Of friends and foes

A/N: This Fic takes place after goblet of fire.

Prologue: Memories of a Dark Lord

Main Performers: Tom Riddle (soon to be Voldie), Voldie (soon to be a dad), the worse guy (who'll be important way later), a mage, a beautiful woman and a beautiful girl, and a shocked headmaster.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was anxious. Since he woke up that day all he could think of was that something bad was going to happen. However, not three hours later his young wife had announced that the baby was coming, and all such thoughts were forgotten as he ran out of the house to get the midwife.

Now he was headed home with his mother-in-law (aka the midwife) and the anxiety took hold again. Why did he feel like this? He wanted this baby! Emily and he had been waiting for this moment for so long... What could possibly go wrong?

He urged himself to walk faster still and finally his house was once again within eyesight.

Something was indeed very wrong. The door had been blasted open and the silence that surrounded the scene made the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

He broke into a run, not daring to think what could have happened. She was alright, Emily had to be alright. There was a logical explanation for the blasted door; Emily was inside waiting for him...

He jumped the fence. Now he could see through the whole the blasted door had created: the interior of the house was completely destroyed, broken furniture and objects lay randomly on the floor.

A shocked scream left his throat when he found that he couldn't get inside. Some sort of force-field blocked his access to his own home.

"Emily! EMILY!!!"

Silence.

Sarah, his mother-in-law, had finally caught up and she easily crossed the still invisible barrier without a word to him.

It dawned on him that the mage had been the one to create the barrier in the first place.

"Let me in. Let me in! Sarah, you let me in this instant!"

His own magic was useless against the powerful mage's one, and his blasting jinx had little effect on the barrier.

"Calm down, Tom. I will let you in soon."

The kindness on her voice scared him more than anything he had witnessed thus far. The old mage positively hated his son-in-law and was nothing but severe to him...

Moments passed. Then the sepulchral silence was broken by the sound of a baby crying and he felt the barrier fade away.

He entered slowly, unsure of how exactly he knew that bad news awaited him. Trying his best to avoid the broken glass and other debris that covered the floor like a carpet he made his way into the bed chamber where his wife, his love and his friend lay pale and motionless.

Numbness overtook him. He sat on the bed's edge and took her hand, kissing it.

He was vaguely aware of Sarah's presence in the room, holding his newborn child in her arms, but he couldn't bring himself to smile or wonder whether the baby was a boy or a girl. He couldn't find joy.

He was vaguely aware of the state of disaster that still reigned in his normally orderly home. Someone had destroyed his house but he couldn't bring himself to wonder who, how or why. He couldn't find anger, either.

He sat still, his eyes on his Emily's face, as if willing them to open once again, to give his life sense again. How could something so dear, so important, so crucial to his existence be gone when he remained?

He felt empty and all of a sudden it was too much. He gave Emily one last kiss on her now cold lips and ran off into the darkness, unaware that it was now night. Sarah didn't stop him.

Lord Voldemort woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat and shaking. He groaned and closed his eyes again, willing the pain that the memories brought away. He failed.

Slowly he left his bed and went to open the luxurious green curtains that decorated most of the rooms in Malfoy manor. Daylight brought forth the beauty of the small pond that overlooked his window, water lilies floating peacefully over its surface.

His surroundings contrasted heavily with those of his memories, and wishing to escape the latter, he left his chambers for a closer visit to the pond and the gardens that contained it.

Memories of the nightmare's aftermath populated his mind:

After Emily had died, he had gone nearly mad with pain and frustration. Aimlessly he had left the mage village where they had resided and had gone deeper into the Albanian forests, distancing himself from civilization.

It was there that he had met a wizard who had promised him both, a cure and an explanation to his pains.

Firstly he provided the cure: a Pensieve. Only this one served not as a source of clearer memory but as a place to throw them away into forgetfulness. Here he had placed all memories of Emily, since the day they met to the day she died, so both, his love to her and the pain of losing her were gone in a second.

