Chapter 8: The Scars from the Ashes

Her footsteps echoed as Aiden ran down the corridor barefoot, shadows dancing on the walls. The pain was no longer limited to just her shoulder; it was spreading through the rest of her body as well. The mark was hurting so much now that she was having trouble running straight. In fact, she ran right into Professor Snape.

"Miss Wang! What are you doing out of bed???"

Tired and out of breath, Aiden tried to get through to him.

"I—need to see—Professor—Dumbledore, now!!!!!"

"It is past midnight!! The headmaster will be asleep by now!"

An angry desperation filled her mind and she grabbed Snape's robes, pulling him down to eye level.

"Then wake him up!!!" Aiden growled through her gritted teeth."

"Miss Wang!! You are not permitted to talk to a teacher like that! Now unless you want points taken from you, you will turn around and go to bed!!"

"I'll go to bed when I get an explanation for this!!!!!!!"

She turned her back to Snape and pulled down the collar of her shirt, exposing her shoulder and the mark. The expression on Snape's face was frightening. It was fear beyond fear and Aiden didn't know why, but she knew she was in for a long night…

"Follow me, Miss Wang."

The walk to Dumbledore's office was excruciating, as if she were walking to her inevitable execution. Every step she took was a step towards the truth and possibly, her demise. But finally, Snape stopped in front of disgusting looking gargoyle, muttered something under his breath and waited. A loud rumbling noise ensued as a rotating staircase formed. Following Snape, Aiden stepped on.

Dumbledore, as it seemed, was not in bed. Truth be told, he almost seemed like he was expecting Snape and Aiden to visit him in his office at nearly one in the morning. But when he looked up, he was surprised.

"Professor Snape? Miss Wang? What brings you two to my office at this late of night?"

"Headmaster. Miss Wang wants an explanation for something. In truth, I'd like one myself."

Aiden showed Dumbledore the mark. His eyes widened in a similar fashion to Snape's, but it was not fear in his eyes. It was more of astonishment.

"Oh dear…Ah, Severus. It's getting late. Perhaps you should get some rest. Miss Wang will remain here with me."

"But, Headmaster…"

"Please Severus. This is a private matter…"

Snape frowned in a way that would have gotten him fired if his boss were not Professor Dumbledore. But Dumbledore just smiled as Snape walked out. His smile faded when he looked back at Aiden. For a moment, there was awkward silence, like neither one of them knew what to say. Then, Dumbledore smiled a nostalgic smile.

"You know, Aiden. I was a professor when your grandfather attended Hogwarts. Oh, he was a brilliant young man. When I first saw you, I knew you were your grandfather's child. You had the same almond shaped eyes… the same silky black hair… the same blistered fingers from playing too much piano."

Aiden smiled. Her grandfather seemed like a great guy… Dumbledore continued.

"You looked exactly like him…but I knew; looks was where it stopped."

Aiden's face fell, but she failed to be surprised. She figured she had it coming.

"Aiden. This is a pensieve. In it, I store my thoughts and memories and even the memories of others so that it will be preserved and I can pull it back out when I want to. I want you to look at a few memories of mine…"

The bowl of silvery water was hypnotizing. The rippling of the water seemed to synchronize with the waves in Aiden's mind and feeling dizzy, she fell to the ground. But when she got up, it was like she had stepped back in time. Everything was in shades of gray. A jolt of panic surged through Aiden's body as she whirled around to try and figure out where she was. Dumbledore calmed her and told her it was a memory, and to just wait. Suddenly, he pointed towards the staircase next to Aiden and she turned around. No sooner had she looked, a boy about the same age as her ran down the staircase with another boy.

Though the memory was in black and white, it was obvious who one of the boys was. The boy on the left… black hair… almond shaped eyes… calluses on the tip of each of his fingers… Aiden just gaped as her seventeen-year-old grandfather ran past her. Unable to resist, she ran after him and listened in on their conversation. Aiden's grandfather spoke first.

"Oy, Tom. Have any trouble on the Potions exam?"

"No way, Lucas. Please, brew a Veritaserum? You?"

"Finished before Professor Weaver even gave the instructions."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

"Why not just let us save the world? At least that would be a challenge!" the duo said simultaneously.

They disappeared around the corner and Aiden turned back to Dumbledore.

"I told you your grandfather was bright. Ah, I remember how much trouble it was for Headmaster Dippet to choose Head Boy. Unfortunately, there could only be one Head Boy. And the two candidates were best friends…Lucas Wang and Tom Riddle. Professor Dippet ended up choosing Tom just because Lucas was already going for his N.E.W.T.'s, had his music, had been prefect the previous year, and was keeper of the Quidditch team."

