CHAPTER 15 – REAL PARENTS & REAL NAMES
The trio nuzzled themselves into their mothers’ arms, smelling their motherly scent. Their mothers cuddled and stroked their daughters’ hair. Their fathers smiled as they tickled their daughters’ throat tenderly.
“Let me tell you our names,” Rach’s father said. “I’m Richard Ravenclaw, and your mother here is Madhya Yesterday. We’ve been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time now.”
“My name,” Becka’s jolly father said, “is Gilbert Gryffindor and your mother is Ethel Lattimer. You got your mother’s hair. In fact you look so much like your mother, ha ha ha!”
“My precious pearl,” Jude’s mother said as she ran her finger around Jude’s face. “My name is Tanya Lucius. This man here is your stepfather Bernard Finnegan.”
“Hey, girly,” Bernard patted Jude’s head. “I may have no blood relation with you, but I am so looking forward to see you too.”
“Mom,” Jude said finally. “I know you left me at the Muggle world for my own safety. In fact we all understand why you left us there. But Mom…if you don’t mind me asking…how did you meet…Dad?”
Tanya looked worriedly at Bernard for a while. Bernard nodded and said, “She has the right to know, dear.”
Finally Tanya sighed and said, “I was young and foolish then, child. Voldemort took the form of his teenage image they called Tom Riddle and we fell in love. At least I fell in love with him, that is. What sorcery he used to change his form I still have no clue. We had our nights together and when I was pregnant with you, he was abnormally overjoyed and revealed his true identity. I was so scared. Bernard protected me throughout my pregnancy. We had to run constantly to escape Voldemort’s chase, until we resolved to hiding in Hogwarts.”
“That’s how we all met,” Gilbert joined in the conversation. “We were informed about the prophecy and were advised to hide in Hogwarts until you girls were born. Tanya came in the last. Believe me, it was quite exciting. Not a day goes by without us worrying that You-Know-Who breaching into Hogwarts.”
“One by one, you girls were born,” Madhya said, still stroking Rach’s hair. “It was both a joyous and sad day for us because as soon as Rachel, the last born came, we had to take you away to the Muggle world. We had some Muggle friends there and they were glad to take care of you.”
“When You-Know-Who was defeated by the Boy Who Lived, we did think of taking you back,” Ethel said. “We want nothing but to watch you grow up and lead a lovely life in this lovely world.”
“But You-Know-Who was only defeated, not killed,” Richard said. “As long as he is still alive, he will still come and search you here, yet he’s not powerful enough to travel to the Muggle world. So, as painful as it seemed, we had to leave you there and monitor you yearly with our sole crystal ball that can show us the outside world.”
“Is it the crystal ball that you gave me last Christmas, Mom?” Jude asked eagerly.
“No, child,” Tanya shook her head. “Your crystal ball is for Divination use, that is, if you’re taking Divination.”
Jude nodded. Tanya smiled and hugged her even more closely.
“Oh, look at you,” Ethel said as she held Becka’s face towards her and looked. “You have grown up so much. I can’t believe you girls are actually 13.”
“14, to be exact, Ma,” Becka pointed out.
“I’m so sorry for what you have to go through,” Tanya said quietly. “I know you didn’t mean to kill those people…”
“Oh, come on, don’t make your daughter upset about this past, woman,” Bernard half-scolded his wife.
“Bernard, it’s OK,” Jude said, laying a hand on his arm. “Mom, I don’t blame you. You were young. It’s not your fault I become who and what I am. It’s Voldemort, my Dad.”
“You got a strong daughter there, Tanya,” Gilbert chuckled as he laid his hand on his own daughter. He really was a jolly old fellow.
“We only got to see you through our crystal ball, but we couldn’t hear your voices,” Richard said sadly. “What are your names, may we know?”
“Judith Cecelia Light,” Jude replied.
“Rebecca Levi the 2nd,” Becka said with a beam on her face.
“And Rachel Suzette Yearne,” Rach finished off. “Err, do we have real names or something?”
The couples laughed heartily and said, “Of course you have. But it’s OK if you want to keep this name.”
“What are our names?” Becka asked, an interested look on her face.
“Well, your real name is Gillian Gryffindor,” Gilbert replied as he ruffled Becka’s hair, followed by a low guffaw.
“And your name is Rowena Ravenclaw, under your ancestor’s name,” Madhya told Rach. Rach widened her eyes in wonder at being named under her ancestor.
“And your name is Samantha Finnegan Slytherin-Riddle,” Tanya said before giggling when Jude gaped at that weird name. “It is a tad mouthful though. We had Bernard’s surname as your middle name.”
“You girls have…you know, did it with Harry?” Ethel asked tentatively.
“Yes, Ma,” Becka grinned, blushing a little. “We’re…pregnant…”
“We’re gonna be grandparents! How smashing!” Gilbert clapped his hands with glee.
“I didn’t think we’d be old that fast!” Richard wrinkled his nose and adjusted his glasses. Everyone laughed heartily at his complaint.
“Look on the bright side!” Bernard joked. “At least we don’t have Harry as a real son-in-law yet, or we’ll be even older than before!”
That sent everyone into fits of laughter again.
The trio and their parents continued to chit-chat the whole night through. When it’s time for them to turn in, they begged their parents to tuck them in. They dragged their parents to their house dorm, introduced them proudly to their housemates and led them to their dorm. They were tucked in to bed and their parents kissed them goodnight.
“You have your father’s hair,” Tanya said as she stroked Jude’s hair.
“And your eyes, Mom,” Jude pointed at her mother’s eyes.
“Goodnight, my precious pearl.”
“Goodnight, Mom, Bernard.”
“Thank you so much, Albus, for letting us see our precious children,” Richard shook Albus Dumbledore’s hand.
“My pleasure, Richard. It was a bit risky, but I’m sure it’s worth it.”
“The risk is getting greater,” Bernard said worriedly. “We worry that You-Know-Who would be too strong even for Hogwarts to hold on.”
“We must have faith, everyone,” Albus said solemnly. “Our future lies on the hands of your children and their heirs.”
There were two figures standing in the middle of the Quidditch field. They both looked around before coming towards each other to meet.
“Has the mark developed into its full state on the Dark Witch?” One of them asked.
“Not entirely,” the other replied. “Maybe it will in a day or two.”
“It better be. She is essential for the Dark Lord to destroy.”
“I understand that.”
After a momentary silence, the second figure asked, “Still have not destroyed the Black Witch?”
The first figure shook his head. The other figure asked, “What is the hesitation?”
“She…She is the Dark Lord’s daughter. I have no right to kill her.”
“Have you forgotten what the Dark Lord told you? She is the mother of the child that would kill him. No matter how the Dark Lord tries to make her or her child to be in his side, he will still die by the child’s hands. They are of no use to continue his legacy anymore. She must be destroyed.”
“I…I understand…”
The second figure turned and looked up the bright moon up in the sky. He then turned to the first figure and said, “I must leave now. Carry on with your duty. Long live Voldemort.”
“Long live Voldemort,” the first figure muttered and watched as the other figure flew away on his broom.
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