Chapter 10 Delphi Riddle

There was an auror at Hogwarts. As usual, no one told Draco, and he didn't even know what an auror was until he was at Hogsmeade, and Blaise hissed at him to pull his hood up as he explained who was heading their way. Thankfully, she was far behind them.

"You could have that said this morning," Draco yell whispered.

"I told you not to come!" Blaise shot back.

"I thought you were just being a prat!"

"Distract her Pansy!" Blaise snapped, unaffected by the insult.

"Why me?" But Pansy didn't need much pushing because she spotted Granger at the bookstore. The Stinging Hex went hurtling towards the others girl's back, causing her to howl in pain and woman in combat boots run in her direction, allowing the three of them to run into a store on the opposite side of the street.

Draco watched as the auror, a woman with obviously dyed white hair asked Granger what was wrong. Blaise shoved him roughly behind a shelf when she started scanning the crowd. After giving his best friend a dirty look, Draco pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket.

A few minutes later, he heard the sound of a bell, signaling someone had entered the store. Draco held his breath as she made her way towards Pansy and Blaise. She looked strangely familiar and not familiar at the same time.

"Nice day we're having, isn't it?" Cool eyes studied Pansy and Blaise.

"Superb," Blaise said dryly. The auror almost smiled. "If you're looking for Regulus Black, I think there's a store that sells hexes and chainsaws down the road."

"Someone in this general direction hexed a student." Her eyes were on Pansy, even though Draco was sure Granger hadn't seen her. "Any ideas?"

"Sounds like something Regulus Black would do," Blaise piped in. He was being rather talkative, which Draco found unusual until he saw how nervous Pansy looked. She was shaking like a leaf. Smooth. Real smooth.

"Hmmm." She couldn't prove it, but she definitely knew. The woman was kind and friendly, but something about her made her intimidating, like the friendliness was well rehearsed. "I'll be sure to ask him once I take him down. Draco Malfoy is your friend, correct?"

"Never heard of him," Blaise said, making Pansy get some of her spark back and smack him in the back of the head. Then, he grinned nervously. Draco was sure that Pansy would pay for that later. "He never got his permission slip signed, so he's not here."

"Right." She knew. Draco was tempted to run but was afraid that she would hear his footsteps. "Tell him not to be surprised if I'm following him. Regulus Black is going to come after him sooner or later, and I'm not here to admonish him for breaking school rules. I'm here to catch a killer."

And with that she left. Even though he had his cloak, Draco didn't so much as breathe until the shop door shut behind her. He didn't take the cloak off either because he was sure she was nearby.

"What the actual fuck?" Pansy said as soon as the auror was out of earshot. "That was the creepiest person I've ever met! How'd she—"

"She's a Legilimens" Blaise said darkly. "She didn't see you hex Granger. She heard you thinking about it."

"What?" At least Pansy didn't know either because they both asked at the same time.

"I was watching her." Blaise shrugged, acting as if his theories were common knowledge as always. "Her eyes were on Draco until Granger screamed. You had your wand pointed low with your left hand. She didn't see it."

"No, we mean what's a Legilmens?" Pansy snapped.

"Someone who can read minds, see thoughts, feelings, anything going on in your head really." Blaise said this as if it were obvious. "Professor Riddle's chocolate frog card says that he can do it."

Pansy stared at Blaise for a moment. That would explain why Blaise was suddenly a nervous talker. He was trying to distract the auror from his thoughts. "No. She's just a freaking sociopath. Talking about how she's going to stalk Draco and take Black down. Like she's hungry for some fresh meat."

"Are you two going to buy anything?" the shop owner yelled from across the room. They were in a parchment store.

Blaise nodded to her and started looking about, even though all the parchment looked the same. As he picked up a roll to inspect it, he whispered, "But I think you're right, Pansy. She wouldn't hesitate to kill Black."

"Did you introduce yourself to Draco?" Tom asked lightly. It was two in the morning, and he found his daughter lazily browsing his private library.

"In a way," she said cryptically. Her personality was like his on steroids, which is why Tom supposed they clashed. "I'll formally do so later. Black's going to lay low for a while after the latest incident, so Potter's plight will keep me from getting too bored while I wait. Not to worry though, I put a tracker on Dearest Draco."

