Before Things Change, Harry Potter Year 6

10. The House of Gaunt

Lilly's POV
Harry used the Half-Blood Prince's instructions from then on. He was quite successful with his endeavors with Potions after that and he got Slughorn on his good side. He offered it to Ron and Hermione, but Ron couldn't distinguish the writting that well and Hermione was being stubborn saying that the prewritten instructions were the best.
Harry went to his lesson with Dumbledore. Harry was to fulfill his detention with Snape next Saturday. Harry and Dumbledore were to enter the Pensieve with the memory of Bob Ogden.
It started out in the country side. Ogden was going to a door that had a dead snake nailed to it. A very raggedy man appeared at the door. He was speaking Parseltongue... Mr. Gaunt appeared at the door and Ogden went into the house. Ogden told Mr. Gaunt that Morfin was being summoned to the Ministry for a hearing because he used magic on a Muggle. Mr. Gaunt was particularly angry, but he had no right. Just because he's a pureblood, that doesn't mean he or his children get any special treatment. They got into a further argument until they heard clopping of hooves. A young couple was talking, mostly insulting the family, and Morfin was saying to his dad in Parseltongue that his sister fancied the Muggle boy. Mr. Gaunt was furious, he put his hands around Merope's neck. Ogden raised his wand and cried, "Relashio!" Ogden ran for his life after that.
Merope survived, which was good. Ogden had Apparated back to the Ministry and returned with enforcements. Morfin and his father atempted to fight, but we're captured, removed from the cottage, and convicted by the Wizengamot. Morfin had a record of Muggle attacks and he was sent to Azkaban for three years; Marvolo had injured several Ministry employees in addition to Ogden in the struggle, he received six months. That was Voldemort's grandfather. Merope was Voldemort's mother and the Muggle riding the horse was his his father, Tom Riddle senior. When Marvolo returned to the cottage after his sentence in Azkaban, he expected his daughter to be there with a nice hot meal, but instead, he found a note explaining what she had done. Once Merope was free she had brought out her full potential as a witch. She was finally free from her father's wretched rule over her. She used a love potion on Tom, making him leave his companion, and they had gotten married. She was having his child, but Tom had left her. Dumbledore guessed that she stopped giving Tom the love potion believing that he would stay. He had left without hesitation.
Harry wanted to know why it was important to know Voldemort's past and Dumbledore said it was very, very important. It had to do with the Prophecy. Harry asked if he could tell Ron, Hermione, and I and Dumbledore said only we were trustworthy enough to know, no one else could know about what Harry had just seen. Then Harry asked about the ring that was cracked, it was sitting on a table. It was Gaunt's and Dumbledore acquired it around the time he injured his hand. Harry was pressing the matter further, but had Dumbledore sent him off to bed.
Harry returned at once and told us everything.

I was staring out the window just looking at the stars, my back was too them. I said sighing, "So that's my family. Those are the people I decent from," Harry said quietly, "Yeah." I said in frustration and disbelief, "This can't be right, I refuse to believe that I come from the Riddle family!" Harry said, "Voldemort said you were his daughter and it makes sense, a bit, with all the powers you have. You are so similar to him!"
I turned to face him with my arms crossed. I said, "Don't you dare say I'm like him! Just because Voldemort said it was true, doesn't mean it's true. He has lied before and he will continue to lie again. I have to talk to someone, the only person who knows the truth..."
Hermione asked, "Who can you possibly talk to? Sirius? Voldemort himself?"
I shook my head, looking down, saying, "No, they were believed what they were told. I have to go to the source. The only person I can actually think of that knows the truth..."
Ron asked annoyed, "Well, who then?" I frowned and mumbled bitterly, "My mother."
Hermione said, "But, you can't talk to your mother... Your mother is dead!"
I snapped, "Don't you think I know that! I have to talk to her. She didn't give me a lot of information in that graveyard, but she will be giving me answers soon..."
Harry asked curiously, "How are you going to get answers?"
I said, "Time travel." Hermione said in disbelief, "You could change the future!"
I said, "Not if I Obliviate her. Time travel is better than almost killing myself just to see her. The last time I did that, it took me forever to recover! It's the only way I can talk to her about all of this. I need to know who my actual father is, I need to know what I am. I need answers!"
Rom asked, "Why?"
I said, "The blood I decend from will determine my future..."

Harry said, "Why does it matter if Voldemort happens to be your father? Why does it matter if Sirius happens to be your father? "
I said, "Then I can't be with Neville. I'd be a decedent from a pureblood family. All pureblood families are somehow related. I'd be marrying my cousin, which I refuse to do, at all, it's just disgusting incest... Look, I need to think of a way to do this. Just no word to Neville about this, he's going to be freaked out and worry even more than he is supposed to." They nodded and we went up to bed after that little fiasco.

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)