(Ten Years Later)

Harry Potter stood there, gaping at the man who just knocked down the door. The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise from the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey...." He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen in fear. "Budge up, yeh great lump," said the strange. Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon. "Ah' here's Harry!" Said the giant.

Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face, and suddenly found it hard to swallow his spit. 'Ciara', he thought, 'I think I'm in trouble. There's a giant in the house.' He could feel her stir sleepily and she answered in a pained voice, 'Are you alright? Has he hurt you?' Harry almost shook his head, before remembering that she was there with him (not that she ever was with him), 'No he's...he's smiling at me.'

It wasn't uncommon for Harry to talk to Ciara. In fact, it was a daily occurrence, not that his aunt and uncle knew though, they would lock him in the cupboard for the rest of his life if they found out. It helped make things more bearable for both of them, it help Harry when he was lonely and it helped Ciara when she was in pain. If they could meet up in real life, they would probably act like they were attached at the hip.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes." Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise. "I demand you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the hum out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it was made of rubber, and threw it into the corner of the room. Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

Harry paled slightly and Ciara could sense his growing panic, 'Harry? Harry, talk to me, what's happening?' He was frozen in shock, 'He knows me...he knew my parents...' Miles away from Harry Potter, Ciara Riddle frozen, out of shock and fear. Shock being from finding out Harry found someone willing to tell him something about his parents and fear because her mother just threw open the door.

Bellatrix sneered at her daughter, "What are you staring at?" Without Ciara even realizing it, her mother had her wand and was pointing it at her, "Crucio!!" Unwilling to let her mother hear her scream, she bit her lips, hoping she could be as strong as Wormy ever was.

Even though she was only a year old when Wormy left (she had never learned his real name), it didn't stop her from not remembering him. Just like with the Dementors, Bellatrix used the Cruciatus Curse on Ciara so many times, she started seeing her saddest/worst memories.

She had to refrain herself from letting out a curse when a small cry of pain escaped her lips. Her mother gave her a wicked smile, "Icky, little baby Ciara going to cry?" Bellatrix's smile suddenly turned into a sneer, "How pathetic. Weak." She gave her wand a harder flick, causing Ciara to wither on the floor as she felt some blood trickle out of her nose.

Her mother looked gleefully at the blood leaking out of her nose, flicking her wand harder to make more blood come out. Ciara had her eye glued shut and her jaw locked together, appearing as though it was to remain like that forever.

Bellatrix let out a psychotic laugh at her daughter's discomfort, not even batting an eye when Ciara's blood started to hit the floor. Ciara continued to shake on the ground, getting slightly lightheaded from all the blood coming out of her nose. Harry started rubbing his scar, a sure sign that he felt some of Ciara's pain, 'Ciara? Are you okay?'

Ciara felt like someone was ripping her skull in two, 'Harry...it hurts...' Harry paled slightly, not noticing the giant (who called himself Rubeus Hagrid) yelling at the Dursley's and giving Dudley a pigtail. He came back to reality when he heard the door to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's bedroom get slammed shut, shaking the house slightly.

Hagrid turned back to Harry, "Well Harry, yeh better get ready,, unless yeh want 'o stay here". Harry shook his head rapidly, causing Hagrid to smile slightly before it was replaced with a serious look. "We better get goin' Harry, I've still got someone els' teh pick up."

Harry looked out the window, "Hagrid, don't you think we should stay here overnight?" Hagrid shook his head, "We don' have time, Harry. She's been there for too long. We might no' get there in time." Harry was burning with curiosity, "Who are we going to get Hagrid?"

Hagrid looked uncomfortable, like someone just stuck a pin in his side (but a needle for him might be a pencil to Harry), "Now listen to me closely Harry, the girl we're going to pick up, her parents are awful people. Her mother tortured countless people, wizards, witches and muggles alike. Her father was even worse, she never knew him, but he was an awful man. Killed anyone who didn' join him, yer parents included."

Harry paled, "But you said that they-". Hagrid nodded, "Killed by You-Know-Who." No matter how hard Harry tried, he couldn't bring himself to hate this girl. With a mother who inflicts pain onto others and for a father to be dead her entire life, she must not of have good role models while growing up (not that he had much ether, but not as bad as she had it).

