Delilah Riddle--Part 1
The Other Riddle House
"Delilah!" the voice called up the stairs to the attic.
"Coming!" called the girl. "Just a second!" She reread the spell in the book she was reading, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five. "Wave your wand in the air, and say 'Furnunculus!'," she whispered to herself. Too bad she had nobody to test the Furnunculus Curse on. She would use Jason, her brother, for a guinea pig, but he'd snitch on her for sure.
"Delilah Anne Riddle, get down here!" squalled her mother.
"Dammit, Mum, I'm coming!" she yelled. Closing the book and hiding it, along with the wand that had once belonged to her mother, in a cubby hole she'd made in her floor, she went down the stairs to the kitchen.
"What do you DO up there?" her mother asked Delilah as she sat down.
"Read... listen to music... the usual," shrugged Delilah as she put a pork chop on her plate.
"I see. And what do you read?" asked her father suspiciously.
"Well, at the moment, I'm reading Laura Ingalls Wilder," she said carefully. Nobody in her family knew that she practiced magic with some old schoolbooks and her mother's old wand. She'd found them one day and showed them to her mother. Her mother had thrown them away... but Delilah had snuck out and retrieved them, putting some fake things in their stead. She'd worked her way through the first year things, and was in the fourth. Apparently Delilah's mom had been a witch... but she disguised it. Delilah had inherited the talent, though; something which her parents discouraged. Especially her brother, Jason.
"Sure. I bet you're reading those magic books again," said Jason scornfully. "Even after Mum and Dad said you couldn't."
"Well, you'd lose that bet, because I'm not," said Delilah angrily, her cheeks flushing.
"Yeah right. I've seen them," lied Jason. He despised magic--and therefore despised Delilah.
"You haven't even been up in my room... which is obvious, since you're lying through your teeth!" cried Delilah, springing up.
"Delilah, sit down and don't talk back to your brother," said her father absently. "We're going to check your room after dinner."
Seething with anger, Delilah sat back down and glared at Jason. When her parents weren't looking, he gave her a sly, sneaky smile. "Go to hell," Delilah mouthed at him.
"Dad, Mum, Delilah just told me to go to hell!" whined Jason.
"I did no such thing! You two would've heard me!" exclaimed Delilah.
"Will you two stop it?!" yelled her father, slamming his fist onto the table. "Delilah, apologize to your brother, then go to your room."
Having no choice, Delilah muttered, "Sorry," to her brother and went to her room, tears clouding her vision. Of course, they always took Jason's word--he was their little prince. Delilah always got the distinct impression that she was a mistake that the Riddles wished to dispose of.
While she had the time up in her room, Delilah checked to make sure that her trap door was disguised. She didn't even put a carpet over it--there was no need. It fit seamlessly into the floor, and opened only when she said so. She'd put a little charm on it.
She heard her parents coming up the stairs. Pulling Little House on the Prairie from her bookshelf, she opened it and began to read. The door opened.
"Oh, hello," said Delilah lightly, propping up her book so that the title was visible. Her dad wrenched it from her grasp, shook it to make sure she wasn't hiding anything, then flung it back at her.
Delilah merely sat on her bed as her parents totally messed up her room, undoing all the neatness. She was used to it by now. Every time Jason said something about her and magic, her parents would rifle through her things to make sure. Basically, Jason's word was God's decree in their household.
Finally, they were done. "Looks like she's not hiding anything. C'mon, Andi, let's go," said her father.
"We'll be watching you," her mother spat at Delilah as they went downstairs. "Come on, Brendan, let's take Jason for some ice cream. He deserves it."
"And you three all deserve a kick in the rear," muttered Delilah once her parents were out of earshot. She began to tidy up her room again.
Once her parents were gone, Delilah got out her books and the wand. She began to study again.
Suddenly, there was a great whirl of light in the center of the room. Crying out in shock, Delilah jumped onto the bed. The light faded, and an older man stood in her room.
"Are you Delilah Riddle?" he asked, stunned. He was garbed in purple robes, and his beard and hair were tucked into his belt, they were so long.