The wizard had then gone on to introduce himself, Aurelius Cronus, as a Master in the black arts, whose family had devoted themselves to the service of Slytherins since ages past. It was him that Tom had been seeking when he went to Albania, but unfortunately he had fallen captive of the old mages in the village, and the daughter of their chief had seduced him into thinking that his actions in opening the Chamber of Secrets and studying Dark Arts as his ancestors had done were wrong and criminal.

Aurelius had seen it as his own personal quest to rescue Tom, "his Master" from such a life: he had killed the woman and had then helped him forget her. Twenty-two year old Tom Riddle believed this and many other lies. From that moment on he followed rigorous training on the Dark Arts, and when his old tutor was in his deathbed, he had cast a spell that enabled Aurelius to possess him, so that he could go on living and advising him from within his very mind.

Lord Voldemort had risen then, Tom Riddle long since forgotten. His reign of terror had begun and would be standing still if it had not been for the Potter boy.

The day he lost his body, Aurelius and Tom's souls had been freed from their confinement. Together they waited and plotted, and finally succeeded in being reborn. However, the potion Wormtail had used was one meant to make its drinker whole again, that is, give him back all of what he had lost, memories included. It also gave things only to their rightful owners, so Aurelius no longer shared Tom's body, and his whereabouts were unknown.

At first, Voldemort, focused on the Potter boy, had failed to notice Aurelius' absence, but when he fell asleep his old memories came back. He learned of his lost baby and of his murdered wife.

Every night since had been torture, he wished he could stay awake forever. His features changed as well, every time he woke up he looked a little less like a snake and more like the human he had been, if a bit older.

It was not all pain however. Change had come to him like a salvation:

"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy said as he entered his room, interrupting him as he read Hogwarts, A History. It was the first non-muggle book he had ever read, and he had taken the custom of reading it in times of anxiety.

He nodded at the Death Eater, allowing him to continue.

"You have... a visitor, My Lord. I do not know how this happened: someone has crossed all the wards around the manor without activating them. It's an old woman. She requests your presence."

Voldemort stared at Lucius, shocked. "Where is she?"

"I am right here, Tom," said Sarah, his mother-in-law, as she entered the room.

Voldemort stood, knocking his chair to the floor in his haste. Lucius stared back and forth between them, unsure of what to do.

"You look well, you look human again... but it is to be expected as you no longer have that demon possessing you, have you? You remember now, you feel grief... pain makes you human."

He continued to stare, thinking that perhaps he should be saying something but still at a complete loss of words.

"He killed her," he half croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

The mage nodded. "Yes, I am afraid so... it was all part of the plan. He always knew where you were. He could have contacted you long before you married her. But he waited. He wanted you to love her. He knew, as I know, that no matter how attracted to the Dark Arts you had been in the past, you would never have become what he made you become. So he broke you, he broke your heart, and made you hate your very humanity..."

"You could have stopped him."

The mage shook her head. "No, you know very well that we mages are sworn to seclusion. We are neutral. We do not interfere with the balance of good and evil."

"Then why are you here?" He couldn't help being angry.

"I have come to deliver your daughter."

Lucius stood up straighter, his curiosity rising. Voldemort gasped. "Daughter?"

"Yes... your daughter. Born on February the 6^th, she is 15 years old now. I have raised her and taught her, she is very powerful and talented. But she doesn't belong with the mages. She is a teenager; she should be meeting people her own age, not aging away in seclusion. I think I will pay a small visit to Albus... she should go to Hogwarts. I have seen to it that her knowledge on basic wizarding skills does not exceed that of a regular wizard, so that when the time came, she could fit with the ones her age. However, she is a lot more experienced in other fields of knowledge... you will be proud."

"Where is she?"

