A shimmering blue light appeared before Hermione's eyes, snapping her attention away from her book. Understanding immediately what it meant, she climbed up off the bed in which she had been reclined, rising just in time to catch sight of a majestic raven emerging from the light.
"There has just been an attack. Six masked men in black robes," came her grandfather's voice. "A family of well known blood traitors was targeted. Cruciatus was used for the most part. One critically injured in an attempt to fight back. An unknown purple spell was used. Dumbledore and I agree that now is the time to act."
Hermione felt her heart drop in her chest as her grandfather's Patronus faded from view just as quickly as it had come. They had gone through with it after all. She should have known that they would. How foolish she was to hope that they might change their minds.
Six masked men… That would mean that one of them had refused to go through with it. She could only hope that, for Druella's sake, it was Cygnus. As for the attack itself, she wasn't all that surprised that the Cruciatus Curse had been their weapon of choice, nor did it surprise her that their first target would be a family of blood traitors. The Death Eaters never were ones to pass up an opportunity to torture those they held in contempt.
And then there was the unknown purple spell… It wasn't unknown to her in the slightest. She had only ever seen one such spell before. There was no doubt in her mind that the Death Eater who had cast it was none other than Antonin Dolohov.
They were right. Now was the time to act. They couldn't allow these attacks to continue, not when people's lives were at risk. If the Death Eaters were willing to go so far as to torture and injure people, then it was only a matter of time before they started killing as well. Maybe by accident at first, but eventually they would stop caring. Who knows, Tom might even order them to kill, if he grew desperate enough.
Flinging herself back onto the bed, she struggled to calm the war raging inside of her head. She had done all that she could, given Tom so many chances to stop this madness, hoping that her presence and influence would be enough and even delayed the inevitable confrontation as long as she could, but it didn't seem to make any difference.
Her time was up… She would have to face him…
She stayed there for a while, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for him to return home from work. Glancing over at the clock on the nightstand, she realized that she still had a good half hour left to go. In order to make the time go by faster, she returned to her book to try and read some more. That didn't work, much to her frustration, as her mind was too distracted, her eyes constantly glancing back over at the clock to see how much time had passed.
Forcing herself to think of something else, she reflected on how her visit with Nicholas Flamel had gone only a few days prior. She received a warm welcome from Nicholas and his wife Perenelle, who were wonderful people. Despite their fame, they were quite down-to-earth, and didn't consider themselves any better or worse than anyone else.
Despite being over six-hundred years old, you could clearly tell that the couple were still madly in love. They looked at each other as if they meant the world. It warmed her heart to witness. She had always admired that kind of eternal love, and wished to find such love even herself. Sadly, she wasn't sure if that was going to happen with the way things were going.
The pair asked her many questions about herself to get to know her on a more personal level, and she did so in return as well. After dinner, which was positively delicious in her opinion and reminded her of Mrs. Weasley's cooking, she got to the purpose of her visit and informed Nicholas that she had come to accept his apprenticeship in person.
With that, the arrangements were made for her to begin her apprenticeship, which he warned her could last up to four years, and would begin in a couple of weeks. Then came the debate over her living arrangements. Perenelle had offered her their guest bedroom, but Hermione turned down the offer, not wanting to intrude upon them.
As far as she could see, her only options were to either rent an apartment nearby, or portkey back and forth from Britain to France every day or so. The latter option didn't sound too appealing to be honest, but she was still deciding. In the end, it would all depend on what happened with Tom. If things went well, she would consider making the extra effort to ensure that she could return to him most nights. If not…
Just then, she heard the sound of the front door opening down stairs. Hermione jumped up at the sound, her heartbeat accelerating as she knew it would only be a matter of moments before he made it to his, or rather their, bedroom. She had never felt so nervous at the prospect of seeing him before. Well, aside from their first meeting, perhaps.
A lump formed in her throat as his footsteps grew closer and closer. This was it. There could be no backing down from this. It had to end, one way or another. She shoved it down quickly, managing to school her features mere moments before the door opened and Tom stepped inside.
"Welcome home, Tom," she greeted him with a forced grin. "How was your day?"
Unlike hers, Tom's grin actually seemed to be genuine. Slipping out of his Unspeakable robe, he pressed a quick kiss to her lips as he passed, making his way over to the wardrobe. "It went surprisingly well actually. I'm finally starting to see some results in my plan."
