This is a rewrite of the original! I am nearly a decade older than I was when I started writing this story, and I've never really let Miranda and Harry go. There are going to be some pretty significant edits and revisions so even if you've already read their story, there's more to see now!

"Miranda, please pay attention." Gellert Grindlewald said, teeth grinding, only barely keeping his voice calm.

The girl looked back up in his direction, face wide eyed and ernest as she often was, "I'm sorry, Papa, it's just...today."

He sighed, nodding listlessly, "It's the thirtieth of December." He knew where she was going with this before she spoke another word. "Miranda." He reproached.

She made the awful noise she normally did when something displeased her. "Papa, it's Tom. His birthday is tomorrow." She looked up at him, her sightless hazel eyes filling with tears as she pleaded, "Might we rescue him now?"

It had been two years since he had taken the girl from her brother. Two years since he'd gained the daughter he'd never known he'd wanted. He had simply needed a successor, and using a spell to track Salazar Slytherin's bloodline had seemed the most direct method to find the location of a suitable one. His spell had led him to Wool's Orphanage where, instead of one heir, he had found twin children who both carried Salazar Slytherin's blood in their veins. Gellert could still vividly recall how he'd felt finding them, and how Miranda, his little surprise, had hidden behind her brother:

Mrs. Cole, the matron of the orphanage, had nodded instantly when he'd asked after anything out of the ordinary, "Odd happenings you say? Yes. Must say there are, only sometimes, mind you." Her eyes grew distant for a moment before she smiled weakly at him, "I'm sorry, are you looking to adopt?"

As much as it pained him, he was, of a sort. It was great luck that his spell had led him to an orphanage, and the odd happenings must be centered around a child for any such mischief from an employee would surely have seen them sacked. It would be possible that the darkness would need to be fanned in the child in question, nurtured, and that might not be possible unless he took it with him. He spun a tale to the woman, "I'm a man of patience, but I'm getting on in my years and the prospect of having a child of my own is dimmer than it ever was. Is there a particular child that the oddness seems to follow?"

Without another word to him, the woman had walked to the door of her office and bellowed into the hall, "Tom! Miranda! Someone here to see you!"

The boy had come in cautiously a few minutes later, watching Gellert's every move. "What do you want?" He asked, his green eyes glancing for an escape route.

"I simply want to ask you if you know anything about your past." Gellert said calmly.

"Our mother died right after Randa was born." The boy had answered shortly, the shape that must have been the little girl still cowering behind him.

She had been right to fear him of course, they both had. "Who is this 'Randa' you speak of?" He'd goaded, hoping to at least get to look at what he had to work with.

Slowly, she had stepped from behind her twin, their hands falling to their sides, and a soft bell like voice emanated from her slight frame, "I am, sir." She at least had manners, Gellert had noted dryly. She was also blind, it was obvious when he noticed how she didn't exactly look at him, but rather off to his right side, her hazel eyes unblinking.

She was a pretty little thing, if you liked children that is, with long dark hair, brown where her brother's was black. She and her brother shared the same basic facial features, and the same pale skin. The most he could tell was that they were guarded, suspicious creatures, and the girl quickly retreated back to Tom's side where he reclaimed her hand tightly. A tiny spark of magic flared between the two, invisible to all but the three magical individuals in the room. Yes, these twins were magical, without a doubt.

The two were also very close, something that Gellert planned to use to his advantage. "What are your full names?" He asked, trying to look at them kindly.

The boy set his jaw, refusing to answer, but the girl spoke for him, "He's Thomas Marvolo Riddle, and I'm Miranda Merope Riddle." She swallowed once before asking, "If I may ask. What is your name, sir?"

"Gellert Grindlewald, pet." Already, a plan had formed in his mind, the girl simply could not be his heir, and as attached as the boy was to her, he would not leave his sweet sister behind to embrace his dark heritage. Little Miranda was Tom's lifeline into the world of the innocent.

"This will just not do." Gellert thought, startled that he had spoken the words aloud.

"Pardon?" The little girl asked.

