Ogden stood between me and Marvolo, and it was the strangest sight I had seen in my three days in this hell.

  Small, round, with a shiny bald head and trembling hands — but he held his wand firmly. And he looked at Marvolo Gaunt without fear.

  "Sit down, Mister Gaunt," Ogden said calmly. "Let's discuss this in a civilized manner."

  "Civilized?" Marvolo spat on the floor. "You break into my house, threaten me, protect this worthless piece of trash — and you talk about civilization?"

  "I am protecting a girl you were about to beat. That is called the law. Perhaps you have not heard of such a thing."

  Morfin let out a hoarse laugh from the corner. Marvolo shot him an angry look, and the laughter stopped.

  "Sit," Marvolo barked at Ogden. "And talk fast before I lose patience."

  Ogden lowered himself onto the bench. He did not put his wand away — he laid it on his knee, keeping his hand positioned so he could grab it at any moment. I remained standing by the wall, trying to calm the trembling in my knees.

  Marvolo dropped heavily into a chair at the table. Morfin walked over and sat beside his father, drilling Ogden with a look full of hatred.

  "So," Ogden began, unwrapping his bundle. "I have here a warrant for the arrest of Morfin Gaunt on charges of attacking Muggles. Three weeks ago a certain Muggle named Tom Riddle was attacked on the road…"

  "Muggle?" Marvolo repeated. "You claim my son attacked a Muggle?"

  "According to our testimony, that is exactly what happened."

  I froze. My heart skipped a beat.

  Tom Riddle Sr…?

  "That's a lie!" Morfin jumped up. "I didn't do anything!"

  "Sit," Marvolo barked. Morfin sat, but continued to glare at Ogden with fury.

  "The Ministry sent me to investigate," Ogden continued. "If you cooperate, the sentence may be lighter. If not…"

  "If not — what?" Marvolo leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "You'll send Aurors? Into my house?"

  "If necessary."

  Silence hung in the air, thick and heavy like smoke from the hearth.

  And then voices came from outside.

  At first I thought I imagined it. But Marvolo also turned his head toward the door. Morfin froze.

  The voices were approaching. A young male voice, confident, mocking, and a female one — bright, coquettish. They were talking about something of their own, unaware they were being heard in this miserable shack.

  "…you're saying your father won't allow it?" the female voice.

  "My father?" the male laughed. "He'll do anything I say. I'm his only son, Cecilia. The only heir."

  "Tom, you're so confident."

  "I'm merely honest. That's different."

  Laughter. The girl's bright, flirtatious laughter.

  Something inside me collapsed.

  I did not know these people personally. And yet I still already knew exactly who they were.

  Tom Riddle Sr. Handsome, wealthy heir and Muggle, who had no idea that in a few years he would become the father of the most terrifying dark wizard in history.

  And he was here now. Very close.

  I looked at Marvolo. His face was slowly filling with blood.

  "Muggles," he hissed. "Muggles wandering around my house!"

  "Father…" Morfin began.

  "Silence."

  The voices came almost right up to the house.

  "Tom, look what a dreadful house," the girl said. "Why hasn't your father torn it down yet?"

  "It isn't ours," the man replied. "Everything on the other side of the valley belongs to us, but this house belongs to that ragged Gaunt and his children. My father says they're all mad there."

  The girl laughed again.

  "Look, Cecilia, what a snake!"

  I went cold.

  Morfin immediately jumped up. His eyes burned with mad fire. He ran to the door and threw it open.

  Two people stood on the path. A young man in an expensive suit — handsome, with dark hair and a mocking smile. And a girl in a light dress, with a parasol against the sun, though there was no sun.

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  And at their feet a snake writhed.

  "That's my snake!" Morfin shouted. "Don't you dare touch her, Muggles!"

  Tom Riddle raised his head. Looked at Morfin with disgusted surprise.

  "Excuse me?" he said coldly. "That is your snake? And who exactly are you?"

  "I am Morfin Gaunt! And this land is mine! And you get out of here before I turn you into toads!"

  Cecilia screamed and hid behind Tom's back. Tom frowned.

  "Listen, my good man," he began in a restrained tone. "I don't know who you are or what your problems are, but I advise you to calm down. We're just taking a walk."

  "A walk? On my land?!"

  Morfin stepped forward. I saw his hand reaching for the pocket where he carried his wand.

  "Mister Gaunt!" Ogden shouted, running out of the house. "Don't you dare!"

  But Morfin was no longer listening.

  He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Tom. Cecilia shrieked. Tom went pale but did not move. To say he was brave? No. More likely he simply did not believe that some ragged lunatic could threaten him.

  "Get out!" Morfin shouted. "Or I'll curse both of you!"

  "Morfin Gaunt, stop!" Ogden ran forward, waving his wand. "In the name of the Ministry of Magic, I order you to lower your wand!"

  For a moment everything froze. Tom and Cecilia looked at Ogden with such astonishment as if he were an alien from another planet. The Ministry of Magic? To them it sounded like the ravings of a madman.

  And then Tom Riddle smiled.

  It was the smile of a man who had realized he was dealing with lunatics. A family of local freaks everyone only laughed at.

  "Come, Cecilia," he said calmly. "There's nothing to see here."

  He took the girl by the arm and led her away. Morfin watched them with a look full of hatred.

  "I'll come back for you, Muggle!" he shouted after them. "I'll get you!"

  Tom did not even turn around.

  We stood on the threshold — me, Morfin, and Ogden — and watched them leave. Cecilia was saying something anxiously, Tom was calming her. Their voices soon faded into the forest.

