One Nights Work to Lose It All

Chapter 1 – The Past

It was two pm by Riddles watch. He smartened his jacket, checked his teeth and hair, brushed his trousers down then drew a small bag from his inside pocket. He was a handsome man; he had been since he was a teenager. He had a charming smile, silky hair and a smooth clean shaven face. Riddle opened the bag and grasped a handful of the green sand within it. He put the bag into his pocket again, and then stepped over to the giant fireplace at the other side of his office. He stood in the empty grate and shouted "34 Dryden Lane". Riddle threw the dust into the grate, just in front of his shoes. In an instant, massive emerald green flames licked their way all over Riddles body. In the blink of an eye, the green flames had vanished, along with Riddle.

Mrs. Hallow, of number 34 Dryden Lane, was sat in her front room, eagerly awaiting a visitor. She was a rather plump old lady with blonde curly hair, half moon spectacles on her nose and she was wearing her best violet robes. She was eying her fireplace, when all of a sudden; green flames erupted from the empty grate allowing a man to step through them and onto the rug in front of it. Tom Riddle had arrived.

Tom brushed the ash from his suit and looked into Mrs. Hallows eyes. She looked back and the two both smiled at each other.

"Hello Mrs. Hallow" said Tom.

"Hello Tom, and please, call me Hetti, you've known me far too long to be formal" Hetti replied.

"As you wish, Hetti, and I assume you know why I am visiting today?" Tom asked.

"As always my dear, we wouldn't see each other if not". Hetti smiled as she said these words.

"Please, take a seat" she waved her hand over to a chair to her left. Tom walked over and sat down. He placed his briefcase down beside it then looked back at Hetti.

"So Hetti, what exiting and mysterious objects do you have that you would like to show me today?" asked Tom.

"Well Tom, it's something I've had for a while, but I thought that now would be the right time to show you". Hetti's eyes widened as she spoke, staring deep into Tom's.

"Bella?" said Mrs. Hallow. Nothing happened.

"BELLA!" she shouted this time, giving Tom quite a fright.

Tom watched as the living room door was opened, but as he looked up, expecting to see someone's face, he saw nothing giving his face a puzzled look. It wasn't until he saw a face and body appear from around the sofa arm that he realised who Bella was.

A house elf, no bigger than the seat of a dining room chair, entered the room. She looked quite young for an elf, but wrinkles around her face and eyes told Tom she was nearing the middle of her life span. She was wearing a small maid hat with holes for her ears, and a small cloth that resembled a dress fitted all the way around her body. Two armholes had been made for the elf, and her legs stuck out of the bottom. As far as Tom could see, she was well looked after.

"Aar there you are Bella, please be a dear and get the special items for Mr. Riddle, there in the usual place" said Hetti sweetly to her elf. The elf bowed then left the room, closing the door quietly behind it.

"This sounds exiting" said Tom, "will I enjoy it?"

"Oh yes" said Hetti, "it's almost priceless"

Toms face turned into a sly grin, but he quickly changed it when the living room door opened once more.

Bella came in the room; she was holding a large silver tray above her head. On the tray lay two small black boxes. Each with a different emblem marked into the leather. One had a badger on it, the other had a lion. Tom recognised them as the Hogwarts founder's emblems, Godric Gryffindor for the lion, Helga Hufflepuff for the badger.

Bella gave the tray to Mrs. Hallow and bowed herself out of the room. Tom moved forward in his chair and peeked over to the tray. Mrs. Hallow lifted the lid off the box with the lion embedded on it. Inside was a golden locket with a neck chain to match. Hetti held it up to the light, Toms eyes ignited with fire; he wanted them so badly, using any means he could.

As the locket dangled in the sunlight, Tom could see a small passage on the back of it.

"What does it say Hetti?" he asked.

She held the locket to her face and read.

"This is the key to true findings, property of Godric Gryffindor".

Tom's eyes dazzled, his fingers drummed the chair and his mind was racing with ideas about how to get hold of it. He watched as Hetti put the locket back into its case and replaced the lid. Her hand then slid over to the other box which was slightly larger than the one before. Once again the lid came off; Tom's imagination swirled with delight. Looking inside the box revealed another gold object, this time it was a small goblet. It looked magnificent. Tom already knew what it was though; he had seen it before, but somewhere else.

"Oh gosh, that's not Helga's?" he tried to sound in shock as he spoke.

"It is Tom my dear, the original masterpiece that once belonged to the founder of magic and schooling." She said.

"Read the inscription please Hetti" asked Tom

"Part of four, and this is a pleasure, three more will unlock the secret treasure" Hetti read.

Tom understood what this meant. The two items were part of four belonging to the four founders of Hogwarts. Tom himself had one of these, a precious ring belonging to Salazar Slytherin, this too had an inscription on it, "Purest of bloods will always produce the best magic". Tom also remembered that the box it was in had a snake on the lid. If he could get hold of these two, he would have three of the four items he needed to unlock the secret of Hogwarts.

Tom watched as Hetti replaced the small goblet and closed the lid. She summoned Bella the house elf and ordered her to put them back with "the usual enchantments" to protect them. The house elf disappeared and Tom turned his attention back to Hetti, she lived alone, she had no known family to look after her, who would miss her if she went?

"I can tell you enjoyed that little viewing Tom" said Hetti. She smiled at him cheerfully.

"Indeed I did" Tom replied, "Where did you get them?"

"Old family heirlooms, passed on through each generation, I'm the only one left, there's nobody after me to follow the family on." She added.

Tom tried to look sympathetic at these words, but his mind was set on the precious metals Mrs. Hallow possessed.