Chapter 17 – Unexpected Discovery
It was already the middle of October. It wasn't hard to get used to the daily routine of going to classes and studying magic, spells, potions, and herbs, even if some of the teachers were... questionable. I tried my best to be as invisible as possible in Umbridge's lessons which she seemed to really enjoy, looking at me with satisfaction. I knew she was reveling in the thought I was afraid of her. What I was scared of was her authority and not Umbridge herself. The moment I could climb over her, I won't look back... And she will regret everything.
That was the primary motivation that kept me on track. I already forgot about Peeves and had only her as my goal. If not for the fact that sometimes I managed to dream about riding atop a basilisk and freezing her into a statue, I would have already given up on my plans. I combed through around a hundred books by now, running into dead ends, one after another. I honestly doubted I was sane to go through this sometimes. But finally, it happened.
It was a Saturday night. It was only 6 o'clock, yet because of a storm raging outside all day; it was as dark as if it was midnight. I was flipping through an old book that looked untouched by human hands for centuries. I found it accidentally while randomly walking through the shelves, thinking and trying to organize my thoughts. That was when I saw its weathered spine with its title: Uncensored Origins. I wasn't sure how it got there or why did it pop out for me so readily. I had a feeling as if the castle itself wanted me to find it as it was exactly what I needed.
It wasn't an overly thick book, but after opening it, I was utterly stunned. It stated all the people who established a bloodline of wizards and witches. No matter when they did so, it had the description of those who were considered the progenitors of a lineage. I was surprised to see so many, but then, reading the last lines of their entries, I realized why. Many of them died out, and it was hard to find one that was still prevalent today. Curiously, I looked at its index page, and I did find our family name in it. Flipping to the middle of the book, I was shocked at what I saw.
Agatha Black. Maiden name: Agatha Gaunt. Born as a deformed child with missing legs and without magic ever growing inside of her. She was quickly hidden away, and later on, the Family of Gaunts made a deal with the Family of Blacks. In exchange for gaining a connection to their bloodline, they took in the child, promising that if a descendant was born with the gift of being a Parselmouth, he or she would be married back to the Gaunts.
"No. Fucking. Way..." I whispered, unable to hold back from cursing. I was on the edge of my seat, reading forward, wanting to see where this was going.
She was raised as a Black, mainly as someone who was experimented on, and when birthing a son who was strong in magic, she outlasted her usefulness. After being wiped of memories, she was simply dumped in the countryside.
"That is it?" I asked myself, but then flipping the page, I could see the second half of the origin of my own family line.
Etheldred Anguine. Son of muggles with magical abilities that he never fully understood. He found the memory wiped Agatha and nursed her back to health. Later on, he married her and had four children, who all had magical capabilities. One of the sons, later on, rose through the rank of the wizarding family, establishing the Anguine name as a household power for real. Their family crest originates from Etheldred, who once caught a viper that refused to bite him, despite being responsible for two deaths in the village before being trapped by him.
"No way... No..." I repeated, trying to flip through the books, wanting to find more, but there was nothing. I tried checking who the author was, but it was written anonymously. This was way too good to be true, and I was already doubting the story... but... "But the name checks out."
Agatha Black. It was the only name that came up in both Quincy's and Draco's lists. There was an Agatha Black, who now I was sure was a descendant of Agatha Gaunt a century later. I was also sure she might not have even been born with that name but it was renamed after her gift resurfaced. By the binding contract, she was sent back to the Gaunts and married into the family line... doesn't that mean my family can also have the gift? We are also... from the same blood, no?