Amor est Vita
A/N: I'm trying to get back in my readers' good graces by posting this early. I am going to warn you, this is very intense. And I want to remind you that this story isn't a happy one. It is very dark and the ending may not be what everyone wants. But I felt like, as a writer, I needed to explore this side of my abilities. So I'm sorry if I make you cry, but that was my intention. So, please, tell me what you think. Oh, and if you find yourself confused at the end of this, please be patient, all will be explained in time.
The stack of letters was slowly waning and the next had a full date on it: August 17, 1955. Ginny offered to read and wasted no time undoing the parchment.
"I cannot describe to you the horror contained in this next memory. I even hesitated to give it to you, but I realized tragic and brutal death were nothing new to you. However, I will warn you; this will shock you to your core. It brings tears to my eyes to even write this. The loss I had experienced up to until this day pale in comparison. There is nothing more to say- my pain has no words.
"The second memory marked with this date is in a smaller bottle with a red stopper. Watch this one second. It is the only memory Tom ever gave to me and the memory in itself only proves the hold he has over me. Two pivotal events that would change not only my life, but my death, that happened sequentially. This is the only evidence that Tom Riddle ever truly loved me; all of his heart and soul was poured into me that day. For the first time, you can see him as only a man, stripped down in desperation. People would ask me how I could love him. The more intelligent asked how he could love or if he loved me. This is my only proof of the latter.
"Again, I warn you of the horror the first memory contains. It is not for the faint hearted nor the weak stomached. The events of that day are nailed into my heart and I will forever live in remembrance. I hammer that nail deeper with every breath I take and do not wish to burden you as witnesses, but you must know the exact severity of what happened." Ginny finished, blinking at the intenseness of the words.
"She's serious about this one, isn't she?" Ron looked nervously at the bottle in Hermione's hand as she poured it into the whirling abyss. "Whatya think is in there?"
"Maybe this is when they finally split...I mean that had to be pretty nasty, right?" suggested Ginny, her eyes still sweeping over the letter. Hermione, for the first time, hesitated in giving her opinion, weighing her words carefully.
"I don't think so..."
"Ginny has a point. I mean Voldemort and McGonagall both have pretty extreme tempers and we've seen them fight before," said Harry quickly.
Licking her lips nervously, Hermione shook her head. "Harry, last year, when Dumbledore was teaching you about Voldemort's life, he never mentioned Professor McGonagall."
"Yeah, but he was probably just trying to protect her reputation. Plus he was teaching me about the Horcruxes , not his love life."
"But he never mentioned Selene." Three sets of eyes bore into her. "And Professor McGonagall never mentions having a daughter, or any children for that matter."
"Who would want to admit they had offspring with You-Know-Who?" asked Ron, laughing nervously at where the conversation was heading. Even Ginny was shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
"McGonagall doesn't exactly seem like the kind of person to abandon her only daughter because of who her father is. Quite the contrary. I believe she would have joined the Death Eaters if it was in the best interest of her child." A stunned silence fell over the group.
"Like she did for us," whispered Ginny, tears coming to her eyes.
"Let's just watch the memory," muttered Harry as he bowed his head into the Pensieve.
August 17, 1955
They landed in the master bedroom of the Riddle Mansion. Minerva was at the vanity in a black under dress curling her hair with her wand. She had just finished the last ebony curl when her eight year old daughter ran into the room with a huge smile plastered on her porcelain face. Her dark hair was French Braided down the middle of her back.
"Mum, when are we going to Auntie Augusta and Uncle Louie's house?" Chuckling, Minerva set her wand down on the vanity and walked over to the closet.
"As soon as your father gets home. And Aunt Felicity is bringing a friend to dinner. His name is Jonathon, so be nice." She disappeared into the closet to find something to wear for the evening. In her mother's absence, Selene scrambled forward to snatch up her mother's wand. Squealing, she quickly vacated the room, causing Minerva to poker her head out of her closet at the sound of her daughter's glee. With a shake of her head, Minerva slipped the rest of her deep blue robes over her slender body.
"Selene Riddle I am coming down stairs at the count of ten and you better give me back my wand," she yelled sternly as she finished dressing. "One. Two. Three-"
A high pitched scream caused Minerva to drop her last earring and sprint to the door and down the hallway.
"Selene! What happened?" She had whipped around the corner and to the top of the main staircase before Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny could catch up. "Selene! Oh my-" Whatever she was going to say died on her lips and when the four finally caught up they realized why.
Selene was being held at wand point by two crazed looking men. One was much older and balding, making the second one with the wild eyes his son in all probability. The elder was twirling Minerva's wand in his hand.
