10 years ago.
Little Tom is sitting in the passenger seat of his father's car. He is sitting with his back straight and pressed flat against his chair. His hands are folded primly in his lap and he is staring ahead through the windshield into the dark night and flashing lights.
His father, Tom Riddle Sr., casts him a sideways glance and smiles fondly. His son is turning eight years old tonight and so he is obliged to fulfill his son's every wish. Although Tom hides it very well, Tom Sr. knows his son well and he can sense when his son is excited. His son pays avid attention to the view, his eyes shining. Tom Sr.'s smile widens and he turns his attention back to the road.
"What would you like me to get you for your birthday?" Tom Sr. asks as he slows the car to a stop at a red light, "Tell me."
Tom thinks carefully, not answering for a while. Then he says, "A snake."
Tom Sr. is startled. "A snake? You're quite sure, Tom?" Tom Sr. asks, stepping on the gas pedal as the light signaled green.
Tom would never get the chance to answer. At that moment, a yellow light engulfed them. Tom's words died in his throat and he gasped instead, watching in horror as an enormous truck approached their car from their left at a ridiculous speed. He heard the crash of metals before he felt it, an excruciating pain, and then everything went black.
Seconds and minutes ticked by before Tom was roused from unconsciousness.
"T-tom, wake up," Tom Sr. croaked, helplessly. He was slumped over in his chair, paralyzed.
Tom forces his eyes open. He is hurting so much.
"Dad," Tom manages to whisper.
"Are you h-hurt?"
"My head hurts," Tom says closing his eyes.
"Just bear it for a- a little while longer. Don't fall asleep," Tom Sr. says desperately.
Meanwhile, the doors of the other vehicle are kicked open and a tall man with long, blond hair tied in a ponytail jumps out, landing smoothly on two feet. His boots crunch over shards of scattered glass as he approaches the smaller car with a feline saunter. He can't quite see inside the car as the windows are tinted and he frowns in disappointment. He leans in closer and squints through the glass. He raises a fist to tap on the glass when he is startled back by a voice.
"Help us… please. My s-son is h-hurt."
Tom slowly tilts his head up to look at the man outside their cars. His eyes meet piercing, sky blue eyes.
So the bastard is still alive… He should have been killed at once. How annoying.
Tom's eyes widened as the figure retreated.
"P-please, can you open the d-door?" Tom Sr. called to the man.
"Dad," Tom tries to warn his dad, "Run… That person is trying to-"
Tom Freezes as the sound of rattling metal against pavement grates his ears.
This can't be happening, Tom thinks as he see the man coming back, this time with an aluminum bat in hand. The car shakes as the man jumps onto the hood of the car. He swings the bat up high over his head, and he looks godly, surrounded in a halo of light, he brings it down against the glass with a loud thud.
"Tom!" Tom Sr. whispers hoarsely to his son, his eyes are squeezed shut in fear, there is no time left. "Get out," He tells his son in panic as another whack of the bat hits the glass. The window has split and it is only a matter of time before- "Run! Just go-!"
Tom watches in Horror as the man finally breaks through the glass and begins to beat his father with wide, heavy swings.
"Dad!" Tom cries. He feels an unfamiliar wetness flowing down his cheeks. He is terribly frightened. But he cannot move.
"S-stop!" Tom yells at the man. His father is dead, what is the point of beating a dead man? The man pauses and seems to remember himself. Now he is moving in on Tom. He raises the bloody bat. Tom closes his teary eyes…
. . .
Since that day, there are two types of noises in my world.
One is the noise everyone else hears. And the other is one that only I can hear.
My world is a little louder then everyone else's.
. . .
Ginny Weasley is standing near the Gateway of Hogwarts High. Through the crowd she is searching for a boy, waiting.
"Tom!" she cries excitedly when she spots him.
He continues to walk without noticing her. Ginny rolls her eyes and hurries up behind him. "Tom," Ginny tries again, pulling his damned headphones off. Tom frowns in annoyance and turns to see the culprit while fixing his headset around his neck.
Oh. "Ginny," he greets the smiling girl nonchalantly. She is holding up several band aids and shoving them in his face. It's Tom's turn to roll his eyes now.
They sit down on a set of concrete steps and Ginny begins to unpeel a particular sparkly band aid. Tom eyes it distastefully.
"That was really good of you, Tom, defending Luna and all," Ginny pipes up.
Tom shrugged. It was nothing. He had merely helped Luna get her shoes back from some school bullies. "You must really like her then. You even got hurt!" Ginny said as she placed the band aid on his arm. Tom raised an eyebrow at her as she smoothed the plastic over the small scratch. Hurt? By Crabbe and Goyle? Hardly.
"Do you like her then?" Ginny asked jealously.
"No," Tom sighs before standing.
"But you said there was someone you like last Valentine's Day. That's why you didn't accept any chocolates," Ginny pointed out and stood herself and followed behind Tom.
"There is someone. It's not Luna."
"… Who…," Ginny began. Could it be… could it be me? She thought hopefully.
"You aren't thinking it's you, are you?" Tom asked smirking.
"What! Do- Do you think I'm crazy? As if! But… who is she…? Is she your first love?
"She's my first love." He tells her.
"What's her name?" Ginny asks, trying not to sound too curious. Is she pretty? Is she nice?
"She's the pretty. She's the nicest."
