Prologue: Resurgent Evil

In the depths of the Forbidden Forest, a soul was pining, holding on for precious life. The being struggled along, hoping to get even a thrice chance to retrieve the power he had lost so formidably. This being was hardly human, nor beast. Dark and formless, his body was flaccid and lifeless.

This was what had become of Lord Voldemort.

Three years before he was fighting, trying to once again kill Harry Potter, and had he succeeded he would have surely been in a better state. However, though he barely could remember, he knew that another had defeated him. A girl, with such extraordinary powers and a unique brand of magic, had caused this weak body to be flung into the forest.

He dwelt on this hatred … his anger and spite kept him alive, kept him going. But he was in need of something more … unicorn blood, milk of his large snake, Nagini, dragon heart and a willing vessel for his soul.

Where would he have gotten dragon heart? Well, it was quite simple, providing that just a year ago, he had discovered the rotting corpse of a dragon. He hadn't known how it had gotten there, but neither did he care. He took its heart, ate it raw, and then he was absolutely certain that he would be unstoppable. But it was too late. It would not be long before finally, he would be dead. His body was weak and beyond repair. And soon he would be no more.

But his soul remained heinous and vengeful and was not ready to rest. His body was gone, yes, but the heart of the dragon was more than enough to keep his soul thriving. His soul was willing and the determination was still to kill, to destroy, and to cause retribution to the girl and boy who had caused his death. He knew there was only one who could help him now.

A woman sat crouched in the corner of her hospital bed. She shook violently, her forehead drenched with sweat as her heart throbbed heavily in her chest.

Closing her eyes tightly, she reminisced over the past …

Renona Karasuhoshi, a young woman in her teens bustled down the halls of Hogwarts: her bright amethyst eyes shone like precious jewels and her long wavy chestnut hair swayed behind her in a single braid. She was a lovely sixth year at Hogwarts and prefect in Ravenclaw. Excited, dazed, her heart skipped a beat...

Today she was meeting Tom Riddle, her boyfriend and lover since her fourth year. She had never in her life met a boy quite like Tom. He was everything a girl could want: that dark and handsome stranger that every female fantasized about with those eyes that were deep and mysterious. He was one of the smartest in his year and won awards and achieved in everything. She treasured every meeting with Tom, for their meetings were rare. Tom was in Slytherin house – the most resented house in all Hogwarts.

Not only this, but Tom was often very secretive about himself and even though she was closer to him than anyone else, he still never told her much. He never spoke of his parents, or any remnants of his family. His mind was recurrently preoccupied and weary and Renona often felt awkward around him. Nonetheless, she overlooked this and continued to meet in secret, loving him more than ever. She was willing to give whatever she had for him, her life, her heart and even … her soul.

Their seventh year at Hogwarts, she was a prefect alongside Frederick Appleton. She greatly resented this for she wished she could be alongside Tom who had been named a prefect for his house. Of course, to her pleasure, in their final years they were made Head Girl and Boy respectively. They went to the Yule ball together and graduated together. Never as a couple but in secret, exchanging furtive glances and stealing moments alone where none could see. She had never felt happier. Tom even seemed happy, but something about him did not seem quite right. They graduated, and went seperate ways, It was sometime later when Renona moved permanently to Scotland. At that point she was upset that she had to leave him, but they kept in touch through OWL's. Soon, however, he stopped writing to her and contact between them dwindled, until it eventually vanished. Renona continued to write but he never responded.

Renona went to England on holiday where she finally discovered that Tom Riddle had disappeared, and no one knew where he had gone. Feeling distraught, Renona left England and went back to Scotland, where she found her parents dead. She did not know how they died and apparently, the doctors didn't know either. There seemed to be no direct reason for their deaths. It could only mean one thing, that magic was involved.

The wizarding Healers confirmed: it was the Curse.

Renona went back to England and then discovered the most shocking news: Tom Riddle had resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, the great dark wizard, murderer of Wizards, Witches and Muggles. Renona was in absolute astonishment and did not know what to do. Soon Voldemort had found her and was demanding that she join him as a Death Eater, a recruit in his numerous ranks of Death Eaters and those that had betrayed the Ministry.

He was hideous, with red snake-like eyes and a high, scratchy voice. Renona initially refused but when he threatened to kill her like he did her parents she gave in. Young and foolish, she was scared, she could not help but decide to join him and to do his bidding. She came to understand, though she did not then, what Voldemort really loved was power. And though often uncertain, shy and modest about it, Renona had always been a uniquely powerful witch.

It was not long until Voldemort reached his defeat, and his evil reign was over. Renona was among the many who gave up being a Death Eater. Still fearful of her safety (the Dark Lord loyalists always spoke of his resurrection) she went into hiding in her grandfather's homeland of Japan.

However, Renona was not free of her fears. She lived among Muggles and led a fairly normal Muggle life, rarely using her magic. But time passed, and soon word sprung up about Voldemort's reappearance at Hogwarts. In next to no time, Renona was scared again and she began to have nightmares and hallucinations. Traumatized at his possible re-arising she screamed out at night and rambled constantly: 'Tom, why?'

People began to believe she was insane and after a petition went around to her neighbours, she was sent to a mental institution.

The now aged Renona anxiously looked around her: hospitalized but not paralysed, she was deep in thought. She glanced over at the end table beside her bed, covered with bottles of pills and prescriptions of all sorts. She would never let the Muggles control her, and she would never take the pills.

