The street was bustling with witches and wizards, quickly trying to find their ways back to their homes. There weren't too many people around, but the few that were in Diagon Alley quickly sought shelter. The shop owners were fervently closing down their places; the chains and metal gates clashed loudly to the ground as they boarded up their places with more precautions than usual. These times were dark times. And they were just getting darker.
Among the masses, Harry Potter and Violet Virk were also carefully navigating through the crowds. Both of them huddled close, as they attempted to rush and get to the nearest Floo network in order to head over to the Weasley's burrow. Glaring up at the night sky, they tightly clutched onto their cloaks as a gush of cold blew. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley must have been starting to worry about the two of them.
There was another loud thump, as a crate of newspaper's fell down off of the bench. The copies of the Daily Prophet few around the area, as many stomped over the papers. Big bold letters stated the recent attacks on the Muggles as well as various amounts of magically folk. Violet's eyes landed on the newspaper that read: Voldemort Still At Large. Unfortunately, it had been about a month since the Battle of Hogwarts. A battle that never actually happened.
Just as they passed the last crowd, Harry and Violet reached the Leaky Cauldron and walked in.
Without looking back at Harry, Violet headed over to the nearest Floo place. "Ma'am, can you please excuse us? We are trying to Floo out."
The old woman looked up at Violet with a smug look on her face, "A bit out of place, are you not, American?"
"Violet, come on." Harry sighed, grabbing onto Violet's arm, and passing the old woman by. "You've been here for ages, yet you still prefer to be nice. I thought Americans were supposed to be mean." He looked back at her with a grin playing on his face.
"Harry, you're further perpetuating stereotypes." Violet couldn't help but grin as well. "And plus, kindness is key."
"Yeah, well try telling that to the loads of people who are gawking at us." Harry whispered, losing his smile.
Violet looked around at the people who were throwing daggers their way. Ever since the Battle, they have been getting this treatment. "Don't mind them, Harry."
Harry just nodded quickly as he took out some Floo powder from his coat and handed some to Violet.
"In you go." Harry nudged her forward.
Violet stepped into the fireplace and received a strange rush, "The Weasley's Burrow." She calmly stated. Instantly after the green flame exploded, she began to teleport to the Burrow. The familiar feeling of claustrophobia struck her as she tried to breathe in deeply. She remembered her first time traveling by Floo, and how she felt like she was lighting herself on fire. She used to feel uneasy about it. Now, it wasn't a totally unpleasant feeling, just very tiresome because as soon as she reached the Weasley's fireplace, she fell down onto all fours. She looked up to see the startled faces of the Weasley's.
"Thank Merlin!" Mrs. Weasley ran over to her, helping her up in the process. "We were starting to get worried. Where have you and Harry been?" Just as she mentioned his name, Harry landed, though much more gracefully, next to her onto his feet.
"Sorry we were late, Mrs. Weasley." Harry grinned while hugging her. "We just got caught up."
"I imagine you did." Arthur Weasley smiled, also giving the two a quick hug.
Just then, Ginny tottered down the stairs with Hermione and Ron close by. "Is that Harry and Violet?" She squealed when she saw them.
"We've been waiting for ages!" Ron exaggerated with a huge grin as they made their ways down the stairs.
Ginny instantly attacked Harry with a hug and a small kiss that made Ron gag.
"Not in front of me!" He bellowed as they ignored him.
"Oh shut up, Ronald!" Hermione giggled while hugging Violet. "I've missed you, even if you were gone for only a day."
"A day can be too long." Violet smirked while hugging Ron and Ginny next.
"Tell me about it." Draco Malfoy smirked as he got up from the Weasley's dining table.
"Oi, Malfoy." Harry greeted. "How long have you been here?" He asked while shaking hands with him quickly.
"Not long at all." Draco shook his head.
"Draco just came by an hour ago." Mrs. Weasley smiled while patting Draco's shoulder.
"What about Neville?" Violet asked, looking away from Draco as he smiled at her.
"Here I am." Neville's shy voice answered, making his way to greet Harry and Violet.
"Where is everyone else?" Harry asked, looking around.
"Yes, it seems rather empty." Violet remarked.
