Scales and Fangs

by GremlinLorde

Merope Gaunt receives a new lease on live in the help of another soul the summer before her eleventh year. She escapes her abusive father and brother and finds a new guardian. She goes to Hogwarts to have an adventure of her dreams. She feels unbound from the fate she was meant to live but how long can that last? AU. Cross Posted on AO3.

1. Chapter 1

June 17th 1918

Merope was a pitiful child of a broken home. She dreamed of both her father's and brother's acceptance and of a true escape from their torment. As the sun set on an early summer day her father was drinking and spitting his vitriol at her. Not that he needed to be drunk to shout hatefully at her, but it definitely made the experience much worse. Thankfully he refrained from using his wand when he wasn't sober. He already hurt her enough with magic when he wasn't inebriated. Merope huddled in the corner of their small shack shielding her head from the violence of her brother and father. She screwed her misaligned brown eyes shut. Her brother cackled madly at her pain and tears. It all hurt so much, what was the point? Why was she still alive when the only thing she could experience was pain and abuse? Marvolo finally left and fell into an inebriated sleep. Morfin in his excitement didn't stop, he escalated. He grabbed her by her lank greasy hair and hauled her out of the shack and behind it to the forest, tossing her down. He pulled out his wand and a knife, whispering in almost reverent tones about which one hurt more, or cut deeper, or drew the most blood. Merope braced herself as she was subjected to his cruel "tests". It hurt so much, everything was wet, warm, and a bit sticky. The warmth started to disappear, she shivered as the cold set in. Her mind grew foggy and her consciousness faded.

Morfin Gaunt giggled in glee to see so much blood. It enthralled him and slashed at Meropes skin over and over and over again. The smile never left his face even as she stopped moving and her breath grew more and more shallow. Her face was cut to ribbons, while most of her skin shredded. He held the knife against her throat as he reveled in her weakness. His manic grin slowly faded as blood dribbled from the small puncture on her neck. He sighed as if exasperated. "Father's gonna be angry if I kill you." He frowned before he spit on her and skulked back to the shack. Merope begged in her mind for something different, a life of joy and safety. No one witnessed Merope take her last shallow breath. A cold breeze glided past her body with whispers of change as spell shimmered around Merope before fading away. A silver light glimmered at her heart before it disappeared. Merope's wounds closed and the marks of her face faded while her skin darkened slightly and her features changed. Her face went from plain and heavy to prominent and slightly aristocratic, her hair grew thick, black, and curly. Her eyes were closed but changing as well from a muddy brown to a brilliant green in the center piercing into the outer rim of onyx black. They shifted from pointing in opposite directions to straight ahead. She drew a shuddering breath but didn't stir.

A wish is granted, a life is changed, your threads of fate slumber.

