Chapter 1 ~ Tom Marvolo Riddle = I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
They fell in love – a man and a woman. The man, Tom Riddle, was a fairly rich Muggle who lived in a manor overlooking the town of Little Hangleton. The woman, whose name is unknown, was a witch (a descendant of Salazar Slytherin) though kept it from Tom. They were married. Right before their first child was born, she told him what she was. Tom, being one of those Muggles who didn't like magic, fled back to the manor and abandoned his wife and unborn child. Soon enough, she gave birth to the child in Little Hangleton, though only lived long enough to give the child a name: Tom Riddle, after his father and Marvolo after his grandfather.
Little Tom was raised in a Muggle orphanage, poor and lonely and knowing nothing about the gifts his mother had given to him. After eleven long years, destiny flew into his window, carried by an owl and sealed in a single envelope – an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
He had begun his education at Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin. Little did he know that the blood of the creator of the Slytherin house ran through his veins. Through the years, he described himself as "poor, but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student…" However, there was one teacher who didn't seem to like him so much – transfiguration professor Albus Dumbledore.
Tom learned of the Chamber of Secrets built by his ancestor, Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin built the chamber deep in Hogwarts and sealed it so that only his own true heir would be able to unseal the chamber. During the five years of studying about the chamber, he had begun using a new name among his closest friends; an anagram of the foul, common Muggle name from his father, he turned Tom Marvolo Riddle into I AM LORD VOLDEMORT. It was a name that he hoped wizards everywhere would one-day fear to speak when he became the greatest sorcerer in the world.
After five years of studying about the chamber, he was ready to open it and unleash the monster hidden inside. Like Slytherin, Tom was a Parselmouth, which came in handy because the monster, a basilisk, was a snake. The serpent was released upon the school where several students were petrified and finally, one was killed.
Seeing that the events he was causing was ruining his plans for staying at Hogwarts over the summer, Tom tricked Headmaster Armando Dippet into believing that Rubeus Hagrid and his giant spider were responsible for the attacks. Tom received a trophy for special services to the school. Professor Dumbledore, who didn't fully believe that Rubeus was responsible and gave him the position of gamekeeper on the grounds, kept an annoyingly close watch on Tom from then on. Realizing that it wasn't safe for him to open the chamber again while he was at school, he preserved his sixteen year old self within the pages of a diary with the hope that he would one day be able to lead another in his footsteps and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work.
During the summer of his seventh year, Tom M. Riddle seeped the revenge that he had vowed upon his hated Muggle father. Not only did Tom kill his father but his grandparents as well. The Riddles were buried in Little Hangleton Churchyard. Tom returned to Hogwarts to begin his seventh year. He was prefect, Head Boy and received a Medal for Magical Merit. Albus Dumbledore later said of him, "Brilliant. Of course, he was probably the single most brilliant student that Hogwarts had ever seen."
Tom concluded his education and after leaving school, he disappeared for some years to begin his full transformation from Tom Marvolo Riddle into Lord Voldemort. During this time, he traveled everywhere, sank deeply into the Dark Arts and consorted with the very worst witches and wizards. He underwent many dangerous transformations in his search for extreme power and immortality. When he returned, openly calling himself "Lord Voldemort", few realized that he was, underneath it all, Tom Riddle, the boy who was so well liked and accomplished at Hogwarts.
Voldemort began to gather a following. Some of his followers were in it for a share of the power he offered, though more joined because of fear. Voldemort's years of power were marked by disappearances and increasing violence. His loyal followers called themselves "Death Eaters" and were considered by Lord Voldemort as his true family. They all freely used the three Unforgivable Curses and wore a sign, the Dark Mark, which was a skull with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. Their Dark Lord burned the Dark Mark into their left inner forearm. The Death Eaters would send the same sign into the air, comprised of emerald stars blazing in a haze of greenish smoke when they had made a kill.
Lord Voldemort seemed mightier than any wizard living and had achieved his goal; most of the wizarding world referred to him as "You-Know-Who" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named". Voldemort had been gaining power for eleven years when, on the night of October 31, he went for James and Lilly Potter. He killed James and Lilly died protecting her son, Harry, who was the next intended victim. When Lord Voldemort, the most powerful Dark Wizard of the century, turned Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse into little, one-year-old Harry, it rebounded upon Voldemort, ripping him from his body. Drained of his powers and barely alive, he fled.
Voldemort is believed to have gone further than any other on his quest for immortality. He had conquered death, but was left without a body. He was also powerless because every spell that might help him required the use of a wand. He hid in a forest far from the Aurors he knew would still be searching for him. The only power left to him was the ability to possess the body of another. He waited, expecting his faithful Death Eaters to try to find him and restore him.