Ginny sniffed. "You shouldn't like girls because they're pretty."
"She's not just pretty," Tom says annoyed.
"She's nice. She's smart. She's the coolest woman on earth…"
He squints his eyes to a woman across the street. There. That woman there. She looks just like…
"Bloody hell!" Ginny yells surprised as Tom springs up. "Tom! Wait-!"
She watches stunned as he sprints away.
. . .
Hermione Granger is sitting in a crowded hall in the Ministry. A hundred applicants are waiting for their turn to be interviewed for the job position. More people had come then she had expected. How would she manage to stand out among them? She hears the man sitting next to her swear under his breath next to her. She looks over and sees him fiddling with a pair of round glasses broken down the middle. He catches her watching and shoves the pieces into his pocket while hastily offering her hand.
"I'm Harry Potter," he says and Hermione tentatively reaches for his hand. "This is all a bit nerve wracking, isn't it," He says conversationally. "It's my dream to become a public defender. I was actually a policeman before I started studying law."
"Hermione Granger," she offers swiftly. "You were a policeman? How fascinating. What made you- ,"
She was cut off when a loud voice announced, "The next applicant is Harry Potter, please make your way to the conference room."
They nodded politely at each other before Potter awkwardly shuffled out of the room. Hermione didn't have to wait long before she was called up. Taking in a deep breath, headed towards the conference room. Inside was a long oak desk which three men were sat wearing long black robes. She took a seat in the wooden chair facing them.
"Hermione Granger," the man in the middle spoke, not looking up from his stack of papers. He was a dark skinned man with a deep and melodious voice. The marble name plate infront of him read, Kingsley. "Your grades are good. Excellent, even. Why did you apply to become a public defender?"
Hermione took a deep breath before blurting out, "I came here for money." The man in the center looks up at her finally, with a raised brow. The straw color haired man sitting at the left smirks at her while the gangly, ginger at the right looks offended and as though he wants to tell her off. She proceeds before he can.
"I don't have the ability to get into a law firm and I don't have any connections either. I was expelled from my high school and graduated from an undistinguished college."
"Are you trying to get a sympathy vote?" Kingsley asked dubiously.
"I just feel the need to give a truthful answer… sir," she added quickly.
Crouch Jr., his name plate reads, begins a slow applause. "Who would've thought, such an honest lawyer existed. I think we should pass her, Kingsley, Perce?" Crouch says, his voice oozing sarcasm.
"You will receive your result via email. You may leave now." 'Percy' state stonily.
Hermione swallows hard, regret overwhelming her and she begins to rise when Kinglsey stops her.
"Wait… You said you were expelled, right?"
"Yes." Hermione says quickly, defensively.
"…Why were you…?"
"If I tell you will you let me pass?" Hermione asks.
Crouch Jr. snorts.
"Well, if your story has impact then… who knows?"
"Judge! Judge!" Percy exclaims scandalized.
"Imact?" Hermione says, a small smile curling at the edge of her lips. "There is impact for sure."
"Tell me."
Hermione's smile wavers only the slightest bit before she begins. "Ten years ago, I had a…friend. He was the son of a family my mum worked for as a maid. He was handsome and smart. He was really annoying. And I… I saw a flaw of his that I shouldn't have."
"What was it?"
"I caught him cheating. On the O.W.L.s Exam. During exams He usually placed second but on that exam he placed first."
"And you should have been first, I presume?" Kinglsey asked, flipping through her documents again.
"Of course," Hermione sniffed. "Anyways, of course the O. are a big deal. His mother naturally had to hold a celebration for him…
. . .
10 years ago
Bright bursts of colors streaked across the night sky. Outside Malfoy manor, students littered the lawn, dancing and laughing as they shot fireworks into the darkness above. Inside the kitchen of Malfoy Manor, Hermione was helping her mother who was busily preparing food for the Malfoy Heir's guests.
"The children are hungry. Isn't the food ready yet?" Narcissa Malfoy asked as she hovered around the party platters displayed on the kitchen island's counter top. "Be a dear and bring these out, won't you Hermione?" Narcissa asks pointing to a plate of sweets.
Hermione carefully brings the platter outside and sets it down on a table next to the crystal punch bowl. Hermione's eyes quickly spot Draco, his platinum hair flashing in the dark like a beacon. He is laughing and setting off fireworks with the others, enjoying himself. She rolls her eyes at the cheating, little cockroach who took first place from her and angrily spins off to go back inside when someone grabs her wrist. The girl wore Heavy eyeliner and black lipstick with her wild black curls braided into thick pigtails.
"Wait! You're Hermione right? I've seen you around school a few times. I'm Bellatrix, Draco's cousin."
Hermione doesn't answer because she already knows who Bellatrix is. They've met briefly various times when Bella's family came to visit the Malfoys. Did she really not remember? Hermione pulls her wrist free and turns to leave again when Bellatrix laughs.
"Stop working and play with us," she says smiling. She hands her the same wand that all the other kids are shooting off and a plastic lighter before disappearing. Hermione holds the wand in her hand, tempted to set it off. She's never tried it before and even she has to admit it looks like fun.
"Damn thing," Bellatrix mutters to herself. Why wasn't the wand working? She had lit the wand and everything. She lowered her arm and turned the wand over to see what was wrong when it suddenly went off.
A shrilly scream pierced the night.