June 18th 1918

Melody groaned in pain, everything hurt, her entire body ached and cried out in pain. She opened her eyes revealing her perfectly formed irises morphing from inner brilliant green to outer black. She saw greenery surrounding her only broken by a very dilapidated shack. Where in the world was she? Melody's last memory had been reading the last Harry Potter books for the umpteenth time when she had accidentally drifted to sleep. The books, games, and movies were her escape from the world. Nothing was really wrong with her life, she had a family who loved her even if her parents were divorced. She had friends, church, and clubs. But there was always a barrier between her and the people around her. It felt as if she was always alone no matter how close she was with someone or how much time was spent devoted to them. When she was reading and seeing magical worlds through the eyes of characters, that was when she felt seen and at home. She wished more than anything to escape her life to enter her prized books. But now maybe she had, the unfamiliar surroundings terrified her. The sun was rising and she was hearing the shouting of a man from the shack. Her ears adjusted to the shouts and her eyes widened at what she heard. "...AN IDIOT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO END THE LAST OF OUR GREAT AND NOBLE HOUSE?! WE ARE THE NOBLE HOUSE OF GAUNT, THE LAST OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN'S LINE! AND YOU THINK YOU CAN END HER LIFE?! USELESS PEACE OF SHI…" Melody stopped listening as she realized where she was. "No way…" Gaunt? The mad family who lived in Little Hangleton? The maternal family of Tom Riddle?! Melody stood on shaking legs, staggering as she finally made it to her feet. Looking down at herself she realized how wrong everything looked. Her skin was unnaturally pale and yellow, her frame was skeletal, lines of scabs and blood covered her flesh. Something glinted around her neck catching her eye, a beautiful gold locked with a serpentine S inlaid with what she assumed were emeralds. "Salazar's Locket… the one who wore it… was Merope Gaunt." Melody took a shuddering breath, with all the things she'd seen and heard, there was a minuscule chance that she was not in the body of Merope. She also knew that Merope was heavily abused, that meant she had to leave. She wasn't safe here, she had to run. The shouting man was most likely Marvolo and was still going full tilt in his anger. Melody didn't wait, she looked for windows as she made her way as steady and fast as she could through the woods out of sight. As soon as she was far enough from the shack she hurried onto the road and ran full speed to the town. Her long hair whipped her face as she ran, the lungs burned, and her legs ached. She reached the houses and collapsed under one of the welcoming trees. Breathing heavily she thought about what to do now. She was a young witch in the middle of nowhere surrounded by muggles. Was she even a witch? Was she a squib like Marvolo said? Never mind that for now, how was she going to get to London? Was she old enough for Hogwarts? Would asking for help do anything but take her back to the Gaunt shack? Melody leaned her head against the tree breathing deeply. Melody… Merope… her old and she guessed new names were so similar, not in sound but in sequence and shared numbers and letters. She'd have to get used to using Merope now. She shook her head and looked around at the bustling town. The sun was climbing and the weather was warm. It must be summer or near it Melody mused. A few children came running through the streets laughing as they played what looked like tag. They might be around my body's age. Melody had been seventeen before, if she had to guess her new body looked between five and eight. But the skeletal nature of her being made her think that she could be older. One of the young boys noticed her, stopped for a moment before rushing over. He stopped again when he was close to her and his eyes widened. She glanced down and grimaced. She was still covered in blood, her ugly plain and dirty gray dress was practically in tatters. She looked back up at him as he made a split second decision. "Tag! You're it zombie girl!" He zipped away yelling at his friends. "Zombie girl is it!" Melody felt disgruntled at the nickname but her competitive streak kicked in with her ire. She jumped up and took off after the boy and his gaggle of friends. She barely managed to catch one and shout tag before she escaped with her strained lungs. She felt like she was dying from lack of air and her body felt heavy. She pushed on taking seconds to recuperate when she could. A smile adorned her face as previous worries were forgotten as she laughed. Eventually the sun had descended and was reaching the horizon. They each said goodbye and ran home waving their arms. She was alone again, and her previous forgotten woes rushed back in a flurry. Melody made her way back to her tree. She sank to the ground exhausted, thirsty, and starving. Her stomach ached and protested at being empty. Even if she went back to the Gaunt shack, there would be no food for her, only pain. She laid down and curled up unable to think of what to do but sleep. The sun had long gone down as she was just starting to drift when she heard muffled voices. "I told you there was a zombie girl!" a young boy crowed confidently. Jerking her head up she saw the boy she had started the game of tag with that day. "Hush boy, that's not how you talk to people." He was accompanied by a man carrying a lantern who must have been his father. As they approached Melody she scrambled to her feet. The man took in her appearance before gruffly asking, "You alright girl?" She froze, not sure what to do or say. She desperately needed help but her pride demanded she not ask for it. She was practically an adult before she arrived here and had been taking care of herself ever since she was younger than Merope was now. Her silence must have been taken for a no because the man reached out his hand and spoke again. "Come on sprite, we don't have much but we have enough to help you out for a bit." Melody's stomach grumbled loudly and the man smiled gently at her. She gingerly stepped forward and lightly took his fingers. They walked a few streets in lantern light before reaching a small house that had a slightly plump woman waiting at the door. The woman guided her away from the man and boy. "Come along dear, we'll get you cleaned up, fed, and down for the night." The woman led her into a small kitchen and sat her at the table. A large pot sat on the stove. She ladled a bowl out of it and cut a slice of bread from a loaf. Once it was placed in front of her with a glass of water, the woman bustled around the kitchen. The soup tasted divine, thick with potatoes, meat, and other vegetables. Her hunger had her eating so fast she nearly choked. "Slow down dear, it's not going anywhere and you'll upset your stomach if you fill it too quickly." Melody nodded and continued to eat. When she had finished the woman brought over a warm basin. "Let's get you cleaned up dear" She undressed Melody before she could protest, exposing just how sickly and injured she really was. The woman let out a small gasp before she collected herself and soaked a cloth. "Not to worry dear, you'll be fine." They worked together to get all the blood and grime off. When they finished wiping her down they put her hair in the basin, removing as much grease as they could. The woman took some scissors and cut off the lank dull hair at the bottom without a word of how strange it was. Finally she was dressed in a loose brown smock. "What's your name dear?" Melody swallowed hard, "Mel-Merope". The woman gave her a look, "Just Merope dear?" What should she do? Will she be sent back to the shack if she says her last name? "Y-You won't send me back. Promise you wont send me back!" Her desperation was palpable and the woman blinked in surprise. "Alright dear, we'll do our best." Melody shuddered and whispered her name. "Merope Gaunt, my name is Merope Gaunt. Please don't send me back there." Melody didn't realize how much she feared returning. She hadn't experienced any of the abuse directly but her body shook violently, and she instinctively knew that any future in the Gaunt shack would be torture. The woman's eyes widened in shock. "Gaunt? As in THE Gaunts?" Melody nodded sharply. "I see… let's get you to bed and see what we can do in the morning." Melody nodded again in understanding. She was guided to a small guest room. She sank into the bed and snuggled into the blankets. It was so comfortable that she fell asleep immediately.

