I do not own Harry Potter or the like. I wish I did though.

Written for Out of your Comfort Zone and A Quote Competition.

Slightly OOC Hermione

Hermione Granger was in a slump and nothing she tried could get her out of it. Even her favorite book, Hogwarts, A History was unable to drag her from the feeling of hopelessness. It had started just a week ago, but it felt like a lifetime to her. A lifetime of not knowing the misplaced and misunderstood boy that was Tom Riddle. Hermione had been researching the boy who received an award for Special Services to the School and was beginning to only discover the depth of his character. Maybe it was the loner that called to her, the true bookworm placed in a house that didn't truly appreciate their brilliance or knowledge. Whatever the case may be, Hermione felt a certain draw to the boy that would one day be the most powerful dark wizard alive, but for now, he was just a boy that Hermione wanted to love.

Hermione shook her head and brushed back the frizzy hair before letting a wide grin spread across her face. To say that it was brilliant was an understatement. Not only had Tom managed to let loose the horrid creature from decades ago, but he did so without ever stepping into Hogwarts. Controlling Ginny so easily left Hermione with little hope that the whole Weasley family would have more of a backbone against the man. She understood that Ginny had poured herself into the diary, but Hermione had a couple of moments herself to talk to the boy inside and she knew that she was falling.

Hermione was not easily taken in by the flattering speech or witty tongue, but when Diary Tom had realized this he began talking. Really talking. She had deeper and more interesting discussions with her than anyone he had met before. He challenged her way of thinking and even though she revealed she was a muggleborn, the diary had made no comment other than "the brilliance of a lost generation had to come from somewhere". Hermione knew she couldn't keep the journal but she vowed to come back to it again the next time she could sneak it away.

That time never came. Hermione had been rushing around the castle trying to figure out how to let leak the means of which the basilisk traveled without letting slip who was doing it. She finally managed on a simple yet brilliant stroke of simply writing "pipes" on a slip of parchment. Looking now for Ron and Harry, Hermoine stumbled upon Peneolpe Clearwater. She gave her a smile and a wave, after all it never hurt to be friendly with the prefects, suddenly she heard it. That distinct hissing that crept up your spine and settled into the base of your heart, clenching itself around you. Remaining calm, Hermione hurried over to Penelope and asked her if she had a hand mirror. As the girl dug through her bag, Hermione peeked out of the corner of her eyes and saw the end of the serpent's tail. Swallowing her terror, she took the offered item from the girl and held it up for Penelope to look at.

"Do you see anything unusual?" Hermione found her voice steady as the rest of her trembled slightly. Frowning, Penelope stared into the mirror before falling over petrified. Hermione closed her eyes and walked the direction that the hissing was coming from. She stopped as she felt the cool scales wrapping around her legs and traveling up her body. A sharp hissing sounded out of her left ear and a smooth warm hissing sounded out of her right. Steadying herself, Hermione began to open her eyes when and urgent hissing erupted and she found the scales covering her eyes.

"Hermione… What are you trying to do?" The smooth silk voice washed over her and she smiled wistfully from her cocoon of snake.

"Tom, you and I both know what you become. This way is the only way I can keep you in my memory as you are, instead of what you will be." She squirmed now, trying to work the large snake off her.

"My sweet misguided girl. There is more than one way to keep a memory alive, especially a memory like mine." The voice grew closer now, sounding clearer and more alive than before. "Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light, Hermione. You'll find me again someday."

Then she was abruptly turned and the hand mirror shoved in front of her so she was looking at the reflection of the basilisk. She fell over quickly and stayed that way until she was finally rescued sometimes later.

Years later, Hermione found herself down in the Chamber of Secrets looking over the decomposing body of the once powerful snake. After managing to pull out a couple of the fangs, she gave one to Ron and told him to head on up and help Harry. He gave her a solemn nod and left, trusting her to get rid of the cup once and for all. Hermione held her breath until she was sure that he had left and touched the cup. This one hadn't been protected like some of the others, but she could feel the pulsing of Tom's soul inside just the same. A vague wispy form appeared in her mind's eye and she could see him older, taller and more sure of himself than ever before.

"What is it mudblood? I can tell that someone unworthy is messing with my things and I will not have it!" Startled, Hermione drew back and cringed. This Tom was wholly unlike the man she had met before and it saddened her. Steadying herself, she let out a sob as she plunged the fang into the cup, watching it leak and hiss as the part of Voldemort's soul was destroyed along with the artifact. Wiping her eyes, Hermione stood with a new found determination.

She knew now that the Tom she had fallen in love with was dead. Dead before Hermione ever found the diary in Ginny's things. That Tom had died the moment muggleborn like her had stepped into Voldemort's radar of hatred. She stood there for a moment, crying for the love she'd never have and the boy she'd never meet. Steadying herself, she made her way back up to the battle raging over head. She knew now that she had another monster to slay.

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