Inception: Rise of the Heir

Tom Riddle disappeared for 10 years. Where did he travel and what did he do during his absence? This is my feeble attempt at a Tom Riddle backstory, right before he rejoined the world officially as Lord Voldemort.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for my o/c's.

The night was dark and the woods lay silent as Lyra made her way through the thickets and brush, her only companion the quiet snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves under her feet as she walked across the forest floor. As she pushed a few branches out of her path with her hand, she kept her wand out and ready, prepared in case she ran into trouble. As she walked she came upon a small clearing surrounded by large trees with massive trunks. She paused and inhaled slowly, watching her breath leave her mouth in little puffs.

It was cold and for the first time in a long while she felt unprepared for the environment. She reached into her pocket as she took out a small flask, popping open the top and taking a long swig from it. Her face scrunched unpleasantly as the firewhiskey hit her throat, burning her esophagus as it trickled down her throat. Firewhisky had never been her drink of choice, but the alcohol was as important and essential to her survival in the moment, being a natural repellant for all kinds of dark creatures and beasts. She took another mouthful of the disgusting liquid and shoved it back into her cloak.

"Damn him." She thought as her mind strayed to Tom Riddle.

She hadn't anticipated leaving the tent in such a rush, but she had been eager to be rid of Tom nosing about her business. Yes, they had made camp for the night because of her weariness, but they had stopped also for another reason, one she had not been prepared for . One that she didn't want to share with the strange englishman in her company.

"Had I known-I was so sure this time I had handled it. That I had everything in control again. I see now that I'm only losing power over myself and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

As she continued forward her thoughts turned back to Tom. The events in the tent had made her uneasy, his politeness and behavior was obviously a facade. She had known that the minute she had met him, long before he had lost his temper moments ago, that he was not to be trusted. She thought back to New York and the odd pain she had felt in her head as he had stared at her.

"He is most certainly a legilimens….and a good one at that. I haven't had an attempted legilimency hurt like that in a long time. I need to be careful around him...one slip and everything could be ruined."

She wrapped her cloak tighter around her as she leaned up against the trunk of one of the larger trees.

But that was exactly her problem currently. She was starting to slip more frequently, she was losing what little power she had over her situation and keeping it hidden was starting to become more and more of a concern. If she had known what little control she had over herself she would never have agreed to bring him along.

"Damn my curiosity." She cursed softly and looked up towards the dark canopy of trees.

She knew he was powerful. She had felt his presence before she had even seen him and she could only cast aspersions as to what he sought. He was not doing research, it was not simple curiosity that had driven him here. It was power and a thirst for forbidden magic. She had seen it before in others, the want and the desire, but they had lacked determination and the will to benefit from it. Tom was different. She could feel it.

As a child she had been plagued with strange dreams, someone speaking to her in a language she could not understand, dreams that had felt so real, feelings that she could not explain...

She had never told anyone about the visions she experienced as a child, as she had grown older they had become less frequent until they had finally stopped. She had read books upon books trying to understand what these dreams in her youth had meant, but found nothing. She had decided to chalk them up to experiences that children went through before their powers had reached adolescence. It was common for young witches and wizards to manifest visions and dreams to help them control what they involuntarily could not.

Still...years later, although she could never put a face to the voice that spoke to her, she could remember the voice and how it's presence had felt. It had been years since she had last dreamt, the small details of the delusion hazy and unfamiliar in her mind, all except for these two things, which she could never forget.

It was for this reason, and only this reason she had even entertained the idea of Tom accompanying her on this voyage. Something about him felt familiar to her. The moment she had felt him near, it sparked to life a feeling she had long forgotten and it caught her attention.

"You may live to regret this…" She knew Visions were usually incorrect or useless and she should have known better than to reflect on the musings of a simple child.

As Lyra lay under the tree a burning feeling started to creep up her spine, sending jolts of pain up and down her body. Anticipating the familiar feeling, she pulled the flask once more from her pocket and spilled its contents into her mouth, trembling as she tucked it back away into her cloak. The world started to spin as she suddenly began to convulse, the world fading to black around her as she gasped for air.