  "Well, did you see that?" Morfin smirked, throwing me a sideways glance. "To him you're dirt under his boots. He doesn't need you anyway!"

  I was confused and didn't even know what to answer.

  Morfin spat and turned to go back into the house.

  And then I saw Marvolo's face.

  He stood in the doorway. Looking at me. And there was something terrifying in his eyes.

  "Morfin," he said quietly. "Come here."

  Morfin approached.

  "What exactly did you just mean? Explain it to me," said old Gaunt.

  My heart stopped.

  Morfin looked at me. Something flashed in his eyes — either regret or malicious satisfaction. Then he turned his gaze to his father.

  "Yes, Father. I saw it. She's always standing at the window looking at that Muggle. Every time he walks past. She devours him with her eyes."

  "Morfin, no…" I whispered.

  "Silence!" Marvolo roared.

  He stepped toward me. I backed away, pressing into the wall.

  "You," he hissed, looming over me. "My daughter. Staring at Muggles? At that filth?"

  "I'm not… I just…"

  "You think I don't know what you dream about? You think I'm blind?" his voice rose, filling with rage. "You worthless trash, dreaming about a Muggle?! About leaving this house and living with him like some common whore?!"

  "No!" I shouted. "I'm not thinking anything like that!"

  "Liar!"

  He struck me.

  I fell, hitting my head against the wall. My vision went dark. But he didn't stop. He kicked me in the side — once, twice.

  "You've disgraced the Gaunt family!" he shouted. "You've disgraced the blood of Slytherin! Thinking about some filthy Mudblood-loving Muggle! Dreaming about him!"

  "Mister Gaunt, stop!" Ogden rushed toward me, trying to shield me. "She's a girl! You have no right!"

  "Get away, Ministry rat!"

  Marvolo shoved Ogden. He staggered but kept his footing.

  "I said — stop!" Ogden raised his wand. "In the name of the law, I order you to cease!"

  Marvolo burst into laughter.

  "The law? To hell with your law! This is my house! My daughter! I do what I want!"

  He swung at me again, but Ogden shouted a spell. A beam of light shot from his wand and struck Marvolo in the chest. The old man staggered back but did not fall. He simply froze for a moment, stunned.

  "You… you dared?" he whispered. "In my house? Attack me?"

  "I am protecting the girl," Ogden said firmly, though his voice trembled.

  "Morfin!" Marvolo roared.

  Morfin did not hesitate. He leapt at Ogden like a wild animal, knocking the wand out of his hand. Ogden cried out and fell. Morfin threw himself on top of him, raining punches everywhere.

  "Morfin, no!" I screamed, trying to get up.

  But I was kicked again. Marvolo stepped on my leg, pinning me to the floor.

  "Stay down, trash. I'll deal with you later."

  Ogden fought back as best he could, but Morfin was physically stronger and completely insane. He struck Ogden in the face, the head, the chest. Ogden's glasses flew off and shattered on the floor.

  "Stop!" I shouted. "You'll kill him!"

  "Let him die!" Morfin snarled. "Ministry scum!"

  Ogden managed to twist free. He crawled toward the door, gasping for air. His face was covered in blood.

  "Morfin, stop!" Marvolo suddenly shouted. "Don't kill him here! A corpse in the house is useless!"

  Morfin froze, breathing heavily. Ogden crawled to the threshold, grabbed the doorframe, and pulled himself to his feet. He swayed, but he stood.

  "You… you will regret this…" he rasped. "For attacking a Ministry official… that's Azkaban…"

  "Get out before we finish you off!" Marvolo barked.

  Ogden ran.

  I heard him stumbling, falling, getting up again, and running farther. His footsteps faded into the forest.

  Silence fell over the house.

  Marvolo looked at Morfin. Morfin looked at his father. Then both turned their gaze to me.

  I lay on the dirty floor, in dust and ashes, clutching my hands to my chest. My whole body hurt. My head spun. But the fear was stronger than the pain.

  "You," Marvolo said quietly. "This is all because of you."

  "I… I didn't do anything…"

  "You did. By being born. By existing. By looking at Muggles with your cow eyes!"

  He stepped closer.

  "Do you know what I do with trash that disgraces my name?"

  I squeezed my eyes shut.

  "Father," Morfin suddenly said. "Leave her."

  Marvolo turned.

  "What?"

  "We need her. Who's going to cook? Who's going to clean?"

  Marvolo froze. Looked at Morfin. Then back at me.

  "You're saying I can't punish her?"

  "You can. But not to death. If you kill her — you'll be eating what she cooked today yourself. Or do you think I'm going to cook?"

  Marvolo thought. I looked at Morfin and couldn't believe my ears. Was he defending me? Or just didn't want to lose a servant? What did it matter. The important thing was — he stopped his father.

  "Fine," Marvolo spat on the floor. "Live for now. But if I ever see you looking at that Muggle again… if I hear you're thinking about him… I'll kill you. Understood?"

  "Yes," I whispered.

  "Louder!"

  "YES!"

  Marvolo nodded and walked to the table.

  "Serve the food. And make sure it's hot."

  I got up. My hands were shaking. My legs were buckling. But I walked to the hearth, took the ladle, and began pouring the stew into bowls.

  My fingers trembled so much that I spilled half onto the floor. Marvolo said nothing. He just watched.

  I set the bowls in front of them. Then stepped back into the corner.

  I didn't want to eat. I wanted only one thing — for this day to end as soon as possible.

  Morfin chewed, staring at the wall. Marvolo slurped the stew, occasionally throwing short angry glances at me.

  And I looked at the door through which Bob Ogden had just run out, and thought about only one thing.

  One thing I knew for certain.

  He absolutely had to come back.