Chapter 10

Thrown into The Mix

There was an elaborate golden badge in Headmistress McGonagall's hand. She held it out to Tom Riddle.

"The Seal of the Wizengamot. It will help convince the Harry's of your good faith," she said to the man in front of her.

It would take a lot more than a seal, however eminent, to do that, thought Tom Riddle wryly.

"Perhaps," he said.

Professor Snape was busy finishing off turning an old Discman into a portkey. "It is time to go." He said to nobody in particular.

Tom rose and crossed to collect the Discman from Professor Snape who gave him the flat metallic disc. Snape indicated to a small button set into the centre of the back of the Discman.

"When you have learned something worth telling us, activate this. It will return you to this room," Snape explained to him.

Tom took a hold of the portkey. He looked round the little group. "Isn't anyone going to wish me luck?"

Dumbledore replied coldly. "Naturally, we wish you success. For all our sakes."

Tom Riddle smiled cynically, as he felt the familiar pull behind his navel as he vanished from the ministry to parts unknown.

In a matter of seconds Tom Riddle faded away. Professor Snape stepped back. "Now, we wait, Minister." He said looking towards the frail Minister.

"I should prefer to wait alone," ordered Dumbledore. "Please return to the school and keep me informed of any news about the Harry's'."

Accepting the dismissal, Professor Snape and Headmistress McGonagall went silently from the conference room.

Somewhere in Wizard's End, Tom Riddle blinked into existence. He stood on a little knoll, surveying the forbidden landscape around him with marked displea­sure. Thunder rumbled, and lightning bolts flashed across the sky. Wizard's End. A place known to every Witch and Wizard, but never mentioned, never visited. Closed off, forbidden, sealed behind an impenetrable force field from the rest of the wizarding world, with Hogwarts acting as Custodian of the Dark Tower - and of the most horrifying secret in wizarding history

Tom Riddle looked around him, at mist-covered barren wasteland stretching as far-as the eye could see. Over there in the distance loomed the mountains and the Tower.

Tom took a few steps forwards and his foot struck against something dry and brittle. Glancing down, he saw what appeared to be a large charred log. He frowned, and bent to look at it. On closer examination, the burnt log turned out to be a corpse, twisted and blackened, white teeth gleaming from the blackened skull.

"One of my predecessors," he thought.

Charred by what, he wondered - and found the answer when a vicious lightning bolt sizzled from sky towards him. Warned by some instinct, Tom flung himself aside. The bolt struck the corpse, making it dance and twitch in a ghastly parody of life.

Tom regarded the grisly sight unmoved.

"Not the most hospitable of environments," he observed thoughtfully, and hurried on his way.

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The mists cleared for a moment and the Tower appeared, quite close now, surrounded by its ring of mountains. The unassuming figure of The Scar stood staring up at its threatening bulk.

"You see Romulus, it's just as I feared. We're at Hogwarts, in Wizard's End," Harry Snape said with trepidation.

Romulus frowned.

"I thought I knew this place?" he said. "Father used to tell me stories about it when I was young. I scared the willies out of me, but I thought is was but a legend."

With sudden unexpected passion The Scar shouted, "Yes! To my shame, Romy."

"Your shame?" queried Romulus

"Yes, mine, and the shame of every other wizard," concluded Harry, through tears of anger.

Seeing his godson's puzzled face, he went on more gently, "In the days before the founding of Hogwarts, my ancestors already had tremendous powers - which they misused disgracefully. They set up this place, Wizard's End, walled it round with an impenetrable force field. Then they kidnapped other life forms from all over the planet, and set them down here."

"What for?" whispered Romulus.

"To fight, and to die, for the amusement of the wizards," said the little man. It was clear that he found the subject almost too distasteful to talk about. "Come along, Romy, I'll explain as we go."

"Where are we going?" asked his companion.

"To the Dark Tower, of course. To see the Founders. The greatest figures in wizarding history.'

Romulus looked up at the Tower, with a. noticeable lack of enthusiasm. "I see. Is that it? The tower where they live?"

"Not exactly lives, my son. It's their Tomb," concluded The Scar.

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A simple meal of pumpkin juice and shepherds pie was over, and now, watched by their companions, the two Harry's were concluding their conference.

It was a conference that looked very like turning into a quarrel.

"You're talking nonsense, my boy," said the old man vigorously. "What we have to do is quite clear. We must send the signal as you planned, wait for the rest of us, and then act together."

