"Angel of Death"
By Loki Palmer
Author's Note: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 3
Harry could not help the confusion in his expression as he sat down. "I thought you were dying down here Ginny. Care to explain how you could still be alive?"
"It was a ruse, Harry, to draw your attention. Does anyone else know you are here?"
"Let's see … Ron and Professor Lockhart came with me, but they're stuck in a cave-in … of Lockhart's own making … thanks to Ron's busted wand, of course."
Ginny could not contain her laughter. "Oh, that Ron is such a blithering idiot! Whatever did you see in him?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "He was my first friend … a Comedy Relief, even … though now, I'm not sure what I see in him ..."
"What about this Hermione Granger person?" said Tom. "I've heard so much about her from Ginny that she sounds … intriguing …"
Harry's eyes narrowed. "What would your interest be in her? If you hurt her …"
"You'll kill me?" Tom cracked up laughing. "Oh, Harry, how rich and cliché of you! You, Harry, plan to kill me if I hurt your precious little Hermione, is that it? Tell me Harry, why would I want to lay one murderous finger on someone so close to my son's heart?"
Harry's heart stopped cold. "What did you just call me?"
Tom's smile did not fade. "I called you my son."
Ginny made a facepalm. "The Kneazle's out of the bag now, Dad."
Now Harry's head spun in her direction. "Ginny? That would make you my sister, right?"
"She is your twin sister, to be precise, but, yes, Harry … you are my children, and your mother was the Muggleborn Lily Riddle née Evans … you do have her eyes, Harry … and, from what Ginny has told me, you have my temper … scratch that, your temper's worse than mine … in all the years I've lived, I have never recalled setting off a storm in the heat of anger … and everyone feared me, both followers and foes alike."
"How can all this be?" said Harry. "I mean, how can you be my Father when I remember you trying to kill me when I was one year old, as well as the recent time of last year?"
"Number one, it would be a dysfunctional family if that was so, but, number two, how do you know that Voldemort and I are both the same person?"
Harry thought for a few moments, then said, "It sounds like something you would do, right? Setting that Basilisk off to kill people and instilling fear throughout the school? Besides, while he loves dangerous creatures, Hagrid is too kind to hurt, much less kill anyone."
Tom nodded. "Alas, that is too true. Maybe it was a mistake to frame him, but I had to cover my tracks somehow. However – you said I tried to kill you last year?"
Harry nodded. "You hid yourself in the back of Professor Quirrell's turban. You demanded the Stone from me, I refused, then the both of you tried to kill me."
"Do you think Dumbledore would have left a real Philosopher's Stone in that mirror, Son?"
"You're saying it was a fake?"
"How could it have been anything but fake, Harry? The traps were so simple that even three first years could get through them without breaking a sweat; do you think those would pose a problem for someone of MY magical caliber?"
"What about that mirror? Professor Quirrell seemed stumped."
"I may call Dumbledore many things, Harry: he may be old, sometimes he seems like he has lost his mind, but foolish? Never; he has years of experience, wisdom and magical skill at his disposal. That mirror was a stroke of genius on the part of that Manipulative Old Goat. Professor Quirrell was too greedy to help me, so he tried to hurt you to get the Stone. I'm glad you defended yourself as you did, and besides, I hated being in the back of that man's head, so it was no big loss that year. Are you sure you know who you really are, or has some old coot been toying with your mind?" He smiled. "Your shock is plain to see on your face, Harry; you can't hide behind some naïve attitude of ignorance; not from me, nor from your sister."
Harry turned to Ginny. "How long did you know?"
"I knew about my true heritage since I first met him in the diary; when I started talking about you, he seemed intrigued, saying he had a son of that same name. It was at the point when you talked to that snake in the Dueling Club that we knew you for who you really are: my big brother, and his son."
"Why didn't you tell me when you had a chance?"
"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't, not with people like Percy or Ron watching!"
"Was there any reason for you to hurt Hermione like you did?! WAS THERE?!"
Ginny had tears flowing from her eyes. "Harry, I was scared that if she figured us out, she might have ratted us out to the wrong people! It was good that she had the mirror, or –"
"THE BASILISK MIGHT HAVE KILLED HER, GINNY!"
"That's why I gave her the mirror, Harry – I didn't want her to get hurt! Don't you see? I know you are falling hard for her, Harry, but think for a few moments. If she had come back from the library, who knows the people who might have overheard the bombshell she had to deliver you? I didn't do it for jealousy's sake, Harry –"
Tom shivered. "That's a terrible image I will have to bleach out of my mind later … and I thought I had issues …"
"Oh, put a sock in it, Dad! I did it so we could all be safe, her included. Now, you can hurt me if you want, but know I did it for Our Family. If it helps my case, I will add that I had a brief conversation with her before I let the Basilisk Petrify her for all of our sakes. Yes, she did figure us out, and, yes, she agreed to allow the Basilisk to Petrify her."
"It's all true, Son, and, if you need any further proof … §Speak to me, Salazar Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four!§"
The Basilisk came out of the statue's mouth. §You called, Master?§
§Meet my Son, Harry Alexander Riddle.§
The Basilisk circled around Harry and sniffed him. §There is no need to be frightened, young hatchling; my killing gaze cannot hurt the line of Salazar Slytherin.§
Harry opened his eyes and gazed into a pair of yellow eyes. §Wow … you are beautiful …§
The snake made a noise that sounded like a chuckle. §I thank thee, hatchling … I am glad to hear thee say that. I did not want to hurt thy Mate, thou knowest that, right?§
§Yes, and thank you.§
§I am glad to have met thee, Harry. Fare thee well, young hatchling, and may God smile upon thee and thy journey.§
As the Basilisk entered her chambers again, Tom Riddle was still smiling. "Now do you believe us, Harry?"
Harry nodded and gave a hug to Ginny. "We have a fair maiden to wake up now, Dad."
"Glad to hear it, Son. Now … could you get my diary back to Lucius?"
"No problem."
As Tom Riddle disappeared back into the diary, he sang:
"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day!
Keep smiling through, just like you always do,
'Till the blue skies drive the black clouds far away …"
Author's Note: Another fun chapter done. Stay tuned for more!
Smiles and laughter,
Loki Palmer
