James Sirius Potter Researches Tom Marvolo Riddle
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. He and his world belong to J K Rowling.
Summary: Tom Riddle who became Lord Voldemort did not become a dark wizard at Hogwarts. He learned to be a dark wizard from three of Grindelwald's hench-wizards while he was at Wool's Orphanage. Grindelwald's wizards had plans for Tom but Tom made his own plans. When the dark wizards got in the way, Tom killed them and tried to make it look like a Muggle had done it. All of this is discovered by James Sirius Potter, Harry's son.
(A/N) A one shot where James Sirius Potter Researches Tom Riddle and discovers Tom came to Hogwarts a Fully Practicing dark wizard. Setting about 20 years after DH. For the reader asking for revision to make the story it has been gone over and errors corrected.
-OOOOO-
James Sirius Potter had a lot of curiosity. Some parts of the castle were not in use in his day. James searched them. One day James discovered a room where Professor Dumbledore's Artifacts had been stored. He found many issues of Transfiguration Today and some of Professor Dumbledore's personal writings. It quickly became obvious that Professor Dumbeldore had not told Harry every thing. There was no way James could check everything at once so he came when he could. The castle was not well supervised on weekends and Filch and Mrs. Norris did not like the unused part of the Castle where the artifacts were. It was an open house on weekends. James did most of his researching on Saturdays when there was no Quidditch game.
Apparently when Albus Dumbledore had died most of his artifacts were of no interest to Severus Snape and he sent them to Aberforth Dumbledore. Aberforth had simply stored them in the Hog's Head, the Death Eaters having no interest in them either. James found another Pensieve and this one contained Riddle's and Dumbledore's thoughts. The scenes were many of them older than James's father had described. He also found some very old writings of Professor Dumbledore and of Tom Riddle.
-OOOOO-
James finally decided that Tom Riddle had done on modifications on Professor Dumbledore's memory. Riddle had apparently taken one Pensieve from Dumbledore and given him another, one he had probably stolen. Pensieves were rare and expensive so the theft of the Pensieve was probably in an Auror Report. No one, however, knew about James's project but James as he thought his parents, the Ministry or the Hogwarts administration might stop his research.
As James searched Riddle's early memories in the Pensieve he was very astonished. It began to look more and more like he was going to have to show it all to the Auror Department.
The Pensieve showed that at age eight dark wizards began teaching Riddle dark magic at Wool's Orphanage. They altered the memories of the orphanage staff and children so that only Tom remembered his sessions with them. Tom had done some wandless magic and then at nine had fashioned his own crude wand. He had gone into Ollivander's shop, stolen a unicorn hair for the core and picking up a wand had modified Ollivander's memory so that he did not remember the theft or Tom being in the shop. Tom was determined to make his own wand and managed to do so, elm with a unicorn hair. This wand had worked but not as well as the yew and phoenix feather wand he purchased a when he started school. The wand Tom made was hidden in the foundation of the old Riddle house when just before Tom went to Ollivander for his yew and phoenix feather wand.
Dumbledore having had his problem with the Horcrux ring would not have noticed the hidden wand. James checked. Lucius Malfoy had purchased the Riddle house and held it obviously for some dark purpose. James took the Knight Bus to Little Hangleton, ignored Lucius's no trespassing signs and checked the basement of the old long vacant house. There he found a weathered crude wand that matched what he'd seen in the Pensieve. The wand worked even though it was poorly made. For a nine-year old wizard who was not even training in wand making it was a good job. James went back to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus with the wand in his pocket. That night he hid it in the bottom of his trunk.
Finding the wand had proven that most likely Tom Riddle had not modified the Memories in the Pensieve.
-OOOOO-
James wanted more proof before he went to his father. He concluded that Tom Riddle had entered Hogwarts a fully practicing dark wizard at the young age of eleven. This was frightening. If it had happened it would happen again. As he continued searching through the Pensieve he discovered that the dark wizards who had trained him had their own agenda for him. After Tom entered Hogwarts the dark wizards had outlived their usefulness as far as Tom was concerned so he decided to dispose of them.
Tom did not want to leave a trace of killing them on his wand as Aurors would be using Priori Incantetem on the wands around where they died so he decided not to use magic at all but to kill them in a Muggle way. He would steal a Muggle gun, shoot them and drag their bodies into the Dark Forest. He would then wipe the gun clean and throw it away. In the event they were found their deaths would be attributed to Muggles.
Tom carried out his plan. He levitated a gun and some ammunition from a British Secret Service Agent. He arranged for a meeting with his dark wizards on the corner of the school grounds next to the Dark Forest. There he dispatched of his three masters quickly with the gun. He dragged the bodies a row of trees deep into the Forbidden Forest. Then he dragged a body deep into the forest, wiped the gun clean and threw it away. He then took the other two bodies deep into the forest and left them. He then walked back to the Slytherin dungeon and was pleased with himself.
