A New Friend or Foe

Chapter Seven

Erica's heart raced as Hogwarts drew nearer. What if she messed up and let the whole thing slip? Erica shivered and pulled the invisibility cloak tighter around her shoulders as she slipped out of the castle. She glanced around cautiously; looking for any sign of danger. 'It's alright,' she told herself. 'I'm fine. Nobody...or nothing...can see me.' But she wasn't sure if she believed it herself.

Heart pounding, the girl hurried across the school grounds, heading for the designated meeting place: the Forbidden Forest. As she made her way to the foreboding wood, she mused over her discussion with Harry Potter. He seemed so nice, so friendly...it was hard for her to believe that he was responsible for her mother's death.

Erica hesitated as she reached the edge of the forest. She heard a soft voice from somewhere within the trees hiss, "Come, my daughter."

Erica took a deep breath and slipped into the trees. She shuddered at her father's tall, skeletal form. He was so scary...

Shrugging the cloak off her shoulders, Erica approached her father. "Hello, Father."

"Erica." The girl winced. You could hardly call his tone affectionate. "Have you met the wretch?"

"Erm...yes, if it is Harry Potter you're speaking of," Erica replied nervously.

"Of course it is!" Voldemort hissed. "Do you see how horrible he is?"

"Actually," said Erica, hoping she wouldn't regret her next comment, "he seemed rather...nice."

"Nice?" Voldemort practically roared. "He killed your mother!"

"But how?" Erica retorted. "You haven't told me anything."

"Haven't told you anything?" Voldemort scoffed. "I took you in. I told you about your powers. And about the boy that murdered your dear mother."

Erica's eyes filled with tears. "But how do I know you're telling the truth?"

She gasped when Voldemort pulled out his wand and aimed it directly at her heart. "Erica, m'dear," he said, red eyes gleaming angrily, "I am your father. Do not contradict me, or you may lead me to do something that I shall greatly regret."

"Please, no," Erica whispered.

"Erica, I love you," Voldemort said, with such malice in his voice, Erica knew that he didn't love her; she wondered if he was even capable of loving anybody or anything. "But you have to get your priorities straight. Listen to me. You want to avenge your mother's death, do you not?"

Despite the nagging feeling in her heart, telling her something just wasn't right, Erica nodded.

"Good. Then do as I say. Spend more time with Potter. Become his friend. Make him learn to trust you. And, when I say so, lead him to me."

"Maybe...maybe this isn't such a good idea," Erica muttered.

"Shut up!" Voldemort hissed. "And do not breathe a word of this meeting or of your relation to me to anyone-or your life will be forfeit!"

Harry tossed and turned. He just couldn't get to sleep. Finally, he decided enough was enough and that he would go down to the common room and read his new Quidditch book for a while.

'Or maybe my Potions book,' he thought, trudging silently down the stairs that led to the common room, 'for that would put me to sleep for sure.'

But he had barely gotten down the stairs when the entrance way opened and Erica stepped in from the outside hallway.

"Erica?" Harry said in surprise. "What are you doing?"

~Emachinescat ^..^