"Which is illegal." Tom gritted his teeth when his daughter hummed in agreement. "And I told you. Ms. Potter is cursed. And her thoughts are so scattered that Legilimency is proving rather difficult, and she's seldom close enough to cast a powerful enough legilimens."

He had been practicing Legilimency for forty five years. Since she felt so helpless, Potter was burying what was going on deep inside her, so deep that Tom couldn't get to it. She didn't allow herself to think about it.

"For you," Delphini said as she skimmed one of his alchemy textbooks.

"Your confidence is inflating to that of a Gryffindor's," Tom drawled, but Delphini merely shook her head and smiled to herself.

Gently, she shut the textbook and put it back on the shelf. "You've tried to talk to her, but she already has a father who has raised her to distrust you. However, the female figures in her life are clearly lacking in. She'd absolutely love someone who is there for her, like a big sister."

"It doesn't matter," Tom countered. "She can't tell you if she's cursed, so she won't bring up those thoughts."

"She will," Delphini informed him confidently. "Because she'll want to tell me. Her thoughts will be practically screaming to me."

"Lily Potter will kill you if she finds out," Tom warned.

Delphini's lip curled at the mention of Lily. She hated the woman so much that she didn't even want to talk about her. "How do you think I should introduce myself to Draco? I may have scared the shit out of him earlier."

Tom sighed, once again wishing that his daughter had a heart instead of the uncanny ability to pretend that she had one. "Draco is always happy to make a new friend…"

"I don't know that you should be playing," Lily Potter fretted. Delphi didn't believe in karma, but if she did, she would think that Katherine Potter had all of Lily's bad karma dumped into her. She could sense the mother's uneasiness and the daughter's embarrassment.

Katherine Potter was whining like the brat that she was, but Delphi gave credit where it was due and supposed that the girl was growing out of it. Everyone had their moments. "Mum, we have to beat Ravenclaw! I've been practicing since we came back from break!"

"What if the dementors come back?" Lily lowered her voice to a whisper. "If you fall—"

"You don' t have to worry about that, madam," Delphi said cheerfully. Katherine perked up at the sight of her, curious about the auror everyone was talking about. "The Ministry doesn't think they should be in the vicinity, given what happened last time."

Lily looked down on her as always. "So we'll only have you for protection against Regulus?"

"Mum!" Katherine whispered excitedly. "She's an auror!" Delphi winked at her.

She hated Lily Potter and always would, but she had a job to do. "I can promise you, Mrs. Potter, that I will not let any harm come to your daughter or any student enjoying the game today. As an auror, I will lay down my life to protect the innocent."

Lily Potter sighed and rolled her eyes. Her daughter was lapping up Delphi's every word, and as much as she would deny it, it was clear that the woman believed Delphi. "Only because your father will want me to tell him about the game."

Katherine Potter started jumping up and down with excitement. This was going to be too easy.

Draco formally met the auror when he was walking by Professor Black's office. The only reason that he stopped was because he saw her holding his broom with a deep frown on her face. Before now, Professor Black hadn't mentioned it, and after how nasty the Slytherin head of house was to Pansy, he was afraid to ask.

"Sir?" He knocked on the doorframe.

"Come in," the auror said, not allowing Black to invite him into his own office.

Draco wasn't sure if he believed Blaise or not about the whole mind reading thing. Either way, it was awkward to have to introduce himself to her when he kind of already met her but wasn't sure if she knew he was there. "Uh, hello."

The auror held out her hand. "Delphi Riddle."

"Riddle?" Draco repeated incredulously as he shook her hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong.

The only explanation she offered was a nod. Professor Black rolled his eyes, but she paid no mind to it. "So you found no curses, hexes, or jinxes? Is it truly a Firebolt?"

"Yes." Professor Black pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've called in half a dozen experts. And I've looked at it, Severus looked at it. Hell, even the headmaster couldn't find anything wrong with it."

Delphi ran her fingers over the broom. "No tracking spells? I've contacted every seller in the country, but perhaps I should try France to see if any Firebolts went missing. Have you checked your family accounts?"