"Nothing." He had said. It was a simple solution, the girl would have to go.

He stood, staring at them, contemplating ways to dispose of the girl when the booming voice of a teenaged boy had filtered into the office. Miranda stiffened, letting loose a gasp as her eye widened in fright, just as darkness filled her brother's face, "You're alright, Randa."

"Hush, you two." The matron snapped. A quick glance into her mind revealed more than he could handle. Like Ariana, Miranda had been violated. Tom had killed the boy who'd done it, but no one could prove it, the matron just instinctual knew he had. Gellert knew better. No one had avenged Ariana, but Tom's justice had been swift, that was the only reason the little girl in front of him hadn't ended up just like Ariana. It was the darkness in Tom that had saved her, but the fear remained because not everyone who had participated in her abuse was dead. Something deep inside Gellert, long buried, forced him to make a change to his plans.

He'd gone back to the orphanage several times over the following weeks, before bringing Miranda home and making sure her brother would never ask after her.

Miranda just had to ask about him again though, the silly girl was forever pining for her brother. He'd hoped vainly she'd forget, they had just hardly been nine years old when he had separated them. He was apparently less at ease with children than he'd hoped, which wasn't a terrible stretch. His thoughtful silence stretched on, and the air sparked around Miranda. He smiled at that. She had held her brother back, caused him to protect rather than attack, but Gellert was no fool, she was just as powerful as Tom was. His instinct had told him, however, that she just couldn't be there to subdue the darkness Tom held.

Gellert's instincts had proven correct, Miranda was a sweet girl, she'd fallen sort of in love with him and had started to call him 'Papa' after only two months of living with him and his elf Claudius. She was nearly eleven, just two days shy actually, it was time to tell her that what she sought was no longer in his reach, "Miranda, pet, Tom is gone."

The girl just looked at him dully, "What?" Her voice cracked at the top and he put on his best sympathetic look even though she couldn't see it.

"Pet, I went back to get him, but he was gone. Do you remember the man I told you about?"

"Albus Dumbledore? Did he take my brother?" She asked, raising her voice.

"Yes, pet. He was taken to Hogwarts by Albus Dumbledore." The name hurt to speak aloud, just like it always did, but the hurt at the name wasn't as bad as the regret that it carried behind it. The fanciful part of him liked to imagine that Miranda was theirs, the best parts of him and all of Albus in a girl who looked as if she'd stepped from the pages of a fairy tale.

"The magic school?" She said, interrupting his thoughts, and Gellert was proud of her, she learned things quickly. It was so much easier to teach her things that way.

He hummed in confirmation, "Precisely, I cannot reach him there, but he is safe in it's walls."

The girl's face scrunched up in frustration, "So, you're just going to leave him in that dank old place?"

Gellert rolled his eyes, did the girl not notice that they lived in an abandoned Bulgarian castle? It was dank, and certainly very old. To his upmost displeasure, the child often fell pray to the common cold, and no manner of warming charms seemed to keep the nagging illness at bay. His hope was that as her magic became more controlled her body would better regulate itself, or at the very least she could cast warming charms on herself. They were always more efficient that way. "Pet, we live in an equally dank castle."

She shook her head, "It's nice here!" She was only saying that because she couldn't see how nasty it was. He could take her to the most horrible parts of Nurmengard and she would still adamantly declare that it was the nicest place she'd ever been.

"It's no matter. Hogwarts is the safest place for Tom, much safer than that orphanage would be." At the mention of her previous home, Gellert watched her put a hand on her right arm, which upon taking her from that place, he had discovered had been broken severely and never set properly. Fixing that had been a painful experience for the both of them.

He touched her cheek, "Miranda, he is safe, and he will be learning how to control his magic just as you have been."

He'd developed even more of a soft spot for the little witch, and when he had time away from the 'greater good', he taught her everything he could, most of all... magic. In his absence, Claudius oversaw her book learning, and told her stories of elves through the ages. In the beginning, Miranda had reminded Gellert of Albus' Ariana, and the similarities continued to be uncanny. Miranda was brimming with magic, but with no way to control it simply based on a disgraceful lack of knowledge. She was better now, and had done very well in spite of her disability.

