THE STAR'S DYNASTY

ENDING OF THE BEGINNING

(Summer 1981) The Blue Supergiant Star

It was a chilly night with a light breeze and a starless navy sky. The sound of owls hooting joyfully as they fly across a vast magnificent manor towering majestically in the center of a forest with its large garden yard stretching out in front of it, pale green grass against the blackness of the forest, led the leaves to swing regretfully in the howling wind.

A figure suddenly materialized a few yards away in the dim moonlight of the alley. He hastily began to make his way towards the double doors. Since earlier, a man stood in one of the rooms in the manor; Tom Riddle had been holding a three-year-old girl in his arms as she rested blissfully against his chest.

The tall man leaned his head towards the girl and spoke in a low voice, “Rigel, you're so brave.” The child's wrist had a purple bruise, which he could see by holding up her chunky toddler's hand. He found himself pacing back and forth, occasionally, whistling at the girl. He despised in some ways how a defenseless infant made him act in such a fatherly, humane way. Tom would still do it again in certain ways, though. An unexpected gift was this girl in his arms.

“I'm sorry my little star,” he said softly, stroked Rigel's hair. “I love you Rigel Antares Riddle.” he stated placidly as he gave young Rigel a forehead kiss. He contemplated for a while, his gaze fixed the wall.

Tom winced, grabbing his arm as he placed the child in the crib, and without giving Rigel one more look, he sprinted out the room. Tom stopped suddenly and almost ran over the woman in front of him. Their eyes met, and he stumbled before they were able to pull themselves together.

“My Lord,” the woman bowed.

“What are you doing up here, Bella?” asked him standing up straight. The sweet father had abruptly vanished, leaving behind a man who was stern and emotionless with a sudden blast of chilly wind in his voice.

“I just wanted a look at Rigel.” said Bella.

“She's alright. Don't forget to put on the potion that Snape provide,” he said coolly.

The Star's Fate

"Such a hurried meeting, Severus. He gently caressed his wand while waiting for his servant to speak. "There must be some important matter you wished to tell me," he said: “Severus, you may talk.”

“Yes, My Lord. I've got an information; a prophecy about you,” said Snape.

“A prophecy about me?” Snape gave a nod. Yet Voldemort's demeanour remained icy. “It's about Rigel too, My Lord. Your daughter.”

The frown on Voldemort's face deepened as he raised his gaze. “You talked as if she's not your goddaughter, Severus,” he said, setting down the wand. “What's the prophecy about?”

Snape had revealed everything based on what he overheard Sybill Trelawney telling Albus Dumbledore at the Hog's Head about a boy who would be born on the summer solstice at the end of July and would destroy the Dark Lord's power. His parents must be the one who thrice defied him, and the Dark Lord will mark the boy as his equal.

“Destroy my power?” Voldemort sneered. “How come a baby could destroy my power? But, that would be easy for me kill him.”

He waited for Snape to spoken of the second prophecy, but it seemed to take him forever. “You mentioned a prophecy about my daughter just now, Severus. What is it?” he demanded. Snape seemed to hesitate. “Tell me.” Voldemort raised his cold voice a little caused Snape stammered in his place.

“According to Sybill, for the sake of the wizarding world, her soul needs to be sacrifice. Eitherwise, her future reign would only be our annihilation. Her death is a ‘weapon’ to the boy to bring such peaceful and balance to the wizarding world. Given if she remains alive, then it would be a curse to this whole place including herself; including you,” explained Snape. “By their means, Rigel meant to be wipe out from the existence for the greater good. It almost means as if it will be easier for the boy to defeat you without her presence. Though, a curse supposed to have a counter-curse. Just like the Yin and the Yang; balanced. But since the counter-curse was—”

Voldemort held up a hand to silence the servant, his eyes flashed with anger. “Do not bring Antares into this!” said Voldemort warningly.

“My Lord, Rigel is destined to die,” desperate, raising his tone. “That's how she became a curse. You know the lose of either one of the Yin or Yang will bring an unbalanced world.”

