The Dursleys' resident, although looked nothing out of ordinary alongside its neighboring house on the first glance, held a dirty little secret.
Deep inside its fairly normal exteriors lies a prison for a seemingly harmless young girl locked in a cupboard under the stairs. The girl did nothing wrong, but her relatives were convinced she was guilty of the crime of existing.
Eventually, the girl started hearing a voice talking to her after months of isolation and conversed with it from time to time.
The voice of her guardian angel said some things about her origins and the fact that the Dursleys lied to her, but it doesn't matter anymore. She could feel her strength and consciousness slipping away from her grasp after she barely endured the immense hunger in her stomach for god knows how long.
Holly Potter smiled when she realized her sufferings has finally reached its end, at least she could finally be at peace and reunite with her parents.
Having no wish to continue living a miserable life, she closed her eyes for the last time and gladly accepted the call of the reaper, letting death be her salvation.
The entity inside her scars, however, didn't quite agree with her decisions and started panicking as life left her body. Being the tiniest shard of the mutilated soul of a man once known as Tom Riddle, the entity feared death most than any other being and would do anything to prevent the death of his host which will surely result in his death.
"I don't want to die!"
He was taken aback in shock when he could actually move the still body of the dead girl and shouted in her voice. The world granted his wish just for this once.
The Dark Lord has returned to this world, possessing the body of his nemesis. Holly Potter was no more than an empty shell housing the soul of Lord Voldemort, but the prophecy struck true. One has to die for the other to live. It was fortunate that this fragment of Voldemort's souls has little left of the power the Dark Lord once possessed, else the wizarding world will be doomed without a savior to save them.
Somewhere in the outer realms where higher beings reside, Fate chuckled at this peculiar scene unfolding in front of her ever-seeing gaze.
What will the poor excuses of a soul do now that he has been given another chance to live? Will he condemn himself further by repeating his past mistake, or will he finally redeem? Only time will tell.
"Me? A girl? Guess I didn't really have a choice..."
zzZzz
A year has passed since then and Holly Potter grew up to be a decent girl closely resembling her mother. She wasn't as skinny and malnourished as she was before.
The Dursleys were quickly put into the jail as they were proven guilty of the crime. Holly didn't know Muggle Police could be that useful before she tried contacting her to solve her troubles. The cops fell into her ploy as soon as she put on some tears and acted like how she planned right away.
"Serves them right, they are lucky I still let them life."
So here she is, living together with a crazy cat lady two streets away. Life isn't that bad compared to how it was back at the Dursleys, but it's not that good either. At least she gets to live this time, although she needs to remind herself every once in awhile that she shouldn't get carried away acting like a ten years old girl.
When the souls, as minuscule as it is, belonged to Tom Riddle, the body doesn't. When the body started adapting to the soul, it started to remodel the foreign soul into the image of the soul of the departed girl. Tom couldn't scream, it all happened so fast that he only noticed the change when it's already completed.
"You are not one of my caretaker's cat, where did you come from?"
It was on the corner of the street that she noticed the first sign of something peculiar, there was a tabby cat standing on the corner that obviously doesn't belong to Mrs. Figgs. The cat didn't move. It just gave her a stern look.
"There, let me pet you. Good girl. Where is your owner?"
The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. It then transformed into a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes.
"Miss Potter, I presume? I have personally come to you to deliver your letter. My name is Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
McGonagall looked at the petite figure standing still before her, the girl looked just like her mother when she was younger. It was apparent to her that placing Lily's children with her awful sister did no wonder to the girl's development as children.
The girl has been through a lot, and the presence of a cat transforming into a stranger right in front of her eyes seems to set her off. Before the headmistress could say anything more, the girl hurried back inside her house and locked the door even if proved to be a temporary relief as the stranger could easily open it from outside and walked in.
Holly certainly didn't look forwards to be attending Hogwarts again, what if Dumbledore ever found out she wasn't the real Holly? Is it that too much of a wish just to stay alive and not dying again? She still craved power, but to survive instead of to rule the world. World domination could wait until she retrieved most of her power back, which seemed impossible for now considering how powerless she was at the time.
"I thought Arabella already filled you in about your circumstances. It seems like I was mistaken about it."
"She did, but I thought she was kidding when she said it."
The part of Tom Riddle who became a replacement for the deceased soul of Holly Potter hated the notion of being powerless, but there is no other alternative. Choices are given, and she chooses to live on instead of fading into the state of nonexistence.
After spending some time inside the body of the late Holly Potter, the smallest fragment of Tom Riddle's soul gained an awareness that set it apart from the rest of other souls stuck in each of their respective containers. It was so attached to having a body of its own that it started to hold the false mockery of life it leads so dear.
"Are you sure I am really a witch? I don't think I could use magic..."
