Once again Delphi felt like being squeezed, but this time she was getting used to it. She could breathe again as her feet hit the ground. This time she was standing in a big kitchen that had a marble counter and floats of cupboards. The kitchen was shining spotless, and so was the floor made of marble surfaces. Delphi thought it was quite fancy.
On the other end of the kitchen there was a marble staircase leading to the first floor, and beside it was a wide white living room with beautiful, elegant furniture and stylish rugs and large glass windows that opened to a wild, flowery garden that had a large pond and fountain in it.
As Kreacher led the way to the living room, Delphi could hear the crickets and frogs, and she thought she also saw fireflies, but when she got closer to the glass window, she realised that it was a fairy, a glittering tiny human with sparking wings. Delphi gazed at them wide-eyed through the window.
"Young Miss Welcome to Potter's Residence , come this way; let me show you to your room." Kreacher said in a formal, polite voice.
"Oh yes." Delphi said, looking back at him, and followed him.
He took her outside the glass door into the garden. As Delphi walked on the mossy gravelled path, she noticed that the garden had weird plants and flowers she had never seen before. She thought they were probably magical plants and was careful not to touch them despite wanting to. The garden had a small, boundary wall made of brown bricks; on the other side of it was a short grass filled with then large, dense trees that were covered in yellow and orange autumn leaves.
They turned to the left and reached a beautiful outhouse that was like a fairy hut with round pink tiles on the on the rooftop and pure white spotless walls. They got up the two small stairs to the front porch that had a swing in one corner. Kreacher opened the polished wooden round door and let her in.
The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. There was a lovely, comfortable soft bed with a white blanket, and the hut was made of brick walls with a beautiful fireplace with a merrily cracking bluebell colour fire. The walls were covered in paintings of animals and flowers, and there were glass decorative pieces on the mental piece and flower pots on the windows. The room had everything. A dressing table, a large oval mirror, a study table, book shelves, and a wooden rocking chair that Delphi noticed was rocking on its own.
Delphi had never been to such a lovely place before, and she watched everything with awe.
"I hope it's to your liking, young lady." Kreacher said, looking at Delphi's reaction with a proud slight smile.
"It is beautiful." Delphi told him honestly that she had never been given a real room before, not even a temporary one. All she was used to was the dust and cobwebs of that dark, dingy attic.
"I am honoured to hear that." Kreacher said breaking into a real smile that Delphi noticed made him look more friendly.
"Where should I place my luggage?" Delphi asked as the weight of her case began to hurt her arms.
"You can give it to me; I will take care of it for you in the mean time. Please enjoy these," Kreacher said, taking the case from Delphi. He snapped his figures, and the table was set with a glass of milk and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Delphi sat down; it was delicious, as delicious as sister Anne cooking.
As she ate, Kreacher magically picked open Delphi's case and brought out her clothes. He looked at them and repaired them magically from where they were torn or if a button was missing and placed them in the cupboard. He took her money and other small things and placed them in a small chest; then he placed her books by the bedside table and polished and mended her boots, which she had taken off at the door out of fear of dirtying the floor.
He handed the chest's key to Delphi and said,.
"If there is anything you need, please feel free to call me." polititely with a bow and then hesitated for a moment thinking something over then said, "You ought to buy new clothes and shoes; these ones are not even fit for an elf." He said, making Delphi turn red. She knew he meant well, but the disapproving look he had given her clothes was embarrassing to watch.
"Thank you for fixing them; they look like they are new. I might not have to buy new ones." Delphi said gratefully, but Kreacher gave her a stern look, and she added hastily, "But I will when I can."
"Very well, goodnight, miss." He said with a satisfied smile, and with that he left.
Delphi was too tired to look around, so she got in bed and fell asleep.
In her sleep, Delphi had a bad dream. She was in one of the chambers at the ministry that was dark and lit with torches, and there was a platform where angry people were standing, and Delphi was standing in the middle of the room with chains on her arms.
Everyone was accusing her of Mastigia's death and calling her an evil witch. "She is the devil's kin," they were shouting while Delphi stood there, scared and denying it. "No, I am not, please listen to me." The crowd's voices grew louder, drowning out her own, and Delphi woke up in a cold sweat.