Hermione's head quickly jerked to the source of the noise just like everyone else and watched in horror as Draco dropped to the ground clutching at his eye. Everyone swarmed to him in panic. Everyone besides Bellatrix and Hermione. Hermione stood behind Bellatrix at a distance and watched as she shakily dropped her wand and lighter before joining Draco's side.
"Auntie Cissa!" Bellatrix cried out as she went to join Draco.
. . .
"At the time I was surprised and worried but… deep down, I think I thought that it served him right. I… didn't really like him."
. . .
In a private ward in the hospital, Draco slept soundly and quite comfortably in his bed. A distraught Narcissa smooths back his fringe from his eyes and only leaves his side to join her son's doctor and father standing in the center of the spacious room, peering at a table in the doctor's hands.
"There may be trouble with his left eye. There is a possibility that he might lose his sight there. The cornea is severely damaged, I'm afraid."
Narcissa gasps and leans on her husband for support.
"You don't mean…" Lucius starts.
"We'll have to wait and take the bandage off first to see but the chances of your son losing sight in his left eye is very high."
Meanwhile, back in Malfoy Manor, Hermione's mother is busy preparing dishes for Draco while he in the hospital.
"Is Draco's condition that serious? Why are you making all of this for him?" Hermione asked as she eyed the food.
"Is Draco a stranger then? Of course we should bring him this food. If you live in the same house for over ten years then you are more than family."
Hermione doesn't answer but snags a biscuit off of a tray instead.
"We're going to the hospital as soon as this one's done," Hermione's mother says as she stirs the pot on the stove.
"You can go without me. I don't like him. I don't want to see…" A piercing look from her mother stopped her short.
. . .
"Who did this?" The question came out slowly and threateningly. "Who made our son this way?" Lucius Malfoy stood beside his son's bed, directing the questions to the two students in front of him.
"I don't know, sir. We were so out of it. I couldn't see who did it." Blaise Zabini spoke up first. "Did you see, Bella?"
Bellatrix's eyes widened slightly, darting from Draco's gaze to her uncle's.
"Me? I… I think I did."
"Who was it?" Lucius demanded sharply.
"I... it was…"
They were interrupted by a knocking on the door. Slowly it slid open and revealed Mrs. Granger carrying a basket in either hand. She entered the room with Hermione close behind.
"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Hermione and I came to check on Draco's condition. How is he? Draco, are you alright?"
"Hermione did it!" Bella shrieked.
Draco's sight focused in on Hermione who lifted her head and wore an expression of confusion.
"Hermione shot the firework. I saw it!" Bellatrix pushed on.
"Me? Are you mad? When did I? I never even lit one up!"
"How could you?" Narcissa asked tearily from her seat beside Draco.
"I didn't!" Hermione insisted. "Bellatrix, why are you doing this?"
"Is this true? Did you really see it?" Lucius questioned.
"She didn't it. How could she see it if I didn't do it?" Hermione
Lucius stared deeply into Hermione's eyes before turning back to Bella. "I need you to tell me if you are basing this off of inference or off of evidence. This is important, Bella."
"I saw it too," Draco spoke up, "I saw her point the wand at me."
"I told you, it's the truth! You saw it too, right?" Bellatrix turned to Blaise.
"I… I didn't see anything that happened," Blaise repeated.
Bellatrix shot him a dirty look.
"Hermione, you… you didn't really, did you?"
"It's a lie. They planned this!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Can you still say that after making me like this!" Draco screamed.
Hermione felt her arm being grabbed and she looked up into her mother's watery eyes before she was being dragged out into the hall way. "We need to talk about this, Hermione," Her mother said as they exited the room.
"Talk about what? She should be begging on her knees right now for forgiveness! Lucius, you don't believe her, do you?" They could hear Narcissa wail from inside the room as Mrs. Granger Hurriedly shut the door behind them.
Outside in the hallway, Hermione's tears began to fall.
"Mum, you don't believe me either? I didn't do it. It really wasn't me!" Hermione cried.
"Hermione, look me right in the eye. Is it true that you didn't do it? You really didn't? Even if you did, I'm going to protect you. So don't add onto it or leave things out. Just tell me the truth.
"I didn't do it," Hermione sobbed, "I k-know I have a b-bad temper but I'm not heart-heartless."
Mrs. Granger straightened up and wiped her own tear away quickly.
"That's enough then, so stop crying,"
"You believe me?" Hermione sniffled.
"You told me too."
"You believe me because I told you too? You don't really believe me?"
"You're making a fuss even though I said I believe in you? I do."
Meanwhile in the hospital room, Draco nervously clenched at his bed covers.
"Father," Draco started, sitting up to meet Lucius, "You believe what I said, right?
"Lie down. Let's hear what they have to say first."
"But Lucius," Narcissa began.
The door slid open and Mrs. Granger entered the room holding her daughter's hand.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy. I talked to my Hermione. It really wasn't her."
"Look here, Granger," Narcissa said icily, "This issue will not be solved by you defending her."
"It's not like that. I'm not defending her. Hermione never cries. She didn't shed a single tear when her father passed away or when she broke her arm. When she cries… there is only one reason. When she feels wronged. Seeing her cry like this she must feel really wronged. It's not my daughter. It must have been someone else. Please believe us."
"The children said they saw her!" Narcissa snapped.