"Y-yes..." she stammered.
"You mean you aren't dead?" he said.
"I don't think so..." she replied, bewildered. "Who told you that?"
"Your parents, of course. I expect they didn't want you to come," said the man, brushing off his robes. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"I read about you!" gasped Delilah. "In A History of Magic!"
"Did you now?" said Dumbledore, amused. "Now, Miss Riddle, I was sent here because of some underage wizard activity. Did you know that's illegal?"
"But... I've been doing it since I was eleven. How come you didn't get me before?" asked Delilah.
"Because you didn't do it during the summer. You aren't allowed to practice magic during the summer... during the school year it's all right, though." Dumbledore gazed at her. "You've been doing it since you were eleven, you say?"
"Well, yes... that's when I found the wand and books," explained Delilah. "I guess they were my mum's... but my family doesn't like magic for some reason. They're gone now--went to take my brother for ice cream."
"I see," nodded Dumbledore. He cleared his throat. "Miss Riddle, would you like to come to Hogwarts?"
"Would I!" she exclaimed, springing up. "Are you daft? Of course!"
Dumbledore chuckled. "I shall send an owl. But first... how advanced are you in magic?"
"Well," said Delilah thoughtfully, "I'm working on The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Five at the moment."
"Splendid. You're not only keeping up, you're ahead," said Dumbledore. "You are fifteen, right?"
Delilah nodded. "All right... tomorrow we'll talk to your parents," said Dumbledore.
"Uh... Mr. Dumbledore..." said Delilah, not sure of his title.
"Professor," he corrected her.
"My parents... really don't like magic. That might be why they said I was dead," Delilah said.
"What is your mother's name again?" he asked.
"Andi Riddle," she said.
"Hmmm... Andi... is that short for Andromeda?" asked Dumbledore.
"I think so..." shrugged Delilah.
"I know your mother, then. She went to Hogwarts herself. I think I can convince her," Dumbledore said. "Now, I shall be leaving. I'll send someone tomorrow at seven sharp."
Delilah nodded. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. Dumbledore smiled and vanished.
Delilah squealed with delight. She'd be going to wizard school! She'd only read about Hogwarts. She'd always wondered why she'd never gotten a letter... she'd always supposed it was because of her father's Muggle heritage. Now she knew. She smiled slyly, thinking of the surprise they'd get when Dumbledore's messenger showed up the next night.
Dumbledore's Letter
The next night, Delilah was full of excitement. She'd even been able to stand Jason eating his ice cream in front of her the other night, loudly saying how good it was. If all went as planned, she'd be gone soon and wouldn't have to see her family's faces for a long time. She couldn't help the big smile that went across her face at that thought.
"What are you smiling about, Delilah?" asked her brother snidely.
"Oh, nothing... just remembering something I heard on the radio the other day," lied Delilah.
"I bet," muttered her father.
Delilah looked at the clock longingly. 6:50. Only ten more minutes until freedom.
"Why are you looking at the clock?" asked her mother, suspicion in her voice.
"Just checking the time," said Delilah a little defensively. "Is that against the rules?"
"Probably checking when it's time to go get the ingredients for her next potion," said Jason.
"Potion? What's this about a potion?" asked her father, glaring at Delilah.
"I'm not making a potion! That would require a cauldron," snapped Delilah.
"Oh? And how did you know you used a cauldron to make potions?" asked her mother.
"What else would you use? A shoe?" retorted Delilah.
"Young lady, I don't like your attitude. You do not talk to your elders like that," growled her father.
Delilah glanced at the clock again. 6:56. Four more minutes. Just four more minutes... "I wonder, would you guys leave me alone if I lied and said that I DID do magic?" she sighed.
"You WHAT?!" screeched her mother.
"I said if I LIED," said Delilah, but her words went unheard.
"NEVER SAY THAT WORD IN THIS HOUSE!!!" thundered her father.
"Why can he say it and I can't?" cried Delilah, pointing at Jason.
"Because he's not a freak," said her mother through gritted teeth.
