Chapter four
"The world was on fire, no-one could save me but you
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do
I'd never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you
And I'd never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you"
--Wicked Game
"So tell me Hermione" he smiled across the table "How did you like our day?"
"I liked our day a lot Tom" she returned his smile "We should do it again sometime"
"And we most definitely will"
Hermione had just spent the most wonderful day of her life so far with someone she had just met. When she voiced this observation he had laughed and changed the subject. She wasn't going to push him too far; after all… he was a stranger.
They had walked around the beautiful Magic Gardens talking about everything they had known and some things they didn't know too much about. Hermione was astounded to find he was as knowledgeable as her and immediately lapped up the unique opportunity to discuss important ideas she had with someone who would disagree with her for intellectual reasons.
"Tom what do you think about the rights of House Elves?" she asked sweetly
"I don't care a fig for House Elves, Hermione" he replied, taking a swig of coffee "I never had them and, frankly, I would never want them. I prefer human servants"
Hermione had laughed at that comment but something about it did not ring well with her.
"Tom?" she paused "Tell me a little about yourself, we've been talking about me all day and I don't think I know much about you"
"So curious, little rose" he arched an eyebrow "But I will consent this time. I was brought up in a Muggle Orphanage, I went to Hogwarts and I left. Is that enough for you?"
"What house were you in at Hogwarts?"
"Slytherin, of course" Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach
"What year were you born, Tom"
"1927" he smiled innocently "Exercise and eat right, and in fifty years time you'll look like me"
"Are you Lord Voldemort, Tom?"
"Yes. I am Lord Voldemort" he laughed coldly "When did you figure it out?"
"A while ago" she replied softly "I just wanted to see what you were after"
He gave a sigh of relief "Finally I can stop being Mr Perfect and get down to business"
Hermione started "Business?" she squeaked "What kind of business?"
"Come with me" he stood and offered his hand "We're going to Hogwarts"
She accepted his outstretched hand and followed him out of the Café.
"You were right about Miss Granger, Wormtail" Voldemort sneered at his bumbling servant "She is highly intelligent"
Wormtail gave a barky, nervous laugh and returned to his duties
"Foolish girl" Voldemort murmured, almost fondly "She will not be clever enough to take on Lord Voldemort"
"Tom?" Hermione whispered "How did we get to Hogwarts?"
"We walked" he replied shortly "Be quiet. We need to get in quietly"
"I'm helping Voldemort break into Hogwarts!" Hermione giggled hysterically "If only Harry and Ron could see this"
"They can" He pulled her through a hole in the wards "We're going to see them"
"Oh" she stared at Tom "Why?"
"Wait and see, little owlet" he whispered seductively "Wait and see"
They walked to Gryffindor tower in silence, thankfully not running into anyone. The portrait was all ready open and he helped her into the common room.
"Hello Hermione" Ron called from the chessboard by the fire
"Hermione" Harry nodded and returned to the game. Hermione noted with amusement that Harry seemed to be winning for a change.
"Who have you got with you Hermione?" Ron asked, his eyes never leaving the chessboard.
"His name is Tom Riddle, Ron" Harry replied coolly "He's really Voldemort"
Ron didn't shudder like he usually does when he hears the name of the Dark Lord, Hermione noted with confusion. "Is he really? How unusual"
Hermione restrained herself from tipping the chessboard and attaching a neon sign to the head of her new companion.
"Does he have a big snake Hermione?" Ron asked with a straight face
"Yes I think so." She paused "Ron! You were being rude!" she exclaimed loudly to their teenage boy chuckles. She spun around to see Tom's reaction to Ron's typical rudeness and was surprised to not find him.
"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked nastily "Has your boyfriend gone away?"
"He's not my boyfriend Harry" she replied evenly "He's evil"
"Oh of course he is" Ron winked at Harry, who smirked "He's evil" he concluded in falsetto
"Why are you being so rude to me today?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in desperation and storming out of the common room
"Honestly, that girl needs to sort herself out" Ron remarked at her departure. Harry grunted in the affirmative.