"They must be confused," Mrs. Granger argued. There were a lot of children. It really wasn't my Hermione.
"What are you doing? Lucius, surely you are not going to continue to listening to her?" Narcissa pleaded her husband.
Lucius stepped closer to Hermione, towering over her in his dark suit, his silver, snake head can clenched tightly in his leather, gloved fist.
"Hermone. I'm not listening to you… because I believe in you. I'm waiting for you," he said silkily.
"Waiting…for what?" Hermione asked confusedly.
"For you to admit your fault. To repent and apologize," he said, looking down at her.
"It's not me, I told you!" Hermione pleaded desperately.
"Admit it now. And if you apologize to Draco sincerely… then I will think of your future and forgive you and we will continue to live as we do now."
"Lucius!" Narcissa objected.
"If you don't," Lucius ignored her, "I cannot allow you to attend the same school as Draco."
"What do you mean? Are you saying you will have me expelled?
"Mr. Malfoy!" Hermione's mother exclaimed, "Hermione didn't do it. Why can't you believe us?"
"And you will have to leave Malfoy Manor," Lucius stated unwavering.
Draco looked up sharply.
"Leave?" Hermione repeated. "Where could we go so suddenly?"
"So apologize and repent, sincerely. This is the last chance I will give to you only because we have known you for the past ten years." He would not meet their matching, piercing gazes and turned to join his son's bed side.
"Mum," Hermione said shakily looking ate her for support.
"I… am… not the culprit! I have nothing to apologize for and nothing to repent!" Hermione said, her voice raising as she glared at the trio of Malfoys.
Lucius' eyes narrow at the little girl.
Draco sinks even further into his bed.
. . .
"We decided on a drop out Miss Granger. It will look better for you and for the school," a women dressed entirely in shade of pink says with a toad like grin, before extending her arm across the desk to hand Hermione the form.
"What will happen if I refuse to sign this?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Hem-Hem. Then you will be expelled," The woman in pink giggles as she drops several spoonful's of sugar in to teacup.
"Expelled?" Hermione breathes out in disbelief. Portraits of various species of cats cover the wall and their gazes seem to pierce through her. Her grip tightens on the form as she tries to control her rage as the lump of a woman before her slurps on her afternoon tea.
Hermione sighs and slowly begins to sign her name. Before she can finish, the form is ripped from under her, her pen streaking across the paper and then she is being shooed out of the pink office.
"It's been a pleasure I'm sure, having you here Miss…" She looks down at the form, squinting, "Miss Grange. Yes, well then. Hem."
Hermione started as the door slammed shut behind her.
If feels surreal to her as she walks down the halls of her school for what she knows is the last time. She left through the gates of Hogwarts High and started her trek back to Malfoy Manor. How could this be happening to her? This wasn't even fair
Outside Malfoy Manor in the long, winding drive, the Malfoy's young butler, Dobby, was just finishing helping Mrs. Granger pack up a small car.
"Thank you, Dobby," Mrs. Granger said as she finished placing the last of her possessions in the back seat of the car. "You should go in now," she told him kindly.
"Do you have somewhere to stay?" he asked, his eyes watering.
"We do. You don't have to worry."
"Well… the judge gave me this to hand to you. It's your severance pay." He said as he pulled out a bulging white envelope from his pocket, his scarred hands shaking slightly.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Don't take it!" Hermione huffed as she ahead to stand beside them.
"If you trust me, don't take that money," Hermione told her mother.
"Don't be like that. Please, just take it. It's dirty money but it's still money," Dobby squeaked.
"Don't take it," Hermione repeated, her gaze locking with her mother's.
Breaking her eyes away quickly Mrs. Granger took the money from Dobby and quickly put it into her purse.
"Are you that spineless?" Hermione cried. "Don't you feel angry? I got expelled from school today. I didn't do anything wrong but I got kicked out of Hogwarts!"
"Get in the car," Mrs. Granger said quietly as she opened the door and slid into the driver's seat.
"I'm not getting in," Hermione said stubbornly.
"Just do it."
"Until you give back that money I'm not moving from this spot!" Hermione insisted.
"Please, Hermione. Get in."
Hermione refused to move.
"Fine, then."
The engine revved and Mrs. Granger drove away.
Hermione blinked back giant tears.
From the balcony on the third floor, Lucius Malfoy watched on.
He waited. And waited. But night came and Hermione still stood in her place outside the Manor, her uniform wrinkled, and her fists curled tightly.
"Just until when do you plan on staying in this spot for?" Lucius asked as approached her in the dark. "You should follow your mother," He said, his voice lilting.
"My mother's severance pay, how much did you put in it? Thousands? Ten thousands? I don't know how much you put in, but that is the price of your conscience, isn't it. You must be feeling uncomfortable right now. What if she isn't the culprit? That's why you gave it to her, am I wrong?" Hermione said stonily.
A cruel sneer spread across his pale face and his sharp, silver blue eye turned to slits.
"With that envelope, I wanted to ask your mother a question. Do you believe in your daughter or not? As you said earlier, if your mother believed in you, then she wouldn't have taken the envelope."
With every word, Hermione's heart sank and her anger rose.
"How can I believe in you when your own mother doesn't even believe you?"
They turned their heads as they heard the sound of liquid splashing across the pavement.
