It felt nothing anymore.

Falling through the cosmos for eternity did that to you.

This delicate ferocious creature always thought that its eternal life would be filled with more meaningful events than this neverending plumage to purgatory.

It couldn't remember much about its past life. This tiny creature has floated through a soundless ocean for nearly a millennia.

The creature tried to pull forth its name…

It needed to at least remember its name!

H… The creature continued to float downwards, passing by dark masses that were too vast to make out.

Her...mione... Yes! The creature cried...if Hermione could remember her name then she could remember her life.

Hermione floated onwards through the inky blackness. Long ago forgetting the very simple things like a cool breeze playing gently through your hair or the soft warm embrace of sun rays as you laid upon a hill in blissful content.

The little creature vowed to walk barefoot on grass if she was ever to be released from this prison. For some reason, she missed the sensation.

Hogwarts Castle, The Black Lake

Tom Riddle enjoyed the perks of being head boy. No longer did he have to imperious or disillusion himself around the castle. No, the handsome man thought smugly; he alone made the monthly rotation roster and he always made sure his location was beneficial to his plans. Which brought him to the banks of the Black Lake.

Riddle was so close to finding the entrance to the Founder's Chamber. He could almost taste their ancient magick flitter across from its heavily concealed veil. If only he could figure out a way to get Potter to willing comply with his wishes. If they had two founders heirs searching for the chamber, then they were most likely to succeed in finding the entrance, not to mention that he was almost certain that they would likely have to pay in blood for admittance. It irritated Riddle that Potter was such a good little Gryffindor and lapdog to that idiotic headmaster Dumbledore. Riddle huffed indignantly at the idea of ever asking Potter to help him; as if the golden idiot would without severe repercussions to Riddle's plan.

Tom stops his mindless roaming and stares at the filtered rays that glittered across the surface of the inky lake. He would take control of this world and the muggle one. He knew it mattered not who stood in his way. However, he did grow tiresome of the childish politics of Hogwarts. Tom Riddle was ready for the real world. He has grown his followers to reach the majority of the other houses, as well as several influential figures in the Ministry of Magic. He also had connections in both the Americas, thanks to Draco and Abraxas Malfoy's mother's bloodline. Yes, the world was nearly at his hands...yet it was not going to fall into his lap so until, then he would have to continue his tedious manpulat-

SMACK

Before Riddle can finish his arrogant monologue, he is struck headfirst with something the size of a trunk. Riddle angrily flashes his wand at the unconscious being in front of him. He wipes the blood from his throbbing temple of he tried to focus on what had the audacity to strike him while he planned world domination. He would surely crucio them within an inch of their life before oblivating the crime and sending them on their miserable way.

Tom Riddle stares down at what seemed to be a woman of about seventeen. She was of smaller build and long toned legs. Her delicate features were lifeless as she breathed short shallow breaths. What was most noticeable about this weird woman was her golden-brown curls. It was as if the sunlight itself was contained within every swirl and curve of her coily tresses. Even in its distressed and frazzled state did Riddle find that he wanted to run his fingers through the beautiful chaotic mess that was her hair. What was next noticeable about the girl was her pointed ears and outdated medieval clothing. Tom pulled the creature's curly hair aside to show golden tan skin that was freckled along the collar bone. His eyes ran along her neckline to her slightly pointed ears. They were slightly pointed near the tips, they were the same color as her golden skin tone though her left ear was pierced with jeweled rings.

Tom knew about Fae lore, though that's what it was until this very moment. Just a fairy tale that witches told their young children before bedtime. The Majestic Seelie courts with their lush forests and beautiful water nymphs, that will bestow proper little witches and wizards freshwaters pearls to take home. The dark and foreboding Unseelie court where they rip the flesh from humans and enjoy the prolonged torture of little children who stray from the forest path. However, never in history has Riddle read that a Fae was ever captured. Sure there were rumors of medieval wizards who captured a fae halfling though their deaths ended horrifically once their Fae parents found out. But surely this creature had to be the last Fae if she really was of elven line. Riddle pulled the small women's hair behind her back before nonverbally raising the woman into a standing position. Her curly head bobbed to the left as her bare feet barely grazed the Black Lakes murky shore. Tom catches a silver glint between her breast and wisk his wand towards that direction, a tiny pendant with the symbol of Ravenclaw shines forth through the moonlight.

Riddle instantly takes a deep breath and smiles evilly at the change of events. So she is a halfing and the supposed last heir of Ravenclaw. Riddle would need to look into the bloodline of Ravenclaw to further support his theory. He raises her head and slowly takes in her features. She is certainly beautiful. Almost ethereal in her waifish features and stature. She had full lips and high cheekbones that almost screamed of royal lineage. Riddle feels his groin stir awake, he needed to make sure that her identity stayed his little secret. He raises his wand to both her ears and conceals their pointed nature before magicking her long silk tunic into polished dress robes befitting a young pureblood with of their generation, well his generation. Tom made sure to conjure the correct shade of blue to subtly represent his witches' true lineage.

Oh yes, Tom Riddle claimed this rare half-Fae half-witch. Even if she turned out to just be a witch of common stock. Her Fae side all but would make up for it If Tom could figure out how archaic wizards bound fae halflings to their will, then Tom could be the most powerful wizard alive.

Riddle ran this pale hand across the unconscious witches' throat, his throbbing member jumped slightly as the little creature before him whimpered subconsciously at the dark wizard's intrusion.

Yes, it did not matter if she was competent or not, Riddle would figure out a way to control this mystifying being for his benefit. Until then he would have to make sure that Dumbledore did not discover her bloodline nor his plan.

Tom Riddle made sure to thoroughly mask the subtle magical changes he made to his claimed witch. He then pocketed the Ravenclaw pendant before grabbing the slim women's neck once more and guiding his wand to the base of her right collarbone

He wanted to mark her, like his followers, though he did believe that she deserved a special mark, Something that we would only bestow to her.

Tom Riddle contemplated this before finally deciding on a small silver serpent that slithered around her collarbone and throat in a possessive manner. Riddle willed the tattoo to vanish, knowing it would resurface when needed. Tom made sure that the dark mark he gave his Fae witch would keep any memory that would give her identity away locked deep into her subconscious. Only he would be able to access them, to try so would surely lead the tiny witch to insanity.

With this final act did Tom Riddle take the floating Hermione to the Headmaster.