Thank you for all who reviewed. It really inspired me to go on. Thanks : )
With the story, I think I'm going to join the two stories together starting
from now. It's too much work to update two stories at the same time.
Chapter 2: A Dark Past
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. Both of them shrugged. The Sorting Hat just finished sorting the first year students but Vega, or Arista as Harry and his friends knew her to be, was not there to be sorted yet.
"And now," Professor Dumbledore said, beginning his speech, "we have one more student to be sorted before we may sink our teeth to some delicious food that you are, no doubt, have been waiting patiently for."
"Why isn't this student sorted along with the others first year?" A student remarked.
Dumbledore looked at the new first year student and smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Ah, but she is not in the first year. She will be starting her study from the fifth year."
Gasp and murmurs filled the hall. Hogwarts has never take any latecomers. Harry's mouth opened in disbelief. He looked at both Ron and Hermione. Both of them were as shocked as he was.
Dumbledore raised his hands to stop the murmurs and said, "It is not after the fashion of Hogwarts to do so, but under some circumstances, we have decided to take the girl. Andromeda, Arista."
A girl steeped inside. Her snow-white skin contrasted with her jet-black hair and eyes. The black robe also made her skin stood out. She looked around nervously as she walked towards the Sorting Hat and saw Harry, Hermione and Ron. They smiled at her encouragingly and she smiled back. Colour returned to her cheek. She reached the stool in which the Sorting Hat was placed, sat down, and put on the hat.
Harry looked at the small girl. She looked smaller than any fifth year student he knew but she does look older than any first year students. "Why didn't I notice this before?" He asked himself.
"What house do you think she'll be in?" Ron asked him softly. The hat has not chosen any house for her yet.
"Griffindor. After the way she stood up to Malfoy, I think she will be in Griffindor. What do you two think?"
"We think so too. I thought she would have finished Malfoy in that train. Pity that she didn't though. She could've gave us a break from him for a while." Harry started to snigger with Ron when the Hat opened its mouth.
"Slytherin!"
"What?" Harry, Ron and Hermione stared in disbelief. The Slytherin table cheered and clapped but the girl didn't look very pleased. She went there nervously. Harry looked at Draco. He had a smile in his face. A triumphant smile...and a deadly look in his face.
"Look." Harry pointed at Draco. "I think he's going to make her pay for putting her sword under his neck."
"I think so too, Harry." Ron replied.
"How could she be chosen to Slytherin though?" Hermione asked, "She doesn't fit to be in that table."
Harry heard what Hermione said and his mind wandered back. Five years ago, he was also nearly chosen to be Slytherin but he had refused and became Griffindor. //Why didn't she refused? Could it be that she didn't know? I was chosen there because I have a trace of Voldemort's power but she doesn't. Why was she chosen then?"
"Look Harry." Hermione pointed at the teachers' desk. Dumbledore was talking to all the staff and they looked at him nervously. Dumbledore was calmed though; a smile was on his face and those eyes still twinkling merrily as though nothing unexpected has happened.
He stood up and clapped his hand twice. With that, food appeared in the empty plate in front of Harry and his friend. Realising how hungry Harry was, he ate and forgotten about everything that happened as he dragged his feet to his dormitory with Ron and went to bed.
*****
"Why did you do that for, Malfoy?" Vega was sitting in Slytherin common room with Draco. Nobody else was around so they could speak freely.
"Our father had an agreement. I am to help you in anyway I can." He handed her a parchment in which written a note. It was easy to read as the writing were clear and down in the bottom there was a sign of Voldemort.
"So my master had agreed." Vega nodded to herself and looked at Draco. Her icy cold eyes pierced Draco's, making him shivered. She looked at him the way his father always had. "Very well. You may help if you wish." She sighed and started to walk towards the girl dormitory.
"Wait." Draco stood up. Vega stopped although she did not turned around. "Are you really *his* daughter?"
"It is none of your business," she said coldly and started to walk again.
"I need to know who you really are before I can help you."
"Then don't help at all."
"Vega!" Draco shouted desperately as she already reached the door of the girl's dorm. She turned around to his surprise and looked at him coldly.
"Never say my real name. Nobody should know," she hissed, "not even Dumbledore. Do you understand?"
"Then you want me to help you after all." Vega raised her eyebrows.
"Very well, if you must know." She walked back and sat on one of the couch. "Sit down. It will make quite a long story."
Draco sat down opposite her. He looked at her fearfully. She reminded him of his father. Vega looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Do I remind you of your father?" Draco nodded. "All Death- eaters looked like this Draco," Vega spoke using his first name, "And I had been one ever since I was four or five years old."
Draco frowned. Somehow her voice sounded warm and comforting as though the ice inside of her had melted. Melted away by her memories.
"He Who Must Not Be Named raised me when I was around four or five years old and I had been a Death-eater ever since. He taught me of many things and I wasn't raised here, in England though he does, with Quirrel. I moved here when Quirrel tried to bring him back with the Philosopher's stone. But it did not worked and Quirrel was killed, as you must have known. I-" Vega paused for a while, trying to find the right words.
