Gray clouds and rain so thick it was impossible to see, was the weather on the day that Ariel Alkins died. The news hit the school at breakfast when the headmaster stood up and informed the school of her passing within the wee hours of the morning. Everyone in the great hall was stunned, every face turned avidly up while the headmaster spoke the solemn words. No one was more stunned, however, than Minerva, who had been about to go and see Ariel immediately after breakfast.
"I shouldn't have left her last night, I should have refused to leave." Minerva said with her head bent in failure.
"You had to leave Min! Madame Katz said so," Poppy Pompfrey paused, wide eyed, trying to let these words sink in as if they were godly, trying to snap some since into her friend.
"Poppy sometimes friends are more important than rules and procedure!" Minerva snapped and picked up her pace a little as she headed back to Gryffindor tower. Classes had been canceled today… and more so rumors were flying that there might not even be a Hogwarts much longer. Two deaths in one month didn't look good to the Ministry, either the person reasonable was caught or else the school was shut down.
"I heard that their going to send in Aurors!" One mouse like second year boy said to his pudgy friend. Minerva scowled at them, making them hurry along efficiently. How could people be excited about anything, or think about anything at all other than Ariel! She was dead, there was a killer on the loose had everyone gone daft! It was true Hogwarts students and teachers alike weren't nearly as troubled about the chamber of secrets being open as they would be the second time around. Perhaps this was because, until now(or at since the last cupol hundred years) nothing exciting had really ever happened at Hogwarts. Or maybe it was simply because no one knew about Voldemort back then and how deadly he was. Whatever the reason, the air around Hogwarts was definitely less hectic and frazzled than in years to come.
Minerva stayed in her dormitory for most of the day, only leaving to go to the bathroom or for a quick meal. Her friends were ignoring her and were spending their time chatting about who they suspected for the murders in the common room. Minerva didn't mind in the lest, in truth she was quite relieved that they were indeed leaving her to her own. For, while they sat whispering among the roaring fire, unable and unwilling to actually try and physically find this wicked person; Minerva was forming a plan.
No one at Hogwarts (except Minerva) thought that Ariel had actually been murdered. They thought that someone (or something) had obviously attempted to murder her the first time…but they assumed that she had died of the injuries she had sustained. Minerva didn't, in fact Minerva had suspected all along that someone would try and murder her again. Only one other person besides Minerva believed in this theory, and Minerva knew it was Albus Dumbledore. She had known the instant he hadn't shown up at breakfast that morning that something was wrong. He had been doing something, actually working to solve this catastrophe, actually taking it seriously! Minerva knew that she must talk with him, she must avenge Ariel and her school. Only now was she ready to discuss Tom (who had also not been at breakfast). She was counting on Dumbledore to re-visit that courtyard tonight, because no one was really sure on where Dumbledore's office (if he even had one) was. So until tonight she would just have to stay in her dormitory, with her hand resting uneasily on her abdomen, praying with all her might to a god she didn't believe in that Tom wasn't a killer.
Midnight came much more quickly than Minerva had expected, glancing at her friends she knew that they were all genuinely asleep (it had been a long day). She stood up form her bed as quietly as possible, and crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole. Only once she was on the other side of the fat lady did she hesitate, what if Patchet the caretaker should find her, a prefect, wondering around late at night while a killer was on the loose. It would look awfully suspicious. Then a worse thought hit her, what if the killer himself was to find her first! Minerva shivered, and thought for a moment about turning back, it wasn't to late, all she would have to do would be wake the fat lady and get right on back into bed. But then she thought, as she had so much lately, of Ariel. And her mind was made up, she was going to find Dumbledore. She set off, as graceful as a swan, but as cautious as a cat. Her eyes seemed to glow in the dark, she sliced the blackness around her and amazingly did not cower at shadows or undetectable sounds. Finally she reached the courtyard, unharmed and unseen. Tom hadn't been lying, for there in the middle of the field sat the same auburn haired wizard, as the night before. His hands once again in his hands, he looked if possible more broken than the night before. Minerva approached him gently, even after all her careful planning, she didn't know exactly what to say.
"Sir?" Nothing, Dumbledore didn't even flinch, Minerva stepped closer,
"Professor Dumbledore?" Still nothing, fear flew over Minerva and she wondered why Professor Dumbledore didn't respond, was he dead? Stepping closer still, she stopped right in front of her transfiguration teacher.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Her voice came out in a croak, and she was about to reach down and touch him when-
Dumbledore's
hand flew out and grasped her ankle, taken completely by surprise
Minerva gasped and stumbled. Dumbledore pulled her to the ground, and
then straight into his lap. Pressing her hard against him with
unbearable force. Minerva whimpered. It was only then did Minerva
realize that the scarlet bird that had been with Dumbledore the night
before was no longer around.
"Well your not an easy one to fool are you? You must be more careful Minerva, or one day you may not be as lucky." Then he pressed his lips against hers roughly, his mouth tasted awful of blood and another bitter taste that Minerva couldn't place. She bit his lip hard drawing blood, and pushed against him with all her might. She felt so betrayed, she had trusted this man with everything. Her world came crashing down around her in ruins in that moment. The one person that she had left to look up, her mentor, her guide, he was attacking her, why had she ever doubted Tom. Tom would come, she thought blissfully, Tom would save her. The transfiguration teacher pushed her hard into the ground and began to climb on top of her when suddenly there was a loud explosion. The sound was enough to make Dumbledore sit up, Minerva could have pushed him off, but she to was completely stunned to see who had just entered the courtyard that she merely laid in place her mouth agape. For standing in a pile of the new rubble was none other than Albus Dumbledore, again.