Tom awoke suddenly with a jolt. He quickly sat upright, disoriented and confused at first as to where he had awoken, then relaxed as fragments of the previous day started to flood his mind. The room was still and looked exactly as he had last remembered. He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand, wiping the sweat that was beading slowly on his forehead and pushed the hair off his face where it had clung. As he started to take deep breaths, he pushed the blankets slowly off of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet hitting the cold floor with a small shock as it sent chills up his spine. Sleep had never come easily to him and ever since he had started creating horcruxes it became less and less attainable for him to get a good night's rest. His dreams were always full of whispers and of screams, strange voices echoing off into the distance. He eventually learned that if he broke up his sleeping pattern throughout the night he would not be disturbed by the constant unrest inside his head, it was tiring, but Tom didn't mind.

He got up from the bed and walked over to his suitcase, grabbing his wand and whispering a spell in parselmouth to unlock the latch. As he opened the lid he reached inside the woolen bag that contained his two most recent acquisitions and pulled out the locket. He cradled it gently in his pale hands, he walked back over to his bed and lay down once more; holding the locket above his face as he turned it carefully around in his palm.

"Exquisite." he thought to himself as he rubbed his fingers over the sides of the locket and his thumb across the front, brushing it over the large "S" that had been encased in what appeared to be small emeralds on the face.

A thought occurred to him as he sat there admiring the necklace in his hands, he hadn't tried to open it yet. He took the locket and held it between his fingers, trying to unfasten the small clasp, only to find that it wouldn't budge. He frowned as he flipped it around, trying to see why it wouldn't open. After a few more failed attempts he grew frustrated and decided to give up, getting back off the bed to return it to the bag. Placing it back into the sack and closing the top of the suitcase, he reached for his wand to seal it back up, but hesitated as a sudden thought sprang to his mind.

Hands shaking with excitement, he once more reached down to pick up the locket and laid it down gingerly on the table next to him. He aimed his wand carefully at the locket and softly whispered something in parseltongue. A small click resonated in his ears and when he glanced down he saw the necklace had finally opened.

He greedily snatched up the jewelry, wondering what treasure lay hidden and opened it up eagerly. His face fell in disappointment when he finally peered inside.

"It's empty."

DIsappointed and frustrated he snapped it closed, starting to place it back inside the suitcase when he paused once more. He felt the locket start to hum and vibrate in his hands, as if it had finally awoken, eager to be near to the master it so rightfully belonged to. Instead of placing it once more inside the dusty old suitcase, he pulled it over his head and fastened it around his neck, it thrummed once more, sending a warm feeling throughout his body. He smirked and reached for his shirt on the back of the small chair, putting in on and slowly fastening the buttons one by one all the way up to his collar. He suddenly felt well rested, as if the necklace had somehow rejuvenated him.

He waved his wand towards the candles and lit them, eager to start the day. As he finished getting dressed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and paused. Leaning closer, he noticed the absence of the dark circles that he had thought permanent underneath his lower lids and realized his face no longer appeared hollow and gaunt. His eyes, to his astonishment, also looked refreshed, no longer bloodshot and red but healthy and brown with the small flecks of amber he had forgotten existed within them. As he ran his hands through his hair, he grinned at his reflection and let out a small laugh. The locket had restored him to how he had looked before his last horcrux.

"This must be one of the hidden powers of the locket that was spoken of. Very interesting...I wonder what other properties it possesses…." he mused to himself. Feeling satisfied with how he looked he turned around to the door with his wand out and removedl the wards he had placed around his room while he had been sleeping. Reaching for the handle he opened it and was immediately greeted by a delicious aroma.

As Tom stepped into the common area of the tent, the wonderful smells of breakfast hit his nose. The light of a new day started to pour into the tent from outside as Tom made his way towards the kitchen. As he peered inside he watched as the eggs raised themselves into the air, slowly cracking themselves on the side of the pans, sizzling as they cooked. A spatula flipped small sausages and meat on the griddle while water, coffee and juice poured themselves into glasses neatly on the table before him.

