These characters aren't mine, sadly, and I make no profit from Harry Potter. I cry out to the stars, "If only, if only."

Chapter 14: To Know My Secrets

Deena had found the kitchen. It took her long enough. But Sue wasn't there. The house elves said that Sue was looking for her. So Deena walked along, taking random corridors and trying to put together the puzzle in her mind.

Why did I dream that? I wasn't there. I couldn't've been. And why was it so important for me to come here? Why doesn't Dumbledore just tell me?

"BONZAI" Sue yelled, jumping off a gargoyle and tackling Deena to the ground.

"Sue!" Deena cried ecstatically, hugging her on impulse.

"Aaaggghhh!" Sue yelled, squirming to get away. "Who're you and what've you done with Deena?"

"I need you to get me into Gryffindor," Deena begged.

"You'll get in trouble."

"I don't care."

"Alrighty, then. Let's go."

Oh, to know my secrets! He has to be able to help me. He just has to. They reached Gryffindor Tower quickly and Sue wasted no time in opening the portrait. Deena could see Harry and other Gryffindors sitting in the common room.

"HEY HARRY! DEENA WANTS TO SEE YOU!" Sue yelled. Deena and Harry both turned beet red with embarrassment at the Gryffinors' stares. How did Sue know I wanted to talk to Harry? He came outside and the portrait swung shut behind him.

"I need to talk to you," they said simultaneously as Sue perched herself atop a gargoyle.

"You first," Deena said.

"How did you know what my house looked like?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"That sketch you gave me. It's my house. Before Voldemort tried to kill me."

"Harry, I don't know what you're talking about. It's just a drawing. It's got a creepy feel, but other than that"-

"It is my house. It's an exact replica, down to the very last detail," Harry argued.

"Look, I don't' want to fight about this. I need to talk to you about these two nightmares I had. In one, someone attacked you and I was trying to save you. And in the other, I saw the night your parents were killed. But I couldn't have been there. It makes no sense."

"Why don't we ask Dumbledore?"

"He never answers my questions," Deena complained.

"He always answers mine. Don't worry. We'll get this figured out. Come on," Harry said, taking her hand. He led her to Dumbledore's office, Sue following for lack of anything better to do. They knocked on the door and were bid to come in. Harry and Deena took a seat, but Sue decided to perch on top of a bookcase.

"What a pleasant surprise," Dumbledore greeted them. "What brings the two...three of you to my office this early in the morning?"

"How do I know what Harry's house looked like? Why did I dream that I was there the night his parents were killed? Why was it so important for me to come here?" Deena asked.

"Now is not the time"- Dumbledore began with a sigh.

"Now is the perfect time!" Deena replied. "I can't go on not knowing. I don't care."

"Please Dumbledore," Harry added. "It means a lot to the both of us."

Dumbledore sat down across from them and sighed deeply. Normally, he had a twinkle in his eyes that displayed how young at heart he was, but it disappeared now, showing him to be as old as he looked. "This won't be easy," he murmured. "I suppose it would be best to begin with the Riddles, but only if you two are sure you want to hear all of this. I can't tell you only part of it."

"We're sure," Deena breathed.

"Alright then. We all know that Tom Riddle's father was a Muggle. Mr. Riddle had a son with another wife before Tom's mother. That son was a wizard, Tom's half-brother. His name was Edward Riddle and he attended Durmstrang. He married Shania MacDonald, a Muggle. Tom hated him and avoided Edward at all costs, until he married Shania. Despising his half-brother for marrying a Muggle, Tom, Lord Voldemort by this time, killed his half-brother. Voldemort was unaware that Shania was pregnant, or he might have killed her as well. On July 30th, almost seventeen years ago, Shania went into labor. She gave birth to a girl the same day you were born Harry. In fact, she shared a hospital room with your mother. Unfortunately, Shania had lost too much blood to survive. When the doctors informed her that she wouldn't make it, they also informed Lily that Harry wasn't strong enough to survive. Making a spur-of-the-moment decision, Shania signed her daughter over to Lily. Two nurses were present and signed as witnesses, making the whole procedure legal. They moved Shania's little girl to the same crib as Harry's. Shortly after Shania passed away, Harry made a miraculous recovery to become a perfectly healthy infant. It couldn't be explained, but some of the nurses believed that he drew strength from his adopted sister to survive."

"I'm that little girl," Deena whispered. Dumbledore handed her birth certificate over. Diina Michelle Riddle. "D-i-i-n-a? How do you pronounce that?"

"Just he same as you always have. The MacDonalds changed the two 'i's to 'e's so your name would seem more normal," Dumbledore said.

"But why wasn't she living with us," Harry inquired, "before Voldemort killed my mum and dad? There's no pictures of her. No one's ever mentioned Diina living with us and I don't remember her."

"Well, there were pictures of her, but they mysteriously disappeared the night Voldemort attacked. She did live with you. We never mentioned her to you because it seemed that it was not the right time. You were too young to remember Diina, I suppose. After James and Lily died, Diina was sent to the MacDonalds in America," Dumbledore said.

Diina handed her birth certificate back. Without a word, she got up and left. Harry got up to follow.

"BONZAI" Sue yelled, jumping off the bookcase and tackling Harry. "Diina has to be alone right now."

"No, she needs company," Harry argued.

"You'll push her away," Sue told him. "I know Diina. She has to take care of this herself."

"But she thinks it's her fault my parents got killed," he said, knowing that was what Diina was thinking.

"Yeah, she does. And, if you leave her alone, she'll realize it couldn't've been prevented and forgive herself for that even though it wasn't Diina's fault. So just trust me. Leave Diina alone. She'll let us know when she's ready," Sue said.