"Why Tom you look as if you've seen a ghost!" Said the new arrival to the man currently sitting on top of Minerva.
"I-I, you drank the potion, you-"
"Tom, tom, did you really think that I would drink out of anything given to me by anyone else at this current time…that would not be wise. And Polyjuice potion I see not very original..but" The second Dumbledore smiled brightly, as if he was letting him in on a joke. But then his eyes turned on Minerva, and his face darkened immeditly. "I suggest Tom that you back away from Miss McGonagall right away, or else this could turn for the worst." Minerva looked from one Dumbledore to the other, and then she noticed it, the man sitting on top of her was-was changing! In an instant his hair was becoming black, his eyes going dark…and his laugh…high and pitching, a bark. It was Tom Riddle Minerva gasped, and jerked away from the boy with a new strength. Tom reacted immediately grabbing her wrist and pulling her up against him in a rage. They stood as one, Minerva, against her will, felt like a rag doll. She turned and looked into his eyes, her own filled with tears. "What is that look for, I was just having a bit of fun Minerva, Its so obvious the old coot loves you and-"
"You were going to kill proffesor Dumbledore, Tom?" Minerva asked in rage her lip Trimble ling, this couldn't be happening. Tom didn't falter instead he streached one long accusatory finger out at Dumbledore and spat
"He's the one that opened the chamber, he's the one that killed your friend Minerva! He's the one not me!"
"What?" said Minerva her eyebrows contorting, she looked around at Dumbledore for answers.
"Don't listen to him Minerva!" Dumbledore cried, and he made to step closer to them, but Tom was again faster and pulled his wand to Minerva's neck.
"Any closer and she dies!" Dumbledore froze, his eyes going form Minerva to Tom frantically like a ping-pong ball.
"Tom?" Minerva whimpered again, hot tears rolling down her face.
"I have to do this Minerva it's the only way to keep him away, I will not underestemate his power." Tom whispered loudly in her ear. Minerva closed her eyes and carefully slide her hand into her robe pocket, her hand closing tightly around her own wand.
"He's the one, Minerva, that was conveniently there for every murder. He's the one that wants to take over, to use his own power to slowly disstroy all that he doesn't think worthy." Tom sad with discust in his voice, sneering at Dumbledore,
"But I am not disseveid by his pretend muggle loving Gryffindor front! I see him for what he really is!"
"He is lying Minerva! You must belive it! He is the one, not I!" Dumbledore cried, his eyes held Minerva's, he was crying.
"Please
Minerva, please believe me." Minerva couldn't believe it, how had it
come to her to decide the judge in character. Choose which is good and
which is evil between the only two people that she had ever thought she
could trust.
"Minerva,
your not thinking of believing him over me are you?" Tom whimpered his
wand hand trembling, "I love you Minerva, I love you, and I'm not going
to let him hurt you or our baby!" Tom gasped, his tears falling into
Minerva's hair. Dumbledore went ridged and though it was hard to tell,
she thought she saw him lower his wand an inch almost as if in defeat.
And then it clicked, she hadn't told Tom about the baby. How could he
have possibly...
"STUPTEFY!" Yelled Minerva, unleshing her wand like a
sword and stabbing him smartly in the stomach with it. Tom, caught
completely off guard, tumbled backwards down the garden stairs to the
rim of the cliff leading down to the lake. Minerva reacted immediately
with her new freedom, and raced to Dumbledore and stood beside him
symbolically her wand drawn.
In another split second Tom was off the
ground and flying throught the air landing right in front of them. His
face was dark, and his eyes seemed to flicker with red, Minerva could
see that he had deep dark circles under his eyes and his nostrills
flared dangerously.
"Why…" He began through gritted teeth. "Did you do that Minerva, that wasn't very nice." He stepped closer to her.
"I
didn't tell you about the baby. How could you have known unless you
really did kill Ariel?" Tom laughed another high unsettling bark.
"Why,
my dear, Minerva." He said smiling, but it was really more of a sneer.
"I could simply feel the baby's presents, much as you can feel it
growing inside you, but its too late for that now, now you learn what
happens when you defile me!" He raised his wand again, but just then a
warm strong hand fell on Minerva's shoulder and pulled her gently away.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Dumbledore boomed, pulling his own wand gracefully from his robes.
"ohhhoo," Said Tom in a mocking voice, "How sweet Dumbledore is trying
to protect his one true love, touching, but I seriously suggest you
leave what is none of your bussiness or your property alone!" He made
another grab for Minerva, but Dumbledore grabed his arm.
"That's
enough Tom, you've had your fun now leave this place!" The two stared
at each other for a long moment then Tom barked again. "You honestly
think I'll just turn and leave! I'll decide when I leave you aragont
fool!"
"If that's the was of it Tom, then so be it! Dumbledore made a violent moment with his wand and shouted "Lacerius!" The first battle between Dumbledore and Riddle had begun.