**************************************************************************************************************************************************
The Fall
By: Mask of Twilight
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Disclaimer: Alas! Harry Potter does not belong to me! ...But I shall bide my time...
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Prologue:
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
My life had been perfect. I had everything I could possibly have wanted: I was rich, (something I had never had the privilige of enjoying), and I had the best husband in the world, whom I would follow to the ends of the earth, if necessary. Actually, in a sense, I had. For I had been brought up in a wizarding world, where using magic was an everyday occurance, where the owl-post brought the newspaper to me everyday, and where broomsticks were a normal form of transportation. I had loved that world, and everything in it, yet I had given it all up for him, a muggle.
And, best of all, my husband, Tom Riddle, and I were expecting a son. As I said before, this was the best time of my life, but alas, all good things must eventually come to an end.
For there was one secret I had never told my husband, and that was the fact that I was a witch. I had avoided telling him ever since we first met. I tried several times before and after our marriage, but I could never summon up enough courage to
do so. I suppose it was my fear that he wouldn't love me anymore that kept me from sharing that part of my life with him. I've never had much self-confidence.
One night, though, after an endless debate in my mind whether or not I was doing the right thing, I decided our marriage would never be perfect unless I told Tom about the world that I had left forever when I said, "I do."
Oh, I was so naive when I was young! To think, that if I had just kept silent, I would still be with him now...!
In all of my stupidity and innocence I told Tom of my true self. Blinded by love, I thought that he loved me enough to overlook my abnormalties. I suppose I should have taken into account the family that he had come from. All of my in-laws were narrow-minded; I just thought that Tom would be different.
His first reaction to my strange tale was asking if I was joking with him. When, in all seriousness, I insisted I wasn't, he asked if I was feeling alright, and suggested I go lie down. I had expected his reaction to be as such, so I said I would prove it to him. Oh, what a fool I am! I pulled out my wand, which I hadn't used for over two years,and performed a few simple spells.
I remember vividly the astonished and somewhat fearful expression on his face at that moment, when he realized I was telling him the truth. I recall his stuttered, fearful exclamations. And I remember his expression of repugnance and horror when I drew near him, when I clasped his hand, begging him to understand that I would never harm him; that I had never hurt anyone in my life before. Yet most of all, I remember him yelling at me and saying that I must have gotten my powers from Satan, and had seduced him into marrying me for some evil purpose!
I cried and told him that it wasn't true, that I loved him with all my heart and wasn'tevil, but he wouldn't listen. He went up to our room, slammed the door, and locked himself in like some angry child having a tantrum.
That whole night I lay sobbing on the floor, wallowing in self-pity until I cried myself to sleep.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
The next morning, I awoke to an empty house. Our room, which had been occupied by my husband when I fell asleep, was now abandoned. The majority of Tom's clothes, anda few other things, were gone.
But, on the bed that he and I had once shared, lay a note. With tears once again threatening to fall, I walked over, and, my hands trembling, picked up the note. As I slowlyunfolded it, something fell out onto the floor. In a stupor, I slowly bent down to pick the object up. When I saw what it was, I fell to my knees, my legs having just given was beneath me. A dry sob issued from my throat. It was Tom's wedding ring...!
After a time, I regained composure enough to read the note my love had left me.
Dearest,
I am leaving you now, for I cannot bear the thought of having you as my
wife, knowing what you are. I will not, however, leave you penniless. I give you this whole
estateto have for yourself and your son, when he arrives. I am truly sorry for doing this, and
I very much regret it. I really did love you.
Farewell,
Tom Riddle
My grief beyond the need for tears, I fled the room, running to fetch my wand. I found it downstairs, where I had left it. I picked it up and with a cry of anguish started sending curses in every direction, utterly destroying the room and all of its contents.
When there was nothing left to use as a target, I suddenly turned the wand upon myself and started to mutter a curse which I had never intended to use, especially on myself: Avada Kadavra, the Killing Curse.
But, before I had finished crying out those deadly words, I suddenly recalled part of the letter Tom had left me; the part which said, 'I give you this whole estate for yourself and *your son*.' Those two words were what saved my life just then-your son. Yes, I had to keep on living, for his sake. I would live so that I could bear this child, and raise him, and love him. That was what kept me going after my husband left me. That I would soon have someone to love again.