"And to think, I thought disarmin' ya would be the hard part." He grinned wickedly revealing several missing teeth.
"That's Marvolo and Morfin Gaunt," whispered Harry in horror. "They are Voldemort's grandfather and uncle." Panic rose in the young child's eyes and it was mirrored in Minerva's own as she stared at her daughter. Surprisingly her voice was calm when she spoke.
"Let her go. She's just a child," she pleaded, slowly descending down the stairs, her shaking hand on the railing. "My husband will be home soon."
"Aye, we know. Actually, we're kinda hopin' he will."
"Please, I'll give you whatever you want, just don't hurt her." Morfin let out a demented laugh and whirled his wand around, setting fire to the drapes and blocking all the exits but the front door with flames.
"Mummy!" cried Selene.
"Selene, hush now, everything is going to be all right," Minerva soothed and glanced warily at the intruders.
"Can you make that promise, Mrs. Riddle?" Marvolo pulled Selene closer, sniffing at her hair. "I can smell the Muggle filth on 'er. Her dirty half-breed father don't deserve to carry on such a prestigious family name."
"Tom's family is dead," retorted Minerva steadily. She was still inching step by step down the staircase. The wood work around the drapes had begun to catch fire. It was if the flames had a mind of their own as they crackled dangerously.
"His Muggle one is. His mother ruined the grand name of Slytherin by breedin' with such filth. My blood is pure. This one's not." He stuck the tip of his wand deep into the little girl's neck causing her to whimper. Minerva leapt forward, transforming into a cat as she went, only to be thrown against the staircase at the raise of Morfin's wand. The stairs behind her caught fire, adding to the steadily growing red and orange flickering in the room. Hissing, Minerva transformed back into her human form, realizing her Animagus form would do her no good. A sweeping wind flew at Marvolo as she attempted to harness her wandless magic, but his shield charm easily protected him.
"Bind her," he snapped at his son, who too eagerly sprouted vines from his wand to wrap around her wrists and legs, pinning her to the stairs.
"Please, I beg you, let my daughter go. I'll do anything. Anything you ask just let her go!" Minerva tried cutting through the ropes with what little wandless magic she could but it was to no avail. "Mummy loves you Selene. No matter what happens, Mummy and Daddy love you, my darling. Selene, close your eyes and do whatever I say."
"Mummy can't save you now," mocked Marvolo pushing the trembling and tearstained girl out into the middle of the beautiful stone floor. "Crucio!"
"NO!" screamed Minerva, the agony in her voice was emphasized by the tears falling down her face. Selene's pitiful screams joined the roar of the fire now consuming the room. Morfin was having a hard time controlling their directionality. "Leave her be!" Slamming her palm against the stair beneath her, Minerva caused the stone underneath Marvolo to crack and in his stumble he lost control of the spell.
"Fine bitch," snarled the old man, grimacing in pain from her wandless actions. He turned to the front door, which remained untouched by the raging fire. "Watch her burn."
Ropes sprang forward and wrapped around Selene's quivering body. Morfin followed his father, but before shutting the door, he sent a stream of flames at the small gasping body.
Screams seemed to echo through the large mansion as Harry quickly turned and buried his head into Ginny's shoulder, bringing her close as she sobbed into his chest. The memory began to fade as Minerva began to lose consciousness.
As they surfaced back into reality, Hermione ran straight to the sink, wrenching up the contents of her stomach. Ron was shaking so badly he had to lower himself to the tile floor. Realizing his shirt was wet, Harry found the tears weren't all Ginny's; his own cheeks were streaked with tears. Stroking her red hair gently, he pressed his lips to her ear intending to say something comforting but found he was at a loss for words.
"What happened?" Molly had run into the kitchen at the sound of Ginny's sobs and Hermione's regurgitation. "Is everyone okay?" Ever since Ginny's initial disappearance, Molly had been out of sorts and even after her daughter's return, her smiling face was as rare as McGonagall's. She had a frazzled appearance, but nevertheless, she gathered Ginny into her arms and pressed her crying child to her bosom. Her concerned eyes flickered from Hermione's shaking figure to Ron's stock still position to Harry's look of shock and back to her daughter's weeping form.
"You saw her die, didn't ya?" Harry's attention slowly switched from Ginny to Mad-Eye's voice. He, Remus, and Tonks were standing at the kitchen door. Fred pushed his way through the married couple to crouch next to his brother.
"It was awful," choked out Hermione. She too sank to the floor after washing the remainder of the bile from her mouth. Ron had finally snapped out of his own trance at his brother's prodding and crawled closer to Hermione to place a hand on top of her own.
