're either with us all the way or not at all," she heard Mulciber say when Severus finished talking. "Which is it?"
"I'm with you!" Severus hissed, louder this time. "I want to do this! But I don't see why you care who I spend my time with, so long as it's not some slimy prat like James P –"
"Because Mudbloods are impure, Severus!" Diana heard a third voice say, and her heart leapt into her throat when she recognized whose it was. "We've been over this! They are a disease – nothing more! The more you expose yourself to them, the more influence they gain – and the weaker you become. The weaker our world becomes."
There was silence, and Diana could feel white hot rage beginning to claw its way to the surface of her mind. How dare they! She was about to throw open the door and vent her rage in the form of her nastiest hexes when the sounds of other students making their way to an early breakfast began to echo from down the hall. Apparently the boys in the classroom heard it too, because Diana immediately heard Avery suggest that they adjourn their meeting. She started to wonder what exactly they had been meeting for when the door opened, and only a hastily performed Disillusionment Charm saved her from being spotted behind the door. If any of the room's occupants had been more perceptive, she would have been seen, but as it was they seemed far too focused on nonchalantly leaving the classroom than looking for possible eavesdroppers. Diana saw that the classroom contained far more occupants than she had guessed: she recognized Mulciber, Avery, Wilkes, Rosier, and Severus, as well as several other Slytherin boys whose names she did not know.
But after they had all left, Diana remained by the door. For there was one person whose voice she had heard that she had not seen yet.
A few moments later, Diana saw Lucian Daungiere's distinctive black ponytail walking away from her as he left the room, deep in thought. No doubt he was on his way to the Great Hall to meet her before breakfast.
She would not be there.