"Look who's talking!" exclaimed Delilah. "The witch herself!"
"Why you little--!!" started Andi Riddle, her face aflame. She was interrupted by Jason tugging on her arm and pointing a trembling finger out at the living room.
A swirl of light was there--just like last night in Delilah's room. This one was much larger, though. When it cleared, it wasn't Dumbledore who stood there, but a giant of a man with black hair and beard. "Is 'at Delilah?" he asked, pointing at Delilah.
"Hagrid!" squeaked Delilah's mother. She pulled her daughter forcefully toward her.
"Get out of my house, you freak!" yelled Delilah's father, his entire face holding a scary resemblance to a tomato.
Hagrid's eyes narrowed. He stomped into the kitchen. Delilah's family cowered away. She stood her ground, though, fighting the urge to grin. He set a letter on the table.
"Open it," he said roughly. With a trembling hand, Delilah's mother snatched up the letter and opened it, her eyes large with fear.
Dumbledore's face came out of the envelope. It filled the room. Delilah listened.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Riddle--
It seems that your daughter, Delilah Anne, did not die in a tragic car accident, as you told the Hogwarts administrative department. Therefore, as I am sure this was a careless mistake, I have sent my trusted assistant, Rubeus Hagrid, to bring her to Hogwarts. Sign the form below to give your daughter access to your old Gringotts account, and the second one to give her permission to go to Hogsmeade. If you refuse, I give your daughter full rein to use any curses she wishes.
Yours,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
"NEVER!" roared her father.
"Well, it doesn't appear that you have much o' a choice," chuckled Hagrid.
"I warn you now... I know some pretty good curses," threatened Delilah.
"You weren't supposed to be studying that!" snapped her father.
She looked at him with defiant turquoise eyes. "I lied to you. What are you gonna do about it?"
Andi Riddle turned to Brendan, who looked ready to burst at this new development. "Well... it would get her out of the house... and she can spend vacations there..."
Brendan just glared at Delilah. "I'll have you know that all I need to do is a simple Summoning Charm to get the wand," she said sweetly.
His eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."
Holding up her hand, Delilah called, "Accio Wand!"
Her mom's mouth dropped open as she saw her old wand fly down the stairs into Delilah's hand. "I threw that away!" she sputtered, outraged.
"And I got it back," said Delilah, twirling the wand in her hand like a baton. "Been using it for four years. It doesn't work that well for me... but it still works." She idly pointed it at Jason, who squealed and dove under the table. Hagrid chuckled.
"Give me a pen," muttered Brendan to his wife. He signed both forms, let Andi sign the Gringotts one, and thrust them at Delilah. "There you go, you sniveling little brat," he snarled. "Now get out of here."
"Gladly," spat Delilah. Telling Hagrid to hang on, she went up to her room and packed a few things into a shoulder bag. "Goodbye... and trust me, it's very good," said Delilah in a sugary sweet tone.
Jason tried to throw a fork at her from the table, yelling, "Get out of here, witch!"
"IMPEDIMENTA!" Delilah bellowed, pointing the wand at the fork. It froze in mid-air, then fell to the floor. Pointing her wand at Jason and grinning widely, she said, "Furnunculus!"
Boils popped up on Jason's face. "Adios," said Delilah. And with that, she exited with Hagrid.
The Dream
"Where are we going now?" Delilah asked Hagrid as they walked down her street, Trumpet Avenue.
"The Leaky Cauldron--get yer settled in," said Hagrid. He seemed to be looking for something.
"What are you trying to find?" asked Delilah.
"Portkey," muttered Hagrid. "Looks like a shoe."
Delilah had read about Portkeys in her books. She also started to look. On the side of the road, she saw a decrepit looking old boot. "Is that it?" she asked, pointing at it.
Hagrid nodded. They went to the boot. "Hold on," cautioned Hagrid. She placed her hands on the boot. Automatically, she felt a jerk behind her navel. Her feet left the ground, and she disappeared into a swirl of color and howling wind.
She landed on a London sidewalk. Hagrid was still standing, though he looked very nauseous. Delilah picked herself up and dusted off her clothes. She looked at her surroundings.