He looked back up at Hagrid, still curious but not as much as before, "What's her name?" Hagrid pulled out a piece of paper from his coat. It was crinkled slightly and a little damp, but the words were still legible, "Ciara Riddle's 'er name. But we've got to hurry if we are goin' to get to her in time."

Ciara could feel Harry's curiosity, even in her pained state, 'Harry? What happened Harry?' There was a moment of hesitation before Harry responded, 'Ciara, what's your name?' Ciara froze, forgetting about her previous task (cleaning the blood off her face), 'Why do you need to know?'

'Just please, tell me.' She could hear the note of urgency in his voice, convincing her that he needed to know, 'My name is Ciara Abigail Riddle.' Harry suddenly felt a pit in his stomach. He had been talking to the Dark Lord's daughter all this time and he didn't even know. He didn't even bother to try and hate her, he was too worried about her to even consider it.

Ciara waited for a response, only to find that Harry was gone. She sighed, she really enjoys their conversations, it helped take her mind off of her mother's torturing. Her mother grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at her, "You know when you were born, I was happy. I thought I was going to have a daughter that would be just like her Mummy. A powerful witch who wouldn't stand up to Blood-traitors, Muggle scum and filthy little Mudbloods."

Ciara resisted the urge to lunge at her mother, knowing that it would only get her into more trouble. It wasn't uncommon for anyone in the household (Malfoy Manor) to say Mudblood, it happened daily. But every time Ciara heard someone say it, she had to keep her temper in check because, it was usually her mother that said it and if she tried to attack her mother, she might as well have just signed her death sentence.

Bellatrix traced her jawline with her finger, "But no, you weren't like. You tried to help the Muggles I brought for us to torture together, so we could share a mother and daughter bond." She sneered at her daughter, "Shame of my flesh and blood!! You're lucky your father wanted to keep you. To make you like him."

Ciara had never known her father, she only heard things about him. Like how he was the most feared wizard since Grindelwald was in power. She only heard the bad things about him, but people must have known him before the evil corrupted him, right?

Probably not...

Bellatrix's sneer faded slightly, but you could still tell it was there, "We can't have that, can we? No, no we can't. We can't have a daughter who helps Blood-Traitors, Muggle scum and Mudbloods, now can we? We can't."

Her mother forced her to look at her, "I'm going to make sure you become just like your father and me. I'm going to make you one of us." She threw her daughter back down onto the ground and pointed her wand back at her, "Crucio!!!"

Ciara felt her joints lock up as pain seized her body. She curled into the fetal position on the floor, shaking like mad. Bellatrix smiled at her, but not a loving smile. It was a psychotic smile, but it was natural for Bellatrix to have that smile on her face. Especially when she was torturing her daughter.

It took Ciara all her willpower to not scream or cry out in pain. In all her time of being tortured, she had learned a few things, one of them being, never show any emotion around mother. It would just make her torturing worse. But despite the usual torture that happens every day, today was especially sad for Ciara.

It was her birthday today, but Bellatrix had failed to realize it. But what was even worse was that it was Harry's birthday as well, but it appeared that she wasn't going to be able to tell him Happy Birthday before she passed out.

There was a great, mighty boom upstairs, causing Bellatrix to pause in the middle of her favourite hobby (torturing her daughter). Soon after, there was another boom, but it didn't come from upstairs, it came from right outside the door. Bellatrix turned back to her daughter and sneered at her, "A parting gift, my love. Sectumsempra!!"

The curse left deep gashes all over Ciara's body and she couldn't take it anymore, she screamed. As soon as the sound left her mouth, there was more banging on the door before it flew open, but they were too late.

Bellatrix Lestrange had already gone.

The stranger by the door walked quickly over to Ciara, looking horrified at what they saw. Through her blurry vision, she saw a man with a bread long enough to be tucked into his pants and a long crooked nose that looks like it had been broken at least twice.

As he approached her, she tried and failed, to back away from the man. Clearly sensing her distress, he stopped a few feet away from her, "Relax dear child, I am not here to hurt you. In fact, I'm here for the exact opposite reason." The man pulled out his wand, causing Ciara to flinch, expecting the worst. But the man just smiled kindly at her and whispered, "Sana caeteris nefandae."

