Emma Weasley

Chapter 60: House of Gaunt

The rest of the week, I had to endure Snapes constant taunting of Harry. Apparently he didnt grow up.

After each class Hermione and I were subjected to Harrys complaints about the man. "I should have sacked the foul git!"

"Once again Harry, you dont know the full story." I stated.

"Emilys right. You dont have to be such a Gryffindor about everything." Hermione rolled her eyes.

The time had finally come for us to head to Dumbledores office. Along the way, we saw Professor Trelwany shuffling a dirty pack of playing cards. She was muttering about something incoherent.

"Shes mental."

"Not completely, she told of both our prophecies. Her gift doesnt occur that often." I stated.

"Get going will you?" Harry huffed.

I raised an eyebrow as we went to the gargoyle statue. After recieving permission, we stepped in.

"Good evening you two." The old man smiled when we came in.

"Hello Sir." We said in unison.

"You must have been busy this week Harry. A detention already?" One silver eyebrow arched up.

"Uh.."

"I have arranged your detention with Professor Snape for next Saturday."

"Right." Harry cleared his throat.

"It is time I told you more about the prophecy between you and Voldemort." Dumbledore stated.

"Ok?" Harry looked nervous.

"Unfortunately, in order to do this, I will be guessing because what has happened between you and Riddle was never previously recorded." The oldan explained.

"Huh?" Harry looked at me.

"You and Voldemort are making history because no one ever survived the killing curse. But you did, the connection that you have to him is unique and has never happened. There are no facts to confirm theories." I explained quickly.

"Oh. Is what your going to teach me, help me survive?" Harry looked uneasy.

"I hope it does help you survive. However, I am human, and I do make mistakes. With them, my mistakes have greater consequences." Dumbledore sighed.

"What are we going to do now?" I couldnt help but cut in.

Dumbledore summoned the shallow basin to his desk. "Walking with Bob Ogden." The old man twitched tge flask.

Harry chuckled uneasily. "I- we are going in that thing?"

"Yes, with me." Dumbledore tipped a flask into the basin and then took our hands.

We were pulled into the memory of a man walking down a sunny lane.

"Hes a Ministry official!" I exclaimed.

Dumbledore nodded smiling at me. We watched as the man made his way to a delapadated little shack.

Ogden stopped short when he saw a dead snake nailed to the door. I shuddered at the sight, the memories of the basilisk coming to my mind.

Ogden rapped on the door announcingwho he was. But all he got in reply was deep incoherent hissing. I glanced sideways at Harry who looked confused.

"You can understand him, cant you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course, why cant Ogden..." Harry trailed off, his eye traveled to the snake and an aha look came across his face. "Hes speaking Parceltongue!"

"Very good." Dumbledore smiled.

"Yes." I breathed in awe.

Ogden began to shake in his boots. He sighed impatently when young boy yanked the dokr open. When he saw Ogden, he hissed again and he sneered in a malicious way.

"MORFIN!" An older mabnxms voice bellowed.

What happened next was beyond appalling. Apparently the old mans name was Gaunt. As in one of the oldest family names Gaunt.

I looked around the filthy shack and gasped when I saw a thin scarred looking woman watching the scene with scared eyes. She reminds me of me.

"M'daughter Merope." Gaunt announced annoyed.

Merope was silent and continued to dust the pots in the house

My attention was drawn to Gaunt, Morfin, and Ogden. "We have evudence your son performed magic on a muggle last night." Ogden announced.

A lound clang sounded. Merope dropped a pot.

"Pick it up! Whats your wand for, you useless sack of muck?" Gaunt bellowed at her.

"Mr. Gaunt, please!" Ogden yelled in shock. Poor Merope was trembling so bad, when she picked up the pot, only for it to fall again. She withdrew her wand, but the pot sailed across the room hitting the opposite wall and cracked in two.

To spare Merope, Ogden raised his wand and repaired the pot. Ogden then pulled out a roll of parchment and unrolled it. "This is a summons for a hearing..."

"SUMMONS! My son did what he had to do. As long as memory charms go, the filthy lad should be fine." Gaunt snarled. He then fanned out his hand to show the man an ugly black ring. "See this? Know how much Ive been offered for this, with the Peverell coat of arms engraved?!"

"No idea, your son has committed..." Ogden trailed off when old Gaunt dragged his daughter forward by a gold chain.

"This was Salazar Slytherins locket! We're his last living decendants!" Gaunt waved under the officals nose

"Thats not the point..." Ogden trailed off when he heard two voices outside.

"Tom, look, he nailed a snake to the door!" A girl announced in disgust.

"Look away darling. We dont go there." Tom replied then told the girl about the scary things, Morfin did to the Muggles.

Suddenly, Morfin began a series of hisses that made the woman named Merope scared and shake her head in denial.

Then Gaunt began hissing quite viciously. Until he flew at his daughter and prepared to kill her.

"No!" Harry and Ogden yelled in unison. Ogden raised his wand causing Gaunt to fly off Merope. In retaliation, Morfin lept from his chair and began firing hexes like crazy while Ogden fled.

I released an anguished cry, but Dumbledore lifted us out.

"What happened to Merope, I think?" Harry asked at once.

"She survived, Ogden returned to get reinforcenents while Morfin and his father tried to fight them, but both were overpowered. Morfin was sentanced to three years in Askaban, but Marvolo got 6 months."

"Marvolo?" I asked and Harry looked at me.

"He was..."

"Voldemorts grandfather." Dumbledore finished for Harry.

"Merope was Riddles mother?" I asked in shock."

"Nice work." Dumbledore smiled.

"So that Muggle man that passed had to be Riddles father." I added quickly.

"Impressive Emily." Dumbledore beamed.

"They ended up together? She had to have used a love potion." Harry shook his head.

"And Tom Riiddle Sr. must have left her while she was still pregnant." I added in.

"Exactly my thoughts. But that should do for tonight."

"Yes Sir." We said in unison.