Delphi looked around, sitting in her bed. It was the break of dawn as the sun showed through the windows, casting a soft golden glow. Delphi sat in her bed worried about what had happened last night.
Was she really going to be blamed for Mastigia's death? Did everyone really think she was the devil's kin? And why were both Mister Potter and Miss Granger concerned when they asked for Delphi's last name? Did Delphi's parents have done something bad and forced Mastigia to form the unbreakable vow? All of these unknown things about her family really scared her.
"Riddle" was her last name; she never gave it much thought before, but it was an ordinary yet rare name. But what did this name mean in the Wizarding World? Why did it alarm everyone? Why were they scared of this name?
She thought it would be better if she cleared her head and ate something, then once that was done she could ask Kreacher to explain a bit about the Wizarding World, the name Riddle, and Hogwarts. That way she could learn more about her powers and past. She was going to call for Kreacher when she realised that it was early morning and Kreacher was probably asleep.
Delphi decided to go out to the kitchen and get something from the fridge. She thought she could help Kreacher make breakfast. She didn't want to be a burden and help in any way she could. So she went out of the guest house and into the garden.
She was walking on the gravelled path when she saw a fairy swiftly flying away in the other direction. Delphi was torn between going to the kitchen or chasing after the fairy; she really wanted to look around the garden, which was quite welcoming and magical.
She was just thinking when another fairy darted past her. This time Delphi followed it; the fairy had gone near the dense part of the garden where there were bigger trees, wilder plants, and large bushes. Delphi chased after it without paying much attention to where she was going when she turned a corner away from the gravelled path and saw a beautiful sight.
She had reached a giant willow tree that had multi-coloured glass bottles hanging from it that glowed and cast a kaleidoscopic light everywhere. The fairies were all around it, and they were dancing together, creating beautiful designs like fireworks in the ir. Delphi saw all this awestruck. It was extremely beautiful and enchanting.
She was looking at them transfixed when Delphi sensed that someone was watching her. She looked around and noticed a slight movement behind the trunk of the willow tree.
"Who's there? Show yourself, Delphi said out loud." Delphi called to the small figure hiding behind the tree. Delphi was scared a little, so she focused her magic in her hands to attack if anything dangerous came out at her.
There was a moment of pause, then a boy the same age as Delphi emerged from behind the tree; he had emerald green almond-shaped eyes and dark, messy hair. Delphi realised that he was most likely Mr. Potter's son, and she felt relieved.
"Hi, I am sorry if I scared you; I was only looking at the fairies." She said it in a friendly manner.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? This is my house." The boy asked in a suspicious tone.
"I am sorry, I shouldn't be sneaking around. I understand that must be rude." Delphi said apologetically, feeling guilty for peeking around.
"I am a guest of Mr. Potter. He is your father, I assume?" Delphi told the boy who still looked special to her, and what Delphi just said made him more suspicious.
"He is, but he is not home, and he didn't tell us we were expecting guests." He told Delphi the reason behind his suspicion.
"I only met him last night." Delphi tried to explain, but the boy said it accusingly.
"I don't believe you. You are lying." He declared.
"No, I am not. I swear I'm not; you can ask Kreacher; he is the one who brought me here." Delphi tried to prove her innocence, but the boy became even more sceptical than before.
"I thought you said you are my father's guest." He enquired, accusing her. Delphi felt like this was more of an interrogation than a meeting, and the boy was acting more like a law enforcement officer than a wizard. It annoyed her.
"Yes, I am; he asked Kreacher to bring me here." Delphi began explaining, but the boy suddenly became hopeful and excited for some reason and asked.
"Are you a Veela of some sort?" His eyes lit up with excitement, which was beyond Delphi's understanding.
"What's a Veela?" I have never heard of anything like that." Delphi asked, perplexed.
"I am asking if you are a fairy." He asked eagerly, and Delphi felt flattered and amused that he thought she was a fairy.
"No, I am not." Delphi replied honestly.
"You don't have to lie, one of my aunts is a Veela, and she is really nice." The boy said, making Delphi a little annoyed because it was the second time he accused Delphi of lying.