With his back turned to her, she let her grin slip. How could he be so happy after having ordered the torture of a family of muggle and muggleborn sympathizers? Again, she was reminded of the promises he had made to her when he first formed the Knights of Walpurgis. He told her we wanted to create a better world for the muggleborns, where they were better integrated into society. It was almost as if he had completely disregarded that promise.
"Did you hear about the awful attack on that family?" she asked.
Tom's shoulders tensed at that. "Yes, I did. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement sent out a group of Aurors to help, but the damage was already done by the time they arrived. The perpetrators got away."
"Of course they did. You saw to that, didn't you?" She couldn't keep up the facade any longer.
The robe slipped out of his fingers, landing in a heap at his feet. Slowly, he turned back to face her, his expression remained neutral for the most part, save for the hint of panic in his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Drop the act, Tom. I know all about the Death Eaters and your involvement in the whole ordeal. I also know that you used the Cruciatus Curse on both Abraxas and McGonagall."
"Who told you?"
"If you must know, I found out all on my own. I knew you were up to something when you left with Cygnus, so I followed you to Raphael's Apartment," she told him. "Bachelor Parties don't generally take place at nine in the morning, you know."
"And how did you find out that I used the Cruciatus Curse? I'm fairly certain you didn't hear us talking about that during our meeting. Someone had to have told you."
That she didn't quite know how to explain. She didn't think it would be a good idea to tell him about the seer. Still, she didn't want to outright lie to him. He had a way of knowing when people were lying to him.
"I noticed how skittish Abraxas was acting around you at his wedding, and I will admit that I did approach him about it, but he refused to tell me, doubtlessly afraid of what you'd do to him if he did. Left with no other choice, I entered his mind and found what I was looking for."
He didn't reply at first. He just stared at her as if he was only truly seeing her for the first time.
"It would seem I underestimated you," he admitted. "You truly are my equal, both in terms of power and cunning. I am impressed."
"Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this, Tom Marvolo Riddle!" she exclaimed, a bit of the anger welled up inside of her finally leaking out. "What could possibly possess you to make you want to torture innocent people?"
He cringed visibly at the use of his whole name. The only other person who used his whole name was Mary, and only when she was cross with him, much like she was at that moment.
"In my defense, I didn't actually tell them to torture anyone, only to cause enough chaos to get the Ministry's attention."
"Yes, but I'm sure you had some idea what that chaos would consist of. I mean, have you met Antonin Dolohov, for merlin's sake? He's ruthless and vile! And that curse he used is capable of causing great damage, and even death if performed correctly."
"How do you know about-" he cut himself off, his eyes widening with realization. "He used it on you, didn't he?"
She nodded. "A long time ago. I was fortunate enough to have been able to silence him, preventing him from speaking the incantation out loud."
His eyes ignited with rage, his fists clenching as he reached for his wand, or rather the Elder Wand. "I'll kill him!"
She remembered what Dumbledore said about the wand. The Elder Wand was corrupting him, feeding off the darkness that was present in his heart to begin with.
"You will do no such thing. I may not like Dolohov, but that doesn't mean I want you to kill him for me," she stood her ground, refusing to show him any fear. "Now, put that wretched wand away. You have no right to condemn him when you are just as guilty."
He didn't listen to her, keeping the wand clutched firmly in his hand. That alone spoke volumes to her. He was clinging to it as if his life depended on it. She could see just how seduced by the power he had become. If only she had seen this sooner.
"Oh really? You dare compare me to the brute who attacked you? Do you really think that lowly of me?"
"No, the problem is that I thought too highly of you! I've done nothing but believe in you these past eight years. I believed you when you promised me that you wouldn't let yourself become like Emeric the Evil. I believed you when you told me that you wanted to make the wizarding world a better place, but now I'm not so sure."
"I assure you, what I said hasn't changed."
"Then prove it to me. Put down the Elder Wand and disband the Death Eaters."
He glanced down at the wand in his hand before looking back up at her. "I can't do that, Hermione. I just need you to be patient with me for a while longer. Once my plans come to fruition, and I've become Minister for Magic, then I'll do whatever you want, but not now. I need to see this through."
A hollow feeling took up residence inside her chest. She had hoped that this wouldn't happen, that he would see reason, but it was clear to her now that it wasn't to be. He refused to give up his plans. His decision had been made.
"You've chosen your own love of power over the power of love itself," she thought aloud. "I should have known that you would. Did you ever even truly love me to begin with?"
"Hermione, I-"
"Accio Elder Wand."