"I want to be with Tom." She said stubbornly, pouting, her hazel eyes staring straight at him. That was the most remarkable thing about her, while she couldn't see still, she could see magic every so often, including that within wizards and elves. She described it as dim swirling balls of color, and had told him that each one was different. But, since she actually had no idea what color was, she couldn't tell them what colors she actually saw. Gellert and Claudius' had come to no conclusion as to why she saw magic besides the fact that she and her brother were overflowing with it themselves. It was mostly only useful so she didn't panic about being alone and could find the both of them on her own. It still didn't keep her from running into walls and such things. Which she did, frequently.

"It's not safe, pet. It's not safe for either of you to be left out in the open. It's a dark time. I could protect you both, but it would weaken me considerably and most certainly require Claudius' constant monitoring of the spells. As long as Tom is in a safe place, you should not worry about him." He hated getting on to the girl, but he had to stop this now. He loved her enough that if she begged for long enough, he knew his resolve would waiver.

Claudius checked on the boy from time to time, and had told Gellert about him. He was a good boy, at the moment, he appeared to be rising above his inner demons to be a kind, well behaved teacher's pet. But so had Gellert. It was a delicate stage for the boy, he was fighting hard, trying to be a nice person. It would only take one incident for his inner shell to crack. If she went to him now, it would never happen.

"We will get him back, but not now. Speaking of birthdays..." A smile formed on her face. As much as she focused on Tom's birthday, her's was only the day after, and she often forgot all about herself in favor of focusing on Tom's birthday. The twin's were born a half hour apart, after all, Tom in the last minutes of December 31, 1926, and Miranda before the first full hour of January 1, 1927 had passed. "I have something for you."

"B-but, my birthday isn't for another two days." She said, trying and failing to keep her excitement off her face.

Gellert took her hand, "Yes, but I want to see you smile before then. Close your eyes."

"Why?" She said questioningly. "It's not like I can see anything."

"Just do as you're told, pet." He growled, thinking that she sounded far too much like a young woman when she said that.

She closed her eyes reluctantly. Gellert pulled her arm towards him, twisting his gift around her wrist. "Now, this belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"One of the four Hogwarts founders."

Gellert smiled at her wit, "Yes, now let me finish. Since it belonged to him, and then to his daughter, it is only proper that it belongs to you now. I've added a little something to it, which you should enjoy." He hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Happy birthday, Miranda. Open your eyes."

That was the first birthday Miranda actually felt happy. To her Papa's displeasure, she was running around like some hellion. She could see! In color! That had been what he added to her bracelet. When she had opened her eyes, the whole world in full color. She'd never told her Papa, but she had seen before, every time she'd ever held Tom's hand after they'd marked each other.

It was something they'd agreed never to tell anyone. Both of them had cut each others palms. The marks were shaped like "s"'s, on her right hand and his left, together, they created the sign of infinity. Tom had told her that he would always love her, and he would never hurt her. They had discovered after that, that when she held his hand, she could see, but only in black and white, very dim but she could see. Now, thanks to Salazar Slytherin's trinket, she could see in full color like anyone else.

Gellert had told her that the eyes of the silver snake that fit firmly against the skin of her wrist contained shards of something called the Resurrection Stone. She loved it, but had no idea of the magical significance, and wouldn't for many, many years.

He was pleased that she was happy, and had gotten a good laugh when she had eyed the slime on the wall with tangible disgust. "This place is really a hovel, isn't it?" She'd said, and he had been obligated to affirm her observation.

Over the next two years, Miranda grew more and more lovely. She also grew more and more restless, but not about her brother, "Papa! Can't Claudius take me to... somewhere?" Gellert gave her a dark look, but the teenager just scowled right back at him, "I'm thirteen, Papa, I should be able to leave the house every once and a while!"