-OOOOO-
After a few days the Centaurs found the bodies. They debated some time.
"Lets just bury them and be done with it," said a Centaur.
"No, we must tell the wizards what has happened," said Bane.
"Bane these wizards were trash even to the wizards. They were a vicious group of dark wizards. Who ever has slain them has done both wizards and Muggles a favor," said the first Centaur.
"Not only is it not right, the humans have a right to know. We have three murders here and why was a Muggle weapon used to kill wizards? Wizards would use the Killing Curse. These three were all shot with a Muggle gun yet they are here. It suggests wizards and Muggles did it together or that a wizard wanting to make it look like it had been done by a Muggle did it. Why would he leave the bodies where a Muggle cannot go? That bothers me. We must speak to the wizards about this. I know Albus Dumbledore and he is friendly to us. I trust him. It's just too dangerous to bury them and hide it. Here is the weapon that did it. It would give the Ministry excuse to take part of our land or worse. The killer or killers were obviously not expecting the bodies to be found."
-OOOOO-
Bane took the pistol and went onto the Hogwarts grounds. Many students were afraid but the Gryffindor perfect was not.
"You are a Centaur and you wish to see my head of house, Professor Dumbledore. Am I correct?"
"Yes, we found three human bodies in the Dark Forest. I believe the pistol I'm carrying was used to murder them. My fellow Centaurs wanted to bury them and be done with it. The bodies are of three dark wizards who are known to us. They used a few of us in their experiments."
"Do you have a name?" asked the prefect.
"My name is Bane," said the Centaur.
"There is nothing to be afraid of," said the prefect. "He is a Centaur and he's intelligent like us. I'll get Professor Dumbledore. Be nice to Bane!"
-OOOOO-
In a while the prefect returned with Professor Dumbledore.
"Bane this is a bit unusual," said Professor Dumbledore.
Bane explained the Centaurs' find and Professor Dumbledore ordered the students to tell no one of the Centaurs find until the Aurors and probably also the Muggle police had finished their investigation. Bane gave Proffesor Dumbledore an account of he and his fellow Centaurs finding the bodies and it was in the Pensieve.
That information shocked James. He looked at the Memories several times. Tom Riddle as an eleven or twelve-year-old had stolen a Muggle gun and murdered the three dark wizards! James examined the Centaur memories which Bane had let Professor Dumbledore take. He examined Professor Dumbledore's and Tom Riddle's memories. They seemed unbelievable. He wrote his father that night.
"Dear Dad,
You being head Auror would know the answer to this as well as anyone. If I discover how a crime occurred many years ago is it my responsibility to report it or if it's old can I let it drop? All of the perpetrators I believe to be dead.
Your loving son,
James."
It did not take James long to get and answer back on his owl.
"Dear James,
Meet me at two in the morning at the Gryffindor fireplace.
Dad."
-OOOOO-
James slipped down to the fireplace at a few minutes to two in the morning.
His father came in on the Floo. "James what have you found?"
"It concerns Lord Voldemort. In the lower part of the Castle are relics from both Voldemort and Dumbledore. Voldemort stole a Pensieve and put some very frightening memories into it. I don't think Professor Dumbledore knew he had that Pensieve. I have examined many of Voldemort's thoughts. There were some things I thought Dumbledore had not told you but now I'm not sure Dumbledore remembered them. I think Voldemort modified his memory."
"When Tom Riddle came to Hogwarts he was already a fully practicing dark wizard having been trained be three dark wizards since he was eight years old. This was his first wand, a unicorn hair in elm he made for himself when he was nine," said James as her handed his father the wand Voldemort had made. "I found it in the basement of the old Riddle house, now owned by Lucius Malfoy."
"Amazing, James, dark magic leaves traces and I have a trace of Lord Voldemort's essence, enough to tell me he used this."
"There is a crime you wish to tell me, isn't there?"
"After Tom came to Hogwarts the three dark wizards became a hindrance to him so he stole a Muggle gun and shot them. He dragged the bodies into the dark forest and threw the gun away," said James. "The Centaurs found the bodies and the gun. Bane took the gun to Hogwarts and asked for Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore told the students to say nothing about any of it as Aurors and the Muggle police would have to be called in. That was as far as I got yesterday and decided I better talk with you."
"I've studied the case. The only clue that made any sense was the wizards were killed with a gun by a wizard or wizards to make it look like a Muggle had done it. All of the other possibilities were as unlikely as the first. Plenty of wizards had motive. The three were quite hated and had performed dark magic on wizards and Muggles. When they educated Riddle on dark magic they bit off more than they could chew. He got rid of them when they got in they way."
"If you're not too tired, let's go down and see that Pensieve," said Harry.
-OOOOO-
Harry and his son went down to the room where the artifacts were.
