Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, do you really think I would be writing stories on a fan fiction site? I didn't think so. I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: I am so sorry it has taken this long, but school is really kicking my ass. Anyone who sees the allusion to Lord of the Flies, receives my undying praise.

And a side note about time travel: As soon as Voldemort decided to go back in time to warn Tom, it created an alternate time line, thus when Tom goes into the future, everything that occurred in the past still occurred.

Reclaim Our Stolen Breath by killtheenviousmoon

Chapter 2

Tom voraciously drank the potion that he had been brewing for days. In the package he received by his future self, all that was contained was ingredients for a time-traveling potion and a small piece of paper with two words written on it. As it burned down his throat, he braced himself for what was soon to come. Then, he felt it.

The room began to spin and he felt his body ripping in half. He began to be pulled into a black abyss, when he feverishly groped his robes to find his wand and screamed, "Reliquus Posteritas!" A blinding light flashed with a resounding boom and then all went black.

"Master!"

"Master, wake up!"

When Tom opened his eyes, they were assaulted by the bright daylight. Blinded until his eyes became adjusted, he tried to regain some feeling in his numb limbs.

"Master!"

He looked to source of the high-pitched noise and saw a… house elf.

"Master, you received a letter this morning!"

The elf thrust an envelope into his hands, bowed, then vanished with a crack. Although thoroughly confused, Tom kept his face guarded. Opening the letter, it read, "Tom, that was Voldie… your family's house elf. He has been the Merridew's house elf for the past couple of centuries. Yes, I wrote this correctly. You are the last surviving heir of the Merridew family, a rich pureblood, but muggle-loving family. Unfortunately, all of the Merridews were murdered by Lord Voldemort due to their beliefs, except for you." Tom snickered at the irony.

"Because of the tragic event, you, who have been previously home-schooled all your life, will be transferring to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You shall be receiving this letter momentarily.

Obviously, I have failed in continuing our mission in my present state; however, you must finish what I have started. Of course, you must start from scratch, but now you can learn from the mistakes I made and become even more powerful. The world is yours.

Much luck,

Lord Voldemort"

Tom took in his surroundings and was impressed by its sheer size. Light streamed in through the large windows, the marble floors glistened, and emphasized the lavishly decorated interior, which rivaled Hogwarts in its beauty. He felt as though this is how he should have been living his whole life. But, Tom would not complain. Money could do nothing but help his conquest.

Tom burned the letter to destroy any traces of his future self. Then, as expected, another owl came flying in bearing the Hogwarts seal. It dropped in his hands and as he opened the letter, he saw the words,

"Dear Mr. Thomas Merridew, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and have qualified for the position of Head Boy…"

Tom was excited for what his future held: power, domination, and eventual immortality. But he also was excited for what led ahead of him in the near future: Hogwarts. Deciding to buy his school supplies and catch up on 50 years of what he had missed, he raised his wand and apparated to Diagon Alley.

Strolling the streets of Diagon Alley, Tom was taken aback. The once grandeur and magnificent alley had been reduced to complete ruins. The stores had been demolished, a fire ran rampant, and the sky was a blood red. And yet that is not what stunned Tom. Everyone, even in this destruction, was celebrating. Boys and girls were laughing, dancing along the charred streets. Adults were crying tears of happiness, hugging everyone in sight. They were alive. This horrifying war had finally come to an end, and they were alive.

Tom smirked. Everyone was blissfully unaware that the Dark Lord was still in their midst.