~Chapter Four~
Potter's Mission
"Minerva, is she the heir of Slytherin? Does this mean that Lord Voldemort has a descendent, one of a direct blood line?" Professor Bugles asked. He had taken over the History of Magic class when the previous teacher had finally realized that he had died many years before. It had come to a shock to him, to say the least.
The head mistress looked around her office to the worried faces of quite a few teachers. Professor Longbottom and Longbottom were there, sitting next to each other, looking at her, hoping for answers. Well, Neville was. Luna was studying her hands. Poor daft girl, she was sweet, and she had a way with the students, but she was a little daft.
"She couldn't be," Neville said finally.
"Wouldn't it be rather stupid of Lord Voldy to allow his granddaughter to become a Gryffindor… wouldn't that make her his enemy?" Luna asked loftily.
"She has a point," Phineas Black mentioned from his gold gilded frame. The other headmasters cheered from their frames in agreement. The Head Mistress looked to the portraits of Head Masters past: Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.
"I wouldn't put it past the Dark Lord to allow his offspring's child to inhabit the house of his enemy," Snape drawled.
"The child should have to pay for her grandfather's mistakes," Dumbledore retorted wisely. "Interesting that Tom Riddle should have a son and be so hypocritical to leave young Riddle."
"He actually sired a daughter, a squib, with a tryst he had with a Vela," the Head Mistress told them.
"Interesting, indeed!" Dumbledore exclaimed from his frame. "A squib, no doubt! Splendid!"
"And the child's father is?" Snape asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.
"He is an unknown," The Head Mistress said quietly, "Though it is known he has taken no interest in the child. Incidentally, the mother named gave the child the surname Riddle in hopes it would hold more weight in our world than her own."
"Fascinating!" Phineas Black called. "She may as well as tattooed a snake to the child's forehead."
"I believe the child is, as we fear, the heir of Slytherin and the granddaughter of Lord Voldemort. Whether or not she possesses the evil that consumed Tom Riddle has yet to be seen," The Head Mistress said finally.
"Perhaps some Occlumency and Vertiserum?" Snape offered.
"No, no, I think time will do," Dumbledore challenged. Minerva looked away from the portraits and back at her staff. Hagrid was glancing at her uneasily.
"Lets give her the benefit of a doubt, but we should also be prudent and keep an eye on things," Minerva told her staff. The teachers agreed to Minerva's request and dismissed from the office of the head mistress.
"I think you are doing the right thing," Dumbledore told her as Minerva sat down behind her ornate desk and pulled out a piece of parchment to quill a letter to her favorite ex-Hogwarts student: Harry Potter. Once finished, she sealed it with her wand and sent it on the leg of her own personal post owl.
"Straight away to Godric's Hollow," Minerva told the owl. The owl hooted once and disappeared through the window and out of sight. It flew until it came to the house that had once been the scene of James and Lily Potter's murders.
"Harry, post! At this hour, do think anything is wrong?" Ginny asked as she handed a cup of tea to Hermione.
"No, it's probably James in trouble again," Ron quipped. "I wonder who he takes after."
"Hmm," Harry said as he read the letter. It read:
My dear Harry Potter:
Your children are fine, so please ask Ginny and Hermione not to worry, as I know they do. The children are settling in fine, and yes, your son James does already have detention. I am sure that comes to no surprised to any of you. Give my love to Ron, as I know by now he is wondering if I have forgotten him as well. Of course, I haven't.
My letter is concerning our previous discussion when I was visiting you at the Ministry. The child of the squib I mentioned to you, Rayleigh Riddle, is indeed believed by Albus and Severus as well as myself the true heir of Slytherin, and the granddaughter of Tom Riddle. Her mother, Melissa, was the unfortunate by product of Lord Voldemort coupling with a Vela named Tatiana Gorokhov. Their child, Melissa, never showed any hint of magical abilities, and it believed that she was disregarded as useless by Lord Voldemort. A squib offspring was of great embarrassment to Lord Voldemort, who naturally believed all that was related to him must have been all power-invoking.
Now, the facts grow fuzzier, but at some point Melissa and Rayleigh's father had a fling that ended in Rayleigh's conception. The father disregarded the child as an embarrassment and never claimed the child as his own. Melissa, praying her daughter would one day join our world, believed giving her Riddle's surname over the child father's name.
