Story Title: The Dark Lady Strikes

School and Theme: Ilvermorny and The Room of Requirement

Main Prompt: (emotion) betrayal

Additional Prompts: (genre) hurt/comfort, and (action) searching

Year: 2

Word Count: 3,098 words (with 10% leeway)

Warning for definite AU where Tom Riddle Jr. never becomes Voldemort but instead becomes an Auror and goes undercover. Also warning for character death too. I would also like to thank everyone who beta read this for me. Thank you so much Claude Amelia Song and ViolaMoon!

Graduation day. The finest day that any soon-to-be-Auror looked forward to. The day that the rest of their careers started and like anyone else in his graduating class, Tom Riddle Jr. was excited about it.

He had originally wanted to be a Potions Professor when he was younger. That dream didn't last long, especially when he'd been allowed to sit in on one of Professor Slughorn's classes after he graduated Hogwarts. He couldn't imagine himself allowing any of these young kids to talk back to him. He didn't understand how Slughorn or any of the others could stand it, day in and day out, like that.

.

That was when he thought of something else he wanted to do. Before he'd found out that he was a wizard, Tom had always been pretty interested in the work Muggle policemen did. That and he saw how much respect a person could get by going into such a career. The next day he'd signed up for the academy for Auror training.

While he hadn't thought that would be easy, he had never considered how rigorous the training would be; both mentally and physically. Tom woke tired on a daily basis and went to bed bone weary. But now, when the finish line was in sight, he could already feel the nerves building in his stomach. He didn't want to fail at this. He didn't want to prove to the father he'd found that he was a failure. He wanted to make Tom Riddle Sr. proud of him.

It was at the graduation that he received the letter that would tell him his future. The head professor of the academy had given each student that was graduating an envelope that would tell them where they were going. Most would be sent to little wizarding outposts and not have to deal with big problems. Tom was hoping that he wasn't one of them. He wanted to go where the hustle and bustle was; he wanted to go to the Ministry branch of the Auror Department. This was the main branch that all the little outposts flowed into. Their orders came from the Ministry Offices and Tom wanted to be one of those that gave orders, not received them.

"Are you going to open it?" his current girlfriend, a perky blonde woman called Penelope asked, pointing towards the envelope in his hand.

"Maybe later," Tom said, placing the envelope in the inside pocket of his coat. The weight of the thing weighing him down as they stood in the line at the cinema. He'd wanted to see the reshowing of Three Musketeers and figured it would be a good date movie. He stepped forward as the person in front of them at the window moved along. "Two for The Three Musketeers, please, sir."

"That'll be 10 pounds, young man," the man in the red and gold bellhop looking uniform of the movie theater said.

Handing over the money and receiving the tickets, Tom walked arm and arm with the beautiful blonde towards the concession stand. He didn't understand how he had gotten so lucky to find a woman like her. He sure was glad he did though.

"Are you sure you don't want to open the envelope now?" Penelope asked. "I could open it for you, if you want?"

Tom sighed. "Will it get you to stop asking every five seconds?"

Penelope pouted, grey-green eyes turning an angry moss color. "I'm only concerned for your safety, Tommy," she sighed. "If you get sent to the Min…."

"Fine. Open it." He handed her the letter. He didn't need to hear how concerned she'd be if he was working for the Ministry of Magic branch. That was the branch he wanted to work for, and she had to understand that.

Watching as Penelope tore into the envelope with a perfectly manicured pink nail, he watched as she pulled out and read the paper within. It didn't take long for her face to drop and he knew with certainty that he'd gotten his dream job.

"You can get a transfer, right?" Penelope asked.

"No," he snapped, folding his arms over his chest. "Now let's just watch the movie and forget about this transfer nonsense. I won't hear anymore about it."

That night after the movie, they went home angry at each other. However, Tom was too excited at the prospect of working at the Ministry to care too much. Tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of his life and he couldn't wait to get started.

The Ministry branch was like a bustling village of people, a thing Tom Riddle Jr. was used to having grown up in a Muggle orphanage. They were always crowded much like this place. He straightened his favorite navy blue tie as he walked towards the group of young rookie Aurors that were waiting for their orientation to start.

"You," a stern voice behind him snapped, sending tingles of dread down Tom's back, "new guy, you're with us."

"Me, sir?" Tom asked, looking around and trying to get his heart rate back down. He knew he couldn't have messed up that bad having only been in the building a minute.

"Yes, you, rookie," the tall fair-haired, blue-eyed man who had addressed him said sternly. "I was given permission to use one of you rookies for an undercover assignment and you're it, kid. Now hurry up, get your stuff, and let's go. We don't have all day."

Gathering himself as though he was better than all the other rookies, he walked at a brisk pace next to the fair-haired Auror. The man exuded so much power and all Tom wanted was to learn as much from him as he possibly could.

"Walters, what's this?" another man said, blocking the way to the door. They must be related because they shared the same fair hair. "Who are you?"

"The undercover agent we were talking about using," Walters said matter-of-factly. He pushed past the man in the doorway motioning for Tom to follow him.

