"It's a shame, really, Johanna, about Tom. Not even Slytherins talk to him." Loosely based on Wicked the musical, a prequel for Tom Riddle, if you will. Oh, yes, Lord Voldemort is evil, but it's not all for naught. He's got his story as well, and you should listen.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter. (Insert a wistful, lame joke about wishing she owned Harry now. Those green eyes! Ahh!) I don't own Wicked. Stephen Schwartz owns the music and lyrics. Idina Menzel owns her voice. As do Norbert Leo Butz (Ouch. What a name. Sucks to be you, Norbert) and Kristin Chenoweth. Gregory Maguire owns the novel. Winnie Holzman, apparently, also owns some novel of it based on the musical. Enough of what I don't own (Dhani Harrison, Johnny Depp). I do own Johanna Finch and other characters I've created. Cheers!
It would most certainly shock the wizarding world to find that Lord Voldemort was actually a person. With feelings. With hopes and desires.
Well, that was all for naught, eh? Tom Riddle thought to himself. Seems all those hopes were damned straight to hell, and that's most likely where they belonged.
Oh, yes. He'd get that little Potter boy tonight. The prophecy had to be correct; surely it was about Harry Potter. He'd heard of his parents. One a mudblood. Disgusting. Yet, exactly like his own father.
Tom Riddle sat back and let his head crash against the wall. It'd terrify the inhabitants of Hogsmeade to learn that the infamous dark wizard was hiding in a cave high above the village. Really, though, shouldn't he be out killing tonight? Like always?
He was hated for a reason, he remembered.
Even by the person he loved most. Johanna…
Tom caught eye of the Daily Prophet crumpled up a few feet ahead of him. Would he even be able to read it? He had one candle flickering in the cave. He watched the candle for a moment, watched the hot wax drip to the floor. What would the piece of rubbish say? He grabbed it and smoothed it out.
VOLDEMORT, SUPPORTERS KILL AT LEAST 50 LAST NIGHT, the headline read. Ooh. How terrifying. "What sort of evil creature would do this?" someone was quoted as saying. How little that person knew. How little everyone knew!
No, the world deserved what they were getting. Full of careless carefree bastards, the lot of them. Things might have been differently if he'd have gotten what he wanted.
"Exactly how many people have you killed, Tom? Tom!" she screamed. "You don't even realize, do you? You've killed people I love!" She shook her head. "You say you love me and have for years. You wouldn't be doing this if you did. How could you?" Her voice quivered, and tears fell down her cheeks.
He blocked the memory from continuing. Damn her. Damn her for being right, for his loving her so completely. Damn her for having a life without him. Damn Johanna...
He turned the pages of the Daily Prophet, one by one, hearing the pages crinkle. They were starting to yellow. Just like the memories that were about to let flow freely…