?
"C'mon, Tom," Cassiopeia ran as fast as she could.
"You'll pay for that, little witch," a male voice growled playfully behind her, footsteps from behind catching up.
When he did, he caught her in his arms, holding her in an iron grip. She lot out a small squeal, before trying her hardest to break out of her boyfriend's hold, to no avail.
Hauling Cassiopeia over his shoulder, he carried her to the living room's sofa, tossing her onto it afterwards.
Sitting down next to her, Cassiopeia wrapped her small hands around his waist, burrowing her face into his chest, before pulling him into a deep kiss. Today was a special day. After all, it had been exactly one year since their relationship began…
1991
"RAVENCLAW!"
He gasped in surprise, just like many others in the Great Hall. After all, weren't both Lily and James in Gryffindor? Though it really should not have come as a surprise, he mused. When he had first seen her, he had seen that intelligent gleam in her eyes, staring directly at Flourish & Blotts. It was not unlike his own when he had first learned about magic. The only difference was that her's was filled with wonder, while his was in hunger.
When she got off the stool, the girl sent him a hopeful look, which was practically begging for approval, he could not help but nod his head in acknowledgment. The smile she sent him had his chest tightening with an unknown feeling, ignoring the suspicious glance from Severus, and the smile from the twinkling-eyed fool, Dumbledore. Her sister joined her a few seconds afterwards, causing her to turn away and welcome her.
He knew his time was up when he began to weaken, and allowed Quirrel to take control again once more…
1992 (June)
"Let me help," An eleven-year-old girl's voice, looking up at him determinedly.
"And what use would you be to me, girl? Why would you help me? Do you not know who I am?" He demanded.
The girl's answer surprised-no, shocked him. "I know who you are, but after you saved my sister, the Potters' owed you a life debt, so I'm here to repay it," She crossed her arms resolutely.
He raised an eyebrow in disbelief and made a strangled sound as if he didn't buy what she was saying (he really didn't), but ushered her into the forbidden room on the third floor.
Opening the door, a Cerberus awaited them, who was named Fluffy of all things. Hagrid had not changed at all since the day he was first at Hogwarts. He could remember the stumbling buffoon get in trouble with the teachers all the time, taking care of dangerous creatures who he claimed were "misunderstood".
Fluffy was growling and snarling viciously at them, before the girl conjured a harp and began to play.
When she did, it sounded eternal to his ears. Fluffy fell asleep in a matter of seconds, and even he had trouble blocking it out with his shields. The girl played so naturally, so beautifully, he wondered: What else could she do?
After a minute, she stopped abruptly, and jumped down the trapdoor, gently laying the harp on the ground, while he followed behind.
Devil Snare awaited them.
Landing on something soft in the darkness, he automatically casted a 'Lumos' (a spell that creates light at the tip of a wand) that had the plants shivering away from them both.
They went to the next chamberoom.
The next was Filius Flitwick's. While Sprout had chosen Devil's Snare for her part, Flitwick had chosen keys on broomsticks flying around. Who knows, maybe he was going senile of old age.
There was a door a few yards away with a key slot, shaped like an old fashioned one.
Holding his host's wand, he thought, "Accio old-fashioned key!"
Nothing happened. He tried it again. It was not working. Either Flitwick had warded the keys from Summoning Spells (which was not likely), or the wand recognized he was not its owner. It had not been functioning well for a while, since December.
By the time he had turned around, the girl was pinning the key to the wall, successfully casting a Freezing-Charm on it (he had no idea how she had learned that spell).
He wanted to wipe that smug look off her face when she had inserted the key to the slot, allowing the door to open, and closed the door after him. Of course he didn't want anybody to follow them, if the point was to steal.
He could still remember her face, how it glossed over in awe and wonder when they found his treasure. Their treasure.
1991 (Near end of school year)
After Flitwick's was McGonagall. Ah. Minnie.
He could remember her from fifty years ago like it was yesterday when she was Prefect back in his Fourth Year. She was still as stern and stubborn fifty years later, and her undying loyalty to Dumbledore still hadn't wavered. Nobody could get anything past her, not even her own housemates, when it came to rules.