Mrs. Granger furiously sloshed the liquid over a pile of books she had set up on the curb of the road. A flash of light shown as Mrs. Granger flicked at a lighter. In her other hand, was an envelope.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lucius hissed as he strode over to Hermione's mother.
Hermione watched in awe as her mother set the envelope on fire and let it fall onto the pile of books. The brightness from the fire that ensued cast an orange flow over them.
"The judge with a warm heart," Mrs. Granger scoffed at the title of Lucius' published biography. "When I read it, I couldn't understand a word. But seeing it burn like this, I feel warmer now," she said as the fire flickered.
"I asked you, Jean, what are you doing!" Lucius demanded, his voice rising.
"Because you are not even trying to listen to a single word that I say, I'm trying to reach you this way. I'm telling you that my daughter didn't do it! That she was unjustly kicked out of school! That My Daughter is Right and that you are wrong!"Mrs. Granger said, screaming the last bit.
"I'm trying to show you that. And now, looking at your face, I think you understand. I don't need you anymore Mr. Malfoy," She said glaring at Lucius' frozen face. "Hermione, let's go," she said looping her arm with her daughters and walking away determinedly.
They left quickly, leaving Lucius to stare into the flames in fury.
As soon as they are a safe distance Jean Granger collapses against an alley wall.
"Mum!" Hermione shrieks, helping to steady her.
"Hermione, how was I? Did I look scared? Did it look as if it was all rehearsed?" Jean asked.
"What? You were acting?"
"Wait a minute. I think I had more left…" Jean looks down at her hands and reads the scribbled writing written in blue pen.
"You are not a person who will save someone with the law. You are someone who will cause others pain because of it! I forgot to say this line. It was the most important! This is going to drive me mad!" She complained.
"Mum, you really believed me."
"How many times have I told you that I did?" Jean asked, her brown eyes sparkling.
. . .
Hermione waited patiently down the street across from Malfoy Manor. She paced in circles beneath a street lamp, a firework in one hand and a lighter in the other as she waited for Draco to come home from his night classes.
Back and forth. Back and forth. She turned around… and saw a shiny pair of patent leather oxfords walking towards her and- falter in its step. Her eyes slowly dragged up until her eyes met silver blue. An eye patch covers his left eye. She took a step forward. He took a step back.
"W-what are you doing?" Draco stuttered as she walked towards him. His eyes darted to the firework clenched tightly in her hand and hand and he began to back away.
"What a-are you doing with that?" Draco asks again. Hermione flicks the lighter and lights the tip of the wand, pointing it directly at Draco. The wick begins to burn and he knows he only has seconds. He yelps, and drops to his knees covering his ears. The fireworks set off and sails a good distance over Draco's head. He looks up slowly, brow furrowed in confusion and watches as Hermione crouches on the ground in front of him, meeting him at eye level.
"Did you really see me shoot it at you that night? You didn't, did?" Hermione scoffs.
"I did!" Draco exclaimed.
"If you saw it then why didn't you do anything? If you saw me point it at you then you would have ducked like you did just now. You didn't see me do it. So why do you keep lying?" Hermione asked him.
"I… I…" Draco stuttered.
"Coward."
Draco's vision whitens He seethes.
"Fine!" He stands up.
"You're right. I didn't see it. But you shot it," he said icily. "You lied first so I lied to catch you," He sneered.
"Tell them. What you just told me, tell my mum and you father!" Hermione shrieked.
"You are the culprit. You did it, so why should I tell them anything?" Draco yelled back.
"Malfoy-!" Hermione was going to speak when they heard a large crash.
Their eyes widened. "What… what was that?" Draco asked his voice nervous.
Together they ran into the empty streets.
It was a car accident. Down the road a much larger truck had totaled a car. Glass was scattered on the road, reflecting bits of light from a street light. They stepped forward curious as they saw a tall man jump out of the truck and… jump onto the hood of the smaller car.
"What…" Hermione exhaled in disbelief as she watched the man raise a bat and-"
Hermione and Draco flinched as the bat hit the wind shield. Again. And Again.
Draco face was paler than paper and he turned his head away, stepping closer to Hermione. Hermione couldn't tear her eyes away and watched in horror as the man in the car was beat in the head with the metal bat. "He's… He's killing…"she whispered, unable to finish her sentence.
"Dad!" She could hear a young boy yelling from the car. She snapped out of her daze, reaching for her pockets.
The man jumped off the hood of the car and walked towards the passenger side. He flung the door open.
"That man… he's going to kill the child too!" Draco whispered, horrified.
The man stares deeply into the child's eyes as the boy sobs, a feral smile curled at his lips. He raises the bat.
Draco gasps and hides his face in Hermione's neck. As she works through her flip phone.
"SMILE! Kkk-Tchk!"
Everyone stills as the noise pierces the air. The Man pauses and looks up. Draco looks up at Hermione incredulous. The killer spots them. And the camera in Hermione's hand. His eyes widen.
"W-what are you doing?" Draco yells at Hermione as he begins to back away. "Run!" he yells.
Hermione's eye's meet the boy's in the car. Then her attention is dragged to the killer as he breaks into a sprint, running her way. She gasps and follows after Draco. She ends up lost in a park garden. She doesn't know where to run as it's too dark to see much. Where could she hide? She feels someone grab her arm and is about to scream when she realizes that it is Draco's soft hand that is covering her mouth and dragging her behind a sea of flowery bushes.
