I don't own any references to magic or Hogwarts, or anything else found in any of J.K. Rowling's books.  It all belongs to her.  Obviously.

Chapter 2

Perfection is Shattered

~Five Years Later~

            Elizabeth Drew stood on the table in her dining room clutching a long piece of wood with her chubby fingers.  The small child's black hair was braided and placed in pigtails.  Her bright blue eyes glowed with mischief.  She smiled and lifted the wand above her head.  She shouted the words she had heard her Mommy say the previous day.  Suddenly, the dishes that lay on the shelf across from her, the vase that was on the desk, and the bowl of fruit that sat on the very table she stood on, all rose into the air!  The objects began to dance around the room.  They floated around Elizabeth in a spiral about her.  She swung the wand back and forth as if she were a conductor, giggling the entire time.  This was so much fun!  As little Elizabeth was conducting the numerous objects around the room, she jerked her arm down quickly and was planning on raising it up again but it never happened.  When she lowered her arm, it caused all the items to slam into the ground.  Dishes shattered, the vase burst, and the fruit fell with several splatters.  The noise was immense.  Elizabeth was no longer giggling.  Her face was frozen in horror.

            "Uh-oh.  I'm in biiiiiiig trouble."  The child muttered.  Sure enough a cry came from the other room. 

            "Elizabeth?"  The girls' parents were rushing from the backyard.  Maybe if she hurried, she could make it back to her room before they…too late. 

            "Elizabeth Drew!"  Lynn Drew stood in the doorway of the dining room with her husband just behind her.  She looked around the room with a very uncomforting look on her face.    

"Hi Mommy.  Hi Daddy."  The girl said trying to put on her best sweet face.    

"Don't even think about trying that young lady."  Marvolo Drew said stepping past his wife and into the room.  Uh-oh.  Young lady?  This was worse then she thought.  Lynn hurried over to her daughter.

"Elizabeth.  How many times have we told you: wands are not toys.   They are only for grownups like Mommy and Daddy."  She took the wand from the child and placed it back in her pocket.

"But Charlotte's older brother has one!"  The girl protested.

"Charlotte's older brother goes to Hogwarts.  That's when you get your wand.  Not before."

"Can I go to Hogwarts too?"  Lynn tried not to laugh.

"No darling.  You have to be eleven.  You're only five.  You've got quite a while to go yet."           

"But I wanna go now."  She whined.  "I'm pretty good."

"Pretty good?  Look at this mess you made."  Marvolo said.  "Besides, aren't you supposed to be napping?"

"I'm sorry."  Elizabeth said, now trying to use her pitiful face.  Both of her parents fought to keep their angry glares, but neither succeeded.  They both grinned and ended up laughing.  Elizabeth smiled to her self.  The pitiful face was golden. 

"All right.  Just don't to it again.  Wands can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"Yes Daddy."

"Now go back upstairs and take your nap."

"But I'm not ti…"  The girl started to protest, then looked at her parents and changed her mind.  "Yes Mommy."  Lynn lifted her daughter off the table and set her on the floor.  The child scampered out of the room and upstairs to her room.  When Elizabeth had disappeared from sight, her parents laughed.

"What are we going to do with that girl?"  Lynn said through a laugh.

"I don't know, but she really shouldn't play with wands."  Marvolo said trying to sound serious.  "You should keep a better eye on your wand."

"Is that so?  Well maybe you should keep a better eye on your daughter."  Lynn countered. 

"Isn't that your job?"  Marvolo teased. 

"My job?  Well I don't know about that…"  Before Marvolo could move, Lynn whipped out her wand and got her husband with a tickling charm.  "Do you give?"  She asked him as he lay on the floor gasping for breath between giggles.

"Never."  He managed to say weakly. 

"All right.  If you're sure."  Lynn said with a smile.  She bent over and took Marvolo's own wand from his pocket.  "Just in case."  She told him still smiling.  She turned and prepared to leave the room with both wands in her possession. 

"No…stop…"Marvolo gasped still in hysterics. 

"What was that dear?"  Lynn asked sweetly from the doorway. 

"I…give…"

"What hon?  I can't hear you?"  She teased.

"Lynn!"  He tried to glare, but it was impossible with the charm.  Lynn relented and pulled her wand out and ended her charm.  Marvolo was still gasping on the ground.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so rude."  Lynn said laughing.  She turned and was about to leave when Marvolo pounced up and charged at.  She screamed and hurried out but wasn't nearly fast enough.  He grabbed her carried her to the living room and dropped her on the couch. 

"Do you give my love?"  He asked her as he knelt down and tickled her manually. 

"Yes!  Stop."  He stopped and they both laughed.  Marvolo sat on the couch and placed Lynn on his lap.

"I love you Lynn Drew."  He whispered in her ear.

"Well I love you Marvolo Drew."  Lynn whispered back.  She leaned down and kissed her husband.  "I'll be more careful with my wand."  She promised.  Marvolo shook his head. 