On the day my son was born, I experienced happiness again. That feeling that had left me for so long welcomed me back with a wonderful smile and open arms. I had a child, whom I could love. I wouldn't be alone anymore.
I suppose it was stupid of me to name my son after his father, a man he would never see. And yet, I couldn't help but hope that one day, Tom would come back to us...
So, I took my son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and startled a new life. It wasn't easy. When Tom was two, I had to sell the house which I had lived in with my husband, for I didn't have enough money to support Tom and myself while living in such a big house. We didn't need the space anyway, so we bought a smaller home in which we spent six years together.
Sometimes, I wished to just give up and end my life, but then I thought of my son, and how fortunate I really was to lead this life. I could never leave my son behind, as my husband had done to me.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
And yet, now, as I lay here in my bed, hardly able to breathe, fading in and out of consiousness, I know that I can no longer take care of my child. He stands by me, holding my hand. He is only eight years old, I can't leave him now! Yet, I fear I have
no choice...
He looks at me fearfully, with those unique crimson eyes, and asks if I am going to die. I look at him, startled that he would ask me this. Yet, I suppose I shouldn't be. He is so bright, and mature, he is always saying things that surprise me.
Having little strength left to speak, I whisper one word, "Yes."
He nods slightly, and looks away. There are no tears in his eyes, there almost never is, but he is trembling noticeably.
I am growing weaker, and darkness clouds my vision. I know there is not much time left. I suppose I should give him some parting word of advice, but there is no need for it. I have taught him all he needs to know. Tom knows of the wizarding world that I once lived in, and he knows why I left it. He knows of magic and sorcery. He knows about Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry that taught me all I know of magic,and that I hope one day he will attend. Yes, he knows that he is a wizard, and that his father was a muggle. Yet there is one thing he does not know. I have concealed from him the reason why his father left us. The boy thinks that his father is dead. I should tell him the truth, and yet...
I reach out and give his small hand a light squeeze. "I love you, Tom," I whisper hoarsly. He gives me one of his rare, yet beautiful smiles, and the last thing I hear before the darkness envelopes me are the words, "I love you too, Mother..."
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If all the world's an oyster, then why does everything taste like chicken?
Hello All! I hope you enjoyed this first part of my story! R/R!
~Mask of Twilight ^_~
The Fall
By: Mask of Twilight
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Disclaimer: Alas! Harry Potter does not belong to me! ...But I shall bide my time...
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Prologue:
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
My life had been perfect. I had everything I could possibly have wanted: I was rich, (something I had never had the privilige of enjoying), and I had the best husband in the world, whom I would follow to the ends of the earth, if necessary. Actually, in a sense, I had. For I had been brought up in a wizarding world, where using magic was an everyday occurance, where the owl-post brought the newspaper to me everyday, and where broomsticks were a normal form of transportation. I had loved that world, and everything in it, yet I had given it all up for him, a muggle.
And, best of all, my husband, Tom Riddle, and I were expecting a son. As I said before, this was the best time of my life, but alas, all good things must eventually come to an end.
For there was one secret I had never told my husband, and that was the fact that I was a witch. I had avoided telling him ever since we first met. I tried several times before and after our marriage, but I could never summon up enough courage to
do so. I suppose it was my fear that he wouldn't love me anymore that kept me from sharing that part of my life with him. I've never had much self-confidence.
One night, though, after an endless debate in my mind whether or not I was doing the right thing, I decided our marriage would never be perfect unless I told Tom about the world that I had left forever when I said, "I do."
Oh, I was so naive when I was young! To think, that if I had just kept silent, I would still be with him now...!
In all of my stupidity and innocence I told Tom of my true self. Blinded by love, I thought that he loved me enough to overlook my abnormalties. I suppose I should have taken into account the family that he had come from. All of my in-laws were narrow-minded; I just thought that Tom would be different.
His first reaction to my strange tale was asking if I was joking with him. When, in all seriousness, I insisted I wasn't, he asked if I was feeling alright, and suggested I go lie down. I had expected his reaction to be as such, so I said I would prove it to him. Oh, what a fool I am! I pulled out my wand, which I hadn't used for over two years,and performed a few simple spells.
I remember vividly the astonished and somewhat fearful expression on his face at that moment, when he realized I was telling him the truth. I recall his stuttered, fearful exclamations. And I remember his expression of repugnance and horror when I drew near him, when I clasped his hand, begging him to understand that I would never harm him; that I had never hurt anyone in my life before. Yet most of all, I remember him yelling at me and saying that I must have gotten my powers from Satan, and had seduced him into marrying me for some evil purpose!