"Your admittance to Hogwarts proved you to have a talent for it, study hard and you could be as skilled as your parents were. It's getting late, we have got lots to do tomorrow."
It was decided, Holly needs to start planning and expect for the worst to come. Starting with making people trusted and cared for her enough to fill the role of her meat shield when things go awry. Having a powerful follower is one thing, but having a dedicated follower is like dreaming.
She might not admit it but she is jealous of the real Holly having someone like her mother to shield her from a killing curse. The Death Eaters wouldn't do that and would have let the enemy slay their lord instead of letting themselves be in the way.
zzZzz
Holly woke early the next morning. Although she could tell it was daylight, she kept his eyes shut tight. She had never been to London before, not in this body, at least. The destination? Diagon Alley. When McGonagall took her there, the first time they visit was Gringotts. Holly didn't quite like the goblins working there.
They went to Madam Malkin's next and Holly noticed a younger version of Lucius Malfoy sitting next to her. She averted her eyes from the junior Malfoy, not wanting to have any conversation with him. She remembered the boys' father who is only loyal to the cause of pureblood supremacy instead of his master.
Holly doubted if the boy will be any different. Stupid inbreds and their tendency to view themselves as superior to other. Cowards, all of them. She regretted forming a group of cowards who only wanted to lick her boots. Now that she is the one and only Holly Potter, maybe she could consider being a Muggle rights activist.
She cringed at the thought. It's not like she cared about muggles or anything! She only wanted them to think she cared for them while she is using them for her purpose. A good pawn is a pawn who didn't realize someone is moving them.
Twenty minutes later, Holly now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Stupid animal, she thought. She barely talked at all to McGonagall along the way to the last shop.
"I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Holly Potter. You have your father's eyes. It seems only yesterday he was in here himself, buying his first wand. Eleven inches, pliable mahogany wand."
Holly shivered. She wasn't sure she liked Mr. Ollivander too much. She quickly picked a random wand and paid seven gold Galleons for her wand and left. His expression when he saw her, did he knew who she really is? No, it's not possible.
McGonagall frowned seeing how Holly tends to change her emotion between smiling and happy to trembling with fear so quickly.
"You all right, Holly? You are very quiet."
Holly wasn't sure she could explain without making her sounds suspicious to McGonagall. She stared blankly at the skies wearing an awkward smile, pretending to not hear anything.
"That cloud looked like a rabbit." Her lips just moved on her own and said something ridiculous to break the silence. McGonagall looked at her oddly.
zzZzz
Holly did not need anyone to tell her where the platform 9 ¾ is. All she has to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. She ignored a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair who said something about muggles out loud. Probably to catch her interest.
But what is she thinking? By ignoring the family she recognized as the Weasleys, she nearly loses an investment for the future! The Weasleys breeds like rabid bunnies, they would make the replaceable half of her army.
It's not like her to lower herself to breathe in the same airs with blood traitors like them but think about the benefit of having so many people backing her. Besides, she was trying a different approach now and they are on the winning side of the war.
"Want a hand, milady?" It was one of the red-haired twins from earlier.
"Yes, please." Holly smiled, at least they know how to treat a lady.
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"
With the twins' help, Holly's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. Mission accomplished: Get someone else to do the dirty job. She felt a feeling of satisfaction for the first time in the day. Will things be easier that she is a cute little girl now?
"Thank you so much."
"No problem, isn't it a gentleman's duty to help a lady in need? Isn't that right, Fred?"
When Holly is done talking with the twins, the oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Holly noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.
"We have not reached Hogwarts yet, and you two already made a commotion. Stop flirting with the girl, George. She is younger than you. Now, you two. This year, you behave yourselves."
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy? You should have said something, we had no idea." Said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise.
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it." Said the other twin.
"Oh, shut up." Said Percy the Prefect.
"Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Percy, our brother. See you later, then." The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them and Percy went to his own compartment. Being a prefect really have some interesting privileges, Holly knew it from experience.
The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in as his brothers left. He pointed at the seat next to Holly and asked if anyone is sitting there. She shook her head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Holly and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked.
"Playing hard to get, huh?"
"What was that?" The boy asked, hearing Holly muttering to herself.
"Oh, nothing."
Ron stared as Holly brought all of everything from the trolley witch into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. Holly silently thought to herself that having the body of a little girl also comes with some disadvantage, like a sudden craving for sweets.
"Hungry, are you?"
"Starving," Holly said, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said his mother always forgets he doesn't like corned beef.
Holly knew it was for the best that she didn't show her cursed scars around to avoid unwanted attention. Being a girl means having long hairs, and it hides the spot well. The embarrassing mark of defeat for a dark lord who accidentally split his soul inside the body of his final victim and took control of it.
"I never get your name, I'm Ron Weasley."
"Just call me Lily."
With a savior like this, what will the future hold for the world? Only time will tell.