Gellert eyed his charge thoughtfully, she was getting to be quite the handful, much different from the docile thing she had been during those first years. She'd changed the whole look of the place, cleaning the areas they used for living, even to the extent where Claudius had slammed his hand in the kitchen with a meat tenderizer out of guilt for not cleaning enough. She had spent the next week helping the elf with everything and the two were adorably close now, but Claudius was still uneasy about allowing her to help him with his chores, he didn't understand having a master actually help. Gellert suspected that it had something to do with the fact that she had spent most of her life raised by people who expected her to pull her own weight, and had probably punished those with idle hands.

"Alright." He said to her she was unfortunately becoming more and more stubborn, Gellert planned to use it to his advantage. She needed her own wand. "I'll have him take you to Diagon Alley."

Her face lit up, "Diagon Alley! Really?" She threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you!" She smelled like the soap Claudius had purchased when they'd brought her home, claiming that she would like the lavender scent. It had been the only soap she would ever use, to Claudius' delight, because Gellert had told him that she wouldn't like it at all.

He rubbed her back and summoned Claudius with a snap of his fingers, "I'd like you to take her to Diagon Alley." He tugged the girl away gently, "Miranda, go get a bag, you're going to need something to hold your galleons in."

"I'll be back in a moment!" She yelled as she ran out his study door.

As soon as the door closed behind her, he eyed his elf critically, "She needs a wand of her own, she can't use mine forever. One of these days she's liable to put an eye out, or worse." The elf nodded exuberantly, as elves do, "Take her to Ollivander's, he'll have something to fit her. He's much better than the oaf Gregoravitch anyway. If you must, take her to Honeydukes, no doubt she's read about it."

"Of course, Master, Claudius will shop with the little Mistress. Master can count on Claudius." The house elf assured, his huge yellow-green eyes blinking at his Master expectantly.

"You will allow no harm to come to her, Claudius. When's she's done, you are to bring her straight home. Don't you dare leave her alone. If I find so much as a paper cut on her..." The threat was enough.

The elf scoffed indignantly, "Mistress is Master's treasure, Claudius would never let Mistress Miranda fall into harm's way." Gellert smiled at his life long companion, they had grown up together, Claudius and Gellert. Claudius was just a few years older, and his mother and father had been the only elves that the Grindlewald family owned. Gellert knew that if there was anything he could trust Claudius with, it would be Miranda, but he just needed to make sure that the elf knew what was expected of him.

"One last thing, if you see her brother or anyone shows too much interest in her, you must bring her home immediately. No mind to what she says." He whispered the last sentence as Miranda skid back into the room, her shoes scuffing the wood floor.

She seemed so alive, and it amazed Gellert. In all his years, the only person he'd ever though of like this was Albus, the man he'd loved more than himself. Albus had betrayed him though, turned his back on him when Ariana was killed and never looked back. Miranda would never betray him, she was too sweet, the thought would never cross her mind, even when she found out that the brother she longed to see again had no memory of her.

She would only be 'safe' as long as no one knew she existed. If someone noticed how much she favored her brother, word might get to Albus and then he would go searching for her once he actually noticed that the boy's memories had been altered.

Obliviating the boy had been a simple task, and the muggles had proved even more so. While Tom was a natural Leggimens, Gellert had many years of knowledge that he stood no chance against. He knew he should have obliviated Miranda as well, but he couldn't. Even Gellert was aware that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Miranda would be the world's protection from Tom, just as Albus was from Gellert. There was always the chance that Tom could turn from the 'greater good' to the good of himself. He would need Miranda then...they all would.

As soon as she felt her feet touch the ground, Miranda took off, Claudius hardly having time to grab her hand. She was in a place she'd only dreamed of visiting and she wasn't going to miss a thing.

"Mistress!" Yelled the elf who was having trouble keeping his feet on the ground, "A wand! Remember?"

"Yes, Claudius, I remember!" She stopped so abruptly that the elf had to grab her pleated skirt to keep from flying past.

"Mistress?" He asked, noticing how she seemed miles away. She was staring at a store window. With the enthusiasm only a child could contain, she ran to the glass and joined another group of children, Claudius clinging to her side.