Quickly picking up on what was happening as the wand started to pull out from under his grip, he started to struggle, increasing the strength of his grip until his knuckles we're bleach white with his bones.
"Accio Elder Wand!" She repeated, this time louder and with more feeling.
This time, he couldn't hold on. The wand flew out of his hand and straight into hers.
The moment the Elder Wand entered her grasp, she felt an uneasy feeling wash over her. There was no moment of awe for her as there had been for Tom, but rather the complete opposite. She could sense all the darkness and hatred that had been fed into the wand over the years by its numerous previous owners. It was overwhelming, but she fought back against it with her own light. She wouldn't let herself be taken by it as so many others had.
"Give it back!"
Tom moved to grab for it, but stopped dead in his tracks as she pointed it at his chest.
"That's not the way the Elder Wand works, Tom. It belongs to me now."
"And what do you intend to do with it?" he hissed. "Are you going to kill me so that I can't go through with my plan?"
Hermione shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Despite everything that he had done, she could not bring herself to kill him, nor could she bring herself to hate him. Luckily, her grandfather had shown her a different, yet still effective, method to put an end to him and his plans.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Tom's body seized up in an instant, his arms and legs snapping together. Hermione moved quickly to catch him before he could fall to the floor, dragging him over to the bed where she made him lie down flat on his back. With his jaw frozen, he was unable to talk. However, his eyes themselves were not. She tried not to look at them, for fear that they might make her change her mind and release him.
Leaving him there for the time being, she began to wave the wand around the room, pulling open her suitcase and levitating every last item of hers inside. The undetectable extension charm she had cast on it during her travels came in particularly handy when it came to cramming all of her books inside. She would have never been able to fit them all in there if not for that.
Once every last one of her belongings was gone from the room, she looked back at Tom. He was still where she had left him. She knew that her spells were highly effective, probably even more so with the Elder Wand, but she didn't let herself become too confident in her own abilities. Tom was just as skilled as she was. If anyone could find a way to break free on his own, it was him.
It seemed weird, seeing the room without her things in it. Technically she had her own room across the hall, but she hadn't actually used it in a while, not since she came back for Christmas. She wasn't sure if the Riddles were aware of their sleeping arrangement. If so, they hadn't mentioned it yet.
This would be the last time she ever stepped foot in this bedroom…
Setting her suitcase down next to the door, she started towards the bed again to finish what she needed to do. He was staring at her with wide, pleading eyes. This only made it more difficult for her. Tom had never pleaded with anyone for anything before.
"I'm so sorry to have to do this, but you've left me no choice."
There were only two things left for her to take care of before she left. The first, was removing any and all items of potential threat from his possession. She had already taken the Elder Wand. That only left his diary and the Gaunt Family Ring. Summoning the diary to her, which emerged from the drawer of his desk in the corner of the room, she slid it into his pocket before reaching over to pull the ring off his finger.
She heard him let out a muffled sound, that was the most he could do to protest.
"I love you, Tom," she told him, pressing one last quick kiss to his frozen lips. "You were the first person I ever gave my heart to willingly, and I fear that a part of it will always belong to you, whether you want it or not."
Then, pulling back, she took a deep breath and aimed her new wand at him again for the final step.
"Obliviate."
All emotion drained from his eyes as the effects of the spell washed over him. It broke her heart to do so, but she pushed through it regardless. Next she cast a False Memory Charm, replacing all the memories she had wiped away with ones that she felt were safe.
Much would remain the same. He would still be Tom Riddle, son of Tom Riddle Sr. and Merope Gaunt, and grandson to Thomas and Mary Riddle. However, everything involving Grindelwald and the Death Eaters had to go. He would still know that they existed, but if asked about them, and he surely would be, he would tell them that he wanted nothing to do with them.
Then there were the memories concerning her… As tempted as she was to simply remove the bad and let him keep his memories of her, she knew she ought not to. It would cause too many problems, and besides… She wasn't sure she could bear to remain at his side, all the while living with the knowledge of all the horrible things he had done, as well as what she had done in order to stop him.
She was sure that she would forgive him one day, or at least she hoped she would, but for now it was best that she leave.
Once she was sure that everything was in place, she got up from the bed, tucked the Elder Wand away and swept out of the room with her suitcase, willing herself not to look back. The effects of the Body-Bind would be wearing off soon. Besides, she knew it was only a matter of time before everything caught up with her. She wanted to be alone to mourn her loss when that happened. There was no comfort that could be offered for this. It was something she was going to have to deal with, probably for the rest of her life.
