"Cockroach Clusters," Iris said solemnly as the gargoyle stepped aside and allowed her past. She followed the spiral stair case to the top; her heels making a noise that echoed off the heavy walls.
She knocked on the door, once she was at the top, "Come in," Dumbledore's mellow voice sounded from the other side.
"Ah, Miss Blackthorne, thank you for coming." His eyes looked tired behind his glasses. "I hope you enjoyed the service. I have no doubt in my mind that it gave some people closure but above all else, answers."
"I don't mean to be rude, Professor, but what is this about?" Iris asked.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore looked down at her with worried eyes. "I believe that you are aware that Lord Voldemort is back, are you not?"
Iris furrowed her brow, "Yes, sir, I'm aware."
"He has killed many people in the days before his fall from power, as I'm sure you know." He paused only for a moment before continuing, "Before, Lord Voldemort, became what he was he visited his uncle, Morfin Gaunt."
"Now, Morfin was said to have met a young woman in a pub in Little Hangleton, where he, his father, Marvolo, and sister, Merope, lived." Iris looked terrible confused.
"Forgive me for getting ahead of myself Iris; it's been a long year indeed. His sister, Merope, fell in love with a muggle, by the name of, Tom Riddle. She used a Love Potion on him and they married. She stopped giving Riddle the potion in hopes that he would have fallen in love her without it but her attempt was in vain and he left her while she was pregnant with his child."
"She went to an orphanage and she gave birth to a boy name Tom Marvolo Riddle, but unfortunately died an hour later, leaving her son to be raise in the very orphanage he was born in."
Iris couldn't help feel sorry for the boy and how unfortunate he had been. "Alas, whilst at Hogwarts, Tom had changed his name into, Lord Voldemort." The pain that Iris had felt for him only seconds before vanished instantly.
"Now, Tom felt no love for anyone or thing for he believed that he could never love for the fact that he was conceived under a Love Potion. He also felt that because his mother would not or could not, rather, save herself from death that she was weak."
"Also, Tom had become immensely fascinated by his family heritage and found that he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself."
"He believed that Muggle-borns' should be exterminated for they had no right to learn magic. After his leave of Hogwarts, he continued to delve deeper and deeper into the dark arts."
"This is how, I, believe he came to be," Dumbledore confessed. "Now, back to where I was before. Morfin, who had a known history of violence towards Muggles, was sent to Azkaban for three years along with his father for performing magic in front of and on Muggles. When he had been released he met a woman in a pub and they conceived a child named, Rose, without Morfin's knowledge."
The name sounded simple and elegant in Iris's mouth, "Rose married John Blackthorne, mixing the Gaunt and Blackthorne blood line. Now, Rose gave birth to Brutus, who in turn, married Arabella."
Iris looked up at Dumbledore, her mouth gaped open, "But Professor that means…" Dumbledore held up a hand to silence her.
"After each child that was conceived, their parents were soon murdered after their first birthday, meaning Rose and John were killed after Brutus turned one. The same happened to your parents, Iris, Arabella and Brutus had you and were soon murdered in their home."
Iris was speechless and didn't know what to say, "The murders were all the same, in the same fashion. They all seemed to show no visible traces of what could have caused it when the police investigated. To Muggles, the murders seemed to be a, freak accident, if you will but everyone in the Wizarding world had been aware of whom it was."
Iris knew the answer but asked anyway, "Who Professor? Who killed my parents?"
"I believe it to be Lord Voldemort. You are the last living tie to the Gaunt bloodline and Voldemort will stop at nothing to see that it is finished off, once and for all." He told her.
"I have a foreboding feeling that he will try to kill you now that he has once more started his rise to power. Whether he knows of your existence is anyone's guess." Dumbledore told her gravely.
"Professor? What will I do if he does try to kill me?" Iris's voice was shaking.
Dumbledore released a great sigh, "Severus and I are watching over you to make sure that that won't happen. It was originally I, who was going to try and protect you but Severus demanded that he assist me."
The words, 'Severus and I' struck Iris odd, "What do you mean by that, 'he demanded to help', Professor?"
"I meant what I said. Now, I think it is time that you return to Mr. Weasley, as I am sure he is wondering what is keeping you."
Iris sat glued to the chair for a moment, taking in everything that she was just told. She stood up uneasily and made her way to the door. She looked back at Dumbledore who looked deep in thought. Iris made her way down the steps only to collapse into a sobbing mess as she reached the bottom.
Voldemort killed her entire family and was trying to get to her next. Iris cried for the family she never knew and the possibility of an early death. She sat against the cool wall of the corridor until there were no more tears to cry.
Iris stood up and made her way to the marble staircase in front of the Great Hall, where she saw Fred, George, Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Ginny sitting looking dismal.
Mrs. Weasley had seen her first and watched as Iris sluggishly made her way towards them. At the sight of the family, Iris could feel a fresh rush of tears filling her tired eyes.
The rest of the Weasleys' followed her gaze and George got up and met Iris half way, taking her into a warm embrace, kissing her head. She openly sobbed into his chest, not bothering to try and hide it from anyone. She gripped George even tighter, so as never to let go.
Mrs. Weasley had walked over to them, saying, "Sh, Sh, Sh, Sh… there, there, it's alright dear, Sh, Sh, Sh." She was petting Iris's hair to comfort her.
After moments of heavy racking sobs, Iris was breathing lighter and she wasn't holding onto George as tightly.
She detached her scarlet face from George's now tear stained shirt. Iris wiped her eyes and looked up at him attempting a smile for him, "Im sorry about your shirt,"
"It's no big deal, it's not my favorite anyway," he chuckled.