Dumbledore winked and when Aiden turned around, the settings around her had changed. Everything was a darker shade, meaning it was nighttime. She heard a hesitant voice.

"I-I don't know, Tom… I mean it's our last year and all…"

"Lucas! This isn't just some end of the year prank! This is a chance to change the world!"

"But… the Chamber of Secrets? That's stuff of the legends…"

Aiden saw the fearful look on her grandfather's face. It was heart wrenching and she glared at Tom, whose face had gone from excited to serious and grave.

"It's time we be rid this world of those worthless mudbloods."

Lucas bit his lower lip, frightened by Tom's sudden malevolence. Seeing the fear his best friend's face in itself was frightening, so Tom smiled compassionately. He put his hands on Lucas's shoulders and stared directly into his eyes.

"Lucas, all mudbloods are the same… You know what they do to me at the orphanage. I've told you. And you know very well what they do to you, too…"

Tom reached down and gently rolled up one of Lucas's sleeves. The arm was covered in old scars and patches of discolored skin.

"Your own parents shunned you because they thought you were… a freak… satanic, even… Don't you think it's time you paid them back for the painful and tortured life they made you live?"

Lucas hung his head low, confused by the decision he was being forced to make. But when he lifted his head, he was smiling in the most wicked way.

"Then, promise me something, Tom."

"Anything, old friend."

"That when we graduate, the first mudbloods we kill… are my parents."

Tom smiled with the same vengeance that clearly burned in Lucas's eyes.

"You got it."

Aiden felt her knees give way as she fell face flat onto the Oriental rug in Dumbledore's office. Denial seemed inevitable, so Aiden pursued it.

"So what are you saying, Professor? That my grandfather was a Voldemort supporter. That has nothing to do with me."

"Oh, Aiden. But don't you see? Your grandfather was no supporter. He completed Voldemort. By not stopping Tom from opening the Chamber of Secrets that night, he helped create the most dangerous wizard of our times."

Dumbledore's eyes seemed almost wounded to Aiden as he looked at her.

"I still remember fifty years ago… Tom Riddle and Lucas Wang, the inseparable brothers. One from an abusive orphanage; the other, rejected by the one world that he knew so well. It was destiny… The top students of their year, or perhaps all the years. Brilliant minds, both of them… But there was always a strange monotony to their title… Tom Riddle and Lucas Wang… Tom and Lucas… Tom and his friend… Tom was always the one in charge. Lucas, with an equally intellectual mind, always took the backseat to his best friend. But as I said, Lucas was no supporter. No. He was Voldemort's right hand man. Second in command. If Tom had died, Lucas would have become Voldemort… Which, my dear, means that this has everything to do with you."

Shock and dread filled Aiden's mind. Regrets of not throwing away her acceptance letter to Hogwarts filled her heart and brought heaviness to her chest.

"So, what does this mean Professor?"

"Your grandfather, Lucas died to save Tom. Not Voldemort, but Tom. Lucas salvaged what was left of his strength to give power to his best friend because he knew it would make Tom happy. And in return, Tom put his heart and soul into creating a world, not what he wanted, but what Lucas wanted. But without Lucas, Voldemort is nothing. And he needs Lucas's blood to continue commanding his army. He needs you. And that mark on your back… is the sign that Voldemort is coming for you."

The look on Dumbledore's face was somber. A care-free nature mixing in with her trepidation, Aiden faked a smile.

"Oh, well… Isn't that nice…? Oh, would you look at the time! It's nearly four in the morning… I'm going to go to bed… Good night, Professor…"

Humming a tune, Aiden wandered away…

Aiden didn't know how she made it back to the Slytherin common room, but she found herself saying the password and then passing through a nearly invisible door. Still smiling and humming, Aiden closed the door gently behind her. Instead of going to bed, she curled up in front of the dying fire in the fireplace. She watched the flames jump and dance. A few pieces of white hot ash bounced onto her skin and scalded her, but Aiden did not notice and just kept on singing.

"And I want a moment to be real, Wanna touch things I don't feel, Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can they say I'll never change. They're the ones that stay the same. I'm the one now,' cause I'm still here..." (author's note: these are some lines taken out of John Rzeznik's "I'm Still Here.")

Just as the song ended, Aiden realized that her life and the person she had always wanted to be… Her life as a normal kid; her dreams and aspirations… None of that meant anything anymore… This was her life now…

More and more ashes fell onto her arms and face as she cried herself to sleep, whispering: Why me… why me… why me…?

End.