"Honestly Tom, you should ... no you need to put more effort into your schoolwork" tsk'd a much younger Dumbledore as he held back a 15 year old Tom Riddle
"What do you mean Professor? I got the spell right on my first try" questioned Tom
"Yes after 10 minutes of looking bored in the back of the classroom, you attempted the spell and got a passable attempt Mr. Riddle" admitted Dumbledore, "But there is more to magic than simply casting a spell and getting a desired result"
"Is there?" challenged Tom
"Yes, one day you will leave this castle and have to venture out into the real world, Tom. And if you are not careful, the world will dismiss you" warned Albus, his blue eyes locked onto Tom's guarded face.
"I don't want to leave Hogwarts" said Tom
"My boy, you are already nearing the end of your 5th year, you have barely 2 years left here before you have to embrace the next chapter of your life"
"Surely there has to be a way that I could stay here?" asked Tom
"Faculty can remain in the school, but students may not Tom" said Dumbledore
"Then I shall become a teacher"
"You're meant for more than that Tom, you are smart and charming, you could be Minister"
"I don't want to"
"I am going to become headmaster next year Tom, I do not see myself hiring a 16 or 17 year old as a professor"
"Then I'll come back when I'm 20 then"
"I look forward to it, Tom"
22 Years Later: Hogwart's Headmaster Office:
Dumbledore let out a hastily stifled gasp. Voldemort had entered the room. He was not looking at the once handsome feature of his student as he was used to they were not as snakelike, the eyes were not yet scarlet, the face not yet masklike, and yet he was no longer handsome Tom Riddle. It was as though his features had been burned and blurred; they were waxy and oddly distorted, and the whites of the eyes now had a permanently bloody look, though the pupils were not yet. He was wearing a long black cloak, and his face was as pale as the snow glistening on his shoulders. Dumbledore behind the desk was quick to hide to his surprise, after all this visit had been made by appointment.
"Good evening, Tom," said Dumbledore easily. "Won't you sit down?"
"Thank you," said Voldemort, and he took the seat to which Dumbledore had gestured.
. "I heard that you had become headmaster," he said, and his voice was slightly higher and colder than it had been. "A worthy choice."
"I am glad you approve, but as we spoke almost 20 years ago, I was already in line to become Headmaster soon than later" said Dumbledore, smiling. "May I offer you a drink?"
"That would be welcome," said Voldemort. "I have come a long way."
Dumbledore stood and swept over to the cabinet which then was full of bottles. Having handed Voldemort a goblet of wine and poured one for himself, he returned to the seat behind his desk.
"So, Tom . . . to what do I owe the pleasure?" Voldemort did not answer at once, but merely sipped his wine. "They do not call me 'Tom' anymore," he said. "These days, I am known as —" "I know what you are known as," said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly. "But to me, I'm afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. It is one of the irritating things about old teachers. I am afraid that they never quite forget their charges' youthful beginnings." He raised his glass as though toasting Voldemort, whose face remained expressionless. Nevertheless, the atmosphere in the room change subtly: Dumbledore's refusal to use Voldemort's chosen name was a refusal to allow Voldemort to dictate the terms of the meeting, and Dumbledore could tell that Voldemort took it as such.
Dumbledore looked at Voldemort over the top of his own goblet for a while before speaking. "Yes, I certainly do know that you have seen and done much since leaving us," he said quietly. "Rumors of your doings have reached your old school, Tom. I should be sorry to believe half of them."
Voldemort's expression remained impassive as he said, "Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies. You must know this, Dumbledore."
"You call it 'greatness,' what you have been doing, do you?" asked Dumbledore delicately. "Certainly," said Voldemort, and his eyes seemed to burn red. "I have experimented; I have pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps, than they have ever been pushed —"
"Of some kinds of magic," Dumbledore corrected him quietly. "Of some. Of others, you remain . . . forgive me . . . woefully ignorant."
