Orele Ollivander stood across the room from none other than Lord Voldemort, who watched her with growing anticipation for what she had to say. It had been years since he'd seen her last and, he found, she still looked as young and beautiful as she had fourteen years ago. Even after caring for the child she disappeared with.

She had very curly brown hair, that he remembered those mornings so many years ago when he saw her struggling to untangle it almost brought a smile to his snake-like face. Her eyes pierced menacingly into his, those silvery gray Ollivander eyes.

"How long has Melody known?" she finally asked, putting it out into the empty air pretty casually considering how obvious her anger was.

He smirked. "Since I was sharing Quirrell's body of course..."

Her nostrils flared, a warning of her impending anger. How many furious fits had he seen her get into? Quite a bit... "Did it never occur to you that I might have wanted a better future for our daughter?!"

"Nonetheless, a daughter you kept hidden from me for many years," he said, keeping his temper down. He didn't need to get angry, he could calm the woman down enough to make her understand.

"For good reason!" she snapped, walking up to him purposefully and slapping him with all her might. He caught her wrist before she could do it again, and her other wrist as she tried once more. She gave a growl of frustration. "It may have been fun for me all those years ago to follow along with your plan to overtake the world and use Dark Magic any time I wanted, but those days are over! I don't want Melody to follow in our footsteps!"

"Your wishes are irrelevant when she's been helping me to power since the day she found out about me. You may have hoped that she would become a Mudblood lover such as yourself, but your actions to keep her from me were hopeless when she hid her true colors from you." Voldemort was beginning to wonder how he could keep his temper down with Orele continuing to glare at him as though he were still her lover and not someone that would kill her should she make one wrong move.

She paused. "She hasn't... she..."

"Are you finally going to be reasonable?" he asked.

She stepped away from him, and he let go of her wrists. "You must have... have brainwashed her or something... I don't know this Melody you speak of!"

"As I said... she hid her true colors from you, very well it seems... You see, Orele? She is every bit my daughter as she is yours. As an heir of Slytherin, you should have realized she would comply with the job her ancestor – our ancestor – left us with."

Orele was shaking now. Whether it was from anger or fright – or both – he wasn't sure, but it certainly didn't bode well.

"Why did you disappear all those years ago?" he asked impulsively. "I realize that you think you saw the error of your ways, but what good could have come from leaving the country?"

She looked at him. It wasn't like all the looks he got from everyone else – which was fear – it was the look of someone who knew him very well. At that moment, though he couldn't admit it, Orele was frightening him. He'd kept her all those years ago because he'd felt as though she was the only one to understand him – having a lover who wasn't afraid of him was easier to... work with, one might say. But now, it was scary... if it meant he loved her, he'd have to kill her.

"At the time," she replied shakily. "I thought it would give hope for Melody. To live in a home where there's no talk of the wizarding world – to live among Muggles... I guess I had been wrong."

"You can still correct that past mistake," he said, holding out his hand to her. Fear be damned, he wanted to see if he could bring her back to his side. His feelings could be pushed down if he really tried, because he knew Orele's magic was strong. She could even assume her old alias again. It would bring two dark wizards back from the dust when they were ready! Not only that... but even though she slapped him, which he'd have to deal with her about later, she hadn't shown any sign of noticing how frightening his face was. Did this mean she still loved him as she once told him she did?

Her original frigidness returned, so he instantly drew his hand back.

"I regret nothing," she said, turning away from him to pace thoughtfully.

Now she made him seethe, though in silence. He gave her an option and she refused! Surely she remembered he never did such a thing very often? He slowly took his wand out, drawing her attention right back to him.

"Of course..." she said calmly. "I always knew that if I had to die, it would be by your hand."

He faltered, yet his anger grew to the ceiling. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean..." she said, walking towards him so they looked at each other face to face. He was a lot taller than her – always had been – but she was rather dangerous for a short woman. "You're doing what you always do – taking the coward's way out so that you can stay on top. You're in love with me, though you'll never say it! Aren't you, Tom Riddle?"

Fury embedded itself into his deep red eyes. "I'm in love with no one, especially not you!" She didn't cringe with fear or fury, rather stood there, bracing herself. "Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding green flash of light, and Orele crumpled down to the ground. Dead.

I sat bolt upright in bed. My breath was hitched, my heart felt frozen, it can't be true, it just can't be true! I quickly stood up out of bed and hurried out of my room to my mom's.

"Mom?" I called out, panicking. I slammed her door open... she wasn't in her bed. I checked in the room next door, but only Jim lay asleep. Completely unaware of the sudden death of his ex wife.

I didn't recognize the room they had been in, and wondered where it was that dad had moved to. Hoping dearly that I wasn't too late.

My Uncle Gerald poked his head out of his room, bleary-eyed. "Melody... what are you –?"

"Where's mom?!" I asked him.

"Whoa, calm the hysterics..." he said. His curly brown hair was ruffled from sleep, but he was waking up a little bit at a time as he talked to me.

I gave an "Agh!" of frustration and ran down the stairs, making sure Gerald wasn't around before I took some floo powder and jumped into the fireplace. Without really being sure of where to go, I threw down the powder shouting "Professor Snape's Office!"

