Delphini

16

Delphi sat in the room with the Augurey, it watched her, almost smiling. She stood and walked to the door, slipping out of the room and hurried across the Entrance Hall. The door opened to reveal a tall man with dark hair, smiling. His smile was not kind, it was chilling. Euphemia appeared from the Dining Room. She gestured for Delphi to go upstairs, Delphi obeyed, but, like with the blonde man, stopped within earshot.
"Did you put the gold to good use Euphemia?" the man laughed, it was petrifying.
"Get out," Euphemia snarled, "You have no right to her. Certainly not until she's seventeen."
"No one does. She is not on record. She is not meant to be alive," the man said.
"Rodolphus," Euphemia said, "Get! Out!"
"No," the man shook his head and walked up the stairs towards Delphi, smiling. Delphi turned and fled to her room, holding the door shut. Footsteps echoed up the stairs, there was a knock on the door, then a pause, then another knock. She opened the door, Rodolphus smiled at her, kindly this time.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm your uncle, in a way," he said, "My name is Rodolphus Lestrange."
"So, you knew my parents?" she held her breath. He nodded.
"Have you heard of Voldemort?" he asked. She shook her head, "That fucking woman. Not done anything to help me. She's barely fed you, looking at you," he sighed and gestured to her to follow him. She followed him to the library and sat her down at the desk. He sat next to her, "Thirty-two years ago, a man called Voldemort tried to kill a boy called Harry Potter. Due to some unknown powerful magic, he did not succeed. He was killed, but, because of something he had done, his soul survived. Harry Potter grew up with muggles and came to Hogwarts," Rodolphus stopped as Delphi made to speak.
"What's Hogwarts?" she asked quietly, hoping that Rodolphus didn't become angry.
"She didn't even tell you about Hogwarts?" he asked, Delphi shook her head, "Hogwarts is a school where young witches and wizards learn to use magic. Euphemia doesn't appear to have taught you anything. Anyway, Harry Potter went to Hogwarts. In his fourth year, he was selected for an international tournament. There were three tasks and in the Third Task, the cup in the centre of the maze transported him and another student to a graveyard. The other student was killed but Harry Potter was needed. The Dark Lord was reborn that night. Harry Potter escaped. Over the next three years, the fight continued. At the end of it all, there was a battle at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord was killed, along with many of his followers. Those of us who remain are treated with hostility and hate. If we ever do leave Azkaban – the wizard prison. And just before this battle, you were born," Rodolphus smiled. Delphi looked at him, one question still burning inside her.
"Who were my parents?" she said quickly, as if she didn't want to say it.
"Your mother was one of the Death Eaters killed, my wife – Bellatrix Lestrange – and your father was The Dark Lord, Voldemort himself," he smiled. Delphi gasped, grinning. She would never be able to convey how elated she felt to know who her family had been, to know that she even had a family.
"And you're my step-father?" she breathed.
"Uncle," Rodolphus corrected her, "It would be better if people did not know of your parentage just yet. I know Euphemia has told you that you're worthless and shouldn't do magic but that is rubbish. In three days, you'll be seventeen, you can leave here. I want to teach you magic because I have found a way to bring your father back. But, I need your help," Rodolphus smiled. Delphi nodded, she was done with being called worthless, being forced to ignore the living, breathing, stirring, life-force that was within her.
"I'll do anything," she said, "Anything to get away from here, anything to even see my parents." Rodolphus nodded and stood.
"I'll be back in three days. We can go buy you a wand and I'll teach you," he left the room. Delphi sat, shocked. Euphemia stormed in.
"Is he gone yet?" she thundered. Delphi didn't reply, still in a stupor.

17

The next three days felt like forever. She barely sat still, imagining her life after she left. By the end of the first day of waiting, she had found ways of packing what few things she owned. Along with a few of the muggle books that Euphemia probably didn't know existed. She had not packed The Tales of Beedle the Bard – Euphemia would have noticed if that were missing. Rodolphus came early on her birthday. Euphemia glared at him, he didn't react. Instead, he smiled at Delphi who stood, her things wrapped in her blanket, at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled back and walked over to him.
"Bye," she said quietly. Euphemia didn't bother to reply, walking into the lounge.
"Don't worry about her," Rodolphus said, "Do you want me to transport your things to my house?" he offered. She nodded and Rodolphus waved his wand. The blanket disappeared and he continued forward, "Come on. I've got something to show you," he opened the door and led Delphi out into the world. She gasped at the world again. It was more breath-taking and more beautiful than she remembered. The sunlight bounced off the wet grass and danced through the gardens. She could see the gates from where she stood, they were grand and terrifying. Rodolphus led her down the path to the gates. She hesitated when they reached them, the memory of her last encounter with these gates replaying in her head. Rodolphus took out his wand and waved it gently. The gates swung open and Rodolphus led Delphi through them. She stared at the world outside of Euphemia's Manor; it was big and beautiful and full of hope. A path led off into a forest, inviting and exciting. Rodolphus offered his arm to Delphi. She took it, slightly confused, "I'm going to apparate," he explained, "It's where we disappear and appear somewhere else almost instantaneously. The first time is a bit uncomfortable," he smiled and turned. Delphi felt something pressing in on her chest and she couldn't breathe. It was like she was being squeezed through a tight tube, too tight to move. When it ended, she gasped, out of breath, and stumbled forward slightly.
"Thank you for the warning," Delphi said.
"You're welcome," he smiled, "Are you okay?" She nodded.
"Where are we?" she looked around at where they had appeared. They were standing in a yard outside a grimy looking building, a door on one side, a grubby wall on the other.
"The entrance to Diagon Alley," he said, "I'm going to buy you a wand and anything else we need to teach you magic."
"Thank you," Delphi breathed, elated. Rodolphus smiled and took out his wand and tapped a few of the bricks.