Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"There's nothing worse than death"
-Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione Granger bit her lip, and tried to stop her hands from
shaking. Never show your fear in the eyes of the enemy, she chanted to
herself. Her brain froze, and she thought hard for a believable answer
that might satisfy Tom Riddle. He was still holding on to her hand, and
trying to meet her avoiding eyes.
"Well?" he hissed, bewildered. "Was it the worthless dirt, Hortense,
that told you? I've never told anybody but you about that place, but I
reckon that her snooping blasted nose had been poking into my affairs
lately. She wanted to know why I needed her finger, after all. " They
were under the table, and Hermione could see that someone had a
mismatched shoe. She would've laughed, if the situation wasn't so tensed.
I mustn't let him know that I'm from the future, she told herself. He'll
torture me for information. Tom's cornflower blue eyes were still
flashing, as she battled with her conscience about whether to blame
Hortense or not. Should I save my own skin at the cost of exposing her to
his rage? She remembered the way he treated Hortense earlier-he looked
almost murderous when she merely laid her hand on his. He'll kill her,
she realised.
"Nobody told me," she snapped at him, throwing caution to the winds.
As far as she knew, nobody snapped at Voldemort before. Not even
Dumbledore. But Harry had, she remembered. He's exceptional.
"Then how did you know?" he asked, confused. Hermione was bemused at
the speed Tom's expression switched from anger to puzzlement. This is it,
she told herself. Now we'll see what a good liar I am.
"I-I saw a carving of a snake at on one of the taps in the bathroom,"
she said calmly, but she cleverly avoided his eyes. Eye contact was
essential in Legilimency. Tom seemed slightly impressed, but all he said
was, "Go on,".
"Every single part of Hogwarts is explored, except one. Salazar
Slytherin's secret chamber," she said, looking at his shoes. She risked a
glance at his face, and to her delight, he was smiling. A thin smile, but
definitely a smile.
"Now, Salazar's most famous trait is Parselmouth. I'm guessing that he
left a....hint, to lead his heir to the chamber," Tom was definitely
grinning now. "When you told me that you've found a secret hideout, my
first guess is that you've found the chamber. And to find it, you had to
pass Salazar's first test. You have to be a Parselmouth," she finished.
Harry had told her that the Chamber of Secrets only opened when he spoke
to the carving in Parseltongue. I hope that I got the facts right, she
thought miserably. Or else...
When she looked up, she was shocked to find that Tom's face was barely
an inch away from hers. "I always knew that you are special," he
whispered. "Nobody has figured out where the entrance is, yet. Hortense
was stupid enough to think that somebody carved it there as a joke. As
if," he spat. "I'm willing to bet my soul that Salazar carved it
himself," he sneered. Hermione winced.
"But you are different," he said, his eyes swerving back to her. She
gulped. "You understood. And that's why...." He paused, surprising her
with a passionate kiss. It was tender and vivid at the same time. It's
wrong, she thought frantically, but how can I resist?
The kiss ended. "That's why we should be together," he finished. It
was not an offer.
Hermione said nothing. Her mouth was still tingling, as it was the
most sensational kiss ever. But it's Voldemort's kiss, she thought
disgustedly. Or was it Toms? Johnson had gone as far as to suggest that
she sleep with him, for the sake of changing history. That was downright
ridiculous. But a kiss wouldn't matter, right? I have to gain his trust,
she told herself. It's all for the sake of the wizarding world.
But deep in her heart, Hermione felt wretchedly guilty. She may be
blaming her friendly behaviour with Tom on making the sake of world a
better place, but the horrible truth was that she had fallen for him. And
the guilt was overwhelming. Ron would say that I'm.....fraternising with
the enemy. And I am.
"I'll take you to the sacred place tomorrow," he said, jolting her
back to the present. "Then you can see what he's built for his heir.for
me,"
She brushed her bushy hair away from her eyes, and shook his hand off.
It's forbidden, she thought. I can never love a murderer. But has he
killed yet?
Leaving Tom under the table, Hermione stood up, and rushed out of the
Great Hall. The students were still eating, and nobody noticed her, as
she ran away, away from Tom's call of "Wait!"
***************************************
Dumbledore folded his hands and surveyed Harry and Ron through his half
moon glasses. "She's Diaspparated?"
Ron leaped up from his chair and nodded his head vigourously. "That's
what I'm saying," he said. "She told us to go ahead, but she never
followed! I personally think that she's Disapparated,"
Dumbledore smiled and walked to the smoky glass cabinet behind him.
