Well, here's the re-edited chapter two! I left some editor's comments that my fabulous beta reader, themoonmaiden, had left. Woopsies!

Hope

by samisweet

Chapter Two

Life is not a box of chocolates as some like to say. You can just about always expect what is to come since everything is a result of your actions. Life is not as sweet as chocolate either. Rather, it is a bitter, sour, rancid victual that feeds on itself to create chaos. Everyone's life is the same, though some have it a bit better than others. For me, happiness is quite a foreign thing. I do know how it feels, thanks to Narcissa, but I never experienced it often in my life. Luna was one of those that made me feel that way, but she changed drastically. Her eyes still held affection, but sometimes they held hatred so deep that I would fall back a few steps. I understood not why she was that way until I grew older and learned of my destiny. That, my friends, will be revealed to you later.

When I was seven years old, my father hired more teachers to instruct me in fighting. I had been learning how to fight with the staff as well as the sword since I was three so I was prepared for the vigorous training ahead. By the time I was eleven, I mastered hapmudo, jujutsu, and tae kwon do. Though the lessons were arduous and the teachers were strict, I proved to be a good fighter despite my size. My intensive knowledge helped me deal with the lustful men and demeaning people I encountered years later.

To keep myself from succumbing to loneliness, I studied as hard as I could, staying up 'til two or three in the morning and waking up at eight for martial arts training. Other than the time I spent with the teachers, I was pretty much left alone. My eighth birthday passed unnoticed. Neither my father nor the servants made mention of it. I did, however, receive a book on the history of Voldemort from my father. After two months of near isolation, I was summoned into my father's study.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Usagi," my father's voice was its normal drawling coolness. I curtsied formally and waited patiently for his words. A cool breeze slowly swept throughout the room. Save for the twittering of the birds outside, the room was deathly quiet as his arctic eyes scrutinized my eight year old body. I focused on a point behind him and found myself staring at his portrait. What struck me about it was that his eyes were warm and caring as they gazed down upon me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pale hand came to rest in his. I blinked and there stood the most regal and beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her long, thick, and glossy hair was silver-gold tinged with lavender. Her face was perfect in all aspects: her cheekbones high, her lips full, her eyes the purest of blue. She gave me a sad smile before blowing me a kiss. I blinked again and she was gone.

I forced myself to look away from the haunting image of the man whose eyes were now sorrowful. My father narrowed his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. His face hardened and he clenched his jaw.

"What were you looking at?"

"I thought I saw a woman there," I started to say until I realized the danger I was in. "But I blinked and she was gone."

"You saw nothing," my father spat. I nodded quickly and his reddened face returned to its normal pallor. "Listen very carefully to what I have to say. Since you are the heir to one of the most powerful and richest people in this world, you must look the part. I have given you a monthly allowance of ten galleons. You are to buy what you need. I will tell you whatever else you need to buy. Do you understand?" I nodded. "Good. You will travel by Floo Powder."

"Yes, father." I followed him to a roaring fireplace. Glowing embers spat out of the dancing flames until he threw in a pinch of the glittering powder. The fire grew at once. It burned brightly and intensely until the fiery red became a cool emerald.

"Step in and say 'The Leaky Cauldron'."

I obediently stepped in, enjoying the tickling sensation that swept through my skin. Taking in a deep breath, I clearly said the three words. Immediately, a pulling was evident in the very center of my being and I could feel myself falling forward at a fast rate. I bit back a scream as I tumbled out of a dark and dirty fireplace, my face smudged with soot. I scrambled up and straightened my dress, brushing off as much dirt and soot as I could. My father appeared beside me with a 'pop' and led me down a set of stairs. The room was musty and dimly lit with candles and a few torches. Old tables and chairs were scattered around the area. Witches, wizards, and even a goblin or two occupied the room, chattering and drinking from frothy mugs and dirty glasses filled with colorful liquids. A bar stood on one side of the room, stools stacked across in the front, and the back lined with glasses, mugs, and bottles, as well as kegs. I followed my father as he stopped in front of the bar. An old wrinkled man appeared and gave me a toothless grin. I shuddered.

"Hello, Mr. Tsukino," his voice was wheezy. "I see you brought a guest today."

"Tom, this is my daughter," my father said as he pushed me forward. Tom rested his cloudy eyes on me once more. Suddenly, his face broke out into a smile.

