5,000 Days

She woke up and stared at the darkness around her. She touched the wall, which was full of marks she made with her nails everyday to keep track of date.

"It's only 5,000 days," she thought to herself, "I only have to stay here for 5,000 days. And then, I'll be able to see my father again."
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She felt herself poured with water and woke up. She didn't even bother to clean the old clothes, but only wiped off the water around her eyes and saw who had done it. It was Lucius Malfoy, her godfather.

"You told me it would be alright if I didn't kill that Mudblood!" he yelled angrily, "but we're losing worse than ever!"

"I told you it wouldn't be so bad if you didn't kill that poor little girl," she yelled back defensively, "because if you did kill her, you would have been out of this manor a good five weeks ago!"

He slapped her across the face. She let out a little cry.

"You'd better learn to be smart," he spat, "or else you'll fall into the same end as your sister."

Lucius stormed out. She put her hand to her face. It's still a bit hot. She imagined it probably turned red at least or else it wouldn't hurt so much. But how would she know? She hasn't been out of the dark for about 16 years.
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She slept early that night. She dreamed of herself young and playing Quidditch with her father. Even in her dreams she knows that it never happened and would never happen. But this dream had always found itself into her dreams and grew up with her. She was still enjoying herself on the broom when she felt somebody shake her body hard. She opened her eyes and was so surprised that she cried out.

"Dobby!" she exclaimed, but realized she shouldn't be so loud and dropped her voice,"what are you doing here?"

"Amanda, Miss! Dobby has come to visit Miss!"the house-elf replied cheerfully. Amanda beamed.

"How is your disease, Miss?" Dobby asked, concerned.

Amanda's smile faded. She looked down and thought about what to tell him-the truth or not.

"Has Miss something to say?" Dobby asked, seeing her reaction.

Amanda signed. "Well, Dobby, I can tell you now that you no longer work for the Malfoys. I never had the disease that couldn't see sunlight. It was just a cover story because,"she paused, and then said,"because they need my predictions for the Dark Lord."

The house-elf was so surprised at this that he took a step back. Amanda continued.

"I am no daughter of Lucius, he's only my godfather. He's trapped me here for 16 years-since the Dark Lord was powerful before. The potions and pills you used to carry to me are merely things to keep me alive and truthful. I have no choice. Nobody can help me."

"But..." Amanda hushed him, for a light was lit outside. Dobby noticed this too and disappeared in a second. Amanda had just gotten into the "bed" on the ground when Draco kicked the door open.

"What was the noise?" he asked rudely.

"I was talking to Erica," Amanda said automatically.

"Your sister's been dead for years, grow out of it." He walked out and kicked the door again to close it.
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She didn't sleep all night that night. When she heard voices outside, she sat up and put the last mark on the wall beside her.

"I'm going out today," she muttered to herself quietly.

Just then Narcissa kicked the door open and pulled her out to shower. They gave her new clothes from inside out. Narcissa brushed her hair herself while Draco helped put on her new and probably very expensive cloak. Amanda didn't even blink at any of this. Just like expected,she thought.

They went the Muggle way-by car. The Malfoys tied a cloth to her eyes so she wouldn't know the way to wherever they're going. The car turned left and right, went uphill and downhill, for hours and hours. She tried to remember at first but it was impossible. Finally around dusk they arrived at their destination. They pulled her out and went on walking for an hour or so before going into a cavelike place. They walked for another few minutes on and then pulled off the cloth around her eyes. It was a large room. The only light lit was the candles all around the walls. At the end of the room a man sat on a high chair. A few people stood around him. The man got up. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy bowed.

"Lydia Grindelwald and Severus Snape's daughter Amanda to see you, Master," they said together.

They man walked slowly toward them, his snakelike face growing clearer. Amanda stared. So did Voldemort.

"Lydia," he said softly. Amanda frowned alittle.

Then he turned to Lucius sharply and asked in a harsh voice, "Why not bring her here earlier?"

Lucius kneeled at once and began to beg for mercy. Voldemort slapped him right across his face to shut him up, which worked.

"My child," he said in such a peaceful voice that the Death Eater all stared at him in surprise, but turned away when realizing what they were doing, because nobody dared to stare at the Dark Lord. Nobody but Lydia. Until now.

"Lydia was named Mistress of the Death Eaters," he continued, "you are her daughter. Grindelwald's blood flows in your vein. Join me, girl, and you're Miss of the Death Eaters. I will name you my daughter."

Amanda smiled. "I know nothing of Lydia," she said, "All I want to do is to see my father."

Voldemort laughed his cruel high-pitched laugh. "You are foolish," he said suddenly, "your father gave you up for Dumbledore's trust years ago. Why do you still care for him?"

Amanda was taken back. She had never thought it was like this. She never expected the reason she was to see her father was to force an explanation of what happened when she was a baby out of his mouth.

"You're a liar!" she yelled in an unsteady voice.

The Death Eaters all looked quite offended. Nacissa took out her wand and had already opened her mouth to say an incantation when Voldemort held out a hand and lowered her wand.

"We will see who is a liar," he said quietly and dangerously, "I will give you a week and a dozen Death Eaters to find out. I do not care how you do it. I will not ask how much you know. All I want to know is an answer of whether you will join me or not."

Amanda smiled. "I only need a night. But I'm not promising you anyone coming back alive, including myself."

"I will give you another 20 Death Eaters then. I have no need of them tonight."

"Thank you."

She had a plan.
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They went to the old castle late that night. Amanda had dressed herself in a white dress that was similar to something Lydia used to wear, according to the Death Eaters. She had also combed her hair as complicated as possible, and wore a lot of jewelries, which Lydia did when she died. "They are all poisonous weapons," Wormtail had told her, "Lydia used to be very skilled at throwing them about. No one had escaped three of them in a row. No one but Severus Snape."

