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’’Erm, yes.’’ The Dark Lord said. He looked around, robeless, and blinked some of the cauldron potion out of his eyes. ’’Ron, mate, would you mind?’’
The Ron Weasley, the right hand man to the Dark Lord, hurried to robe the man. ’’Right. Here you go, Harry.’’
The Dark Lord smiled fondly at the man who had given his hand to bring him back. Tom’s insides curled and uncurled at the mere idea of such a thing. His eyes strayed to the stump. The Dark Lord’s killing curse emerald eyes turned to Ron’s stump. He murmured something under his breath and swirled his magic to give Ron a golden hand.
’’Thank you.’’ Ron whispered, admiring the beautiful magic. ’’I am so happy you’re back.’’
’’Glad to hear it.’’ The Dark Lord said. He finally turned towards the bound form of Tom Riddle, the Boy Who Lived. ’’Though, I imagine some may not be pleased to see me back.’’
Tom struggled in the graveyard, against the magic that bound him to this statue of Death.
’’Tell me, Tom Riddle, what do you think?’’ The Dark Lord mocked a twirl. ’’I look good, don’t I?’’
Tom narrowed his eyes and hissed murder in parseltongue. It had been his gift from his mother before the Dark Lord killed her and left him with his magic hating muggle family.
He levelled a wand at Tom’s throat and said, in English: ’’It’s fine if you don’t want to talk to me. I’d rather hear you beg me for your life.’’
CRUCIO
The curse was the worst thing Tom Riddle had ever gone through. It sent him into a whirlwind of pain and agony. It was as if someone had broken all of his bones and reset them wrong, only to realise this and break them anew. He had tried not to scream; he had clung onto his pride and his hatred for the Dark Lord until the curse finally wriggled into his mind and broke his resolve. His fingers were aflame. His nerves were screaming. His lungs were drowning. It was like dying, wasn’t it? His fear of Death materialized itself and Tom Riddle truly wished he’d been brave enough; that he’d calculated well enough to make a horcrux before the bloody Dark Lord came to kill him properly.
Tom Marvolo Riddle begged. He begged prettily. He begged messily. He begged until there were no words left in his mouth, only blood.
Once the curse lifted, the Dark Lord crossed their distance and grabbed the still twitching chin of Tom Riddle, forcing their eyes to meet. He didn’t hiss, because he was no parselmouth, but he did have a commanding voice when he wanted to prove a point. ‘’You will not stand between my victory and me, Tom? Do you understand?’’ When he didn’t get an answer right away he throttled him until he did.
Tom Riddle wasn’t feeling any brave here, alone. His eyes moved to the corpse of Olive Hornby, Hogwarts’ proper champion. With such ease the Dark Lord had commanded that death. He wasn’t the bold and brave Gryffindor like Godric’s Knights, like these madmen and women that came to aid the Dark Lord when he called. And Tom, from his delirium, could not remember when these witches and wizards had come. He wished he were not alone. He hoped Abraxas would not take his death so painfully. But nobody fretted over Tom's death than Tom himself did.
He noticed a few familiar faces. Professor Neville Longbottom, that fucker was a Knight and he was out to get Tom. It hadn’t been his paranoia to suspect him all of these years. He didn’t make eye contact, the cowardly spy!
The Dark Lord pulled Tom closer. ‘’You are yet to answer my question.’’
Tom Riddle grimaced. He had forgotten it. The panic must have registered because the Dark Lord chuckled and spoke: ‘’Slughorn’s put a lot of time and resource into you. Don’t pretend you aren’t aware of this, Tom.’’ Gently he carded his fingers through Tom’s hair and stopped, abruptly, when he continued in a darker tone: ‘’Hermione… do you know who Hermione is?’’
Tom nodded. Of course he knew who bloody Hermione Granger was. She was Azkaban’s most dangerous prisoner. She was the left hand to the Dark Lord.
‘’Good. She isn’t a great fan of Divination.’’ Harry sighed.
Ron snorted. ‘’A bit of an understatement, that.’’
The Dark Lord gave a humourless little smile. It looked odd on him. ‘’You begged me. I am nothing if not merciful to those who obey my orders. I would be lying if I didn’t say you amused me with your twitching, pained dance, little snake.’’