"He raised you?" Draco gasped, "What did he teach you?"
"Many things, Draco. But you are lucky to live with your father. I don't have... Footsteps!" Vega eyes darted to the door as it opened and Snape entered the room. He looked straight at Vega who stared back fearfully.
"Go to bed, Mr Malfoy. I need to talk to Miss Andromeda. Alone!" Draco looked at Vega's fearful face and, remembering that no one was supposed to know that he was helping her, sneered. With that, he walked away to his dormitory.
"What are you doing this late at night?" Snape walked closer, his wand pointed at her.
"Not...nothing sir," she stammered. She stood and started to back away. Her gaze was fixated at the wand while whishing that her sword was in her hand.
"Don't lie to me. I know who you are Death-eater!"
"Enough Severus!" Dumbledore was standing at the door. Snape stopped and put his wand down. Vega saw her chance and ran to the girl dorm and cried.
"If anyone's a Death-eater, it would be you." She sobbed and slammed the dormitory's door.
"Head Mater, I was going t-"
"No. Don't do it that way," Dumbledore interrupted, "Not yet, Severus. Be patient."
*****
"Crucio!"
Pain soared through her body and she jerked uncontrollably on the floor. Her eyes were unfocussed and diluted but no matter how painful she was, not a single sound escaped her lip.
"Mother!" The wizard looked at the five years old girl. Tears flowed down hard from her eyes.
"Join us. Become a Death-eater and join us."
The girl looked at her mother on the floor. Determination was on her face. "Never," she screamed. She knew that her mother would not want her to become one.
"Stubborn girl. Like mother, like daughter. Very well." The wizard lowered his wand and the pain subsided. The girl ran towards her mother and hugged her. "Get away from her!" The wizard ordered, looming over the girl and her mother on the floor. The girl looked up at him with pure hatred on her dark eyes and did not moved. Her hand held onto her mother tighter.
"Expelliarmus!" The girl was thrown away. She looked at her mother in horror as the wizard pointed his wand and turned the only person she loved into a bird.
Vega woke in horror. The last image of her mother ran over and over in her mind. A dull pain was on her heart. The nightmare had haunted her for the past ten years and yet it still woke her up every night. She blinked her eyes, trying to see her surroundings. Realising that she was in Hogwarts, she sighed and walked away from her bed towards a window. She looked out. Night still surrounded Hogwarts and she looked up to the stars, shinning in the cloudless night.
"Where are you dad? Why did you leave us?"
Chapter 2: A Dark Past
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione. Both of them shrugged. The Sorting Hat just finished sorting the first year students but Vega, or Arista as Harry and his friends knew her to be, was not there to be sorted yet.
"And now," Professor Dumbledore said, beginning his speech, "we have one more student to be sorted before we may sink our teeth to some delicious food that you are, no doubt, have been waiting patiently for."
"Why isn't this student sorted along with the others first year?" A student remarked.
Dumbledore looked at the new first year student and smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Ah, but she is not in the first year. She will be starting her study from the fifth year."
Gasp and murmurs filled the hall. Hogwarts has never take any latecomers. Harry's mouth opened in disbelief. He looked at both Ron and Hermione. Both of them were as shocked as he was.
Dumbledore raised his hands to stop the murmurs and said, "It is not after the fashion of Hogwarts to do so, but under some circumstances, we have decided to take the girl. Andromeda, Arista."
A girl steeped inside. Her snow-white skin contrasted with her jet-black hair and eyes. The black robe also made her skin stood out. She looked around nervously as she walked towards the Sorting Hat and saw Harry, Hermione and Ron. They smiled at her encouragingly and she smiled back. Colour returned to her cheek. She reached the stool in which the Sorting Hat was placed, sat down, and put on the hat.
Harry looked at the small girl. She looked smaller than any fifth year student he knew but she does look older than any first year students. "Why didn't I notice this before?" He asked himself.
"What house do you think she'll be in?" Ron asked him softly. The hat has not chosen any house for her yet.
"Griffindor. After the way she stood up to Malfoy, I think she will be in Griffindor. What do you two think?"
"We think so too. I thought she would have finished Malfoy in that train. Pity that she didn't though. She could've gave us a break from him for a while." Harry started to snigger with Ron when the Hat opened its mouth.
"Slytherin!"
"What?" Harry, Ron and Hermione stared in disbelief. The Slytherin table cheered and clapped but the girl didn't look very pleased. She went there nervously. Harry looked at Draco. He had a smile in his face. A triumphant smile...and a deadly look in his face.
"Look." Harry pointed at Draco. "I think he's going to make her pay for putting her sword under his neck."
"I think so too, Harry." Ron replied.
"How could she be chosen to Slytherin though?" Hermione asked, "She doesn't fit to be in that table."