"Oh, somewhere in the gardens... I have asked her to wait until you come out and greet her. I wanted to talk to you first. I won't stay long, Tom. I must go back to the village. I am afraid this might be the last I see of my dear granddaughter, but it is what is right. However, I guess she will be as saddened as I... Tell me, are you two the only wizards staying at this manor?"

"No," Lucius was the one who answered, "my wife and son are here also."

"Could I speak to your wife?"

Voldemort did not know of what they had spoken exactly, but he supposed it was Sarah asking Mrs. Malfoy to take womanly care of his daughter. They were quite close now, Narcissa had cheered her daughter up considerably after Sarah departed, and she had also taken her shopping for clothes and other... girly stuff. While his relationship with his daughter was shy and awkward at first, Narcissa and the girl had immediately gotten along...

He had just finished telling Lucius how exactly he had come to have a daughter, when Narcissa and Sarah reentered the room.

Both men looked at them expectantly.

"Tom, I would like you to accompany me to Hogwarts. We must speak to Albus."

Voldemort scoffed. "I am not exactly welcomed at Hogwarts, as you well know."

"Nonsense, whatever differences you and Albus might have, he will not deny education to a student. Much less my granddaughter. You will come with me, and in the meantime, Narcissa will get to know the child. I will not be returning. Selfish as it might be, it is much easier for me to part without goodbye. We both knew this would be the last day we saw each other anyhow... Narcissa will break the news to her.

"Now come, I will apparate us to Albus' office."

Not doubting the mage's ability to penetrate Hogwarts' wards, and too shocked to do otherwise, Tom allowed the old woman to hold his arm. The next thing he knew, he was facing a very surprised Albus Dumbledore, who had been caught off-guard while happily sucking on a lemon drop.

"Great mage Sarah!" the wizard said, standing up. "Tom..." he added coldly.

"Hello, Albus! Let us skip all formalities and get down to business, shall we?" inquired the mage.

Dumbledore nodded and sat back down. They sat in front of him.

"Albus, I come to you with a request. Seventeen years ago, Tom here went to Albania to do some research. There he met my daughter, fell in love and married her one year later. They had one child, a daughter, my granddaughter. As you know, until recently, Tom has been... unavailable, and as my daughter has left this word, it was my task to raise and educate the child. Now Tom will carry on the task, but she is no longer to be home-schooled. I wish for her to attend Hogwarts, and to be treated like any other student, regardless of her background. I will brook no prejudice towards her."

Voldemort couldn't help but smirk as he watched Dumbledore try to stomach what he had just learned.

"What?" was all the old fool managed to say.

"Oh, do not make me repeat myself, Albus."

Dumbledore turned to Voldemort, who raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. Problems?"

"Well, not really, I guess." He turned back to the mage. "How much does she know? Can she join the fifth years?"

"She can and will. If you want you can test her yourself before the Sorting Ceremony at the beginning of term. She also is far ahead of them in History, Herbology, Divination, Astrology, Care of Magical Creatures, Magical Medicine, and the like. It is in Charms and Transfiguration that I have made sure she remains equal with them... in practical things. In theory she far exceeds their knowledge."

Voldemort's smirk grew deeper. "I have a very very talented daughter," he bragged despite the fact that he had never met her.

"Yes, I see... and wouldn't expect less of someone who had been raised by the Great Mages-"

"So it's settled then. My granddaughter will arrive to school, along with her classmates and shall be in an environment where she can socialize with people her age. I just require an oath from you now, Albus."

"An oath?"

"Yes, if you agree to it, you will be under a spell that will not allow you to use the knowledge you have acquired here in any way. You will know where the new girl came from, but you will not be able to share this information, nor will you be able to act accordingly. Shall you ever act in a way you wouldn't if you didn't know my granddaughter's background, you will be seized by a great headache that will serve as warning for you to act differently. I suggest you don't test what will happen if you continue to disobey despite the headache."

"Do I have a choice?"