They were in downtown London, in front of a large book shop. Right next to it, Delilah saw a small building. "Aye, that's the Leaky Cauldron," said Hagrid. "Foller me."
They entered the small building. "Ah, hello, Rubeus. Is this Dumbledore's special guest?" asked the man behind the counter.
"Yep. This is Delilah. Delilah, this is the owner of the Leaky Cauldron. 'E'll get yeh ter yer room. I'll be by tomorrow to take yeh shoppin' fer yer supplies. G'night." And with that, Hagrid Apparated out.
Delilah was lead to a room upstairs. "Thank you," she smiled. He smiled back and left. Delilah put her things in a corner of the room and collapsed on the bed. Soon she slept.
She had an odd dream--one she'd never had before. The dream was full of green light and snakes--and a figure in hooded black robes. All Delilah could see were his eyes--red and glowing, with slits for pupils. Snake eyes. Fear gripped her insides, making her blood run cold. She tried to run from him, but it was no use--it was like she was rooted to the spot.
She woke up screaming, her body covered in sweat. The clock said it was 5:30 in the morning. Geting dressed, she looked out the window to watch the sun rise. She always enjoyed doing that, watching the sky gradually change colors and the golden orb rising in the sky.
While she leaned out the window, a robin alighted on her finger. "Hello," it chirped.
"Why, hello there!" said Delilah. "You can understand English?"
"No... you can speak my language," replied the robin, sounding surprised. "You're the first person I've met who can do that."
"Really?" said an equally surprised Delilah. "Never knew I had it in me. What's your name?"
"Rufus. And yours?" chirped back the robin.
"Delilah. But you can call me Lila," she smiled.
"Very nice to meet you, Lila. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some breakfast. Good day," said Rufus. And he flew off.
Hmm... weird," said Delilah matter-of-factly. She'd talked with a butterfly before, but her mother had caught her and made her go to her room. Her room had had no windows, which made finding any animals rather difficult.
Brushing her black curls, Delilah went downstairs and had some breakfast. Soon, Hagrid arrived. "'Ello, Delilah," he said. "Ready ter go?"
Delilah finished her toast and brushed off the crumbs. "Ready and willing," she grinned.
They went to a brick wall in the back of the store. Hagrid counted the bricks, then tapped an umbrella he carried against it. The brick enlarged into a large doorway. He and Delilah walked through.
For the first time, Delilah saw Diagon Alley. She gave a squeal of delight as she looked around. It was amazing.
Hagrid led her to Gringotts. Delilah showed them the form her parents had signed, and noticed her mother had signed her maiden name--Andromeda Kingston. That must be the name her account was under.
A goblin named Gorseclaw led her and Hagrid to a cart. They zipped down into the vault, twisting and turning this way and that. Hagrid grew greener every second. He obviously got motion sickness.
The cart ground to a halt in front of a vault. Using the key he'd gotten from the front desk, he opened it.
Delilah looked inside. There were piles of money inside--the collected wealth of her mother's family. They were an old wizarding family, the Kingstons--and Delilah knew it had broken her grandparents' hearts when their daughter had renounced magic. On top of that, her mother had refused to see her parents again. Too bad her parents had forbidden her mom to get into their vault--they'd left it in their will that only a family member of hers going into the wizard world could get access. As Delilah gazed at the sparkling money, she knew that her greedy mother had not liked that clause one bit. She didn't feel that her family's wizard hatred would make them hate the money.
On a hook on the wall, she saw a small red bag with a slip of paper affixed to it. Taking the bag, she read the paper.
Delilah--
This bag is to hold your money. It will never get full and heavy, no matter how much money you put in it. Have fun at Hogwarts.
Love,
Gramma and Grampa
Delilah smiled. Her grandparents had always known she'd had the power. She filled the bag with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. The note was right--it never got full or heavy. When she thought she had enough, she tied the bag to her belt loop. Climbing back out into the cart, they went back to the surface, traveling backwards.