I need for you to confirm for me the child's parentage, especially the child's father. The mother of the child lives in Surrey, but she was unwilling to discuss the father of the child. Upon a most interesting course of events, I was able to retrieve a bit of information, specifically a letter written to Melissa Gorokhov. It is included. I believe that this information, the information of the parentage of Rayleigh Riddle, is of up most importance.
Yours Fondly,
Minerva McGonagall
Harry shrugged and turned to the second piece of paper that was included in Minerva's letter. The handwriting couldn't have been more masculine, and yet oddly familiar. He touched the rough parchment as he read:
My dearest Missy,
Did you not think that word would get back to me upon our daughter's birth. You say Rayleigh is mine, yes? Then why does she not carry my name, a most noble and strong name? I have the picture you have sent me, and I do carry it with me as always, but I implore that you change the child's name. No good ever came to the name of Riddle. Missy, my dear, I know you are angry, but you must understand. There is something to be said about my having a relationship with a squib. I love you, of course, but the job keeps me from being attached. I assume you will raise her muggle. This child was a mistake, no? A failure on our part, yes. Please understand, Missy, and give her your last name. She can not have mine with out it getting out, and I do thank you for protecting me, but not Riddle, please, Missy. Anything but Riddle. Family name or not, it is unacceptable. Please think about it, Missy. I do love you, and believe it or not, I am proud to be a father, even if I can never claim the child as mine. If she is even half the woman you are, she would no doubted be great. ~V
Harry handed the unsigned letter to Ginny and sat back in his chair. It was most curious. At one point, the writer was angry that the mother of his child had not chosen to give her his last name, and then he is thankful that the mother had protected him. Ginny shrugged and handed it to Ron who was as clueless and dumbfounded as Harry was. Harry watched as Ron's mouth moved as he deciphered and read the words.
"No clue, mate," Ron said as he handed it to Hermione. Hermione sipped her tea as she read, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the words. Harry could see the anger boiling up in Hermione. For people who had never known anything but a fulfilling magic family, Ron and Ginny couldn't comprehend how hard it was not to be wanted or to find out that you are different. Hermione and Harry had been raised in Muggle homes until they had gotten their Hogwarts letters.
"It looks familiar," Hermione murmured as she handed the parchment back to Harry. He placed it with Minerva's letter. "I supposed that you will need to go and visit Melissa Gorokhov."
"Perhaps," Harry thought as he retrieved his day planner. He had the next day free and it would give him plenty of time to drive there, the muggle way, get his answers, and be back in time for bed. "Ginny, Ron, Hermione, any of you free tomorrow?"
"I have a bunch of reports due to Shacklebolt tomorrow," Ron groaned. "Plus I don't fancy a muggle road trip, mate."
"Mum and I are shopping most of tomorrow," Ginny said.
"Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione had her own day planner, much like Harry's. She was flipping to the same day Harry was on in the book.
"I am free, just that quick Aurors' meetings, obviously, but nothing else on the books, after that," Hermione said. She glanced at Ron who was now up and rummaging through the Potter's ice box. "Ron, honestly! You ate a few hours ago."
"What? Gin's got some of my mum's steak and kidney pie here," Ron said as he pulled out a plate and a fork.
"Just be happy he is using a fork," Ginny teased. "Teddy Lupin was here a few weeks ago, and I swear he's got a bit of his father's werewolf in him, nearly ate us out of house and home."
"I think it had to do more with the fact that he is still a growing boy," Harry commented. "Victoire isn't much of a cook, I fear."
"She gets it from Fleur," Ginny said snidely. "Mum is always stressing how thin Bill is getting."
Harry half listened to his wife's gossip as he pulled out some parchment to quill a return letter to Minerva. His quill scratched on the paper as he put words down. Satisfied, he sat back and read it:
Minerva,
Hermione and I are planning to drive to Surrey tomorrow and to talk with Melissa Gorokhov. I am hoping we can get you the information that you need. You never mentioned to me what house Riddle was placed. I know that it doesn't make much difference, of course, but chalk it up to my morbid curiosity.
~Harry
Harry attached the letter to Minerva McGonagall's owl and sent him on his way back to the castle where the Head Mistress was eagerly awaiting a reply, despite the late hour. She read the reply and placed it down on her desk. He really was her favorite student. Minerva could always count on Harry to come through for her.
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