Young Harry was equally determined. "I'm sorry, but there simply isn't time. I'm already being affected by temporal instability. I can resist for a while, now you're here - but you know the danger."

The old man nodded gravely. The segment of Harry that was trapped in the vortex was exerting a Fateful pull. As next in line young Harry was most affected . He formed a kind of thumb in the temporal dike. If he gave way all the other Harry's would be swept away all of them plus their companions into a temporal limbo.

"Even so, my boy - without our other selves, we stand little chance out there," argued Old Harry.

"We daren't wait for the others," said young Harry. "We daren't. After all they may never make it here. There is evil at work."

"Evil," said Hermione. "What kind of evil? Isn't it time we had a few explanations - such as where are we?"

Old Harry snapped, "We're in Wizard's End on an island hidden from view in the great lake at Hogwarts."

"How do you know?" Hermione countered, staring at the older version of Harry.

It was young Harry who answered pointing out the window to the Tower in the distance.

"Because that's the Dark Tower. The Tomb of the Founders," Harry said in awe as he looked out into the barren landscape.

"Surely it is mentioned in Hogwarts: A History?" Ron mentioned to nobody specific.

"Well I have never heard of it," piped up Hermione in an obvious huff.

Harry turned to his older self. "Do you really think we can afford to wait - especially if someone has tapped his power?"

"Very well what do you intend to do young man?'' questioned Old Harry to his younger self.

"Go to the Tower," decided young Harry, looking around at the faces of his companions. Looking at the scared expression he sees on his boyfriends face. He walks over and takes Draco in his arms.

"Don't worry Koko, I will be alright. Remember I killed Voldemort, and looking at him over there, it looks like I will be around for a bit longer" Harry said in the hair of his beloved.

"But Hero, there will be great danger, and you have just gotten over fading in and out on us. Are you sure you want to do this?" Draco asked the man in his arms.

Young Harry nodded accepting the risks looking at his older self "Please help me, with a area scanning spell, at least we can see what's out there then."

"Well alright then, lets get to work," beamed the older wizard with a twinkle in his jade green eyes. "But I have something better that should be able to help us." Witth this the older Harry pulled out a blank piece of parchment

Harmony looked around her as Scar jolted along.

"So I wonder why it's all so desolated!" asked Hermes.

Harmony nodded. "All this was the setting for the Game, Professor. It's a place of evil."

Hermes shuddered. It's horrible, Harmony. Kidnap­ping different life forms, setting them to kill each other, setting traps - and then coming to watch it all from a safe distance. It's worse than the Roman arena.'

Harmony nodded her agreement. Mind you, it s all in the distant past. Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff put a stop to it in the end. Sealed off the entire area, forbade the use of the Time scoop. That's the way things stayed for generations - until now.'

If the Ministry brought you here to deal with some problem in Wizards End, why don't they tell you why you're here?" queried Hermes

"They delight in deviousness, that's why!" said Harmony angrily. "It amuses them, chucking us in the deep end, watching us sink or swim."

Hermes stopped the car.

"Why've we stopped, Professor?" Harmony asked.

"Just trying to get my bearings." Hermes said as he stood up scanning the horizon.

"Ah yes, there it is!" he cried.

"There what is?" asked a perplexed Harmony.

Hermes pointed and Harmony saw a tower, sil­houetted in a gap between mountains.

"I presume that is The Tomb of the Founders. I'm pretty sure our enemy will be using it as a base - so that's where we're going." Hermes said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Professor. What can we do against them?" whined Harmony.

Hermes smiled down at her, his mane of white hair ruffled by the wind. "What I've always done Harmony. Improvise!"

He sat down, gathering his cloak around him, and was just about to drive on when a black-clad figure appeared, standing on a low hillock beside the road.

"Wait, Harmony!" The figure yelled

The new comer was a tall man clad in black, with a neatly pointed black beard.

"Who is it, Harmony?" whispered Hermes.

"I don't know†It looks very likeâ€."

Hermes drove The Scar a little closer, then stopped. Harmony was peering incredulously at the black clad figure on the mount. "Merlin" She said explosively "it really is you! I should have known you you'd be the one behind all this!"

"Harmony, who is this?" asked Hermes

Harmony replied, "Allow me to introduce my best enemy, Professor. He likes to be known as The Dark Lord Voldemort but I know him as Tom Riddle, my Grandfather."

A/N Please Please please review It is very taxing writing this with nobody to read it.

Cheers