Tom Marvolo Riddle went by many names, “You-know-who”, “He-who-must-not-be-named”, “Heir of Slytherin”, “The Dark Lord” and “Voldemort” it is said that fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself, for me he was only ever “Father” I never feared him, I loved him and he loved me. It may be a difficult concept to understand but that is how we felt. I knew that he was my father, however hidden I may have been that was not a secret that had been kept from me, but most of it I learnt in my History of Magic lessons. There were things that I would ask my uncle though, in books I would find things that I found not to be true, or at least that I knew differently.

The most important one was when we were told that “if you are conceived under a love potion then you cannot love” There had to be a clause in there somewhere because I knew that he had loved my mother and loved me. Whether he knew this or not I don’t know but I understand now that he doesn’t seem to have understood love, and all that it entails. This I know because I do not understand it either and for a long time, I was afraid that I would be like him. That I would never understand love or experience it. But I know that if you can experience heart brake and loss you can feel love.

I only found this out recently but my parents were married. Perhaps it was due to the imminent arrival of their daughter, I do not know. I have a photo of the ceremony, a summer wedding with the bride dressed in white with flowers (elvish tradition) the groom in a suit and tie. Looking very smart. My Uncle Severus is also in one of the photos, he looks like he was the best man/gave the bride away. They look so happy. It took place on the common in Cokeworth where nobody would be able to see them. I think that this made him happy. Happier than he could have possibly been. My mother had an amazing capability for seeing the good in people. She saw it in him and held him close. She showed him what a woman’s love was.

When I was born, I know that I was hidden away. There were people that were scared of the Death Eaters and my father, like my uncle wanted me protected. I was born a metamorphmagus and he and my mother were scared that I would be like Nagini and be a maledictus. Instead he changed me to what I can only describe as an anti-maledictus, a horcrux of love. I have read about how people can be loved so much it forms a protection around them. This is what my father seems to have done yet unknowingly. He protected me against his followers and against curses. It doesn’t matter what you say. He loved us. He also loved Nagini, but that is a different story.