Authors Note: Just so everyone knows, in my fan fiction Tom has not killed his father yet…in his past I mean. I can't remember if he kills him when he is sixteen or not in the books but in my story he is sixteen and has not killed Tom Sr. yet. Sorry if that confuses anyone or if they are mad but it's just how I need to it to happen in my story! Thanks again to all of you and I hope you like this chapter! Oh and by the way…I know I am posting a lot but it may slow down a bit because I have finals in a few days and I need to study lots…but don't worry, I will keep tabs and write everyday! Mandy

"Remember class, if you add the powered horn root before you add the asphodel then you will cause your potion to turn a yellowish green color and render it ineffective. Make sure you follow the directions very carefully," Snape drawled out. Tom yawned. He was bored and aggravated with being taught things that he had known since he was fourteen. He was relieved, however, that he did know all of this information because he was finding it very hard to concentrate in class. Professor Snape was constantly glancing over at him, peering over his shoulder at his work, and making remarks about him under his breath so Tom couldn't hear. He found all of this unwanted attention insufferable and wished the professor would just leave him be.

"This next potion is one that we will not be brewing, but one that we will be studying. It is called Byzantium and used for liquefying the organs of ones enemy. All one has to do is drink this seemingly normal substance and within two minutes said person will be dead, their organs reduced to goop." The class shuddered at his description; Tom merely rolled his eyes. "Only dark wizards have been known to make this potion," Snape continued. "It can only be created with dark magic." As Snape said this, he brought his gaze over to Tom.

That's it, Tom thought to himself. I can't take it anymore…why the hell would he look at me like that when talking about dark magic? He remembered what Harry had told him about Snape and the Death Eaters, but there were only so many quizzical glances a person could take. He didn't like the fact that this man knew more about him then he knew about himself. Everyone here seems to know too much about me, he thought miserably. He couldn't wait to get out of this class and find his friends. Whoa! Did he just call them friends? Tom had never thought of anyone as his "friend" before. He was also too wary of people, but he found that he did indeed think of his new companions as his friends. Especially Hermione….

"Our time is over for today….but remember," Snape told them, his oily voice flowing over them, stopping their actions. "I expect all of you to turn in a paper on the prevention of the major dark potions that are still a threat in this day. I want 12 inches of parchment filled and it is due no later then Friday. You are dismissed."

Thank the gods, Tom thought. He could not stand to hear one more thing from that man today. He didn't like how his professor said the words dark potions while looking directly at him again. Was that fool trying to expose him to the others? Tom figured he probably was and that he had better be on his best behavior around him. He would just have to use his old "teacher charm" on him; no professor, with the exception of Dumbledore, could resist Tom's charisma. He just hoped it still worked in the year 1997.

Tom let out a quiet sigh and left the gloom of the dungeons behind as he made his way towards the Gryffindor common room. As Tom was walking down a practically empty corridor, he was accosted by a boy with sleek hair that was so blonde it looked almost platinum.

"Hello Mr. Riddle," the boy began in a formal tone full of respect. "My name is Draco Malfoy. I have wanted an audience with you since I found out who you are. It is a great honor to meet you." Draco's eyes shone with admiration and Tom took a step back in case the blonde started to drool on his shoes. He was reminded of Damien Malfoy back in his own time who was obviously Draco's grandfather. He too looked at Tom with same revere as Draco was showing. He wondered if Damien had ever told anyone about knowing him and calling him Voldemort back at school. He figured Draco was the one person he could use to find out.

"How is it that you know me Mr. Malfoy," Tom asked curiously, his eyebrows arching.

"I have known who you are my whole life, my Lord."

Tom's eyes grew wide and he looked around the hallway only to see it deserted. He let out a sigh of relief.

Draco saw how Tom reacted at being discovered and quickly defended himself. "Dumbledore made me swear not to tell anyone who you are, and I won't. He knows that my father must have told me all about you years ago, fool that he is. Of course my father would tell me about you. You see, my father serves you...he is one of your Death Eaters. My grandfather was one as well. That is how I have always known who you are, and that is how I know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. Though now you would curse anyone who called you by that name." The whole time Draco was talking he kept direct eye contact with Tom as if offering up an open invitation to invade his mind and see that he wasn't lying.

"And what is it that I have your father do Mr. Malfoy." Tom asked, curious as to what he commanded of his followers.

"My father is in charge of Muggle torture. He deals with muggles and mudbloods alike and puts them in their place. Other then the torturing though, I don't know what you ask of him; he is not allowed to disclose such information."

