Chapter 516 - Hereditary

After having watched Aunt Georgine finish packing for the evening, Rowan had been firmly kicked out of the bedroom. As Aunt Georgine had put it, she was going to lay abed. These would be some of her last lie-in's and as a professor she would be forced to awaken quite early at least five days out of the week. It was quite the unnatural horror in Georgine's humble opinion.

With the rest of her afternoon open, Rowan finally stopped with her own personal excuses and grudgingly made her way up to the attic. She may have been actively avoiding Sir Knight Prince to proud to ask him for help. But with the new school term steadily creeping closer, she knew she he handsome ghostly figure of Sir Knight Prince as usual was playing wizarding chess with his body. Without glancing up from the chess match, Sir Knight Prince says, "Well, why have you been avoiding me, Rowan?"

Rowan sighed. "It's not that."

Sir Knight Prince blinked and glanced up from his match. "Then what is it?"

Pursing her lips together, Rowan removes the illusion from her left eye revealing a silvery, gray eye. Seeing the look of concentration on Sir Knight Prince's face, she murmurs, "I was wondering if this is hereditary or not?"

"No," Sir Knight Prince gravely replied. "Such an abrupt change of eye color is always the direct result of the misuse of magic."

"Though-," Sir Knight Prince carefully paused, "-I cannot help, but wonder just what forbidden magic did you cast, Rowan? A change in one's eye color is one of the indications and permanent consequences of such a foul endeavor."

With clear hesitation, Rowan walks over to where Sir Knight Prince is and takes a seat before him. "It is not my secret to tell," Rowan reluctantly answered with a carefully spun truth. "But it a direct result of being in contact with an artifact that greatly resembles one of the Deathly Hallows."

There is a long pause of silence as Sir Knight Prince slowly says, "Any magic relating to death is usually the source of said peculiar transformation. And if so, there is usually a change in the subject's magic as well like a poisonous magical taint, it will only increase the overall power or awaken a previously unknown ability. However, there is always a price for said magical changes, something is always lost equivalent to that which was gained."

Rowan almost flinched at hearing Sir Knight Prince's words. Just what had she lost in the exchange? What?! But she already knew the terrible answer to that, she had already begun to see the symptoms of her humanity being eroded. Her rash actions at Mulciber Hall were only further proof of that.

Sir Knight Prince patiently waits for his many great-niece to speak. Rowan's lips are pressed into a thin line, when she finally answers, "I can see the magic of others with my left eye."

Sir Knight Prince instantly pieces the dots together. "Hence the reason for your sudden clumsiness in trying to adjust to the depth perception with the illusion cast on your left eye, am I correct?"

"Yes," Rowan bitterly admitted.

"A shame, really," Sir Knight Prince muttered causing Rowan to glare at him.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Rowan asked through thinly pressed pale lips.

Sir Knight Prince does not instantly respond, but rather gestures for his body to place him on its lap. In place to perfectly view her, Sir Knight Prince responds, "It is a half-gift of sorts."

"A half-gift?" Rowan c.o.c.ked her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes, a half-gift," Sir Knight Prince restated. "The males of the Prince family are born with the unique ability to see and understand internal magic. This gift only appears in the males and never in the females. Said ability allows every single Prince male to see the attack of their opponent as it forms before the spell is ever cast. It is one of the reasons, why our clan was so powerful in the past."

Rowan makes a face of annoyance. "Which means, Severus's ability will awaken at some point and he will be able to do the same."

"Typically said ability awakens after a Prince male's seventeenth birthday." Sir Knight Prince answered. "However, in your twin brother's case, it may be possible that his power will awaken a year early. But it is only a possibility and not a certainty."

Rowan lets out a tiny sigh of relief at Sir Knight Prince's words. Said ability would ensure Severus's survival-ability much better than she ever could. And despite feelings of dismay, she was grateful that at least Sir Knight Prince knew what he was talking about.

Sir Knight Prince thoughtfully studies Rowan for a moment. "And despite only possessing a portion of the gift itself, it is still a previously unknown feat achieved, Rowan. No other female in the Prince bloodline can boast the same."

"Yes, well, my left eye is another color now," Rowan snarled as she closed her eyes from the ensuing headache. It physically strained her left eye to actually see magic for even a brief length of time. It was like staring at the noon day sun, it was rather blinding with blistering pain.

Seeing Rowan wincing in discomfort, Sir Knight Prince says, "Sadly, there is nothing I can do regarding your vision. The Prince males are not only able to control said gift at will but control the depth perception of the vision. However, you, my dear will go blind in one eye if we do not cover your left eye with magic. The act of seeing magic itself without being able to control said vision will utterly destroy your left eye."

"I know that," Rowan snapped. "The illusion works like an eyepatch and blocks the magic from begin seen. But I will be returning to Hogwarts soon and I need a solution as I don't want Dumbledore to ask any questions."

There is a spell," Sir Knight Prince slowly said. "However, there is a price."

"Which is?" Rowan warily asked.

"Much like someone who has been blindfolded, your other senses will become sharper," Sir Knight Prince said. "However, at the same time, your left eye will become that much more sensitive to magic. And someday, in the future, magical spectacles will need to be forged in order to protect your sight or else the sight in your left eye will forever be lost."

"That answer is strangely rather specific," Rowan sharply said. "That is much more than just a simple coincidence, is it not, Sir Knight Prince?"

Sir Knight Prince smiles thinly in response. "You are not the first Prince in history to only inherit half of the gift," Sir Knight Prince explained. "There have been several others including your great-grandfather, Rancor, the father of Reginald and Georgine."

Seeing Sir Knight Prince's chilly expression, Rowan slowly says, "And those born with partial gifts such as I have, are somehow unfit to wield the entirety of said gift?"

"Magic always seems to know," Sir Knight Prince cryptically answered. "And even if you did so with the very best of intentions, Rowan, the road to Hell is always paved by the best of intentions."

Rowan unconsciously glanced down at her clenched hands. She had rapidly gained power just as she had wanted. But she had forgotten that in the grand scheme of things, there is always a price to pay for everything in this world. Whatever she had lost, she would never gain back. And she had to finally acknowledge the cruel fact that if she continued to use her elder wand to kill, she would only lose more and more with each transaction until she became utterly unrecognizable.

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Hello, everyone. Today is Suicide Prevention Day. I will be posting an extra chapter today to cheer you all up. However, I humbly request that you just stop and take a look at your loved ones be it friends, family, loved ones, and even yourself.

A simple but sincere, how are you today, would do nicely. Call a loved one up, or if you are in the one in need of cheering don't be afraid to reach out. We are here for you, but we can't force you to talk, if you won't speak to us.

This is also an important day for me because I lost a good friend of mine some years ago, his name was Jacob, who we all fondly called Jake. I did not get to say goodbye, and I truly wish I had. He is one of my greatest regrets because, in my mind, I always had time to catch up, and that he would always be there. That was not the case, and I still find that I miss him to this day. I truly wish that I had not kept putting him out of mind, and assuming that he was fine. I don't think I was a bad friend, but I don't think I was a terribly good friend either. I speak from experience because it is so easy to get caught up in our every day lives that we forget to stop and look up and truly look at those around us. So, please just stop and take the time to look around you and reach out. And if you are in need of reaching out, please don't be afraid, we are here for you.