That was when he met her for the first time. Myrtle Warren wasn't your typical beauty queen sort of girl. Her hair was a sleek chestnut brown, with eyes the color of warm caramel. She smiled as soon as she saw him, a smile that sent shivers down his spine for some unknown reason.

"This is Myrtle Warren," Walters pointed out. "She's the secretary to the Minister for Magic. The Minister of Magic had begun to notice that Myrtle was acting a bit off and asked her about it. Then a few days ago, in an attempt to appease her mind, Myrtle came to us saying she had been spying for a group of witches and wizards terrorists for some time now. She also said that one of her friends told her that she'd heard a rumor circulating that this group was planning on killing, Miss Warren. After hearing that Miss Warren came straight to us."

"We can't allow that to happen," Tom said, giving Myrtle a reassuring smile. "But how can I help? I'm just a rookie."

"I'm with the rookie on this one, Walters. He could blow up all the hard work we've done in the past few days."

"He won't, Andrews," Walters snapped. "He's going to go undercover as a Hit Wizard for hire and when the men looking to kill Miss Warren come to him, we can take them down."

"I don't like it. This plan could explode in our faces."

"It won't," Tom said, making both men look at him. "I can pull this off. I was top of my class in regards to undercover ops like this. Just give me a chance. I won't let you down."

The next few months consisted of Tom sending out feelers through the underground system of outlaws trying to find out who wanted Myrtle Warren dead. He left a foolproof way to be contacted by the terrorists. It was a mark imbued with the power to communicate messages from one person to another. He'd come up with when he was at Hogwarts back when he was just an angry teenager.

"What's that?" Myrtle asked as she watched him draw down his sleeve to hide the mark on his skin. "I didn't think of you as the tattoo type, Auror Riddle."

"I'm not," he said with a wry chuckle. "It's set to disappear once it's outlived its usefulness. I'm only using it to get in contact with these people who want to kill you."

Myrtle nodded. "You always were so smart back in our Hogwarts years," she stated dreamily, sitting down she looked up at Tom. "I was always so jealous of you when you scored higher than me on those tests old Slughorn used to set."

"You went to Hogwarts?"

"You wouldn't remember me. I wasn't...I didn't look the same as I do now back then. I was the nerdy Ravenclaw girl with the thick glasses that everyone always made fun of."

"I'm sure that's not true."

As the days went on, Tom got to know Myrtle better. Soon he found himself making excuses to go and see her. To even have her help him search out the people who were looking to kill her.

Also to his shock and horror, he found himself making excuses not to go home to his girlfriend at night. It wasn't that he wanted to hurt Penelope but he also couldn't stop himself from feeling how he did about Myrtle. It wouldn't be fair to any of them.

It was no shock to Tom that he was with Myrtle when the terrorist contacted him. The heat radiated from the mark on his arm and like it was designed to, he could hear the message in his head.

"I am the one looking to kill Myrtle Warren," the smooth familiar voice sounded in his head. A voice Tom hadn't heard since his years at Hogwarts. The voice of Abraxas Malfoy. "Can we meet to discuss a plan of action?"

"What is it?" Myrtle asked, watching Tom's face pale. "Did they get in contact with you, yet?" She felt a thrill of fear go down her spine at her own words. She was discussing someone wanting to kill her like it was the weather.

Tom nodded. "They want to get together and discuss a plan of action for how best to kill you," he told her, feeling sick to his stomach. The callous nature that his best friend from school was using to speak about the woman he loved was making him mad.

"Do you know who it is?"

Maybe he had heard the voice wrong? Maybe he was just thinking about the old times at Hogwarts and the voice sounded at the same time? Maybe it was just a coincidence that the voice sounded like Abraxas? He had to make sure before he just flat out accused his best friend of murder or planning a murder.

"I'm not sure," he said as mentally set the time and date for the meet with Abraxas. He did owe his old school friend the chance to explain himself if it was him. "But I do plan on making a meeting with this person, whoever it is, and finding out more."

"You're so brave, Tommy," Myrtle cooed. "I don't think that I could be that brave if it was me in your situation."

"You'd be surprised what you can do in this sort of situation," Tom told her. He was beginning to surprise even himself.

"You seem nervous," Tom noted as he watched Myrtle's eyes follow his girlfriend Penelope through the station. "Is everything alright, Myrtle?"

"Fine," she said, hesitantly. "I just need some air, is all."

"Let me just see what Penny wants and I'll take you out." He could see the nervousness radiating off Myrtle in waves. Like it was tangible. He wondered what that was about. Maybe it had nothing to do with Penelope at all but was just from the case?

"You didn't take your coffee," Penelope said, holding out a canister of hot steaming coffee to him. "I made special for you to make up for being so upset last night that you didn't come home for dinner."

"I'm sorry. I was just a little distracted earlier trying to prepare myself for this big meet I'm having tonight with…" He stopped himself short. Penelope didn't need to hear this. This didn't involve her at all. "I'm sorry." He took the canister and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later tonight for dinner. Yeah?"

