Blinded By The Past, Ignored In The Future

Chapter 7

SEVEN: Never A Smile

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Response To Reviews:

Emma Ackroyd: Yeah us Americans spell it gray, but for some reason I'm stuck on spelling it grey ever since I began liking H.P. It's cold here too! I can't tell you how cold it is in C only Fahrenheit. Want to live in a nice place in America try Florida. My friend gets to live in there! She doesn't have to experience winter or snow ever! But there are a few major reasons why I don't like it here in America (the President) but I'm going to stick to the subject of the story…well not that we're on it or anything. Wait! Oops! I dropped my baby snake, Angina! Oh good she is okay! 

Marauder1prongs: Yeah, Kate. I'll go with that. Well I'm taking to you know so can't really say much…

radarPLO: Actually I was going to do something like that. Not exactly like it because-I'll let you read the next couple of chapters and figure it out on your own. Hmm…my snake, Angina, has her head pressed up to the computer screen. I think she likes your author name…

vaderisgod: You want a confrontation between Snape and Riddle, Hagrid and Riddle, and/or Myrtle? That's a good idea…I'll definitely do one between Riddle and Hagrid. About the Chamber of Secrets…I'm definitely bringing that in just to see how he reacts to the Basilisk not being there and all of the memories. That'll most likely be in the next chapter though.  

Kou Shun'u: You are correct. I try and update this fic as often as possible. I'm also working on Tread Carefully Young Crouch. So if you'd want to you could check that out. 

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Previous Chapter: Ho-neaou flapped his wings gently and hovered above the ground. "Then follow me." Riddle picked up Nagini and followed the Phoenix into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

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Ho-neaou's body glowed silver, such as the full moon would have, making it easy for Riddle to keep close. He constantly watched the ground so he wouldn't trip over any of the tall tree's claw-like roots or the misshaped boulders that showed up in the most peculiar of places.

"Keep up with him, Riddle!" ordered Nagini.

"I'm trying but he's flying too fast!" Riddle snapped, moving his legs faster and darting out of the way of a tree. He came to a sudden halt when he lost sight of Ho-neaou. Huffing and puffing, he scanned through the trees but sighted nothing.

"Ho-neaou!" he called.

"He wouldn't just leave us," Nagini assured him.

Riddle ignored her even though what she said was reassuring. "Ho-neaou, where are you!"

"Guide yourself towards my voice," answered the voice of Ho-neaou. Riddle gulped and put one foot in front of the other so he was walking in a weird manner. His hands were up, feeling around him since there was no moon out to give him light. Soon enough he caught sight of a silver glow and found Ho-neaou.

"Why'd you disappear like that?" demanded Riddle.

"I didn't. You simply lost sight of me," said Ho-neaou. "Now come. We must continue."

"Continue where?" Riddle whined. "I'm sick of your r-"

"Riddles?" Ho-neaou guessed. Riddle didn't reply. Instead he scowled. The Phoenix laughed at his tantrum-like behavior and took flight. Riddle ran after him, Nagini on his shoulder. Soon enough they reached a clearing in the forest and Ho-neaou landed on a gigantic rock.

"Well?" Riddle asked. "What?"

"Look at the stars," Ho-neaou told him.

Riddle snorted. "Why would I do that?"

"Do it," repeated Ho-neaou. Riddle sighed and starred up. Ho-neaou flew and landed onto his shoulder.

"Do you see that star right there?" inquired Ho-neaou, using his wing to point to a star that he could barley see.

Riddle squinted and replied, "yes. But only just."

"Each star represents a life. Make a statement that is true from what the stars are telling you," ordered Ho-neaou.

"This is so stupid," Riddle muttered before doing what he was told. "Umm…there are a lot of people in the world?"

"People and what?"

"People and animals?" Riddle tried.

"All the lives of every living thing," said Ho-neaou.

"So I guess that excludes mudbloods and muggles?" Riddle sneered.

Ho-neaou looked at him. "What a bad mouth you have there. It's actually quite nasty." 

"Whatever," Riddle said lazily.

Ho-neaou ignored his comment and starred into the night sky. "Don't you ever wonder what the stars are saying?"

"Hmm…let me think about that…no," replied Riddle.

"The heavens have a lot in store for you," Ho-neaou told him.

"Oh really?" Riddle asked, challenging the bird.

"Yes, my friend," Ho-neaou reassured.

"It can't be right. I'm the heir of Slytherin. I have blood on my hands and I'm still sixteen!" Riddle exclaimed.   

Again Ho-neaou found something hilarious in what he said. "Yes, I can see why you don't trust easily. The Dark Lord doesn't either."

"But I am the Dark Lord of this time, aren't I?"

"Yes and no," answered Ho-neaou without explanation. He took flight again and disappeared into the night with one last order to Nagini, "make sure Riddle comes here tomorrow night."

