Amy Riddle - Volume 2: The Half Blood Prince (A Voldemort's Daughter Story)

Part 26

Chapter 26

Amy's POV

I had only been to Dumbledore's office once before in my life, at the very beginning of my time at Hogwarts. I had followed Snape upstairs, entered Dumbledore's office, and was prompty Sorted into Slytherin House. I was happy about this. After all, it was my dream to carry on my ancestors' legacies.

But now I walked alone - trembling, close to tears, extremely upset. Every wall was coming down around me. My teachers were close to finding out who I was. My best friend - my boyfriend - was lying in the hospital wing, recuperating from internal injuries. My father expected me to become immortal - actually, he thought I already was. But this was not true, as I couldn't bring myself to kill Will and Sammy, my dead mother's family. The only thing that kept me sane was the nearing summer. I could go home, Draco would be better... Hogwarts was really making me claustrophobic now.

I reached Dumbledore's office and spoke the password to get in - always a type of candy, for some reason. I stepped into the stairwell - a giant phoenix - and in a few seconds was ascending towards the door. And then I was inside. I looked over to the Headmaster's desk but did not see him. I supposed he was probably still in the Great Hall for dinner.

So instead I looked around for a moment. His office was filled with portraits of previous headmasters, shelves lined with hundreds of books, and tables with papers and quills and a huge variety of small trinkets. I began walking around and noticed his Phoenix, Fawkes. Harry had once told me of the time Fawkes rescued him and Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets. The bird cooed as I walked near but for some reason I felt I should stay away. As if I was lying to the bird as well. And for some reason I couldn't deal with that.

I kept walking around and I saw the Sorting Hat on a top shelf. It was sleeping - or I don't know, do hats sleep? I stared up at it and remembered my own Sorting experience. "Oh well. Better put you where you truly belong."

I sighed and looked up at the Hat. I shook my head, forcing tears away. "Where do I belong?"

There was no response so I turned around. Yeah, like the Hat was even going to talk anyway.

"Do you not think Slytherin was the right choice?"

I jumped when I heard its voice. "Oh, er, sorry to wake you." I spun back around.

"Where do you think you belong?" it asked.

I hesitated, looking around over my shoulder briefly. Was I allowed to do this? "I'm not sure anymore."

"You're scared, aren't you?"

I looked down and nodded. "Yes," I said softly, my voice barely growing louder than a whisper.

"You were scared then, too," the Hat explained.

"Why did you put me in Slytherin?" I asked.

The Hat took a moment to reply. "You asked."

"No, I didn't," I insisted, remembering exactly what happened last year. And I didn't ask, I was sure of it.

"Perhaps you didn't realize," the Hat offered.

"What did you see inside of me?" I asked. My voice was trembling now. It would be a miracle if all of my questions could be answered by an old, smelly Hat.

"Fear. You were paralyzed with it," said the Hat. "I saw a desire to please your father. But a terrible fear of him as well."

"And you put me in Slytherin... to what? To save me?" I asked.

"I put you in Slytherin because you felt you needed to be in Slytherin. It was your choice, Miss Riddle."

"Does... does that mean I - I don't belong in Slytherin? Does that mean I'm not worthy of being the Heir? I should leave my father?"

"That is all up to you," the Hat answered. "After all, I am just a Hat."

"Please, I -"

But I knew the Sorting Hat would not be speaking again. I stood there, dumbfounded. The Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin because I asked it to. Or I guess I inderictly asked it to. Now I wasn't sure where I belonged. If I hadn't asked the Hat to put me in Slytherin, would I have been in Gryffindor? My heart was racing. Everything seemed so much easier, now. Leaving my father's side seemed okay, now that I knew that Slytherin isn't really where I belonged.

Then I snorted. Who the hell am I kidding? I knew I was a Slytherin. Ambitious, cunning, ready to do whatever I needed to reach my goals. But at least now I knew I was a Slytherin because I was a Slytherin, not because my father was. I smiled to myself. Progress.

Moments later, I heard the door open. I turned around to see Dumbledore standing there with a smile on his face.

"Ah, Amelia," he said pleasantly. "Come sit down."

I complied, following him to his desk. My mind was still on the conversation with the hat.

"Would you like a sweet?" He gestured to a bowl of lemon drops or something.

I shook my head. Normally I would have, but I felt sick to my stomach. I was a logical person. I knew that if Slughorn figured out that I was the Heir of Slytherin, then Dumbledore - a significantly more thoughtful, intelligent, powerful wizard - definitely could.

He set down his quill and looked at me. His eyes were unreadable and his mind was certainly closed off as well. I had gotten used to blocking off my mind from all intruders as of late. I couldn't take any chances. If I could detect any sort of emotion coming from this man, it was likely pity.

"You skipped quite a few of your classes today, Amelia," Dumbledore explained.

I shrugged. "I know."

"Why is that?"

I hesitated. "My, um ... I - I wasn't feeling well ... Draco was in the hospital wing ..." I trailed off, deciding it was better not to lie. Dumbledore could probably see through all of them anyway.

Dumbledore wasn't angry, however. He knew I was lying but instead of punishing me with a detention or anything like that, he smiled sadly. "I know you must be going through a very tough time, Miss Wolfe."

I narrowed my eyes. "Aren't I in trouble?"

Dumbledore shook his head softly. "No, you won't recieve detention, although normally that is what the punishment would be."

I thought I could detect a trace of pity in his voice, which both confused me and upset me.

"Thank ... thank you?" I wasn't sure how to react.

"Don't do it again." This was the worst of Dumbledore's chastises.

"I won't. Sorry, Professor," I replied.

There was a pause in the conversation. I wasn't sure if that was it and I was able to go but something told me that Dumbledore wasn't done speaking to me yet. Red flags were shooting up everywhere in my head. I thought that maybe I should just go and cut the conversation short, just in case. I glanced down at my hands briefly and realized that I had been digging my nails into my palms. There were several deep indents where my nails were. I released my grip but kept looking down and then saw that I was trembling like crazy. I guess I had tried to ignore it but I was absolutely terrified in that moment. And it killed me to admit it.

I quickly decided to go before anything else happened, so I began to get out of the chair. I opened my mouth to say thank you again and goodbye, but Dumbledore cut me off quietly.

"Amelia."

I felt my stomach drop. "Yes, Professor?"

"If you would just stay a moment, there is something more I would like to dicuss with you."

I sat back down again.

"I have to apologize," he began. "I should have addressed this a long time ago and for that I am sorry."

My heart was beating out of my chest. "Sorry for what?" I asked, my voice quieter than I think it had ever been before.

"I know who you are, Amelia. I know about your father, why you say you are here. I've known since the beginning... you are the Heir of Slytherin - Voldemort's Daughter."