Penelope nodded and after a beat she left looking rather dejected. Tom just didn't understand why she couldn't, except that he couldn't tell her everything about the case. If he did, it would drive her to distraction.

"I wouldn't trust her if I was you," Myrtle said, walking up from behind him.

"I'm sorry?"

Just then Tom got another instant communication from Abraxas or whoever it was that had hired him to take out Myrtle. The voice slammed into his brain like a freight train derailing his thoughts.

We have to move up the meet, Abraxas's voice pounded in his brain. Instead of meeting later tonight, we have to meet in a half hour. Madam Puddifoot's. Come alone and unarmed."

Madam Pudifoots was a strange place to hold a meeting in regards to killing someone or at least that was what Tom thought. He quickly made his way through the room full of other Aurors after dropping a hastily written note to Auror Walters. He had to find out if his old friend Abraxas was truly capable of murdering someone.

As soon as he was outside of the Ministry he found a Muggle free space and Apparated to Madam Puddifoot's tea shop. He'd been here many times with his girlfriend Penelope which was why he found it a strange place to talk murder.

"Did you come alone?" the voice was feminine and not the masculine voice he had been expecting.

Tom nodded. Turning around, he received the shock of a lifetime. Standing behind him was his beautiful girlfriend holding her wand aloft. She motioned for him to go inside the building.

"Nice of you to join us, Auror Riddle," the blond man sitting in a chair towards the back of the tea shop said. He indicated a set of chairs across from him. "Will you have a seat and we'll discuss arrangements for…"

"The only thing we will be discussing, Abraxas, is why you would want to kill someone like Myrtle Warren?" Tom sat done watching his old friend. The look he shared with Penelope told him everything he'd needed to know.

"It wasn't you?" Tom questioned Abraxas quietly. He didn't understand. Everything pointed towards Abraxas as the one who wanted Myrtle murdered. Every scrap of evidence he'd searched out pointed back to this man. But it also didn't point to him. It didn't make sense anymore. If not Abraxas, who was it that he was searching for. The answer surprised him more than anything else in his life ever would.

"This idiot wouldn't be able to kill a dementor without the help of firewhiskey," laughed Penelope. "Let alone kill a girl."

"Penny?" Tom asked in confusion. "It was you this whole time?"

"This brainless oath wouldn't be able to kill anything bigger than a cockroach," she snapped. "Of course it was me. When I met Abraxas for the first time, he told me all about how you used to dream of power when you were a teenager. He even told me your plan for taking over the world as he called it. I figured if you weren't going to use the plan then I would. Power is everything. But, of course, someone had to get in the way of me having my power. Myrtle Warren. Warren was going to turn evidence against me and I couldn't have that seeing as my boyfriend is an Auror. So she had to go."

Tom gaped in horror at his girlfriend as she raised her wand and pointed. Not at him like before but at Abraxas.

"I hired this incompetent to be a fallguy of sorts," Penelope said. "No one would ever dream that sweet, little Penelope Vanderhousen would ever be implicated in anyone's death. Let alone Myrtle Warren's. Do you like the last touch back there? I even had myself convinced for a second that I wasn't involved in any of this!" She chuckled darkly. "Now to take care of the one loose thread I have left."

"What are you going to do?" Tom glared at her hoping if he stalled for time Auror Walters would get his note and come to the rescue.

"What do you think she's going to do rookie?" Walters walked out from the bathroom giving Tom his second shock that day. "We can't have any witnesses running to the board of Aurors saying that the head of the department is working with…"

Before Walters could finish his statement, a flash of green light hit him. Another flash of green light then shot towards Abraxas, but someone quickly jumped in front of him.

"Curses!" screamed Penelope, going to take aim again.

The door burst open and the whole of the Auror department burst into Madam Puddifoot's tea shop. They quickly surrounded Penelope, taking her wand from her.

"Penelope Vanderhousen, you are under arrest for the murder of Auror Walters, and planning the murders of Abraxas Malfoy, Myrtle Warren, and Auror Riddle," Auror Andrews stated, putting cuffs on Penelope's wrists. "Get this woman out of my sight."

Penelope struggled as she was led from the tea shop. "You won't get away with this," she screamed. "I'll escape and then you'll all rue the day you met me."

Tom didn't hear anything else because he realized who had jumped between Abraxas and death. Looking down with tears in his eyes he saw Myrtle Warren lying there open-eyed the beginning of the words she would never get to say on her lips.

"I'm so sorry, Tom," Abraxas said, putting his arms around his old friend. "She died bravely."

"She did."

It was a small comfort, but it was comfort nonetheless. He allowed himself to be led out the door by Abraxas. Even with all that he'd lost in the last twenty-four hours the sun was still shining and there were still crimes to solve. He would pick himself up and find the next case to solve. But he would always remember his first.

Also for a few things over on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry too.

Public Services: Preservation of Art and Culture: Task 3 - Write about a hands on learning experience.

Insane Prompt List: 523. (genre) Mystery

Hogwarts Bingo Party: G1 Myrtle/Tom Jr.

Mario Day: 13. (setting) Ministry