June 19th 1918

The next day brought changes that I could only dream of in my current situation. A full English breakfast, an actual bath in the wash bin, and a plan from the couple who I had only met the night before. The couple sent their son out to play and sat with me at the table. The man started first, "Well first off, we know you can't go back to the Gaunt's shack. You look dead on your feet and if we had to wager on the amount of wounds you have, then I'd say you about died or will die if you go back." My heart pounded as I let out a small breath of relief. The woman jumped in "So the problem is, if you can't go back where do you go? I don't mean to be insensitive about your relatives dear but they're a bit… well… insane." I nodded and she continued. "The man who lives there has been known to attack people for less than reasonable reasons. There's no orphanage in this town and even if there was, it would still be dangerous for you." My heart was beating, and blood was roaring in my ears. I forced myself to listen, if they didn't have a good plan I'd run again. "So we think it's best to send you to London. You'll disappear from your relatives and be able to live a decent enough life at one of the orphanages. Now the question is how to get you there. We don't have much money and neither of us can leave town with our financial situation." My head dropped as my hopes escaped like air from a deflated balloon. "We think it would be best to take you to the church or the Riddles." My eyes shot to theirs. THE Riddles? That is either a fantastic idea or a bloody disastrous one. My preconceptions suggest the latter. "The church gets most of its funding from the Riddles, and they like to flaunt their charity." They waited for a response and I nodded my head in agreement. What was I going to do, turn it down? "Good, let's go then, I'll take you to the church but Barty needs to get to work." Her husband nodded and prepared to set out. After they gathered what they needed I followed the wife, while Barty departed for his work. The walk to the church was awkward even as she tried to make small talk. The few houses they passed were all made of stone with tile roofs. The image nailed home that she really was in the early 1900s. We finally reached the small church and went inside. The local priest greeted us and upon hearing my name looked at me sharply. The woman explained my need, and asked for the church's help. The priest was immediately shaking his head. "We don't have the means to do such a thing, I can send a message to the Riddle's to see if they would be willing to intervene but it's highly unlikely." With our agreement the message was sent, and I settled on one of the pews to wait. "Sorry dear but I need to get to work, you'll have to handle it from here." I thanked her as she left even as anxiety was clawing at my heart. An hour later a young man came into the church looking around. He spotted me and made his way towards me. "Are you Merope Gaunt?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Good, Mr. Riddle has invited you to Riddle Manor to further discuss your request."

After accepting I was led through the town once again. The surroundings I saw blurred as I sank into my own thoughts. Everything was moving so fast but at the same time excruciatingly slow. Marvolo and Morfin must have seen that I'm missing by now. They probably won't search for me immediately, and will just expect Merope to come back. But after a day or two maybe three they would absolutely come to hunt me down. By that time I need to be far away and out of their grasp. That means I need to leave no later than tomorrow, but today would be better. Something jostled me and I snapped out of my dazed state. Before me was a large manor with ivy growing on its walls. A large and magnificent garden surrounded the building. The young man who led me here guided me inside and into a comfortable parlor. A maid came in almost immediately and served tea with biscuits. It tasted heavenly. Despite Melody's experience with delicious food, it seemed that Merope's body experiencing it for the first time made it seem overwhelming. By the time most of the Biscuits were eaten a Middle aged man finally entered. He sat across from me and the same maid brought in fresh tea. He seemed to scrutinize and contemplate my very being as he silently sipped his tea. He finally speaks.

"I assume you know who I am, and that I am speaking with Miss Gaunt?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now tell me why you're here. What is it you want from me Miss Gaunt."

I set down my tea and looked him in the eyes. "I'm seeking refuge from my relatives, Mr. Riddle. I wish to go to London so they won't find me. Your assistance in this matter would be most appreciated."

