Harriet tripped as she came out of the fireplace in Riddle Manor in her dads office.
He was sitting in his big armchair with a heavy old book on his lap and a glass of what she suspected to be fire whiskey.
Tom stopped reading when a bundle of arms and legs feel from his fireplace in his office. There stood Harriet hair flying in every possible direction, eyes red and swollen, like she was crying, trembling lips, she was holding her self and she looked miserable.
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Something or someone dared to upset his girl.
Tom threw the book on the floor and stood up. With a fast movement he had his arms around Harriet and he took her in his lap.
She was in her pyjamas he noticed. And thanks Morgana she wore her old fluffy ones that covered everything and not this tiny thing she had brought last summer in what he was going to remember as the shopping trip from hell.
"What happened my little princess. Tell daddy and he is going to make sure he will take care of everything."
He said as he was holding her.
She hadn't left him hug her like that in while and he had missed it. He wasn't the kind of father to beg for hugs. And she wasn't the child to ask for them if they weren't offered. He hated it. But they were his secret pleasure when he could hold
her tight in his arms away from everything and everyone that could harm her. His little Dark Princess.
If Lily was alive she could have his balls for breakfast. How could he be such a horrible father.
"I had a horrible dream about Ron's dad getting attacked daddy. Then Dumbeldore took me to his office with the Wesley's and Drago and Neville and Hermione were there too."
Harriet had her face hiding in his robes. She could feel the warmth coming out of his body and his heart beat under her ear.
How long had it been since the last time she did this? She asked herself.
They where always fighting now lately every time they could be in the same room together.
Her dad was an evil ass yes. But he was her dad. And to be honest with herself she wasn't the most well behaved child now lately.
For a moment she buried her self deeper into his hug and took a few breaths.
"I took them with me. To the Black home. I don't like Dumbeldore anymore daddy. I know what he did. I didn't want him to send me somewhere he thought it could be safe for me again. We all know how this worked out last time." She said deciding to give
her dad some information.
Tom felt guilty for a second. He hated lying to her. But if Harriet knew now he had absolutely no objection to throwing dirt in the old man's name.
"He never liked me. Dumbeldore I mean. From when he brought me my letter to when he was forced to offer me a teaching position in Hogwarts he never liked me. And I never liked him either."
Tom decided he was going to do this right. For all the mistakes he did as a father he needed to take that one right.
"I'm not a good man Harriet. If it wasn't for one or two important people in my life i would have probably ended up worse than Grindelwald himself."
Harriet's ears picked in interest. Her dad never really spoke for his own life. He could tell stories yes. And he could make you think you were actually there. But he never spoke about his own stories. And he never spoke of his school years expect
if he was to say how different was things in his time as a student.
"Your grandmother is one of them."
"Grandma is unique daddy. Everyone knows that. Even Drago says so. And your know he hates muggles as much as you do." Harriet said.
"I'm not speaking for your great grandmother. I'm speaking about my mother." Tom said. He felt Harriet's interest picking up.
"You never talk about your mom. No one does in here. Not even grandma." Harriet said.
"And for a good reason." Tom said.
"My mother was the daughter of a poor mentally unstable pureblood maniac drank. And her brother was even worse. They used her like an house elf. They had broken her spirit. They make her think she was a squib. Then one day one the scams ended in Azkabaz.
My mother dosed your grandfather with amortencia and she run away with him."
At this Harriet's mouth had dropped open. Before she had time to jump in conclusions her dad continued.
"Few months later my mother discovered she was pregnant and she stopped giving my father the potion. He of course woke up with a witch he didn't love anymore and she was heavily pregnant and he run away. It was only because your great grandmother
left to find my mother after she grilled my father and learned the girl was with child."
"How do you know about all this dad? You seem to know more than you let on." Harriet asked.
"In the cottage behind Nanginis nest there is a small vault. My mother was keeping dairies. I have read them all."
At least she could keep herself occupied for the rest of the break. No harm reading the journals.
"My father said and did horrible things to my mother when she was brought to the manor. He was adamant he kicks us out. My mother couldn't blame him. It had started only as a game to her too. She fancied a romantic adventure and she happened to pick
him to dose up. And now she was pregnant and had forced the poor man to accept all this. She had decided to run away. After some particular mean things he said but before she had time to leave her water broke. She almost died giving birth to me.
Here in Riddle Manor. For some reason my father changed his mind and we stayed. I don't remember seeing my father and mother love each other. I only remember them always admiring me. Their only child. When I was five my crazy grandfather
and uncle came and killed her because she couldn't give me to them. To kill me."
