Disclaimer: I not own Harry Potter
A/N: Sorry I make a wrong date of birth. It supposed to be 31 July 1980. I will repost it. Thank you for noticing me, Anne Phoenix.
to foolishbeloved: I won't manage to post this father-son gathering so soon.
This is the third chapter. enjoy.
Chapter 3: Diagon Alley Again
In Leaky Cauldron at room number 7, a young man already got up from his bed, although it was still dawn. His weary body was settling into the only armchair; giving up to sleep, in spite of his thrice wake up. I should halt the nightmare. Hope I can found something at Diagon Alley.
He bent down his head, attempted to focus on the opened Curse and Contracurse. Its explanation more than definitions and effects, likes his Hogwarts text book. Complete way to cast and defeat were expounded impartially, which made the book quite sterling. A few pages later, his attention was enticed by an Imperius Curse.
Imperius Curse is known as on of the unforgivable curses. It allows the user to control men or animals to do what they want. The curse is the easiest to learn and the hardest to master. Whether an Imperius Curse is strong or not, depends on the caster. The lower Imperius Curse which are usually for common animals can be done by anybody, the average one, can command someone for a short period of time (below six months), is able to learn by a continuous practice when the strongest is for long period (more than six months) or probably for a life-time if the wizard is really powerful.
To cast Imperius, first the caster should totally concentrate at one object and in the same time, he should grow his sense of sovereignty and absorbs the force from his environment (yet this absorption process not only strengthen Imperius, it is used in almost dark curse and known as basic of dark spells, see page 3). Then, says "Imperio". Length of time once again is counted on the power. The wand's movement is a little up-down flick.
To defeat the Imperius Curse……………
So that's the way. He was looking for an animal in that room when he spotted a spider at the right top corner. Pretending like casting the real Imperius , he concentrated at the spider, reassured his superiority over it, and absorbed the force (he had read this in the beginning chapter) when he felt all his pores were enfolded by heat, which became hotter and hotter, with little up-down wandless flick, he whispered out "Imperio". Due to his confusion, the spider froze in its place.
Come down here. He gave his first command and the spider crawled down. Possibly, it is just happened by chance. Jump five times. The spider bobbed five times in his eight lean legs. I have learnt Imperio. Nearly half an hour, the spider was in his authority, he asked the spider to dance tip-tap, run around the room, and create a bunch of spider web. He laughed twice in the process. At the moment he finished, he was enervated and exhausted.
I can do wandless Imperio. Presumably, my transformation gives me power as well as it gives me a new look. I should admit that Alexander Tom Riddle's life won't be worse than Harry Potter's life. I will check out other spells later. He smirked. For the first time in two days his optimism rose.
"Where do you want to send your letter, Sir?" The post-witch giggled.
"Hogwarts, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore."
"It would be eight knuts, Sir" Alex paid out eight knuts.
"Thank you, Sir" She giggled again flirtatiously. He half sprinted out of the post office. That woman is really irritating.
He sighed and groped his pocket, only one galleon, ten sickles, and four knuts left. A trip to Diagon Alley on Knight Bus, a room in Leaky Cauldron, and a post had spent much of his money. He lifted up his face, and stared at Gringotts doubtfully. You should do it or you will run out of money. Grudgingly, he strode along the marble stair.
Gringotts not changed a lot, except there were least people. He went to the desk where Hagrid brought him at his first year.
"I wish to make a withdrawal"
The goblin glanced at the young man "Name?"
"Ha...Alex …Alexander Tom Riddle" He snapped himself for almost revealing his identity.
"Vault number?"
"98, and this is the key" The goblin examined the silver key and called a young goblin to accompany him. The journey was long; passed a lot of underground tunnels and bridges. Once in a while, tongue of flame flashed with wild roar verified the existence of guardian dragons.
"Welcome to vault number 98, one of the oldest vaults in Gringotts Bank, Sir" The goblin happily bowed in respect."
"Anything wrong, Sir?" asked the goblin when he saw Alex's puzzling expression.
"No. Nothing. I just don't usual to meet friendly goblin"
The young goblin grinned "You are not the first person that tell me that. I admit I am too nice to be a goblin. Grook always tell me to behave myself nobler, which I see as arrogance. By the way, just call me Lorck."
Vault 98 was ten times bigger than the Potter's vault. Beside towers of galleons, there were jewelries and precious artifacts. He circled the vault; but then an idea struck him…..
"Lorck. Who are the former owners of this vault?"
"Wait the minute, Sir" He flicked his finger and a book appeared in his hand.
"Hmm, it was Lily Elsartier Evans, before her was Agatha Nest. Before him, there were other great wizards and witches from fifty generations. I only can tell you some. They were Grindelwald, Darren Morgan, Agrippa, and Rowena Ravenclaw." Alex's eyes widened as he listened to 'Grindelwald' and 'Rowena Ravenclaw'.
"Thank you, Lorck. That's the very kind of you"
"You are welcome, Sir" The young goblin bowed once again and waiting Alex to fill his pockets with galleons, sickles, and knuts.
Alex spent his evening, buying books and robes. Finally, he went to Olivanders to buy a new one. A silly idea of confessing his past by a piece of wood, forced him to replace it.
"Good morning, are you looking for a wand?" It was Mr. Ollivander who speaking.
