Letter from the non-existent

Dear Ginevra

I'm gone now. Gone in all conventional senses, at least. I can't tell you what became of me.

However, I can tell you that not everything my diary said was a lie. Everything I said about Hogwarts in my time was true, for example.

You seem to have grown into a strong young woman. So full of rage, aren't you? A girl on fire. No longer the silly little girl.

But I can tell you just two more of my secrets. I can tell you that I was not lying when I said that I loved you. That small part of my soul that was trapped in the diary did actually somehow learn to love. Do you not see that that was the reason I had to get rid of you? A weakness like that would have prevented me from rising to power again. And besides, that part of my soul was programmed for survival. The only way I could do that was by betraying you. But all the same, I was weak. Years of loneliness in that diary made me susceptible to your foolish emotions. The part of your soul that you poured into me turned me into this thing; pathetic, despicable, weak like you, Potter and Dumbledore.

My second secret: as you know, you poured your heart and soul into me. You did this until I was strong enough to pour some of my soul back into you. The piece of soul that is now in you is far too small to accomplish anything. It can only watch. Watch you until you die. I'll have to watch you marry Potter, kiss him, copulate with him, bare his children, live happily without me. Perhaps that is the hell I deserve for the things you say I did that were so terrible. And my only hope is that I can also sometimes haunt you like I have been doing all these years. I hope I can still influence your dreams, so that you wake up crying for me as you lie next to Potter. Yes, the weak part of me hopes you end up happy, but the part that is still me wishes you go through hell like I will be doing. For turning me into this weak creature; for moving on with your life. You were always firey. I hope you burn. Burn for melting my ice barriers.

And now, Ginevra, I will also say:

I love you, and goodnight

But never goodbye

Tom Marvolo Riddle