Tom was a bit taken aback to say the least. Draco's face took on an ugly sneer when he talked of muggles and muggleborns being tortured; the boy looked almost bestial.

He thought of Hermione and about how she was a muggleborn. He may have just met her, but he couldn't stand the thought of someone like Draco Malfoy hurting her because of what she was. His old "friends" would probably think of him as a hypocrite for thinking the way he was about muggleborns now, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do now was get the hell away from Draco and find his real friends.

"Excuse me Mr. Malfoy but my presence is needed elsewhere at the moment." Tom turned and started to walk away.

"Draco," the blonde said softly, hooking on to Tom's arm to stop him from leaving. "You can call me Draco, and if you ever want to talk, about anything, then just head to the Slytherin common room...your true home." Draco smiled.

"Thank you Mr. Mal...Draco," Tom corrected. "Maybe sometime if I ever get a little homesick." With that Tom disengaged from the younger boy and took off down the hall. All this talk about dark magic and evil wizards was starting to get at him.

He finally reached the Gryffindor common room and let out yet another sigh of relief. He felt like he was home, a feeling that was relatively new to him. He gave the password with a slight chuckle though. He wondered who had thought of using horny horn toad for a password. Damn Gryffindors.

He entered the common room and for the first time that day he felt a huge smile attach itself to his face. Harry and Ron were sitting at a table and playing a game of wizard's chess while Ginny was whispering hints into Harry's ear, something that went unnoticed by Ron. Turing to the right Tom felt his face stretch into an even bigger grin. Hermione was slouched on a couch and had her nose in a book that looked old and worn. A thought came to him and it caused his smile to turn into a mischievous smirk.

Tom quietly put his things down and crept over to Hermione, who hadn't noticed his presence in the room. Tom crouched behind the couch and peered over the top, his face close to her spill of honey colored curls. She had a soft smell radiating from her that reminded Tom of peppermint and pine. Oh God, she is making me go soft. He smiled at that thought. He sat there for a moment, just watching her eyes scurry across the page, and her chest as it moved up and down while she breathed. Then he leaned in close to her ear.

"Book any good?" he whispered softly. Hermione wheeled around with a squeal and accidentally rammed her head into Tom's. A resonating thump was heard, followed by two groans as they both felt pain rush to where their heads had collided with each other.

To their extreme embarrassment, everyone else in the common room had seen the minor fiasco and began to laugh wildly at the two teenagers. The loudest laughs were coming from Harry, Ginny, and Ron.

Tom and Hermione gave everyone venomous looks until they realized how funny the situation was and joined in with the others. "Sorry about that," Tom told her embarrassingly. "I didn't think I would scare you that bad."

"I wasn't scared." She told him defensively. "You just caught me by surprise. It's not everyday someone whispers in your ear when you are nice and content with a book," she told him with a grin.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing you brought me here," he told her in a whisper so the others who didn't know of his situation couldn't hear.

"Wow you guys," Ron commented sarcastically. "It's only been one day and already you two have bodily injuries. I wonder who will get hurt next."

"It will be you if don't stop teasing Ronald," Hermione told him while playfully hitting him in the arm.

"Hey Hermione," Ginny began. "I don't mean to be a bother, but would you mind helping me out in the library? I have to work on this assignment for Astrology and I don't know what books I should use."

"Sure Ginny, I have to go there anyways to return some books." Hermione always had something to do in the library. "We'll see you guys later," they both called back as they waved bye to their friends.

Tom waved back feeling a bit miserable that she was leaving already. Ron had to go as well, saying that he had to stop Fred and George from some prank that they were supposed to pull on Professor Flitwick, but Harry knew he was probably going to the kitchens to try and score some more food. That boy was always eating and yet he never gained any weight. Prat, Harry thought to himself.

Now that they were alone, Tom thought it would be the perfect time to clear a few things with Harry. Little did he know that Harry had the same thing on his mind.

"Listen Harry, I have some questions for you about...well...me." How funny he should have to ask someone else for information about himself.

"I expected you would," Harry told him, moving over to a couch where both boys could sit and talk. The common room had cleared out as students made their way to their afternoon activities, so Tom and Harry were able to talk freely.

"Well first off, I was wondering if you could tell me about my situation with Ginny and Ron and how it is that they know me."

Harry expected this from Tom since he was first introduced to the two red heads, so he knew how to answer this question easily.