"I could always modify your memory and confound you... you will believe the girl to be from Albania, homeschooled in the mage village. Her parents have now relocated to England, and the girl will continue her education in Hogwarts."

"Why not do so, anyway?" Voldemort asked.

"Because by being polite I expect Albus to be polite and agree... It's much more civil this way, don't you think, Albus?"

Dumbledore nodded and allowed the mage to place him under enchantment.

"Good. As soon as we leave the enchantment will become active. Now the reason I brought Tom along is because I want you to hear from his own mouth that he agrees that his daughter's education is just that: his daughter's education. He will not use her and what knowledge she might obtain about Hogwarts and its security in any way that might profit his personal plans. In fact, you might rest assured that neither Hogwarts nor Hogsmeade need additional protection, for while the Dark Lord's daughter is here he will respect both places.

"Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are to be neutral territory. You must allow my so-in-law and his followers free, if discreet, access to both under the promise that neither them, nor you, will attack. Do you both agree to this?"

Voldemort considered it. Then the shock that he had been on since the mage's arrival faded away and it dawned on him. He had a daughter. He had a daughter! He loved her, he always had, even before she had been born she had waited for her, they both had, Emily and he. Emily. She would have wanted this. She would have wanted what was best for her daughter, and this was it.

"I swear to abide by all that Sarah has spoken, as long as you swear too."

"I swear."

With that they had departed.

Voldemort reached the pond, still lost in thought and picked a rock to bounce on its surface. It was here that they had met. Right here...

"Well, Tom, it was nice seeing you... Perhaps I will visit you again, when you are no longer so crucial in the balance that I will not risk my neutrality by seeing you. Do take care of yourself, and give Elizabeth my love."

Elizabeth... It struck him that until that point he had not asked his daughter's name.

"Elizabeth," he repeated with a faint smile.

"Yes, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Riddle."

Not a second after the mage departed, he broke into a run. He was going to see his daughter, his daughter! Emily's daughter... he was going to see her, she was right there, right there in the gardens, just past this bush maybe... or by the pond, yes, she must be at the pond, she has to, she...

He saw his Emily, only younger.

The girl was tall and slim; her skin a light olive color, her hair was long with well shaped curls, almost the same color as her skin. Her eyes were blue, almost gray, and deep. Her long black eyelashes made them stand out against her tanned skin, mystifying. They were the eyes that had made him fall in love. Her pink lips were shaped into a breathtaking smile, the smile of a person who was used to smiling, a smile of person who found it more natural to smile than to be serious.

It was Emily. She had her talent, the talent of being beautiful yet not making other things ugly by comparison but instead making them lovelier, making the whole world more beautiful with her presence. She didn't treasure beauty nor kept it to herself, it had come to her naturally and she was not self-conscious about it. She considered herself an equal, nothing more, and made you beautiful with her presence.

This was his wife's daughter, and she was giving him a far more precious gift than the one she gave all others that surrounded her: in her he saw his Emily alive again, alive and smiling that smile... a smile no photograph could have caught. She lived in her.

"Elizabeth... "

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. This is my first fic, and my first attempt on writing any kind of story. My hopes are that through your reviews I will get healthy advice on how to improve my skills. So please, review.

Currently, I'm working on chapter 6. I decided to wait a while before posting the first chapter so that I could update regularly.

I must warn you: The first few chapters were a bit tiresome to write, and I guess they might be tiresome to read as well.

The reason for this is that I had to give you readers a vast amount of information before I could actually get my plot line going. So expect long dialogues and little action. Sorry.

I only hope that you stick to the fic: action will begin near chapter 5. Don't give up on me until you get there.

I also wish to apologize for something that I hate reading, and hated writing even more: Characters will accept some seemingly absurd new facts easily, more easily than one would have expected them too... it's all for the sake of the plot. Forgive me.

I believe this prologue to be the most boring of the chapters to come, so if you could tell me POLITELY just how boring it was, it would make it easier for me to predict your reactions regarding the next chapters.