Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my character, Ana. I really have always loved the name Arianna, but considering that is also the name of Dumbledore's little sister, I decided that it would only make people think "Sue!!!" and turn readers off. Therefore, her name is Ana. The rest is the brilliant work of JK Rowling whom I deeply admire.
Summary: This is the series starting from Ootp told from the POV of a new Order member, or, as you will see, the first Order member. I do not intend this to be a romance, although I can't promise anything, and she will not steal all of the glory and stuff from Harry and his friends. Okay screw the summary. Just read it cause it's good.
Hello. I am Ana Tchaikovsky. Yes, like the famous Muggle musician. Absolutely no relation. Why am I important to the story of young Harry Potter and his friends? I am not. I am not important in anybody's story, but the Order seems to think otherwise. They seem to think that it would be a splendid idea to have me join their ranks, as the person who knew Tom Riddle better than anyone else. I know what you are thinking, and I will tell you now: this is not a romance. I will never claim that I know the inner workings of the Dark Lord's mind. I will never claim that I was close to him, although if you had asked me that while I was still young and stupid, I would have told you otherwise. Perhaps you should know the whole story? I will not give you a book or spend long hours telling you about my many escapades with the younger Tom Riddle. I will merely give you enough to satisfy your curiosity, because this is important. Not me, but what I am going to tell you.
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"Tom, are you sure that this will work?" Ana asked, following Tom Riddle up the stairs to the fourth floor. She looked worriedly over her shoulder down the dark staircase, almost sinking into one of the trick steps. She stumbled to avoid the step and heard one of the portraits snigger. "Shut it," she muttered.
"Hurry. I don't want to be caught," Tom hissed, glaring at her. She winced at his sharp tone, but struggled to move faster. When they finally reached the top, he turned around, surveying the area with his dark eyes. Ana patiently waited for him to speak, and after a few moments he let his breath out and smiled at her. "I'm sorry I was so short with you. But this is very important, and it's as if Dumbledore has been following me even closer than usual these past few weeks. The idiot.," Tom growled. Ana could see that look coming back into his face, and she waited, terrified that once again she would get the brunt of his horrible temper. But he quickly glanced at her and resumed his calm, innocent façade. Ana breathed a sigh of relief.
Tom quickly took her hand and searched her face, meeting her light blue eyes with his own black. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" Ana grimaced and glanced away for only a second, but a shadow crossed Tom's face, as if he knew what she was thinking at that second.
"Well," she began slowly, "It's just that, we could get in a lot of trouble for this. I mean, what exactly does a horcrux do?" Tom made an impatient noise and grinned at her.
"I've told you. We get to live forever if this works! And if it doesn't, well then, no harm, no foul!" Ana still looked doubtful, so Tom kissed her on the cheek and grinned at her. "Don't you love me, Ana? Didn't you say you would always be there for me? Or was that a lie?" As Tom asked the last question, his eyes filled with tears and he looked down. Ana gasped and began to cry.
"No, please! I do love you! I'm sorry. I'm just scared, that's all. But of course I will help you." Tom smiled and brushed aside her thick black hair, then turned to the mirror behind him. Tapping it with his wand, he whispered, "Specialis revelio." Before their eyes, the mirror disappeared to reveal the familiar passageway that would take them to the room they used to practice all of their spells and potions. The mirror reappeared behind them when they had stepped into the passageway, and both teens pulled out their wands to light their way. When they got to the room, Tom closed the door, and Ana flopped down on a ragged old chair. In the middle of the room was a simmering cauldron, and along the walls on the floor were books of spells. It was dark and dreary and the simmering cauldron did not give off much heat, so Tom lit the small fireplace in the corner of the room. He then went over and checked whatever was brewing I the cauldron. Ana watched him do all of this, a small ball of warmth spreading throughout her body as she watched him work. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. That she was allowed to hang out with Tom Riddle! He was handsome, easily the most brilliant student in the entire school, even more so than some of the teachers, charming, popular, head boy, quidditch player. It amazed Ana sometimes that he would put up with a fourth year Hufflepuff nobody.
"What are you staring at?" Ana jerked her head and saw Tom frowning at her. "Nothing," she replied.
"Do you have it?" Ana silently handed him the bracelet he had gotten her for Christmas last year. He quickly snatched it from her hands and looked around nervously, then pulled out his wand. "Stand up." Ana obeyed and he took her hand, as if he were going to give her a handshake, but instead pointed his wand at it. Ana tried to pull away, but he held tight, and muttered a few words under his breath. A faint glow formed around their hands and Ana knew that neither of them could pull away now.
"Promise me that you will not change your mind. Promise me that you will help me make my horcrux."
"Tom! What is going on?" Ana whimpered, but Tom glared at her.
"Promise me!" he barked.
"I promise! Tom I swear I will help you with the horcrux!" she cried. Tom stared into her eyes, and after deciding she was telling the truth, muttered some more words and let go of her hand, though the faint glow was still there. Ana sniffled and turned away from Tom, who came up behind her and put his arms around her waist.