The castle was eerily dark and quiet for a school. Hermione gulped involuntarily as she wandered around looking for Tom. She didn't know why she was actively looking for the quasi-mini-evil-Lord-Voldemort except he brought her here and then disappeared; leaving her to face the people she had called her friends.
Hermione had been feeling the cold stab of loneliness for some time now as it seemed everyone but she had been growing up into adults whereas she had been left as mature as ever. Not that she would be considered immature, by any stretch of the imagination, but people like Ron and even Harry had changed into people where she had been left as someone who was obsessed with doing well in school.
"How depressing" Tom's voice echoed throughout the hallway "Why don't you see yourself as I see you?"
Hermione jumped "T-Tom? Where are you?"
"I'm over here Hermione" his voice answered from somewhere down the corridor "You didn't answer my question"
She squinted down the corridor and saw a light flickering in a room that she recognised as the Hogwarts Library. Her sanctuary. Cautiously, she opened the door with a creak and peered into the room.
The library had been filled with candles to create a hazy beacon of light in the darkness of the school. The separate tables had been cleared away in favour for one large table in the middle of the library. Tom Riddle was seated on one of the two high-back mahogany chairs. The shadow and light created by the candles danced elegantly over his face and his eyes stared at her, so dark and intense, she gulped.
"Please Hermione" he smiled "Take a seat. Everyone's been waiting for you"
She took a nervous step toward the second chair at the table. "But Tom" she paused "You're the only one"
He smiled, his hands playing with a glass of red wine "I suppose you're right"
He was wearing dress robes of such a dark shade of green they looked almost black. She was startled to find herself wearing a beautiful burgundy velvet dress robe.
"Oh Tom" she felt the material "Thank you for the clothes"
He waved his hand delicately and gestured to the plate in front of her that was rapidly filling with her favourite foods.
"Where are we?" she asked "I know we're in Hogwarts Library but we're not in the real Hogwarts, are we?"
He smiled at her across the table "No we're not in Hogwarts any more Hermione" She nodded, urging him to continue "Now I think it's time we tell you what you're going to do for me"
The food suddenly vanished and the table changed to a more intimate circular table. Hermione stared at him with rapt attention.
"Hermione" he began "After I finish telling you this the spell will be activated and you will never be the same again." He paused "You are in your ideal world and I am your ideal man. The potion you were dosed with was a potent mixture of Obsessive Love and Fantasia, and of course your usual magical stasis inducing potion. I have been shaping this world using Legimency. When you wake up you will be in love with me and you will do everything and anything I desire."
A hissing noise announced the arrival of the snake Nagini. Tom hissed to the snake and gestured to Hermione, the snake moved swiftly to where the girl was sitting and curled, almost docilely, beside her chair.
"That is Nagini" he nodded to the snake "You will use her to kill Harry Potter and Severus Snape"
Hermione's eyes widened with fear. She couldn't kill Harry! She would like to kill Professor Snape sometimes but she couldn't kill him! The snake hissed warningly at her.
"I'm sorry, Hermione" Tom smiled "You have no choice in this matter. You do as I say"
"No I am a free person" she exclaimed indigently "I will not kill Harry or Professor Snape. I'd rather die myself"
"Hermione" he explained with the air of someone telling an excitable toddler that she could not see if Felix the Cat could swim "You don't understand. You have no free will. You will be a weapon. It doesn't matter if you want to do this or not, the fact is that you will do this"
"I will not!" she screamed, her eyes filling with tears "You can't do this to me! I'm a person"
"Well I certinatly didn't think you were a houseplant" he replied nastily, lifting his wand "Now I've had enough of this stupidity from you Hermione. It doesn't become you."
"Please Tom… no" the tears were falling from her eyes rapidly. She didn't want to lose herself and become a slave to Voldemort.
He merely raised an eyebrow and initiated the spell. Her tears stopped falling and her eyes were blank. Hermione Granger had gone.
"Now Hermione" he cooed at the shell "You're so much better without free will and that holier-than-thou attitude"
He placed a small kiss on her forehead as a mark of ownership. She smiled sweetly at him but her eyes remained empty.
"Thank you Tom"