"A lot of this belonged to Professor Dumbledore but I've never seen some it," said Harry.
"Some of it was Tom Riddle's, including the second Penseive," said James.
"In October of Tom's first year a Penseive was stolen," said Harry, "and never found. The owner eventually bought another and they didn't go cheap. In November of that year is when the dark wizards were killed. The bodies were found in a few days after the killing. Professor Dumbledore summoned Aurors and they went to the bodies and levitated them out of the forest. After all the possible information was gathered from them they were taken to Muggle authorities in Dufftown along with the pistol which turned out to be a Secret Service Agent's lost pistol. It had been stolen but the Agent could not figure out how. Now we can pretty well deduce what happened and mark the case as closed."
"Let's check the Penseive," said Harry. "Tom hid when the Aurors came and as he had not been observed when Bane came out of the forest they were not questioning him. The bodies were taken to Dufftown. Now we move into Dufftown, with Dombledore's Penseive."
-OOOOO-
Harry and James viewed Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve:
"Sir I'm as baffled as you are," said Dumbledore. "These bodies were found in a forest with this gun."
The gun was taken by the crime lab technician, cleaned up and fired into cotton. In a while the technician came out saying, "This was the gun that killed all three of these men. They were unsavory characters and were suspected of unlawful experiments on human beings. Some claim they were practicing black magic. We couldn't prove anything or they would have been in jail. They are not that much of a loss."
"The place where the bodies were found is a crime scene. You should have brought us to the bodies, not the bodies to us. Mr. Dumbledore, why did you remove the bodies?" asked the police officer.
"There is a war going on," said Professor Dumbledore. "The gun was brought to me and I do not know where the one is who brought it."
"So we have a murder by a person or persons unknown," said the officer. "With a war going I can't be searching for who ever killed this trash. In truth they probably did the world a favor. I've had complaints on them."
"About a year ago they kept meeting an orphan named Tom Riddle on the grounds of Wool's Orphanage. I thought I would have a case on them. Only two men remember seeing them, the gardener and myself, yet I know many others saw them and they all kept forgetting they had seen them. I should wish to speak with young Mr. Riddle. If you know where he is it is your duty to bring him to me."
"Bur Officer, I can't," protested Professor Dumbledore.
"Mr. Dumbledore, I know who you are and what you are," said the police officer. "I have known of wizards almost all my life. We adopted a boy who turned out to be a wizard. The Ministry spoke to all of us and we agreed to keep the secrecy statute. You have no idea of what I know. I am ordering you to bring me to Tom or to bring Tom to me. You probably prefer not to bring a Muggle to Hogwarts so bring Tom here in two days. Do not tell him why he is being brought here."
"Stay with this James!" ordered Harry. They continued with the Pensieve.
-OOOOO-
The thought shifted to Hogwarts. It was two days later and Tom Riddle was standing in Professor Dippet's office.
"Tom I have been ordered by a Muggle authority to take you to see him in Duftown," said Professor Dumbledore. "He will ask you some questions. Be truthful in answering. I am not allowed to discuss it with you until after you talk to the man. We will walk off the grounds and I will take you to Dufftown by Side-Along-Apparition. After you are done we will come back. You are excused from your classes for today."
Dumbledore Side-Along-Apparated young Tom to Duftown and took him to the police station.
"Why the cop station?" asked Tom.
"A police officer wants to ask you some questions!" said Dumbledore. "It is police officer, not cop."
"Why should I talk to a Muggle cop?" asked Tom with resentment. "We should just Obliviate him and go back to school. I don't owe Muggles anything. My Muggle father hates me and I'd just as soon forget him. The only thing I ever got from Muggles was that stupid orphanage. If you are afraid to Obliviate him let me do it."
"Tom put the wand away and come with me into the station!" said Dumbledore.
Tom hesitated.
"Tom, do as I say!" ordered Professor Dumbledore sternly.
Tom resentfully put his wand away. Professor Dumbledore led him into the station.
"Close the door," said Professor Dumbledore. "We do not want to be overheard."
"Tom you may speak freely of wizards with this Muggle. His family adopted a boy who is a wizard."
"My brother went to Hogwarts and was in Slytherin House which I understand is your house. He was a prefect there and was one of the most respected wizards in that house. After school he went to Canada and joined the Northwest Wizarding Police. He is a very high-ranking officer there and is very respected," said the police officer.
"Was he a pure-blood?" asked Tom.
"We don't know his blood status. We didn't even know he was a wizard until the Ministry of Magic called on us."
"So he could have been a Mudblood!" sneered Tom.
"Young Man, don't use that word. I know that among wizards it is not a nice word!" said the police officer sternly.
"Professor I don't like him!" protested Tom. "I do not recognize the authority of a Muggle over a wizard. I demand to be taken back to school."