He considered me for a moment before replying. "Why are you seeking refuge?"

I raised my eyebrow, "My father and brother are insane Mr. Riddle, the type of insane that mindlessly attacks the people around them for pleasure."

"Hmm, your reasons are clear and I am in a position to assist you. However, I have no incentive. Unless you have something of value to offer?"

My eyes widened and my mind raced. What in the world could I offer to the richest man in the area? I felt the cool gold locket against my chest carefully hidden beneath my smock. Not that, something else but what. Merope was supposed to be very ugly but looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror this morning showed that I was fairly beautiful now. No, that's not something I can consider either. But what?

"Mr. Riddle? What would be a reasonable incentive?"

Thomas Riddle smiled like a shark at my question as if he was waiting for it. "As you most likely know Miss Gaunt, my family owns almost all of the open land in this area. All except the parcel of land belonging to the Gaunts. I've previously tried to buy this land from Marvolo Gaunt but he doesn't reply to my letters and chases my servants away scared to death. There are two ways to achieve this desire. The fist is through betrothal and inheritance."

My heart dropped, no way, that is not happening. He must have noticed the look on my face because he chuckled.

"Despite your haggard state you do have a pleasant face and disposition, however your status is rather lacking." I bristled at this but he continued. "The second is through contract and sale. This one is risky because you could disregard this deal when you're older. What is your stance, Miss Gaunt?"

I can tell he's testing me, searching for signs of deceit. I smile at him. "The Gaunt Shack and property mean nothing to me, I would gladly be rid of it if I could. However because I am young and they are still present I have no power over it."

He hummed again as he already knew that I had no power. "It seems we are at an impasse. Unless you would like to hear my suggestion?" My spine straightened and my eyes focused, as I waited expectantly. "My suggested alternative is a combination of my appeals." My eyes narrowed and he continued. "You will become his betrothed and sign a contract. The contract will state that you must marry into the Riddle family or sell us the property. The betrothal will give me a way to track where you are, while ensuring that you will sell the property to us. After all, why would you even try to marry into a family that forsakes you. Even if you accepted the marriage I'm certain my son would soon become a widower. This ensures we still receive the property." A shiver ran down my spine at his words, this dude actually threatened to kill a child. "Anything you would care to discuss on the matter?"

I held my defiance as I clearly spoke my next words, "I have no issue with the proposal, however I have my own requirements." He looked surprised but gestured for me to continue. "First, I will be safely guided to London as soon as possible, second you will give me a decent price on the property when I am able to sell it, and third I request five hundred pounds upon my departure. The five hundred pounds will be deducted from the final sales price of the Gaunt property."

He appeared stunned for a moment before he hid his surprise. He considered my demands before giving a brief nod. "I find your terms acceptable, and will have the contract drawn up immediately." With that he left the room and I was left to my own devices. I leaned my head back and let my mind wander. As my thoughts stirred my hand wandered to my locket and traced it through the smock. With my path cleared I could finally consider my next steps and consider my future. I was going to fight like hell to get into Hogwarts, no way was I going to be uneducated in wizarding society. I was monetarily set for at least a little while so no issues there for now. I'll need to convert the pounds to galleons. I'll also need to find out how old I am, and if I have any sane relative that would take me in. That means a blood test. In fanon Gringotts always handles that, but the ministry is also an option if that's a bust, if all else fails I'll have to search through some bookstore for a spell. Once I've found some candidates, I'll write them letters to introduce myself and ask for aid. I nodded to myself. As long as I wasn't past my eleventh birthday, I should still get a Hogwarts letter. The door clicked open, snapping me out of my thoughts. I dropped my hand, lifted my head, and opened my eyes. Mr. Riddle entered followed by another man smaller in stature with round glasses. If I had to guess I'd say the man was the solicitor. A contract was handed to me and I carefully read each sentence. I finished and couldn't find any fault. The contract with its copy was signed and one was taken away. A minute later a maid brought in a covered tray. The cover was removed revealing the five hundred pounds in a variety of bills with an envelope. Two bills were fifty pounds, ten bills in twenty pounds, ten bills in ten pounds, and twenty bills in five pounds.

"Your request was to leave as soon as possible. When do you wish to depart?"

"Today would be preferable. I believe that my relatives will be looking for me soon."

"I can see why that would be a problem. Very well, I will prepare your guides and have the horses readied."