"There's no sign of Lyra..." He thought as he entered the kitchen. As breakfast plated itself and rested gently on the table Tom looked around once more, curious about her absence.

He picked up a plate and started to help himself, although he felt refreshed from the locket and what little rest he had, the growling in his stomach was painful to bear. He had scarcely eaten anything since his departure from the boat and he was relieved and satisfied with the spread before him. Tom took a bite of toast and lightly sipped from a glass of juice as his thoughts strayed back to his travelling companion. The tent was tidy, breakfast had been started and she had yet to show herself; he wondered if she had even come back at all. Finishing his breakfast, he watched as the plates and silverware took themselves off to the wash sink, cleaning and rinsing themselves off from the meal and floating slowly back towards the cabinets. He absentmindedly stroked his wand as he sat at the table, lost in his thoughts.

"I wonder if some creature of the night had her for dinner?" Tom smirked as he thought back to her ridiculous warnings the night before. He smiled at the thought for a moment, still irritated with her demeaning behavior and tardy attendance for breakfast. He was anxious to keep moving, time not spent gaining knowledge for what he needed was time wasted in his eyes.

"Good morning Mr. Riddle."

Tom's head jerked up as he saw Lyra enter through the front of the tent, dressed and ready for the morning. Her hair was pinned back gently, loose soft curls falling down her shoulders and her lips were still painted her signature red color. She took off her cloak revealing another form flattering dress as she made her way into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the counter. As she leaned against the table Tom noticed that despite her perfectly groomed and beautiful appearance, her eyes were noticeably tired and worried. She looked as if she had had little to no sleep.

"I trust you rested well?" she said, waving her wand to signal the kitchen that its work was done and that breakfast was over.

"Quite." Tom said gently as he stood up from his chair. Lyra walked past him and sat down on the couch, crossing her long legs slowly motioning for him to come sit down across from her. He walked over towards her, but did not sit. Lyra ignored his refusal to take a seat and put her glass down on a small end table, looking up at him while leaning back into the chair.

"Before we leave there are some...issues I would like to address beforehand." she started as she frowned, as if struggling to find words that would not offend Tom. "I assume that you have not obtained a wand permit to perform magic here Mr. Riddle...Tom?...Am I correct?"

He grimaced at the sound of his name and snorted indignantly.

"A wand permit? I was unaware I needed a wand permit in this country Ms. Leroux."

She furrowed her brows at the sound of her surname. "I hate formalities. Please call me Lyra. Only strangers call me by my last name and I believe you don't fall under that category as we became properly acquainted yesterday."

"As you wish." he said softly "Now why am I required-"

"MACUSA is very fond of documenting who comes and goes in this country, they would like all wizards to adhere to the strict rules and restrictions that fall into place here Tom. You shouldn't have a problem performing most spells, most forms of magic are undetectable and are not regulated by MACUSA, but there are some spells that are forbidden to everyone and they have made it so you can be tracked if they ever leave your lips."

"Which spells are prohibited?"

"Can you not think of any Tom?" Lyra said, grabbing her glass from the table next to her and taking a long sip.

"The killing curse." he said quietly, still maintaining eye contact with her, trying not to seem irritated.

"Yes. Amongst a few others. Most curses that are forbidden across the sea are strictly forbidden here, but unlike Europe, MACUSA has placed a trace on the incantations, that will lead them directly to you if proper action isn't taken. The penalty for using one is life imprisonment, the penalty for using one without a wand permit is death. No trial, no exceptions." Lyra took a long sip again and met his eyes again.

"I see.." he spoke softly rubbing his chin. "Are there any other little surprises about your country I should know about?"

She shrugged and placed her glass down. "I'll fill you in as needed. We'll be fine as long as you keep a low profile."

He nodded as she stood up from the couch and reached out her hand in the direction of her purse across the room, it flew over to her and landed in her outstretched palm. "Well then, now that that's been sorted meet me outside in a few minutes and we'll be on our way."

She exited the tent as Tom wandered back to his room to retrieve his suitcase and jacket. The information he had just learned was a nuisance, he had known America was stricter in its enforcement of magical law but he hadn't anticipated trace spells on some of his most commonly used curses.

