Slytherin Legacy

Chapter One

The Letter and Mr. Malfoy

Kate Riddle stared out the window of The Queen's Orphanage in London. It was a dreary day with rain splattering down heavily. Kate sighed. It was days like today when she wished.... She wished that her parents would come to the orphanage and take her away to a mansion filled with her hearts desire of toys, food, and books... Especially books. Then they'd take her to all sorts of places like France and Monaco and may-be the U.S.

When she was six she always liked to think that the Princess of Wales was her mother. She'd spend days sitting by the window dreaming thinking of what it would be like to be a Princess. She once told her best friend Ellie this, but she laughed and told everybody. The next year Kate mourned the death of the woman she pretended was her mother.

For a young child she was very quiet and thoughtful, a bit mischievous and as the matron liked to say a bit dangerous. As an eleven year old she was constantly complaining of these ideas Kate was getting. She had few friends except Ellie, but even though she considered Ellie as her best friend they didn't talk much or at least they didn't tell each other things that you'd expect a best friend to tell each other.

The Matron, as all the children called Auntie Pam, couldn't place exactly why she didn't like Kate very well. She was a good student. Always polite, didn't complain. Kate was brought to the orphanage ten years ago when she was around one. Pam Wells remembered that day clearly.

Strange people were about with cloaks on. Owls were swooping down. In broad daylight. Their were shooting stars and all sorts of things. It was then a lady dressed in a navy blue robe with a hood that hid her face came to The Queen's Orphanage. She knocked on the door to the orphanage and handed Kate to Pam.

"This is my daughter, Kate Riddle; she was born August 4, 1989. Will you take care of her?" she pleaded.

Pam was used to requests like these and said yes.

"I hate to leave her with Muggles, but the Aurors could get me any day now. Well... Thank-you."

Pam couldn't believe her ears. Muggles? Aurors? What was this woman talking about?

"Clearly she was insane," Pam told a teacher there named Sarah.

"Or drunk," Sarah laughed.

"Or both," and they laughed together.

And these ideas Kate had. The books she read! At age ten she tackled the Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It took her three months, but Pam wished she never allowed Kate to read it.

"Is there an Avalon, Auntie Pam?" she asked.

"No, Kate."

"But there's a Glastonbury; surely there must be."

"It's just fantasy."

"Then what about magic?"

"No such thing. Kate, this is ridiculous. And if you continue asking me questions I'll have to take that book away."

"But it has to be real!"

"How do you say so?"

"Because last night I wanted my book and I wanted my book really bad. And I thought about The Mists of Avalon and I concentrated on my book and it floated over to me I swear it!"

"I will not listen to any more of these lies Kate. Any more of it and I will give you dishes duty for a week! Is that clear?"

"Yes, Auntie Pam."

"Good. Now be a dear and could you get some tea?"

But it continued. She didn't talk about it, but the kids... The orphans came up to her and said things,

"Auntie Pam, Kate did the object moving thing again!"

And Pam decided to ignore it.

So Kate was sitting here looking out the window when a dark brown owl started pecking on the window.

"Oh you poor thing. It must be dreadful being out in the rain."

She turned around looking to make sure no one was there and opened the window.

"Come in!"

The owl didn't need to be told twice. Then something caught Kate's eye.

"What do we have here?"

It was an envelope and Kate looked eagerly. In green ink it said:

Miss Kate Riddle

The Queen's Orphanage

Dorm Room

145 Matheson Street

London, England

She opened it eagerly tearing it and there was a letter she never expected she'd ever receive.

Miss Kate Riddle,

We are pleased to inform that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please send a letter of acceptation by July 31^st. Please get your supplies and be at Kings Cross Platform 9 ¾ August 31.

Thank-you!

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

She re-read several times. Kate could hardly believe it. This place was real? There was a list of what to get. A wand, robes, books. Tears of happiness came out of her eyes. She jumped off her bed and ran down the steps to where Auntie Pam would be in her office.

"Auntie Pam?"

"Yes Kate. What is it?"

Aunt Pam gave her a scornful look.

"I-I received a letter."

"How fascinating," said Aunt Pam sarcastically, "Who would want to be writing to you?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Pam snorted.

"No such place. Let me see that."

Kate gave her the letter.