On the steps of Gringotts, Hagrid pulled out a piece of yellow parchment. "Yer supply list," he explained. "Looks like yer gonna be a fifth year."
"Good," nodded Delilah. "Can we go get my wand first?"
Hagrid shrugged. "Sure. 'At's probably a good ider."
They went to Ollivander's Wand Shop. When they got there, Mr. Ollivander looked at her closely and said, "Hmm... very challenging customer."
He instructed her to hold out her wand arm. Not knowing what he meant, Delilah took a guess and held out the hand she normally wrote with--her left hand. He took a few measurements, then perused his shelves, looking at wands. He pulled one off of the shelf. "Here, try this one. 11 inches, cherry, two dragon heartstrings." No sooner had she taken it then he snatched it away. "All right... 10 inches, silver fir, unicorn tailfeathers." That one didn't do anything either. They went through a series of wands, short and long, light and dark. Mr. Ollivander got out a ladder and plucked one from the top shelf. "Here's an interesting one... redwood, nine inches, with a griffin feather and powdered basilisk fang for the core."
As soon as Delilah touched it, warmth went up her fingers. Sparks of red and green shot out of the tip. "Oh, bravo!" cried Mr. Ollivander. Hagrid grinned widely.
As her wand was wrapped, Mr. Ollivander looked at her and winked. "I get the feeling we can expect some amazing things from you, Miss."
Delilah smiled nervously at him. She got her wand and they left the store.
Explanations
The next stop was Flourish and Blotts, where Delilah got her books. She thought that the shopkeeper was torn between killing her or himself when she asked for The Monster Book of Monsters. In the end, she got all of the books she needed.
A few more stops, and Delilah had stacks of parchment, about twenty bottles of ink, three quills, a nifty pewter cauldron, and all the Potions ingredients she would need. She'd have to work on catching up in Potions--they hadn't had things like scarabs available in the Riddle household. She swore to herself that she'd work her way up.
The final stop was Madam Malkin's robes. There, Delilah would be getting three sets of black robes, a black winter coat with silver fastenings, dragon hide gloves, and a set of dress robes. "Why is it all black?" complained Delilah. "Black is so boring."
She compensated by getting dress robes of a beautiful greenish-blue, green dragonhide gloves--made from the hide of a Welsh Green, or so said the salesperson--and a beautiful hooded cape of crushed red velvet.
While she was getting her measurements taken, a boy came into the store. He was tall and lanky, with red hair and abundant freckles. He went to the stool to get his measurements taken for his new dress robes. "I haven't seen you here before--aren't you a bit old to be a first year?" he asked Delilah.
"That would be why I'm going to be a fifth-year. My Muggle parents actually told Dumbledore that I had died in a car wreck. Can you believe it?" laughed Delilah.
The boy snorted. "That's pretty bad. I'm Ron Weasley."
"Delilah Riddle," she replied. The smile on Ron's face faded.
"Did you say... Riddle?" he said.
"Yes... why?" asked a confused Delilah.
"Any relation to Tom?"
"I think my great-grandfather was named Tom... and so was my great-uncle. Well, half-great-uncle... he and my grandfather had different mums. The uncle died a while ago, though," said Delilah.
"Oh," was all Ron said. He focused ahead.
"Why did you ask me?" Delilah questioned.
"Uh... no reason," he said in a halted tone.
"There was so a reason... your ears are turning pink," she giggled. He blushed deeper and tried to cover them.
"That'll do ya," said Madam Malkin to Delilah. Delilah hopped off of the stool and said, "Nice to meet you."
He just nodded, not meeting her gaze. A confused Delilah got her supplies and left the store.
"Hagrid... I was just in Madam Malkin's, and a boy came in. I told him my last name, and he froze up. Why?" asked Delilah as they walked to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for a treat before they went to the Magical Menagerie.
"Well... er... yeh know who You-Know-Who is, right?" said Hagrid slowly.
"Yeah, Voldemort," said Delilah matter-of-factly. Hagrid flinched.
"Don't say the name. Well, er, his real name was Tom Riddle," said Hagrid in a rushed tone.
