Disclaimer: Know that I own nothing of the Wizarding world. All credits go to J.K. Rowling and her magical imagination.
I thank her for so much inspiration and courage to write myself.
Story1
The Riddle of the Little Hangleton murders
Chapter 1: The boy in the bar.
It was warm at August the twenty fourth in 1943. Not many people lingered outside long for the sun was scorching.
The fear of Nazi German airplanes added to that dreadful heat. People quickened their pace these days when they had to go outside.
A friendly talk about the weather was a thing of the past.
The local pub "The Hanged Man" which used to be a cheery gathering place for the town's folk was now barred up and visited only by gossiping people.
At the very edge of the town on a hill that overlooked the small town was a large mansion that sat upon a wide expand of a velvety green lawns.
The Mansion was owned by the wealthy Riddle family. The people were not fond of them.
It was a known fact to most, that the Riddle family in all their wealth and bless, never lifted a finger to help fighting the poverty of Little Hangleton.
There were no Nazi Swastika's to be seen of course but Mary Riddle was known to propagate the racial hate mongering of Hitler to all who would listen.
Sometimes even, to those who would not.
"Those foul Riddle nazi's, when are they going to help rebuild the bombed parts of town?"
Was all that Agatha the barmaid said when the family was discussed by the town's folk.
But even with the majority of the pub supporting her in her statement, nobody knew what to do with it.
The Riddle family had bought themselves into every shop, business and even the police were suspected to take bribes from them.
Their power and influence was too great to just, pick up the old fashion torch and pitch-fork to drive them away.
The fact was just that nobody seemed to like them. But like a weed in your garden, you wouldn't get rid of them unless you would take drastic measures.
The day of the twenty-fourth had started with the usual routines of the village.
People would go to the shops with their food-stamps to collect their food, the towns-guards would change shifts.
The postman would go to "The Hanged Man" to sort his letters and bills, ever since the post office was bombed.
All went as smoothly as it always did even in these dire times. There was just one, almost unnoticeable change in the daily routines.
A small thing really, in these times it wouldn't even been noticed. The strange young man that walked into the pub made the regulars grow real quiet in a few seconds.
As the dark haired youngster looked around until he was greeted by a busy Agatha who was carrying a large platter of drinks.
"G'day to ya lad, what brings you to Little Hangover?" she said smiling as she passed around some coffee and water to her guests."
The dark haired boy smiled at her with a handsome face. "Good morning madam, my name is Tom. I'm looking for a family that should live around here."
He said smoothly while he sat down on a barstool. "I was wondering if you could help me."
Agatha looked at him curiously and gasped a little. "Did you say your name was Tom?" She asked with a bit of excitement in her voice.
"Yes I did, why?" Tom replied suspiciously and he noticed her eager eyes all over him as if she recognized him.
"No reason, just to be sure I heard right." She gave him a wink and took a glass to wash. "So who is it you're looking for?"
She poured in some beer and gave it to a drunk sitting at the bar.
"The Gaunt family would be living in this town. Do you know them by any chance?"
Tom sounded a little posh but very friendly and even a little too friendly according to Agatha.
"Know them? Of course I know them honey, for they are the talk of the town." Agatha gave tom a wink and started to wash some glasses.
Tom took a seat at the bar and ordered tea. Agatha gave him an old fashion strong tasting tea with a dry biscuit.
"So why is it that they are the talk of the town? If you don't mind me asking of course." Tom asked the bar maiden.
Agatha who somehow could not stop smiling at the gentle youngster before her, shrugged and looked over his shoulder outside the window.
"They are just strange and they do weird things, things that get them in the funny papers." She finally answerred as if she was lost in her memory.
Tom laughed and drank his tea. "Weird things like what exactly? That is, if you don't mind telling a stranger of course."
Tom put the right amount of apology and innocent in his words to hide his burning curiousity and fake a stranger's interest.
But it was exactly that question that triggered Agatha's love for gossiping. "Oh I don't mind at all sweetheart. Well first of there is the father a complete mental case.
He tried to sell his daughter when she was younger, the Mother died of smallpox but not before running into the streets in her birthday suit.
Then there was the brother, he disappeared but we think he is back now. He liked playing with knifes even as a young boy.
And then the little shack they live in, far too small and filthy. And imagine this, as a decoration they nailed a large snake onto their door."
Tom listened silently for a while longer on how the family misbehaved to the other villagers. "They had also showed their support to Hitler in a way.
Well of course they weren't wearing any swastikas or anything, that would get them arrested, wouldn't it?.
They did however wear a weird triangular sign, with a circle and an capital I in the middle I think. As if they were in a cult" She told tom almost without breathing.
"Grindelwald..." Tom whispered to himself and now anger did spill out of his words.
Agatha looked up quizzically. "Come again, what did you mumble sweetheart?" She asked friendly as she cleaned the bar with a dirty rag.
"Never mind madam, could you tell me where the Gaunts live please?" Tom asked as if he had heard enough gossip.
Agatha slapped the drying cloth over her shoulder and took out a map from under the bar. It showed the layout of the town, as she pointed at the center of it.
"This is the church across the street." Agatha said pointing outside at the large building across the street.
"Go left outside and you will be walking this road right here, and if you cross the bridge you will come up to the large mansion at your left.
Look for the first dirt road at your right and take it. Then about two minutes there is a large cluster of bushes at your right again.
There is an old and small hovel in which they live." Aparently the idea of the family living in poverty made Agatha happy as she smiled broadly at him.
Suddenly Tom's face turned into an ice cold grimace that did not make him any more handsome, more the opposite, it made him look scary even.
Agatha asked him if he was alright as she put away the map again and took the coins Tom offered her.
She felt a bit intimidated as the bar had emptied over the last few minutes.
"Are you alright doll?" She asked carefully but Tom's face had turned back to normal and he smiled at her again.
"Thank you for the information madam, you helped me more then you realize." He said softly as he drew a wand out of his pocket.
"What do you have there in your hand Tom?" she asked with fear in her voice.
"Obliviate!" Tom whispered as a blue glowing line started to form between him and Agatha.
As she looked confused around her in her bar Agatha wondered where the twenty pound note came from.
Never would she know she had met Tom Marvolo Riddle, never would she remember that it was she who had told him where to find his mother's family.