Many students admired her for her equality, treating everybody almost the same (she always had been wary of the Slytherins).
Nearly a hatstall between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, she would do great things in either houses.
The woman had been infatuated with him along with others back then (he didn't blame them, he was a god among the mortal, after all) thanks to his regal looks and perfect reputation, along with being known as Head Boy. Though it was only for a short period of time.
Her defense was an enlarged chess board. Wizarding chess.
If his memory served him correctly, he could remember that he was the best in the school, followed by Minerva who was a close second.
But there were many flaws in it. He was a Slytherin, and that was what Slytherins did.
Find flaws in things, and when the time comes, if you needed to win it/win it over, use the loophole to defeat it. He had found one, in this case.
He grabbed the girl's wand from her hand, who showed resistance.
Reminding the girl that she would allow him to use her wand since she was the one to choose to come with him, he snatched it from her hand, with grudgingly acceptance from her, which was a thestral tail core and elder wood.
The wand, which, surprisingly was not his (not her sister's as well, she had a Unicorn Hair core), let out gold, silver, and bronze sparks in a pleasurable hum, the feeling not unlike his own when he had first gotten it years back. He tightened the wand at the thought, relishing the feeling of power that coursed through him.
With a wave of his wand, he sent a non-verbal barrier at the White Chess pieces, making them freeze.
After a minute had gone by, with nothing but silence in the air, the White King finally bowed his head and parted, the door on the other side opening.
The girl shot him an awe-filled look, as if she could not believe what had just happened. She probably did not. One did not do that every day.
Advancing past the chess room, they saw a troll advancing towards them, club raised.
Glancing at her, he saw her face turn a puce green. Great.
It was his own chamber, and he knew how to get rid of it.
With a quick flick of her wand, he non-verbally casted Avada Kedavra (the Killing Curse) at the troll, knocking it dead when the spell touched it.
While the girl swayed on her feet, most likely feeling lightheaded on witnessing her first death. When she reached out toward him, no doubt seeking comfort, he let her (he had no idea why, it was on pure instinct).
His soul, which was broken beyond repair, began to feel whole while she hugged her. It was reaching out toward her, relishing in their approximately souls, which were close.
Shaking his head, he carried her towards the next chamber room.
Snape.
The blasted current Potions Professor at Hogwarts, vouched by the one and only Dumbledore as a spy for him.
He had trusted him completely in the past. Seen the deep devotion in him and the cause, watched him tell him the prophecy (he suspected it wasn't all of it for a bit). Witnessed him pleading for the Potter woman's life, to spare her. He promised to try and spare her, he did! Most of the time, he would just kill his victims, but for one of his Death Eater's request, he told her to move out of the way.
Did she? No. So he got angry, and all he could see was red. His instincts acted before him, and he had already uttered the killing curse before he knew it.
It was too bad that Snape wouldn't get the woman after all.
Now, he was not sure of Severus anymore. He could possibly be a spy, his pet rat hat told him so, only telling him that he was spying about the Order and Dumbledore after his had reported so.
At least a quarter of his raids had been stopped because the Order had somehow arrived on time on the scene.
Either he had a spy in his Death Eaters that were not known (which was unlikely), or it was Severus himself.
The latter was slightly more believable, but he would wait for his judgement to pass once he would have a body again.
Severus's 'protection' was a logic puzzle. He had to admit, it was good for moronic Hogwarts students, but he had not been one for fifty years, so he easily passed that.
Danger lies before you while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
In less than thirty seconds, he had already figured out the answer, along with his companion.
Grabbing the smallest potion bottle, he took a sip of it, before reluctantly passing it over to her, feeling a bit obliged.
It felt like ice was rushing through his body, like he had just taken a cold drink, or an ice cube being slipped on his back. But that was all. No harm came to his body, and he could pass through the black flames, arriving at the last chamber.
