The Girl Who Never Lived¹ | h. potter

🎃Prologue🎃

🎃Prologue🎃

October 31, 1981

The man with the pale, bald head, approached the door that would lead him down the long, dark corridor. But it wasn't just any man. No, this man could make even the most powerful witches and wizards cower with just a single glance of his cold gaze. Fear and power radiated off of him wherever he went. This man was dangerous. His name was Tom Riddle, but he was more known for his new name: Voldemort.

This man was described as cold, unyielding, merciless, and incapable of knowing love. Even with the small child running around his feet, craving to make her father and mother proud, he still couldn't feel love. The small child's mild brown looked up to her father's face and she smiled, hoping he would smile back, "Daddy!"

He hid a look of disgust and pushed the child out of the way, "Not now, Ciara. I have important business to take care of. Go bother your mother." Buy 'important business' he meant go threaten Wormtail to give him the location of the Potter's so he could kill a possible threat to him. He had clearly forgotten that Ciara's mother (Bellatrix Lestrange) was out for the evening, torturing the Longbottom's.

The little girl's smile faltered slightly, "Mommy's went out to go hurt the Longbottoms tonight. She said she would be back in time for you to go to the Potter's." Even though Ciara was young, she was an extremely smart girl and knew what her parents were doing.

And she also knew that it was wrong.

Both Voldemort and Bellatrix tried to convince her that there was no good or evil in the world, only the powerful and the weak, but she refused to believe it. Every time they tried to convince her to accept their ways, her response always was, "You're not being nice. Being mean isn't the right thing to do."

Voldemort scowled at the child, "Of course she did." With a quick wave of his wand, the small child was floating after him as he threw open the door and stalked down the hall. After a few turns, they approached another door and Voldemort threw it open, rage dancing all over his features, "Peter!! How DARE you keep this from me!!"

Ciara couldn't help but pity the man. It happened in Peter's seventh year when Lucius Malfoy approached him when he was alone, threatening his friends if he didn't join the Dark Side. Peter, fearing for his friends' lives, quickly agreed and got the dark mark. He never told his friends what had happened, fearing that they wouldn't understand and kill him.

When he found out the Potter's could be in great danger, he instantly agreed to the Fidelius Charm, knowing that it would keep the Potter's safe. But when Sirius suggested that they switch the Secret-Keeper to himself, he knew that if he refused, it would arouse suspicion. So he became the Potter's new Secret Keeper, dreading going back to his master, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide it from him for long because with a wizard as skilled with Leginimecny as Voldemort was, you just simply couldn't hide things from him.

Peter jumped to his feet as Voldemort stormed into his room, curious to why he was so mad, but when he saw the look in his eyes, he immediately knew why. "My lord-", He started. Voldemort cut him off, "How DARE you hide the Potter's from me!! Do you not know who I am!!" Peter quivered slightly out of fear but he willed himself to stay strong. For the Marauders, he thought.

Voldemort raised his wand, causing both Peter and Ciara to flinch, "CURCIO!!" Peter fell to the ground and started screaming, withering in agony as Ciara screamed, "Daddy, stop!! You're hurting him!!" His concentration on keeping his daughter floating broke and she fell to the floor, quickly walking over to Peter, "Don't hurt Wormy, Daddy!! Don't hurt him."

Voldemort stared at his daughter, confused by her willingness to get herself hurt for Peter. He stared at Peter, then back to Ciara, "I know what will loosen up your tongue, Pettigrew." Peter's eyes were filled with fear as Voldemort grabbed his daughter's arm and pulled him towards him, wand against her throat.

Peter's breath hitched in his throat as the child's eyes widened in fear and she started to struggle, "Daddy!! Daddy, let me go!!" Voldemort ignored his daughter and kept his gaze on Peter, who had paled considerably as he watched the small child struggle to get out of her father's arms. Voldemort gave a dark chuckle, "Come on Peter, just tell me where the Potter's are, and the girl won't get hurt."

Peter forced himself to stay quiet and tears began to pool in his eyes as he watched the girl continue to struggle. When Voldemort was busy with making Horcruxes and Bellatrix was out torturing Muggles, Peter was usually watching Ciara as she would play with her pet snake and tried to keep her away from Bellatrix's torture chamber. Soon after Peter was given the babysitting job, he felt what James and Lily felt when Harry was born: he felt love.

Voldemort pressed the wand harder into Ciara's neck, "You have three seconds Peter. One..."

Peter suddenly felt like someone was closing off his airways.

"Two..."

Peter choked back a sob.

"Thr-"

"Godric's Hollow!! They're hiding at Godric's Hollow", Peter sobbed out. Voldemort nodded his head in satisfaction, "Good." He threw the child on the floor and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. Peter scooped up the child in his arms, "Ciara...Ciara, are you okay?" Ciara's eyes were red and she had tears running down her cheeks, "Daddy hurt me..."

Peter bit back a sob, "Ciara, listen to me, alright? I'm going to leave, and you can't say any of these things to your parents. Ciara...your parents aren't good people. They have done terrible things to really good people and-". She placed a hand on a scar on his cheek, a present from the Dark Lord for not knowing where the Potter's were hiding, "Like you?"

Peter smiled sadly, "In a way, yes. But Ciara...I did this to protect my friends. You remember them, right?" She nodded vigorously, "Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Lily, right?" He nodded, "And...I also did it to protect you. But Ciara...I'm going to be going away now. And you might never get to see me again."

Tears started pooling in the little girl's eyes, "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Peter's heart broke at the words and he shook his head, "Ciara, you have done nothing wrong. But me going away...it had to happen."

"But why", she questioned again. Peter grimaced, "Because Padfoot has a terrible temper, that's why." She gave a small giggle, making their conversation seemed a little lighter than it was. Peter grabbed her hand, causing her to look at him, "Ciara...your parents may be bad people...but you Ciara...you can be different...you can do good."

He stood up to leave when she grabbed his hand again, "Take me with you?" Peter hesitated, before shaking his head, "I can't Ciara...It will be too dangerous." She nodded sadly, before getting up to hug him, "Goodbye Wormy. I love you." Peter looked like he was going to sob again as he hugged her back, "I love you too, Ciara. And remember...you are your own person. Your parents don't define you, you do."

She nodded, tears getting ready to come back to her eyes, "You're a good person, Wormy. Your friends may not be able to see it but I do. And I thank you for that." Peter looked taken aback, and very touched, by her words. He crouched down to her level ad placed a kiss on her forehead, "If I survive this Ciara, I will come to find you. That's a Marauders promise." Hurrying to leave before they both started crying, Peter shot to his feet and bolted out the door, trying not to think of what might happen to the child, now that he won't be here.

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