I'm more than the Past

Chapter 1

-May 2, 1988-

The lights are so bright, and people are running. I thought this was supposed to be easy, Father always said this was going to be easy. I thought that he was dead. That the bad bad Potter was dead, but he wasn't – he got up. I was told to fight. That as his heir I should fight, but I'm scared. I found a closet and hid. I could see the lights flashing and then the castle shouldered and stilled. I could feel it in the air, the fighting was over. I came out of hiding and searched for a face I knew, his face, any face. No one came. There was cheering, crying, and smoke.

"Father? Father are you there?" I was on the verge of crying now, but I couldn't stop searching. I thought maybe if I found Finny I would be safe but when I saw him he was being dragged in the castle by the bad people. I backed up to run away when I hit something or come to find out someone.

"Who are you little girl? Where did you come from?" the old lady stared down at me.

"My name is Merope Riddle. Do you know where my father is? Is the fighting over – I am so tired of fighting." The women's faces went even whiter than before and she looked almost fearful at me. I was used to that, but this woman seemed different like someone who I should fear.

"I think if you follow me I can take you to your father."

"Are you a death eater? I've never seen you before."

"Ummm just follow me."

She walked so fast that it was hard to keep up, especially in the silly dress mother had insisted I wear. As we walked through the castle I saw more strange faces and a few familiar faces I did see where wearing chains and had wands pointed at them.

"Why are they in chains? And where is Father?"

She escorted me into a room and there I saw men looking concerned and behind them stood Finny looking scared and shaking.

"Finny? Finny who are these people? Have you seen Father? He's going to be so angry that he can't find me. You know how he gets when he's angry."

"Mer". His face was so sad, and he couldn't look at me in the face. "The Dark Lord's dead"

His words rang in my ears but there was no way I could believe him.

"No… no that can't happen, he said this was going to be easy. That, that potter would be gone, and we could rule our world how it should be. He can't have died."

As I said it, I could feel that the walls were closing in and that everything I knew was gone. I know I'm young – 5 is young to know magic like I did or be able to see the things I have but Father always said that it was going to make me stronger and that I would be a better heir because of it.

It felt like hours had passed but I knew it had only been minutes. The people in the room started to talk.

"What do we do with them?" the balding man asked.

"Did anyone know that they existed" The dignified man asked turning to the others to find some explanation, for apparently us.

"The more important question: Are they dangerous? What magic have they done and what have they been trained to do?" The lady looked worried and shot us a glance.

"Do you really think that they've done magic like that McGonagall? You can't honestly believe that these kids have hurt someone let alone killed anyone."

When he said this me and Finny looked at each other. We knew what kind of magic they were talking about, we'd seen that magic – practiced that magic. We had been trained to fight and punished when we didn't. Finny had it worst, he wasn't just a wizard but also a werewolf. It was in his blood as his father would say to steal kill and destroy. And that is exactly what they taught him. He had killed someone, but he didn't have a choice. I had done things to, torture, control, and manipulate those around me. Father was training me to be just like him.

"Should we send them to Azkaban with the rest of them. "

"They are just Children, Arthur honestly."

"No Kingsley they aren't just children. They are his. They have lived in that environment their whole lives, who knows what they are capable of." The lady, McGonagall they called her, sounded unsure as she said this. Like she was stuck somewhere between believing what she was saying and turning around and convincing herself we didn't exist.

"Maybe we let them go to trial and a court decide their fate. They are Death Eaters, they have the mark. It would make sense that they stand for that.

The rest of the night passed in somewhat of blur. They locked us in separate rooms with a cot, bread and some cold tea. The cot was hard but not unlike what I was used to at home. At least here the walls didn't scream. I couldn't believe that he was gone, he was so powerful and strong, he couldn't be gone. He taught me that as long as you could find the weakness of your opponent you could exploit it and win. I didn't know what they were going to do with me, but they said we could have to stand for our crimes. Finny was crying. I could hear him in the other room. He wouldn't make it where they were sending us. I had once heard auntie Bella talking about Azkaban, it was horrible and Finny wasn't strong. He was always being punished for not being able to fight like Father wanted. I'm scared that if we go there he won't make it and he had to make it.

It was the longest night of my life. Finny had finally cried himself to sleep but I had stayed up all night to try and figure out what to do. They people last night had seemed much more scared of me than they were of him and I think it's because of Father. Father was the one they wanted gone. I think they want me to be punished to, because I am Father's daughter. If they would let Finny go then maybe he could go away and not have to worry about being punished anymore. He can't take much more, he's so weak. The lady came and got us at daybreak and told us not to talk until we got to the ministry and there we would go on the stand for an emergency hearing. Fin was already crying so I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there. We went through the flew network and when we arrived at the ministry I saw the statue that Father had been so proud had been constructed. The lady looked at it with disgust. We walked quickly and people who saw us stared. It was hard to make out their expressions most seemed curious, but some seemed scared, of us. She leads us into a room that was dark and only had two very tall chairs.