For the first time, Voldemort smiled. It was a taut leer, an evil thing, more threatening than a look of rage. "The old argument," he said softly. "But nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore."
"Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places," suggested Dumbledore. "Well, then, what better place to start my fresh researches than here, at Hogwarts?" said Voldemort. "Will you let me return? Will you let me share my knowledge with your students? I place myself and my talents at your disposal. I am yours to command."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "And what will become of those whom you command? What will happen to those who call themselves — or so rumor has it — the Death Eaters?" Instantly he could tell that Voldemort had not expected Dumbledore to know this name; he saw Voldemort's eyes flash red again and the slitlike nostrils flare.
"My friends," he said, after a moment's pause, "will carry on without me, I am sure."
"I am glad to hear that you consider them friends," said Dumbledore. "I was under the impression that they are more in the order of servants."
"You are mistaken," said Voldemort.
"Then if I were to go to the Hog's Head tonight, I would not find a group of them — Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov — awaiting your return? Devoted friends indeed, to travel this far with you on a snowy night, merely to wish you luck as you attempted to secure a teaching post." There could be no doubt that Dumbledore's detailed knowledge of those with whom he was traveling was even less welcome to Voldemort; however, he rallied almost at once. "You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore."
"Oh no, merely friendly with the local barmen," said Dumbledore lightly. "Now, Tom . . ." Dumbledore set down his empty glass and drew himself up in his seat, the tips of his fingers together in a very characteristic gesture. "Let us speak openly. Why have you come here tonight, surrounded by henchmen, to request a job we both know you do not want?"
Voldemort looked coldly surprised. "A job I do not want? On the contrary, Dumbledore, I want it very much."
"Oh, you want to come back to Hogwarts, but you do not want to teach any more than you wanted to when you were eighteen. What is it you're after, Tom? Why not try an open request for once?"
Voldemort sneered. "If you do not want to give me a job —"
"Of course, I don't," said Dumbledore. "And I don't think for a moment you expected me to. Nevertheless, you came here, you asked, you must have had a purpose."
Voldemort stood up. He looked less like Tom Riddle than ever, his features thick with rage. "This is your final word?"
"It is," said Dumbledore, also standing.
"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."
"No, nothing," said Dumbledore, and a great sadness filled his face. "The time is long gone when I could frighten you with a burning wardrobe and force you to make repayment for your crimes. But I wish I could, Tom. . . . I wish I could. . . ."
"You know nothing about me"
"I know that you left this school as the best and brightest that we had to offer and you've turned yourself into a monster who prays on the weak. You will never be allowed near my children as long as I am breathing"
Dumbledore was sure that Voldemort's hand had twitched toward his pocket and his wand, but he was more than ready for the moment as his own wand slid into his hand and his magic filled the room.
"I am old and I still hold you dearly to my heart, but I am not to be tried inside of my castle, remove yourself at once. If I ever see you again, it will be on the otherside of the battlefield" said Dumbledore and he waited for Tom to try something but then the moment had passed, Voldemort had turned away, the door was closing, and he was gone.
Tom and Dumbledore both shook themselves free of the same memory as Dumbledore sat across from his greatest and worst student at the table in the room. Tom was covered in binding that had runes to suppress his magic. He was little more than a simple muggle.
"How are you Tom?"