He was just coming into his office when I jumped out – probably to get the next school year's work arranged – when I skidded to a halt across the room from him. He glared at me... he wasn't happy after he found out I already knew for a while who my dad was...

"Where is my dad hiding out right now?" I asked hurriedly.

"Why are you asking me? Surely you can send an owl out?" he said, turning away from me in disgust.

"Severus, I need to know right now! It's an emergency!"

"Don't call me –"

"I don't have time to argue with you about names right now! Professor! Sir! Whatever! I don't have the time and I need to know where he is, now!"

He finally looked at me, a question behind his dark eyes. "At Riddle House... why?"

So Dumbledore hadn't gone to search Little Hangleton yet. I should have figured. I haven't seen every room in that house. "Thank you!" I said, my voice cracking. I jumped back into the fireplace top speed, hoping I wouldn't be too late. He couldn't have done it already, he just couldn't. I blocked my mind so he couldn't see my terror – even blocked my emotions in case I was too late. But I can't be!

"Riddle House!"

I came out of the fireplace in the living room and ran through the house in search for where the two of them were. Sadly enough, I found it. A room I had never set foot in before was where I realized I was much too late.

I felt as though I had just been immersed in freezing cold water, but my face showed no emotion. My mother was on the floor, her eyes open and lifeless – no, no longer my mom, just her left behind corpse. I put another wall up in my mind to bury my emotions further.

"Melody," dad said in surprise, looking up to see me. I felt Severus come up behind me and freeze, no doubt just noticing the body. Then dad smiled, clearing his throat he said, "You saw it happen, didn't you?"

I nodded slowly, not quite understanding anything I was hearing but I thought it was maybe because I couldn't think straight anymore. Looking up at him – and making sure I didn't look stiff anymore – I said, "I'll just take her home with me, then."

He chuckled. At least everyone, including him, would think I was on his side. He walked toward me with a smug look on his face.

I was looking past him at her as I mumbled, "A… pity she wasn't more easily consolable. I thought… that she would understand. She blew up at me as well."

"Yes…" he said, giving one last glance back at her before grinning down at me. "But, we'll be better off this way…. Here is your mother's wand," he handed it to me. I took the wand and pocketed it. Another wall was built itself up in my mind. "Severus," he said curtly. Then he was gone from the room.

"How did you know she would be here?" Severus asked softly.

I had just stood my mom up, pulling her arm over my shoulders so she stood relatively upright. I ignored his question, feeling about ready to throw something. I put up another barrier in my mind, it made it easier for me to control my emotions - at least around someone like Severus.

I went into the fireplace with Severus, who did the honors of getting the floo powder to get us to the Ollivander Home, and Uncle Gerald was just coming down the stairs dressed up in regular clothes. I gently settled my mom down on the floor and sat down – keeping her head in my lap.

"Orele, where have you –" he hadn't noticed she wasn't awake – not even alive.

I added yet another barrier in my mind and looked up at him. "Dead... dead... Voldemort killed her - dad killed her - just killed her…."

Gerald froze on the steps, on his face was a look of horror and confusion. He slowly continued his descent and looked down at mom's lifeless face in utter shock.

Severus knelt down next to me, looking me hard in the eyes. "You are genuinely sad that she is dead?"

I indignantly looked up at him. She had cared for me... she was more than just she, she was my mother. It took me a moment to realize, as I thought this, that he couldn't read my thoughts, that my barriers were up so he couldn't see the onslaught of emotion swimming around in my head. I put up another barrier, hoping that I would stop feeling all the pain. "Of course," I said softly. "But please don't go to Professor Dumbledore about this..."

"Melody, I must. Do what Orele would have wanted you to do. Tell him and tell me what has been going on – how you found out about your father and -"

I shook my head, bringing another barrier in. "You'd both be so disappointed." I looked up at the stairs and right at Gerald, "All of you would – you wouldn't understand..."

"You need to tell us... to tell Gerald and your grandparents..." he said softly. I could slightly see the small realization in his mind that I did care about what happened, but then it could have been something else. My vision was becoming clouded from all my emotional barriers.

Gerald just looked upon the scene with empty eyes, not able to say a word apparently.

"We all have a right to know what's been going on, Melody." Severus returned my gaze to him.

I contemplated it, Severus waited surprisingly patient. I reluctantly nodded. "Could you please get everyone down here, then? They should hear it, too."

He nodded, "Of course."

"Thank you," I said, adding another barrier to my mind.

He went upstairs and came back down with the rest of the family, all rubbing their eyes in sleep. Only Nick and Blake were still upstairs in bed… well, it was about four in the morning.

I looked down at my mom's face, her eyes were still open, glassed over with bravery. What had she been thinking, going up to dad like that? Suicide?

Severus pushed Gerald down into a seat. "I'll be back, all right?"

"Be quick..." I said, hugging my mom close to me.

He Disapparated.

"I'm so sorry..." I mumbled aloud, looking at mom's face. As I closed her eyes, I mumbled, "The last thing I ever said to you was that I hate you... but I don't." I hugged her closer, my emotions threatening to blow up.