"What is it?" She asked in awe.

"It's a broomstick, have you never seen one before?" A tall black haired girl just a few years older than Miranda asked.

Miranda shook her head, "No, I've only just read about them."

"Well, this is the newest model, all of the boys are practically drooling over them." She held out a hand, which Miranda shook, "I'm Walburga Black. I've never seen you around here before."

"Mistress and I are only visiting Diagon Alley, Miss Black." Claudius answered quickly.

Miranda nudged him with the toe of her shoe, "I'm Miranda Riddle, it's nice to meet you."

The young Black dropped to her knees in front of Claudius after flashing Miranda a smile, "He is so cute!"

Miranda giggled at the elf's discomfort, "This is Claudius."

A boy came up and took Walburga's hand, interrupting whatever she was going to ask Miranda about her elf, "Walburga, can we go?"

"Cygnus, can't you see I'm talking?" The girl snapped at the boy that was obviously her little brother. She pushed the boy behind her with one hand, "Don't worry about him, he's the more annoying of my two brothers. What I was going to ask, is if you needed any help finding something? My brother's Cygnus, Alphard and I are on holiday from Hogwarts, we're supposed to be looking for a gift for our mother," She shot a glare at the boy, "only someone got distracted by the broomsticks."

"My brother goes to Hogwarts too!" Miranda exclaimed before Claudius could stop her. He would need to stick his head in the oven for letting her say anything.

Walburga smiled, "What's his name? Cygnus might know him."

Miranda suddenly looked uneasy, and Claudius hoped she might remember that his Master had told her Tom was safe only as long as they were separated. The poor harried elf couldn't be that lucky, "Tom! His name is Tom Riddle."

The elf sagged against his Mistress, debating about whether to snatch her away from her new friend. The young boy shrugged, pushing up his glasses, "I don't know a Tom Riddle."

The older Black shook her head, "No, you wouldn't, you're only a first year. I'm a fifth year, I don't recall a Tom, but our other brother might know him though, he's a third year, but he's in Gringotts with our father."

"No need to worry, Mistress and I must be going. Thank you for your kindness." Claudius said, pulling on Miranda's hand, "We...must...go!" She finally allowed him to pull her away, waving at Walburga and Cygnus Black, receiving a less than enthusiastic wave from the latter.

He couldn't get her to Olivander's fast enough, and pushed her inside to stand outside to make sure she wouldn't be disturbed. Olivander knew that he'd see her one day, and he stood behind his counter examining the young girl, "Hello, Miss Riddle." She looked up at him with startled large magicked blue eyes. "Don't be afraid, I've been waiting for you, Miranda. Tell your elf this won't take long, I think I have just the thing for you."

Miranda stepped up to the counter and put her elbows on it, holding her head up with her hands, her black patent leather shoes squeaking against one another. "Really?" She said, something in the old man making her trust him, "What do you think I need? Mr..."

He smiled candidly, "Olivander, dear, like the name outside, my first name is not important, it's the family name that really matters."

"Well, what is your name, then, and how did you know mine?"

"Garrick, dear girl. Garrick Xander Olivander, you can see why I don't particularly like to advertise that. Promise you won't tell anyone?" He grinned conspiratorially at her.

"I promise." She said, tracing the grooves on the counter top, "But only if you answer my question."

He flinched unwittingly, she had sounded like her brother just then, "I've been waiting on you, since the day your brother Tom walked into my shop. I knew he was special, and I knew that you would come. I just had to wait." He plucked a box from under the counter, "I've been holding this for you." He opened the box and held it out to her. Miranda just stared at it, unsure of what to do. "Take it, Miss. Riddle." His smile returned, "My, my, I see you're a bit more hesitant than our Tom, he took every wand I offered without a second thought. Ruined quite a few of my lamps. But I have a feeling that this one will work for you."

Tentatively, Miranda took the wand from the box, "How do you know?"

"My dear, I made this wand with two others. A sister for two brothers."

