Chapter 10: Conversations with Tom
Ron breathed in suddenly and Hermione looked like someone had dragged their nails across a chalkboard next to her ear. When it had all boiled down to it, Harry was the only who ever ended up talking to Voldemort, and hearing his voice for the first time was enough to make any wizard cringe.
"And you brought some friends! Surely not that Mudblood and Arthur Weasley's son? They're no good to you here, Harry. If there's one thing you never did right, it was finding the better, more helpful sets of friends. Making friends with that muggle trash and that muggle loving fool's son! And if my spies serve me correctly, falling for his daughter. Tut, tut, Mr. Potter. Not nearly up to your standards."
Harry clenched his fists as Voldemort continued to deride his friends.
"They serve their purpose, Tom. They're willing to follow me here to fight you against my wishes."
"That they are. Pity they'll probably die. And what of Mr. Black? Standing so silently, not really your style, Sirius. And to think, for years people thought YOU were in my inner circle. Certainly a laughable thought."
"It certainly is to me, Tom. To think I sat in Azkaban without trial for it," Sirius answered gruffly.
"A matter that amused my Deatheaters thoroughly. Imagine, someone that had nothing to do with me accept for working to fight against me ended up in jail for thirteen years and my inner circle evades capture.
"But why so quiet Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley? Trying to think of a brilliant plan, Hermione? And Ron, gauging the best way to help Harry?"
"Don't talk to them! You don't deserve to speak with them, you miserable piece of trash. You want answers, talk to me." Harry walked around the corner and stood to face Voldemort. He found him sitting lazily in a chair in the chamber watching his fire intently.
"Oh, we'll have plenty of time to talk. Besides, the longer we talk, the more people may join us. I dare say someone that has been missing you may be in our midst shortly."
"YOU LEAVE GINNY ALONE! She has no part in this."
"But everyone has a part in this, Potter. And until I can turn everyone over or kill them trying, my part to play in all this is not complete. And besides, don't you think Ginny would love to see Tom again. Her faithful friend. If only you could see the things she wrote in that diary, Harry. All the times she cursed you for not noticing her."
"You're not going to turn me against her, Tom. Just leave her alone."
Voldemort laughed coldly and turned his wand on Harry. "Crucio!"
Harry dropped to his knees in pain, his scar throbbing.
"HARRY!"
He faintly heard Hermione's feet come around the corner and some muffled words, and the pain ceased.
"Well, Ms. Granger, it seems your education is paying off. Not many can put a stop to my curses."
Hermione shrank back against the wall. "How do you know-"
"You'll find, Hermione, I know most things about you, as well as your boyfriend and the little ringleader of this group. I've been watching you all since you left Hogwarts, trying to figure out what Harry was going to do next. When the rumors started circulating that you left England, I knew you'd never leave. Not after the connection you have with the Potter brat and his overzealous sidekick. Living with the person no one would expect you to. Harry's ex-girlfriend, it was a clever idea. Who would notice if Harry went over there?
"I have to admit, you had me puzzled for spell. Where had Harry gone? He couldn't be staying with those Muggles any longer, could he? He was out of Hogwarts, they would never take him back when he could do magic. But I was wrong. As I tried harder, Harry's magic became easier to trace. I would watch him appear in the Ministry and then at the Burrow, and then a flat in Ottery St. Catchpole. Then he would disappear again. There was nowhere else he could have gone.
"I couldn't attack that house, I tried though. Finally I gave up and attacked the house next door. I knew the muggles would think it was you. You'd be out of therebefore you'd could say Quidditch. And then my next break. Dumbledore wasn't careful enough with the new wards. I could follow Harry wherever he went. It was only a matter of time before I could attack.
"But then Harry was moved again. The wards disappeared and others were set up at the flat. But I had him marked, Hermione dear. As soon as I could find him again, I marked him. No wards were enough to keep him from me. So, I entered his dreams, plagued him, so as to draw him to me. If there's one thing Harry Potter will always be, it is a hero. Trust him to come running to find me, to try and beat me.
"So here we stand."
"This ends now, Tom. This game of cat and mouse stops here!"
*~*~*~*
A/N: So, I've been racking my brain here, trying to figure out where to go with this, and I realized that perhaps I should see if people want me to continue to the end. So, the future of this story depends on you, the readers, so get reviewin' or the story gets the ax!
