"Indeed," Dumbledore said, seemingly confused. "There seems to be a lot… different about you and your family, Blake. For a millenia, the vengeful wizard's curse that turned Renshaw Slytherin affected each and every one of your ancestors - but somehow, the curse ended in one of two ways - your father, or you. So, that begs the question - what broke the curse?"
Dumbledore looked at him expectantly, and Blake's cheeks felt hot.
"I - I don't know," he said lamely. "My mum had no idea about magic, or my paternal history - I don't think my dad did either. He would've told her. Neither of them could've done anything to break the curse - but I couldn't have either."
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Well, Blake, there is one piece of the puzzle I'm missing," the Headmaster said slowly and cautiously. "But I'm afraid it's a rather sensitive topic."
Blake felt his mental guard raise on reflex. "Go on…"
"I just wanted to know, and I apologise for the invasiveness of my question, but it really could be the clue I - we've - been looking for. How, exactly, did your father die?"
Blake looked at Dumbledore, shocked for a moment, before looking down.
"It - it was an accident. I - I wanted to see where he worked, so he took us all down into the coal mine for a tour. But there was an accident - one of the support beams broke, and the tunnel collapsed. Dad-"
Blake felt his throat close up, but forced out a cough and continued.
"Dad shielded me, Connor and Mum. He realised what was going on, pushed us into the elevator and jammed the button before he got covered in dirt. We escaped with no injuries. But Dad-"
Blake coughed again.
"He suffocated for a while. They eventually pulled him out, alive, but it was too late. He'd inhaled too much dust, and suffered too many injuries. His lungs were already weak from working in the mines for so long. He managed to hold on for 7 days more than the doctors' estimates, but eventually…"
Dumbledore bowed his head.
"You were certainly right, Blake. Your father was a great man, and indeed an even greater father and husband. And by the sound of it, he's also the reason you, your brother and any children you might have can perform magic."
Blake's head snapped up.
"Huh? What d'you mean, Professor?"
"There is great power in sacrifice, Blake. Your father could've likely gotten on that elevator himself, couldn't he?"
Blake's face burned in shame and regret. "Yes."
"But he didn't - no, he chose not to. Because doing so would have sacrificed valuable time - regardless of whether or not he could've gotten in, he chose not to, because that risk - no matter how small or unlikely - that risk that something could happen to his precious wife or children was too great a price to pay. That type of sacrifice is powerful."
"But my Dad was a Muggle! How could he - oh."
"Oh indeed," Dumbledore agreed. "I believe your family was placed into a very peculiar position, Blake. For all intents and purposes, your father was a muggleborn. He was born to non-magical parents. However, if the curse was indeed suppressing his, and all his ancestors' magic, then that could mean it would be more accurate that he was a Squib."
Blake looked at Dumbledore, watching his face carefully.
"What are you trying to say, Professor?"
"I believe that somehow, your father's sacrifice - your father's love - broke the curse, Blake. That is why you and your brother have magic. And that is why I hope you can use your father's sacrifice for good. You, whose blood is shared with that of the Slytherin, despite being a muggleborn - you must be the one that will free Slytherin from the shackles that have plagued it for so long."
Blake furrowed his eyebrows.
"What? You want me to singlehandedly change the minds of 35 students, whose family and friends, who they will love and trust infinitely more, will be spewing the exact opposite rhetoric to me?"
"Yes," Dumbledore smiled. "If there's anyone that can do so, it's you, Blake. You already know Lord Voldemort remains at large, biding his time, trying to return. You've seen the evidence that he can return in multiple ways too. This time, we must be careful. Before, we had no clue who we could trust. Not even I, for all my so called power, could predict who would betray who, who was truly on our side."
A pained expression appeared on Dumbledore's face for a moment - regret.
"I was forced to make hard choices, choices that I hate myself for making, Blake. But I hope, with your presence in Slytherin, we can force a change. Already, you've made allies. You acted as the bridge between Gryffindor and Slytherin - two personality types that under normal circumstances hate each other. I know you could do it."
Blake looked at Dumbledore long and hard, before nodding.
"Thanks, Professor, but you don't have to tell me. I've no intention of letting myself be a stranger in my own House for much longer."
He turned to leave, sensing their conversation was over.
"Thank you, Blake," Dumbledore smiled. "I am counting on you."
The door slammed shut.
/
Later that night, as he, Zabini, Greengrass and Tracey reunited in the boys' room, celebrating Malfoy's embarrassment after getting punched in the face by Ron at a Quidditch match, Blake couldn't help but think about what Dumbledore had said.
"I believe that somehow, your father's sacrifice - your father's love - broke the curse, Blake."
Sorry, Dumbledore, I hate to say it, but you're wrong. It wasn't Dad's sacrifice that let me and Connor have magic - we, or at least I, already had magic before that event - I'd done wandless magic countless times before it.
But if Dumbledore's so confident that I'm a descendant of House Slytherin, what could have broken the curse?
And he wants me to fix Slytherin? Oh, I'll fix Slytherin, but not in the way that you want me to, Headmaster. If you think I'm your pawn for any longer, you're wrong.
I've learnt my lesson - anytime I come to you, hoping for your help, you turn around and do the opposite of what I want.
You're not my ally.
And what's even better is that now, I know for sure that you can't use Legilimency on me - not at least without me knowing. Otherwise, you'd have known that Dad's sacrifice couldn't be the reason why I have magic.
Blake grinned.
What broke the curse can wait for now. All that matters is that in the years to come, Voldemort returning or not, you're in for a surprise, Dumbledore. I'm not your pawn.
The only person I listen to - the only person I take orders from - is me.
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