"I don't think this is a conversation to have in front of the boy." It was very clear that Professor Black was unnerved by Delphi. If not, he would have just kicked Draco out of his office.

"Have you?" she pressed. "Draco should know. It's his broom. His hide your brother is after."

Professor Black narrowed his eyes. "No. I haven't. But I'm sure Hestia's divorce lawyer would make a big fuss if such a large amount was withdrawn."

With a weird, almost blank look on her face, Delphi stared at Black, causing him to sneer at her. "You lead a very interesting life, Professor."

"One could say that," Draco couldn't resist saying, causing Professor Black to turn to glare at him. "So… can I have my broom back?"

"I don't see why not. Professor?" Delphi grinned, knowing that she would cause a fight between Draco and Professor Black if he said no.

Professor Black clenched his teeth. "You'll be in the air at every match?"

"Of course," Delphi promised. And like that, Draco had his broom back.

"How do you think she's related to Professor Riddle?" Pansy asked at dinner that night. "Maybe she's like his granddaughter or his great-great granddaughter…"

Blaise gave her that you're an idiot look. "How old do you think he is?"

Pansy pondered for a moment. "At least a hundred."

"He's sixty eight!" Blaise yelled.

Pansy didn't believe him, but Draco was surprised that he was that old. "Just because you read the back of a chocolate frog card—"

"I wonder why she's eating with Potter," Draco asked to change the subject. They could bicker for hours if he let them.

Pansy snorted. "Probably looking for a reason to arrest her."

"Or…" He could already hear Pansy denying his words. "She's trying to get Potter to explain how she saw my mum."

"Draco," Pansy said worriedly. Blaise shrugged. "What if Potter saw something you don't want to know?"

Of all the ridiculous… "I want to know everything about my parents, Pans."

"The Potters, the Grangers, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms," Blaise listed. "They all followed Dumbledore. What if they described to Potter how they died or something, and she just feels guilty?"

"I-I'd still want to know," Draco stuttered. Thinking of the Patronus lessons with Professor Snape and what he heard made him unsure though. He decided to drop the subject and tucked into his food. Potter said she'd figure out how to tell him, so he'd know sooner or later.

"I'm not as weak as you think I am!" a woman yelled. A baby was crying in the background, and Draco heard the crackling of flames.

"Oooh! Can we keep them, my lord? Can we keep them?!" another woman shrieked giddily. She sounded like she was far away.

Both women were ignored as an old man laughed coldly. "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco gasped as he came to, realizing that he failed yet again to properly cast a Patronus. Professor Snape was shaking him rather roughly and had a glass of cold water in one hand. Embarrassed, Draco forced himself to sit up.

"What's Avada Kedavra?" he asked hoarsely.

Professor Snape clearly didn't want to tell him, but for once, didn't tell him so and leave it at that. "It's a curse that kills someone instantly."

"Oh." Draco stared off at nothing for a while, an act that seemed to concern Professor Snape greatly.

Professor Snape put his face in his hands for a moment, but quickly forced himself to recover. "Perhaps this charm is too advanced for you, Draco. I know people twice your age who are incapable. We can try again after you've had some time to recover, both magically and mentally."

"No!" Draco didn't know what he wanted more, to show Professor Snape that he could master the charm or to make sure he didn't faint the next time he came in contact with a dementor. "One more time. I… I just need a better memory. That's all."

Reluctantly, Professor Snape nodded as Draco tried to think of a memory. What he was thinking of obviously wasn't good enough. Then, it hit him. All throughout his childhood he was starving for a friend, on September 1st, 1991, he had made one when Pansy offered him a seat, and they chatted the train ride away while swapping sweets.

"I got one," he said bravely.

Professor Snape still seemed hesitant, but he put his hands on the trunk to open it. "Ready?" Draco nodded as he held his wand tightly. "Concentrate! And go!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He was practically screaming at the top of his lungs. The sounds of Pansy's laughter and kind words blocked out the screaming, the sound of flames, and the evil cackles. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A huge dome of silver burst out of Draco's wand, shielding him from the dementor. Draco's legs were starting to shake, and he used all his strength to stay standing. He was doing it! He was finally doing it!