His wrinkly fingers landed on a brown and vermillion book, and Harry saw
that it had the school's badge on it. Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
The Headmaster gave the book to Ron, who staggered slightly under its
weight. "I believe that you'll find Hogwarts: A History the perfect read
for your weekends Ronald,' he said, winking knowingly at Harry. Ron
realised too late that she couldn't have apparated on school grounds, and
blushed crimson.
Dumbledore lowered himself into his chair, and raised his eyebrows at
Harry. "Are you certain?"
Harry felt as though he was in one of those tv shows that his Uncle
Vernon watched- the one where giving the wrong answer would cause you to
lose a substantial amount of money. "Yes," he answered. "I believe that
it's because of this book," he said, flinging the infernal ebony book on
Dumbledore's desk.
Dumbledore inspected the book for a few minutes, and his frown grew
deeper. "And did I hear you say that a house elf gave this to her?" Harry
nodded. But Dumbledore shook his head, as he stroked his long silver
beard. "But no house elf would give Voldemort's possessions to students.
They don't even own such cursed things,"
Ron froze. "You mean that the book belongs to You Know Who?" he
whispered, checking his fingers to see if any Dark Mark had appeared on
them. Harry's eyes glinted oddly. A thought struck him. "Maybe she went
back to the past, like I did,' he said. Once again, Dumbledore shook his
head. "This isn't a diary, Harry. It's a coded Time Portkey. One can only
use it, if a certain code is broken. It is my guess that Miss Granger had
found the right word, that enabled her to be transported back," he said
slowly. Harry felt a sour feeling in his stomach. Dumbledore sighed
deeply. "She'll not merely be observing, as you did, Harry. She'll be
there, bodily. People can see her, hear her....and hurt her."
**************************************
Hermione spent the night in the Room of Requirement, dreaming of her
NEWTS. She knew every spell, every incantation, but halfway through her
Arithmancy test, the examiner transformed into Tom, who said, "Why did
you leave? I swore that I wouldn't die till I found you. I couldn't die,
because of you. If death shall do us apart, then there's nothing worse
that death!"
It was a strange dream, and Hermione sensibly told herself that she
would put an end to it. Walking into the Great Hall, she heard a girl
saying excitedly, "He's playing today! He'll dedicate his catch to me, I
know it,"
Playing? Thought Hermione. Then realisation hit her. Quidditch! It was
Quidditch season. Grabbing a piece of toast, Hermione headed to the
Quidditch field, chewing hungrily. By the looks of it, it was Ravenclaw
against Slytherin. The bread that she was chewing almost choked her when
she saw the Slytherin Seeker. Dark haired, his head high, with a deadly
competitive look in his eyes. Tom.
Hermione felt a rush of adrenalin every time a goal was scored. But
when she squinted her eyes, she saw that Tom had vague dark circles under
his eyes. His usually sleek hair looked untidy, as though he hadn't
combed it. It couldn't be, she thought. I'm too far away to see clearly.
She concentrated instead on the brunette Ravenclaw Keeper, who was doing
her best to block a Quaffle. She gasped, along with the other students,
when the brunette used her head to bodily block it. Boy, thought
Hermione, as the Quaffle thumped against the brunette's head. She must be
dying to win!
But halfway through the game, the excited cheers died down, replaced
by confused mutterings. Hermione blinked when she was that Tom had
descended to the ground, taking his wand out of his robes. The field was
silent. She heard a pin dropped.
Tom pointed his wand at his throat. "Sonorus!" he said. Hermione
scratched her head. He couldn't have chosen a better moment to introduce
his basilisk to everyone, she thought. It would kill many with its deadly
stare, and with all eyes on the quidditch field, a massacre would be very
easy.
But instead, Tom's magnified voice came out sounding.....shy. He gave
a little cough. "I apologize for interrupting this match," he sad, his
eyes searching the crowd. "But there's something that I have to say.
Now."
I first saw you
Yesterday
And when you spoke
I understood what others say about love
It's strange but
It's as though I've always loved you
In lifetimes before
And when you looked at me
It's as though you've known me too
And yet at times
I'm afraid to look at you
For I find
Distrust in your eyes
But
I'll never stop
I shan't succumb to anything
Until you are mine
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Please, if you've read this chapter I need to know what you think!
