Disclaimer I don't own Harry Potter but JK does!!
July 13th, 1938,

Dear Diary,

My name is Andromeda Riddle and I'm ten and a half years old. I have shoulder length, jet-black hair and green eyes, as does my brother, Tom. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm a girl and he's a boy, we would look almost identical (except his hair is much shorter than mine). Personally I hate having dark hair, green eyes and fair skin. I really don't think it's very becoming, but my ultimate complaint is that I'm a bit on the short side, unlike Tom who's kind of tall for his age.

For as long as we can remember, we've lived here at Madame Smith's Home for Orphaned Children. Mme. Smith has made it a point to tell us often (to anger us), that our mother died shortly after giving birth to us and that she lived only long enough to name us. This riles Tom up to the point of him having a vicious confrontation with her.

As for our father, we don't even know if he is alive or not. Whenever we ask Madame Smith about him, she always changes the subject. We know not to press our luck and keep asking her, as she is very authoritarian and commanding and would no doubt punish us. Her favorite form of punishment is making us go two weeks without dinner. Luckily, neither Tom nor I have done anything to receive such an infliction (in a while at least). One of her other prize punishments is making us girls practice the harp... I deeply detest playing it. Other than that, I really don't have much more to write about. Nothing interesting ever happens here at Madame Smith's.

It was a hot and uncomfortable summer night, just as every other day that summer had been, and that day was no different. Every day seemed like deja vu, ending and beginning the Tome. Unbeknownst to them, things would be changing soon... especially in the lives of two current residents.

Inside the brick, two-story orphanage situated just outside the small town of Little Hangleton, sat a small girl on her bed looking out onto the large moonlit lawn.

Taking a deep sigh, she focused her attention back to writing in her brand-new diary. Although technically it wasn't completely new - it had a few tears in its leather cover- it was still new to Andromeda. She found it earlier that evening sitting atop a pile of old newspapers that would have been trashed the very next morning. Snatching it, she tucked it inside her shirt and snuck it back up into the girl's side of the orphanage.

She made sure the other girls in her dorm were asleep; then, she took the diary out from inside her shirt and opened it up. The blank white pages inside showed no signs of use. They would be perfect for her to write in. Quietly grabbing a pencil from inside her bedside table, she began writing - or at least, she tried. Not one idea was coming to her as she sat there gazing at the blank pages, trying hard to think of something to write. She thought of writing about her day, but decided against it as she and her brother generally lived very boring lives at Madame Smith's. Furrowing her forehead, she racked her brain trying to think of something to write. Finally, she decided to write the date down: 'July 13th, 1938'. As if by magic, something clicked inside her head... she would write about herself, her brother, and her life.

Suddenly words came pouring out of her faster than she could write them down. When she stopped, she looked at what she had just written and sighed again. Realizing it was very late, she tucked her book underneath her pillow and laid back. Before she went to sleep, she closed her eyes and prayed her nightly prayer that she and her brother's life would change and they could leave the orphanage forever.

Little did Andromeda know, someone would answer her prayers so that her and her brother's life would soon change within a matter of days.

July 15th, 1938,

I received a very strange letter today. Normally, getting mail isn't anything spectacular to write about. Yet, seeing as how I never get mail, I thought it was weird. Who would be writing to me? Yet, what was even stranger was that the envelope had no return address.

---

Andromeda awoke that morning to find a snowy white owl pecking at her window. She gazed out it and saw the beautiful white bird carrying a letter in its beak. She sat up and gently opened the window, in hopes of not waking the others.

I must be dreaming, she thought groggily. Yet, she wasn't dreaming. The owl sailed over her bed and dropped the letter in her lap. As it turned to face her, it let out a small screech before flying off into the morning sky. Picking up the letter that it gave her, she turned it over and read:

Miss Andromeda E. Riddle

The bed by the window

Madame Smith's Home for Orphaned Children

Little Hangleton

She turned it back over and looked at the strange crest stamped onto the flap of the envelope. "Hogwarts?" she muttered, raising her eyebrows. Opening the envelope with her finger, she pulled out the letter inside.

Hogwarts School

of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Armando Dippet

(Order of Merlin, Second Class, Chf. Warlock)

Dear Miss Riddle,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore,

Deputy Headmaster

Andromeda had to read the letter twice. Obviously, this was someone's idea of a cruel joke.

Really, she scoffed. Hogwarts? Witchcraft? Wizardry?

It just didn't make any sense. Folding the letter back into the envelope, she tucked it underneath her pillow to hide it. She didn't want Madame Smith to find it, or any of the other girls for that matter. She didn't trust the other girls one bit, as they would have squealed to Madame Smith if they saw it. Andromeda shuddered at the thought of their daunting headmistress discovering the letter. She would have severely punished Andromeda for having something like that in her possession, as she had made it quite known that she disapproved of magic of any kind.

Later that morning after breakfast, Andromeda's brother, Tom, pulled her over into a vacant hallway. His hands were shaking and he looked scared as he pulled something out from his pant's pocket. It looked vaguely familiar, and then she realized what it was... the Hogwarts letter! He must have gotten one, too, she thought.