"Riddikulus!" Professor Snape bellowed, jumping in front of him. Draco finally let himself sit as Professor Snape dealt with the Boggart, trying not to look at the silvery orb it was becoming. The professor was not one who tolerated noisiness. He finally allowed himself to look when Professor Snape clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Excellent."

Draco beamed and couldn't resist practically begging, "Can we try it one more time?"

Professor Snape shook his head as he handed him a large chocolate bar. "No. Now, eat this. I'm sure you want to deal with Madam Pomfrey just as much as I do."

Draco grinned. "You must have to deal with her a lot," he said before he could stop himself. Professor Snape refused to reply, so he quickly changed the subject. "She always wants to test me for drugs, for some reason."

Professor Snape smirked. "Because she did the same thing to your father. She somehow equated his long hair with delinquency and recreational drug use."

"Oh." Draco nibbled at his chocolate, trying to picture his father dealing with Madam Pomfrey. "Sir? If you know my father, you must've known Regulus Black too."

"What makes you say that?" Professor Snape snapped, immediately on the defensive.

"Nothing," Draco said quickly. "I… I just heard they were related. I mean, that my mother was related to him…"

"I knew him," Professor Snape admitted, but that was all he would say on the matter. "I think it's time you headed to bed, Draco. It's getting rather close to curfew."

"Yes, sir."

Draco left to toss and turn all night, thinking about his parents' and grandmother's deaths. There was obviously more than one person there. Did his parents burn alive? In agony? "They're dead," Draco tried to tell himself as he looked at his sleepless eyes in the mirror the next morning. "They aren't suffering anymore. That's all that matters."

But no matter what he tried to say to reassure himself, he couldn't stop thinking about it. At least his grandmother died instantly.

Since Delphi flat out said that she was following him, Draco was a bit reluctant to go out to Hogsmeade during the next trip. Delphi was true to her word and didn't tell any of the school staff that he had snuck out, but the thought of someone following him around freaked him out.

"That's probably the point," Blaise said as he got ready to go. "She's not going to tell on you because she knows you'll be too paranoid to go again."

Draco didn't say anything and pretended to be too engrossed in his homework to care. Blaise seemed to constantly analyze the auror and blushed if she passed them in the halls. His best friend better hope that Pansy didn't noticed. She'd never let it go.

Once everyone was going, Draco abandoned his half-finished essay and started messing around with the Map that Dudley had given him. Professor Black was pacing about the castle. Professor Riddle seemed to be waltzing around the library, chatting with Ravenclaws like he normally did on Saturdays. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary…

August Zabini

Wasn't that Blaise's dad's name? But Blaise's dad was dead. Perhaps the Map was defective? There was only one way to find out…

Delphi's presence put Sirius on edge. Unlike her father, she was not so tolerate and forgiving. The woman held a grudge, so he didn't like his goddaughter spending so much time with her. Then again, Delphi took her job as an auror very seriously. She was the youngest captain in history, and she wouldn't put that on the line because of something Lily did thirteen years ago.

"Of all the people Riddle could've called in," Sirius muttered as he headed for the kitchens. One couldn't think on an empty stomach after all.

With chocolate cake on his mind, Sirius almost didn't noticed Draco heading his way. The boy was holding something very familiar looking and watching it intently as he walked. James was in the hospital, and the Marauder's Map was in his Gringotts vault. Not even Lily could touch it. That could only mean…

"Did you nick that from my office?!" Sirius found himself practically squeaking. Not surprisingly, Draco nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Uh…" The boy was clever and quick-witted, but like his friend Mr. Zabini, always became alarmed when a man yelled at him. "Not really."

"Not really?!" Sirius yelled as he stomped over and snatched the Map out of his hands. The charm that Lucius put on it still worked after all these years, and the Map went blank at his touch as it would if James or Peter touched it. "Did it just fly into your lap one day with instructions?!"

Honestly, Sirius wouldn't be surprised if it had. Lucius would want him to have it, wherever he was. But with Regulus on the loose, Draco couldn't have it. He was a kid, and kids didn't think to properly secure such things. They didn't even know how many times Regulus had been in the castle.

Draco gulped and looked around, but there was no Professor Riddle to save him. "It was given to me."

"By who?" Sirius demanded. Draco remained silent. "WHO?"

