Chapter 20

Hermione made a serious attempt at swallowing down the large lump that had formed in her throat as she made her way up the stand. After the headmaster's announcement, her eyes hadn't taken long in finding Tom's. What she saw didn't really sooth her worries. Instead she saw a fierce determination in those dark pools of his.

Well, shit. Hermione couldn't help but think as she came to where she would be standing for the beginning of the duel. It seemed that no matter how friendly the pair got, he was adamant in beating her. Well, what did she expect? That he would just let her win easily? Pfft, this was Tom Riddle she was thinking about for goodness sake. He had a flawless reputation to keep up. Both of them were great duellers. She didn't know how far advanced he really was by now, only seeing what he allowed to show in classes, but she was positive there was still a lot more to him. She had never been one to fight, that being more like Harry, she was more brains. But as she began to play an even bigger part in the war, she realised that she would have little choice. So she studied even more, then threw all her gained knowledge into her fighting abilities, making her just as good as Harry. Both of them had even done some small study of the Dark Arts. Ron knew about it, but wouldn't go near the stuff with them.

She mentally gave her head a thorough shake, trying to empty all thoughts from her head. She chose just to concentrate on her breathing as she watched Tom come up and onto the platform. As soon as the were onto the platform together, they started walking up to each other, not bothering to even listen to the instructor. They met in the middle of the long platform.

In that very moment, as their eyes met, an unspoken agreement was made. Nothing Personal. This would change nothing between them

They were, after all, Hermione acknowledged, friends.

At that thought, Hermione almost grimaced as she looked at him. She couldn't help it, no matter how much she tried to just push the thought aside... she was beginning to like him more than just a friend. She knew she shouldn't, but...

It was moments like these that she expected her little 'Harry' voice to pop up and say something uncharacteristically sarcastic. But alas, there was no sign. She guessed that after that dream, she wouldn't need to be expecting him for a while.

On her way back to the centre, Hermione heard before she felt the all knowing power of a spell being cast. She turned sharply and quickly blocked the disarming spell sent with her back turned. She almost smirked at him. How very Slytherin of him to wait until her back was turned. When the lights from his spell, and her block died down, she saw his face was now completely blank, causing her to frown mentally. Instead of showing her confusion, she chose to make her own face blank, a look Ron had always stated made her look a bit scary.

Hermione then decided that due to the fact a certain someone was a bit impatient, she and Tom were too close for her to properly duel.

Deprimo, she thought, causing a large, powerful gush of wind to leave her wand. Tom easily raised his wand and blocked any from effecting him, but it pushed hard, causing him to slide backwards till he was were Hermione thought he was supposed to be at his end of the platform. Satisfied, Hermione stopped the wind with a simple backwards flick of her wand.

From there on, they met with spells. Some small, some more advanced. The pair moved in different ways and angles. None willing to give in to the other. This was already more advanced than any other duel either had had.

However, after what felt like hours, but was only fifteen minutes, Hermione noticed that she was at a serious disadvantage. Tom was a lot more capable physically her. They may be equals in magic at this point, but he could probably go on for hours. Like she knew, she was not one to exercise, unless you counted climbing the stairs of Hogwarts with a bag full of heavy books. She knew she would eventually get tired , and she would bet any money that that was just what Tom Riddle was waiting to use for his advantage.

Hermione had an idea, not too sure it would actually work, but decided to give it a go anyway.

It was her own take on the original 'Flagrante' curse, that she'd used on some people when duelling, but she always needed a moment to be able to use it properly. If done correctly, it would cause her opponent's wand to burn and make the caster drop it in reflex.

She needed to distract him for a few seconds, then she would try it.

He'd already seen her tactic of 'Avis', so now she needed something a bit different.

"Expecto Patronum!" Her new tiger burst through from her wand, now just the same colours of any other patronus, and she sent it charging towards Tom, after it did a run around Hermione in a protective manor.

With the bright light of her patronus hiding her from view slightly, she waved her wand in a small twirl and sent a small red light forward. The charm hid itself inside the belly of her tiger. Just as a precaution she quickly cast a silent Incarcerous, simply for spite.

Tom didn't bother moving, knowing fine well that the patronus was nothing but a distraction. Although when it came close to him, he knew the light would indeed blind him slightly. Before it got close enough, he glanced behind to see her cast a silent 'Incarcerous' at him. He mentally smirked at her spite. It may have worked the first time, but not now.

He waited till her patronus hit him with no effect and disappeared before he raised his wand to disintegrate the flying ropes.

However, just as he went to silently cast the charm, his wand began to burn. It took all of his might not to allow his eyes to widen, as he was forced to let go of his wand as it burnt his hand. The next thing he knew was that the ropes had tied round him, concealing his entire upper half.

Hermione looked shocked. She didn't actually think of the final result with the ropes, nor did she think he'd be caught! Her eyes immediately narrowed. There was no way it could've been that easy. She flicked her wand, and sent his wand off to the side where he wouldn't get it.

