Everyone began shouting in confusion all at once. Harry was yelling indignantly that it was a trick. Who was I and how did they know that I was, in fact, who I said I was. Hermione and Ron faught back, telling him Dumbledore had come to Hermione personally, but that wasn't enough for him. They continued to yell, ignoring my interruptions. I grew tired of standing by and watching so I raised my hand, igniting the fire fiercly. The sound shocked them into attention, all three of them turned to me sharply.
"What was that?" Hermione asked.
"That was me," I replied slowly, "I want you to apparate home and get the dark creatures book," I looked at the floor, "then I'll tell you everything."
Hermione left and was back within two minutes, a large book held in her arms. I took it from her and searched through it for the section I knew was there. I soon found the pictures I was expecting, one of a woman with fire in her hands and one of another woman engulfed in flames. The heading simply read Fire Demons, but the text proclaimed the common name of Fieries. I handed the book to Ron, who was sitting between Hermione and Harry on the sofa.
"This is what I am." I began to pace as they read. Hermione looked up after a few minutes.
"This says 'Fieries are heartless and evil', that's not you."
"I am still part human." I replied quietly. Hermione continued reading, but by then Harry had finished and was looking at me suspiciously.
"What has this got to do with Voldemort, with my scar?" Harry asked, Hermione ignored the question and spoke over him.
"This is why you're so nervous about apparating," she looked down and began to read, "'Fieries apparate in flames', you think you would?" She looked back up at me.
"My father says there is a fifty-fifty chance that I'll apparate with fire. The Fieries were thought to be wiped out, so if I sit my test and if I do there'll be a lot of questions to be answered."
"Wow, you can read the desires of others?" Ron exclaimed, coming to the end of the section on Fire Demons.
"Yes, I can with men but I havn't ever tried a woman."
"Can you do it on me?" He asked standing up.
"I suppose." I quickly glanced at Harry, he did not look happy.
"I want my questions answered." He was almost yelling.
"In a minute mate," Ron glanced back at him, "she's not Voldemort, we've known her for almost a year. She can barely do any magic." Harry seemed mildly satisfied but began to tap his foot inpatiently. I positioned Ron directly in front of me, I needed to look directly into his eyes so he had to slouch down slightly so we were level. When I looked into his eyes mine became flame.
"Wow," he breathed, "your eyes." Hermione stood to see better and gasped. Harry did not move. I looked away and my eyes turned back to their normal bright blue.
"Well?" Ron asked. I turned to Hermione and laughed.
"I think you might want to dig out that old Hogwarts uniform." Ron blushed a deep red and Hermione stiffled a giggle.
"Okay," Hermione finally said, "tell us your story." I sighed deeply and began.
"When I was seven my mother took me away from Hogwarts, and we moved to Guildford." I began to pace nervously and my thoughts began to drift away as I told them my story.
~
I never knew then why we left Hogwarts, but I can guess now. I do remember why we left Guildford, I had become too attached. Just before I turned 15 my life was uprooted again, and what was worse was that this time I couldn't tell my father where I was going. He had been sending me mail secretly in Guildford, using Heather's toucan, but when we left there I had no way of contacting anyone. I became trapped wherever my mother decided to take me. I remember travelling around for a few months, I was never sure where we were. I think maybe she knew my father would try to follow where she had gone, and was trying to confuse any trail she could have left.
We arrived at Riddle Manor the week after my 15th birthday, the year I should have been in my fifth year at Hogwarts. A lot of what happened in the few days immediately after our arrival is confused in my memory, I think I spend most of that time in a spell induced sleep.
"Mother." I screamed at the locked door. I didn't know where I was, but I was feeling a sensation I had never felt before. I was cold.
"Stop your whining child." I heard someone yell from the other side of the door, then I heard shuffling and the door began to open. I backed away from whatever was coming through, I saw a black cloak and the glitter of red eyes from beneath.
"Ah, you're awake again." It said.
"Where am I?" Fear and anger were fighting for control of my actions.
"You're in my home," a hand snaked out from beneath the robes, pale and thin, and touched the side of my face.
"Who are you?"
"You ask too many questions." I could now tell that it was a man.
"Who are you?" I asked again in defiance.
"I am Lord Voldemort, you have been brought to join my ranks." He reached to take off the hood that was covering his face, and I was not afraid. His face too was pale and thin, and his red eyes gave way to brown.
"What if I don't want to be in your ranks?" He chuckled, and it sounded like it had never been a happy sound.
