𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 [Harry James Potter]

Chapter 7: King of Cups

King of Cups

Trigger warnings: Child abuse/ neglect

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Saeptuose

-1990-

The orphanage burnt all muggle items including the books, except for one.

Little red riding hood was its name, it lay hidden under Vera Riddle's mattress to keep it from burning. She was the mere age of ten when she saved the book just to devour its contents. She believed the girl in the muggle story to be naïve and ignorant of the danger she faced, but she nonetheless cherished the book, it was something she could enjoy all to herself which according to Aunt Lydia, was a selfish act and selfish girls were not allowed cordial things.

She shoved the book under her mattress once again at the sound of the door opening.

"Stand up child! You have a visitor." Aunt Lydia seethed.

Young Nora lay asleep on the rusty bed, she had outgrown her wooden crib.

The malnourished ten-year-old stood up to greet the visitor. She had never once received a visitor. who would want to visit her? she thought. She had skinny limbs with scabs and bruises littering them, ugly white hair, and 'dirty blood.'

She recognised the old man entering her room, he had been to the orphanage before, but she had only ever seen him converse with Mr Baxter.

"I believe I can manage it from here, thank you." The old man said to aunt Lydia.

She felt embarrassed about her room, it was small and bare, with mouldy castle walls, it had nothing in it except an old wardrobe, rusty manacles, Nora's old crib, a chair, and an iron bedstead.

"I am Professor Dum-." The man said sitting opposite her.

"I know who you are, you are a wand carrier, you always visit when the trees shed their leaves each annum and Mr Baxter calls you Dumbledore." She interrupted.

"Clever indeed. I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school - your new school if you would like to come." Dumbledore spoke, eyeing the girl carefully.

She looked scared and confused at his words.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked nervously, "I haven't stolen food this week and I made sure my dirty blood didn't touch the floors this time."

"You are not in trouble miss Riddle" he clarified. "Hogwarts is a school of magic. It is safe and you can stay there during the holidays if you would like."