Angel In the Dark

Harry could not believe what he was hearing… it was an outrage! Dumbledore just announced that Snape would be their new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher while Professor Slughorn, the person Harry thought would be their new D.A.D.A. professor would replace Snape as their Potions Professor.

The Slytherin House rejoiced at this announcement. The whole Great Hall erupted in a buzz that finally, after years of applying for the D.A.D.A. position, Snape finally achieved his heart's desire.

"Well, there's one good thing," Harry said. "Snape'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"The job's jinxed. No one lasted more than one year… Quirrell actually died doing it…Personally I'm hoping for another death this year."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped in shock.

Professor McGonagall approached Dumbledore and whispered to his ear. Dumbledore nodded, a small smile appeared on his face.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. Dumbledore waited for a few seconds before continuing with his announcements.

"Before we rest in our dormitories, there is one more matter we need to attend to." Dumbledore said. "Now, I am delighted to say that there would be a new transfer student who would be entering Hogwarts as a sixth year student. We didn't sort her earlier because there was some business needed to be taken care of. Nonetheless, please welcome Ms. Riddle."

The Great Hall's door opened and revealed a beautiful girl with straight brown locks that flowed down to her mid-back. Her adorable bangs were pushed back by a cute headband decorated with a bow. Her eyes were sleepy and innocent. Like the first years, she was wearing the Hogwarts uniform that did not indicate which house she belonged to.

The students stared at the girl with a mix of confusion, bafflement, anger and for Slytherins, amusement. The girl may look like an angel, but in fact she was the Dark Lord's daughter.

Harry watched in horror as the girl pass by on her way in front of the hall.

"Haruhi… What is she doing here?" Harry asked no one in particular.

His voice was cracked and the feeling of guilt took over. Before Haruhi was born, her mother left her husband so that she and her daughter could start a new life away from death, Death Eaters and Voldemort. She ran away to the farthest place from Voldemort she could think of; muggle Japan. When Mrs. Dark Lord gave birth to her daughter, she had a complication and died shortly after she asked a muggle couple to take care of her child for her.

Haruhi was raised as a muggle for fourteen years until two years ago when she and a group of her gorgeous friends accidentally stumble upon the magical world. To make long story short, Haruhi befriended Harry, Hermione and Ron over time.

Soon enough, rumors started to spread that Haruhi was actually the Dark Lord's daughter. At first nobody believed it but they did entertain the thought that the Dark Lord, the champion of purebloods, would have a muggle daughter.

Harry eventually learned the truth, that the rumors were true. At first he didn't know what to do, but later he managed to get over the fact that she was Voldemort's daughter. After much reflection and contemplation, Harry realized that Haruhi couldn't help who her father. After all, no one could. Her father's actions should not reflect on her the same way Snape kept pinning his father's attitude toward him on Harry.

They became friends again and on the day of the Third Task, Haruhi was transported to the graveyard along with himself and Cedric Diggory. Cedric never left the graveyard alive but Harry managed to fight off Voldemort long enough for him to escape with Cedric's corpse and the Triwizard Cup. What he didn't manage to bring back was her.

While he had dueled Voldemort, she was tied up to a gravestone by Wormtail as Death Eaters surround her. Harry tried to get her back but he was unable to because of the risk of being killed. It only took a few seconds before the choice became clear. Either Harry left then, or he would never leave. Haruhi had screamed to leave her behind and with only the slightest hesitation, he did.

He was a coward for not saving her. What a great Gryffindor he turned out to be.

"Ms. Riddle, please sit down so that we could sort you to your house." Professor McGonagall offered.

Haruhi obliged and sat down on the stool. Professor McGonagall quickly placed the Sorting Hat on top of her head.

"Hmm…You managed to learn five years worth of magical training in one. That's not an easy feat… Very impressive… hardworking and intelligent. You would do well in Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff." The Sorting Hat mused in a whisper.

Haurhi groaned at the remembrance of the year long nightmare she endured. Her "father", the snake-like creature called Voldemort, insisted that she should learn as much as she could in as little time as possible in order for her to catch up from her magical studies.

She had several teachers who tried to teach her as many things about magic as possible. Professor Snape taught her potions from sunrise to sunset during summer break, Christmas break and Easter break. Various Death Eaters would come in and teach her about Transfiguration, Charms, Defensive spells and Offensive spells. Narcissa Malfoy overlooked her studies as well as her Charms lessons. Everyday she was allowed to go outside for an hour or two to study Herbology or to learn how to fly on a broomstick. Those were the only time she was allowed to relax.

"You wanted to be a lawyer in the muggle world… very ambitious. Worthy of being a Slytherin." The Sorting Hat whispered to her ear.

Haruhi asked the Sorting Hat to quickly sort her because she was really tired and hungry.

"Fine, fine. You are a very hard person to sort but I guess I have to choice but to put you in GRYFFINDOR!!"

Nobody clapped, nobody cheered. As the daughter of the Dark Lord made her way to an open spot at the Gryffindor table, there was nothing but a stunned silence.

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"That was unbelievable." Ron commented. "Who would have thought that we would see Haruhi again? And who would think that she would be sorted to Gryffindor?"

After the Welcoming Feast, students were escorted to their dormitories. While the students were told to go back to sleep, it was hard to do so when they knew that the Dark Lord's daughter had infiltrated Hogwarts.

Harry and his dorm mates Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan were wide awake, even though it was midnight. They were discussing what would be in store for them that year. With danger lurking everywhere, anything could happen.

"Do you reckon that she has the Dark Mark?" Dean Thomas asked.

They were silent for a moment.

"Hey Ron, do you think that she's mad at me for leaving her behind?" Harry asked.

"What are you talking about?" Seamus asked.

"Harry, it's not your fault that she was left behind." Ron said. "It's not your fault when it's leave her behind or don't come back at all."

"It's just that… she could go back to Japan, you know? She could go back to having a normal life there." Harry said.

"Harry, don't blame yourself." Dean reasoned. "You can't control every situation, that's life mate. Whatever happened to her the past year was not your fault; everybody here knows that you tried your best to bring her back. Just be happy that you know that she's fine."

Harry rolled to his side and closed his eyes. Dean and Ron were right, but he still… he still felt responsible for whatever happened to her over the past year.