"Quite like her mother, this one," he nodded towards me and I was all ears. This was the first time I had ever heard anyone speak of my infamous mother. The fact that I was being compared to her gained my undivided attention. "Same eyes, same looks, but her hair… it's a different color. She's much prettier, however."

"I would appreciate it if you do not mention her in front of me or my daughter again," my father berated. The old man shrank in fear, glancing at me as he did so. I could easily see the pity in his eyes but I did not let it affect my composure. "My daughter will come here whenever she pleases, and when she does, I expect you or another witch or wizard to lead her into Diagon Alley. Do you understand?" Upon seeing Tom's nervous nod, he regally exited the Leaky Cauldron. I immediately followed. We walked in silence until we came across a brick wall. I looked at it questioningly until my father pulled out his wand and tapped on numerous red bricks. Suddenly, a small hole opened and grew into an arched breach just big enough for my father to come through. I followed him and stifled my gasp.

There, in front of me, was a paved street teeming with wizards and witches of all kinds in jewel colored robes. Young children wailed for their mothers as salespeople called out discounts and new items. Owls swept in by the dozens from above. Little shops were set up on either side of the street, homely and welcoming with huge advertisements decorating the window. The place glimmered and glittered with unseen magic, and I enjoyed the feeling of being with my own. It was then that I noticed happy families eating ice cream, hugging, and laughing together. My throat tightened, but I dared not spill a tear. Close friends walked arm in arm as they prattled animatedly. My father stopped as soon as we came in, and the opening behind us whirled close. My musings were interrupted when he spoke.

"I will leave you here to explore. When you feel like returning, ask any wizard or witch to take you back to the Leaky Cauldron. You will travel back by Floo Powder. Say ' Tsukino Mansion' to go back. When you tell the wizards your name, they should listen and if they do not, I will deal with them later. For money, go to Gringott's. Here is your key." He handed me a small silver key. I looked closer and I could see ten small gems, each embedded in planetary symbols in a rainbow of colors. The last gem was white and surrounded by a golden crescent moon. "You have your own separate account and there should be enough there to last you a while. If you need any more, tell one of the servants and they will tell me. Now I have better things to do, so you may leave."

"Yes, father." I curtsied, turned around, and walked away. Suddenly, I was frightened. I didn't know anyone nor did I know anything. I read about this place, of course, thanks to father's extensive library. That did not mean that I ever expected to be here. My head turned every which way, looking around at the various shops. Cauldrons and astrolabes decorated the window of one store, while broomsticks decorated another. Rows upon rows of herbs and magical ingredients flanked one section of the street. In front of me was a white marble structure, large and beautiful. Flowery golden letters labeled it as Gringott's. I quickly headed inside, intent on getting money to spend. I paused to read a warning to thieves. As I headed in, I noticed that the runners of Gringott's were goblins. My surprise was hidden beneath my mask, however, as I approached one of them. He peered closer at me and looked around.

"Where are your parents, young girl? Are you lost?" He looked closer and I found myself shuddering under his beady gaze.

"No, sir, I am here on my own." I pulled out my key and handed it to him. "Here is my key, sir. I need money from my account."

"Driggle!" A warty goblin made his way over, occasionally stumbling over his own feet and apologizing as he bumped into other glaring goblins. He was small and his voice was high and squeaky. He bowed once he reached us.

"Yes, sir!" His quick salute made his superior roll his eyes.

"Please take her to account number 1000," the goblin ordered as he handed me back my key. Driggle bowed once again before leading me to a cart. I climbed in and the cart started rolling slowly. It picked up speed as it went along, winding through dimly lit passages and dark hallways, going past thousands and thousands of flat doors. Soon, I was holding on to my cart for dear life as we hurtled down steep hills, the wind blowing so hard across my face that I could barely breathe. The cart jerked to a stop and I could feel my breakfast fighting its way up my esophagus. I swallowed, not wanting to vomit in the middle of nowhere in front of a stranger goblin. I looked ahead as the goblin drew one finger down a silver door. It simply melted away, inviting me into a candle lit room. I gasped.