When he left I gathered the bills into the envelope, it was quite full but still fit well enough. A maid brought in some sandwiches. I thanked her and ate all of them quickly. Time seemed to crawl to a stand still as I sat waiting until finally I was led outside. A flurry of activity happened around me. Someone put a dark green cape around my shoulders and a dark brown leather satchel over it. I managed to slip my envelope into the satchel before someone boosted me onto a large shire horse, and plopped me down in front of a middle aged man. He adjusted my position in the saddle, and Mr. Riddle saw us off. Us as in me, the middle aged man, a young adult man, and two horses. I felt uncontrollably jostled as we made our way to I don't know where. It was a long and uncomfortable ride, and by the time we dismounted I was shaking with more than relief. We were at a train station, a fairly out of the way kind. It had a single building surrounded by a wooden platform on one side of the tracks. The younger man and I went inside where he purchased two tickets for the train into London. The timing was pretty good as the train was supposed to arrive within half an hour at 1:30 pm. With the confirmation from the younger man, the middle aged man left with the horses. It all happened so fast from there. The train arrived, took us to London in roughly three hours. The Station was huge with a large arching roof reaching over the platforms and track. When we exited the station, the young man enlisted a hansom cab that took us to the nearest orphanage. What I did not expect was to see the sign out front say Wool's Orphanage.

I could already tell that this place was going to be unpleasant for me. The proprietor Mr. Acker barely looked at me, and didn't care to get any information about me besides my name. After he put the scarce details on the form and spoke briefly with my guide, he led me away while my guide left. The walls were a grimy yellow which was most likely white at some point, not by lack of care but from exceedingly old and flaking paint. The floor creaked with every step we took through the building. Many eyes peeked out of doors to look at the new girl. Being ogled at made me very uncomfortable. I stared down every pair until they each disappeared. In my last life I was told multiple times I had R.B.F. which would often deter people from talking to me. I suppose it helped me deter the eyes of the children here. We reached a plain worn door, and he opened it. Inside were two wrought iron beds and a small dresser beside both.

"You're on the left, I'm sure you'll meet your roommate soon. Dinner is at seven, Breakfast is at eight. After breakfast you will do chores until noon. Then you'll have lunch. After that you may do as you wish as long as you are not loud and do not cause trouble for anyone. Be in bed by nine." With those words he shut the door. Staring blankly at the door didn't change the unease and confusion I found myself in. I don't really know how to feel, if it were the real Merope then she would probably be overjoyed. I wanted to run immediately to Diagon Alley, but that would be foolish. If no wizard family will take me in then this place has to be my backup plan. Less than an hour until dinner, and I didn't feel like interacting with the other residents or exploring this desolate building. Instead I looked through my satchel to see what they gave me. An apple, a small loaf of bread, trousers, a shirt, knickers, and a pair of socks. In summary a change of clothes and some food. I smiled gratefully at the gifts as I meticulously repacked them with my envelope. I'd have to keep the satchel on my person at all times to avoid anyone pilfering my items.

Dinner soon arrived and it was disappointing. The meal, if you could call it that, consisted of a slice of tough bread with a small serving of baked beans. I ate it all knowing that my body didn't need to be weakened further by my particular palette. The children around me acted subdued and quickly looked away when I found them staring. Once that was over I retreated to my room only to find another girl rifling through my dresser. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked with bitterness. I hadn't put anything in there yet but I hadn't expected this to happen, especially not today. The girl jumped before sneering at me. Her eyes flickered to my satchel then back to me. She examined my skeleton frame and her sneer deepened. "Doesn't matter, I'll take what I want eventually." She looked nearly thirteen and was definitely bigger and stronger than me. I rolled my eyes at her and climbed into bed holding my satchel close. No way was she getting anything I had. I could feel her watching me until she too turned in for the night.

June 20th 1918

The next morning showed that the previous day had taken its toll. I was still a little tired and more than a little sore when it was time to wake up. Breakfast was an unsatisfactory bowl of cold gruel. What followed was washing clothes, scrubbing and peeling potatoes, and then scrubbing floors. Finally lunch was served. I was exhausted. My body shook as I sat down to eat only to see how pink and raw my hands were. I shifted my focus to my food as I couldn't change anything but my hunger at the moment. Thankfully it was a nice thick stew filled with vegetables, some tough meat that had been softened, and the potatoes I and others had peeled this morning. It was hearty and served with a slice of the same tough bread from the night before. I tore away pieces that I soaked in the stew. I enjoyed every bite since it was filling and actually tasted acceptable. When I was finished I slipped away, out of the building, towards the gate. One of the employees was there, I learned her name this morning during chores. "Are you going out?" Martha asked. I nodded. "I'll be back by dinner." I had learned from eavesdropping on the other kids that we could leave the orphanage for a few hours after lunch.