In the darkness of the night, Tom Riddle likened those eyes to that of an owl. A predator that grew strong and fed during the evening. He had read that some owls were capable of tearing apart a snake and eating it. Tom felt like a snake and truly feared his predicament.
He could feel the Dark Lord enter his mind, and he was too exhausted to fight him.
‘’My.’’ The Dark Lord said as he withdrew his presence from Tom’s inner most thoughts. ‘’Aren’t you a cheeky thing…’’
Tom’s head lolled tiredly and he screwed his eyes shut because on top of this already painful existence he now had to content himself with a bloody migraine!
‘’Ron, how fast do you think you can get Hermione out of Azkaban?’’
Ron looked at the few men and woman that had come when his lord had summoned them. ‘’The only I trust out of the lot of them is Luna.’’
Luna waved. ‘’Hello, everyone. I’m quite happy to be back in the swing of things. The Nargles say that Azkaban is unguarded most during the holidays.’’
‘’They have been weeding out the human guards and adding more dementors as of late.’’ Seamus Finnegan said. ‘’You really don’t want to work in Azkaban during the holidays. Let the dementors patrol a bit more closely for a few days. Even they’ve got to eat.’’ He shrugged.
‘’If I take you with me, I truly hope Dean has enough sense to keep you from burning down that damned tower.’’
‘’I will try my best, my lord.’’ Dean said.
‘’I mean,’’ The Dark Lord shook his shoulders with silent laughter, ‘’if anything we all know how to cast a patronus charm.’’ Turning to his followers and friends, ‘’You haven’t forgotten have you?’’
They chorused: ‘’No, my lord.’’
Tom was going to die in this graveyard. This was the only reason why the Dark Lord was acting this open about things. He knew Tom would not relay any of this to Hogwarts.
‘’Luna, do take the Boy Who Probably Won’t Die Because Hermione Hasn’t Met Him Yet.’’
Tom could feel feather light touches pulling him up from the ground. He leaned into a woman and when he opened his eyes he was blinded by the sight of her. So, quickly he closed them again. When she gently ran her hand over his cheek and hummed, he could feel her magic comforting him.
When Tom awoke he woke up to a conversation happening close to him. He was in some sort of dungeon, holed up and tied down.
The Dark Lord was conversing with Ron Weasley. ‘’The mere fact that you didn’t stop me from going to the Riddle’s still surprises me.’’
‘’You vetoed me.’’
‘’I know I bloody vetoed you, but I was going insane by holding onto the Hallows for such a long time. Hermione wanted to knock me out of it. She was against the entire prophecy and well, can you guess what?’’
‘’Hermione Granger is always right.’’ Ron and the Dark Lord said in unison.
‘’So, how are you going to make it up to our inventor, exactly?’’
The Dark Lord gestured to Tom. ‘’I’ll give him to her. She’ll have more use of him than I will.’’
Ron sputtered, self-conscious that he was. He placed a hand across his heart and said: ‘’You saying I’m old and ugly now?’’
‘’No, no – you two are still so bloody perfect. Hermione just fancies experimenting on people. And I know for a fact that Tom Riddle wants to make a horcrux.’’
‘’Ooh. She has wanted to see how soul magic works for decades.’’ Ron nodded. ‘’Good idea. This could distract her enough to forgive you.’’
‘’You know, I hope so. Otherwise I’m properly fucked.’’
‘’She really, really put her foot down on the prophecy matter. Called it a trap and everything.’’
The Dark Lord sighed. ‘’No need to remind me. I’ve been replaying that conversation for the past fourteen years.’’
Tom Riddle thought he was fucked.
‘’Ginny says hi.’’ Ron said. He wiggled his brows.
‘’Are you still trying to set me up with your sister?’’
‘’Yeah. You said you liked her?’’
‘’I was intimidated by her presence.’’
‘’Isn’t that your turn on?’’
‘’Oh it certainly was. I enjoyed Ginny, but I’m a changed man.’’ The Dark Lord looked towards the cell where Tom was and their eyes met. ‘’I’m rather interested in different things now.’’
Tom Riddle knew he was fucked.