"Look what I got this morning," he exclaimed, motioning at the envelope and trying to keep his voice down. Andromeda took the letter and glanced at it.

"I got one of these too," she replied. "A pretty white owl delivered mine to me this morning. Personally, I think this is all just a hoax."

"I don't know about that," Tom whispered uncertainly. "Look here." He pulled out his letter and written at the botTom in small print read, "A Ministry employee will pay you a brief visit on July 15th."

"Oh my!" Andromeda exclaimed. Realizing she had raised her voice, she quickly lowered it and said, "Someone is going to be coming here regarding this letter... TODAY!"

"Bloody hell!" Tom exclaimed. "What should we do?"

Before Andromeda could reply, a familiar white-haired figure, wearing wire-rimmed glasses stood before them. It was Madame Smith. She had a stern look on her round, pudgy face as she addressed them. "Tom, Andromeda," she announced darkly, "please come to my office at once." They looked at each other and gulped. They just knew that they were going to be in loads of trouble.

With an acid feeling settling in their sTomachs, they reluctantly followed Madame Smith to her office -- which to them, felt like they were being led to some kind of death sentence. She opened the door and led them inside her insipid and uninspired main office.

"Mr. Nott, this is Tom and Andromeda Riddle. Children, this is Mr. Nott... from the Ministry," she announced with great disdain in her voice as she sat behind her desk. Mr. Nott stood up from the chair in which he was sitting and went to shake the children's hands. He had darkish brown hair which was slowly turning gray in some spots and was wearing a weird, loose-fitting outfit.

"It's a robe," he chuckled, observing Andromeda's strange glances at his clothes. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. I'm Morrison Nott, but you may call me Morris for short," he said with a friendly smile on his face. Tom and Andromeda both nervously replied "Hello" back to him.

"I'm going to assume that you've both received your letters, then?" he asked taking his seat again.

"You... you mean this one?" Tom shakily asked, pulling out the Hogwarts letter from his pocket.

"Yes, that would be the one. I presume you received yours as well, Andromeda?"

She glanced anxiously between Morris and Madame Smith, deciding what to say before grudgingly replying with a "Yes." Madame Smith shook her head disapprovingly, but with all her might, remained very quiet. Nobody said anything for a few seconds, leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence.

"I'm going to guess that you two probably have loads of questions, seeing as you were raised around Muggles and all," Tom remarked, breaking the silence in the room.

"Is this a joke?" Andromeda finally asked.

"What are 'Muggles'?" Tom added.

"What is Hogwarts?"

"Okay," Morris replied, holding up one hand. "One question at a time, please. First off, no, this isn't a joke. Secondly, a Muggle is simply someone who ceases to posess any magical ability. Thirdly, Hogwarts is the greatest school of witchcraft in the world. It's where you'll be going once we've taken care of all the necessary details." Tom chuckled, and with a wry smile he added, "When I was first given the assignment, they told me the two kids I was going to be in charge of were named Riddle. Thinking back, I really didn't believe it would be you two."

Tom and Andromeda looked at him inquisitively. "What do you mean by that?" they asked as one.

Tom opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Madame Smith interrupted him.

"You know, I do believe that an agreement was made when the children were born, in case this little... eventuality should come about." Morris looked at Madame Smith then at the two Riddle kids who were extremely curious and eyeing him intently.

"Yes... I do remember hearing something about that agreement," he replied, rubbing his chin. "It was all the talk in the Ministry when it first came about ten years ago. I had only recently begun working there, so any classified Ministry information like that was generally kept from me. Nevertheless, as the years went by, I did find out more about it."

"Find out about what?" Andromeda asked. "What type of arrangement was made when we were born?"

Madame Smith sat up stiff in her chair before speaking. "I am not at liberty to divulge specific details about the circumstances of your births. However, I can say is that if the time came when you two would receive your... letters, I would receive payment for it and they would pay your tuition to that... school, as well."

"You... you mean you knew about us being different all along?" Andromeda enquired, completely taken aback. Madame Smith inhaled deeply and remained deathly quiet, but they could see a deep look of vexation in her eyes. Sensing the slight hostility in the room, Tom cleared his throat and stood up. "I guess this settles everything for now. Would you two like to come to Diagon Alley with me Tomorrow?"

"What is Diagon Alley?" Tom asked.

"Diagon Alley is where you'll find all the things you'll need for going to Hogwarts. Robes, wands, cauldrons, spell books, and all sorts of other things," Morris answered.

Robes? Wands? Cauldrons? Spell books?

"But we don't have any money to buy these things," Tom stated.

"Not to worry," Tom continued with another chuckle. "We'll take care of everything in due course of time. That is if Madame Smith will allow you two to go, of course."

They glanced over at Madame Smith who was busy scribbling something on a piece of paper and muttering to herself every so often.

"Fine, fine. Whatever," she replied briskly, waving her free hand swiftly in the air. Andromeda tried to see what her headmistress was writing, but she couldn't make it out.

"Just one other question, please," Andromeda asked, turning to face Morris.

"Certainly," he replied.

"This new gift of ours, did we inherit this from our parents?"

"Only from your mother, I'm afraid," he answered solemnly. Andromeda merely nodded and watched as Morris waved good-bye to them and left the office.