Chapter 3 – The Name Game

Somewhere in a forest

Inside the castle

It was like walking into an all new time, things that now-a-days were beyond antique fit nicely into this home. The walls, ceiling and floors were all made by stone. Medieval rugs made the stone more decorative and torches provided light among the corridors. Piglin brought Anonymous up two flights of stone stairs and into an isolated room featuring a bed with mahogany moth-eaten curtains, a stained dresser, closet and a night table.

"Erm, I think the bugs got to my bed before I did." Anonymous gave a disgusted look at the curtains.

Piglin just smirked. "Piglin hopes you find our humble abode welcoming."

"Yeah, yeah, very welcoming."

"Piglin also wishes to inform you that dinner will be served in exactly ten minutes time." He pointed toward an old clock that created a very annoying 'tick-tock'.

"Okay then."

"Piglin also wishes to ask you, on master's request: what is your name?"

Anonymous just stared at the house elf, mouth half-open in shock.

"Piglin wishes –"

"I don't know."

Piglin scratched his head, making some hair fall out. "Piglin wishes to know why you –"

"I said I just don't know … why does it matter?"she asked angrily.

"Piglin was told that if you don't have a name, you need to make one up," the elf informed her, avoiding Anonymous's glare.

Crossing her arms, she grunted, "Hmph."

"Piglin wonders what others called you if you don't have a name."

Anonymous shrugged. "They called me Anonymous."

"Piglin wonders what kind of name Anonymous is."

"Anonymous wonders what kind of name Piglin is."

The two stared at each other, eyes locked angrily in a staring battle.

"Piglin thinks this isn't fair. Piglin has bigger eyes and –"

"Look, elf, leave me be. I need to make up a name, and fast."

"Master told Piglin that Piglin must help."

Anonymous raised an eyebrow. She was very good at doing that.

Piglin collected himself together and sat on the bed where Anonymous was sitting.

Anonymous thought deeply, eyes moving back and forth as if searching for some nice name inside her head. "Have you got some kind of name book?"

Piglin snapped his gnarled fingers and a book appeared right on her lap.

Anonymous sighed as she picked up the book. "You make it look so easy."

The book was baby blue and well-made; it seemed quite new. When opened it had that just-bought smell to it stuck on the pages, each piece of parchment full of baby names and their meanings written in a tiny scrawl of black ink.

Anonymous flipped through the pages casually, skimming through the words and waiting for a name to pop out at her. She asked Piglin indifferently, "So, I take it my last name is 'Malfoy', huh?"

Piglin frowned somewhat and answered, "Piglin thinks so. However, they are not really your parents."

Anonymous was quite surprised as she had figured all along that by "relatives" Voldemort had meant "parents". How else could she have taken it? "What do you mean, they're not my parents?"

Piglin only smirked mysteriously and replied, his chest swelling, "Master will tell you soon. Master informed Piglin that your surname is Malfoy. Master trusts Piglin with many secrets."

"Yeah, and what a secret."

"For now, Piglin has been ordered to help you," he said, uncaring to the previous remark.

"Great, I need all the help I can get. What name do you think I should choose?"

Piglin smiled in an all-knowing manner with a feeble attempt at looking smart. "Piglin thinks you should choose the wonderful name, Piglin."

Anonymous snorted at him and retorted, "You're so full of yourself, aren't you? Now help me, and fast, I've only five minutes left."

Piglin pretended to think for a few seconds while scratching his head.

"Oh, never mind. I know exactly what I'll do, and nobody will stop me."