"I won't hurt you," he whispered into her ear. He let her go and handed her a small flask of the potion. With one last sob, she choked down the vile potion. It was absolutely horrid, but Tom smiled gratefully at her. "Here. Take the bracelet and point your wand at it, and do exactly as I say."
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It was pain as Ana had never felt it before. She couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Why wouldn't Tom help her? This was agony beyond all description. Ana wanted death, and yet she knew that he would not have it. Tom loved her. He said so. He had promised he would never hurt her. But then why this pain? What was happening? Was that her screaming? It sounded like the cries of a dying animal. "Perhaps I am dying," thought Ana. She wished with all of her heart that it was true. Ana could feel her body being ripped apart , her limbs being jerked in every way. She wanted it to stop, and no sooner had she thought it, than she could feel it happening. The pain was going away, and Ana sank into the darkness.
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Dumbledore was there. He was trying wake her. But the darkness felt so nice and safe. Tom was not here, at least, not the Tom that did that horrible thing to her. Her muddled mind struggled to make sense of Professor Dumbledore's voice.
"Please Ana. Wake up. What did he do?" And she could see him. Professor Dumbledore, gripping her hand, begging her to tell him the secret of what she and Tom had done. But she couldn't answer. She was too ashamed. She felt somewhat empty. But why? Come to think of it, what had she and Tom done? She couldn't remember. But it had been awful. So much screaming, so much pain. And those dark eyes with the maniacal red gleam.
Tom had tricked her, and as she looked into the kind, concerned face of Albus Dumbledore, she made a promise that she would not let him get away with it.
"I don't know," she whispered. "I can't remember." Professor Dumbledore smiled and pushed a lock of hair out of her face. She closed her mind and remembered her father stroking her hair when she was upset. That was so long ago. It was comforting to have that feeling again.
"I will help you," Dumbledore promised.
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Tom's eyes. The bracelet. And such agony. But Tom's eyes were the most prominent. Through all of the pain, his strangely blood colored eyes. But that wasn't right. Because Tom's eyes weren't red……
"Stop!" Ana woke to find herself on the floor of Dumbledore's office. Her breath was coming out fast and ragged as the wizard stood on the far side of the room, wand pointed at her. She could still feel it, the feeling of a thousand knives slicing at her insides.
"Please, Ana. We were very close this time." Ana snorted and got up from the floor. She flicked her head back and marched up to Dumbledore, standing nose to, well, chest, with him.
"Don't lie to me. We were not getting close, and after four years of having my mind constantly attacked by you, we still aren't getting any closer to finding out what he did to me that night. I barely got any OWLs and I flunked all of my NEWTs, and still I remain here at Hogwarts hoping that maybe it won't all have been in vain! We practice this Occlumency every week, praying that one day I will have a breakthrough, but it isn't happening and I'm tired of waiting! Tired of being used by you, so you can destroy him!," she shouted, poking the man in the chest with her forefinger. He stood stunned by her sudden outburst, the gleam in his eyes had vanished completely. Ana continued.
"But I am through with all of it! I'm tired and angry and frustrated, and so stressed that I can't even do a simple Summoning Spell anymore! I'm done!" Dumbledore let out a great sigh and closed his eyes. Ana took a step back from him and waited for him to speak. It was the first time she had ever used that tone with him, ever said what she was feeling out loud. And even as she had spoken it she knew it was true. She was tired and broken, and was drained of magic, if that was even possible. At last Dumbledore looked at her. It was like he had aged ten years in only a few minutes.
"What would you have me do?" Ana took a deep breath and said told him what exactly she wanted. "You know he will find you if you stay here? He is biding his time, gathering strength. I fear it will not be long before he starts to gather his power, and you know too much. If needed, he will find you, and he will kill you." Ana gave frustrated sob and made a pleading gesture.
"Please, professor! I know, but I can't do this anymore." Dumbledore stared at her for a few moments and Ana held her breath in anticipation. Finally, he slumped down and gave her a resigned, pitiful look. He knew she would not change her mind.
"All right. You will go to America. Live as a Muggle, and keep your wand only for dire emergencies. You will get a new birth certificate and information. I will take care of the rest. I warn you: you will not live a free and comfortable life. My advice would be to change location constantly, and without a particular location in mind. I assure you, when the time comes, he will do all he can to hunt you down. Do not get caught." Dumbledore told her all this in a lowered voice, so quietly Ana had to lean forward to hear him. For the rest of the afternoon Ana and Dumbledore whispered about how they would get Ana out of England and what would happen when she got to America, and as Ana walked back to her room, a spare in the dungeons, it was decided that she would leave at the end of the week.
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A small hooded figure climbed into the carriage outside of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The figure glanced back and raise her hand in farewell at the school, and the carriage set off down the road. As it drove out of sight, down the road past Hogsmead, a tall, bearded man wearing scarlet robes and half moon spectacles also raised his hand ion response. He watched her leave from the open window of his classroom, and then wordlessly extinguished all of the candles with his wand. He climbed a small staircase, leading to his personal chambers, and, before climbing into bed, whispered, "Good luck, Ana Tchaikovsky."