The Darkest Phoenix - Tom riddle x OC

Chapter 2 - Living conditions

'chapter 2'-thoughts

"chapter 2" - talking

3rd pov

The stone flooring was cold beneath her bare feet. She glided over to the window, legs stiff with disuse. The bars obscured her view of the jagged rocks far below.

Even though her cell was on one of the highest levels, she could feel the mist like sea spray, from where the tidal waves hurtled into the rocks below. She smelt the salty air. There was another smell in the vicinity. Wrinkling her nose as she sniffed herself. 'Musty' is the only word she could form the smell....she stunk.

"N-no, please... I didn't do it... It wasn't me!!..."

The sounds of someone in a neighbouring cell made her sneer in distaste. 'Honestly, you're in Azkaban why would you further the embarrassment by letting people know how weak you are.'

Alexandrea Crice Grindlewald, daughter and only child of Gellert Grindlewald. The Grindlewald. The defeated Dark Lord. The most destructive man in written history. He was a legend. Even ten years on people still feel the familiar pricks of fear that wash down their spine from his name alone.

Alex was only with him for a short time. Four years to be exact. Her father wasn't exactly the best father to her... okay he was shite. From his lack of care for her needs to going out of his way to make her life -as new as it was- hell. Nothing special, things like neglect, the occasional slap if she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, degrading comments. Overall, he wasn't missed too much when he was killed.

She's been in Azkaban for ten years...was it ten years? She had no way of knowing. The guards here don't answer questions, that's the nicest thing they do. All she knew if that she is no longer the little kid she was before her incarceration... and she'll never be ever again. 

The tray entered the cell. On it was an unhealthy mix of rotten potatoes and stale bread. There was barely enough for a growing child but she knew better than to ask for more. 

She ate the food holding her nose as to not gag it all back up. 

Even after finishing the meal she still had the very familiar feeling of emptiness. But that was on par with the cold of the room so it didn't take all her attention. The cold was the type that went and hit your bones. No matter out much you try to cover yourself it still finds a way in. Slicing along the bone creates a constant shiver. 

She huffed out in annoyance. She thanked whatever entity was watching over her, that her father hadn't spoken about her wandless magic to that monster Dumbledore. Her cell had the bare necessities. A toilet in the corner, finger-thick matrice - Which she charmed with the cushioning charm- and a separate set of clothes. 

She had put a warming charm on her clothing and bed but it did barely anything. It did make it a tiny bit better to sleep through. 

Something that had annoyed the guards immensely, she hadn't lost her mind or cried once. They tried different ways. At the age of seven, she had accidentally got caught talking to one of her father's old followers. What they had assumed was she was trying to gain allies to try to break out. At least that's how they excused the use of the Cruciatus curse. They held it there for about a minute. That was until they saw the man she was talking to earlier, laughing at her screams. They realized he had made it seem like they were plotting so that she would get hurt. They didn't feel in the slightest bit bad for her but felt a little embarrassing they got baited by a prisoner. So they threw her into her cell and called for an isolation period. 

In Azkaban, there are social periods when the prisoners are made to be in the same room. Much like muggle prisons, people gang up and are very aggressive so scenarios like earlier are very common. Alexandrea Grindlewald had never been social. She was outcasted by every group, even her father's old followers. 

There was only one prisoner who really paid attention to the girl and it was an older man named Morfin Gaunt. 

He had a nasty idea that the girl was a spy and was sent to kill him. The insanity of both being in the cell for the period of time he did and the generations of incest lead to a very steep decline in mental stability. It came to the point when he attacked the child and left her with a nasty gash on her right cheek. Which had disappeared by the next day. Scar free which made many people very upset. There were many more situations like this all ending in the same way. She walked in the next day to silence, and she tried to hide her face but failed and had people gossip. 

Morfin Gaunt had finished his sentence and left a couple of years ago. 

The only part that was fun about Gaunt - In Alex's opinion- was that he would talk in his sleep in parseltongue. Something that had her stumped that she understood. She had yet to try to use the language but she knew she was capable of understanding it. How she had no idea. 

Just as the day was drawing to an end a tray entered her cell. Curious she wandered over to see what was on it. 

A letter... with the ministries seal?