I cried and told him that it wasn't true, that I loved him with all my heart and wasn'tevil, but he wouldn't listen. He went up to our room, slammed the door, and locked himself in like some angry child having a tantrum.
That whole night I lay sobbing on the floor, wallowing in self-pity until I cried myself to sleep.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
The next morning, I awoke to an empty house. Our room, which had been occupied by my husband when I fell asleep, was now abandoned. The majority of Tom's clothes, anda few other things, were gone.
But, on the bed that he and I had once shared, lay a note. With tears once again threatening to fall, I walked over, and, my hands trembling, picked up the note. As I slowlyunfolded it, something fell out onto the floor. In a stupor, I slowly bent down to pick the object up. When I saw what it was, I fell to my knees, my legs having just given was beneath me. A dry sob issued from my throat. It was Tom's wedding ring...!
After a time, I regained composure enough to read the note my love had left me.
Dearest,
I am leaving you now, for I cannot bear the thought of having you as my
wife, knowing what you are. I will not, however, leave you penniless. I give you this whole
estateto have for yourself and your son, when he arrives. I am truly sorry for doing this, and
I very much regret it. I really did love you.
Farewell,
Tom Riddle
My grief beyond the need for tears, I fled the room, running to fetch my wand. I found it downstairs, where I had left it. I picked it up and with a cry of anguish started sending curses in every direction, utterly destroying the room and all of its contents.
When there was nothing left to use as a target, I suddenly turned the wand upon myself and started to mutter a curse which I had never intended to use, especially on myself: Avada Kadavra, the Killing Curse.
But, before I had finished crying out those deadly words, I suddenly recalled part of the letter Tom had left me; the part which said, 'I give you this whole estate for yourself and *your son*.' Those two words were what saved my life just then-your son. Yes, I had to keep on living, for his sake. I would live so that I could bear this child, and raise him, and love him. That was what kept me going after my husband left me. That I would soon have someone to love again.
On the day my son was born, I experienced happiness again. That feeling that had left me for so long welcomed me back with a wonderful smile and open arms. I had a child, whom I could love. I wouldn't be alone anymore.
I suppose it was stupid of me to name my son after his father, a man he would never see. And yet, I couldn't help but hope that one day, Tom would come back to us...
So, I took my son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and startled a new life. It wasn't easy. When Tom was two, I had to sell the house which I had lived in with my husband, for I didn't have enough money to support Tom and myself while living in such a big house. We didn't need the space anyway, so we bought a smaller home in which we spent six years together.
Sometimes, I wished to just give up and end my life, but then I thought of my son, and how fortunate I really was to lead this life. I could never leave my son behind, as my husband had done to me.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
And yet, now, as I lay here in my bed, hardly able to breathe, fading in and out of consiousness, I know that I can no longer take care of my child. He stands by me, holding my hand. He is only eight years old, I can't leave him now! Yet, I fear I have
no choice...
He looks at me fearfully, with those unique crimson eyes, and asks if I am going to die. I look at him, startled that he would ask me this. Yet, I suppose I shouldn't be. He is so bright, and mature, he is always saying things that surprise me.
Having little strength left to speak, I whisper one word, "Yes."
He nods slightly, and looks away. There are no tears in his eyes, there almost never is, but he is trembling noticeably.
I am growing weaker, and darkness clouds my vision. I know there is not much time left. I suppose I should give him some parting word of advice, but there is no need for it. I have taught him all he needs to know. Tom knows of the wizarding world that I once lived in, and he knows why I left it. He knows of magic and sorcery. He knows about Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry that taught me all I know of magic,and that I hope one day he will attend. Yes, he knows that he is a wizard, and that his father was a muggle. Yet there is one thing he does not know. I have concealed from him the reason why his father left us. The boy thinks that his father is dead. I should tell him the truth, and yet...
I reach out and give his small hand a light squeeze. "I love you, Tom," I whisper hoarsly. He gives me one of his rare, yet beautiful smiles, and the last thing I hear before the darkness envelopes me are the words, "I love you too, Mother..."
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
If all the world's an oyster, then why does everything taste like chicken?
Hello All! I hope you enjoyed this first part of my story! R/R!
~Mask of Twilight ^_~