“Rigel is destined to rule, you could have remarked. You just informed me of that, Severus.”

There's a long pause between the two, before Snape began. “Dumbledore would be planning on killing her by now, My Lord.”

“He would.”

Voldemort discussed the prophecy with his disciples after he had finished summoning them. He had intended to kill the boy's parents first and leave him helpless, but more significantly, he had learned how the opposing side intended to prevent the infant Harry Potter from being slain. He is aware that the child must be Harry Potter since he was born on July 30 and his parents have thrice defied him. He had the impression that Neville Longbottom was not the person the prophecy was speaking of, despite the fact that he had also received the same descriptions.

Before Voldemort successfully put the boy to death, their Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew broke the Fidelius Charm, opening up all the space the Dark Lord needed to kill the child.

“My Lord, I'm begging to you. Please spare Lily Potter's life – you can kill the Potters but Lily, My Lord.” Before him, Snape knelt down and kissed the hem of his robes. Bellatrix Lestrange rolled her eyes at the sight of it. It appeals to him greatly. After taking a quick moment to admire his loyal servant, Voldemort then turned his attention back to Snape once Bellatrix noticed him gazing at her.

“Get up, Severus. Tell me, why would I spare the life of a filthy mudblood like her?” his voice high and clear from the head of the table.

“I will do anything My Lord. Anything,” Snape began to sobbed making Voldemort disgusted in silence.

"Get up. You're embarrasing yourself, Severus Snape." said Voldemort threateningly. "Maybe I would let her live – but if she does anything to get herself killed, then it is out of my power. I hope it's clear." Snape nodded, his eyes red and watery.

The Sin of a Father

On an October 31 night, Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, surreptitiously gave his young daughter one more kiss before he left for Godric's Hollow on his brief mission to kill infant Harry Potter. As her toddler hands approached her father's face, Rigel Riddle laughed gleefully. Tom grinned, but it wasn't his usual wicked, taunting grin; instead, he was pleased to see Rigel laughing so much now, unlike when he was younger.

“I will be back soon, alright?” Tom said gently. He focused on her dark, blue eyes, which were also his eyes. Despite the fact that Rigel inherited practically everything that Bella did, this one minor feature will always serve as a reminder of his former beauty.

Surprisingly, Rigel held up her short pinky finger as though she wanted him to make a promise. Tom linked his long and thin finger with hers. “I promise.”

Voldemort was ready to Apparate at the frontyard when he heard a familiar voice calling for him. “My Lord,” he remained silent, eyeing the beautiful woman in front of him.

“Don't die.” said Bellatrix. Voldemort nodded slowly and Apparate. He arrived at the Godric's Hollow and killed James and Lily Potter who tried to stopped him. Something unexpected happened when he shot the killing curse to Harry Potter; his own curse rebounded and hit him instead, destroying his physical body. That night, Tom Riddle broke his promise and leave his waiting daughter.

(Fall 1981) The Doomed Dynasty

Cries of a kid could be heard echoing around Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix patiently patted the sobbing Rigel while she was in her arms. It was not in her tendency to be ‘patient,’ and oftentimes she had to remind herself that was her own daughter. Her sister Narcissa is nursing her one-year-old kid, Draco Malfoy, up above somewhere in this house. Bellatrix might have seen her own son up there with his young cousin, but she didn't.

Zenith has been seen in Rigel's room rather frequently lately, likely playing some silly game with his sister. But Rigel over here had been sobbing nonstop since last night, hours after the Dark Lord had left for the Godric's Hollow, but something about the fact that her master hadn't returned till this morning made her even more frightened. Bellatrix was aware that something wasn't right when Rigel started crying, probably because of the fact that she hardly ever cries and never makes a noise, even when she was born.

As soon as the Dark Lord was destroyed, word of his demise spread like wildfire, and young Harry Potter was hailed as a hero. Naturally, when the Dark Lord's Death Eaters heard this news, some of them decided to depart, believing that their master had already passed away. Not so, though, with Bellatrix. She convinced her master had actually simply gone. Just gone. She won't entirely accept the Dark Lord's death. Bellatrix cast a quick peek at her daughter, who was now sound asleep. Bellatrix may have definitely been unable to let Rigel to grow up without a father.