"She was never the same," whispered Alastor whose eyes were lost in his own memory.
"How do you go on after watching your daughter be murdered like that?" asked Ginny, picking up her head, but not untangling herself from her own mother's protecting arms.
"Who?" prompted Tonks, her light pink hair fading to brown at the down trodden mood of the room. "McGonagall?" Harry nodded.
"She had a daughter, Selene, who was murdered when she was eight. It was terrible."
"And Professor McGonagall was forced to watch the entire thing..."whispered Hermione. She had curled her body into Ron's tall frame.
"You need to finish it." Alastor said insistently. "There is more to that day. Selene's death was tragic and Minerva lost everything that day. Trust me- I actually got to spend time with the girl. Held her two days after she was born. Beautiful child. Full of life. But you need to finish the memory. Don't tell me she didn't put it in there..."
"There is a second part, but maybe we should take a break."
"How'd you think she got out of there?" The uneasy of the kitchen was evident, but Moody's tone was serious.
"Its fine, Harry, we can watch it." Ron helped Hermione to her feet and Ginny kissed her mother's cheek before joining the others. Taking a deep breath, Harry poured the memory into the pensive. Giving one last annoyed look to Mad-Eye, he lowered his head into the basin.
When they entered the memory, Tom Riddle was sprinting down a pebbled pathway toward the billowing smoke that clouded the setting sun. It was no surprise to them to see the house in flames, but the future Dark Lord seemed to be in a panic. Jogging slightly to keep up, they followed him into the burning house. Riddle was pushing the flames away with his wand, bending them against the walls to make a pathway.
"Minerva? Selene?" he called out into the dark smoke. Riddle stopped suddenly when the burned remains of his only daughter were visible. There was no chance of life in the corpse. While Tom could not take his eyes off Selene's body, none of his four unseen guests could bear to glance in that direction.
Harry faced the memory of Tom Riddle in curiosity. The shock in the young Voldemort's eyes, however there was no horror, no pain, and no trace of sadness. Lord Voldemort could not feel those emotions. Just as Harry believed he had been right about Tom Riddle's loveless character, the young man called out to his wife.
"Minerva!" Though his eyes showed no emotion at the notion of his young daughter's demise, his voice betrayed his every thought. There was fear in the way he said her name so desperately.
Pulling himself away from Selene, Tom continued to search the entry hall. Lying on the grand staircase was Minerva. A ring of fire surrounded her, whipping against what seemed to be an invisible shield that would not allow the flames to touch her body. The heat reflected off her glistening face; her eyes were closed and her body was contorted against the steps. Never before had Harry seen someone so broken. Dead, yes. Horribly mutilated, yes. But seeing someone completely, physically broken, appearing as beautifully tragic as the young woman lying in the flames, was something that would be forever inscribed into his memory.
"My Minerva," Tom murmured as he choked on her name. The shield wavered as he stepped through it. He knelt beside her fragile lifeless body and cut away the ropes that held her prisoner. Slipping his arms beneath her, Tom gathered his wife in his arms, cradling her gently.
As he exited the house and laid her on the green lawn the familiar sound of Apparation could be heard at the property line. Several men came running up pathway in old Ministry of Magic uniforms. Shouts of orders were being given, but the young man kneeling next to the unresponsive woman paid them no heed. His wand kept running over her, but nothing seemed to be happening.
"He's running a diagnostic spell," said Hermione, a hand slightly over her gaping mouth. "Nothing is happening. She's dead!"
"She can't be dead!" Ron was thoroughly confused and Harry could not be more on his side. There were no spells to bring back the dead. Dead was dead. His parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore- they were all dead and there was nothing that could bring them back.
"Mr. Riddle, she's gone, she's dead," one of the Ministry Officials was standing over the two of them, but Tom stubbornly shook his head. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and pointed his wand at her heart.
"Amor est vita. Vita est amor. Sino meus amor tribuo vos vita."A golden glow encompassed them both, sending the Ministry official stumbling back in shock. The ground started to shake, but Tom kept his wand pointed steadily. Then, as the glow ebbed, Minerva's chest moved ever so slightly. Tom bent slowly forward and kissed her lips tenderly; his hands were shaking when he pulled her limp, but breathing, body to his chest and began rocking her slowly.
Preview: Where Her Soul Belongs
It took him a moment to reply, "We cannot live in the past, Minerva. Could one little girl make that much difference in the world?" Tom's words hit home and the woman standing in front of him closed her eyes in pain. The tracks her tears had left remained as she had not bothered to wipe them away. Maybe he would feel her pain. Just maybe.
"And if moving on from the past means moving apart?"
"Then farewell, my love."