Tom rolled his eyes at the question but still answered his one time teacher, "About as well as one can be before their certain death, Dumbledore"
"Come now, we've known each other for 50 old years, call me Albus"
"Fine Albus" spat Tom, his voice lacking any real venom though and Albus could see his eyes soften slightly
"Do you have any regrets?" asked Albus
"Do you?" countered Tom
"Yes, I regret not hiring you all those years ago. I could have saved you from walking down this path" said Albus, "it is something that I think about quite often if I can be honest"
"Then why not fire me?" asked Tom
"I believe that it is best not to hire domestic terrorist to teach school children" replied Albus with humor in his voice
"Yet Snape had a job for over a decade" frowned Tom
"Snape happens to be my domestic terrorist, has been since you threatened Lily Potter all those years ago" retorted Albus softly
"I only targeted her because he told me about the prophecy he overheard. He put that target on her back and got mad at me for listening to him" said Tom with a shake of his head
"Love and hatred can twist a man in ways that can never be explained Tom" agreed Albus, "But you didn't ask to speak to me before your execution just to get my opinion on such matters"
"I had wanted to say goodbye to my former teacher" admitted Tom, "As you said, we've known each other in one world or another, in some form or another for 50 odd years"
"You're a little scared of the end" realized Albus
"I already died twice, but neither of those times did death stick" muttered Tom, "But I am certain of it this time. I have no Horcruxes this time and the Dementor will surely suck all of my soul and Voldemort's soul from this body"
"It's okay to be a little scared Tom, it is part of what makes us human," said Albus
"You mean that thing that I've spent the better part of my life trying to avoid?"
"So it would seem that in the end, you will have the same ending as any other Human" replied Albus
"So it would seem so" agreed Tom
"Is there anything else that I could do for you Tom?
"If it is possible, I would like to speak with Harry one last time"
"That would have to be something that he agrees to" admitted Dumbledore, "I cannot force him to talk to you"
"Considering that he beat me twice, I am sure that he would rattle you, you old bag of bones" spat Tom, but there was only amusement in the words, no venom which caused Dumbledore to smile as he was reminded of his once upon a time wayward student.
1 Day Later:
Harry could feel the powerful wards that covered the room as well as the draining sensation of the runes that covered the room walls, the same runes engraved on the chains that were wrapped around Tom's limbs. The red angry scar on his face bubbled with pain as the residue of magic in the scar was suppressed.
"Hello, Harry" greeted Tom
"Hello, Tom" replied Harry politely as he knew that there was no danger from the chained up Tom, "Can I ask why you wished to speak with me?"
"Of course, it is to talk about how I ... how we got to this point" answered Tom
"I'm pretty sure that this all started because you're a baby hating tosser, to be honest Tom" said Harry
Tom let out a chuckled, "Partially, I wanted to change the wizarding world Harry"
"By killing half the people?" questioned Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"I got a little carried away with power" admitted Tom
"A little?"
"A lot" corrected Tom, "But I just wanted to pass on the mission to you, Harry"
"No thanks" said Harry
"You don't even know what it is" said Tom
"Whatever it is, I don't care. I don't want to be Minister, I don't want to be some super Auror, I don't want to be headmaster, I don't want to lead a revolution. I don't want to do any of that" stated Harry
"None of that is needed Harry" said Tom
"Ok, then talk to me"
"You don't need to be the next me or the next Dumbledore, Harry. A dark lord or a pillar of light are so limited in what change they can be. Be Harry Potter, be the most powerful wizard in the world"
"hmm"
"Think about it Harry, you could end discrimination in a twist of your wand, you could bring about the death of dark lords with a flick, you could unite the world and make it so that someone like is never born in this world again"
Harry was tempted to say that he didn't want to do that, but what if he could prevent another Tom Riddle from popping up? He was going to eventually have kids and he couldn't bare the thought of them having to kill a dark lord or even go to war at 14, 15, 16 years old.
"Okay, I'll hear you out" said Harry
"Tell me, what do you know about being a Mage and magical theory?" asked Tom
Harry bit his lip, "Less than I should"
Tom signed, "We're going to be here for a moment, might as well take a seat"
Harry sat where Dumbledore had sat the previous day and Tom started "Magic is more than just energy as some people would have you believe, it is more than that"
3 Day Later:
The entire wizarding world watched as Tom calmly sat down his chair, a dementor on a tight lease not 15 feet from him. But he was already so broken, that he didn't feel the effects of the nasty creature.
Amelia Bones stood at the podium and said "Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr, you have been sentenced to death, any last words?"
