Chapter Thirty-Four: An Unforgivable Sin

Dear Miss Cordelia,

I was quite impressed with your prowess in the first task. I must admit I wasn't too keen on having a future delegate of mine place second, however, I was told the French were given an unjust advantage. I was also made aware of your ire and hatred at losing an unfair game. Feelings that are much like the ones I feel each day.

You see, Cordelia, the filthy muggles have that advantage as well. The advantage to run rampant, the advantage to destroy and create amongst themselves freely, the advantage of oblivion. The advantage of being free.

They can do as they please; cheat the system, ruin the world, and receive no repercussions from their government, much less ours.

The likes of the Usmani family reflect these values and uphold the muggles for their chaos.

But we must stop these monsters, we must do whatever we can to ensure they know their place. After all, it is our duty to ensure our lineage doesn't fade to dust.

Thus I have decided to assign you a small task, Miss Cordelia. A task that will aid me in judging your loyalty.

The helpers in Beauxbaton are mostly magic folk, the worst of them being squibs, but there remains one man who degrades this pure institute.

Peter Wilder.

Learn the name and face, and when the time is right, finish him. I trust you to do well, Miss Cordelia. We all have high expectations for you, do not let us down.

I pray in the next task you outwit the French in their own game.

Sincerely,

Gelert Grindelwald.

A gasp escaped her as Cordelia set down the letter.

As hard as she tried the brunette couldn't will her gaze away from the words, as if her blue pools were set on drowning the ink in a flood of tears, one that she could use to pretend the letter never reached her.

But Cordelia wasn't the foolish little girl she used to be, and she knew even with magic there were only so many problems one could solve.

Ignoring the letter would be foolish, yet acting upon its words would be immoral even for her. Cordelia strongly believed in taking one's life only when it was required, which couldn't be said for what Grindlewald wanted her to do.

However, she had to admit a part of her mind and soul burned at the letter's words, willing her body to jolt up and hunt down the muggle cleaner right away. That part was a side of herself Cordelia undeniably feared, so much so she usually pretended it never existed.

"Lia!"

Druella's sudden call made her yelp as Cordelia shuffled around her bed, quickly placing the letter alongside its predecessor just as her cousin walked in.

"We've been looking all over for you!"

The statement made her subconsciously roll her eyes as Cordelia scanned Druella's appearance, finally noticing the dress hidden beneath her regular robes.

"No."

Druella groaned at her response, walking forward to casually lean against one of the beds.

"But we've already set up everything! You can't choose to not attend your own party."

Cordelia slyly raised a single eyebrow at the statement, shuffling under her sheets as she replied.

"I can if I didn't organize it."

The statement and action made Druella groan as she fetched out her wand, jinxing the blanket the race out of Cordelia's reach each time she tried to sleep.

"What would your mother say?"

Cordelia shrugged, finally giving up and uttering the counter curse as she turned towards her friend one last time.

"She'd tell me to rest after such a long day."

Druella let out a snort that would have their mothers faint and curse the duo had the Black ladies been around.

"You can just stay for a little while and then leave. Riddle's there too."

She didn't exactly know why, but the mention of Tom almost drew her to leave her bed.

Perhaps it was because Cordelia wanted to confront him regarding the events of the day, or perhaps the thought of having the only other Slytherin champion attend made her pureblood instincts tingle.

Whatever was the case, in the end, Cordelia convinced herself it wouldn't be too bad to attend the party for an hour or two.

Oh, how wrong had she been to think the party would be anything like the ones they held at Hogwarts.

The party itself wasn't too bad, and practically every Hogwarts student had joined which explained why the dorms were vacant save for Cordelia.

At the start people simply mingled about and congratulated Tom and Lia, who were seated on a couch in the middle of the room, surrounded by the other Slytherins.

It was only when the Gryffindors decided to involve alcohol that the party really got bad.

Slytherins usually preferred Quintin Black or Daisyroot Drought during their parties, the substances being enough to intoxicate those who wanted to forget the night, yet light enough to be considered classy and harmless. Gryffindors, however, liked the thought of Firewhiskey and persistently raided the kitchen to obtain as many bottles as they could.

Which resulted in word of the party getting out, which caused Beauxbaton and Dumstrang students to make an appearance, which led to an angry Madame Maxime slamming the Banquet Hall's doors open just as the party began to become a little too wild.

"Who is responsible for this?!"

Her question boomed across the hall as students ran left and right, attempting to escape from the side doors. Unfortunately, there were too many students and not enough doors, which resulted in Cordelia getting sucked into the mob much like everyone else.

"Come on."

Tom's voice and sudden tug on her dress's sleeve made her grin as Cordelia followed the Dark Lord, attempting to keep up with his pace as he sped towards the stage at the back of the room.

"If you're planning on hiding-"

Riddle spared her an amused glance as they broke away from the mob, quickly making their way up the steps and near the golden instruments.

"How do you think the nymphs enter the hall?"

Cordelia let out a light hum at his question, not bothering to respond as they exited the hall from a small door hidden behind the harp.

"Let me walk you to your dormitory."

She would have been daft to think the statement was anything less than a demand covered in false chivalry, but Cordelia secretly wondered if she would have turned Tom down had he given her an option.

The walk through the palace was a tedious one, but their light conversation had made it seem less tiresome. Albeit the conversation wasn't too optimistic.

"Why didn't you say anything at the office?"

Tom paused, presumedly contemplating his answer before speaking.

"You don't understand Dippet as I do."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at his words but continued the conversation for the sake of a distraction.

"You think I was wrong to say it?"

Tom shook his head as they continued down the corridor, only replying once they reached the Hogwarts girls' dormitory.

"I think what you did with Dippet was brave."

He paused for a split second and took a step forward before completing his statement.

"Borderline stupid and very Gryffindor, but brave."

Cordelia scoffed, but she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as she bid the young tyrant a good night. For once she didn't mind letting her guard down around Riddle, and the brunette wasn't sure if she despised or liked it.

After an evening filled with Dark Lords, Cordelia had to admit they weren't as similarly cut as she perceived them to be.

The one she despised seemed to be not so bad after all.