"You will." He replied simply, and inside I knew he was right. Something my father had told me once about what I was, that I was attracted to power. And he was definitely powerful.
"No," I lied, "never." He looked at me and I saw that flicker of red in his eyes.
"Your father was a powerful wizard, was he not?"
"My father is Albus Dumbledore." I said loudly. His eyes clouded for a few seconds, then the edges of his lips began to curl. He left abruptly, saying nothing.
On the third day following this visit he came again to my room as I lay asleep, this time my mother was with him. I awoke as they came in, but kept my eyes closed and my breathing even.
"She will do well for your purpose my Lord." My mother said, her voice sounding muffled.
"Yes she will," he replied, "does her father know of your whereabouts?"
"Oh no."
"Good. Now go down and tell the others that I will be down soon." I heard the door close as she left. I could feel his shadow over me.
"Get up girl, you are awake." I stood up from the chair I had been asleep in, my body ached.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, not knowing whether I really wanted to hear the answer.
"What I want," he said gleefully while cupping my face in his cold hands, "is you." He leaned down to kiss me. His hands held my head stationary and his lips met mine.
~
Pop. Fred and George apparated together, disrupting my thoughts and explanation. Ginny soon followed and everyone stood around silently staring at each other.
"Did we interrupt something?" Fred asked.
"No. We can continue this tomorrow," Hermione looked around at the other two and finally at me, "can't we?"
"Sure." Harry spoke up, and threw me a weak smile.
"Good, because we're starving." Ginny exclaimed as she strode past us into the kitchen where her mother could be heard crashing dishes.
Dinner was strangely quiet, I was seated between George and Harry. I sat nervously between them, occationally pushing my food from one side of the plate to the other.
"So what was it like growing up at Hogwarts?" Ron asked from opposite me, Hermione threw him a reproachful look. I didn't mind though, those were happy memories.
"I loved it, even though everyone around me was pretty busy all the time."
"So what did you do?" Fred asked.
"Anything I wanted. My mother was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time, so I was left to play around."
"You were allowed to just roam the castle?" George asked in surprise.
"No, I was only allowed in a few places. Most days I spend in a special room on the seventh floor, I could make it whatever I wanted."
"You mean the Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, putting down her knife and fork.
"Is that what it was called? I never asked." Harry snorted beside me, got up and walked out of the room. Hermione looked from me to the doorway nervously.
"Maybe you should go and talk to him Alli." Ron said.
"I suppose I should."
I found him out on the front porch, looking up at the sky.
"It'll never be over will it?" He asked looking at me.
"I don't think so."
"Are you afraid?" He seemed to be friendly but far away all at once.
"All the time." I replied, truthfully.
"What did he want from you?" I walked down the stairs as I began, he followed and we walked the Weasley property while I told him the rest of my story.
~
It was three months before I got another visit from Lord Voldemort. He seemed to be busy with something, occationally I would be woken by shouts or screams from below me in the house.
"Comfortable?" He asked, I watched him from beneath the overgrown ends of my hair. He seemed to glow red, as my hair was like fire.
"I want to go home." This time there was no fear, only anger.
"You are home." I was cold, but I could feel an angry heat growing. I waited.
"This is not my home, this is Hell." A flame ignited in my hand silently, and I threw it. He raised his wand and it disintegrated, steam rose from where it had almost reached him.
"I was wondering if you had it in you." He was pleased.
"What do you want from me." I screamed, frustration and anger made me weak and confused.
"I want what you can give me." He stood infront of me as I knelt on the floor, I felt as though I was grovelling for a King's attention.
"I wont give you anything." He reached down and dragged me upwards till I was eye-level.
"Yes you will." He threw me against the wall and walked back out of the room. I don't know how long I stayed where he had thrown me, my strength for anything was waning. I spent most of the next year asleep in that room.
I couldn't see the outside world from where I was kept, I counted the days only by the meals they gave me. He did not visit me again untill my 16th birthday, I did not get up when he asked.
"Get up." He said loudly. I moved slightly and my arm fell limply over the side of the chair.
"Get up." He said again, louder and more forceful. I did not move.
"I can teach you." He sounded right next to my chair, whispering in my ear. I turned to face him.
"Teach me what?" He stood up and held out his arm.
"Take my hand."
"Teach me what?" I repeated.
"You'll find out, now take my hand." I stood from where I had been sitting since they took away my untouched breakfast, my legs protested loudly. I took the arm he offered and he led me out of the room.