"Does it really matter, Black?" Severus said silkily from behind him. Sirius became just as alarmed as Draco was. Severus had helped make the Map, but Regulus had it on him when he was arrested. The aurors thought that he had wanted to die with it, but they weren't going to giving the satisfaction of committing suicide by auror. Either way, the Map was more Severus's than anyone else's.

"Did you give it to him?" Sirius asked as bravely as he could.

The look Severus gave him made Sirius want to shrivel up and die. "No. But I'll be taking it, Black, given the fact that it is mine." He gently took it out of Sirius's hands, and Sirius let him. "Draco, come with me."

Severus's tone made it clear that Draco probably would have had it easier if he just had to deal with Sirius. The boy looked over his shoulder as Severus led him away, clearly knowing this too. But Sirius told himself that he had to learn… He'd never forgive himself if Regulus killed Draco.

"Why wouldn't you turn something like this in?" Professor Snape boomed as soon as they were in his office, and the door was shut.

"I don't know, sir," Draco said quietly.

"And if you dropped it?" Professor Snape asked loudly. "You know that Regulus Black has been in the castle several times. He would be able to find you in a matter of minutes with this."

"I didn't think—"

"Exactly," Professor Snape spat. "You are not to have this back. This should have been turned into as soon as it 'flew into your lap one day with instructions.'"

"I know, sir," Draco said quietly as he stared at his feet. He could feel his favorite professor's black fathomless eyes staring him down. The silence left Draco to his own thoughts, which he supposed Professor Snape did on purpose to make him feel shameful and guilty, but Draco realized something else and dared to perk up. "You told Professor Black the Map was yours."

"It is." Professor Snape did not seem the least bit amused by his revelation. "And Regulus Black knows how to use it. I do not know how much you know of your parents' deaths, Draco, but you do know that they died for you. You, unfortunately, are not in a position to childishly take that for granted, as much as Narcissa and Lucius would love for you to be able to. You may only be thirteen, but you have to think about the consequences of your actions. If you much such a mistake again, I will make sure you aren't allowed to set foot out of the castle and that Delphini Riddle is practically breathing down your neck at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Draco nodded, still looking at the ground. "Yes, sir."

A few weeks later, spring was finally gracing them with its presence. Draco kept his distance from Professor Snape for a while, but the man was clearly someone who got what he had to say off his chest and then wanted to act like nothing happened, no matter how harsh his words were. Draco still felt a little awkward though. He felt like this year he was screwing things up with anyone he was getting close to.

"Zabini!" Potter. She was running towards them rather quickly, and Draco frowned when he saw that her hands were all bloody.

He and his friends were going for a walk, enjoying the less than frigid temperatures before they needed to go in for dinner. Blaise was in no way happy that Potter was talking to him, and Draco could see that Pansy was gripping her wand in her cloak pocket.

"What?" Blaise said defensively.

Potter wrinkled her nose at him. "I was visiting Hagrid and found something of yours." She unzipped her pocket and took out a struggling and rather thin looking Zeus. The rat sunk its teeth into hand, causing her to wince. "You're lucky I love animals." Blaise simply stared in awe. Draco thought he saw tears in his best friend's eyes, but Potter took his silence for ungratefulness. "You're fucking welcome!"

With a trembling hand, Blaise reached out for his beloved pet, who Potter managed to hold tightly without squeezing him. Before he could fully be reunited with Zeus however, a giant black dog appeared out of nowhere and snatched the rat out of Potter's hand. She started screaming like a banshee as the dog ran away. It was a Pharaoh hound. Regulus Black.

Blaise knew this and didn't care. He wasn't going to leave Zeus to be killed. Draco ran after him along with Pansy and Potter. He wasn't going to leave his best friend behind.

Anyone still here? :')

Thank you for the reviews spider2016 and gr8rockstarrox/Ad!

gr8rockstarrox: I've got a flash drive, and pretty much already broke it. :P

So I'm stuck on who to make Delphi's mother be because having her be Bellatrix won't exactly fit with this story. I was thinking maybe Ariana Dumbledore, and having her be Dumbledore's daughter instead of sister to make the timeline fit more, but I'm open to suggestions. What do you think?