They huddle together and try to quiet their breathing when they hear the sound of a metal bat dragging on the stone walkway near them.
They hear the man yell out in frustration after losing them. He begins to search elsewhere when Draco hiccups. Draco's eyes widen and he covers his moth with his hands as Hermione grips his shoulders tightly, blinking away sweat.
The dragging stops and Hermione and Draco shake as they wait for the killer to find them when the ringing of police sirens pierces the knight.
"Damn it," The killer speaks. "If it weren't for those kids I could've finished this. You can hear me, right?" he calls out. "I know you are close by so you can probably hear me very clearly. You saw me earlier right? Do you know why I killed that man? Because he opened his mouth. I killed him because he said things that he shouldn't have said. If you want to live… then keep your mouth shut and live quietly so that nothing happens to you. If there are no witnesses this will end as a car accident. If you go to the police and tell them that you saw me and tell that this was a murder… Then I will do the same thing to you that I did to him. If you tell your parents, I will do the same to them too. So kids, you have to help me so that I don't have to kill you too. Hide like you are now. Don't get involved and keep hiding." He tells them calmly.
"I will kill the people that you tell about this. So stay hidden, all your life, so that I don't hear you. So that I don't see you. Stay well hidden."
Hermione and Draco both shake in each other's arms as they listen until finally. They hear the kill leaving, dragging the bat behind him.
. . .
"Today at 11:00 pm there was an accident in which a car and a 25 ton truck crashed. A 40 year old man died at the site and his son injured his head greatly and is currently receiving treatment. The police is looking into exactly what happened after they received a statement from the truck driver that the car violated the traffic signal. This is reporter Rita Skeeter for the Daily Prophet."
Hermione lowers her baseball cap to cover her eyes as she edges closer to the T.V. in the Lobby of the City Hall.
"Did you hear that? They said it's a simple traffic accident." A woman told he friend a she sipped on her to go coffee.
"I heard it's a murder and it's even going to court."
"What's the point of going to court? There's no evidence."
"Why is there no evidence," Her friend replied, "The son saw his father die."
"He's a child. He holds no value in court."
"Then if there's no witness it becomes a car accident?"
Hermione thinks of the little boy in the car. She knows she should help him. She thinks about what the killer told her last night.
'I will kill the people that you tell about this. So stay hidden, all your life, so that I don't hear you. So that I don't see you. Stay well hidden.'
Shaking her head, Hermione stuffs her hands in her pocket and leaves the lobby. She is met by a cool breeze as she steps outside and walks down the large front stairway. As she is leaving she spots Draco loitering near the bottom of the steps, wearing a cap of his own and sunglasses. She can spot his platinum hair from anywhere.
"What are you doing?" She asks, coming up behind him. She doesn't feel bad when he flinches. "It's me," she said, lifting her cap.
"What the hell, Granger!" He said but quickly caught himself before he could say more.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked again.
"I was… I was going to get the phone number!" He said hurriedly.
"You're… you're going to stand as a witness?" Hermione asked surprised.
"O-of course!" Draco exclaimed nervously. "Aren't you?"
"I… I was going to too. I wanted to get the phone number too. I'm going to tell them that I'm a witness.
Draco scoffed.
"You're lying again. You came because you were scared," Draco accused.
Hermione gaze hardened. "You're the liar. You made up nonexistent facts and framed another with it. I have never lied in my life."
"Really," Draco asked, "Then that means you're not lying about reporting as a witness."
"Of course," Hermione said.
"Proved then," He sneered, "If you go to court as a witness then I will admit it. That you are not a liar. I'll tell my father and your mother. What's wrong? You can't do it, can you?"
"No, I'm going to do it. But you should enter the court with me."
"What!" Draco exclaimed? "Why-"
"You said you came here to volunteer as a witness. If you weren't lying about that then come to court too," Hermione insisted.
"Fine, I'll go. I was going to go," he said, his voice steely.
They glared at each other fiercely, though Draco's eyepatch ruined the effect. They slammed their shoulders harshly as they left and went their separate ways.
. . .
"I didn't take your side because you're my daughter. I took your side because you were telling the truth. You are always right. Like your father.
. . .
Hermione enters the Court House. She holds her head up high, determined. She pushes her fears aside. She passes men in and women in suits and feels inadequate in her own school uniform. She walks across checkered tiled floor searching for the right room.
As she finds the courtroom she runs into Draco.
"I thought you wouldn't come," he said conversationally.
"I thought the same thing about you," Hermione said.
Draco glances over at Hermione. "Why are you in your uniform? Didn't you quit?" He taunts her.
"I don't think of it as quitting," Hermione said, smirking when she sees him falter.
Draco's hands are sweating and he tightens them into fists.
They stand shoulder to shoulder becoming more and more nervous. The killers words haunt them.
"If you go to the police and tell them that you saw me and tell that this was a murder… Then I will do the same thing to you that I did to him."
There are two doors that open into the courtroom. Hermione walks towards the one on the right while Draco takes the one on the left. Hermione's hands shake as she grasps the door knob. Hermione and Draco look back to the other. Their eyes meet.
"Why aren't you going in?" Draco asks.
"What about you?" Hermione sighs. "Let's go in together. We'll count to three." She says slowly, her gaze never leaving his.
Draco nods and they turn back to their door.