(Winter 1981) Flight of the Star

Bellatrix Lestrange gathered the last few devoted Death Eaters a month later, and they set out on their own mission to track down the Dark Lord. Rodolphus Lestrange, her husband, Antonin Dolohov, and her brother-in-law Rabastan Lestrange. Young Barty Crouch Jr. was the one who first encountered Bellatrix, so she didn't need to urge him to join them.

“Bella, are you sure about this?” asked Narcissa in agitation.

“Did I ever hesitate on my decision, Cissy?”

“But—Zenith and Rigel need you.”

Bellatrix turned to face her sister after finishing straightening her dress. “I'll be home, alright?” said Bellatrix in an assuring tone. “Cissy, it's not like I'd disappear forever. Merlin, please put an end to your paranoia.” Bellatrix advised.

“Do you plan to accompany me or not?” Narcissa shook her head, looked depressed, and appeared to be very concerned. Bellatrix is accustomed to her sister's actions. She opened the door to see her son was waiting outside the room.

“I don't think you should be awake in this hour, Zenith.” said Bellatrix, wondering if he was trying to impress her with one of his Muggle magic acts once more.

“Won't be too long, will it? I want to celebrate Christmas with all of you. I wish Reggie still with us.”

Regulus Arcturus Black; Zenith's godfather. Even though they hardly spoke, she had to admit that she missed her cousin. Bellatrix patted Zenith's head and pulled him to a hug. Even with her own son, she wasn't typically this way, but it has been ages since the last time she hugged him. Bellatrix saw her husband approached and they broke apart.

“Take good care of Rigel for me,” said Bellatrix, putting a hand on Zenith's shoulder. “And take care of yourself.”

“Goodbye little me.” Rodolphus messed up his son's neatly brushed hair by running his fingers through it. Zenith waved feebly as he watched his parents strode out from the house. Bellatrix casted a final glimpse at the manor and Apparate, leaving behind ten-years-old Zenith and three-years-old Rigel.

Even when Christmas had passed, even he knew the yards in front of him would always be empty; there has never been a day in Zenith Lestrange's life, where he did not waiting for Rodolphus and Bellatrix to return home. “Big brother will always be here for you, Rigel.”

The Dawn of 1982 (A Heart Like No Other's)

On this particular morning, a few weeks before Rigel's birthday, Zenith woke up eager as always to play with her younger sister. He hurried to his parents' bedroom, but when he pried open the door, Rigel was nowhere to be found. Weird, he thought. Zenith searched the whole manor, maybe Aunt Cissy tried to calm her somewhere. Rigel always get high fever and crying lately. But what he found wasn't really good anyway, Aunt Cissy was sobbing hardly, tears trickling down her reddened cheek. He ran to Narcissa.

“Aunt Cissy, what happened?”

She spoke, “the - the Aurors,” with gasps in between blocked breath. “They took Rigel away.” Zenith's mood changed. He understood that the pink scarf that Narcissa had grabbed belonged to Rigel. Zenith remembered his mother's last word, and his promise; he has failed.

The Greater Good

“After Potter, you're taking away this girl's rights. She doesn't belong here. Her parents' mistakes have nothing to do with her fate.”

“Yes they don't, Minerva. But she plays a big role in the wizarding world's fate. She must be kept away from our world. For the greater good.”

“Rigel is only a girl, Albus. What kind of threat a three year old girl could've done?”

“And what kind of threat a boy from an orphanage could've done? Learn from the mistakes, Minerva.”

Silently, the child's memories of magic and her parents were completely erased by the old man as he applied the Forgetfulness Charm to her. Five additional Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix were in his view as he spun around. The child changed hand to one of them.

“You know your work. The girl won't awake until this morning, just tell them about what I've told you. And don't forget about the gold.” The dark-skinned man nodded, striding away with the child in his arms with the other four Aurors in the same direction.

“Goodbye, Rigel Riddle.”