The cuts that were left on Ciara's body faded, as did the pain. She stared up at the man in awe, wonder, and curiosity. This man has saved my life, she thought, how can I ever repay him? Ciara practised great self-control to keep herself from crying as she kneeled at the man's feet, "Thank you, kind sir! You've saved me from my mother, how can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

The man's face lit up into a kind smile, "My dear, you needn't do anything for me. I'm here to take you somewhere you'll be safe for the next few months." He patted down his robes, "Now, where could I have put that letter?" He reached into the inside of his robes and his eyes twinkled, "Ah, now I remember."

He reached his hand into the inside of his sleeve and when he pulled it out, a letter was clasped in his hand. He held it in front of her, "I believe that this belongs to you, Miss Riddle." She hesitantly reached up to grab the letter, curious as to why someone would write to her.

When she looked at it, she didn't rightfully know what to do. When Draco Malfoy would have letters, sometimes he would sneak down to the cellar so that he could visit her, his eyes would skim the paper like he was able to understand it. What was it that he called it? Reading?

She looked down fearfully, "I'm sorry sir, but...I can't read." The man was shocked, to say the least. He thought that Bellatrix would at least taught her daughter how to read and write. He sighed, but for he could say anything, she had already focused her attention on the envelope, prepared to try and read. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, she could understand what was on the page.

Miss C. Riddle
The Dark Room in the Basement
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire, England.

She ripped open the envelope, strangely excited about what she might find in the letter. She quickly unfolded the letter and started to read.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Dear Miss Riddle,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress

She stared at the letter, looking confused. Draco had told her about Hogwarts, how it was a school for magical kids and how he was going. She looked back up, "Sir, I think you got the wrong person. I can't be a witch, nothing magical has ever happened around me."

He smiled, "My dear, has anything ever happened when you were scared or angry?" She paused; thinking back on it, strange things did happen when she was sad, scared or mad. One time when her mother left after torturing her, she had yelled at her to clean all the blood off her clothes. But she didn't have any cleaning supplies and she fell asleep, dreading the next day. But when her mother came to torture her the next day, all the blood on her clothes was gone.

She looked back up at the man, smiling slightly, "I guess you could say that." He smiled in return before pulling a watch out of his pocket., "Ah, we better leave Miss Riddle, Hagrid will be wondering where we are." He started walking out the door and Ciara just stared at him. He turned back, "Are you coming, Miss Riddle?" She froze in shock, "I get to leave?"

He nodded, "Yes child, you get to leave." She hesitantly walked after him, expecting her mother to jump out and start punishing her. She stumbled slightly, not use to walking after being forced into the basement for so long. The man grabbed her arm to steady her and she looked up at him in awe. No one except the Malfoy's had treated her with such kindness, "Who are you, sir?"

He gave her another smile, his eyes twinkling slightly, "My name is Albus, but you are to call me Professor Dumbledore." She nodded enthusiastically, "Yes Professor Dumbledore, sir." He held onto her arm as he lead her outside and she stared around her in awe. She hadn't gone outside since she was about five years old.

There were a few clouds in the sky, but she could still see the stars and the moon. He glanced down at Ciara and looked back up, "You act as though you have not seen the sky in some time." She nodded, "I haven't seen the stars and the moon since I was five. They're just as beautiful as I remembered."

Dumbledore felt awful, to say the least. He assumed that the child would be exactly like her parents, but seeing this, a child who hasn't left the basement of her home since she was a little girl, he couldn't help but feel guilty about his assumptions.

He pushed those thoughts away and cleared his throat, "Ciara, grab onto my arm and hold on tight." She wordlessly did as she was told. She had learned the hard way what happens if she didn't. She grabbed his arm and felt like she was being forced down a small tube. She held back screams of pain as she felt like her bones were going to break.

She fell to the ground with a thud and felt water beginning to pelt her skin. She vaguely remembered this happening when she was little and she was pretty sure Draco had called it rain. She looked up only to not be able to see the stars or the moon and it saddened her a little.