On one side of the room, rows upon rows of beautiful jewelry were stacked neatly in glass covered shelves, twinkling merrily in the dim light. On the other side, mounds of bronze, silver, and golden coins filled up the space. It was more than enough to last a humble person a lifetime, but my father said that this was merely to last me a short while. My eyes fell on a pedestal that was in the middle of the room where a beam of light cascaded. It was a clear blue with green glass vines wrapping around it in a fancy dance. One large leaf on top exposed a beautiful clear red flower. On top of the bloom was a crown, made of delicately spun silver and gold, and embedded with ten differently colored gems. In the middle was an exquisite pearl, at least half an inch in width, surrounded by sparkling diamonds in the shape of an eight pointed star. The rest of the nine jewels were surrounded by mini versions of itself in nine planetary symbols, with the one in the middle the biggest and most glimmering. I tore my eyes away from it when the goblin behind me cleared his throat. I smiled at him before grabbing a small glittering, golden purse and stuffing it with galleons, sickles, and knuts. He led me back to the cart and we hurtled back to the entrance. I bid my adieu to Driggle and the goblin that had first served me before heading out into Diagon Alley for my first shopping spree.

Break

Diagon Alley would become my second home in the coming months. I would spend many a day at Flourish and Blott's, reading as much as I could to ease my thirst for knowledge. When I had had my fill, I would stroll along the streets and meet many witches and wizards. Since I had been starved for attention and affection for too long, I made sure that I was cheerful and kind to everyone. Because of this, I became some sort of a 'favorite' especially among shop owners. (I suppose my rather large bank account had something to do with their easy acceptance of me too.) They had even started to call me 'Bunny,' the English equivalent of my Japanese name. I didn't mind this nickname at all. In fact, I relished it.

I had been in and out of many shops, oohing and aahing over the displays and the wares, much to the owners' delight. Within a short amount of time, I had been inside every store save for one. There was something peculiar about the last uncharted territory. My curiosity got the better of me and, one afternoon, I found myself opening its door.

0o0o0

Dust was floating in substantial masses, giving the inside of the aged shop a foggy look. Magic whirred from every nook and cranny, gleaming and glimmering in the soft golden light. It was thick in the air and it pressed down heavily onto my small body. Boxes upon boxes were stacked in messy rows. Sometimes, small bursts of sparkles, flames, and feathers would explode out of these packages, surprising me. I went up to the counter but there was no one in sight. A thin layer of dust had settled on the desk where a small bell perched. I rang it questioningly and, to my surprise, a man appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Ms. Tsukino, is it?" The man smiled at me, his eerie eyes gazing into the depths of my soul. "You are the talk of Diagon Alley. Many are overcome with your flowing kindness and charity."

"Yes, I am she," I murmured. I cleared my throat before continuing, "I am pleased to hear that I am not infamous at the very least. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr.…?"

"Olivander. It is Mr. Olivander." He offered his hand and I took it warmly.

"What kind of a shop is this, whirling and thick with magic? It suppresses me and I find it difficult to breathe."

"It is a wand shop, dear girl. Without a wand, a wizard cannot do any magic. I am the seller of these wonderful objects. You feel the magic in here?"

"Yes, Mr. Olivander, I do."

"Then you are a special one. Your perception, from what I have heard, surpasses many. Very few can feel magic as much as you can. The world can expect many great things from you, that it can."

"May I buy one?"

"I am sorry, dear girl, but only those entering their first year in a magical school can buy wands. Rules are rules, and there is no way around it. You must be eleven or twelve years of age. You have quite a way to go."

"Are these wands handed from wizard to wizard or do you need to create new ones for each generation?"

"These wands are indeed handed down, but I create new ones for special people. There are those that break or are destroyed. I must create new replacements for those as well."

"Quite an interesting occupation. I find it intriguing." At this comment, the man smiled broadly, his eyes wrinkling at the corners.

"You are unlike your father. I remember his first wand: eleven inches, mahogany, quite supple, made with dragon scale and the tail feather of a phoenix. Excellent for charms. Your mother, on the other hand, favored ten and a half inches, yew, bendy, and made with a unicorn tear and dragon heartstring. Very good for healing spells and transfiguration. She was a darling and very, very beautiful. Many thought of her as a goddess. She had a pure heart and a sparkling, clean soul." He paused and thought about what he had just said. "Your father wouldn't appreciate me telling you about her. We'll have to keep this a secret."

"I understand."

"Thank you. You have a long way ahead of you. Remember who your friends really are. I believe this is where we must part."

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Olivander. Perhaps I shall visit you again. Thank you for your kind words. They will be remembered." I waved goodbye and left to visit the apothecary. His parting words left me confused and wondering. How did he know of my future? What did he mean? And how did he know my mother so well?

