The Life, Love and Lies of Tom Riddle

Prologue

Hermione Granger was running. Running for her life. You see, it was the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Draco Malfoy, who was given orders by the Dark Lord Voldemort, let in a group of Death Eaters. These Death Eaters were attacking people, killing left and right. She had seen her best friend, Ron Weasley, die by the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange, and his little sister, Ginny, whom Hermione was also close to, die by a stray curse sent by Lucius Malfoy.

Also, everywhere she looked, she looked upon dead bodies of other close friends, or fellow students; Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Hannah Abbott, Blaize Zambini, Terry Boot, Fred Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Lavender Brown, Padma Patil, Dennis Creevy. Plus, many teachers she has known for the past six years, were lying, scattered around, either dead or dying; Professor Vector, Professor Slughorn, Professor Trelawny, Professor Lupin. And there were many others who had arrived to help, mostly creatures; centaurs, unicorns, giants, and many more.

So, she was running to stay alive and not join the many faces scattered around. She was also looking for her other best friend, Harry Potter. He was the savior of the Wizarding World, or so everyone believed. He was the only one who had the power to defeat Voldemort. Searching frantically, while running for her life, she tried in vain to find Harry. Just a glimpse of his forever messy raven hair, or a tidbit of his voice, or even just someone yelling that they seen him alive, was all she wanted, but so far, luck was not on her side.

She was now outside, looking for Harry. She threw a disarming spell over her left shoulder, hopefully hitting an enemy. She noticed Bellatrix Lestrange, aiming at Draco Malfoy, her own nephew. Realizing Draco wasn't really bad and he didn't want to do what he did, Hermione quickly sent a stunner at Bellatrix, hitting her target and saving Draco. He smiled greatfully at her for a split second before diving right back into the fighting.

"Draco," she shouted as loud as possible. He turned. "Harry?" she asked. He pointed towards a hill, not 100 feet from where they were. She nodded her thanks and took off towards the hill. Harry was there all right, fighting for his life, against the most powerful, yet most evil wizard known to the Wizarding World, Lord Voldemort. She was about to jump in and help Harry, but Voldmort sent a spell at him, which he didn't have time to block. Hermione froze. Harry fell to his knees, then on his stomach, dead!

Terrified, Hermione took off at a dead sprint back towards the castle. A spell was fired at her, it connected. Her arm split open, about at the shoulder, and was spurting blood. She didn't dare slow down. She just reached over and fired a hex right back, not knowing if it hit or not. She arrived at the castle and ran towards the only place she knew that would be safe at the moment, Dumbledore's Office. Well, it was now McGonnagal's Office, but still. She arrived at the gargoyle and before she had a chance to say anything, the gargoyle leaped aside. Sighing in gratitude, she raced up the stairs and into the office. It was calm, the only place left intact.

She breathed a sigh of relief before hearing Dumbledore's portrait talk. "Hermione, my dear, there is only one thing you can do. Harry is defeated, is he not?" Hermione nodded numbly, the full impact of it all not yet hitting her. "I'm truly sorry my dear, but, like I said, there is only one thing you can do. Change it all. Go back and change Tom Riddle." Hermione gaped at Dumbledore.

"You want me to intentionally change the past?"

"Yes." was all Dumbledore said, gravely. She stood up, determined.

"Will it save Harry, Ron, and everyone else who died in this war?"

"Yes."

"I'll do it."

"You realize the intensity of your decision, don't you? You'll travel back, but you won't ever come back. You'll save them, but they'll never know you as you are. Will you still do it?"

She hesitated. They won't know her, but she'll save them all. Deciding she looked at the portrait, determinedly, "Yes, sir."

"Good," he smiled, "Go to my desk, or McGonnagal's desk now, and open the top drawer. Inside tap 3 times with your wand. A compartment will open revealing a key. Use this key to open the door behind you." Hermione did as told and picked up the small, golden key. She opened the door and inside was a podium. On top, was a black, velvet box, about the size of a small birthday cake. "Open the box and take out the time-turner." she heard Dumbledore instruct from the other room. She did and put it around her neck. She walked back out to Dumbledore.

"Turn it backwards 54 times. You will arrive in this office with Professor Dippet. Tell him you are my neice, Alexis Dumbledore, Aberfroth's daughter."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Hermione. Tell me the entire story, I'll hopefully understand." he smiled at her. "Good luck, my dear, remember, try to change Riddle."

"Thank you, sir. See you 54 years ago." She smiled weakly, and Dumbledore returned the smile.

She picked up the magical device with shaking hands and began to spin it, counting carefully, outloud. "One, two..."

"...thirty-five...", she heard shouts and spells being fired at the gargoyle downstairs.

"...fifty-one...", the barrier was broken and she was paranoid, but she kept her head and kept spinning the time turner.

"...fifty-three..." the door was broken down.

"...fifty-four!" she waved to the shocked faces of Bellatrix and Antonin Dolohov, who both shouted in rage and lept and the disappearing girl.

She began to spin, faster and faster. She couldn't breathe! When she thought she was done for, everything stopped and she collapsed. The last thing she saw was a nervous look upon the face of a small man sitting behind the Headmaster's desk and the intrigued face of a very handsome boy...

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