The Only Thing Worth Fighting For

Riddle Manor

“So My Lord, what you are saying is your mother found a very distant relation that was descended from a squib when she sought a husband?” Malfoy cautiously asked. One never dared to allow anything one said to sound insulting to the dark lord.
“Yes, she did, and she had two children by him. The first was myself. The second was a girl. Kore Willow Riddle. Mother named her for a Goddess. I always thought the name was amazingly appropriate.” The Dark Lord sighed softly.
Then he walked to the wall behind him placing his hand on the light lilac paint, he muttered something in parslemouth. The three wizards watched closely as the wall changed. It glowed slightly then lettering began to show through. It started at the ceiling and was in the truest of Slytherin greens. It took the form of a family tree and was the width of the wall wide and ended near the floor. The print was so small only one name was visible from where the wizards sat. SALIZAR SLYTERIN. It was the largest name and was found at the very top of the wall.
“If you were to look near the bottom you would see my name and that of my sister. But beneath her name is that of another. Sephonie Willow Dumbledore-Riddle. I have been disgusted with that ever since I saw it on there years ago. But there is another reason why I am telling you this; though yes Severus, this does explain part of my hatred of the Bearded Bastard. Beneath the name of the poor child unlucky enough to bear his last name, is a riddle.
To end the dark’s reign you must look beyond name.
Within the power of life, knowledge is grows. While the dark hides within the light and discord sows, The power to end the reign of the dark lord comes through tragedy wielding the swords of protection for the knowledge, which shall be the key The swords shall be incomplete until the key of snakes joins with true bonds to the raven and the lion swords then the path shall the worthy see The answers to this RIDDLE lie within Hermione.
This is why I have been so obsessed with the granger girl. This is why I wanted so badly to get my hands on the entire prophecy. The women in my family had the ability to see the future. It varied from woman to woman but every one had at least some ability.”
LeStrange walked over to the wall and bent down to see the small intricate letting. “My Lord, could there be another child? One besides the Granger chit that has that name?”
“No. I have had our contacts at the ministry check the birth records for anyone bearing the name Hermione for years. There is only one Hermione listed at all. And beyond her name her record is sealed in such a fashion she would need to be able to be of age and holding it with a blood relative for the information to be able to be seen.
Somehow she has the information we need to defeat him and make the world safe again. We have to have it… however there is one more thing you should see.” Voldemort whispered the words to make the wall blank again before pulling the photo out of his pocket. It was the same photo that had been on his desk until earlier that day. He handed it gently to Snape.
Severus Snape had rarely been speechless in his life but looking down into the small silver frame he was. “My Lord, why do you have a picture of Hermione Granger?” he asked hoarsely. The look on her face shocked him more than the image itself. She was happy. Genuinely happy. There were no circles under her eyes. The eyes he thought. They looked almost wrong. They were the same cinnamon color as he recalled seeing earlier. They lacked something. The fire, the steel that she was so well known for, that was it. These eyes were soft and content. He had never seen Miss Granger look so peaceful.
“That is not Hermione Granger, that is a photo of Kore. I took it myself the day before I left for Hogworts.”