"One," Hermione says.
"Two," Draco says, his voice wavering.
"… three."
Only one door opens.
. . .
"Who opened the door?" Kingsley asks
"My story… I'll stop it here."
"What?!" Percy yells, almost falling out of his chair. "Why?" he yells, his face flushed. But he seems to remember himself and clears his throat before righting himself in his chair.
"Why won't you tell us?" Kingsley asks curiously.
"If I tell you the truth… I don't think it will help my interview," Hermione states.
"She didn't go in," Crouch Jr. says, squinting at her.
"You won't finish you're story because it wasn't you that entered?" Percy guessed.
"One thing is definite. The decision I made that day… Is one that I regret. Even now. And I don't want to make a decision like that ever again. That's why I'm here."
. . .
There's a light in his eye.
"Are you feeling dizzy or nautious?" a deep voice asks.
Tom shakes his head slowly.
"Still can't talk?"
Tom nods from his place on the flimsy hospital cot. There is blood on the bandage wrapped around his head and blood on his pillow.
"It will be hard to get a statement. He can't talk at all," The police detective, Augustus Moody tells his colleague Dorcas Meadow.
"The statement of the victim and the results from the accident match up. There is nothing more to see," Dorcas replies. "I think we can end it as a car accident due to the driver dozing at the wheel."
Tom sits up slowly. He grabs the notebook at his bedside table and a green crayon.
"It should carry out nicely if insurance covers everything," Meadow finishes.
Tom make a weak noise and holds up the writing.
"By scott! Detective Moody! Detective Meadow! Look here!" Tom's pudgy nurse exclaims as he reads the writing.
Moody squints at the sign and is upon Tom in an instant.
"The truck driver killed your father? With a metal Pipe?" He asked gruffly.
Tom nods.
"Then this isn't a carr accident but a homicide?"
Tom nods.
Moody rounds on Meadow. "Can we do an autopsy?"
"No, Mr. Riddle was cremated yesterday," Meadows says, peering over Moody's shoulder at Tom who sat quietly, looking out the window.
"A child," Meadows says in a lowered tone, "A child with an injured head is saying this. Do we have to believe him? Did anyone call in?"
"No," Moody admits, "Not yet… It's going to hard with just the child's testimony."
. . .
"In revision. Please stand up."
The Judge enters the courtroom and sits on a velvet chair to face everyone in the room. He carefully places his silver can against his chair.
"Everyone, sit."
In the small courtroom, Tom sits in his hospital garb, his head wrapped in bandages. His nurse, Horace Slug horn, sits beside him on the wooden pews.
Sitting in the defendants spot is his father's killer. He learns the name, Gellert Grindelwald. He will not forget it.
Tom cannot tear his gaze away, and he continues to glare at his father's killer. His eyes might have flashed red.
"I definitely didn't do it. There was a car accident. But murder? With a baseball bat? That's absurd!" Grindelwald says.
"The son, Tom Riddle Jr., is stating that you did murder his father," Tom's attorney stated.
"I broke the car window with a bat to save them, but after I broke it, I realized the driver was already dead. I think Tom saw that and misunderstood my actions."
Tom tries to speak but words won't come out. Slughorn places a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder. Tom's hands tighten around his notebook.
"The only evidence of murder is Tom's testimony, the survivor of the accident. Tom is 8 years old and currently in the second grade. He is too young to understand the truth behind the accident," Gellert's lawyer speaks up.
"He is also currently unable to communicate due to shock from the accident. Do you think that this young child's testimony is exact and trustworthy enough to determine whether or not the defendant is guilty?" He asks, his blue eyes twinkling from behind half-moon glasses.
Tom watches as the Judge nods along to the man's speech and dread fills him.
He meets Grindelwald's gaze.
'Hey kid. These fools are all on my side.' Gellert smirks at him.
"When Tom wrote down his testimony was the doctor with him?" The judge asked.
"No, but the doctor stated that there were no injuries to his brain," Tom's lawyer answered smoothly.
Tom stood up and held out his notebook. All eyes turned to him. He glared as Dumbledore's eye twinkled curiously.
"The person next to him, read that aloud," Lucius commanded.
Tom handed the book to his nurse.
Slughorn eyes widened when he read the note and looked back at Tom, then Tom's lawyer.
"Well?" Lucius asked.
Slughorn cleared his throat than began to read unsurely. "Grindelwald is thinking that these idiots are all on his side."
Grindelwald's smile faltered.
"What does he mean?" Lucius asked confused.
Tom began to scribble in the notebook while Slughorn held it steady for him.
"I can…" Oh dear, Slughorn thought.
"Yes, do go on, sir," Lucius quipped.
"I can… read people's minds.
"You see? Tom is lying. He is saying he can read other people's minds. Can we say that Tom's testimony is coherent and accurate? Dumbledore jumped in.
Tom met the gaze of his lawyer. 'It's over now. Why did he have to say that suddenly' she wondered.
Tom's gaze hardened. Why didn't Mrs. Cole believe him? Why wasn't anyone believing him? He could read minds, he really could!
Lucius cleared his throat to quiet the room. "Do you not have any more evidence? Is there no other witness?"
Tom met Grindelwald's gaze once more. 'I don't know how you read my mind but thanks kid. I'm going to live thanks to you. Don't expect any witnesses to show up. I told them I'd kill them if they came.'