"Well Tom, Ginny has in fact met you before. And when I mean you, I mean...you, as in your sixteen year old self." Harry expected the confused look Tom was giving him so he continued on. "In my second year and in Ginny's first, a diary was given to her that had once belonged to you. She did not know however that this diary was actually a type of home. Your memory was in that diary Tom, and it was preserved in it for over 50 years. When Ginny wrote in it, she was shocked to find that it wrote back to her. Your memory was writing to her through the pages. She began to confide in you and soon she even considered you to be her best friend. That's when you started to control her. She would wake up and not know what she had done an hour before and soon she realized that it had something to do with you. But it was too late, for you had already gotten her to open the Chamber of Secrets."

The color drained from Tom's face. He felt like getting up and running away and at the same time, he wanted to stay and defend himself. He was torn.

"Yes Tom, I know all about the Chamber of Secrets and how Myrtle Morgan died, and no I am not going to crucify you for it, so stop looking so stricken," Harry added with a smile, which caused Tom to relax a bit.

"Harry I know it sounds bad but..."

"Tom its ok," Harry said before Tom could finish. "You are here to change so I am not holding any of your past endeavors against you." Tom smiled at this and waited for Harry to continue.

"As I was saying," Harry began again. "When she opened the Chamber of Secrets, attacks began on the muggleborns. No one died, but five students, including Flich's stupid cat, were petrified. Hermione was one of them."

Oh God, he had already hurt her. Even if it was that stupid snake that inflicted her pain, it was still his fault. He wondered how these people could even breathe near him after all he had done. These feelings of remorse were new to Tom and he didn't know how to handle them. He was more confused about himself now then he had ever been in his whole life.

Harry studied his face for a moment. At the mention of Hermione, Tom seemed to go pale and still manage to blush. Harry knew Tom had a thing for her, he could see that when they were together. He kind of hoped both teens would get together...they both could use a little companionship, especially Tom would needed to know that someone was there for him. Putting those thoughts aside, Harry continued on with his story.

"With the spell you had her under, you made Ginny write her own goodbye note on a wall and made her come down into the Chamber, as bait for me. She told you all about me in the diary and when you found out I had somehow stopped you, you decided that you would ask me in person about what happened the night that my parents died. Ron and I, along with this nutty teacher who used to work here, were able to locate the Chamber, but halfway through it there was a cave in and I got separated from Ron. I had to go on alone. I found Ginny half dead and lying on the floor unconscious; you were sucking the life out of her so that you, in turn, could live. You and I had this lovely little conversation about what had went on with me and Voldemort, until you got what you wanted from me and sent the basilisk after me.

"Wait a minute." Tom interrupted. "How did you get past the basilisk alive?"

"I got lucky." Harry told him with a smile as he remembered how Fawkes had truly been the hero that night. "At first I thought I could use parseltongue to get by him but then you told me that he would only listen to you."

"You're a parselmouth!" Tom exclaimed.

Harry snickered at his shock. "When you tried to kill me when I was one, some of your powers were accidentally transferred to me. So now I too can talk to snakes."

"Wow…we have one hell of a past." Tom stated. He was stunned to think that all of this had happened and he hadn't even lived it yet….not that he wanted to now though…

"Anyways," Harry began again. "I was able to destroy the basilisk with the help of Godric Gryffindor's sword and a phoenix named Fawkes...but that's another story. I was able to defeat you too by destroying the diary. Ginny woke up immediately after and was fine...all-in-all it was not a fun experience."

Tom was flabbergasted yet again. "Wow Harry...exactly how many times have you managed to kick my ass?"

"Four and counting," Harry said as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say. He smiled at the stunned look on Tom's face. The shock soon changed to a look of shame and Harry realized that the guilt was starting to take hold of Tom.

"I never had any of this planned for my future Harry. I just wanted to show those like my father that I was better than them. I feel so foolish now to know that I am worse." Tom's head was bowed so that Harry couldn't look into his eyes. Harry knew he didn't want to show weakness.

"God knows its hard Tom, but you have to let yourself feel pain or else how will you know that you are real?"

"You're right Harry, but it is going to take some time for me to become a wet blanket like you." Tom looked up and smirked at the affronted look on Harry's face.

"Look who's talking Mr.-I-blush-the-color-of-a-fire-truck-every-time-Hermione-is-around."

"I do not," Tom said as a fresh crimson color painted his cheeks.

"Uh huh, sure Tom, whatever you say you stud muffin you," Harry added while he got up to stretch.

"Who was it that gave Ginny my old diary," Tom wondered.

Harry made a face of disgust. "Lucius Malfoy."

"Ah yes, I have just had the pleasure of meeting Draco. Like father like son I suppose?" Tom asked.

"There two of a kind," Harry sneered. Those Malfoys really were a piece of work.

"Harry, there is one more thing I want to ask you."