Stepping inside, he glanced throughout the room and saw only a large mirror. A magnificent one. It was as high as the ceiling with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was a golden inscription carved at the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
I show not your face but your hearts desire backwards.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was the legendary Mirror of Erised. He could recognize it from the pictures of it, though he had no idea how people had.
It was a mirror that showed your deepest desire, what you craved. For example, a poor man who had nothing in the world would probably see himself in gold and riches, living a normal life, while the happiest man alive would use the Mirror as a regular one, since he would see himself exactly as it is.
Dumbledore had not told them this. He had probably suspected, or knew, that one of the teachers were possessed. How suspicious.
He snorted elegantly (if one could snort like that) out loud, as he knew that everything was a game to him and Dumbledore.
The Dark and Light faction had been fighting for years, the former, for the available use of Dark Magic freely and to pray to Mother Magic, the latter, to stop them, as well as to protect muggles and give leeway to the muggleborns.
He, the Dark Lord Voldemort, was the leader of the Dark, while Albus Dumbledore was the leader of the Light.
He was sure that the stone was somewhere in the mirror somewhere, but he did not know how to get it, though what he saw inside shocked him. Possessiveness ran through him, as he tried to forget about the feeling for now, as he had a mission to complete.
Stepping aside, he let the girl try.
The girl, Cassiopeia Dorea Potter, walked up to the mirror, and after a few seconds, let out a tiny gasp escape from her parted lips.
When he looked at her, there was a tiny lump in the pocket of her uniform that had never been there before.
As he reached for it, she held up her hand.
"Make a magical oath to never put either me or my sister in any mortal danger," Potter said softly, eyes staring determinedly at her. What about that friend her sister has, he wondered?
Like reading his thought, she smiled wryly.
"We both know that I do not trust a word Hermione Granger at all, and that I dislike her," She chuckled mirthlessly.
"Fine," He shrugged, as he knew that he had promised somewhere along the year to do so. "I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, " Potter gasped as he revealed his real/full name, "also known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, swear on my magic that I will not knowingly put Cassiopeia and Liliana Potter in any mortal danger or harm. So mote it be."
There was a flash of the vow binding in the air, before everything looked back to normal.
Cassiopeia handed over the stone immediately after that.
He wondered what he could do to her, as she so naïvely trusted him after an oath that meant no mortal harm to her/her sister.
He could do things worse than harm to her, but maybe when she was older-No. He had to stop that train of thought, he would not have anything to do with her when he and she were older, maybe once or twice to do things, but no.
Whenever she were near, his breath would catch, his heart would beat quicker, his palms would start to sweat, and all he could think about was that she was the most beautiful creature he had seen in his entire life, even when she was eleven currently.
It was strange that he had never felt this way to any woman he had encountered, but the one who had been only but one year of age when he had attacked her and her family.
He had been accustomed to lust, known what it felt like, as he had been the subject to it from women back in the 1940s.
So what was this feeling he was feeling for this eleven-year-old child?
As he grabbed the stone, he proceeded to knock Potter out with a Stupefy so that Dumbledore would not be suspicious, he could not help but bend down over the girl's face and brush his lips on her forehead as a goodbye, placing her wand in her pocket.
When he did so, the chamber room was once again entered by someone, this time Albus Dumbledore, along with Severus Snape.
This confirmed it.
Severus Snape was a traitor, not that the man knew that he knew.
Voldemort smirked darkly, "Hello there, Albus."
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at him, the twinkle not present in there. "It's too late, Tom, hand over the stone peacefully, and we'll-" He was suddenly cut off by him.
"You will what? As they say, Albus, au revoir," He apparated away before the others in the chamber room could do anything (still possessing Quirrel), stone in his hand, laughing a deep, dark laugh to his secret place.
Voldemort was going to try and get his followers back that were, and weren't imprisoned. But first, he would try and obtain a body, preferably his original ones. He may not like his father, but he had to admit that he had a certain use to him.
And that concludes the end of Cassiopeia Potter's first year at Hogwarts.
I'm finally finished! Thank you so much for read this! Btw, I'm going to rewrite my other story A. W. if you were wondering.