He took me to a room with a large unlit fireplace, three guards and my mother were standing in a corner. My mother did not look at me as Voldemort lead me towards the fireplace.
"I want you to light it." He said to me.
"You light it, you've got a wand." He pulled hard on the arm he was holding.
"Out." He yelled to the others in the room, they filed out slowly. He looked down at me once the door was shut and locked.
"From now on you will do as you are told." He let go of my arm and I fell to the ground.
"I don't think so." I was still defiant.
"Crucio." He shouted, pointing his wand at me. I doubled up in pain, It was like something had exploded inside me. He crouched down on the floor and leaned so his face was inches from mine, which was now covered in sweat.
"Are you ready to obey?" He asked.
"Yes." I replied weakly.
"Then get up," I did as was asked. My body protested even more and I had trouble breathing steadily, "light it." He pointed into the fireplace.
"I'll try." I tried, I held my cupped hands and concentrated. Nothing happened.
"You can't?"
"I can't." He stood in front of me again.
"You didn't try hard enough." There was a cautious knock on the door and he turned to it expectantly.
"Yes?" The door opened and a small man shuffled in, my mother still did not look at me.
"My Lord, Lucius Malfoy has arrived."
"Good. Tell him to come." The man shuffled back out of the room, closing the door as he went. Voldemort towered over me and his brown eyes, now tinged scarlet, looked deep into my own blue ones. I felt drawn into him and the pull of his power. My eyes burned and I saw him through a wall of flame.
"Good girl." He took my arm and wound it through his own. I stood transfixed, and tried to regain control of my senses.
Lucius Malfoy entered carrying a small black bag and a cane with a silver serpent head on the end.
"Do you have the potion?" Voldemort asked.
"Yes my Lord," he handed Voldemort the black bag and Voldemort looked inside smiling, "Is this her?"
"Yes it is." Voldemort held out my hand and Lucius kissed it, his lips felt cold against my skin and I recoiled.
"It will not work if she is not willing, my Lord."
"She will be."
I was soon to find out what was meant by this exchange, when Voldemort tried to make me willingly drink the potion. A man with greasy black hair and flowing black robes brought it in to me on the first day. He told me he didn't know what the potion was for but he did know why Voldemort wanted me kept here.
"He wants an heir." He spoke low, as if someone may be listening at the door. I looked at him sadly and slowly began to cry. To my surprise, he hugged me to him and began to whisper in my ear.
"I will do my best to discover the purpose of this potion." My breath hitched.
"What? Who are you?"
"My name is Severus Snape."
"What was that?" Hermione asked.
"That was me," I replied slowly, "I want you to apparate home and get the dark creatures book," I looked at the floor, "then I'll tell you everything."
Hermione left and was back within two minutes, a large book held in her arms. I took it from her and searched through it for the section I knew was there. I soon found the pictures I was expecting, one of a woman with fire in her hands and one of another woman engulfed in flames. The heading simply read Fire Demons, but the text proclaimed the common name of Fieries. I handed the book to Ron, who was sitting between Hermione and Harry on the sofa.
"This is what I am." I began to pace as they read. Hermione looked up after a few minutes.
"This says 'Fieries are heartless and evil', that's not you."
"I am still part human." I replied quietly. Hermione continued reading, but by then Harry had finished and was looking at me suspiciously.
"What has this got to do with Voldemort, with my scar?" Harry asked, Hermione ignored the question and spoke over him.
"This is why you're so nervous about apparating," she looked down and began to read, "'Fieries apparate in flames', you think you would?" She looked back up at me.
"My father says there is a fifty-fifty chance that I'll apparate with fire. The Fieries were thought to be wiped out, so if I sit my test and if I do there'll be a lot of questions to be answered."
"Wow, you can read the desires of others?" Ron exclaimed, coming to the end of the section on Fire Demons.
"Yes, I can with men but I havn't ever tried a woman."
"Can you do it on me?" He asked standing up.
"I suppose." I quickly glanced at Harry, he did not look happy.
"I want my questions answered." He was almost yelling.
"In a minute mate," Ron glanced back at him, "she's not Voldemort, we've known her for almost a year. She can barely do any magic." Harry seemed mildly satisfied but began to tap his foot inpatiently. I positioned Ron directly in front of me, I needed to look directly into his eyes so he had to slouch down slightly so we were level. When I looked into his eyes mine became flame.
"Wow," he breathed, "your eyes." Hermione stood to see better and gasped. Harry did not move. I looked away and my eyes turned back to their normal bright blue.
"Well?" Ron asked. I turned to Hermione and laughed.