It took a moment for Delilah to decipher what he'd said, then the magnitude of it struck her. "You mean that Vold--I mean, er, You-Know-Who, is my great-uncle?!"
Hagrid nodded. "Unbelievable," she muttered. She then said, "Er... as far as magic goes... did I get any from him?"
"Nah... You-Know-Who got 'is magic from his mum. You got yours from yer mum, but they were two different people... understand?"
Delilah nodded slowly. "Tell me... how many people know You-Know-Who's real name?"
"On'y a few... me... Dumbledore... You-Know-Who's closest friends... an' three students, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger," said Hagrid. "They'll be in yer grade... right nice kids."
"Oh," said Delilah in a small voice. Not only was her great-uncle alive, he was the most famous Dark wizard ever. And she had his old last name. Wonderful.
Hagrid noticed her mood drop as she quietly played with her rocky road ice cream inside Florean Fortescues, barely eating any. "Don' worry, Missy... mos' people don't know, so yer a bit safe that way."
"Yeah, but the ones who do know will either hate me, or they'll be continuously kissing my behind, thinking I'm Dark too, which I'm not. And when they find that out, they'll hate me too," she said, tears filling her bright aqua eyes.
Hagrid gave her a handkerchief to dry her eyes on. "Don't worry, missy... tell yer what. Fer a special present, I'll get yeh a pet. What do yeh want?" He looked at Delilah expectantly.
She smiled and wiped her eyes. "Can I get a puppy?" she asked shyly.
"What kind of puppy?" said Hagrid cautiously.
"One that will turn into a small dog," Delilah reassured him. "We might want to go to a Muggle shop for that one."
"Nonsense... we can find one here!" maintained Hagrid stoutly. After they finished their ice cream, they headed to the Magical Menagerie.
"Hello there, Rubeus... what would you like?" asked the witch who was working. Obviously, Hagrid was a regular.
"We want a puppy fer this little lady... one that'll still be small when it gets older," said Hagrid, winking at Delilah.
"Hm... let's see... what do we have? Toy breeds..." muttered the witch to herself as she went down the aisles. "Ooh, yes, here we go! Just got these little ones in... they're Japanese chins. Very smart and sweet little dogs."
Delilah gasped in delight when she saw the little puppies. They were small and fluffy, and all of them had coats of white fur with varying degrees of red markings. Except for one--the smallest of the bunch. He had the white, but his markings were black. He looked at Delilah with his large, sad eyes.
"That one," she said firmly, pointing to the black one.
"Are you sure? He's the runt," said the witch.
"No... he's the black sheep. So am I," said Delilah. Shrugging, the witch opened the cage and took out the puppy. She put him in a green carrier.
"I expect you'll be wanting food?" said the witch.
Delilah nodded. A bag of dog food later, and they were out of the Magical Menagerie, Delilah thanking Hagrid profusely.
"Don' worry bout it... it was worth it to see yeh smilin' agin," said Hagrid roughly. "What're yeh gonna name 'im?"
"You know, I'm not sure. I think I'll wait to see what powers he has first," said Delilah thoughtfully.
Inside the carrier, the little puppy yawned. A tiny shot of flames and a cloud of smoke issued out of the little metal door. Delilah nearly dropped the carrier. "Blimey!" whispered Hagrid. "He can breathe fire!"
"Ryo," said Delilah decidedly. "Japanese for dragon. It's perfect."
Ryo opened his eyes sleepily, then shut them again as he drifted back off into dreamland. Hagrid dropped Delilah back off at the Leaky Cauldron, then went his own way. "Thank you!" she called after him.
Hagrid grinned and waved back. "Sweet girl... 'tis a pity that she's got that name," he said to himself. He found the Portkey back to Hogwarts and left.
Hey, it's me, your dear author. Yeah, I know, I already gave away the twist--Voldie being Delilah's great-uncle. Why, you may ask? Have you never heard the phrase "a magician never tells his tricks"? Don't worry, there'll be plenty of other twists (unless my muse flops out on me). Until then... ~Phoenix