"Shoot Tommy Boy." Tom cringed at the awful nickname but went on without telling Harry how much he disliked it.

"Now I know this may sound strange but I have been wondering...what I look like as Voldemort...I mean, do I still have my hair at least," he added with a hopeful smile. He wasn't one to fuss about good looks and all, but he did have a fondness for his hair that was thick, dark, and gleamed in the light.

Harry paled a bit and then laughed nervously. "Um...maybe some other time Tom." Harry didn't have the heart to tell him.

"Harry please, I just want to know. I want to see for myself what I become, and from the way you are looking at me, I can tell it is not going to be pretty."

You can say that again, Harry said under his breath.

Sighing, Harry gave in, knowing that he would have to find out sooner or later.

"The only I way I can tell you Tom is if I show you. We are going to have to go to Dumbledore's office and use his pensieve...I am going to show you a memory."

"Lead the way Harry," replied Tom, thankful that Harry was willing to give him the answers he needed.

Both boys were surprised to find Dumbledore in his office considering the fact that it was a beautiful fall day outside and the sun would soon set. All the better with Dumbledore there, Harry thought.

When Harry explained to Dumbledore what he wanted to do, the older wizard smiled but felt a little hesitant about it.

"Are you sure you are ready to face Lord Voldemort...especially in one of Harry's memories where you will no doubt see some violent acts?" Dumbledore cautioned.

"I am sure Headmaster; I have to do this sometime. I need to see for myself what I am like; I want to see the monster I become. Maybe then I will truly be able to change." Tom said this confidently, but truly he felt like turning tail and forgetting all about this idea. He didn't know why he was so scared all of the sudden.

"Ok son, I trust Harry will guide you well while inside the memory. If you feel you need to leave however, tell Harry and he will pull you back. Good luck Mr. Riddle."

"Thank you sir," Tom said, trying to keep his voice strong and steady. He was scared he might have a heart attack if his heart kept on beating at the rate it was going.

"I am going to show you a memory from my fourth year," Harry told him. "It is where I met the new and improved you for the first time. I am warning you now though; it's not going to be pretty."

"Harry just show me the damn memory already." Tom was losing patience and knew that if he didn't get this over with soon then he would turn around and get the hell out of that office while he still could.

Nodding, Harry pulled out his wand and walked over to the pensieve with Tom following behind. Harry put his wand to his temple, thought about something for a moment, and then extracted a long, slivery strand and placed it inside the basin full of swirling mist.

"After you," Harry said to a very peaky looking Tom Riddle.

Tom lowered his head into the pensieve and then felt a sensation that told him he was falling helplessly through the air. He landed on soft ground with a thud and wondered why everything was so dark. He realized that he had his eyes closed. He opened them to find that the place he was in was just as dark anyways, but in a graying darkness, like a storm was coming soon. He felt a thud next to him and turned to see that Harry had landed right beside him.

"Where are we Harry?" Tom asked as looked down from the hill they were on to spot a small town far below. Before Harry could answer though, Tom heard sounds coming from behind him and turned to see what had caused it. He wish he hadn't turned around.

There was a fourteen year old Harry, trapped against a gravestone that was huge and sported a menacing looking angel of death, whose scythe was holding Harry prisoner. What caught his initial attention though were the names on the tombstone. Tom Riddle was engraved there, as well as two other Riddles whose names where not familiar to Tom. This must have been his father's home. In the background stood a huge house that looked run down but in its day must have been a beauty. His attention was turned to a short, tubby looking man who reminded Tom of a rat with his matted hair, watery eyes, and whiskery face. He was standing over a simmering cauldron.

"That's Peter Pettigrew, one of your followers." Harry said, startling Tom who had almost forgotten he was there for a moment.

"What the hell is doing? What is with the cauldron? Is he brewing a potion? And why are you trapped against that tombstone? Bloody hell Harry, you look rough, and terrified if I might add."

"That's because I was. You see that boy on the ground over there? That is Cedric Diggory... I just watched him die before I was thrown against the grave." Harry said all of this with what sounded like guilt in his voice.

"I'm sorry Harry," Tom whispered honestly. He looked at the handsome boy on the floor and wondered what kind of wizard he would have been if he had been able to become an adult. He felt the bile rise up in his throat again and turned away from the handsome face that was already paling with the milky white color of death.

Tom and Harry watched as Peter cut of his hand which dropped into the cauldron. Its contents began to bubble and hiss and emitted sparks of red and white that shot out in all directions. Then Tom wasn't sure if he remembered how to breathe. Something was rising up out of the cauldron, something in the shape of a human.

"Harry what's..." Tom began but was cut off.

