My suspicion was confirmed when I walked into the Slytherin common room a week after we came back from the winter holidays and overheard the males in the group badly attempting to whisper.

Having done a sense enhancing charm on myself, I could practically hear every word as it was uttered and by whom it was uttered.

I felt my back tense as I walked towards the gathered group.

Many of their eyes widening as I inched closer to the group.

"Ah... well if it isn't, Annamarie...better known as our Lady of Darkness," Yaxley said, smirking at me, tauntingly. His eyes flashing with mischief.

"Yaxley." I sneered, grasping my book to my chest tightly. "What is it that time of day for you to start spewing out your venom again?" I deadpanned.

"No, actually, I've just been sitting here." He replied with a wide smile.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked frowning.

"Oh nothing, just that fact that I've been hearing this rumor that is going around the school. Would you like to hear about it? I guarantee it'll be humorous." He said.

I nodded, feeling as Bella walked in with Bastan, Andi, and Cissa coming to stand behind me.

I distinctly got the feeling in the pit of my stomach, one that told me that what Yaxley was about to say was anything but humorous.

"Well, rumor has it that Riddle has been using you." He finally said.

I frowned. "Using me? How so?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Well, you see, someone has discovered that you are way more powerful than him. More than he'll ever come to be. He isn't happy about that bit of information. So, he has deceived you, into believing that he loves you when in reality he can't feel anything other than hatred, anger, jealousy, and hunger for power. He was after all conceived under Amortencia... it is known that a child conceived under that type of potion can't feel anything... You have been nothing but a mere distraction to him... A mere stress reliever for Riddle to use at his beck and call..." Yaxley sneered, as he and his friends laughed.

The room seemed to grow tense as he spoke.

I stared back expressionless as I watched him stride smugly across the room as if pondering his next words.

"Think about it, Anna. All the signs have been right under your nose. You are simply too blind and stupid to see it." He sneered.

I thought about it, hard.

He was, in fact, conceived under the most powerful love potion known in existence, but there really are signs that he has changed.

Has he really or is he really just pretending so I'll follow him blindly towards the cliff, falling over before it's too late to save myself?

I felt my anger begin to rise as I stared at Yaxley's smug face.

Without thinking about it and before I could even stop myself, I felt as my left hand balled into a fist, and lifted swiftly connecting with his face.

A loud smack was heard in the room and his cry of pain as he collapsed onto the ground, cupping his hands above his nose.

"You broke my nose." Hegasped in disbelief. "You fucking crazy bitch. You broke my fucking nose!" He exclaimed as he sat up. Staying on the ground as he stared up at me, his hands beginning to fill with the blood as he did so.

"I did." I agreed, turning to look at the shocked faces of Bastan, and the girls. "And I'll do far worse if you ever speak to me like that again." I added.

"Deal with him. I need to be alone for a while. Not a word of this gets out of this room to anybody. If I find out any of you opened your traps, you'll be in so much pain not only will you feel it for the rest of your miserable lives, but so will the rest of your lineage." I threatened swiftly turning and walking out of the room.

I could feel my blood begin to pump, as I made my way out of the Slytherin common room.

I ignored all the stares I got as I ascended the stairs, giving a few of them a scowl before I left. I had begun to make my way towards the library, but stopped myself from doing so, truly wanting to be alone.

Checking to see if any Professor or prefect was roaming about in the corridors, before I stepped out of the shadows.

It would be bad if I was walking and ran into Tom while he was on duty. Checking once more before stepping out of the shadows.

I walked, swiftly ascending the moving staircases and making my way towards the northern clock tower, briefly exiting the doors, and walking down the steep uneven hill.

I wasn't long before I found myself back in the abandoned hut near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

I entered it slowly, locking the door behind me and sitting on the ground. Taking a deep breath before I did something I had never done before.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to beginopening my mind to the heavily guarded door that leads to the sight. Future seeing visions and all began to cloud my mind.

I could feel as my energy pushed against the onslaught of too many unidentifiable and identifiable images. But I pushed back at the unidentifiable ones and focused on specific visions.

I searched and searched looking for any image of the too pale, bald man, with beady red eyes, and two slits on his face instead of a proper nose. Limbs too long to be normal.

I came up empty handed.

Nothing showed up but an endless black abyss.

After many hours of searching and coming up empty-handed, I realized something.

Tom had truly changed.

The Lord Voldemort who once existed had, in fact, ceased to exist.

In his place the Tom I know and have grown to love. Meaning, I had succeeded in changing the future, my friends and loved ones would be able to live long and happy lives.

A deep sense of satisfaction and relief swept through me as I came back into the present, the abandoned hut appearing before me once more.

I groaned as I stretched my legs and felt pinpricks begin to travel up and down my legs, as I attempted to stand I began to wobble unsteadily.

Istood unsteadily on my feet before collapsing in a heap on the ground, realizing I had been in the same sitting position for too long and my legs were almost too numb to stretch out.

I had to wait for fifteen minutes before being able to stand.

By the time I made it back into the castle, it was supper time.

Luckily for me, the afternoon classes had been suspended due to an unexpected explosion that happened in the Potions room.

The smell of the explosion ended up penetrating all of the other classrooms around and near it, ultimately forcing the staff to suspend the rest of the studies in order to clear the smell from all if not most of the classrooms.

Almost all the entire castle smelled of rotten eggs, vomit, with a mixture of something else. It was so putrid that most of the students and staff were walking with their scarves and bubbles around their heads and faces. My eyes watered as I stepped towards the entrance from the awful smell.

I pulled my scarf onto my face, I quickly make my way towards the Slytherin common room.

I ignored all the calls of my name, walking towards the girls' dormitories and slamming the door behind me, locking it, and using an impenetrable spell afterward.

I stayed in my room for the rest of the night, realizing that tomorrow was my birthday.

I decided that instead of celebrating with everyone, that I would treat myself to a trip to Hogsmeade, and go to Honeydukes to get a bag of sweets for myself.

I ended up studying the rest of the night, took a nice long relaxing hot bath, slipped into my nightdress, lighting up all of the torches, given to the fact that it was a rather cold night, and I was alone in the room tonight.

Before finally climbing into my bed, pulling the covers over my head before I fell asleep.