"This is probably just a fraud. You're not going."

"I want to go! This is what I want to do. When Nadia got that scholarship to Gormstrong you let her!"

"I don't care, Kate. Now go upstairs and-and-and-and and read!"

"I'm going and you're not going to stop me!"

Kate was boiling now. She had enough of Pam and this seemed her. She clenched her fists.

Crash!

Both Kate and Pam turned around. Pam's whole wall of diploma's and pictures and such crashed on to the floor. Kate and Pam turned death white.

"I-I didn't know I could do that," Kate said quietly then with a slight smile, "But you deserved it."

And with that she walked out, winning the battle but not the war.

She cried on her bed. She stroked the bird whispering,

"I want to go to Hogwarts. I know it's real. It's like those dreams I've been having... I-I-I wish I had a mum and dad. They'd let me go to Hogwarts."

And the owl seemed to nod as if it were listening, but days later the owl left and to Kate there seemed no hope of at all going to this Hogwarts.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Kate it's your week to mow the lawn," Ellie yawned.

"Sure," Kate said, "But since I've..."

"No, I'm not going to mow the lawn for you."

Kate laughed hollowly.

"Is there something wrong, Kate?"

"I'm fine, Ellie. Just let me do my most favorite thing in the world. Mowing the lawn. Yahoo," she said sarcastically.

She walked outside. The lawns of The Queen's Orphanage seemed endless. Kate hummed a tuneless tune and began finding herself thinking 'If Princess Di was my mum...' again. She was off in one of her daydreams when she heard Pam yelling,

"KATE RIDDLE! THERE'S SOMEONE HERE TO SEE YOU!"

Kate ran to the door, "Who is it?" she said breathlessly.

"A man named Lucius Malfoy. He's in the front drawing room. HURRY UP! I told him visitor's day is on Saturday, but since he's some sort of Lord in Wiltshire... Lord Malfoy...."

Kate hurried to the front drawing room where a tall skinny man was sitting stiffly in one of the chairs with a sort of sneer on his face.

"Lord Malfoy, this is Kate Riddle. Kate this is Lord Malfoy. He says he knew your Mother."

"She was my sister-in-law."

"So you're my uncle?"

"I suppose. Ms Werner, could I please speak to Kate alone?"

"I have a right to be a part of all my wards' conversations."

"I don't think you'd understand it since you're a muggle and all."

He seemed to look as if he smelled something bad. Kate noticed a long wand-like thing in his hands. Pam gasped.

It was that word again. Muggles and aurors. What the hell were they?

"I'll leave."

She scurried out of the room.

"Kate Riddle... Your Father would go into violent rages if he found out you were using his father's name."

"What's wrong with Riddle?"

"He was a muggle. Oh you wouldn't understand. I think you were left with Muggles too long."

"Um... Excuse me what are Muggles?"

"Non-magic people of course."

A smile crept on Kate's face.

"You're a wizard!"

"Yes, I am. Your Father and Mother were too. Your Father was the greatest and most feared. You carry the great blood of wizardry through your grandmother Arjumund, can't tell you too much now, but are you going to Hogwarts?"

"I can't. The Muggle," she giggled at using the word, "the Muggle won't let me."

"I'll discuss it with her. Then I'll take you to Diagon Alley with my son Draco, your cousin. On August 31 I'll take you to King's Cross and you'll be on your way to Hogwarts."

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"My mother and father... Are they alive?"

A shadow crept across Lucius's face.

"Your father has disappeared. Your mother... Well I'll take you to see her at Christmas. You can spend Christmas and Easter with my family. Well I'm going to discuss some stuff with the muggle. I'll see you next week."

"Wait can you do some magic for me?"

He seemed irritated and then smirked a little and said,

"Accio vase!"

In jet like motion the plastic vase filled with dandelions flew to his hand.

"Is that good?"

"Yes, very much."

"Okay I'll see you Kate."

"Thanks Mr. Malfoy."

It wasn't all explained, but Kate did know her parents were powerful mages. That night Pam talked to her.

"So that's the kind you are, isn't it?"

"That's what he told me."

"I always knew you were weird. So you're going to that freak school. Are you happy now?" she said sarcastically.

"Yeah I am. Goodnight, Aunt Pam."