AN: Ok so I posted a little teaser prologue earlier, this is the rest of for the reviews guys! this is my first fanfic so would love your likes/dislikes as I post more! This is sort of my take on Tom's immortality and the horcruxes, in my AU he hasn't lose his humanity as his soul is only fractured in the moment of death, not before. Drop us a line if you have questions, I'm still working on Chapter 1.
Disclaimer: I'm not rich or even British with an awesome accent so I'm definitely not JKR and unfortunately these characters are not mine.
His Inner Fortress
Prologue
The toddler was clearly confused; its tiny hand reaching towards him, grasping the hem of his black robes. Bright eyes, the same chilling shade of green that ironically matched the killing curse he had just used, locked with his own cursed crimson orbs.
'Da?' the little boy questioned.
'No child.' Tom Riddle supposed it was a reasonable question, he had the same build as James Potter, similar aristocratic features and hair as black as a ravens wing. His eyes though, had once been blue, not the hazel brown of Potters.
'He's gone. You won't have to worry much longer'. Tom scooped the child up, marvelling at the soft silk of fine baby skin, the sweet scent of baby powder permeating the air. He gently placed the small child in its crib, pulling a red blanket with zooming snitches over the boy and kissing his forehead, directly between those incandescent eyes.
He stepped back, instantly causing the child to wail and cry. 'Hush, Harry,' He comforted. 'It'll be all right'. He raised his wand and closed his eyes for a second, gathering his strength as he whispered two simple, yet immensely powerful words.
'Avada Kedavra'.
Tom knew a flash of green, one instant of perfect clarity, a moment of life and death as the entire universe stilled for a fraction of a second. And then, a lightning bolt etched into pale skin and suddenly a shield of glimmering gold.
Tom's own curse rushing back at him, luminescent light blinding his eyes, a blistering, burning maelstrom of absolute pain as his entire world was flung into chaos. The indescribable agony of being ripped, torn, shredded, flung from his body. His essence, his being, his soul completely fractured, splintering along deepened lines carved by dark rituals. He was pulled, tugged in so many different directions at once, his consciousness split, fleeing to occupy the vessels painstakingly prepared for just this occasion. One piece, the fraction of himself that was the closest to being Tom was free to remain as a spirit, a pathetic reflection of a wizard … unable to touch, or use magic, but perfectly free to watch as the last fraction of himself, a shard of his own soul was pulled through that glowing golden shield, touching upon the child's brow before they merged together as one.
The light in the room faded and Tom fled, feeling the faint echo of a heartbeat and the tiny, terrified thoughts of an infant reverberating through his mind as he was linked to the very soul of the child who had defeated him.