"I think you might want to dig out that old Hogwarts uniform." Ron blushed a deep red and Hermione stiffled a giggle.
"Okay," Hermione finally said, "tell us your story." I sighed deeply and began.
"When I was seven my mother took me away from Hogwarts, and we moved to Guildford." I began to pace nervously and my thoughts began to drift away as I told them my story.
~
I never knew then why we left Hogwarts, but I can guess now. I do remember why we left Guildford, I had become too attached. Just before I turned 15 my life was uprooted again, and what was worse was that this time I couldn't tell my father where I was going. He had been sending me mail secretly in Guildford, using Heather's toucan, but when we left there I had no way of contacting anyone. I became trapped wherever my mother decided to take me. I remember travelling around for a few months, I was never sure where we were. I think maybe she knew my father would try to follow where she had gone, and was trying to confuse any trail she could have left.
We arrived at Riddle Manor the week after my 15th birthday, the year I should have been in my fifth year at Hogwarts. A lot of what happened in the few days immediately after our arrival is confused in my memory, I think I spend most of that time in a spell induced sleep.
"Mother." I screamed at the locked door. I didn't know where I was, but I was feeling a sensation I had never felt before. I was cold.
"Stop your whining child." I heard someone yell from the other side of the door, then I heard shuffling and the door began to open. I backed away from whatever was coming through, I saw a black cloak and the glitter of red eyes from beneath.
"Ah, you're awake again." It said.
"Where am I?" Fear and anger were fighting for control of my actions.
"You're in my home," a hand snaked out from beneath the robes, pale and thin, and touched the side of my face.
"Who are you?"
"You ask too many questions." I could now tell that it was a man.
"Who are you?" I asked again in defiance.
"I am Lord Voldemort, you have been brought to join my ranks." He reached to take off the hood that was covering his face, and I was not afraid. His face too was pale and thin, and his red eyes gave way to brown.
"What if I don't want to be in your ranks?" He chuckled, and it sounded like it had never been a happy sound.
"You will." He replied simply, and inside I knew he was right. Something my father had told me once about what I was, that I was attracted to power. And he was definitely powerful.
"No," I lied, "never." He looked at me and I saw that flicker of red in his eyes.
"Your father was a powerful wizard, was he not?"
"My father is Albus Dumbledore." I said loudly. His eyes clouded for a few seconds, then the edges of his lips began to curl. He left abruptly, saying nothing.
On the third day following this visit he came again to my room as I lay asleep, this time my mother was with him. I awoke as they came in, but kept my eyes closed and my breathing even.
"She will do well for your purpose my Lord." My mother said, her voice sounding muffled.
"Yes she will," he replied, "does her father know of your whereabouts?"
"Oh no."
"Good. Now go down and tell the others that I will be down soon." I heard the door close as she left. I could feel his shadow over me.
"Get up girl, you are awake." I stood up from the chair I had been asleep in, my body ached.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, not knowing whether I really wanted to hear the answer.
"What I want," he said gleefully while cupping my face in his cold hands, "is you." He leaned down to kiss me. His hands held my head stationary and his lips met mine.
~
Pop. Fred and George apparated together, disrupting my thoughts and explanation. Ginny soon followed and everyone stood around silently staring at each other.
"Did we interrupt something?" Fred asked.
"No. We can continue this tomorrow," Hermione looked around at the other two and finally at me, "can't we?"
"Sure." Harry spoke up, and threw me a weak smile.
"Good, because we're starving." Ginny exclaimed as she strode past us into the kitchen where her mother could be heard crashing dishes.
Dinner was strangely quiet, I was seated between George and Harry. I sat nervously between them, occationally pushing my food from one side of the plate to the other.
"So what was it like growing up at Hogwarts?" Ron asked from opposite me, Hermione threw him a reproachful look. I didn't mind though, those were happy memories.
"I loved it, even though everyone around me was pretty busy all the time."
"So what did you do?" Fred asked.
"Anything I wanted. My mother was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time, so I was left to play around."
"You were allowed to just roam the castle?" George asked in surprise.
"No, I was only allowed in a few places. Most days I spend in a special room on the seventh floor, I could make it whatever I wanted."
"You mean the Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, putting down her knife and fork.
"Is that what it was called? I never asked." Harry snorted beside me, got up and walked out of the room. Hermione looked from me to the doorway nervously.
"Maybe you should go and talk to him Alli." Ron said.
"I suppose I should."
I found him out on the front porch, looking up at the sky.