He felt Harriet jumping backwards. The question was written all over her face. She didn't even need to ask aloud.
"I was there. I saw every bit of it. I remembered it like it happened just now."
They stayed silent and Harriet sat back in her dads lap.
"I remember everything too daddy." She whispered. Her voice half broken and Tom felt miserable. Why had to be his child. Why couldn't be anyone's else child.
"Lily it's him take Harriet and go. I will hold him back take Harriet and go. And then bang and the door explodes. Stand aside you silly girl, never she said. And the the green light came once. The laughter horrible terrible laughter. The green light
comes again but this time there is a pain. And I can hear screaming. Someone is on agony and pain. That's what I remember dad."
Harriet didn't know why she said this. She had kept it to her self years now. From the small faint nightmares to the full blown visions after the Demendors woke her horrible memories in third year she had never said anything to anyone.
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But tonight was different. Her dad and her had so much in common that she felt right to share that with him.
"What happened tonight Harriet."
"The dream was real. Somehow Grindelwald was mind controlling the wolf and I got caught in the between. I wanted to help mister Weasly but I was afraid I could make Grindelwald aware of my presence and that could give him control over my mind.
So I just left it go. It felt horrible dad. Even if mister Weasly kicked the wolfs ass I still feel horrible. I was willing to stand aside letting a man to be attacked so I couldn't risk Grindelwald to get in my mind. How this happened dad?
When I turned into a coward? Mum could be embarrassed. And Sirius will never let it down. And I feel so guilty looking at Ron knowing I could have left his father been torn apart to save my hideous selfish ego?"
Harriet just let it all out. Screw this. She thought. She was tired keeping everything in after she decided to play the social butterfly. Better out on her dad that to someone else.
She jumped up and took his class drinking his fire whiskey. He lifted his eyebrows but she was speaking to him completely freely now and he didn't care.
It wasn't like he hasn't drinking fire whiskey when he was her age.
"And then is that toad at school. She trying so hard to take control of the school and the only thing she has managed to do is to send me people my way. And the boys. What is wrong with all of them? Heir Of the House of the Malfoy's, and Heir
of the House of the Zabinis even Neville started doing it. All the boys have gone crazy this year. I'm The Girl Who Lived you don't see me going around wearing it in my forehead. I don't go around saying The Ancient And Noble House Of Malfoy
sending it's wishes for a pleasant day with it's Hair. And it's not only Drago. It's every pureblood dad! I spent half my morning hiding now lately because I'm late for class if the horde finds me."
Tom had lost a bit of his colour. Formal introductions? All ready? How dare they! She was just a little girl! This discussing pigs. He could kill them all. He could start with the Malfoy boy.
Harriet continued not knowing the misfortune she was bringing to her male friends.
"And then everyone is looking at me waiting for the next time I will have a mental breakdown. And let's not forget the fact that I have to forgive them unquestionably every time they change their opinion about me. Like I care for what they think."
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Harriet looked at her dad. She had him were she wanted him now. It wasn't that she didn't knew what the formalities were about. She just kept playing the ignorant fool. She was way to young for courtships. And none of them had the maturity
she wanted in a man. Even Centric wasn't mature enough for her anymore and the boy was a Puff.
She decided to keep playing the ignorant until someone worked the nerve to tell her what all this was about.
"Daddy are you okay? I think a vein is starting popping in your forehead."
"I'm fine. Listen here Harriet. No one will ever call you a coward because you stood aside. If Grindelwald was able to take information from your mind tonight or what if he managed to possess you? You weren't a coward tonight. And your mother
would never been prouder for the good person you are. I don't think your mother would want you to go and die. Not to mention as you said Weasly took care of the animal so there is nothing to worry about. And I know you don't care what
everyone else is thinking. Which brings the question. Why are you playing all this? And why all the open heart all of sudden? Not that I didn't appreciate it. It would be actually really good to have this kind of conversations with you
on the future. But you still my child and I can smell you brewing some new kind of trouble. So who's your victim?"
Busted Harriet though. Well he wasn't going to disagree completely with her.
"Me and my friends decided we don't like how you adults run the show and we decided that we should make Magical Britain our playground."
She was waiting for him to react. He just stood there completely unmoving. He was still breathing but Harriet had the slide suspicion she just broke her dad.
"Daddy? You okay?"
Nothing. The clock kept ticking away and her dad was just staring at her his expression a mystery.
Tom was shocked to silence for a good five minutes before he found his voice.