Harry heard what Hermione said and his mind wandered back. Five years ago, he was also nearly chosen to be Slytherin but he had refused and became Griffindor. //Why didn't she refused? Could it be that she didn't know? I was chosen there because I have a trace of Voldemort's power but she doesn't. Why was she chosen then?"
"Look Harry." Hermione pointed at the teachers' desk. Dumbledore was talking to all the staff and they looked at him nervously. Dumbledore was calmed though; a smile was on his face and those eyes still twinkling merrily as though nothing unexpected has happened.
He stood up and clapped his hand twice. With that, food appeared in the empty plate in front of Harry and his friend. Realising how hungry Harry was, he ate and forgotten about everything that happened as he dragged his feet to his dormitory with Ron and went to bed.
*****
"Why did you do that for, Malfoy?" Vega was sitting in Slytherin common room with Draco. Nobody else was around so they could speak freely.
"Our father had an agreement. I am to help you in anyway I can." He handed her a parchment in which written a note. It was easy to read as the writing were clear and down in the bottom there was a sign of Voldemort.
"So my master had agreed." Vega nodded to herself and looked at Draco. Her icy cold eyes pierced Draco's, making him shivered. She looked at him the way his father always had. "Very well. You may help if you wish." She sighed and started to walk towards the girl dormitory.
"Wait." Draco stood up. Vega stopped although she did not turned around. "Are you really *his* daughter?"
"It is none of your business," she said coldly and started to walk again.
"I need to know who you really are before I can help you."
"Then don't help at all."
"Vega!" Draco shouted desperately as she already reached the door of the girl's dorm. She turned around to his surprise and looked at him coldly.
"Never say my real name. Nobody should know," she hissed, "not even Dumbledore. Do you understand?"
"Then you want me to help you after all." Vega raised her eyebrows.
"Very well, if you must know." She walked back and sat on one of the couch. "Sit down. It will make quite a long story."
Draco sat down opposite her. He looked at her fearfully. She reminded him of his father. Vega looked at him and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Do I remind you of your father?" Draco nodded. "All Death- eaters looked like this Draco," Vega spoke using his first name, "And I had been one ever since I was four or five years old."
Draco frowned. Somehow her voice sounded warm and comforting as though the ice inside of her had melted. Melted away by her memories.
"He Who Must Not Be Named raised me when I was around four or five years old and I had been a Death-eater ever since. He taught me of many things and I wasn't raised here, in England though he does, with Quirrel. I moved here when Quirrel tried to bring him back with the Philosopher's stone. But it did not worked and Quirrel was killed, as you must have known. I-" Vega paused for a while, trying to find the right words.
"He raised you?" Draco gasped, "What did he teach you?"
"Many things, Draco. But you are lucky to live with your father. I don't have... Footsteps!" Vega eyes darted to the door as it opened and Snape entered the room. He looked straight at Vega who stared back fearfully.
"Go to bed, Mr Malfoy. I need to talk to Miss Andromeda. Alone!" Draco looked at Vega's fearful face and, remembering that no one was supposed to know that he was helping her, sneered. With that, he walked away to his dormitory.
"What are you doing this late at night?" Snape walked closer, his wand pointed at her.
"Not...nothing sir," she stammered. She stood and started to back away. Her gaze was fixated at the wand while whishing that her sword was in her hand.
"Don't lie to me. I know who you are Death-eater!"
"Enough Severus!" Dumbledore was standing at the door. Snape stopped and put his wand down. Vega saw her chance and ran to the girl dorm and cried.
"If anyone's a Death-eater, it would be you." She sobbed and slammed the dormitory's door.
"Head Mater, I was going t-"
"No. Don't do it that way," Dumbledore interrupted, "Not yet, Severus. Be patient."
*****
"Crucio!"
Pain soared through her body and she jerked uncontrollably on the floor. Her eyes were unfocussed and diluted but no matter how painful she was, not a single sound escaped her lip.
"Mother!" The wizard looked at the five years old girl. Tears flowed down hard from her eyes.
"Join us. Become a Death-eater and join us."
The girl looked at her mother on the floor. Determination was on her face. "Never," she screamed. She knew that her mother would not want her to become one.
"Stubborn girl. Like mother, like daughter. Very well." The wizard lowered his wand and the pain subsided. The girl ran towards her mother and hugged her. "Get away from her!" The wizard ordered, looming over the girl and her mother on the floor. The girl looked up at him with pure hatred on her dark eyes and did not moved. Her hand held onto her mother tighter.
"Expelliarmus!" The girl was thrown away. She looked at her mother in horror as the wizard pointed his wand and turned the only person she loved into a bird.
Vega woke in horror. The last image of her mother ran over and over in her mind. A dull pain was on her heart. The nightmare had haunted her for the past ten years and yet it still woke her up every night. She blinked her eyes, trying to see her surroundings. Realising that she was in Hogwarts, she sighed and walked away from her bed towards a window. She looked out. Night still surrounded Hogwarts and she looked up to the stars, shinning in the cloudless night.
"Where are you dad? Why did you leave us?"
