I did my best not to let on that something bad was going to happen, but I don't know how successful I was. Still, children only fifteen months old aren't able to lie yet, so I doubt Mum and Dad chalked it up to anything more than childish melancholy. I tried to get as many cuddles in as I could, knowing that soon I'd lose them forever.
And then Halloween Night came, and everything went up in a flash of green light.
As Riddle stood over my mother's corpse, pointing his wand right between my eyes, I forced my uncooperative mouth to form one word. "Riddle."
I saw his eyes widen a millisecond before the killing curse rebounded.
...
Snape came, and cradled my mother in his arms. I screamed in rage and kept going, even when thundering footsteps heralded the arrival of Hagrid and the coward apparated away. I was so furious I could not stop, howling over Hagrid's frantic attempts at calming me, not until we reached the front step of my home, and I could see Sirius' motorbike barreling across the sky, straight towards me.
He had barely parked before he threw himself off the bike and at me, arms reaching out to take me and I reached right back. "I-I heard something had happened," he said, a streak of grease across one cheekbone and a wild look in his eyes. He was dead white and shaking like a leaf, but the hand that cupped my cheek was as gentle as always. "Lily and James, are they-"
"Dead," Hagrid said thickly, swallowing. "young Hyacinth is all that's left."
"No... no they can't-" Sirius broke off, blinking rapidly. "give her to me, Hagrid. I'm her godfather, I'll look after her."
Yes! yes give me to him, please. I reach out and grab Sirius' hand with mine, hoping against hope that he would. I may not have been able to save my parents, but if I could spare my godfather from Azkaban, then I would take any penalty.
"No," Hagrid says, shaking his head. "Hyacinth's got to go to her aunt and uncle, orders from Dumbledore."
Sirius is my uncle! I want to scream, more than the Dursleys could ever be! I reach out to him as he draws back. "Pafoot!" I cry, tears streaking down my fat cheeks. "Pafoot, pwease!"
"Sh-sh-sh," he soothes me shakily, dipping back in to press a kiss to my forehead. "It'll be alright, little fawn. I'll visit you soon, Bambi, okay?" No. Not okay, not for at least thirteen years if he leaves me here. But I'm only just over a year old at this point, still relearning how to walk and talk, and there's nothing I can do to stop him from giving Hagrid his motorbike and fading into the distance.
...
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I know is the shattering of glass and an ear-piercing shriek. I'm a little disappointed I didn't wake up in time to see Professor McGonagall and get a good look at Dumbledore, but beggars can't be choosers. And for the next ten years, a beggar is exactly what I'll be.