"Just watch," Harry told him.

The person who had risen out of the cauldron was surrounded by sliver colored vapors, making it hard for Tom to see what the person looked like. He could however see an outline of the body and saw that it must have been a man, and he was skeletally thin…disgustingly thin as a matter of fact. Tom's heart was hammering inside his chest; he suddenly didn't want to be here anymore, and he sure as hell didn't want to see what that painfully thin man really looked like.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard, one that was high pitched and hissed much like a snakes. "Robe Me," the eerie voice commanded. The man named Peter who was miserably crying over the pain from his severed hand, managed to wrap a robe around the thin man's shoulders. Tom still could not see the man clearly, but the look on the other Harry's face told him that he was not handsome.

The thin man stepped from the cauldron, his face staring directly into the trapped fourteen year olds in front of him. Then, the he turned to look at his surroundings, finally revealing his face to his younger self. Lord Voldemort stared right at the spot where Tom and Harry were standing, but was looking beyond them as if they were not there. Tom was sure he would throw up. Voldemort looked more like a snake than a man. His bald head was oddly contorted and was as white as bone. There was no nose that adorned his horrible face, but two slits for nostrils that resembled a snake's. He even caught a glimpse of his tongue that had absentmindedly darted out from his thin lips; his tongue was sliced a bit down the middle making it look like a snake's as well.

Tom couldn't take anymore of this scene. He didn't want to see what this disgusting man would do to Harry, and he didn't plan on sticking around to find out.

"G-get me the hell out of h-here," he managed to choke out. He was trying his best to hold back the bile rising in his throat.

Harry grabbed Tom by the arm and yanked up. They felt a swishing sensation and then landed back in Dumbledore's office in a flash, where the Headmaster was waiting by his desk for their return.

As soon as they were, Tom doubled over and retched all over the floor. He was surprised he had managed to wait that long. Harry rushed to his side with Dumbledore in his wake.

"I'm ok," Tom managed to say, still feeling a bit queasy. "I um…j-just got a little spooked. Sorry about the mess Headmaster."

"It's fine my boy, but I am not worried about the carpet. I am worried about you."

Tom smiled weakly. "I just really want to be alone right now."

"Ok Tom," Harry spoke up. He didn't really want to leave him alone in this condition, but he felt that Tom may need some time to himself for a while, so he let him go.

As Tom practically ran out of the room, Dumbledore walked over to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look out for him will you Harry? What he saw in your memory must have really terrified him," Dumbledore said sadly.

"He didn't even see the whole thing headmaster. He got one look at Voldemort's face, turned a nice shade a green, and then told me to take him back. I don't think he could handle seeing himself that way...as a monster."

"Few could," Dumbledore agreed. "Watch out for him nevertheless Harry."

"I will sir, and so will Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. We all really do like him and care about him. He just needs time."

Albus smiled and nodded to his young companion, but inside he felt a great sadness for the young man who he had once frowned upon. He truly hoped that he would be ok.

"Scourgify", Tom said while pointing his wand at his mouth. He had to do something to get rid of that awful vomit taste, and now that it was gone he felt a little better. He had been walking on silently down corridor after corridor, not really knowing where he was headed, only that he wanted to get there quick. Every time that snake-like face crept into his thoughts, his stomach would give a lurch and made him feel nauseous all over again. He didn't have to watch that man do anything just to know that he was evil; his face showed it all. In those red, glowing eyes, Tom saw hate and anger and what scared him most of all...pain. It was almost undetectable amidst all of the malice that was shown there, but Tom had seen it. The fact that he was evil and still felt pain made everything seem worthless to him. He wanted power to try and escape from human emotions like pain because it made you weak and he vowed never to be weak like his father. He was better than that. He had to be.

Tom turned another corner and ended up in a deserted hallway that had very few doors. He knew this hallway well, for there was a door at the end of it that leads out to a balcony of some sort where one could be out in the fresh air and view the grounds down below. He had often gone there to think and to be alone. That was the perfect place for him at the moment, and since no one seemed to coming up here anytime soon, he knew that he would be alone for a while. So imagine his surprise when he walked out on the balcony to find someone already there.

Oh la la…my first cliffhanger! Hehe…bet you are all wondering who is out there? Well you are just going have to wait and find out now aren't cha? LOL…I hope you all liked this chapter! And remember I love you guys!

Oh and I found this on an avatar and I figured I would share if you guys haven't seen it already….I think it is hilarious!

SIRIUS BLACK:

Escaped Azkaban….

Evaded Dementors…

Outwitted Ministry…

Killed by drapery….

Don't ya just love it? LOL…