"It'll never be over will it?" He asked looking at me.
"I don't think so."
"Are you afraid?" He seemed to be friendly but far away all at once.
"All the time." I replied, truthfully.
"What did he want from you?" I walked down the stairs as I began, he followed and we walked the Weasley property while I told him the rest of my story.
~
It was three months before I got another visit from Lord Voldemort. He seemed to be busy with something, occationally I would be woken by shouts or screams from below me in the house.
"Comfortable?" He asked, I watched him from beneath the overgrown ends of my hair. He seemed to glow red, as my hair was like fire.
"I want to go home." This time there was no fear, only anger.
"You are home." I was cold, but I could feel an angry heat growing. I waited.
"This is not my home, this is Hell." A flame ignited in my hand silently, and I threw it. He raised his wand and it disintegrated, steam rose from where it had almost reached him.
"I was wondering if you had it in you." He was pleased.
"What do you want from me." I screamed, frustration and anger made me weak and confused.
"I want what you can give me." He stood infront of me as I knelt on the floor, I felt as though I was grovelling for a King's attention.
"I wont give you anything." He reached down and dragged me upwards till I was eye-level.
"Yes you will." He threw me against the wall and walked back out of the room. I don't know how long I stayed where he had thrown me, my strength for anything was waning. I spent most of the next year asleep in that room.
I couldn't see the outside world from where I was kept, I counted the days only by the meals they gave me. He did not visit me again untill my 16th birthday, I did not get up when he asked.
"Get up." He said loudly. I moved slightly and my arm fell limply over the side of the chair.
"Get up." He said again, louder and more forceful. I did not move.
"I can teach you." He sounded right next to my chair, whispering in my ear. I turned to face him.
"Teach me what?" He stood up and held out his arm.
"Take my hand."
"Teach me what?" I repeated.
"You'll find out, now take my hand." I stood from where I had been sitting since they took away my untouched breakfast, my legs protested loudly. I took the arm he offered and he led me out of the room.
He took me to a room with a large unlit fireplace, three guards and my mother were standing in a corner. My mother did not look at me as Voldemort lead me towards the fireplace.
"I want you to light it." He said to me.
"You light it, you've got a wand." He pulled hard on the arm he was holding.
"Out." He yelled to the others in the room, they filed out slowly. He looked down at me once the door was shut and locked.
"From now on you will do as you are told." He let go of my arm and I fell to the ground.
"I don't think so." I was still defiant.
"Crucio." He shouted, pointing his wand at me. I doubled up in pain, It was like something had exploded inside me. He crouched down on the floor and leaned so his face was inches from mine, which was now covered in sweat.
"Are you ready to obey?" He asked.
"Yes." I replied weakly.
"Then get up," I did as was asked. My body protested even more and I had trouble breathing steadily, "light it." He pointed into the fireplace.
"I'll try." I tried, I held my cupped hands and concentrated. Nothing happened.
"You can't?"
"I can't." He stood in front of me again.
"You didn't try hard enough." There was a cautious knock on the door and he turned to it expectantly.
"Yes?" The door opened and a small man shuffled in, my mother still did not look at me.
"My Lord, Lucius Malfoy has arrived."
"Good. Tell him to come." The man shuffled back out of the room, closing the door as he went. Voldemort towered over me and his brown eyes, now tinged scarlet, looked deep into my own blue ones. I felt drawn into him and the pull of his power. My eyes burned and I saw him through a wall of flame.
"Good girl." He took my arm and wound it through his own. I stood transfixed, and tried to regain control of my senses.
Lucius Malfoy entered carrying a small black bag and a cane with a silver serpent head on the end.
"Do you have the potion?" Voldemort asked.
"Yes my Lord," he handed Voldemort the black bag and Voldemort looked inside smiling, "Is this her?"
"Yes it is." Voldemort held out my hand and Lucius kissed it, his lips felt cold against my skin and I recoiled.
"It will not work if she is not willing, my Lord."
"She will be."
I was soon to find out what was meant by this exchange, when Voldemort tried to make me willingly drink the potion. A man with greasy black hair and flowing black robes brought it in to me on the first day. He told me he didn't know what the potion was for but he did know why Voldemort wanted me kept here.
"He wants an heir." He spoke low, as if someone may be listening at the door. I looked at him sadly and slowly began to cry. To my surprise, he hugged me to him and began to whisper in my ear.
"I will do my best to discover the purpose of this potion." My breath hitched.
"What? Who are you?"
"My name is Severus Snape."