Tom began to scream and he gripped his head, he wanted the voices out.
The court room dorm flew open and a young girl came stumbling in. The room's attentions was suddenly captured. She quickly straightened herself and stared at the opposite door incredulously tinged with a bit of disgust.
"What is this?"
Hermione looked forwards and cursed her luck. Lucius Malfoy was the judge for this case?
"I…" She could still leave. She didn't have to do this. She met Grindelwalds gaze and remembered the little boy bleeding in the car. She shook the image from her head and swallowed hard.
"I'm a witness of this murder," she speaks up.
Tom's eyes widen.
"On the night of the accident, I was there and I saw everything clearly."
She raise her finger and pointed it at Grindelwald. Their eyes met and his menacing expressions drained her confidence. She lowered her arm shakily and looked away.
"That man h-hit the head of the driver with a metal bat. We saw and he told us to keep quiet," she said thinking of the killers words to her and Draco. The room erupted with gasps.
"He said the driver died because he said things that he shouldn't have."
Grindelwald's expression turned murderous.
Hermione took a step back.
"Tom, is she really a witness?" Lucius asked.
Tom nodded his head jerkily.
"Defendant, have you seen this student before?" Lucius asked Grindelwald.
"No. It's the first time I've seen her."
"Your Honor, she didn't appear during the investigation. She has no right to stand as a witness," Dumbledore pointed out.
"Tom testified that she is a witness. Your honor, may I call her up as a witness?" Mrs. Cole asked.
"Tom's testimony has lost credibility. Didn't you hear him say that he could read people's minds? He is trying to accuse the defendant by lying." Dumbledore refuted.
"I think it will be hard to use her as a witness, Lucius," The clerk of court whispered to Lucius from his place beside him.
"I have a photo," Hermione said, as she retrieved her phone from her pocket.
Grindelwald looks up sharply.
"I took a picture of him swinging the bat. Can this not be used as evidence?" she asked.
Silence.
A man comes and collects the phone from Hermione. Her hand shakes as she hands it over and she jerkily places it at her side. She feels Tom's smaller hand take hers. She looks down at him and his expression is thankful.
The judge is shown the photo and Hermione withdraws her hand from Tom's as she is escorted to the witness's stand.
Grindelwald shakes.
His furious roar breaks the silent room.
He jumps over his desk and lunges for Hermione, grabbing the collar of her uniform and pushing her over. Hermione shrieks as she is dragged down.
"I told you not to tell them? I told you that I'd kill you!"
The room erupts into chaos. A flurry of screams and raised voices.
And he's choking her. She squeezes her eyes shut. She doesn't want to see his face if she has to die now.
"I told you that I'd kill you!"
She is suddenly released and she chokes, coughing heavily as she gulps in air.
Lucius' voice thunder's over the courtroom.
"Judging by the defendant's behavior, the witness will have a hard time making a testimony in his presence. I order for him to be detained!" He yelled as several security guards dragged Grindelwald out of the courtroom.
"I'm going to keep my promise, little girl! I'm going to kill you!" Grindelwald shouted as he is forced out.
Tom meets Grindelwald's gaze one last time that day. 'Don't think this is the end. This is just the beginning!'
Hermione props herself up on the wooden floor boards with one, shaking arm. Her eyes water and she clutches at her throat with her other hand.
"Can you testify now or do you need to calm down and testify in the next court meeting?" Lucius asks Hermione.
"No," Hermione says gasping, "I don't think I will be able to do this if I don't do it n-now."
"I understand. Then we will start questioning the witness now," Lucius orders.
"Please sit in the witness' seat." Hermione stumbled to the chair.
"Witness, please say your oath."
A book is held in front of her.
"I s-swear that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing b-but the truth. If I lie then I will receive the p-punishment of perjury." She raises her right hand shakily. "This I swear."
. . .
Out side the courthouse, Tom approaches Hermione who is quietly weeping into her hands. She is sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree. The sun is shining mercilessly and the sky is the color of a forget-me-not-blue.
Tom taps her shoulder uncertainly.
Hermione looks up from under her bushy locks at Tom who is still dressed in his hospital gown. He shows her his notebook.
Hermione looks down curiously and sees it. Thank You. She looks back up at him and he smiles.
Hermione huffs hopelessly and pushes the notebook away.
"You don't h-have to be thankful," she says in between sobs, "I'm regretting it already!"
She stands up and walks away.
"Don't follow me!" Hermione yells angrily and bites her lip.
He stops and his hair ruffles in the winds. She begins to walk away again.
"I told you not to follow me!" She shrieks when he does. She falls to her kneed and cries openly now.
"This is because of you!" she says.
Tom look into her watery eyes. 'I shouldn't have come. What will I do if he really comes to kill me?"
. . .
I haven't forgotten you. And if I meet you again…
…
"I will protect you."
Hermione looks up. "You… You can talk?" Hermione asks.
Tom nods and Hermione stops crying. She smiles when she realizes what he's said. She laughs.
. . .
'Today I saw someone that looked like you. I caught up to her but…'
Tom sighs and puts his pen down before carefully closing his leather diary. From his flat he can hear the city outside, his neighbors screaming next door. The telly from the floor above. Tom groans in frustration and he lets his head fall and lie against the table.
"so. dammed. noisy," Tom whispers.
'I miss you."