"You found this in Claridina's hideout?" Hermione frowned, looking at the Riddle family tree.
"Teddy did, yeah," Harry said. "We couldn't make much sense of it."
"Yes, well," Hermione said. "First thing you should know is that this isn't the Riddle Family tree. The only Riddle on it is Tom Riddle…Voldemort."
"Whose is it then?" Ron asked.
"Well," Hermione said, squinting to read the minuscule writing. "The earliest name is…oh. Salazar Slytherin."
"Slytherin?" Harry repeated.
"It makes sense that Voldemort's on it then," Ron said. "He was the last descendent of Slytherin, after all."
"Why would Claridina have it?" Harry asked.
"I'm not sure," Hermione said. She studied the tree. "Harry," she said after a moment. "What did you say was the name of Voldemort's mother?"
"Merope Gaunt," Harry said.
"Her brother was Morfin Gaunt?"
"Yes. Why?"
"According to this," Hermione said softly. "He had one illegitimate child. A son named Hanover.
Hanover married and had a son, who married and had another son, who had yet another son. His name was Kremolton Gaunt."
"So the Slytherin name didn't stop with Voldemort then, like everyone thought," Harry said. "Do you think Voldemort knew this?"
"I really don't know," Hermione said. "If he did, it wouldn't have made sense to destroy them. They were related to him as well."
"When was the last time this tree was updated?" Harry asked.
"About twenty years ago. The last thing that was added was Voldemort's death."
"So there's a chance this Kremolton is still alive then?"
"I suppose."
"Are you thinking of finding him?" Ron asked.
"Claridina's got to have some interest in him," Harry said. "He's the only living person on this tree. Hermione, there doesn't happen to be anyone with the initials A.M.D. on there?"
"Doesn't look like it," Hermione said. "Why?"
"Didn't think so," Harry sighed. "They'd have to be living…Ron found Claridina's will and she left some things to an A.M.D."
"Why would she just leave initials? If she was dead, how would anyone know who to give it to?" Ron asked.
"Was there anyone else on the will?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, her son."
"Then he has to know who this person is," Hermione told them. "If Claridina were to die, he would be the one who would have to distribute whatever Claridina intended to this person."
"Well, that kid's just as screwed up as she is," Ron sighed. "He would never tell us. Too bad we can't use Veritaserum on minors…"
"I can give you a list of every registered witch or wizard with those initials," Hermione said. "And sort out the ones with any sort of connection to the Dark Arts."
"Thanks," Harry said. "I've got to go find Kingsley. I think he'd like to know there might be a wizard with a relation to Voldemort running around."
…
Alexandra mulled around the shelves of the library, searching for the book she desired.
"Come on," she muttered, looking at the assortment of titles. "The Demented Demons of East Valley; De'Morte; The Death…Ah-ha…"
She pulled a large copy of Dementors: The Complete Guide to Understanding the Wizarding World's Cruelest Creatures."
She didn't even head over towards the tables. She simply sat down in front of the shelves and flipped through the pages. She stopped once she found a section that looked promising and began to read.
Perhaps the most infamous characteristic of the dementor is its ability to make those who approach overwhelmed with sudden feelings of sorrow and coldness. This, experts have found, is because as dementors approach living things, they begin to literally feed on their souls. While the soul is conserved still in the victim, unless subject to the Dementor's Kiss (see chapter 41), he or she will become weaker and frailer due to the presence. This is why wizards who dedicate their lives to the Dark Arts are very skilled in communicating and even, to a certain degree, controlling these creatures, and are not thought to feel the horrid effects the rest of the population feels. These wizards have souls that are already so destroyed that there is nothing left for the dementor to feed upon.
Alexandra closed the book. That was ridiculous…She had a soul. If she didn't she wouldn't be able to feel emotion, now would she? She had cried before…She felt happiness and sadness. You had to have a soul to feel all those things, didn't you?"
She stood up and put the book back on the shelf. She was about to head back to the common room, when she heard a familiar voice in the aisle next to her.
"Why have you been avoiding me?"
It was Wretermoust.
"I don't want anything to do with you," hissed a second voice, which she recognized after a moment to belong to Scorpius Malfoy. "Leave me alone."
"Your father's in debt to my mother, you know."
"My father owes your mother nothing," Scorpius said firmly. "He's not into the Dark Arts anymore."
"Once a follower, always a follower."
"My dad wants nothing to do with your mum. And I want nothing to do with you. Now quit harassing me."
"I see why you were put in Gryffindor now," Wretermoust sneered. "Weak…pathetic…scared."
"I'm not scared of you."
"We'll see," Wretermoust said darkly, and Alexandra heard him walk away.