Work Text:
The first night Draco did not come back, Tom was angry.
Three days passed and Tom was furious.
A week passed and Tom grew worried.
Two weeks passed and dread started to creep in.
Tom went to the Leaky Cauldron’s owner, questioning if he’d seen Draco. The owner had said that he had not seen him since the last time Tom had, but that Draco had informed him that he might not return and had paid for the entire room in advance. The Leaky Cauldron owner assured him that the room was his and that Draco had already told him a friend of his would be staying there for the remainder of the summer.
By the third week Tom had searched high and low of both Diagon and Knockturn Alley. He even searched the usual places they frequented in Hogwarts. Still, there was no sign of Draco nor any clue of where he had gone.
Pansy the house elf was beside herself with worry but still made sure Tom was fed. She’d told him that Draco had requested her to do so even if one day he never returned. Tom didn’t know whether to be angry or touched that Draco thought of Tom enough to make sure he was taken care of, but not enough to stay.
August 31st was the day the letter appeared.
September 1st arrived the next day and Tom Riddle made his way to Platform 9 ¾ alone.
He passed by a compartment that was full of wailing and sobbing tears. Myrtle and Hagrid held each other as they cried, clutched in their hands were letters written in a familiar hand. Perhaps they were the only two people who might have understood what Tom felt had been lost, but Tom did not join their compartment.
Crying did not change things. He had learned that from a young age.
Crying could not bring back the dead.
Over the years the letter is read and reread until it starts becoming worn and creased, at which point spells of the highest caliber were cast to preserve it. The protections placed on the letter prevented it from being ripped, burned, or worn down further in any way. Neither the passage of time nor death could destroy it, unlike the letter’s original author.
“Did you love him?”
No he didn’t love him, but he could have. He thinks that’s what haunts him most of all.
The letter read:
If you’re reading this I’m either dead or in Azkaban. By now you’ve probably noticed that I never returned. I’m sorry I left without any notice, but it was safer this way. I couldn’t have you involved in what I was doing and have you implicated by accident. If by chance this letter ends up in the wrong hands, know that Tom Riddle had no knowledge or involvement in any of my crimes. My actions were mine and mine alone. Whatever possessions I left in the room feel free to keep or toss whatever you want seeing as I’ll have no further use for them. If you go to Gringotts, the goblins will lead you to a vault under my name. In the result of my untimely death or imprisonment, the vault will be transferred under your name along with all the possessions in it. Though I must admit with some embarrassment that it’s not much. There’s very little money in there, but whatever is left I’ve already arranged for half of it to go to Hagrid and the other half is for you. I’m leaving the cabinet to you as well so you’ll always have a way to reach a safe place to return to, even if you have to go back to the orphanage in the future. I recommend storing it in what will now be your new vault at Gringotts during the school year, though I trust you’ll choose the best course of action on what to do with it. Pansy, the house elf, will take care of you in my absence at my request. When you have time please bring her some flowers for me once in a while as I will be unable to do so. Her favorites are pansies after her namesake, which amuses me to no end. Apologize to Serpens for me. I know I haven’t visited them in some time and never bid my farewells.
I don’t really know what else to say or how to say goodbye to you. You’re very different from how I thought you would be. Being your roommate, I had a lot of fun moments despite myself. You have no idea how odd that feels to write or maybe you do. This probably sounds hypocritical coming from me, considering the circumstances, but take care of yourself in the future and try not to be so self destructive and reckless.
- Draco
“It’s all just a bunch of junk!” exclaimed Ron.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione expected to find another Horcrux stored within, but there was no luck. Everything in the room appeared to be regular items, if a bit old.
The vault they were standing in did not have much in it in terms of galleons. For the amount of care put into keeping people out, you would have expected it to have something more valuable stored inside.
It was an odd vault though. When you stepped into the room it did not look like a vault, rather it was like walking into a room from the Leaky Cauldron. For a moment they wondered if they were still in Gringotts, but looking behind them proved that they were still in the bank.
A set of old healing books sat on the nightstand and other books on theories of time were on the table in the room. Across from the time related books on the table, sat an old Dark Arts book titled Curses Most Vile. Two teacups were set on each side of the table as if waiting for their owners to return.
A wooden cabinet stood against one wall.
There was a singular trunk full of old clothes and random items. Inside were sets of old Slytherin robes that looked like they came from the 1940s and one set that looked more modern in cut, but was just as aged. There was also a set of dress robes and other clothing carefully folded within.
“They’re probably his old school things,” said Harry, as he rummaged through the trunk hoping to find anything useful.
“There’s a file here, take a look,” said Hermione, opening the contents for all of them to peruse.
It had been stored at the very bottom of the trunk.
The file had a report from the Department of Mysteries. The date at the top indicated that it was from 1943.
“What would he be interested in the Department of Mysteries for?” asked Ron.
“There was the prophecy,” suggested Harry.
“But that prophecy came much later, well after 1943. I think he was looking for something else,” said Hermione.
“It’s an execution report,” announced Harry, starting to read the document.
“Who died?” asked Ron.
“They don’t know, the name is listed as unidentified,” said Harry.
Though there was a written description of physical appearance and height.
The report read that there had been an intruder who broke into the Department of Mysteries and the intruder was captured after a fight had broken out. They were initially going to interrogate the intruder using Veritaserum before executing him, but the intruder chose to bite off his own tongue in a gruesome manner. Apparently, there was a lot more paranoia about Grindelwald spies during that time. Therefore, as a precaution, instead of being sent to Azkaban the intruder was executed in the Death Chamber and sent through the Veil.
“There’s a letter here,” said Hermione.
The front of the envelope read:
Tom Riddle
Do not open until August 31st
Perhaps it would give them a clue on the other Horcrux locations.
“Who’s Draco?” asked Harry, reaching the end of the letter.
Both Hermione and Ron shrugged not recognising the name signed at the bottom of the letter either.
“Apparently they were roommates and he was some kind of criminal. He was probably a slimy git if he was friends with You-Know-Who,” remarked Ron.
“You know who might know though, Hagrid. This Draco fellow might not have been so bad if he was friends with Hagrid too. Apparently they both knew him if he left Hagrid money,” said Harry.
It seemed the vault they were currently in used to belong to this mysterious person from Voldemort’s past.
Dumbledore had said that Voldemort had never truly cared for anyone but himself. Reading this letter and the careful preservation of the items in this room, Harry thinks Dumbledore might have been mistaken.