The Story of Sheila Riddle (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 19

The diary was destroyed. Sheila had witnessed it. She saw how close her brother had come to victory, and how he had fallen yet again at the hand of Harry Potter. The showdown had played out in the Chamber of Secrets, where Sheila had gone unnoticed because of her Concealment Spell.

Now she stood in the hall outside Dumbledore's office, listening to a heated conversation between Harry and Lucius Malfoy. Potter was accusing him of slipping Tom's diary into one of Ginny Weasley's schoolbooks. Tom would not have been happy to hear that after entrusting a piece of his soul to one of his Death Eaters, they had handed it over to a child, an action which had led to the Horcrux's destruction.

Malfoy left in a rage, and Sheila followed him until Potter was no longer in view. Then she lifted the Concealment Charm on herself.

"Hello, Lucius."

Lucius spun around quickly, looking aggressive. The anger in his eyes died a little as he saw the seemingly ordinary student standing before him.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

"You don't recognize me?"

"Recognize you? Oh, of course, you must be the friend that my son has mentioned in his letters. You're a Pure-blood, aren't you? Leanne Carmen. That's your name, correct?"

"No, it's not," Sheila said, taking a step nearer.

Lucius looked surprised, "It's not?"

"No, I prefer not to use my real name unless it is with some of my closest friends. Perhaps it will jog your memory when you hear it. Sheila Riddle. That's my name. Do you remember it now?"

Lucius paled.

"You...but how?" he gabbled.

"My Rebirth Spell, Lucius," Sheila said, lowering her voice, "Don't you remember? I was days away from finishing it when we heard about the awful news...about Tom."

Lucius gulped, "...It worked. It's a miracle."

Sheila smiled, "Well, I thought I'd come back and do what I promised concerning Draco. I'm afraid I was absent for the last eleven years, but I'll try to catch up on my godmother duties. Lucius, will you please tell him who I really am? I don't think I have the courage to do it myself."

Lucius nodded solemnly, and she bade him goodbye. 

As she watched him go, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her chest, she heard a familiar voice say, "I knew it was you."

Snape emerged seemingly from nowhere.

"You're not the only one who knows how to perform a Disillusionment Charm," he said.

"Not meaning to burst your bubble or anything, but that wasn't a Disillusionment Charm," Sheila replied evenly, "So you knew, did you? Did you run and tell your new friend, or am I in the clear?"

Snape looked her in the eyes before replying quietly, "I did not tell the Headmaster."

Sheila paused at this.

"Why are you here, Severus?" she demanded, "I'm sorry, but I know you don't care that much for children so how did you land yourself a teaching career? And at Hogwarts of all places! Explain!"

"The Headmaster trusts me," Snape said simply.

"And why should he?" Sheila insisted, then stopped as a thought struck her. "This has everything to do with Lily, hasn't it?" she asked bluntly, "No doubt you wanted to make sure her precious child was safe. Will you ever come to grips with reality? Lily's dead!"

Sheila's hands flew to her mouth. She knew she shouldn't have said it. She could see the pain in Snape's eyes; it stung her.

"I went to the Dark Lord and pleaded for him to spare her at the cost of her husband and son," Snape said shakily, "But he denied my request. He said there were other women, of more desirable lineage."

"And what did you say?"

"I...agreed."

"But it was a filthy lie, wasn't it?" Sheila hissed. She couldn't help herself; her rage was burning hotter every second. "You'll just wallow in your misery forever, because you want to! Tom was right in what he said, but you just don't care!"

She stormed away, tears spilling over her cheeks. Severus would never again look at her the way he had back when they were innocent fifth years, sharing precious moments together, moments that haunted Sheila still. He would always be stuck on one girl, a Gryffindor Mudblood who hadn't been half as good as him.

Was it wrong for Sheila to feel the way she did about him? Was it wrong of her to love him despite the fact that the feeling would never be returned?