"No.  I was only teasing about that.  It isn't just you.  We both have to be more careful."  He leaned her down so he could kiss her.  He stroked her cheek and moved some hair away from her face.  "You are so beautiful."  He murmured.  Lynn chuckled, kissed her husband on the forehead, and stood up. 

"I must finish up in the garden.  But first I have to clean up your daughter's mess."  She said walking out of the room.  Marvolo Riddle smiled.  How lovely his wife was.  How happy she seemed here with him and their daughter.  And their daughter, young Elizabeth.  How she had grown!  She was now both lovely and intelligent.  Marvolo felt truly blest to be living such a perfect life with 'his girls' as he called his wife and daughter.  Marvolo smiled.  Not many men had it as good as he did.  Not many.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"But Daddy, why can't I go with you to work?"  Elizabeth asked her father the next morning.  She was sitting at the table in the clean dining room watching him guzzle down his juice so he would not be late. 

"Because the Ministry is for grownups, not little girls."  He answered after swallowing a gulp.  He took another.

"But I'm not little anymore Daddy.  Now I'm a big girl.  Aren't I Mommy?"  She asked turning to her mother quickly, fearful that perhaps it wasn't true. 

"Of course you're a big girl sweetheart, but I'm afraid you're not big enough.  Not yet.  Besides, we'll have lots of fun here.  Won't we?"  Lynn responded smiling.

"Yeah I guess."  Elizabeth said softly with a hint of a whine.

"How about I spend the whole day with you and Mommy on Saturday?  It's only a day off."  Marvolo suggested.  The little girl burst into a grin.

"Okay!  But Daddy you can't forget."  She said sternly.

"I won't."  He agreed with nod as he straightened his robes.

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Daddy you have to say it."  Elizabeth insisted.  Marvolo walked over and looked down at her.

"I promise I will spend all day with you this Saturday and I won't forget."  He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.  He walked around the table and kissed his wife on the cheek and left the dining room.  "See you tonight."  He called out as he exited the house.  Once he stepped outside he waved his wand and disappeared.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the bushes just outside the Drew's home, a dark figure watched as the head of the household stepped outside and vanished.  He was off to work where he would be all day.  No doubt he would be late.  He was almost always late.  The figure smiled.  The time had finally come.  Now, Marvolo Drew would see what made a person weak, and what him strong.  He would see what true strength was and he would see that the only way to obtain the greatest strength was not through light, but through darkness.  It was time.  The figure pulled the hood of the cloak over their head and stepped from the bushes.  The figure then walked swiftly to the front door of the Drew home and knocked sharply three times.  The figure heard footsteps approaching the door and now saw the door handle turn.  The figure's smile broadened.  It was time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Marvolo Drew was forced to stay late at the Ministry.  A mini-crisis had nearly broken out and Marvolo remained to be sure that it staid that way.  It was well past dinnertime before he appeared in front of his house.  He hoped Lynn would not be too upset, and that Elizabeth had not yet gone to bed.  This was very unlikely.  Marvolo reached out to turn the door handle and enter his home, but stopped.  The door was slightly ajar.  Confused, but not yet worried, Marvolo pushed open the door and walked in.  The room was mess.  The bookshelves was smashed up, there were various figurines lying in pieces all over the floor, there were several cracks in the walls.  Marvolo hurried in further.

            "Lynn!"  He called.  No answer.

            "Lynn!  Where are you?"  He turned left and headed into the dining room.  This room was not messy, but Marvolo noticed that the dishes were still left from breakfast.

            "Lynn!"  He moved on to the kitchen.  He looked at the counter and in the sink.  No meal had been prepared there that day.  Not even started. 

            "Lynn!"  Marvolo was near panicked now.  He opened the back door and stuck his head outside to have a look in the garden.  No one was there. 

            "Lynn!"  Marvolo turned around and headed back to the living room and hurried up the main stairs.  He turned right and walked into their bedroom.

            "Lynn!"  Nothing.  He spun around yet again and hurried down the hall and through his daughter's door open. 

            "Elizabeth?"  His daughter was not there.  Nor was his wife.  Marvolo was trembling and having trouble breathing.  He raced back down stairs calling out to his wife and his daughter, but neither responded.  He ran through each room again calling and calling, never getting a response.  He was back in the living room again facing the stairs, his back to the still open front door. 

            "Where are you!?!" Marvolo bellowed.  He fell to his knees sobbing.  They were gone.  His girls were gone.  Marvolo looked up at he stairs, but instead found himself looking directly in front of him at the basement door.  The basement that was never entered lay behind that door, that door that too, was slightly ajar.  The basement they never entered with the slightly ajarred door?  He was up in an instant hurdling himself at the door.  He roughly pushed it open and stepped onto the landing, turning right.  Lying at the bottom of the stairs was his wife.  Her right arm was underneath her body and her left leg turned in an unnatural position.  Her eyes were closed.  He could not tell if her neck or back was broken. 

            "Lynn!"  He rushed down the stairs and knelt beside his wife.  He feared to touch her in case something was broken.  "Please Lynn.  Please be all right."  He choked.  He gently brought his fingers to her neck and began to feel for a pulse.