Several years later, Professor Quirrell wondered into the forest in which Voldemort had been hiding. Quirrell, being foolish and extremely gullible, took Voldemort home with him and the two of them devised a plan to take the Philosopher's Stone, created by Nicholas Flamel, as to create a new body for Voldemort. First, they tried to steal it from Gringott's Bank, but vault 713 had been emptied earlier that day under Albus Dumbledore's orders. As they waited for the right time to attempt to steal the stone again, Quirrell drank the blood of unicorns that he slaughtered in the Forbidden Forest. They had tricked Hagrid into telling them how to get past the three-headed dog guarding the Philosopher's Stone and were able to win their way through the enchantments to the Mirror of Erised. There, as Quirrell looked into the mirror, Harry Potter showed up, trying to keep Severus Snape, who he thought was trying to steal the stone, from getting the stone. Harry gained possession of the stone from the mirror, but Quirrell was notable to take it from him because contact with Harry's skin caused Quirrell burning agony. Harry held Quirrell off long enough for Headmaster Dumbledore to arrive. Voldemort fled, leaving Quirrell to die, showing as much mercy to his followers as his enemies. Voldemort had again, been defeated by Harry Potter.
Voldemort returned to his forest in Albania and, there, faced his darkest hour. He was weak as ever and thought it would be too much to expect another foolish wizard to happen along. He had given up hope that his faithful Death Eaters cared what had become of him. While he waited without hope, the diary that he preserved himself in had been in the possession of Lucius Malfoy, one-time Death Eater, who seized the opportunity to slip the diary into a book purchased for young Ginny Weasley at Flourish and Blott's Bookstore. Ginny opened her heart to the diary and through it to Tom Riddle. He became stronger and stronger on a diet of Ginny's deepest fears and her darkest secrets. He was soon more powerful than Ginny and was able to use her, without her being conscious of it, to open the Chamber of Secrets. Through her, Tom learned of Harry Potter. Ginny became frightened and attempted to dispose of the diary. Tom was exuberant to find that it was recovered and opened by the hands of Mr. Potter himself. Tom was amused by the similarities between him and Harry. Soon, Tom was able to lure Harry into the chamber to save Ginny. Assisted by Fawkes, the Sorting Hat and the sword of Godric Gryffindor, Harry killed the basilisk. As he was in the process of killing the serpent, a fang splintered off into his arm. Tom was dismayed when Fawkes' healing tears saved Harry. Harry then took the fang and plunged it into the diary. The venom in the fang burned through the diary and the memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle passed into nothingness. Harry Potter had, again, defeated Voldemort.
Over a year later, Lord Voldemort's spy, Peter Pettigrew was forced out of hiding and, having no where else to go, followed rumors deep into Albania and found Voldemort, though, he did not arrive alone. Peter had stopped at an inn and was seen by Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry. Pettigrew was able to overpower Bertha and brought her to Voldemort, who used a powerful memory charm on her and learned that the Triwizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts that year. More importantly, Death Eater, Bartemius Crouch Jr., had been rescued from Azkaban by his father, though was held from returning to his master by an Imperious Curse and hidden by an invisibility cloak in his father's home. Bertha was then killed. Though he was a poor wizard, Pettigrew (now known as Wormtail) was able to follow Voldemort's instructions and assist him to a rudimentary, weak body with a potion of unicorn blood and snake venom. It gave him almost a human form and the strength to travel while he formulated a plan to return to his old strength and body using an old piece of Dark Magic.
Voldemort had Wormtail carry him first to the Riddle house, where they encountered a Muggle, Frank Bryce, and killed him. Later, they went to the Crouch home, where Crouch Sr. was placed under the Imperious Curse. Wormtail and Barty Jr. captured Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, and ex-Auror and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, and held him under the Imperious Curse to enable Barty Jr. to impersonate him at Hogwarts with the help of Polyjuice Potion.
