The Quidditch stadium was alive with people. Everybody had turned out to see the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, which was also the first match of the season. Haylin sat with her friends, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the match.
Although Haylin had no idea how to play the game, she figured, halfway into the match, that they were winning. And that's when it happened.
It was hilarious.
Harry was high above the stadium, searching for a little golden ball (apparently known as the Snitch) when suddenly his broom started bucking.
"I knew Potter wasn't as good a flyer as everybody thought he was," Draco laughed as he watched Harry struggle to stay on his broom. While all the Slytherins were laughing, the rest of the crowd was gasping or looking around to see what was causing the problem. As everybody was fussing and doing nothing about it, the bucking became too much for Harry and he fell off his broom.
The Slytherins had stopped laughing by this point, but Haylin had a maniac little grin on her face. The whole crowd was silent and all that could be heard were Harry's screams. Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared below him, muttered some incantation or another and Harry slowed down. He landed on the ground with a soft thud and was carried off the pitch. The Slytherin Seeker appeared holding the Snitch, meaning that Slytherin had won, but everybody was too shocked to cheer or moan or do anything. Slytherin had won but it was a tense victory.
oOoOoOoOo
Haylin tossed in her bed, but she couldn't seem to wake up.
She was on the Quidditch pitch wearing her night-gown. It was snowing for some reason but she didn't seem to feel the cold. She just felt confused.
"Hello, my dear," came that raspy hiss behind her. Haylin turned around to see her father. He was no longer attached to Quirrel's head. He now had his own body.
"How'd you do that?" Haylin asked, gesturing to his body. Voldemort laughed.
"My dear, this is a dream, I can be anything I want," he replied. Haylin rolled her eyes.
"So you're just going to invade my dreams every time you want to talk to me? Isn't that just a tiny bit invasive?" she asked, folding her arms.
Voldemort shrugged. "It's possible," he said. "Now, my dear, I have something for you to –"
"No," Haylin interrupted.
"No?" Voldemort asked with a slightly amused look on his face.
"Yes, father, no. from the moment I met you, you have been sending me on little errands for you and I've obeyed. But not this time."
"Haylin I am your father and as such –"
"Yes and I am your daughter, not your servant, and I want to be treated as such. Mr. Crouch is more of a father to me than you are and sometimes I can't tell whether he hates me or loves me. It's very confusing," Haylin said, getting completely side tracked.
"Do you want to know why Mr. Crouch cannot decide whether to love you or hate you?" Voldemort asked, sitting down on a chair that had suddenly appeared. Haylin nodded and sat down in another chair.
"You are all that man has left of his beloved Cassandra," Haylin's father explained. Haylin's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" she asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer.
"I mean, dear Haylin, that your mother was the wife of Bartemius Crouch Sr." Voldemort sighed.
"Mr. Crouch is completely against the Dark Arts, so must his wife have been, she wouldn't go to you willingly," Haylin said, almost to herself. Then a look of disgust came upon her. "Did you…?" she couldn't even finish the question.
Voldemort laughed. "My goodness no…"he said, not meeting her gaze. Haylin stood up.
"I can't believe we're even having this conversation! Here I am a regular 11 year old girl. Or at least I thought I was until a man I'd know my whole life comes along and tells me that I'm the daughter of a powerful and greatly-feared wizard and that I have to go off to school to learn magic and now I find that I am the product of…" again Haylin couldn't even finish her sentence.
"Calm down," Voldemort said calmly. "I didn't hurt your mother, I used a spell. It's called the Im –"
"You used the Imperius curse! That is exactly the same thing!" Haylin was thoroughly pissed off.
Voldemort just looked at her in bewilderment. "How do you know about the Imperius curse?" he asked, and then held up a hand to stop her from answering. "Don't answer that yet. This conversation will not continue until you swear to me that you will do something for me as soon as I've explained everything."
Haylin nodded, her eyes sparkling with anger. "Fine."
Voldemort lowered his hand. "Now tell me how you know of the Imperius curse."
Haylin sat back down. "I've had it performed on me," she said. "And I did not like it at all. Apparently, I was fighting it off the entire time so never got round to doing anything I didn't want to but the pint is, taking away people free will is only acceptable in self defence." Haylin stopped. I can't believe I find taking away free will acceptable at all! She thought to her self. She shrugged. He must be rubbing off on me, she thought.
"Are you judging me on what it right and what is wrong?" Voldemort asked, the amused look back on his face.
"No, I just…it's not fair," she said meekly. Voldemort laughed.
"Life is not fair, Haylin, one day you will come to understand that. I used the Imperius curse a lot when I was in power and Cassandra was just a tool. I needed her. It could have been no body else and, as you said, she would not have come to me willingly so I did what I had to."
Haylin sat completely still for a moment, then:
"What will you have me do this time father?" she asked, reluctantly.
Voldemort smiled, although it was really more of a smirk. "That's better. I need you to, for lack of a better word, spy on Harry Potter and his friends. They are becoming too nosy for their own good," he said.
"I can't spy on them myself, it will ruin everything," Haylin said. Her father raised an eyebrow, at least it looked like he did given the fact that he barely had eyebrows, but Haylin ignored him.
She woke up suddenly and found herself comfortable in her bed.
"But I know someone who can."