"Fred and George are sleeping upstairs." Molly announced until it hit her. Everyone looked at each other as a huge pang hit their hearts; it was still unbelievable. It had only been a month, and the scars of losing their loved ones were too deep. Molly started to tear up again. "I meant...Charlie and George."
After a moment of silence, Arthur began "Well, everyone is mostly keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior around Europe. And the rest are looking for information regarding the whereabouts of the Death Eaters."
"Still nothing?" Ginny asked.
"Not as far as we can tell." Harry shrugged.
"Well, the best we can do is wait. Come on children. Eat and then get back to your research." Molly ushered them towards the dining table. "You've a long night ahead."
When they finished their dinner, they all sat in a circle next to the fireplace. Most of them rubbed their hands together, trying to keep warm while sipping on tea. In front of them, carefully laid out, were the 7 horcruxes.
It didn't make sense. None of it did.
"Harry, can you please move to the middle?" Ron joked trying to lighten the mood, as he pointed to the items.
"Very funny, Ronald." Hermione remarked, unamused.
"It doesn't make any sense." Draco sighed, rubbing his face. "It should have worked."
"Yet it didn't." Neville grumbled, remembering how he slayed the snake, Nagini which was supposed to end it all.
"Why?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry who was looking intently into the fire.
"If he knew, don't you think that he would do something about it, Ginny Pig?" Draco smugly smirked.
"Please remind me exactly why we let this ferret join our team?" Ginny demanded.
"Children!" Molly scolded while heading upstairs to bed with Arthur following behind, and they wished them goodnight.
"I guess the best thing to do is divide them up and explore them some more." Violet sighed, her hand running over the objects.
"I've got to make a trip down to the Ministry early morning." Ron whined. "Herm, Nev, and Gin too."
"You've all already gotten your schedules for work?" Violet asked, surprised.
"Getting them tomorrow." Hermione smiled slightly.
"We have yet to receive anything." Harry mumbled.
"You're probably getting yours soon, loves." Ginny reassured the two.
"Well, let's get this going." Neville nodded. "A long night and day ahead."
"Since you four have work tomorrow, you can stay here." Draco said. "I've just finished my shift."
"And where would you be going?" Ron asked.
"Hogwarts." Harry declared as everyone let out small gasps.
"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked, quickly. "Hogwarts is basically destroyed."
"Exactly. We won't be disturbed." He shrugged. Ever since the Battle, Harry had been more and more pensive. He would constantly Apparate to Hogwarts, without telling anyone, just to walk around and think.
"Harry, do you think-?" Ginny was cut off by Neville.
"I think that it is a brilliant idea. It is under repair, so no one would notice anyway."
"Plus, it'll get the creative juices flowing." Violet smirked while everyone started to divide up the horcruxes. She secretly knew of Harry's trips to Hogwarts since she, herself, had been making undercover trips there as well. She knew that the old school was sort of a refuge to Harry. Even though her heart would crumble when she would see the glorious castle in ruins, there was always a sense of calmness there that always seemed to help her. That is what she gathered Harry felt too.
"'Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it." They all finished the sentence that Hermione recited.
As they reached for the items, they broke it up into Harry, Violet, and Draco who were assigned research books on Horcruxes, the Diary and the Ring while Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny respectively took the Cup, Necklace, Snake Skin, and Diadem.
"Of course you would grab the Diadem!" Violet accused Ginny who smirked at her.
"Of course I would take the Diadem!" Ginny repeated. "I already spent too much time with that creepy diary. I'll still never forget how hauntingly powerful that thing is."
Holding onto the diary, Violet pouted, "Fine, I'll take this then."
"I guess we will head out then." Draco got up to his feet. "I'll meet you there, Potter and Virk. I still have to pick something up from the Manor."
"I guess we'll head out then." Harry got up.
After they had said their goodnights, Harry and Violet headed to Hogwarts. Harry had Apparated them into the Gryffindor common room. He just flicked his wand three times before the common
room was just like before, with a roaring fire burning, instantly warming the room up.
"Wow, this is a trip down memory lane." She remarked while laying down by the fire, with the diary and books at hand.
