Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters apart from Hazel Lupin (yay!)

Chapter 1 - Hazel

The old Riddle house stood atop it's hill, derelict and empty. Or so the inhabitants of the village thought. 'Strange' things had gone on there over a number of years, and now they were happy to believe that it was deserted. Old Mr and Mrs Riddle had lived there, years ago, with their son, until they were all killed under mysterious circumstances. Now the story had become old village gossip and it was believed that no one either owned or used the old house.

Unbeknown to the villagers though, the house was being used by someone: someone by the name of Wormtail.

Wormtail was not the man's real name. His real name was Peter Pettigrew. His old school friends had given Peter the nickname, Wormtail, because of his ability to turn into a rat. That had proved useful many times for Peter: escaping trouble was much easier when you were small and could crawl into holes and down sewers.

Now, as Peter watched his master pacing the room, he wished he could disappear, but he knew he would not get far before his master caught him, and tortured, possibly killed him. Instead he watched fearfully as the tall, cloaked figure of Lord Voldemort walked slowly across the room. Finally, Peter got up the courage to speak.

'M - master, I-'

'Silence you fool!' spat Voldemort, not turning to look at him.

'Master, are you angry with me?' asked Wormtail, shaking slightly.

The pacing stopped. Voldemort turned to face Wormtail who grimaced.

'Why should I be angry at you Wormtail?' he asked in his unnaturally high- pitched voice. He turned away from him and started pacing again.

'I - I don't know my Lord, but ever since-in the graveyard-I mean, Harry Potter-' stammered Wormtail, casting a fearful look in the direction of the door, his only means of escape from the cold dark room they were in.

Voldemort stopped pacing once more, and lowered himself slowly into an old grey chair. 'What about Harry Potter?' he snapped, his red eyes glowing with hatred.

Wormtail backed against a wall, 'Well, my Lord, he - he escaped. He is still alive.'

'You idiot!' hissed Voldemort, 'do you realise I have thought of nothing else since we left my fathers grave tonight? Do you not realise there will be other ways, another time? Or are you beginning to doubt the powers of Lord Voldemort?' He stood up. Wormtail let out a squeak of terror.

'No master, never - I have never doubted you.'

Voldemort laughed cruelly sending shivers down Wormtail's spine. The laugh was cold, like a sudden icy wind blowing. 'Liar!' he spat. 'You do not believe that I can kill Harry Potter. I have failed before, but this time, there will be nothing to stop me.'

Wormtail took a step away from the wall, towards his master. 'How will you do it my Lord?'

Voldemort laughed again. 'That is not for you to know yet Wormtail. Soon. You will know soon.'

'My Lord' stammered Wormtail, 'the Order of the Phoenix will not be a problem. The Ministry of Magic refuse to believe that you have risen.'

'Fools,' whispered Voldemort. 'How could they think I would not return? I am immortal, I will not die.'

'But Harry Potter will my Lord, won't he?' asked Wormtail, edging closer to his master.

'Of course,' replied Voldemort. 'He will be first.'

***

It was not often that Hazel woke up to sunshine streaming in through her window. She lay there for a minute before deciding that she had better get up. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and squinted at the window down at Flaws Bone Drive, where she lived. It was a gorgeous, warm summers day: perfect for spending time in the garden and doing nothing. Unfortunately for Hazel, she wasn't going to have time for lazing around. Today she started her new job, a job for which she had spent years studying, and was eager to start.

Hazel got up off her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She stared the mirror, wondering for the first time if she was ready to take on her new job. A pair of green-grey eyes stared back at her.

'Don't be silly, Hazel' she told herself firmly. 'You know you can do this.'

She splashed cold water over her face. 'You've wanted this job since you left school.'

Hazel made her way back to her bedroom, pausing only to sniff the delicious smell of bacon wafting along the landing from the kitchen downstairs. The smell turned her stomach slightly, probably out of nerves.

Once in her room she dressed quickly, and pulled a comb through her long, wavy, dark hair. As she set the comb back down on her dresser, her eyes fell on a photograph.

It was of her godfather, who had looked after her for almost as long as she could remember. Her parents were dead, Hazel didn't know the details and although she had asked her godfather many times, he couldn't tell her anything about her family. He had been so pleased when she had been accepted for her job. Hazel smiled sadly to herself: she would be sad to have to leave home after twenty-four years of living with her godfather.

Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Hazel walked slowly downstairs, taking in every detail of the house she would be leaving in a few short hours.

'Morning Remus,' she said as she entered the small kitchen.

Her godfather smiled back at her, 'Good morning, Hazel. Are you all set?'

'Yeah, I think so,' said Hazel helping herself to toast.

'Good. There's bacon if you want it,' said Lupin.

'Great, thanks. But I don't think I can eat much. My stomach isn't up to it.'

'Don't worry, they're really not that bad,' said Lupin, laughing. 'You'll be fine Hazel, really you will.'

Hazel smiled and sat chewing her toast thoughtfully. Just then a tapping on the window signalled that an owl had arrived. Remus slid open the window and two brown barn owls swooped in, one carrying the Daily Prophet and the other dropping a letter onto the table.

Hazel picked up the Daily Prophet and began to absent-mindedly flick through it, whilst Lupin tore open his letter and began to read.

'Who was the letter from Remus?' asked Hazel, setting down the newspaper and looking up.

Lupin looked pale and ill, and Hazel's stomach turned. 'Remus, you're scaring me. What was in that letter?'

Lupin folded up the letter, looking deadly serious. 'It doesn't matter who it was from. But I'm afraid, before you go, I must tell you something.'

Hazel nodded, wondering what on Earth it could be. 'What it is? Is it about my job?'

Lupin shook his head. 'Hazel, it's about your family.'

A wave of nausea swept over Hazel. 'Do I want to know? Is it really terrible?' She rested her hands upon the table and noticed they were shaking. 'Is that why you could never really tell me about them?'

Lupin nodded. 'I wanted to tell you from an early age, but I was forbidden by the Ministry of Magic. However, with you about to start your job, they think it's best that you hear this sooner rather than later. You always believed your family to be dead, Hazel and indeed, your parents are. However one member of your family remains still alive.'