A/N: OK then. First things first, I do not own Harry Potter, or the song This I Promise You. I have no claims to either of these things, otherwise I wouldn't be writing on here. Also, thanks for checking out this story. I don't have a beta, so any mistakes you see are my own. I don't really have a lot of patience to spell check my own work, but there shouldn't be that many mistakes. Also, I do have a kind of outline for this story and it WILL be a Bella/ Harry story. So, if that's not your thing, this might not be for you. But, anyways, enjoy!
Oh, and this takes place in Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He just got out of the Chamber, only he didn't think to stab the diary with the basilisk fang, so Tom Riddle is alive.
"Lord Voldemort will return. Very much alive."
At this, Harry heard Dumbledore sigh, before they looked back at the scene playing out in hazy Technicolor before them.
Dumbledore watches as Harry kills the basilisk, before seeing the life drain slowly out of Ginny Weasley. They watch as Fawkes appears just in time to save Harry from the end of Tom's wand, and as Harry reaches a hand out to Ginny's body, the three of them, Harry, Ginny, and Fawkes, disappear in a flash of fire.
With that the memory ends and Dumbledore and Harry find themselves standing next to the pensive once more.
"Professor, what happened…? Where is… Is You-Know-Who still in the castle?" Harry questioned hesitantly, seeing the strained look on the Headmaster's face.
"I doubt it very much Harry. You see, Tom has just gained his body back and is not nearly strong enough to fight against myself and the other professors. He will need time to regain his strength and power. He will likely also want to rebuild his 'army', so to speak," Professor Dumbledore explained.
"His army, Professor?"
"Years ago, Tom Riddle was one of the strongest Dark Wizards, and as such, he attracted followers, with promises of power, wealth, and glory. However, after his fall from power, many of his most devoted followers were put in Azkaban, the wizard's prison." After this explanation, Harry could tell their conversation was nearing its end. "But that is a story for another day, Mr. Potter. For now, you need to return to your dorm and get a good night's sleep."
As Harry trudged back to Gryffindor Tower with Professor McGonagall at his side, he kept reliving the events of the previous day, and his conversation with the Headmaster. Harry and Ron had made it into the Chamber of Secrets, but they had failed in their effort to save Ginny. Once in the Chamber, he had been surprised to find that it was Voldemort, or as he was known when he was younger, Tom Riddle, controlling Ginny. Riddle had then set the Basilisk on Harry, while it appeared the handsome, ghost-like features of Tom had grown more solid and real. With help from the Sorting Hat and Fawkes, Harry killed the Basilisk. Riddle had then challenged Harry to a duel, which ended with Harry on the ground at wand-point, and Ginny dead. It was at this moment that Fawkes had returned and saved Harry and Ginny's body, before stopping to pick up Ron and Professor Lockhart as well. Fawkes took them to Dumbledore's empty office, where they had to wait only a moment before Professor McGonagall arrived.
Harry and Ron retold their stories to Professor McGonagall, who then fire-called Dumbledore through the floo. The students were all locked in their dormitories, with the other professors as well. Harry spent the night in Dumbledore's office, retelling the story, and resting as the Headmaster fire-called several people, and wrote letters to others.
The night in the Chamber was a blur to Harry, for the most part. However, he could not forget the sight of Ginny's limp body, her eyes closed, and her chest no longer moving. The Weasleys had come in the morning to see their children, and to retrieve Ginny's body. Harry hadn't spoken to any of them.
Harry had been told that the next day all students would be returning to their homes, and he himself would be returning to Privet Drive. He wasn't sure if he was sad or relieved to be leaving Hogwarts. Truthfully, after the trauma of the last few days, Harry wanted to just be left alone, and after his treatment by the Dursleys the previous summer, he thought that same treatment quite likely this summer as well.
Once Harry and Professor McGonagall reached the Tower, he continued on to his dorm, and his bed. Harry collapsed onto his bed, before falling into a dark, dreamless sleep.
Albus Dumbledore was an old man. He was tired already of leading the wizarding world into another war against Tom. He did not think the wizarding world ready to face war for the second time in so few years. Tom Riddle, or Lord Voldemort, as he now preferred, had indeed returned.
After listening to Harry and viewing his memories of the event, Dumbledore knew that Tom Riddle had ensconced pieces of his soul in several objects, making Horcruxes, as he had previously thought. But now, with the diary, it was confirmed.
He had hoped that Harry would have a few more years to prepare to fight Voldemort, as Harry was nowhere near strong enough nor experienced enough to stand a chance against Tom Riddle, even in his weakened form.
Immediately after learning of Tom's return, Dumbledore had contacted several members of the old Order of the Phoenix, and several other important individuals who would be able to help him fight against Voldemort. They would need to start planning as soon as possible in order to stand a chance in winning this war. The only consolation was that at the present moment, many of Tom's staunchest supporters were safely locked away in Azkaban. But even Dumbledore knew this would not remain the case for long. It was only a matter of time before Tom broke his followers out of Azkaban, recreating his deadly army.
But, as he told Harry, that was a worry for another day, for now, his weary bones needed a rest.
Tom Riddle observed himself his newly conjured mirror. He had retained the body of his school-age self, yet had the memories and knowledge of his older self. Unfortunately, his new, or old depending on how you looked at it, body was not strong enough yet to perform many dark spells. For now he would have to be content with using the simple 'Expelliarmus' and 'Protego' to defend himself.
Lord Voldemort had fled the school quickly after the Potter boy had escaped with the body of the blood-traitor girl. He knew Dumbledore and most likely the old hag McGonagall would immediately know of his presence in the school. So he had apparated to Malfoy Manor, the home of the Lucius Malfoy, one of his few followers not in Azkaban.
To say Lucius had been shocked upon his arrival would be an understatement. He had blinked and stammered, and was annoying in general for a good minute at least, before he finally came to his senses and bowed, kissing the robes of his newly resurrected master.
Lord Voldemort strode into the manor, before claiming the master suite as his own, and telling Lucius that there should be no interruptions as he was to be planning a mass breakout of Azkaban. He then took great joy in shutting the door in Lucius's stammering face. For now, he needed to plan. But first, his new body needed rest.
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