His head hurt. No, that was not the correct description. His head pulsated and he was left dazed wondering if a moving train had hit him. Possibly Hogwarts Express. And what was even stranger, someone took hold of his hand and clutched it in an unyielding and quite firm manner. For a second Tom was left wondering if perhaps he had imbibed too much firewhiskey the day before and Dumbledore was acting the goat again and trying to catch him red-handed. But the hand felt, distinctly feminine.
He opened his dark eyes, wearily, and saw a flash of wild, black curls belonging to a sprightly, determined minx who was certainly much older than him and was smiling sensually at him. Yet she looked oddly concerned. He felt almost touched and would have felt truly touched if she did not keep on running and dragging him through the mud and rain and throwing Avadas behind his shoulder.
Since he was Tom Riddle, charming and brilliant Hogwarts student, he tried the polite route at first.
"Ma'am, excuse me, is there a reason you're trying to make my arm come out of its socket?" Tom questioned, lifting an eyebrow and almost tripping.
"No time to explain, my Lord, you're going to have to trust me," the woman said hurriedly.
"I trust people more when they don't cause me bodily harm," Tom snarked and he heard mad cackles in response. Goodness, but he did not expect that. Was the woman unhinged? But she did call him my Lord. Could it be possible...
"Are you part of the knights of walpurgis, ma'am?" the boy asked curiously.
"No silly after-school club could compare to what I am, my Lord," she screeched confidently.
"And what are you?" Tom wondered.
"A death eater," the woman replied, before winking.
Tom smiled, finally understanding.
"What does death taste like?" He asked, running along with her, this time voluntarily, no longer being dragged, yet his hand was still very much grasped.
"Crucio! Avada Kedavra!" the woman screamed throwing the hexed behind Tom, one of them flying parallel to his left shoulder.
They kept running for a while, both of them out of breath before she deemed to answer his question
"Immortality, freedom," she said.
Oh, he liked her!
"Silly me. Here I thought it tasted like decomposed flesh," Tom said airily, wanting to see her reaction.
"Or a dementor, my Lord," the woman said, in the same fashion.
They smiled at each other.
"Your company has been charming ma'am, yet I find myself curious. Who are you?"
"I-"
"Bellatrix! Unhand him!" Dumbledore's voice rang out and Tom creased his eyebrows.
The woman growled and put a protective hand on his shoulder. She reacted to the name; violently, therefore, it must be hers. She was quite aptly named; she was a beauty.
'No,' the boy thought and shook his head, 'it wouldn't do to get distracted again.'
What was his professor doing here? If this woman, Bellatrix, was part of his future army then that meant he was most likely in the future. Then that meant professor Dumbledore was certainly on his trail, and not to give him detention this time. Pity he would have enjoyed constantly humming during detention and driving Dumbledore up the wall.
The boy dashed passing grayish roots and rotten plants, his vision almost swirling. He dared to look behind his shoulder, noticing that Dumbledore had caught up with him, along with other unfamiliar people who were all pointing their wands at them. This was just not his day.
They stopped.
"Professor, is this about the assignment on the dangers of dark magic I didn't turn up last week?" Tom asked sarcastically.
Dumbledore looked at him gravely. There was pity, sadness but also a touch of hope in his blue, twinkling orbs.
"I'm afraid not, my boy."
"Then what is this?" Tom glowered.
"An intervention," the old man responded, looking directly at him.
"You will not get him!" Bellatrix screamed even when Dumbledore's Order pointed their wands at her. She did not give up. Such fearless devotion!
Mad-Eye-Moody shouted an arrow-shooting spell at Bellatrix who deflected it at the last moment using Protego.
Tom bit his lip, caught by surprise by the violent attempt at Bellatrix's life. She was his future death eater. He had to protect her!
Dumbledore's groupies decided to surround them like vultures, Tom concluded. They seemed, terrified of him. Which was both nice and horrible. Nice because he had power over them and horrible because they could most likely win in a duel. Fright didn't stop anyone from maliciously squashing a spider if they spent enough time near it.
"Sectumsempra!" A man dressed all in black yelled and aimed his curse at Bellatrix.
Just before Tom tried to help, the woman cartwheeled out of the way, landing on her feet in front of him. Impressive!
"Going to have to do better than that, Snape you traitor!"
"My Bella, I'm just getting started," Severus Snape said while smirking.
"Release the boy, Bellatrix!" Dumbledore said firmly, not wanting to attack Bella and risk hurting Tom at the same time.
'They want me alive!' the boy realized.
"Use me as a human shield," he whispered in Bella's ear.
"My Lord!" Bella said incredulously.
"Don't worry. They won't attack."
Tom's prediction ended up being wrong, as just at that moment, a scarred man conjured ice underneath their feet, while the black man who just moments ago used to be in front of Bellatrix, shouted from the left, "Expelliarmus!"
He landed painfully on his shoulder, yet he tried to get up rapidly and go back to his follower. Alas, it was not to be, because Dumbledore suddenly stood in front of him. He looked to the left, Bellatrix had three wands held at her neck.
"Tom, my boy. Do not run. We will not harm you. You are too young to answer for any of your future crimes. We wish only to change you."
He glanced again at Bellatrix, she uttered, "Run."
So Tom did just that, avoiding Freezing spells, knowing that most likely he'll be caught, but not willing to entertain that thought.