"Be safe, and be back before dinner, we lock the gate before the meal is served and don't open it until after lunch is over." I nodded nervously thinking about the possibility of missing three meals for being late on my way back. "I will." I quickly made my way into the city. Now the choice is to either find and buy a map, or hire a hansom cab to take me to Charing Cross road. I sighed, a map would be better so I can make my way back if I need to, which is most likely. Pulling myself together I ask a young couple near me where I can buy a map of London. They point me to a newspaper stand two streets down. I found it quickly and asked for a map of London. With a map in hand a four pounds less than what I started with, I got my bearings and started on my way. The stand owner probably over charged me but I really don't have a feel for the cost of things yet. It took me three hours to get the Charing Cross. Not only due to my small and frail frame but also because I got lost and had to backtrack six times. Four o'clock and I really felt like I wouldn't make it back to the orphanage today, and get my errands done. I searched the streets and the shops carefully until… there it was. I now know for sure Merope or me I suppose really did have magic. I nearly jumped for joy but stifled the impulse. I had things to do. I passed through the crowd and entered the dingy pub. There were a fair number of people there, especially with children. Summer vacation I remembered. I shook my head and followed a couple and their two children through the back door and entered the passage to Diagon Alley after they opened it. After stepping past the wall I froze in awe at the amazing scenery. Flamboyant colors, flying objects, and wild products and advertisements filled the air and store fronts. Remembering why I was here after another family opened the entrance behind me, I set my pace fast through the alley looking for the large white structure of Gringotts Bank. I realized how hungry I was after the hard work to get here. I pulled out the small loaf in my satchel and made quick work of it. I chased it down with the apple as well. Finally I found it, the goblin guards looked intimidating with their sharp teeth and dark eyes. Trying my best to appear confident I made my way inside and found an available teller. I pulled sixteen pounds from the envelope, and prepared to exchange the rest. I shuffled a bit from foot to foot as I waited expectantly with my eyes on the goblin. After a few minutes he finally looked down at me and sneered. "How may I help you?"

I took a deep breath and presented the envelope. "I'd like to exchange these pounds for wizard currency. There's four hundred and eighty pounds in this envelope." The goblin took it and counted out the pounds. He then pulled out galleons, sickles and knuts from a drawer in his desk. He seemed to be counting the amount and I counted with him. "Ninety six galleons, six sickles, and sixteen knuts." I confirmed the amount and carefully placed every coin into my satchel. "Thank you, I um. Does the bank do heritage tests?" He looked disgusted at my question. "Gringotts is a bank, not a wizards record holder." I nodded and the goblin ignored me as I left. I guess fanon was way off the mark with the whole blood and inheritance tests conspiracy. First stop was for some parchment and a quill for the letters I'd half to write once I've found the relevant spells. I looked as I walked, soon finding a shop called Quotidian Quills and Parchment. I entered inside and found an amazing variety. Inks of every color, color changing, or for secret messages. Quills of every shape, size and enchantment. Even the parchment had its own quirks. Some vibrated when left only partially filled, others spoke what was written on them aloud. I smiled at the amazing variety of magic. I looked around and found a self inking quill, and a small packet of ten normal parchment sheets. "That'll be one sickle and three knuts." I paid before taking my leave of the interesting shops. Once I was monetarily stable I'd have to take a closer look at their magical journals. I found Flourish and Blotts nearby. It was a good place to look for the spells I needed. Wait, I stopped thunderstruck, would spells even help me? I don't have a wand, and even if I did would I even be allowed to use it? I wanted to scream in frustration. What can I do? What were my options? Go to Ollivanders? No he could deny me… but he could probably determine my age, after all wizards and witches would need to be eleven to buy a wand right? He also knows every wand he ever sold which means he could know who my closest sane relatives are. With a new path forward I searched out Ollivanders wand shop. I found it after searching far too long. It was a rather plain shop and its peeling letters alluded to semi abandonment. I stepped inside with my heart pounding in anticipation. A young adult man sat behind the desk working on some sort of document. He could be a bit older as it's difficult to tell the age of wizards.

"Hello." I say a greeting and he looks up.

"Ah, a customer! Welcome lass! I'll be with you in just a moment." He finished what he was writing down before stepping around the desk. "Now I don't seem to recognize you, and I do know most of the wizarding families. Silly me, I do need to introduce myself first. Gervaise Ollivander, owner of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. It's a pleasure to meet you, and what's your name lass?" The deluge of information coming from him overwhelms me for a bit before I register the question.