They had almost entered Hogwarts when an invisible wall blocked them from entering. Amanda walk up to it and touched it with her fingers. Then smiling, she took out a knife and called a few Death Eaters up to her, including Lucius Malfoy. Then one by one, she cut their forearm and let the blood spread on the ground.

"The same blood flows in and out of this school. Let them join together," with these words she cut her own forearm as well.

After a minute, she spread out her other arm to where the invisible wall used to be. It had vanished.

She bound up her arm and stepped into the school. Then, remembering the Death Eaters, she turned back to them and said, "go back to Voldemort." They were all started at the name but thought better to mention it. If anyone was worthy of saying it, it was Lydia's daughter, their future Miss.

"Don't tell him anything. If I am willing to join him I will go within a week. That is assuming that I do not die in this castle." she said and looked around. Nobody moved.

"This is an order!" she yelled. They looked uncertainly at each other and then kneeled and turned to leave. Amanda watched them until they were completely out of site. Then she turned to the castle, and walked determinedly toward it.
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Severus Snape went to sleep early that night. He wasn't in a good mood because the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, also a member of the Order, was back to teach. Though he felt happy that she got better, he can't stop himself from feeling bad about not able to teach it anymore. He had always had fun subsitute for the Denfense Against the Dark Arts classes but oh well, Dumbledore has his reasons...

He wasn't sure if it was in his dream or not. One minute he was flying away from a dinosaur and anohter he was in his room. Though usually cold, the gust of wind blowing on his face was not natural. There was also a small voice echoing in the room. He opened his eyes and stared at the being walking-no, gliding-toward him. When it was near enough for him to see its face, he actually cried out. Standing in front of himself was a 16-year-ago Lydia.

But that's not possible,Snape thoguht to himself, she never turned ghost...

He felt a chill all over his body when she smiled her charming and suspicious smile. Just like she did in the Fortress of Shadows, he thought. He was just searching behind his back for his wand when she spoke, in a soft voice, "Where is our daughter..." The question echoed around the room.

His hand stopped dead. This sentence had such an impact on him that he almost cried. He had been avoiding his guilty feeling for years, but all of a sudden it rushed back into his blood and flew all over his body.

He bowed his head so that she wouldn't see his eyes, which were full of tears. In an apologetic voice, he said, "Lyida, I..."

At this moment all the torches in the room were lit and Severus Snape suddenly felt awoke and stood up, wand in hand. Amanda held her rings and bracelets just at the right position to attack. She had practised throwing it all afternoon, though still not so good...

The door opened and an old man, who had very long white hair and beard, came in. At the sight of Albus Dumbledore, Snape raised his wand and pointed sharply at Amanda. Amanda turned her head and looked sharply at Snape, ready to strick.

A few seconds later, they both attacked at the same time. If Dumbledore hadn't deflected the Stunning Spell and forced the two rings to land earlier than it should, they would both have succeeded in attacking-and both unconcious by now. They both stared at Dumbledore in wonder.

"If you both don't mind, I would like for Amanda to be in my office-I will give her the explanation all from an outsider point of view." Dumbledore spoke in a deep and serious voice.

"Amanda!" Snape blurred out and looked at her with pitiful eyes. Then he controlled himself and let them go.

Amanda had interest in noghting more than her identiy at the moment. She wasn't going to complain when offered a chance to know the truth.
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"How much do you want to know?" Dumbledore asked.
"The whole of it," answered Amanda firmly.
Dumbledore took a sip of the drink on his desk. They were in the headmaster's office. The only thing that Amanda could say about it was that there were too many silver instruments.
"I guess it started with Alex Grimmauld, older brother of Lydia and the Dark Wizard before Voldemort appeared. Both Alex and Lydia were brilliant in mind. Top students in school and later in their Auror career too, though both stopped before they were properly trained.
"You may wonder why would they turn evil then? I guess it was because of Helen Potter, aunt of James Potter and wife of Alex Grimmauld. She was also studying to be an Auror and soon fell in love with Alex. They were engaged but had to put off their wedding as a challenge came-giant uprising. Lacking Aurors at the time, Helen was sent to stop it. But they forgot Helen had a quick temper. She was too actuationed and ran after a few giants all by herself. When the other Aurors found her, she was already but a bunch of ash-she had blown herself up in order to kill the last of the risers.
But what angered Alex the most was that the Ministry didn't take any responsibility of her death. They said she was supposed to follow instructions instead of running off like that. They didn't care what she had done and that she had sacrified her life to do it. They only saw that she didn't follow orders. In other words, the ministry had no power or responsibility over her the minute she ran off.
Alex felt so betrayed that he left the ministry the next day. Not even Lydia knew where he'd gone, though she keeps writing to him by flowing bottles. He never replied. Five years later, he reappeared in the ministry, attempting to kill the Minister of Magic.
He had been studying Dark Arts all these years and his only goal was to kill everyone who once helped the ministry.
Lydia had just became a student of Auror then. She tried to persuade her brother but he wouldn't listen. In the end, she had to curse her brother just before she lost consciousness. It didn't capture him, but it worn him out. I was then able to fight him off and, fulfiling the ministry's wish, kill him. When Lydia woke up, she had lost her last family member. It was then that she finally understood her brother and why he hated the ministry so much. 'I put his life in your hands, hoping that you would take care of him, but instead you squeezed it and told me he deserved it.' She looked directly at me when she said those words. Though I know she was saying it more to the ministry, I still felt terrible. Not many people have seen my tears, but that day I cried aloud. Because to be honest, she was right."
He paused, sipping the drink again. Amanda could only feel the silence around her as all the pictures on the walls held their breath. Dumbledore continued.

To be continued...