"Stay here and don't move. Someone will be in to fetch you in a moment." And with that she left us. I could hear Finny sniffling and I knew that this would be my last chance to help him.

"Finny listen to me. I know your scared, but I think I can help you. DO you trust me? I'll make sure you aren't hurt." He nodded.

"Look at me." I know I am small and that the magic I could do is not, but Father always told me that I was destined to be more powerful than even the greats. With the thought of Fathers training I calmed and raised my hand to Finny.

"Obliviate" I felt the spell radiate out of me and I saw the fear drain from Finny as all the horrid things he did and saw melted away. As I could tell he felt lighter the sense of what I had done started to settle. I could feel tears start to form but I blinked them away. The Dark Lord said never cry – you can never be that weak. Whatever this decision meant for me I wouldn't cry, ever.

The lady never returned, instead a man dressed in a robe much like father's men entered. He didn't look at us but rather spoke to the floor.

"Fenrir Greyback Jr." Finny stood but looked confused as to why this man needed him and why he was here. When Fin was out of the room it hit me how alone I was. I shouldn't be alone. Daddy should be here, or at least one of the followers. I was to be watched at all times so that no one hurt me. I was the heir, I was important. The walls here looked a lot like the walls at home – bare. It made for distractions when there where things on the wall and more to clean blood off of. There didn't seem to be blood stains on this wall and that only went to confuse me more. Shouldn't all blank walls have stains, why have no pictures if you aren't worried about stains. These walls also didn't scream like the ones at home, but for that I was thankful. The screams were always so loud, and it made it hard to sleep. Time must have slipped by because it seemed like only a blink before the man came for me.

"Merope Riddle, follow me" He turned and left not even waiting to make sure that I followed. I stood and walked with him down a long hall. I wish they had at least given me a change of clothes. The dress was hot and the dirt from the castle was hard and itchy. We came to the door at the end of the hall and stopped. Go straight inside and you'll see a chair in the middle. Sit in it and be silent. He pushed me inside and the room felt cold and sad. I saw the chair but what was scarier is the people. They were on all sides of the chair and right in front of that chair on a big petastool sat a man. It was the same man that had been at the castle last night discussing what should be done about us. He didn't smile but he also didn't look scared of me. Sadder than anything.

"Miss Riddle. As it stands the ministry had no knowledge of your existence until late last night after Mr. Potter's heroic defeat of Lord Voldemort." This man said his name. No one says his name, not even me.

"With that we have come to understand that while young, standing at only 5 years of age, you have been trained in the dark arts and have committed crimes such as any or all of the three unforgivable. Also, by show of the dark mark on your arm you are also in defiance of the ministry and have committed the act of high treason in your acts with the death eaters." He spoke solemnly, and with every word his eyes seemed to stare a hole into my head like he could see into my mind.

"Know what I understood coming into today is that we would observe two children of death eaters, but the last child, a mister Fenrir Greyback Jr., had no memory whatsoever of any of what has transpired in what seems to be his entire life. All he knows is his name and age, all the rest seems to have vanished from his mind. Like it was taken." With that I knew I was caught. I hope though it had been enough to save Finny. He didn't deserve a life in prison.

"With his lack of knowledge, we had no choice but to release Mr. Greyback to the care of a proper guardian in Scotland. You will have no contact with him until the time that you and he attend Hogwarts." At first his word didn't sink in. After a moment I looked up at him and he was staring back, waiting for me to say something.

"Sir, does that mean I am not going to prison?" It seemed like a possibility I had never considered. After all he listed, some of which I didn't understand it seemed like a must that I would go to prison for the rest of my life.

"No Miss Riddle, you will not go to Azkaban. Your sentence instead is a very strict watch. The new Hogwarts Headmistress has offered to keep you at the castle under her personal close watch. Also, for the next twenty years you will be under the authority of the ministry, coming for a hearing once every year and then in your twentieth year you will be exiled to live as muggle for one year. All association with the wizarding world will be gone. If all of this is completed in a manner that is fitting to what the ministry desires then you will be freed on May 3rd, 2008. This trial is dismissed."

What happened next was a blur. I was ushered back to the room and not a moment later the lady, who now I know is Headmistress McGonagall, came in and told me a most stern voice to follow and that she would not be slowed down by the likes of me. I all but had to run with her to the room filled with flew networks. We stepped in one and with one word I was hurdled into what was now home and prison.

"Hogwarts"