"Tell me about it." Harry smiled, softly while sitting down on the ground, his back leaning onto the couches. "I remember 'Mione sneaking you in here while everyone else was asleep."
"Oh Merlin! I remember those times." Violet laughed, recalling those late nights. "Remember all the fire whiskeys we had?"
"Not as much as the ones we devoured in Slytherin's common room." Harry grinned, shaking his head. "I'm surprised none of your dorm mates caught us."
"Well, those Silencing Charms that Hermione set up always helped." Violet beamed. "Can't believe we actually got her to drink with us."
"I think that our second year is when we really started to corrupt 'Mione." Harry mused. "I mean, we got her to make us Polyjuice Potions."
"Oh, I remember our second year!" Violet sighed with a small grin on her face, recalling the memories.
"How can we forget? That was the first imminent danger we had truly faced." Harry stated.
"I know, but there were some really good moments here and there." Violet shrugged.
Harry grinned, "I recall a lot of humorous moments as well."
"Oh bloody hell yes." Violet laughed. "Although, Herm and I really do feel rather upset about missing the spiders in the Dark Forest adventure. Really wanted to see that." She frowned, looking at Harry, thinking back to when she spent the entire night in the infirmary with a petrified Hermione. She could feel the eerie vibe of the castle, seeping into the air.
"Well, I wish you were there too." Harry chuckled, snapping her back to their conversation. "You probably had more balls than Ron who clearly pissed himself in the middle." Violet and Harry let out a few howls of laughter.
"No way, you're joking?" Violet asked, shaking with laughter.
"Oh yes. Nearly fainted twice, had to slap him awake." Harry revealed. "Though...He made me promise to never tell a soul."
"Well, I see how good you are at keeping secrets." Violet remarked, smirking.
"Well, I was not entirely the Chamber of Secrets." Harry grinned at his joke.
"That was really silly, not even funny." Violet remarked, still amused. She turned to the diary, running her fingers over it. "...Though Ginny really loathes thinking back to that year."
"Of course she does." Harry said, with a slight darker tone. "Being controlled by Voldemort and being lead into the Chamber of Secrets isn't exactly her type of fun."
"Oh I imagine." Violet nodded. "I don't even know how I survived down there, even if I had you by my side."
"You faired very well." Harry remarked.
She snorted, "Yeah, well I was so close to pissing myself. I barely held myself together when I saw Riddle, let alone the basilisk."
"Ah, I still don't see how that works." Harry laughed. "You're in Slytherin, and you loathe snakes."
"I do not see how that works either." She laughed along. "Though I am cunning as well as sly."
"Yet, very brave and honest." Harry said. "You and I were in similar situations where we belonged in two houses."
"I asked to be in Slytherin, just like you asked for Gryffindor." Violet nodded.
"Why?" Harry asked. "I never really asked you."
"Because." Violet looked at him. "I wanted to prove that these stereotypes are wrong."
"And you did." Harry smirked, his eyes twinkling. "Nicest Slytherin I've ever known."
"'It's not our abilities that make us who we are…'" Violet recited, looking at Harry sadly.
"'It is our choices.'" He finished, with a wave of sadness. "Dumbledore."
"He told us that at the end of that year." Violet nodded. After moment of silence, Violet whispered so quietly that she could barely hear herself. "We'll avenge him, Harry. We'll avenge them all."
He sighed, "I know...But it's just the 'when' I'm worried."
Then both of them fell under an easy silence, as they turned back to their current inspections of the Horcruxes. When she turned back to the diary, Violet started to think back to her time in the Chamber with Harry, Ginny, and Tom Riddle.
Her thoughts brisked over the memories of that night. She remembered when Riddle had set the basilisk on them, and how Harry and her ran for their lives. Her heart began to start kicking when she thought back to how Harry opened up the diary and impaled it with the dead basilisk's fang. Riddle had began to burn with light, slowly set on fire to oblivion.
After staring at the diary for a long time, Violet turned to Harry. "Harry, what if things had been different?"
"Hmm, what do you mean?" He asked, still involved into the book of Horcruxes he was reading.
Violet turned back to the diary, "What if he was steered in the right direction before he became this way?"