Suddenly, she heard a voice inside her head.

'Renona …'

'Who's there?' she squeaked, her heart pounding faster as her body trembled more violently.

'Renona …'

'Who are you?' she cried again, pulling the covers closer to her face.

'Don't you remember me, dearest?'

The voice sounded like a sly grin. Its cold, braying voice was scratchy and ethereal, almost like an interrupted transmission from a ghostly radio station. Renona felt her heart stop and her blood ran cold. It was him.

'Voldemort!' she screamed hysterically. 'Where are you? What do you want with me?'

'Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt you.'

'Please! Go away!' she began to cry, her voice growing hoarse. From a far distance she could hear the nurse's footsteps approaching her room.

'Go away? Why would I do that?'

'I loved who you were, but I don't know you now! You're not who I fell in love with. I'm-I'm … I'm so scared of you now …' Renona shuddered, the tears stinging her eyes.

The voice cackled viciously, taking pleasure at the fear and misery she was feeling.

'Love? Such a weak emotion! My father "loved" my mother. Then he left her because she was a witch!' The voice paused then continued. 'I hated my father, I hated everything.'

'But … I loved you, Tom! Doesn't that matter to you? Are you really that cold?' Renona sobbed as she spoke, the tears splashing down her cheeks.

'I told you already. Love is meaningless! And you dare call me by that wretched Muggle name?'

Renona sobbed again, heart-broken. The only man she had ever loved betrayed her. Here she was now, cowering in a corner of a bed in a mental hospital, all because of him. Had she really been foolish to ever associate with Tom Riddle?

'… I would have done anything for you — anything!' she sobbed.

She could hear the steps coming closer.

'Would you do anything for me now?'

Renona did not respond, her chest heaved breathlessly, 'Go away…please.' She reiterated.

The tone of the voice softened, almost amorous as it whispered, 'Renona…my beautiful Renona. You were always dear to me. But my, my…where has your beauty gone? Look, look where you've ended up.'

Suddenly her crying stopped as she thought for a moment. Eyes sore from the constant stream of tears, she gazed down at her wrinkled palms. Without thinking she stroked a hand through her locks now heavily streaked with grey. It had always bothered her how much her youth had left her and how powerless she had become over the years. She had been reduced to a fraction of her former self.

'Imagine…with your wit, my power, with our magic and greatness combined— imagine if you could restore it all?'

Renona stared blankly ahead like a subject under deep hypnosis.

'Well, join me … become a part of what I am … together we can rule all and do as we please! We will be one being for an eternity!'

Become a part of what he was? What was he? The more she thought about it, the more right he seemed. The Muggles had ruined her, locking her up as though she were senile or foolish. She had been a Hogwarts prefect. She had been Head Girl! She had the world in the palm of her hands.

'Rule all? Can I really—?'

No one was looking out for her any more. She was on her own. Her whole life was in shambles already and there was no hope. The idea of being with her former lover forever, young and beautiful, and to restore her potential by ruling all sounded tempting.

'But…' the voice continued, 'There are two that stand in your way. Our way. We can only succeed if they are gone. Don't you want to be the best? Don't you want to reclaim the respect you deserve?'

'Yes…' she said hesitantly, 'Yes, I'll do it.'

There was a dazzling flash of light, so bright that her eyes burned. A sharp pain pierced through her heart like a knife and a white-hot burning washed over her body like a wave of fire, making every inch of her skin blaze painfully. The once faded dark-marks on the front of her elbow, chest and side burned and then reformed into the shape of a crow, its wings spread. Voldemort's soul intertwined with her being. She felt her wrinkles melt away –the enchantment slowly caused her to regain some of her youthful appearance.

Her shriek rang out of the room like the single cry of a Banshee. She fell hard onto the linoleum floor. Still fully awake, back numb from the fall, she lay there laughing, as if laughing at existence itself. Limply she sat up, raised her head and stared out the window with maddened bulging eyes. She rose sickly to her feet and swayed off balance.

'Pathetic Muggles … wretched meddling fools … I must seek vengeance …' she whispered malevolently.

The nurse flung open the doors and stared at the woman who gazed madly through the window. The nurse could only see the back of her head but was worried from the scream she had heard from halfway down the hall. From working in a psychiatric facility, that wasn't unusual, but it was her job to make sure the patients received their medication.

'Karasu-san, Ogenki desu ka? Are you all right?' the nurse called as she remained standing by the door.

Renona turned her head and shot her a sidelong glare. The nurse's rosy face turned pale as her eyes widened at what she saw. Renona's usually tan skin was featureless and sallow like porcelain and her hair was newly dark and grungy looking. Her purple eyes glinted eerily red as her lips curled into an evil smile.

The nurse backed away, gasping in horror. 'What are you doing?' she tried to say, but the words didn't come out.

Renona held out a long wooden rod in front of her, pointing it directly at the nurse's chest.

'DIE!'

A flash of green light … the nurse lay on the ground … her eyes staring … her mouth wide open … her body motionless.

Renona cackled shrilly and made her way around the building.

The infirmary was in uproar, people screaming and instantly dropping dead. The hospital entrance burst open. The skeletal form of a woman stepped out, her eyes narrowed, as her sneer grew wider.

'LORD VOLDEMORT HAS RISEN!'