I was woken one morning by the call of one of the Malfoys' white peacocks. Sighing quietly, I got up and changed into a clean set of ragged robes that were once my mother's, then used a spell to get the knots out of my wild black hair.

It was a few weeks since I'd started trying to learn the Patronus Charm, and while it was going alright - I could now maintain a formless Patronus for a few minutes when I cast the spell verbally, and for about thirty seconds nonverbally - I hadn't yet been able to produce a true, corporeal Patronus.

It certainly didn't help that, for over a week now, my progress had been impeded by an almost overwhelming hunger - Father had once again forbidden me to eat, this time for two weeks (and for no reason other than to remind me that he could and would stop me eating whenever he wanted), so I was relying solely on potions to stop myself passing out when I used too much of my limited energy. And although I definitely still needed more practice, I'd also started to think that perhaps the memory I was using just wasn't strong enough.

I was just contemplating whether I should make a start on my day's practice, or whether I should wait a little for my brain to properly wake up, when Nagini's high voice came to my ears.

"Master wishes to see you."

What does he want this time? I wondered uneasily, my heart starting to beat faster than usual. I haven't done anything to get myself into trouble since I've started my Patronus practice... what if he's found out I'm teaching myself Light Magic?!

Taking a deep breath, I went to the meeting room. Father was standing in his usual place, his slit-like eyes seeming to bore straight into my soul.

"You wished to see me, Father?" I asked, silently praying that this wouldn't be like the last time he'd sent Nagini to get me.

"Yes. As you know, I have been thinking about your schooling," he started, and my heart dropped like a stone. "Although Lucius is a faithful follower, his placement as your tutor was only temporary."

Thank Merlin for that, I thought, though I was still worried. What if my next tutor was worse? Compared to the methods of teaching some of my past tutors had used, Lucius' lessons seemed like one of the birthday parties he and Narcissa threw for my cousin Draco every year.

"However," Father continued, "there has been a... complication. I cannot find anyone who will be able to teach you the spells that a true heir to the Dark Lord should know. Therefore-"

I swallowed anxiously, waiting for the blow to fall. I would surely be continuing my lessons with Lucius - or worse still, it would be Mother who took over my tutoring.

"-I have decided to allow you to go to Hogwarts."

I looked at him as though he'd just grown an extra head, or something equally ridiculous.

Hogwarts? I'm going to Hogwarts?

"You go on two conditions," he said, and I came back to earth with a bump. "One, you will apparate here every Sunday and speak with me. Two, you will not talk to or befriend any Mudbloods, blood-traitors, half-breeds, or any of the other filth that infests the school. Or," he added as an afterthought, "Harry Potter."

"Yes, Father," I said, just about managing to hide the way I felt about his referring to people as filth simply because they weren't Purebloods who thought that everyone else was beneath them.

"When she returns, Bella will take you to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. Act like a true heir, or I may rethink my decision."

"Yes, Father," I said again, excitement rushing through me at the thought of being allowed out of the Manor.

"Good. Now go back to your room and put something more acceptable on."

"Yes, Father."

I turned and walked back down to my 'room', not quite believing my luck. I was finally allowed to go to Hogwarts! My mind brought up images of the clothes Mother and Narcissa wore when they were going to places like Diagon Alley, and I used those to settle on an outfit of my own. Focusing hard on this outfit, I clicked my fingers; instantly, my ragged robes transformed into a black, long-sleeved dress that reached almost to the floor, and dark green shoes appeared on my previously bare feet. It was an odd experience, wearing shoes and proper clothes after so long without them, but it felt good.

About an hour or so later, Mother came down to my 'room'. I flinched as she grabbed hold of me, the horrible feeling of being touched making me want to use the Scouring Charm on my arm. She pulled me roughly to the top of the stairs, then apparated with me to some sort of dark and shabby room full of people talking and drinking. Since we were going to Diagon Alley, I realised this was probably the famous Leaky Cauldron pub, the gateway to one of the magical parts of London.

Everyone went quiet as they saw us, and a few people visibly shuddered as I followed Mother through the back door and into a walled courtyard, just a bit bigger than my 'room' back at the Manor.

For the first time in almost three years, I was outside.

I tilted my face towards the sky, taking a deep breath as the sun warmed my skin. Then, Mother tapped one of the bricks in the wall with her wand, and I snapped back to reality just in time to see the bricks in front of me start to move around, finally settling in place to form an arch.

"Follow me, and remember, act like a true heir, else the Dark Lord won't be pleased," she hissed, surreptitiously pointing her wand at me.

"Yes, Mother," I murmured back, before stepping through the archway and into Diagon Alley.

Whispers broke out almost immediately, spreading down the alley like wildfire, and I got an instant headache from all the scared and angry thoughts my Legilimency automatically tuned into. I quickly built up my Occlumency defences, following Mother through the crowds. I couldn't help but be awed at the buildings we walked past, with their stock carefully arranged to tempt you in from the street - everything from cauldrons to owls, broomsticks to sweets. There were also identical posters pasted on doors, windows, and the sides of buildings, but with all the people in the Alley, I couldn't get a good enough look at them to work out what they said.

We soon reached Gringotts bank - a beautiful snowy-white building that towered over the rest of the little shops - and were bowed through a set of bronze doors by a goblin in a uniform of scarlet and gold. A second set of doors lay in front of us, silver this time, with words engraved upon them.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those that take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

A pair of goblins bowed us through the silver doors, and into a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools beside a long counter, some weighing coins, some scribbling in huge, leather-bound books, some showing people in and out of the countless doors set into the walls. Trying to take it all in, I followed Mother to the counter.

"Miss Riddle wishes to enter her vault."

The goblin Mother had spoken to observed me a little suspiciously, as though he couldn't quite believe the infamous daughter of the Dark Lord was standing in front of him.

"Does Miss Riddle have her key?"

I handed him a solid silver key, moulded perfectly to look like a miniature snake was curled around the top, and his suspicious expression turned to fright. I didn't need to ask why. That key was my Father's; it was said to have been passed down from Salazar Slytherin himself, though nobody could prove it. The goblins had learned to fear it.

"V-very well, Madam Riddle, Madam Lestrange." He gave the key back again. "Please follow me."