0o0o0o0o0

Evil has many forms. It is not only found in monsters, it is found in the heart as well. Good dominates the minds of most, but evil does infiltrate even the best of defenses, seeping in, uncurling dark tendrils to invade reasoning. My father, from what I had learned from Luna, was actually a clean soul in the beginning. He was charitable, kind, and his love for my mother and I was infinite. He stumbled upon a quick and easy way to his dreams, however, for the Dark Lord had promised him great wealth and power. I did not know what my pure mother had to do with the Dark Lord, but she was most likely a sacrifice of sorts. My first brush with true evil came when I was a mere eight year old.

My father was home for his monthly visit. He had ordered me to complete a three feet paper on The Uses of the Dark Arts and to bring it to his office. I complied, seeing as I had no choice. The essay in itself was difficult, filled with excruciating details and unknown words, causing me to go back to a dictionary from time to time to learn what they meant. When I returned to my father's study, I found the door closed. I knocked on it lightly before entering. The curtains were strangely drawn but the light still managed to filter in through the cracks. It danced playfully across the otherwise dark room. A blood red flame flickered from a skull base. I gulped involuntarily. I was spooked.

"F-Father?" My voice wavered slightly and I cleared my throat in an attempt to suppress both my curiosity and fear. With my heart thudding in my ears, I glanced around until I could finally make out the blurry outline of my father in the dark. He was puffing some sort of inhalant, the smoky gray slightly contrasting with the darkness. He noticed my eyes on him and motioned me to move closer. I obediently, albeit meekly, followed.

He addressed me simply and motioned me to sit in a chair beside him. I handed him my essay, exactly 3 feet and printed in neat, small handwriting. He nodded approvingly before inhaling his herbs deeply and huffing out the wastes. He paused, as if a sudden thought had come to him, and then shook his head. "Usagi, we have a guest." I glanced around but found no one. My eyes had slightly adjusted to the dark as I looked. I turned back to my father with a questioning gaze and he inclined his head slightly at the chair on the other side of the desk. I still saw nothing, but as I peered forth, I stifled a small shriek. There was a black substantial fog floating on the chair, swirling and shifting in the darkness. Small wisps uncurled to rest on the arms of the chair and two bold, bloodied eyes appeared on what seemed like the head, slanted with black slit pupils.

"H-Hello, sir." My own voice seemed small as I respectfully averted my gaze. The black mass laughed a throaty, evil cackle.

"Ah yes, Usagi Tsukino." Judging by the deep, reverberating voice, I guessed the mass to be a male. His voice instilled terror in me as it bounced off of the walls. I forced myself to keep my head high and to lock all of my emotions away into my little 'safe box'. Suddenly, it felt as if someone was pushing themselves into my mind and into my very soul. I stubbornly imagined metal shields and impenetrable force-fields surrounding myself. When I opened my eyes, I gasped when I noticed black tendrils hovering around me. They entered through my mouth, nose, and ears, forcing themselves inside me, trying to enter my mind. I set up walls of steel as a defense against the parasitic wisps and managed to expel the fog. Another murky laugh issued from the hovering mysterious matter. "I am impressed that someone as young as you was able to keep me out with a single thought. You'll do well. Tsukino, your daughter is quite intriguing. I believe she is the chosen one."

My father's handsome face paled, his features lined with traces of regret and sorrow. He glanced at me, his remorse deepening, before looking up towards the mass respectfully. His expressions disturbed me. I'd never seen them before.

"Tsukino, I hope you realize that what happened to your wife can happen to everyone in your family. Your life and your family belong solely to me. I am Lord Voldemort. I am a million times more intelligent, stronger, and more immortal than you. I consider you my closest comrade. Betray me and you shall pay the ultimate price. You have been warned." My thoughts flew a million times faster than normal at this new piece of information. The person I had studied so much about was here, in front of me, not even a whole being. "I will begin my lessons with her in two months. Remember." With that, the substance merely vanished, leaving no trace of the cloudy fog. It did leave an evil so thick that even my father seemed unnerved. What scared me the most about this situation was that I was the one he was coming after. I was the one he wanted. I was the supposed 'Chosen One'. For what purpose, I did not know, but I certainly didn't want anything to do with an evil that strong. Thus, I set my mind against his brainwashing, bribery, and training. It would prove to be the best decision I'd make in my entire life.

That wouldn't be the only thing on my mind in the coming years. Just a week later, my father revealed what I still consider one of the biggest surprises I'd ever had, one that I would regret not speaking against. It was…

Well, hope you guys enjoyed that re-editedchapter! Seeya at chapter 5!