Barty Jr. was able to involve Harry in the Triwizard Tournament and attempted to assist him to win the Triwizard cup, which he had turned into a Portkey and it delivered Harry and Cedric Diggory to the churchyard in Little Hangleton and into the power of Lord Voldemort. Using his old piece of Dark Magic, a potion requiring his father's bone, flesh given by a servant and blood from a foe, Lord Voldemort was able to rise again, more powerful than he had fallen. Though he could have used the blood of any foe, Voldemort wanted Harry Potter. He believed that the lingering protection his mother once gave him would reside in his veins, too. His return summoned the Death Eaters, still united under the Dark Mark and he challenged them for not coming to his aid for thirteen years. Afterwards, Voldemort challenged Harry to a wizard's duel, returning his wand to him, so there would be no doubt which one of them was stronger. Harry was able to defy then evade Voldemort's spells. When the wands, which were brothers, each containing a phoenix tail feather from Fawkes, were forced to do battle, a rare effect occurred, a Priori Incantatem. The Reverse Spell effect forced the shadows of Cedric, Frank, Bertha, and, finally, James and Lilly Potter from Voldemort's wand. The shadows whispered encouragement to Harry, unheard by Voldemort, whose fear was becoming evident as his victims surrounded him. On a prearranged signal, they closed in on Voldemort as Harry broke the golden thread of light that held the wands together. Harry dashed through the churchyard and evaded the Death Eaters to retrieve the Triwizard Cup Portkey and Cedric's body and escaped to Hogwarts. Though Voldemort had achieved his most important objectives, returning to a physical body and the return of his Death Eaters, Harry Potter had once again thwarted his revenge.
Voldemort had finally broken free of the spirits surrounding him and was running in the direction of the uproars of his Death Eaters.
"Stand aside," Voldemort screeched, "He is mine to kill! Do not touch the boy! Let me at him!"
"It is too late, my Lord," Lucius Malfoy explained, "He has escaped back to Hogwarts with the body of the other boy."
Voldemort was angry, but felt little anguish. He knew that he had been in worse situations and saw this as an opportunity to build up his strength and increase his chances of getting Potter the next time he encountered him. Voldemort turned his attention to the Riddle House, sitting atop a hill overlooking the churchyard.
"Come," he commanded at once, "We shall take residence in the manor and plan our next actions. I am hoping that it will be our next and last attempt to get the boy – that is, if we plan carefully."
Wormtail walked at his master's side and the Death Eaters followed. Once they reached the manor, Wormtail opened the door for him, being careful not to slip up, followed him closely up the stairs and into the third floor study. The Death Eaters piled in and sat around the huge, maple wood table. Voldemort sat at the head of this table and thought about his first words to begin business.
"While staying here," Lord Voldemort hissed, "certain precautions should be taken. First, if Dumbledore and his little group come looking for us, we mustn't be able to be seen. That is why one of us hide us in this house and another one must be our secret keeper."
In an instant, Lucius stood, "Allow me to redeem your trust and assure you that my intentions to you are more faithful than ever before, my Lord, by making me secret keeper."
Lord Voldemort walked over to Malfoy and examined him carefully. After a moment, Voldemort nodded.
"Alright, Lucius. However, if you screw up, you will end up like the family that lived here long ago."
Lucius' facial expression failed to change, "Do not worry, my Lord. I will keep this secret guarded like so many others you have entrusted within me."
"Mcnair," Voldemort exclaimed suddenly, "do you believe that you are capable of casting ---"
Before Voldemort could finish his sentence, the front door of the Riddle house slammed downstairs.
"Lord, we must hide you – protect you," Nott exclaimed, "It might be Dumbledore. You aren't ready to fight him yet…"
"Don't be so foolish, Nott," Voldemort hissed, "He would not come for me so quickly. Lucius, go down and see who our visitor is."
Malfoy nodded and climbed down the stairs. He unsheathed his wand, ready to petrify anything that he saw as a danger to his master. He heard muffled noises coming from the common room when he reached the second floor. He walked lightly in that direction and looked into the room. Inside, there was a hooded figure, its back turned to Malfoy, looking through the shelves of books on the opposite wall.
"Turn around and reveal yourself," Lucius ordered, "and no funny business. There is a want pointed at you and I am ready to execute a spell on the turn of a dial."
"You wouldn't kill a fellow Death Eater, now would you, Lucius," a deep, dark voice asked as the figure it came from turned around, dropped its hood and took off its mask.
"You," Lucius spat, "What makes you think you can come back here after your loyalties towards your master were betrayed to the lover of mudbloods and Muggles?"
Severus looked straight at Lucius, "Don't be obscured, Lucius. I am here, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are…though, for what?"
"What do you mean 'for what'? I am here to serve my master. He is back – I have come to rejoice."
Lucius looked into Severus' black eyes, "Why did you not come when you were called?"
"I was in a rather tight spot with Dumbledore. You also know that one cannot apparate or dissapparate on Hogwarts grounds. Once Dumbledore's back was turned, I came as quickly as I could."
Lucius' eyes narrowed as he sighed, "Come, we are in the third floor study. I am sure our master will be…well, lets just hope he sees you more faithful than he did about an hour ago."
Lucius turned to lead Severus up to Lord Voldemort as Severus replaced his mask and hood.
