Tom Riddle watched the seer as she shuddered and shook. She might be the most talented oracle in a thousand years, but her pain made such a talent highly undesirable. He caught odd swirling images as her powers flared and her thoughts burst free from the privacy of her own head.
A boy with glasses set slightly askew on his face with a brunette girl laughed as they ran around Hogwarts. Gryffindors. The same young woman curled into a window seat with an orange monstrosity of the feline persuasion. There were fresh tears on her face. He felt oddly uncomfortable seeing her in such a state. The next image he caught was worse. The girl writhed in pain as a witch cackled above her. He felt the darkness within him rise. Not because of the elegant ease of the crazed witch's cruciatus. No. He wanted to take that witch apart by inches, to flay her skin from her body one minuscule scrap at a time, and he wasn't quite sure why he felt anything at all. He saw the girl standing by a grave with the boy from the earlier vision, both of them emaciated. None of these images made sense, but the girl was obviously important.
He needed to find her.
Days went by. He pulled his memories of the visions and examined them in a pensieve. There was nothing to lead him to her in any of the snippets he had, and translating the prophetess' words was a frustrating experience.
He needed to move on. He'd seen a few less than savory characters watching him lately. Grindelwald wanted him to join up and play sycophant to the madman. He was not interested in following someone else's plans.
He packed his things and slipped out the back door. He was leaving. That was the plan, but something sent him stalking through the streets toward the marketplace.
He passed sellers of both the magical and the mundane. There was nothing to interest him. He felt another wizard of some darkness following him. He knew he should just go, but he turned and found himself staring at an odd assortment of magical beasts. He took a step back and started to turn away when a small ginger kitten caught his eye. It looked just like a younger version of her familiar. The kitten to her kneazle.
He bent down and plucked the beast from the small box. It purred and rubbed it's little head against his hand.
The bargaining was over quickly. Tom stroked the kitten and handed the man five sickles. The little creature was a bargain. He stroked it's small head and grinned as it bit at his fingers. Adorable and vicious.
Tom moved passed the stand and found a safe area. He grinned as the crowd filled in between his pursuer and his hiding spot.
"We need to find a new place, Ginger Snap." Tom grinned down at the cat's defiant face and apparated them to his next destination.
Hermione wiped her tears away. Crooks had finally passed. She'd known it was coming for months, but there was nothing to be done. He was old. There were potions that would extend his life for a few bitter weeks, but she simply hadn't had the heart to make him suffer so she could have a few more days.
Pain and loss were the themes of her life now. The war was over, but it's damages lingered on. They had lost so much in the war. Harry was a shell of a man, and Ron was trapped in his family's sorrow. Her own body seized frequently from the remnants of Bellatrix's magic.
She rested her head back against the couch back and wished for all the things she would never have. More time with her Crookshanks. So many people alive and well. A world that wasn't destroyed. She blinked rapidly and felt the heat of her tears roll down the sides of her face and into her hair.
Tom looked at the small kneazle mix. It was a bandy legged thing that never stopped. The kitten routinely brought in prey much larger than expected. It was a fierce little creature. He felt himself smile as he watched the beast scamper across the floor of the small cabin. He took a deep breath and looked down at his notes again. The spell was a complicated mess, but he was certain it would work. The book on Familiar Magic had been quite the find.
He cast the circle and smiled as the ginger kitten took its place. The chanting was a bit of a bother, but old magics seemed to work best with repeated droning. Tom felt his magic flow out and search for its goal. The pull was painful, but he reveled in it. Magic should have a cost. He grimaced as he felt foreign magic fight against him. The beast stamped his little paw on the ground and the whole world seemed to shake.
Tom gasped as his magic started flying back toward him at incredible speed. The spell was riding him now. He gulped and tried to regain control, but he failed.
A shower of golden light filled the space between the feline and his own knees. The temperature dropped quickly and then soared. He shook and had to fight to keep his eyes open. The lights began to swirl into a human shape. She writhed and twisted as her body coalesced in the circle.
He took a deep breath as his magic returned to him. He fought up to his knees and crawled toward her unmoving form. She was breathing. He could see that. Her wild hair was still sparking with energy, but it didn't bother him. He collapsed next to her and pulled her into his arms. The kitten settled next to her on the other side. He felt it's soft fur against his fingers as he drifted off to sleep.