*looks exasperated* I feel like this is the worst chapter I've ever
written, and it's so boring! I seriously agree with HPfan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"There's nothing worse than death"
-Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione Granger bit her lip, and tried to stop her hands from
shaking. Never show your fear in the eyes of the enemy, she chanted to
herself. Her brain froze, and she thought hard for a believable answer
that might satisfy Tom Riddle. He was still holding on to her hand, and
trying to meet her avoiding eyes.
"Well?" he hissed, bewildered. "Was it the worthless dirt, Hortense,
that told you? I've never told anybody but you about that place, but I
reckon that her snooping blasted nose had been poking into my affairs
lately. She wanted to know why I needed her finger, after all. " They
were under the table, and Hermione could see that someone had a
mismatched shoe. She would've laughed, if the situation wasn't so tensed.
I mustn't let him know that I'm from the future, she told herself. He'll
torture me for information. Tom's cornflower blue eyes were still
flashing, as she battled with her conscience about whether to blame
Hortense or not. Should I save my own skin at the cost of exposing her to
his rage? She remembered the way he treated Hortense earlier-he looked
almost murderous when she merely laid her hand on his. He'll kill her,
she realised.
"Nobody told me," she snapped at him, throwing caution to the winds.
As far as she knew, nobody snapped at Voldemort before. Not even
Dumbledore. But Harry had, she remembered. He's exceptional.
"Then how did you know?" he asked, confused. Hermione was bemused at
the speed Tom's expression switched from anger to puzzlement. This is it,
she told herself. Now we'll see what a good liar I am.
"I-I saw a carving of a snake at on one of the taps in the bathroom,"
she said calmly, but she cleverly avoided his eyes. Eye contact was
essential in Legilimency. Tom seemed slightly impressed, but all he said
was, "Go on,".
"Every single part of Hogwarts is explored, except one. Salazar
Slytherin's secret chamber," she said, looking at his shoes. She risked a
glance at his face, and to her delight, he was smiling. A thin smile, but
definitely a smile.
"Now, Salazar's most famous trait is Parselmouth. I'm guessing that he
left a....hint, to lead his heir to the chamber," Tom was definitely
grinning now. "When you told me that you've found a secret hideout, my
first guess is that you've found the chamber. And to find it, you had to
pass Salazar's first test. You have to be a Parselmouth," she finished.
Harry had told her that the Chamber of Secrets only opened when he spoke
to the carving in Parseltongue. I hope that I got the facts right, she
thought miserably. Or else...
When she looked up, she was shocked to find that Tom's face was barely
an inch away from hers. "I always knew that you are special," he
whispered. "Nobody has figured out where the entrance is, yet. Hortense
was stupid enough to think that somebody carved it there as a joke. As
if," he spat. "I'm willing to bet my soul that Salazar carved it
himself," he sneered. Hermione winced.
"But you are different," he said, his eyes swerving back to her. She
gulped. "You understood. And that's why...." He paused, surprising her
with a passionate kiss. It was tender and vivid at the same time. It's
wrong, she thought frantically, but how can I resist?
The kiss ended. "That's why we should be together," he finished. It
was not an offer.
Hermione said nothing. Her mouth was still tingling, as it was the
most sensational kiss ever. But it's Voldemort's kiss, she thought
disgustedly. Or was it Toms? Johnson had gone as far as to suggest that
she sleep with him, for the sake of changing history. That was downright
ridiculous. But a kiss wouldn't matter, right? I have to gain his trust,
she told herself. It's all for the sake of the wizarding world.
But deep in her heart, Hermione felt wretchedly guilty. She may be
blaming her friendly behaviour with Tom on making the sake of world a
better place, but the horrible truth was that she had fallen for him. And
the guilt was overwhelming. Ron would say that I'm.....fraternising with
the enemy. And I am.
"I'll take you to the sacred place tomorrow," he said, jolting her
back to the present. "Then you can see what he's built for his heir.for
me,"
She brushed her bushy hair away from her eyes, and shook his hand off.
It's forbidden, she thought. I can never love a murderer. But has he
killed yet?
Leaving Tom under the table, Hermione stood up, and rushed out of the
Great Hall. The students were still eating, and nobody noticed her, as
she ran away, away from Tom's call of "Wait!"
***************************************
Dumbledore folded his hands and surveyed Harry and Ron through his half
moon glasses. "She's Diaspparated?"
Ron leaped up from his chair and nodded his head vigourously. "That's
what I'm saying," he said. "She told us to go ahead, but she never
followed! I personally think that she's Disapparated,"
Dumbledore smiled and walked to the smoky glass cabinet behind him.
