Alexis Barker sat by herself, cold and bored, on a January evening that was like all the rest she had ever experienced. A cold wind blew through the cracks and holes of the abandoned tool shed she had lived in for two years, wallowing in self pity. The fire was dying, and where there had once been logs glowing white with heat, now only small spots had faintly glowing embers. The firewood was heavy and she was almost out of it, so she just sat bundled up in a thin blanket in the creaky rocking chair that grew noisier every day. Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock; the old Grandfather clock went back and forth slowly again and again, and with nothing for her to do but sit, it eventually put her to sleep. Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.

The women dreamt of bright flashes of light and mocking laughter. She was stuck in a horrifying nightmare of her childhood, of the home and life that she left behind. A cold finger traced the outline of her cheek, making her gasp and sputter as she emerged from the world of dreams. She lifted her head up, eyes still closed, and quickly began to come to her senses. She breathed deeply and rested her hand on her chest, right over her heart, telling herself to calm down over the silly reoccurring nightmare. That or it was just the icy wind wafting through the gaps in the collapsing walls. She collected her breath and let her gaze wander around the room, searching for confirmation that she had just spooked herself over nothing. However, that wasn't what she found.

Instead, a tall young man with brown eyes tinted with red, pale skin, and a nose job gone wrong, stood in front of her holding a small child and a wicker basket. The child was wrapped up in a pink fleece blanket and was making happy gurgling sounds while the man looked intently at Alexis, influencing her to speak first."Wh-Who are y- you, and wh-what are y-you doing in m-m-my house?" She stuttered partially from the temperature, which seemed to have dropped at least ten degrees, and partly from seeing this total stranger who had an appearance in her quarters.

"My name is Tom, Tom Enigma, and I've come to you for help, a favor of sorts. You see, I was walking to a friend's house and to get there I have to pass through this pleasant little village called Wost Dort. When I came upon it however, I found it had been ruined by that evil wizard, He Who Must Not Be Named, and his followers, the Death Eaters. As I shifted through the rubble, looking for survivors of course, I heard the squealing of an infant. I looked through the remains of each house until I found her," He said gesturing to the infant, "Uninjured and cold on top of a pile of weathered bricks." Here Tom stopped, and adjusted the now yawning baby to his other arm. The baby seemed to be as enthralled with the story as Alexis, even though they had a thirty-four year age gap. "I couldn't leave the poor child there; what kind of a man, a person, would I be? So I picked the child up and found some clothes scattered nearby. I decided that I would hand the baby over to the nearest person; I am incapable of taking care of a child myself due to my work hours, and even though you are five miles north of what used to be Wost Dort, and it was excruciatingly cold, I kept on until I found your…" He paused and let his eyes roam over the pathetic thing she called home, "… home. So, if you would be so kind and caring, and generous, and take care of this poor, orphaned child, I would be forever in your gratitude." Tom kept a pity stricken, pleading face through his monologue.

Alexis pursed her lips while her eyes showed a wave of sympathy, pity, and fondness of the man; if only she knew who he really was. She thought about it, what taken in a child would mean. It would most likely be muggle, which was fine since Alexis was the only non-wizard in her pureblood family. The child would need food, and, clothes, and a place to stay that didn't flood when it drizzled outside. She would have to get a job, get her life back on track; maybe stay with a friend or a sibling. Alexis would have the kid for 18 years and that was a lot to handle, but she couldn't have the orphan going to a different home and being mistreated. She was still hesitant though."Mr. Enigma, I don't know you, and while it is a pity that Wost Dort was destroyed and this baby orphaned, as you can see, I don't have the most stable living environment at the moment and can barely afford to feed myself most of the time. I… I… I just don't think now is a good time for me to raise a child." She felt guilty saying it, turning away an orphaned, innocent baby.

Tom appeared to be crushed and his shoulders sagged down to the floor with the information. When he sighed, it seemed as if he had breathed out every last bit of air from his lungs, and that his eyes had aged forty years."Okay, it's alright, I understand. I mean, if some random stranger came into your house uninvited and woke you up to tell you he had walked five miles in what became a snowstorm after half a mile, to ask you to take of an orphaned infant because the child couldnot care for itself and wouldn't fare well in an orphanage. But, it's alright since you turned the offer down of helping an innocent child survive in this chaotic world." Tom's face didn't show any sarcasm or disrespect during his speech, it showed a fair amount of disappointment though.