"Ah, I'm Merope Gaunt. Nice to meet you Mr. "Ollivander." He stops moving and stares at me wide eyed for a few seconds.

"Gaunt eh? It's been many years since a Gaunt purchased a wand here. Even then it's rare that they do come here. Most of them are too obsessed with the past and only use their ancestors' wands." As he talked he collected a tape measure. He came back to take my measurements when he stopped. "How old are ya lass? Excuse me for saying so but you look particularly young." I swallowed my nervousness.

"I uh, I'm not sure?" He stared at me blankly.

"Not sure?" I nodded.

"I w-wanted to find a spell that could tell me in one of the bookshops but I don't have a wand." Mr. Ollivander furrowed his brow.

"Hmm, I do have a spell that does that somewhere. It's been a while since I've needed it. Give me a few minutes and I'll look for it." I sighed in relief, grateful that Mr. Ollivander was so kind. He went into the far back of the shop where he disappeared. I wandered the shelves marveling at the many boxes of wands. I turned the corner when…"

"BOO!"

"AHH" A boy had jumped out at me, giving me quite a fright. He laughed heartily before sicking his hand out and introducing himself.

"Name's Garrick Ollivander, nice to meet you." I guess some things don't change, I remember in the books that the Ollivander Harry met startled him too along with Hagrid. Garrick is most likely the same Ollivander.

"Nice to meet you too Garrick, I'm Merope."

"Found it!" An excited shout was heard from the far reaches of the store. Garrick made a break for it as Mr. Ollivander hurried back carrying a thick book that read: Know Yourself, Know Your Magic by Natalie Grousneck. "Found that spell lass, let's give it a go." He waved his wand at me in a circle with two sharp flicks as he spoke the incantation, "Revelio Tempus." Glowing gold letters floated out of his wand. I shifted my position to read what it said. 10Y 11M 13D 17H 9M 28S

The seconds kept changing as time ticked by. Mr. Ollivander pulled out a paper and wrote down what was shown and the current date and time. He scribbled some other things on it then handed it to me.

June 20th 1918, 5:09 pm.

10 years, 11 months, 13 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes.

Estimated birthday July 7th 1907 Midnight.

After taking in the information I carefully put it in my Satchel.

"Sorry lass, looks like you'll have to wait seventeen days to buy a wand. On the bright side, you'll be in the same year as Garrick if you go to Hogwarts! You have a fairly magical birthday too, three sevens is quite rare." I nodded, feeling elated and numb. I'm not too old to start Hogwarts on time. I also have to wait for my acceptance letter and to get a wand. Now I need to focus on finding a sane guardian in the magical world.

"Mr. Ollivander? Do you know how I can find out who my relatives are? Would the Ministry or St. Mungos know?" He considered for a moment before turning back to the same book he got the age spell out of. He flipped though it for a few minutes before he turned back to me with a smile.

"I found a spell that builds your family tree. It required a piece of parchment and three drops of your blood. Would you like to try it?" I nodded eagerly and pulled out one of the ten parchments I bought earlier. Mr. Ollivander handed me a small knife from Merlin knows where and guided me to his desk. I pricked the tip of my finger after a bit of hesitation over the knife. Three crimson drops splattered onto the parchment before I drew back my hand. Mr. Ollivander drew and hourglass shape and tapped the parchment three times while saying,

"Cresco Arbor Familia." The drops of blood soaked into the parchment and disappeared as crimson letters replaced them. It started with me, then Morfin, followed by Marvolo and my mother who turned out to be his niece, making her my cousin. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, no wonder Morfin and the original Merope looked so awful. The script continued showing more Gaunts with minimal marriages to other families. Most marriages were to other Gaunts that were distant cousins.

"Ew" was all I could say and Mr. Ollivander looked embarrassed at my words. He cleared his throat.

"The dark red names are the deceased, while the bright shiny ones are alive. I took another look and saw that almost all of them were dead. The only living ones remotely close to my part of the tree were Marvolo, Morfin, and… Ominis Gaunt. I remembered him from Hogwarts Legacy. Despite his rough exterior and sharp tongue, he was kind and loyal. He despised his family legacy and actively fought against it. He was one of my favorite characters from the game. I rolled up the paper and stuffed it in my bag.

"Thank you for your help Mr. Ollivander. I'll be back to buy a wand when I turn eleven." He nodded, unsure what to say as I hurriedly left. I walked through the crowd as I thought about my next move. I need to write immediately and hope he agrees to take me in. If he won't then I'll have to request guardianship from people I have no relation to. After all, I refuse to go back to the orphanage long term.