"At least you've always said you loved her before that," Gerald said hollowly.

I added yet another barrier. How could dad be so heartless so easily?... But I felt his feelings... heard his thoughts… he had some sort of weakness for her that caused him to feel like he needed her….

There was a pop and Professor Dumbledore was there with Severus at his side.

"Let go of her, Melody," Professor Dumbledore said calmly. "You can't revive her by holding on to her."

"I know," I said, looking up at him and allowing for my anger to get out. "But it's all my fault that she's dead!"

Professor Dumbledore knelt down beside me and pulled my mom gently out of my arms. Tenderly, he held onto my arm and helped me up. He seated me in a chair next to the fireplace. He took a chair and set it right in front of me, sitting in it so he could look at me in the face. "How long have you known you're Lord Voldemort's daughter? I trust I don't need to use Veritaserum on you, so please answer truthfully."

Grandpa was furious by Professor Dumbledore's straightforwardness and was about to say something when Severus stopped him by holding his hand up, watching me all the while with intent.

"Since my first year at Hogwarts," I said, sounding smoother than I felt. "It was within the first month. I was out at night and Professor Quirrell bumped into me on purpose and introduced me to dad."

Professor Dumbledore inhaled a deep breath. "I didn't realize you knew for so long."

"Even I don't understand how you didn't know... I kept wondering why you could see through my dad, but not me."

He looked thoughtful. "Tell me everything that happened since then."

I spilled everything that I never thought I would: about my first try at getting past the three-headed dog and trying to make it up to Severus after the dog bit him; about how in my second year my dad had told me to tell Lucius to put the diary in the school somehow – that I was consciously letting the Basilisk out throughout the year – and that I had ordered Dobby to try to keep Harry from Hogwarts with the knowledge it would go after him; about how I willingly helped Sirius in my third year, but my dad had wanted Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a. Wormtail, and so I sent him to Lord Voldemort before I lost consciousness from my concussion; about how I helped dad by finding the Flesh, Blood, and Bone Potion in the Restricted Section with Barty Crouch Jr. and made the potion using my strong magic to bring dad back to power. The more I spilled, to more I felt slightly better about it... only none of it was really helping me.

"It all makes sense now..." Professor Dumbledore said in wonder. "But why have you been following orders from Lord Voldemort? You are so independent –"

"I didn't understand why I did it at first… I first thought it was because of the idea that he is my real father." I looked him in the eyes, careful not to look away. "After a while it came to mind that Harry is the one who must defeat him. There is no defeating Lord Voldemort when he's hiding away, and the only way to get him out is if he returns to strength…. The rest, I figured, can be figured out as time goes along."

Professor Dumbledore was awed. "Melody... have I ever told you how wonderfully brilliant you are?"

Under any other circumstance, I think I would have blushed, but there I looked down at my hands with unease building up. "No... and I don't deserve being called brilliant. Just look at what my so-called brilliance has caused."

Professor Dumbledore didn't reply to that, only glanced at Severus with a sad look on his face.

Severus asked the next question, "How did you know he'd killed her?"

"I have what Professor Trelawney would call 'The Sight.' At the end of my third year," I looked at Severus now, "when you and I went up to her room. She told me I would get it, and I did. Before the schools came last year, I went up to see her with Lissy so that I could stop having it… because it was bothering me. But, the best she could do was to put it in my dreams, which ended up giving Lissy the dreams, too. And so the two of us have been seeing things in our sleep since."

Lissy stood off to the side, looking at me in a different light. I didn't like it. I wouldn't be surprised if she was traumatized for life seeing who'd just recently adopted her.. dead. Murdered.

"How do you both see them?" Professor Dumbledore asked, looking curiously between the two of us.

"I don't know, ask Professor Trelawney," I said, with a wave of my hand. "Thing is… she's only been seeing the ones where we're observing what's going on aroung us… the recent ones; the one where Harry was kidnapped and taken to Little Hangleton, and the one this morning with my mom…. They're from my dad's point of view, and only I have seen them."

Severus looked at me, "And you never told me about this?"

"At first it didn't seem important – and then I really wouldn't have been able to tell you what I was seeing, because then you would suspect something."

Dumbledore nodded, and stood to look over everyone in the room. "It looks like we shall need some new plans for everyone here. While we won't be able to give more information about Orele's death due to Fudge's incomprehension about Voldemort's return, we can keep the rest of you safe long before he finally shows himself to the world."

The silence was deafening.

"If it's alright with everyone here…" he continued softly, picking up a piece of paper from the coffee table next to him. "I believe Orele left her will here…."

My head snapped up, looking between the table to him. "You mean she knew she was going to be killed this morning?" I remember hearing her say 'I always knew that if I had to die, it would be by your hand.'… but, surely she didn't expect it so soon? Was that what she wanted for herself?

"It would seem so…" he said, still as calm as ever while he read it, "everything is as I thought. Including what I had hoped to be the case for you." He looked up at Severus and me expectantly before continuing, "Lissy and Blake go to her parents, Nick stays with Jim - Gerald must offer his protective services to keep them safe - and she gives guardianship over Melody to Severus Snape as her godfather."