"Brothers?"

"Yes, this wand is ten and a half inches, holly and a core of Phoenix tears. Your brother's is Yew, thirteen and a half inches and a Phoenix feather core." He said, watching the girl hold a third of his most precious creations.

She held it to the light, examining it with a critical eye, "I wasn't aware you could give a wand a liquid core."

He was more than a little surprised by the knowledgable statement. "It took great care, but fortunately, the Phoenix the cores come from is fairly tempered. His name is Fawkes, if you care to know."

"Should I try casting a spell?" She asked softly, running her finger down the length of wood.

"Yes, yes. Go on, give it a go." He took her hand and steered the wand away from him, "Just not over my way." She giggled a little and he smiled at her. Her joy was infectious, and it brightened his spirit to see how joyful she was, unlike the void of her brother.

She then became engrossed in the wand, slim in her hand. "Wingadrium Leviosa." She said, and the inkwell in front of her hovered above the counter while a silver light filled the room, leaving both occupants breathless.

"Fascinating."

"You were right!"

"I'm always right, my dear. Or at least very close to right." The old man boasted.

After she had paid him, Miranda hung around, ignoring the beady eyes just on the other side of the glass, waiting on her, "I'd like to learn. It seems like you know people. I want to know people. I do get so lonely."

He studied her for a few moments, "Well, it just so happens, since my late wife and I had no children, I'm in need of an apprentice. You seem to have a fair eye for wands. Would you like to give it a trial run? Perhaps spend a few afternoons with an old man?"

"I'd love to, but my Papa might not let me. He's very protective." She said, looking at her new wand again.

Olivander looked at the elf outside, "Tell him I have no problem if you bring your elf with you, he's welcome to come and watch."

Claudius took her home as soon as she walked out the door, and set to berate her for telling Walburga so much about herself and Tom. When the angry elf had told his Master, the Dark Lord had laughed, "Did you say Black? Walburga? I haven't seen that whelp in years. She's as lovely as her mother I'm assuming. Pity if she takes after Pollux. He's loyal, but not much of a looker."

MIranda was delighted, she might have found a friend she could hold on to.

She would be right. Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe were followers of the Dark Lord, although he would never tell Miranda that. "I'm a business acquaintance of Pollux, though I haven't seen his family since their youngest was in nappies."

"I liked Walburga. Might I see her again sometime? If you know her father, perhaps we could be friends." She hedged carefully.

Grindelwald studied his daughter, as he'd come to think of her as. She looked so hopeful. There certainly wouldn't be any harm in letting her spend time with Walburga Black within the confines Grimmauld Place. One conversation would be all it would take and the ancestral home would be as safe for Miranda as Nurmengard was. That was another thing he never told her, that they lived in a castle that resided within Nurmengard, like the Hogwarts Room of Requirement, it's own place, unplottbale and completely safe. "Yes, I'll visit Pollux tomorrow and see if you can visit. Claudius must go with you, of course."

"It's alright! I think Walburga was quite taken with him."

"Of course she was, she thought her drool covered stuffed dragon was cute too." Gellert grumbled, amused by the panicked look on his House elf's face, yes, Miranda would have a friend, and he could find a way to make sure that even if he fell, she would be safe. He could feel the threat of Albus grow everyday, and when the time came for them to fight, no matter how hard Albus tried, he wouldn't be able to kill him.

He'd heard about Walburga Black, beautiful, a bit too kind for her family, like her brother Alphard, but very, very smart. She was a bright witch with a gift in altering spaces from reality, in fact, it was probably a Hogwarts student such as her that had created that ever useful Room. Yes, Walburga would be a nice tool to have in hand, the closer she and Miranda were, the more she could be persuaded to do for his cause.

"Thank you, Papa." Miranda said, hugging him gently. She'd decided to wait to ask him about Olivander, get one victory before asking for more. "Goodnight!" She yelled as she ran to her room, her mind racing with how much her life had changed in one day.

"Goodnight, Pet." He whispered to the gloom around him.

Let me know what you think!

-Jenn