As I'm walking I spot Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. My mouth drools a little at the thought of ice cream. Maybe I'll enjoy a small one while I write a letter to Ominis. I ordered a vanilla and strawberry sundae before sitting down at a table. Once I have my parchment and quill out I contemplate how to write this letter. He hates liars so it's best to be completely honest with why I need help, and how I got here. Not to mention how I found his name. I started to write only to realize that writing with a quill is completely different to writing with a pen. Will Ominis be able to read it? He has to have a way, right? He went to Hogwarts where reading and writing are a mandatory aspect! Unless he had accommodations? No, it'll be fine, probably. We'll hope for the best. I first have to figure out how the quill works. I try multiple directions to find you can only drag the tip one way to deposit ink. The tip acts as the tail dragging behind each line you create, while keeping the hollow part of the feather facing where the line needs to go. I practice writing on my ruined parchment. I have to adjust how I write almost all of my letters, then making it look presentable. The adjusted letters looked atrocious and were barely passable. I repeated sentences until it looked okay enough. Now was the time to write the letter. I ate my delicious and creamy ice cream sundae as I wrote. I put everything I thought necessary and then read it over.

Mr. Ominis Gaunt,

My apologies for reaching out to you in this way Mr. Gaunt but I am in desperate need of your assistance. I have no other family to turn to. You most likely haven't heard of me before, however I would like to introduce myself. My name is Merope Gaunt, and I am unfortunately the daughter of Marvolo Gaunt. I am certain you are aware of his usual disposition, and I'm sorry to inform you that his son is much worse. Less than a week ago I found myself once again subject to their cruel treatment. While every incident has been uncomfortable, this one nearly killed me. I realized I needed to escape if I was to have any chance of living a relatively normal life. I ran to the residents of Little Hangleton and they assisted me with contacting the wealthy muggle family who lives there. To get to London I made a contract to sell the Gaunt Shack and Property for a fair price to them when I am of age and it is in my possession. There is more to the contract than that but I've distracted myself with pointless details. I eventually found the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley though not without a few missteps. I sought these places out because I need information and hopefully an ally who can protect me until I am of age. I fear that eventually Marvolo will look for and find me. I thought perhaps with a wand and a look through some book shops I could manage to find my exact age, birthday, and a family tree to escape him though Hogwarts and a guardian. I eventually found myself in Ollivanders shop and he agreed to help me. He found a spell that told me I'm near eleven but not quite. I'll be eleven on the seventh of next month. Another spell involving parchment, and three drops of my blood made it possible to see any relatives I might have. You are the only one even relatively close to me in blood. I hope to meet you. I'd like to know what kind of person you are, and if possible whether you'd agree to be my guardian in the future. I await your response by owl.

Sincerely, Merope Gaunt

P.S. I know this may be an inconvenience to you, but even if you do not wish to meet me I would truly appreciate a letter informing me of such. If that is your response I would also be extremely grateful if you could suggest another witch or wizard willing to speak to me. Thank you for your time.

Unexpectedly I filled the whole parchment and barely had room for the post script. I took the final bite of my ice cream with satisfaction. When I looked up I was surprised to find it was dark outside. I asked the proprietor for the time which turned out to be just after eight o'clock. I was working on writing and making the letter for almost three hours. I rolled up my letter and paid for the ice cream which was eight knuts. Hopefully Eeylops Owl Emporium would still be open. I hurried out of the shop and down the street. With the crowd noticeably thinner it was easier to spot. I pushed on the door and was relieved it was still open. A lovely barn owl took my letter after I paid the fee for two sickles. I probably should have chosen a less expensive owl. I suddenly felt exhausted from the long and complicated day. From doing hard labor chores, to walking hours on end, and finally straining my brain with plans and letters. With I sigh I realized there was no way I'd get back into the orphanage at this hour and they wouldn't let me have dinner even if I could get in. Looks like it's the Leaky Cauldron for me, even if I'd really rather avoid unnecessary expenses. A quick walk and I was back at the Leaky eating dinner and getting a room with breakfast for three sickles. I relaxed in the shower until I felt clean, finger combed my hair, and collapsed into my bed falling asleep instantly. The bed was softer than a bed of feathers and the quilt was snugly warm without being overly hot. Feeling comfortable and safe I became temporarily dead to the world.

Current Currency: 16 pounds, 96 galleons, 0 sickles, 5 knuts