"No matter. There are other ways to achieve the same results. If needed I'll just have to be more resourceful."

He took a last look around as he left the room and exited the tent, walking towards Lyra who awaited him in the middle of the clearing. She nodded at him and looked back towards the tent, waving her wand in a swirling motion as the tent started to collapse and fold back into the small canvas square it had started as. She opened her purse as it zoomed inside and started to rifle around inside it as if she were looking for something else.

"Ah. Tom as I had mentioned earlier, you haven't obtained a wand permit and where we are going you will require a wand that has...err... the proper permits attached to it." She quickly pulled another wand from her bag and handed it to him, watching his face wrinkle as he took the unimpressive plain wand from her hand.

"I know it's nothing fancy, but you won't have to use it, just present it when it is asked of you."

Tom looked down at the gnarled wand in his hand and grimaced. It felt alien to him, unimpressive and stagnant. He couldn't produce powerful magic with this wand if he had even tried.

"Dogwood I believe," said Lyra as she pulled out a different wand other than hers from the bag and dusted it off. "I've decided it's not really capable of any noteworthy magic but it'll do. This one however…" she said while wiggling the other wand around and continued, "This one is completely dreadful, Hazel I think...either way it absolutely hates me and completely just refuses to do magic if it doesn't feel like it. Of the two, be happy you have the better one."

Tom rolled his eyes a little and watched her as she dug around in her purse once more. She pulled out two silver flasks and closed her purse as she handed one to him.

He stared at her incredulously as he took the flask. "I'm not in the mood for drinks currently, thank you." He tried to hand it back to her but she pushed it back into his hands forcefully.

"I didn't hand that to you for recreational drinking Tom. These woods are full of hidebehinds. They make no shadows, hold no shapes and can conceal themselves from their prey. They stalk their intended victims for hours, even days and can strike at any time. So, unless you want them feasting on your insides I suggest you take a sip of that every so often. For some reason, they despise the smell and taste of alcohol. It'll keep you safe."

Tom had recalled reading about hidebehinds in one of the books he had brought along with him, although he couldn't recall exactly the book going into that much detail about them. Noting the serious look on her face, he thought it best to take a sip, just to air on the side of caution. His horcruxes ensured he couldn't die, but they didn't prevent him from bodily harm or from losing his physical form. His nose wrinkled as he drank what he felt tasted like shoe polish, forcing it down his throat quickly.

"It's not pleasant, but it gets the job done." Lyra said as she forced down her own gulp and put the flask back into her pocket. "Now then, shall we?"

Lyra held out her hand once more to Tom, who this time took it gently without hesitation. He once more felt the strange burning sensation in his stomach and felt a hot flush rise up his cheeks. He tried to shake the feeling as he softly spoke. "You haven't said where we are going."

Lyra tightened her grip on his hand as she prepared to disapparate. "Ah. That's right I didn't. Salem of course. Wasn't that somewhere on your list?"

As he opened his mouth to reply, he felt his stomach twist and the familiar feeling that he was being forced through a tight rubber tube. They had already disapparated.

So glad I actually got to finish an additional chapter before the holiday! I go on vacation in two days so I can't promise another chapter before the New Year, but I will try my best to write a little during the holiday or at least make some chapters notes so when I get back I can have the next chapters pre-outlined.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the story so far, I would really love some feedback on the character development, I'm trying SO HARD to keep Tom in character, but due to really a huge lack of personal dialogue from Tom Riddle in the books I can only really guess on how he would react in certain situations. I do feel like Tom would definitely overlook certain things about various countries, their creatures and inhabitants because even throughout most of the books, he tends to look at the larger picture and ignore small details. So hopefully it seems logical in that aspect. And up to now I do hope everyone does enjoy the OC. I personally feel that Tom would not get along or tolerate someone who consistently was belligerent or too outspoken and I tried to create a character that challenges and surprises him in all the right ways. I personally find it hard to read fanfiction where the character personalities don't match in any way and then make the actual REAL characters, which whom the stories are based around completely OOC.

SO please please please like, follow and review! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!