"If we do that," said Professor Dumbledore, "the Aurors will come to school and bring you back here. It will go on your permanent record that it was necessary to involve the Aurors."
"Tom you will answer my questions completely and truthfully," said the police officer. "There is a war going on, in case you don't read Muggle newspapers. I don't have time to waste on these men. I need to get this case filed and closed. The Aurors and I both know these men were dark wizards. I have pictures of them visiting with you at Wool's Orphanage. They were using Memory Charms. They missed me and the gardener. We could not get close enough but it appeared they were teaching you dark magic. These three wizards were found dead. This Muggle pistol was used to kill them."
The police officer showed Tom the murder weapon.
"They were found in the Dark Forest by Centaurs," said Professor Dumbledore. "The Centaur named Bane came onto the grounds to see me. He gave me that gun. Professor Dippet, Aurors and I went to the bodies and levitated them out of the forbidden forest. They were then examined by the Aurors. They could not understand why a wizard would use a gun to commit murder. But it was obvious to me that the gun was used simply to make it look like a Muggle had done the murders. A Muggle would not have been able to find the forbidden forest unless a wizard showed him the way. Though a wizard used the gun to kill them to make it look like a Muggle had done it, he made the mistake of taking the bodies to a place a Muggle cannot find."
Tom thought for a while and then said, "Whether the dark wizards ever met me at the orphanage or not I cannot say. If they did they made me forget like everyone else."
"Did they ever come to Hogwarts?" asked the police officer.
"I don't remember them at the orphanage or Hogwarts" said Tom. "If they talked to me they made me forget it."
"Would Veritaserum undo a Memory Charm?" asked the police officer.
"We have never attempted that, however, our law forbids the use of it on a student. That is a very strict law. Were I to allow it I could go to Azkaban. You might even be sent there yourself," said Professor Dumbledore.
"This is a matter of national security. Surely under that circumstance it could be done," said the police officer. "Powers on the Continent are coming against us and the Dark Lord Grindelwald is a threat to come over here off the continent."
"He burns the symbol of the Deathly Hallows onto the left forearms of his hench-wizards. It is a circle with a triangle inside of it and a vertical line inside the triangle like this!" said Dumbledore, picking up a pen and drawing the symbol. "It's on them isn't it?"
"Side-Along-Apparate me to the Morge," said the police officer.
"You will vomit unless you have been Side-Along-Apparated before," said Dumbledore.
"Then use your wand to clean it up!" said the police officer. "We have to look at those bodies and I do not want Tom to get too restless here."
The police officer got sick like Dumbledore had warned and Dumbledore cleared it up with magic.
-OOOOO-
Inside the Morge the bodies were checked. All three of them had Grindelwald's mark. They returned to the station.
"Who do I have to ask for permission to use Veritaserum on young Tom?" asked the police officer.
"Your Prime Minister, the Minister of Magic, Professor Dippet and me," said Professor Dumbledore. "We would all have to agree. It is not one hundred percent reliable. The person often reveals embarrassing information about themselves and feels exposed. This has resulted is some very bitter lawsuits before the Wizenagmot. After a costly, very ugly suit the law forbidding the use of Veritaserum on a student was passed."
"What happened?" asked the police officer.
"Veritaserum makes the subject reveal their very private personal lives and everything else they know," said Professor Dumbledore. "The wizard revealed personal information not only embarrassing to himself but to two witches and another wizard. It was all printed in the Daily Prophet. None of it was relevant to the criminal case in question. In fact, the wizard under Veritaserum knew nothing about the case. It caused terrible anger. As this wizard was Muggle-born there was also trouble with the Muggle government. His parents were very angry. They they won large judgments, moved to the United States and became citizens there."
"We therefore passed that strict law."
"Would you give consent if the Minister of Magic, Professor Dippet and my Prime Minister give it?" asked the police officer.
"I would hesitate," said Professor Dumbledore. "These wizards obviously did something Grindelwald disapproved of and he sent his own assassin to dispose of them. He was to use a Muggle gun to make it look like a Muggle killing. He levitated a gun from one of our Secret Service men and used it. His mistake was where he dumped the bodies. He's probably back on the Continent. I do believe we are finished and you can close your case some way. I'm taking young Riddle back to Hogwarts."
-OOOOO-
Harry and James pulled their heads out of the Pensieve.
"Son we need to file all of this at the Ministry. We will both have to go. We will each do an affidavit and then I'll take you home and let you rest a few days," said Harry.
Harry informed Professor McGonagall he was taking James home for a few days and that he would come back on the Knight Bus. They walked off the grounds, Apparated to the Ministry and when they were finished they Harry took James home. After James ate he was very, very tired and went to bed.
-OOOOO-
A/N: Should this be made into a multi-chapter story? Does it seem to you that unloved and uncared for children tend to go bad?