"Who are you talking about?" Harry mumbled.
"Tom. Tom Riddle." She looked at Harry again as he glanced up at her for the first time. "What if he had been… I don't know…. saved."
Harry had a hard look on his face, "Trust me when I say that that is not the case, Violet. I dealt with him in the Chamber as well as seen what he did in the past, firsthand. Voldemort isn't one to be saved."
"I was in the Chamber too, and I know what you mean." Violet got up and faced him, "But that is because he never had a chance to be saved."
"I said it once, and I'll say it again, Violet : Voldemort isn't one to be saved. You know this is to be true as well." Harry shook his head, fiercely. Sensing the mood get darker again, Violet stayed quiet as Harry turned back to the book. She felt guilt overcome her as she realized that she had maybe pushed one of Harry's buttons.
After a while, she turned her back to Harry and examined the diary again. The basilisk's fang was still deeply penetrating the diary, so she carefully opened up it up. Her fingers ran over and traced the dry crusted blood. For some reason she felt a little jolt and realized that she had also cut herself with the sharp edges of the paper. The drop of blood fell into the pages as she wiped her finger on her jeans. Her blood smeared into the pages, just like Riddle's had.
"But he wasn't Voldemort." She whispered to the comment that Harry made last. "I'm talking about Tom Riddle."
She turned the diary over, again tracing the leathery letters that read: Tom Marvolo Riddle. She felt the same wave of sadness wash over her that she got when she looked into the Pensieve of Dumbledore's memories of young Tom. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault that he didn't have a chance to see the better things in life...like family, friends, and love. Even though it was his fault that he made all the wrong choices. Harry had grown up in the similar situation as Tom had, yet Harry had become the exact opposite of Tom. But what Riddle hadn't gotten was love from parents like Harry's and supporters who picked him up every time. She got an overwhelming feeling as she flipped it to the back to a random page.
A silly thought ran through her head. It wouldn't work. It couldn't. Dumbledore, Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Lupin, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, hell even maybe even Ron's Aunt Muriel and Hagrid had probably even tried to reveal the secrets that were written in the diary over tea. They had all probably tried countless of times to unearth the words of the darkest wizard.
Violet tried to rationalize her way out of it, but that still didn't compel her to stop from trying.
"This is it." she whispered, shaking. "Relashio."
For a moment, she stared at the pages and just sighed, realizing that she had really lost it. There was no development to be made from her sad attempt. It surely wouldn't be this easy. Then all of the sudden, faintly beautiful calligraphy started to appear onto the page.
"Harry?" She gulped.
"What?" He looked up, hearing Violet's mortified tone.
"You might want to come here and look at this." Violet squeaked as he sat down next to her.
"W-what?" He sputtered as his eyes graced over the tainted diary. "H-how?"
The diary's ink had gotten more and more bold by the second as Harry and Violet hovered over the leather object.
"Dumbledore, Lupin, Hermione, Me! Everyone!" He yelled, not believing his eyes. "We have all tried to get it to reveal itself to us, even before the battle! How did you do it?"
"I haven't any idea." She answered, becoming lightheaded.
As they intently stared at the words, they both read out loud:
"My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle... And this is-"
"H-harry, is it me or is there a light-?" Violet fumbled out, panicked.
"A light that is getting brighter by the moment!" Harry exclaimed, while pushing the diary back towards the fireplace. "Push it away, Violet!" The light became so intense that, both of them had to cover their eyes.
But it was way too late.
Because as soon as they opened their eyes, they were dropped harshly onto the ground of in front of the Grand Staircase. They both looked at each other: eyes as wides as marbles and hearts thumping against their chests.
For when they looked back up, the receding forms of a young dark haired wizard and a middle-aged Albus Dumbledore caught their eye.
Hello all! First of all, I suck at summaries. I really hope that you all get the jist that this is a story about Tom Riddle. The main character is obviously Violet, the OC, and the story will kind of be in her perspective. Tom will be the next biggest character as well as Harry.
This story will also differ from the original timeline, and it is set in an alternate universe. And lastly, I am sorry for any mistakes.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy! Please drop some feedback, it will help me write more frequently. =D