What did she meant we don't like how you adults running the show? Did she knew something? She had said and it was obvious she wasn't just speaking like a child.
"And how far exactly have you and your friends gone until now? Or are you still planning?"
"You must have me for a fool daddy. It's not like I'm going to give one of my opponents my organisations members now am l?"
She was much better informed than he thought. But maybe she had nothing on him and she was just fishing him with a suspicion and a lot of confidence. She was his child after all.
"Well then daddy if you like it that way be that way. Masks going to start falling soon through. How long your's stays in it's place is dependent if you make a good ally. If you been difficult for too long maybe you lose your chance. We have only one space open."
Was she blackmailing him? That little sneaky fox. If he got her in his hands he was going to ground her for life.
That's it Harriet though. Now he knows. And the hard bit now.
"Dad whatever side you are and whatever side I am it doesn't matter. The only thing it matters is that I'm not going to lose. I'm sure you wouldn't let anyone ruin my plans."
"You speak like the deal is already closed." He said because he knew she was right but he wasn't about to admit defeat to his fifteen year old.
"Okay that's enough about my plans for world domination tonight. Back to that shithead that has made my life a nightmare. How did I found my self in the possessed wolf. And what do we need to do for this not to happen again. Dad I got really scared tonight. What if he got into me and he found out about grandma and grandpa. They aren't like us. They won't stand a chance against him. And let's not start about all the other information he could take. We can't leave that open dad. And I'm afraid we have to ask Dumbeldore's help as he is the only one that maybe knows what is happening." Harriet stopped and a big yawning escaped her mouth.
"I have some theories I need to exam. If they won't lead anywhere I will go to Dumbeldore. But I need you to stay away from the man." Tom said as he stood up.
He walked up to her and he put his arm around her shoulders. He started walking them toward the door.
"Tomorrow I will give you some books based on forms of mind protection. We start from the basic. Maybe Severus could teach you. He is one of the most powerful mind reader."
"You don't have to worry about Dumbeldore daddy. The Toad has him locked in his office for now. But after break I will have him out of Hogwarts. For the rest of the term at least. I may have some use for him next year."
Tom stopped out of her bedroom and lifted an eyebrow questionably.
"And how did you manage this without rising suspicion to yourself this time?"
Harriet left an evil cackle to leave her lips.
"The Toad won't teach us and the students former a group to learn defence from me. I'm the best ever at Hogwarts in dada. We named our illegal group Dumbeldore's Army. I have decided to let it leak out."
Tom laughed out aloud. "You just have to look guilty then. Very well my little Dark Princess you make me so proud. Good night now Harriet." He kissed her forehead.
"Good night daddy. See you in the morning."
With that Harriet closed the door and feel in to her nice big bed to a sleep.
The next few days passed fast and the Riddle Manor was filed with more witches and wizards that ever.
Harriet could never forget Lucius face when he understood he was in a half muggle house.
And she was sure no one was going to forget her grandma scolding Lucius Malfoy's like he was a child without manners.
"I love your grandmother have I told you that? I think I would order some of the best Chocolates for today."
Drago said from were he was sitting in front of the fireplace in Harriet bedroom.
"My nana can be so good as evil. After last year she decided to stop attending the social gatherings of the muggle society my dad and grandpa live in hell." Harriet said from were she was sprawled in the floor with Hermione and Ginny.
"Why did shy stopped? I thought it was keeping her young?" Neville asked.
"The muggles started questioning how she looks so young when she is supposed to be close to her ninety. We can't tell them about magic so she just retired."
"That makes sense. Do you think she would prefer something different than chocolates?" Drago asked.
"I thought you were going to be mad Malfoy. Someone you consider lower insulting the Ancient And Noble House of the Malfoy's "Ginny said mockingly. "What are they doing in here anyway. I thought we were going to be only girls today. Even Ron didn't want to be here when he heard the word manicure." She continued pointing to Drago first and to Neville after.
The two boys had the shame to look embarrassed.
The girls on the other side shared secret smiles and Hermione changed the conversation.
"What about the ball? I won't be able to come Harriet. Neville and his grandmother won't attend. It's going to be only you and Drago."
Harriet looked wistful for a second.
"She just wished she could exchange places with you didn't see?" Ginny asked picking up the guest list from the floor.
"Yes she did. And no Harriet I won't take polyjuice potion to go on your place. Your dad will have a fit. And he is going to sniff me out before I even get to the fire place to leave."
Harriet took a miserable expression. "Well it was worth a try" she said falling back into the floor.
Her friends around her laughed with her and her unwillingness to go to a ball.