Oh, why am I the one who always has to make the tough decisions! She whined to herself, but she knew her choice, and she would never regret it."Fine." She snapped at the man who wasn't being melodramatic in the least.

She gave Tom a curt nod and motioned for him to bring the sleeping child to her. As she held the small baby in her arms, she knew she was smitten, and would never want to let go. "If we ever meet again, you owe me big time. Do you understand that?" She said simply, scowling up at Mr. Enigma, though inside she was thanking him. She was completely and utterly smitten with the baby snuggled in the crook of her arm.

"Thank you, Alexis. You'll have to take me up on that offer sometime. I'm sure she'll live a great life." Tom smiled gratefully, but Alexis didn't look up, nor did she realize that she never told him her name yet he still knew. She merely nodded her head and grinned down at the snoozing child. At that point, Tom knew his job was done and that it was time for him to go.

Lord Voldemort walked away from the collapsing shack; dancing fire light escaping from its many openings. He didn't look back, but merely smiled to himself; so proud that his fifth Horcrux had just been made, something he had been waiting to do for years, though he had had to cover up his appearance quite a bit so that the woman would take the baby. He was so far gone at that point though, that he couldn't change himself all the way.

He had read the woman's thoughts and memories and even though she was a squib, he knew that she would be able to take care of the magical child that now held a part of his soul. He wouldn't bother with security measures; no one would ever expect a baby to carry the most precious thing in the world. He knew no one (Other than himself) would ever kill an innocent child, especially a harmless, penniless girl, which made his plan fool proof. No matter what happened, he could always live, could thrive and come back to power over and over and over again. And when the carrier of his definite success drew nearer to the end of her life, he could just transfer his soul from her, to a new infant. And no one, not even goody two shoes Dumbledore would figure it out. Now he was immortal, unstoppable, and more eager and confident than ever before. And as snow swirled down from the grey sky, covering the world in white, depicting it as innocent and pure, a dark Wizard continued to rise his way to power, killing whoever and whatever got in his way.

Alexis Barker could feel the baby in her arms stirring and smiled. The child's soft eyelids flittered open and she found herself starring into deep blue eyes and sighed. The infant was so tiny, so small, so innocent and pure; she was overwhelmed by the thought of how she was supposed to keep her that way. How she was supposed to raise her and teach her values like patience and kindness. How she was supposed to teach her right and wrong when grown wizards were beginning to question this themselves. Alexis was tempted to run outside and tell the stranger to take the baby back and leave the child with the people in the next house, miles away. It was because she was so frightened in that moment, knowing she molded this small, cuddly bundle of warmth's future and that if she made a single mistake, it could change everything. She saw a good life flash before her eyes: The baby as a kid wobbling around, chasing a butterfly with her cousins, then her first day at school, where she fidgeted relentlessly with her hair, and nails, and book bag. Next her putting on makeup and jamming to the hippest new songs and going over to friends houses for sleepovers. After that she saw her up in her room

for hours studying and pouring over homework, but also getting her first kiss and jumping up and down at the sight of her first car. Then she saw the infant in her arms graduate and find a job, and then getting married and having kids. She was so happy, that when she came back to the present, she had tears running silently down her face.

And then she thought of the alternative: The child shivering in a dark corner moaning for food, then having to go to her first day of school in shirts she had had since she was born, they had just been cut up and re stitched. After that Alexis saw the girl as a teenager putting her up in a ponytail and pulling on an apron, getting ready to ask people what it was they wanted at the corner diner. Her face was so serious and when the child she held in her arms looked out the window at the other people her age going to parties and having fun, she began to cry. She shut herself in her room and cried herself to sleep the next few nights.

Alexis couldn't go on with that thought; the tears streaming down her face at this point were there for a different reason than before. She realized she had to do everything in her power to make sure this kid had the best life possible. As she glanced down at the child in her scarred arms she thought, I can do this; I will do this for you, Selena. She came back from her thoughts frazzled that she had already subconsciously given the baby a name. Selena, yes, Selena Snow Enigma, that's the perfect name. Alexis's small smile broadened into a grin and in the new found peace and serenity she found, she heard the melodic ticking of the Grandfather again. Rocking back and forth in the creaky old chair, humming faintly to herself, Alexis fell asleep with Selena, her daughter, in her arms.