"I am not a fairy; why would you think that?" Delphi asked him, still confused.
"Well, because you have weird hair and weird clothes and you look like a Veela that can lure innocent men towards you with the power of seduction and drive them crazy." He said all of this matter-of-factly as if he were reading it from a book, which he probably had, and just as he was finished, he released that he had made a mistake.
"You think I lure innocent men by seducing them and driving them crazy?" Delphi asked, shocked and outraged.
"Well, you look like you can if you try," he said with a sly smile, and Delphi slapped him on the cheek, angry at being called a scarlet woman.
"I told you I am not, and I don't have weird hair or weird clothes." She said, feeling offended about his remarks about her appearance and character, and added, "In fact, they are really nice. I made them myself, you know." She said the last part proudly while the boy stood there still stunned that he was slapped.
"See, you are a Veela." He finally said extremely delighted for some reason and added, "They make their clothes themselves and are really furious. You truly are a Veela."
"And you're an idiot," Delphi said, outraged and done with his stupidity. She kicked the ground and left to get to the kitchen, followed by a staring Albus Severus, who was observing her from a distance as if she were a rare specimen, some sort of magical creature—at least he thought she was.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let me introduce myself." He said, Father, they had reached the dining hall door and entered it.
"My name is Albus Severus Potter; what is yours?" He asked with a smile, being as friendly as he could.
"I don't know why don't you come up with one since you already are sure that I am a liar and a Veela." Delphi said sarcastically, still mad at him, as they passed the dining hall and entered the kitchen.
"Look, I didn't mean to offend you; I just never saw a real full Veela before." He explained trying to mend his mistake and failing as Delphi opened the fridge to look for some left-over food.
"I just got excited. I understand if you want to keep your identity a secret." He added to assure her that he would keep her secret, but Delphi just closed the fridge door a little hard and said
"Oh, you are hopeless for the last time. I am not a Veela." She shouted, turning to him in anger, then noticed that there was a small girl at the stairs who was really cute and had ocean blue eyes with flaming red unkempt hair She was most likely two years you get than Delphi,. So Delphi calmed herself down and looked toward her and began to greet her.
"Oh, hello, how are you?" Delphi said in a sweet voice. But before she could finish introducing herself, Albus blurted out excitedly. "Lily, look, I found a Veela."
"What?" Lily squealed enthusiastically and started shouting at the top of her lungs while running up stairs. "Mom Al brought a Veela into the house. Mom James Al brought a Veela in the house." Causing Delphi to face palm herself, she was sure Mr. Potter's children were all crazy, and she only hoped they weren't all as stupid as Albus.
"Lily, what is it? Why are you screaming?" A young, beautiful woman with red hair and brown eyes wearing a nightgown came down stairs being pulled by Lily, who was running as fast as she could.
"Mom Al brought a Veela into the house." She said, pointing at Delphi and jumping up and down in excitement.
"What? Let me see. Let me see. Said another boy's voice from upstairs, and James a boy with dark black untidy hair and ocean blue eyes much taller and older than Albus came rushing into the kitchen along with Jinny and Lily.
Are you really a Veela? James asked, holding Delphi's hands.
"Back off, she is mine; I found her." Albus said he was trying to pull her away by the arm.
"No, you are always being greedy, Al," complained Lily, who was holding Delphi's skirt now and pulling on it.
"Stop it, I am not a Veela." Delphi said she was annoyed and trying to free herself from all of their grips.
"Children," Mrs. Potter called loudly, and all the children let go at once.
"Children, stop it and let our guest breathe." She ordered them, and they all complied instantly, backing away a little.
"I am sorry you had to deal with all this stupidly." Jinny said, addressing Delphi and apologising for her children's behaviour. "I am Jinny Harry's wife. Nice to meet you. " She introduced herself in a gentle voice and extended her hand to greet Delphi.
"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Potter." Delphi said, taking her hand and shaking it gratefully for stopping her children. She thought that Mrs. Potter was a very nice and capable woman who knew how to deal with kids.
"I am sorry I wasn't able to welcome you last night when you arrived." She said apologetically.