Ron breathed in suddenly and Hermione looked like someone had dragged their nails across a chalkboard next to her ear. When it had all boiled down to it, Harry was the only who ever ended up talking to Voldemort, and hearing his voice for the first time was enough to make any wizard cringe.
"And you brought some friends! Surely not that Mudblood and Arthur Weasley's son? They're no good to you here, Harry. If there's one thing you never did right, it was finding the better, more helpful sets of friends. Making friends with that muggle trash and that muggle loving fool's son! And if my spies serve me correctly, falling for his daughter. Tut, tut, Mr. Potter. Not nearly up to your standards."
Harry clenched his fists as Voldemort continued to deride his friends.
"They serve their purpose, Tom. They're willing to follow me here to fight you against my wishes."
"That they are. Pity they'll probably die. And what of Mr. Black? Standing so silently, not really your style, Sirius. And to think, for years people thought YOU were in my inner circle. Certainly a laughable thought."
"It certainly is to me, Tom. To think I sat in Azkaban without trial for it," Sirius answered gruffly.
"A matter that amused my Deatheaters thoroughly. Imagine, someone that had nothing to do with me accept for working to fight against me ended up in jail for thirteen years and my inner circle evades capture.
"But why so quiet Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley? Trying to think of a brilliant plan, Hermione? And Ron, gauging the best way to help Harry?"
"Don't talk to them! You don't deserve to speak with them, you miserable piece of trash. You want answers, talk to me." Harry walked around the corner and stood to face Voldemort. He found him sitting lazily in a chair in the chamber watching his fire intently.
"Oh, we'll have plenty of time to talk. Besides, the longer we talk, the more people may join us. I dare say someone that has been missing you may be in our midst shortly."
"YOU LEAVE GINNY ALONE! She has no part in this."
"But everyone has a part in this, Potter. And until I can turn everyone over or kill them trying, my part to play in all this is not complete. And besides, don't you think Ginny would love to see Tom again. Her faithful friend. If only you could see the things she wrote in that diary, Harry. All the times she cursed you for not noticing her."
"You're not going to turn me against her, Tom. Just leave her alone."
Voldemort laughed coldly and turned his wand on Harry. "Crucio!"
Harry dropped to his knees in pain, his scar throbbing.
"HARRY!"
He faintly heard Hermione's feet come around the corner and some muffled words, and the pain ceased.
"Well, Ms. Granger, it seems your education is paying off. Not many can put a stop to my curses."
Hermione shrank back against the wall. "How do you know-"
"You'll find, Hermione, I know most things about you, as well as your boyfriend and the little ringleader of this group. I've been watching you all since you left Hogwarts, trying to figure out what Harry was going to do next. When the rumors started circulating that you left England, I knew you'd never leave. Not after the connection you have with the Potter brat and his overzealous sidekick. Living with the person no one would expect you to. Harry's ex-girlfriend, it was a clever idea. Who would notice if Harry went over there?
"I have to admit, you had me puzzled for spell. Where had Harry gone? He couldn't be staying with those Muggles any longer, could he? He was out of Hogwarts, they would never take him back when he could do magic. But I was wrong. As I tried harder, Harry's magic became easier to trace. I would watch him appear in the Ministry and then at the Burrow, and then a flat in Ottery St. Catchpole. Then he would disappear again. There was nowhere else he could have gone.
"I couldn't attack that house, I tried though. Finally I gave up and attacked the house next door. I knew the muggles would think it was you. You'd be out of therebefore you'd could say Quidditch. And then my next break. Dumbledore wasn't careful enough with the new wards. I could follow Harry wherever he went. It was only a matter of time before I could attack.
"But then Harry was moved again. The wards disappeared and others were set up at the flat. But I had him marked, Hermione dear. As soon as I could find him again, I marked him. No wards were enough to keep him from me. So, I entered his dreams, plagued him, so as to draw him to me. If there's one thing Harry Potter will always be, it is a hero. Trust him to come running to find me, to try and beat me.
"So here we stand."
"This ends now, Tom. This game of cat and mouse stops here!"
*~*~*~*
A/N: So, I've been racking my brain here, trying to figure out where to go with this, and I realized that perhaps I should see if people want me to continue to the end. So, the future of this story depends on you, the readers, so get reviewin' or the story gets the ax!