Tom nodded and stood up from his chair, the chains that covered his body rattling as he did so,
"For years, I have tried to overthrow the ministry, because I dislike what it stands for and everything that comes from it. I was an orphan, a heavily abused one at that. For years, I begged the professors at Hogwarts to do something and they refused to, sending me back to the hellish prison that was my orphanage. I grew bitter, angry, and distrustful of everyone in charge.
But I am not alone in this regard, Harry Potter had a similar upbringing to my own. The biggest difference between myself and him is that he has a kinder heart and is a better person. This is why, I have declared him as the rightful heir to Slytherin upon my death, his ability to speak Parslemouth should be all the proof that is needed, and with the Order of Merlin that he will be granted, he will become a fully realized Mage"
Amelia gasped and Fudge looked downright angry
"You have no right to do that" yelled Fudge
Tom shrugged, "Why not? Harry Potter is family if you trace our linage back several generations and with his efforts to defeat me, you have to gift him an Order of Merlin. To deny him Mage status would be crazy"
Fudge gestured to the Dementor that was unleashed and launched itself forward at Tom, a pearly white vapor rushing from Tom's mouth as the Dementor got closer and closer until Tom gave one final gasp and collapsed, lifeless and unknowing to the world around his still warm corpse.
"Throw the body through the veil" ordered Fudge as several Auror came to escort the body away.
"Harry, what did you and Tom do?" asked Dumbledore from his spot beside Harry in the crowd of witnesses.
"We talked about how shitty our childhoods were and decided that something should be done about it," said Harry
"So if Magic is more than energy, what is it?"
"It is alive to a certain degree, that's why things like intent and will are important. Magic is capable of taking life and creating it. Think about it Harry, how did I get here?"
"I guess Magic, I haven't really thought about it"
"Magic is as much a guide for us as our wands are for it. We take something that is alive, the wood and cores, and mixed them together to channel magic. Accidental magic is your magic protecting you. Magic is as a force of nature, a piece of the world as much as gravity"
"So what doe that have to do with being a Mage, I was a mage in our old world and nothing ever came of it"
"Because Dumbledore and I were alive, but in this world, there is no living Mages"
"What exactly is a mage?"
"A mage is someone annotated not by the government or some board of people, but by Magic itself. It's the source of our elemental powers, it is the source of our intense ability, our skill, and the ease at which we grow. And the ministry has a clause in it that allows for anyone who holds 3 seats on the Wizengamot and is a Mage can abolish the entire ministry."
Harry's eyes widened, "That's quite the power, but does that exist in this world as well"
"Yes, you currently have 2 chairs under your name"
"The Potters and the Blacks right?"
"No, the Blacks and the Peverells, Harry. The 3 brothers from the story are our ancestors. I am a descendant of the oldest brother and your family descends from the youngest brother" corrected Tom
"Then I still need one more right?" asked Harry, "How do I get an extra seat?"
"I give you my seat, the Slytherin Seat," said Tom
"You can do that?"
"Of course I can, we're loosely related and you speak the Serpent's Language," said Tom
"Ok, so what do we do?"
"I will declare my intent to name you my heir, they will undoubtedly kill me upon that announcement, at that point with your 3 seats and Magehood, you can ascend to take control of everything and threaten them," said Tom
"You'd be willing to die for this plan?"
"Harry, I will be dead by the end of the day no matter what," said Tom
A/N: wow what a plot twist, who could have seen that coming besides me, the man with the plan.
But no in all serious, when you think or know you're going to die, you get really flexible with your plans and what you can or will do. Tom knows that this isn't it and remember this is not canon Voldemort who is just racist and shit, this is a version of the man who wanted to overthrow the government and reunite the wizarding world under his own vision.
However we have reached the end of Tom's story, this is chapter 21 of 25 and we are nearing the end. I had a designed ending for the story all this time and we are just about there. I have another idea for a Harry Potter story after this one, you guys have been nicer than previous ventures into the HP world, but I am not willing to do more than 1 HP story at a time.
Until Next Time, HighKey_Mars Out