"Please don't be; the pleasure is all mine, and don't worry, Kreacher took really good care of me in your absence." Delphi reassured her in a humble manner, and Jinny was impressed by it. "You are such a lovely child. Harry was right about you."
She could tell that Delphi was a well-mannered child, and she also noticed her bleeding lip and her rough, scared, bemused hands, realising that the child had gone through much.
"Mom, do you know Miss Veela?" Lily asked raising her hand innocently.
"Yes, about the time you asked." She turned to her children and looked a little stern.
"Children, this is our new guest, Delphini Riddle. She will be staying with us till the end of summer vacation. And no, Lily, she is not a Veela; she is a witch like you and me." She introduced Delphi sweetly to her children.
"Oh, I am sorry. I really thought you were a Veela." Albus said, apologising for his mistake.
"Well, it took you long enough to catch up." Delphi said a bit rudely and then let out a sigh to admit her fault. "It's fine. I guess I do look a bit weird." She said a little embarrassed at her appearance for the first time. She only realised now how she must have looked with such pale skin, silver and blue hair, a somewhat short and skinny body, and most of all, her hand-made old embroidered clothes. She really did look like a creature out of a fairy tale, like an elf.
"I'm really sorry I didn't mean it like that." Albus apologised hastily at seeing Delphi's sadness.
"Yes Lily." Jinny asked as Lily had raised her hand again.
"If you are not a Veela, why are your hair silver and blue?" Lily asked innocently
"Oh that!" Delphi began to explain while unconsciously putting a hand on her hair, realising how strange she must look to them, but before she could answer, James said, "It's called DIY lily; she used colour on her hair." He finished wisely.
"No, I didn't; my hair has always been like this." Delphi interjected, and James, not believing it pulled out his wand. "You are lying; I can prove it." He said, holding his wand high and pointing at her.
"What do you mean?" Delphi asked alarmed.
"I know a spell that can reveal anything hidden," he said, casting a spell as Jinny said in a cold voice and took his wand. "James, no wand in the house." But the spell had already been shot, and a small jet of light hit Delphini's head, which felt like a woosh of warm air. Delphi looked at her hair, and there was nothing different about them.
"See, I told you they are real." Delphi said relived that nothing had happened to her hair after all she liked them as they were.
"James must have messed up the spell." Albus said it in the same spectacle manner he used before.
"That's enough, Albus; it's rude to call other liars just because you don't like the truth." Mrs. Potter scolded him. "If Delphini says his hairs are real, they are real; it's not up to you to experiment with them." looked embarrassed and stared at his feet.
"Now Delphini, let's get you something to eat. I am sure you are hungry." Jinny said sweetly to Delphi.
"Thank you, and please call me Delphi." Delphi said pleased.
"Ok Delphi How about I heal your wounds first? Sit down." Jinny said in another compassionate voice and pointed at the nearest stool.
Delphi set on the stool, and Jinny pulled out her want and traced the small scar on her lip, healing it completely. Then she asked Delphi to tell out her hands and put a honey-coloured jelly on Delphi's hand, and within minutes the bruises and burns were all gone and Delphi's hand became soft and clean, leaving no trace behind, yet they were still a little hard for her age due to all the work she used to do.
Delphi felt so happy. "Thank you, Mrs. Potter; it doesn't hurt anymore." She said gratefully, looking at her now soft palms. She hadn't told anyone they were stinging all this time; she just thought she would get used to the pain like she used to and it would go away.
"I am glad to hear that," Jinny said with a motherly smile. "I will lend you some later; it will make your hands really soft." She told Delphi, who's face lit up with a smile, and she said, "I really appreciate that."
And so Jinny got busy making breakfast for the children while Delphi insisted on helping, but Jinny just told her that as she was the guest she couldn't allow that and went on to wave her wand and cook sausage eggs, toasts, and orange juice for the children while the Potter children paraded Delphi with questions about who she was. How did she know their dad, and will she be going them to Hogwarts? And for the first time ever, Delphi felt like she was with friends. That she was home, but she did not take it for granted because she had learnt the hard way that good things don't always last.