"Yes, please" A measurement turned up in air and took the length of his body, hand, wrist, and finger.
"Are you left handed or right handed, Mr.…." Mr. Ollivander's eyes were directed to him, giving a speechless sign of what your name?
"Riddle. Alexander Tom Riddle. I am right-handed, Sir" He almost worried about Mr. Ollivander's reaction when he witnessed a peculiar gleam in that old man's eyes until he carried on questioning Alex with common questions. Finally he took a wand from the drawer.
"Try this, Mr. Riddle. 12 ½ inches. Unicorn hair and maple. Good and flexible."
Alex gave a wave, which followed by Mr. Ollivander's disapproval.
"Phoenix feather and mahogany. 14 inches. Powerful."
Still the wand didn't fit him. After he had tested more than a hundred wands, Mr. Ollivander wheezed "I'm sorry, Mr. Riddle. I don't think there is a wand that suits you here"
Alex felt disappointed, just a few moments before he reached the door; he was pulled by a sound, a call. He tried to find where the call belonged. Out of his control, he entered Mr. Ollivander's working place. There are many kinds of wood, bottles of core, parchments, and carpenter's tool. He felt the sound drew closer and closer; stopped in front of a wand wall decoration. It was framed in glass. His hand caressed the frame and the wand came out, landed in his hand and emerged him with a queer affectionate sensation. He waved the wand. A colorful sparkle diffused from its tip, covered the entire room. Instead of frightening, he felt wonderful joy and warmness free him from all his fret and tiredness.
"The fate can be avoided anymore. The Half-Blood Prince will come as it prophesied" Mr. Ollivander looked despair and defeated.
"I apologized for my rudeness, Sir. I didn't mean it. I felt that something pulled me to this room." Alex said desperately, hopeless to get Mr. Ollivander's credence.
"I know it was not your fault, Mr. Riddle. Everything that happened has been written thousands years ago. That wand costs 10 galleons" Alex blinked incredulously, didn't expected Mr. Ollivander calmness to him, the person who has broken through his private room without any permission. He paid 10 galleons for the wand and remembered that he was never being informed about his new wand.
"May I know what my wand is made of?"
In the split seconds, Mr. Olivander was musing. "Well, it was already so long. Mr. Riddle, when my ancestor received a branch of a yew, that believed grew in the darkest place in world. He kept this branch for more then five generations and it was in my father hand who transformed it into two wands. First, is in the wand you are holding now and the second is in your father wand."
"So you ever met my father? How he look like?" Pretend innocence, in order to gain more information. Mr. Ollivander could be a worthy source when came to somebody's bloodline.
"Yes, I have. About how he looked like, I believed you know it already. You have at least faced him five times and soon you will meet him again. Deliberately or not."
Wait the minute. How come he knows that I have faced the Dark Lord five times? It was Harry Potter who did that not Alexander Tom Riddle. Unless…..
"And your core was belonged to a great unicorn, pure and has lived since the legend of unicorn been told. Only two hairs were obtained. The other hair was found in your mother's wand. You are really the son of your real parents, Mr. Riddle. You possessed both of their character, image, and power. Your step has proved your bravery and loyalty, but inside your mind, there laid intelligent and great ambition." Mr. Ollivander ended his last sentence in hush voice.
"Mr. Ollivander, How long have you noticed about my heritage?"
"I have noticed it from the beginning"
"Why didn't you tell me in my first year? At least, you shouldn't have pretended that James Potter was my father." Alex burst out in fury.
"I thought I could prevented the fate by putting you in the shadow of Harry James Potter"
" Prevented the fate? What fate?"
"I can't tell you this. You must find it yourself" Alex was tempted to use Legimency on Mr. Ollivander, which vanished at once by his respect to that old man.
"Will you tell this to someone else?"
"No, I won't. It is my last wish to get involved in this war. I always neutral and always be." The old man's answer really gave him a relief.
He expressed his grateful to Mr. Ollivander, before he left the store. On his way to Leaky Cauldron, he saw today Daily Prophet. The headline was printed in large black ink
"THE BOY WHO LIVED MISSING, DEATH EATER ATTACK?"
Below the headline, there was a picture of Privet Drive Number Four debris.
Stop dreaming!. Everything can't be reversed. Your life as Harry Potter is already end, now you are Alexander Tom Riddle. The son of Tom Marvolo Riddle and Lily Elsartier Evans. Don't be weak!
"Have you heard about the attack?" said a brown hair woman to her friends
"Who don't? It is shocking. A pity boy he is" a skinny black hair witch in mourning voice.
"Are you sure it is a death eater's attack?"
"Absolutely. Lot of evidences anyway. The eighth attack so far. Who's next?" the brown hair woman said in a mysterious way, enjoying the hot chat.
"I believed Dumbledore will do something. He is the one Who Must Not Be Named afraid of." A short corpulent woman joined the conversation, inviting more supports and praises to that headmaster.
Dumbledore. See why you should be strong? You can depend on no one except yourself. Look at you; you had put your trust on Dumbledore, but what he did to you? He let you know nothing, but wasn't capable of protecting you. He failed five times and you believed that it was due to his carelessness?"
He swore that he will never allow someone else to bully and control him again. Never. He will be stronger than anyone else. With his new talent, he knew he could do that. At that time, this young man really didn't realize how far his decision will change the path of his life.