Riddle starred after him, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open as if waiting for him to return so he could ask him another question. But Ho-neaou never returned. Riddle sat down uncertainly and for the first time in his life he starred into the night sky on his on free will.

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Eventually Riddle had given up hope of Ho-neaou returning and retreated to the castle's library. He sat at a table, starring at the same book for hours on end without turning a single page. He threw the book to the ground, not caring who heard it crash into a bookcase.

Riddle got up and made his way over to a shelf of books on different wizard folk tales. He was determined to find something on Ho-neaou. There had to be something on him.

He grabbed a book off of the shelf and looked at the title: Ancient Myths As Old As The Dragon. Riddle threw it. Another try: Folk Tales of Ireland. Again Riddle threw it.

This was going to take long…

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Draco Malfoy leaned up against the doorway of the library, smirking at the sleeping form of Tom Riddle. The boy was trying too hard. It was as if he simply had to find out every mystery of life.

He walked around the library and picked up the mistreated book that lay upon the floor. Once they were all collected he put them back where they belonged and cautiously woke Riddle.

"Hmm?" Riddle mumbled.

"Get up!" hissed Draco. "We have Potions in five minutes!"

Riddle lifted his head and opened his eyes. "So you waited 'till now to wake me?" He jumped up as Draco defended himself.

"Well sorry, Riddle! I just noticed you weren't at breakfast!"

"Come on. We have to get to class!" Riddle said in annoyance.

Draco handed him a bag with his belongings in it. "Here. I brought you your Potions materials. Now let's go!" They raced down the halls and staircases, running into the classroom and racing to two seats in the back. Sure enough ten seconds later Snape barged in so the doors hit the walls and shut by themselves, his black robes billowing.

He looked around at the silent class before picking a victim. "Potter!" Potter looked up, eye full of hatred. "Tell me, if you indeed did the homework over the summer, what is a short description of Wolfsbane?"

Potter didn't seem to care what it was in the slightest way. "I wrote it down on the homework, Professor. Isn't that enough?" Next to him Weasley sniggered.

Snape shook his head. "Such a bad way to start class, Potter, Weasley. Detention for both of you and twenty points off of Gryffindor." Potter and Weasley glared at him. "Can anyone here tell me what magic properties of the Wolfbane are important in today's Potion we will be brewing?" Draco, sensing the trick question, raised his hand along with Riddle and Granger. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

However, before Draco could beat them to it, they all answered together, "You need to tell us which Potion we will be making before we could answer the question, Professor."

Snape glared at the Gryffindor and said, "Ten points off of Gryffindor, Granger. I asked for Mr. Malfoy to answer. Not both of you." Granger was about to protest and say that Riddle had answered too, but Potter nudged her in the side to keep her quiet.

The rest of the day went by slowly but sure enough it was over. He found that during dinner Granger had starred at him for half of the time that he had sat there starring into space, no facial expression upon his face. Occasionally he would force a laugh when Draco told him something 'funny' about different things his father had told him.

He cast Granger a sneering look and she glared at him before returning to her food. The next time she glanced up however Riddle wasn't looking at her, he was pointing at her and talking to Draco. Granger's face reddened in anger and she looked down again.

A little to early for Riddle's like, it was already time to meet Ho-neaou in the Forbidden Forest. Draco and the others were sound asleep and he wanted to make sure he was on time. Forgetting bout Nagini who laid sleeping on his bed, he made his way out of the castle and down to the heavily wooded forest.

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Ho-neaou's golden eyes watched from a window's ledge as the young dark wizard headed to the forest. He smiled quite human like and imagined what was going to happen when his prophesy was to be put into action. With his grand silver wings spread, he took off to an open seventh floor window.

He prodded at it gently so he could get in and then soared to a bed not far from where he only just sat. Sneaking he took the book that lay in her arms in his beak and made a loud cry right in her ear.

The girl practically jumped in her bed. Once her tired eyes focused she say Ho-neaou and gasped, "give me my book!" She made a grab for it but missed and fell to the floor.

Agitatedly she made a move to push her bushy hair out of her face but gasped in surprising pain. She clutched her wrist to her body as Ho-neaou flew to the open widow sort of like a bluff of throwing it out.

"Give it back!" the girl said even though she was sure the bird didn't understand. Ho-neaou was having a blast. He hadn't come in contact with this many humans since thousands of years before Hogwarts was built.

The schoolgirl got up and walked calmly over to him. She cautiously pet the top of his head and he dropped the book to the floor. Just as she bent down to pick the book up, a dark figure in the distance caught her eye. She ran out of the girls' dorm and headed as fast and silently as she could outside, after the person that was heading into the dark forest.

Ho-neaou watched in delight as the muggle-born headed away. He looked down at the book that lay forgotten on the floor. It read: The Fate of Two. With one last smile he flew out of the window to watch, as the two opposites were going to first meet.

Soon enough it would begin…