His wrinkly fingers landed on a brown and vermillion book, and Harry saw
that it had the school's badge on it. Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.
The Headmaster gave the book to Ron, who staggered slightly under its
weight. "I believe that you'll find Hogwarts: A History the perfect read
for your weekends Ronald,' he said, winking knowingly at Harry. Ron
realised too late that she couldn't have apparated on school grounds, and
blushed crimson.
Dumbledore lowered himself into his chair, and raised his eyebrows at
Harry. "Are you certain?"
Harry felt as though he was in one of those tv shows that his Uncle
Vernon watched- the one where giving the wrong answer would cause you to
lose a substantial amount of money. "Yes," he answered. "I believe that
it's because of this book," he said, flinging the infernal ebony book on
Dumbledore's desk.
Dumbledore inspected the book for a few minutes, and his frown grew
deeper. "And did I hear you say that a house elf gave this to her?" Harry
nodded. But Dumbledore shook his head, as he stroked his long silver
beard. "But no house elf would give Voldemort's possessions to students.
They don't even own such cursed things,"
Ron froze. "You mean that the book belongs to You Know Who?" he
whispered, checking his fingers to see if any Dark Mark had appeared on
them. Harry's eyes glinted oddly. A thought struck him. "Maybe she went
back to the past, like I did,' he said. Once again, Dumbledore shook his
head. "This isn't a diary, Harry. It's a coded Time Portkey. One can only
use it, if a certain code is broken. It is my guess that Miss Granger had
found the right word, that enabled her to be transported back," he said
slowly. Harry felt a sour feeling in his stomach. Dumbledore sighed
deeply. "She'll not merely be observing, as you did, Harry. She'll be
there, bodily. People can see her, hear her....and hurt her."
**************************************
Hermione spent the night in the Room of Requirement, dreaming of her
NEWTS. She knew every spell, every incantation, but halfway through her
Arithmancy test, the examiner transformed into Tom, who said, "Why did
you leave? I swore that I wouldn't die till I found you. I couldn't die,
because of you. If death shall do us apart, then there's nothing worse
that death!"
It was a strange dream, and Hermione sensibly told herself that she
would put an end to it. Walking into the Great Hall, she heard a girl
saying excitedly, "He's playing today! He'll dedicate his catch to me, I
know it,"
Playing? Thought Hermione. Then realisation hit her. Quidditch! It was
Quidditch season. Grabbing a piece of toast, Hermione headed to the
Quidditch field, chewing hungrily. By the looks of it, it was Ravenclaw
against Slytherin. The bread that she was chewing almost choked her when
she saw the Slytherin Seeker. Dark haired, his head high, with a deadly
competitive look in his eyes. Tom.
Hermione felt a rush of adrenalin every time a goal was scored. But
when she squinted her eyes, she saw that Tom had vague dark circles under
his eyes. His usually sleek hair looked untidy, as though he hadn't
combed it. It couldn't be, she thought. I'm too far away to see clearly.
She concentrated instead on the brunette Ravenclaw Keeper, who was doing
her best to block a Quaffle. She gasped, along with the other students,
when the brunette used her head to bodily block it. Boy, thought
Hermione, as the Quaffle thumped against the brunette's head. She must be
dying to win!
But halfway through the game, the excited cheers died down, replaced
by confused mutterings. Hermione blinked when she was that Tom had
descended to the ground, taking his wand out of his robes. The field was
silent. She heard a pin dropped.
Tom pointed his wand at his throat. "Sonorus!" he said. Hermione
scratched her head. He couldn't have chosen a better moment to introduce
his basilisk to everyone, she thought. It would kill many with its deadly
stare, and with all eyes on the quidditch field, a massacre would be very
easy.
But instead, Tom's magnified voice came out sounding.....shy. He gave
a little cough. "I apologize for interrupting this match," he sad, his
eyes searching the crowd. "But there's something that I have to say.
Now."
I first saw you
Yesterday
And when you spoke
I understood what others say about love
It's strange but
It's as though I've always loved you
In lifetimes before
And when you looked at me
It's as though you've known me too
And yet at times
I'm afraid to look at you
For I find
Distrust in your eyes
But
I'll never stop
I shan't succumb to anything
Until you are mine
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Please, if you've read this chapter I need to know what you think!
*looks exasperated* I feel like this is the worst chapter I've ever
written, and it's so boring! I seriously agree with HPfan.