The Circle
Part One
"Round and round the circle goes
Where it stops, nobody knows
Round and round the circle goes
Where it ends, nobody knows"
Something had been bothering him for the past couple of days. No, it had always
bothered him, but this past week, it had grown more persistent, like a bee
buzzing 'round his head.
"You can't keep doing this forever, Voldemort! You can't keep me locked up in
here forever!" The man in his head cried over and over. "Oh shut up, Tom! I have
complete control over you, always have, always will! No one needs to know that
you're locked up inside your own body-oh- it's my body now!" He jeered at the
voice in his head.
In the beginning, Tom had been a hard one to take over. He was a strong one, did
not bend as easily to the creature's will as all the others before him had. Yes,
they were always weak; they always bowed to him sooner or later. Every time his
host body would die, he would drift out of the expired host and find a new one
to conquer. This vicious cycle had continued for more than a thousand years in
the wizarding world. He always chose a different name for himself, and he would
always make sure that the outside world never knew that it wasn't the victim
that was doing the horrible deeds. The few that discovered this were disposed
of. The Potters were the ones that knew the most, and told all their Ministry
friends.
He had killed all of them, of course. He did what had to be done.
But then there was the little one, the son, Harry. Now he had the real makings
of a good host. The "good" wizards feed him bad things about Voldemort over the
years, but he would change Harry's mind in time.
It had been hard all these years, pretending to try and kill him. And then there
was the fact that he really wanted to kill the boy, but he wasn't able to. It
was not a matter of power, he was just trying to scare the lad into submission.
Voldemort figured if he terrified him enough, he'd be easier to conquer in the
end.
"Voldemort, That's a nice name. Means "flight from death" in French." Voldemort
remembered that conversation he had with Tom during his 2nd year. Yes, he had
been with Tom even then, but not of full strength. He remembered stumbling upon
the name in a twelfth century textbook. It had a nice ring to it, and was creepy
enough to inspire fear among the people. He couldn't very well be called "The
Bunny Man" or "The Scone of Terror" now could he? He laughed bitterly, and he
felt Tom's soul inside him shudder.
Voldemort smiled, it was only a matter of time. He was growing stronger every
day.
Voldemort remembered Tom's revulsion at killing that first rat. Ooh, the lust
for the kill! There was nothing like it in the world! Zapping the life out of
something, watching it grow limp, seeing the fear on it's face...
"You're just as weak as anything else!" Tom screamed, although a bit shakier
than before. The vibrations of his voice rattled around in Voldemort's head
incessantly. "Tom, you're giving me a headache!" He snarled at the incessant
soul inside him. "You'll go down in the end - I'll be laughing at you in Hell,
you fucker!" Tom swore. Voldemort growled, "you stupid, stupid boy, don't you
get it yet? You'll never beat me, you'll never escape, so deal with it! We're
friends for life, remember? Well, for your life at least." Voldemort rolled his
eyes. After all those years of Tom's crap, he was starting to get quite
annoying.
"Tommy boy, you know what the punishment is for talking back to Uncle Voldie..."
He snickered joyfully at the screams resounding in his head. "Oh yes, boy..."
Over the years he had devised a way to perform the Cruciatus Curse so it
affected only his host and not him. It helped to...er...knock the old spirit
back a few notches every once and awhile.
"Oh great master, I humbly bring before you the boy, Harry Potter!" Peter
Pettigrew squeaked, a note of pride in his voice as he turned over his prize to
his master. "Why thank you, Pettigrew." Voldemort said snidely. "Oh, you're
welcome, master..." He turned his cold gaze over to the young man, who stood
defiant, yet scared shitless against him. Oh yes, Harry had grown into a fine
man, he was what? Twenty now? Twenty years... He had long since graduated from
Hogwarts and moved away from its protection. Such a stupid boy. So strong, yet
ever so naive. "Aproach and kneel before me!" Voldemort spoke softly, a warning
undertone in his voice. Potter struggled against his shackles, screaming.
"You'll never get away with this, you bloody bastard!" Harry screamed. Voldemort
noted with pleasure the slighly panicked tone his voice took. This might be
easier than he thought. Fear just made it easier for him to kill. It was the
ones that didn't fear him that were difficult. Maybe that was why he couldn't
kill the baby Harry. He was too young to be scared, to know the evil that almost
possessed, no WILL possess him.
"You and I can do great things, if you only allow me to...we would make a great
team, you and I." Voldemort whispered. Harry sent a wicked glare in Voldemort's
direction. "I can read your thoughts..." Voldemort said. "I know about your
fantasies, your desires, your...fears..." He trailed off. He could feel the man
start to doubt...oh yes...he fed on doubt and fear and negativity...he could
almost taste him...taste the victory of the one conquest that he could never
match, he would never need to inhabit another body again. But what was that
annoying tugging sensation from the back of his head? It almost felt like
someone...or something, was trying to overpower him. All of a sudden, he
couldn't control the body, it was HIS body now, damn it! "Harry!! You have to
get out of here! Trust me!" Tom's voice rang out of Voldemort's mouth. Harry
stiffened. "Who...or what ARE you?" He asked cautiously. "It's To-" Voldemort
regained control. "It's NOBODY!" He screamed. Harry backed away slightly, and
Pettigrew hesitantly pushed him back forward.
"Tom! Don't you ever do that again!!" Voldemort howled at Tom telepathically.
"And what can you do? Kick me out of my own body?" Voldemort laughed evilly.
"No...but I can make you wish I had...CRUCIO!!" Voldemort found the screams
satisfying. After all, they all fold in the end.
"Potter! Kneel before me!" He commanded. Harry stood firm. "I said KNEEL POTTER!
IMPERIO!" Harry stood his ground. "Why isn't it working?" He asked, a slightly
panicked tone to his voice. Tom's screams in the background didn't help much.
"Oh, I forgot about you!" He said mockingly, and undid the curse. Tom gasped for
air. "I still haven't gotten used to that." Tom thought, in anguish.
Voldemort decided to try another approach, he was going to get to this man if it
was the last thing he did! "I know about Hermione, she's with Ron right now...
they're in the middle of doing...something...that they don't want you to know
about..." Harry tensed up. "How would you know?" He snarled. "Because, Dear Boy,
I know everything..." Harry sent another bone chilling glare in his direction.
"I'm not a bloody BOY!" He spat. Voldemort laughed- if such a creature can
laugh. It sent chills up both Harry and Pettigrew's spines, it was utterly and
completely evil.
to be continued...