Prologue

When Voldemort was crafting her, he wasn’t doing it as another of his wicked experiments. He was doing it to create a Successor. But not someone to take his place, no, he never wanted power for anyone but himself. He wanted someone he could control in the event that his own body was compromised. Someone his followers could rally around. He wanted nothing more than a tool.

And he created that being with the darkest of spells, second only to Horcrux creation. He mixed his own blood with the blood of Ichika Igarashi, who died trying to protect herself. The Dark Lord required a slew of other demonic ingredients that I had the displeasure of having to collect for him. Unicorn’s blood. Dragon hearts. The beak of a thunderbird. The tail fin of a mermaid.

Professor Snape, dark-faced and with a sense of extreme urgency in his voice, was relaying this information to Dumbledore over untouched biscuits in his office.

Dumbledore paused to think. He had hardly heard of such dark spells. To cheat death was one thing, but to cheat life was another. You don’t mean to tell me, Severus… that that girl was created in a cauldron?

I’m afraid so, Headmaster.

How many Death Eaters know of her existence? 

All of them. He made quite the spectacle of Igarashi’s murder.

Dumbledore pondered their situation. Are you aware of how long we will have until what’s left of the Death Eaters relocates her?

No, Headmaster. That is why I think we should act as swiftly as possible.

Very well. I will assemble the Order, and we will make for Malfoy Manor at once. I will not pause to think about the consequences should we fail to find this girl.