"Professor Dumbledore!! Over 'ere, sir!!"

She quickly turned around to find the source and Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She had begun to think that his smile could never dim, "Ah, yes Hagrid. We're over here." With spending all her time in the basement, she learned to notice the vibrations of people walking towards her and put a label on them.

Her mother's footsteps were light, but they rang throughout the halls as she would come to torture Ciara. Her Aunt Narcissa footsteps were light, but quick, soothing Ciara's nerves because she knew that if her mother was having a really bad day and took it out on her (just because she was a witch, doesn't mean she won't torture Ciara the Muggle way), her Aunt would be bringing Dobby to help her be ready for the next beating.

Her Uncle Lucius had loud footsteps, like someone who knew exactly who they were messing with and what they wanted. The kind of footsteps that someone with a lot of power would have. But Draco seemed to have a mix of his parent's footsteps. His weren't as heavy as his father but he did have his mother's quickness to his step.

But the person making their way to Ciara and Professor Dumbledore had heavy footsteps, causing the ground to shake. Ciara couldn't help but feel the need to stand behind the Professor as the footsteps grew nearer. Dumbledore kept a strong hand on her shoulder, enabling her to run away, "Miss Riddle, I'd like you to meet the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid."

She looked up and she found her spit a little harder to swallow. The man before her was a giant, with a beard (not nearly as long as Dumbledore's), kind eyes and a coat with many pockets. Ciara held out a shaky hand, "H-hello, sir. My n-name is C-Ciara R-R-Riddle." She waited for an introduction, but all she got was a laugh as he shook her hand. "I'd say, Professor, She go' a stutter 'bout as bad as Quirrell."

Dumbledore glanced as Ciara before looking back up at Hagrid, "Hagrid, make sure Miss Riddle is comfortable here. She has been severely mistreated and I would like to try and make up for that." Hagrid nodded, "Yes Professor Dumbledore." Dumbledore nodded before turning back to Ciara, "This is where I leave you, Miss Riddle. I will see you soon."

He smiled at her one last time before he disappeared with a pop. Hagrid cleared his throat, "Right then. Let's get yeh on inside." She took a step to follow him, only to collapse to the ground. She felt a spike of pain travel through her arm but she kept her mouth shut. She had learned the hard way about what happens when she cried out.

She felt Hagrid's footsteps stop and her guess was that he had turned around to see if she was coming or not. She felt him started to walk again and was surprised when she felt herself in someone's arms. She looked up to find herself face to face with Hagrid. She trembled slightly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hagrid, sir. I was going to follow you but I'm not used to walking yet, so I tripped and I couldn't get up and-".

Hagrid chuckled, causing Ciara's body to vibrate slightly, "It's alright Ciara, I don' mind." She closed her eyes and allowed Hagrid to carry her. The rain that had pelted her skin suddenly stopped and felt the warmth in the room hit her face. She smiled slightly as the warm air met her body, driving away the cold and hurt.

She heard someone scramble to their feet, "Hagrid? is this her?" She opened her tired eyes to look at the person that she had wanted to meet since she was a little girl. Her miles brown eyes mint the emerald green eyes at the person who she considered her best friend. She sent him a pained smile and wiggled her way out of hackers arms, standing unsteadily.

Hagrid, seeming satisfied that she could stand, spoke, "Well, we bette' get to bed If yeh want teh get to Gringotts." Without another word, he collapsed onto the couch, snoring rather loudly. Ciara and Harry both laughed at him, finding it a little amusing how he fell asleep so easily.

They both stared at each other, not even knowing where to begin. "N-Nice to finally meet you, Harry", she stuttered out. He smiled in return, "It's nice to meet you as well, Ciara." There was a spell of silence, neither knowing what to do. Finally coming to a decision, Ciara started to walk towards Harry.

Or at least she tried.

With her legs not being used to walking, she was a stumbling mess and it was a blessing that Harry caught her when she fell. "Happy Birthday, Harry", she mumbled into his chest, her eyes already closing. Harry chuckled, "Happy Birthday, Ciara." The last thing she felt was being set onto the ground and something soft and warm being pulled over her as she fell asleep.

3787 words