Tom stood calmly with the ropes tied tightly round him. He had no plans what-so-ever to loose this battle, even if he cared that little smidgen bit for Hermione. Duelling was his element.

With that thought in mind, Tom twisted his hand and grabbed hold of the rope. With two small spells, the rope disintegrated, but due to the second charm, they never burnt him. He sent a small smirk in Hermione's direction, and ignored the gasps being released from the surrounding pupils. Calmly, he then removed his school robe, leaving him in his white shirt, tie, and grey, Slytherin pull over.

Hermione resorted her face to look on calmly. She had never actually given much thought to Tom knowing wandless much magic so soon, and only in sixth year. But then again, he was far more magically advanced than his fellow students. Hermione had only learnt as a necessity. Simply due to the fact she played part in a war, and needed the repercussion in case her wand was taken in a fight.

Following his lead, she removed her outer robe as well, leaving her in her school shirt and tie, along with her skirt, black tights and flat shoes. She got into a better stance, knowing this battle was far from over.

For what felt like hours, but was only a couple of seconds, they both simply stood looking at each other. Hermione decided to start it off with a simple, stubefy.

He easily blocked it with a flick of his wrist.

And with that the dance was back on.

Duro, Hermione dodged it.

Everte Statum, Tom side stepped it. Without the restrictions of power his wand sometimes caused, Hermione saw he was much more at ease with himself.

Impedimenta, Hermione blocked it with her wand. But it was while she did this, that she then noticed something not very good.

Why in god's name is there six Tom Riddles!?!?

The second Tom sent his last spell, he quickly cast Geminio on himself, making six copies of himself. He wished her luck in finding his original self. This would no doubt tire her faster, and make her more likely to make mistakes in her steps.

Hermione was sure any other girl in the room would be delighted, but she was far from it. Now she had six arrogant smirks to face.

She would have to attack each one until she found the original Tom. Great. If she fired harmful spells at them, the one to dodge would be the real one, seeing as it would simply make the fake ones disappear. But that would mean she would be at a serious disadvantage. Again.

Maybe I should've practised for this...?

Expulso! Dublico! The two in the middle disappeared. She sent another one on the far left. But as she did this, the one next to it moved slightly, something she only caught vaguely.

Got you, was all she could think as she sent her next curse at the left one. However, it only disappeared.

Tom, now standing in the middle, smirked wider. Thinking she had found him caused her to loose all interest in the other two, giving him the moment he needed. Expelliarmus. He watched satisfied, as her wand suddenly flew from her hand, and she was knocked backwards.

Now lying on her back. Hermione was forced to blink a couple of times. Hermione hand came up and she felt the back of her head. She winced as she felt a small cut from were her head and hit against the not so smooth wood. Growling, and now officially angry, Hermione sat up straight and glared straight at Tom, an easy feet seeing as there was now only one of him.

She heard clapping, her head turned to see Dippet making his way over. "Excellent. It appears that we now have our wi-" Dippet never got to finish his sentence, as to the shock of the entire student body, Tom suddenly got lifted from the air and shot backwards, till his back hit the far wall.

Everyone's head snapped towards Hermione, who was now getting up from her sitting position and was standing, bent over dusting off the dirt from her skirt. She then stood up straight, positive that all the dirt had gone from her clothes. She now wore her own smirk, doing a very good impression of Draco Malfoy.

"Who said the duel was over?"

"Incendio!"

Hermione was more than ready for the flames sent her way, vaguely taking shape of a snake. Oh, how proper.

Everyone watched as the flames surrounded Hermione, completely engulfing her and hiding her from view. Tom Riddle, who now had some tears in his clothes, came back up onto the stand, his hand trained on the large circle of fire. He widened his hand, and watched as the flames completely disappeared.

Everyone looked on wide eyed as Hermione still stood there with a smile on her face. Her hair had fell down from the messy bun it had been in before, her clothes had some small scorch marks on them, but the rest of her appeared completely unharmed.

You gotta love flame freezing charms.

Locomotor Mortis, she cast, raising her hand, only for it to be blocked from a disgruntled Tom Riddle.

Serves the cocky git right, she thought amused.

However, no one could've been prepared for what happened next.

Reducto! Tom cast

Stubefy! Hermione cast at the same time.

Hermione noticed it before anyone else did, having seen this sort of thing happen before, however, she was too late to stop her spell, as it had already taken flight along with his.

The two spells met together in the middle of the platform with a loud bang!

Hermione shut her eyes, not wanting to see what would undoubtedly be many dead people. Some that she had been forced to kill during war, and, of course, Tom's already dead parent and grandparents. Except, she was forced to open her eyes wide again in surprise as she felt her feet sliding forward.

Tom knew what this was, but had never seen it done before, so when his feet began to slide forward, it was simple to say that there was nothing in the books that stated this happening. Supposedly they were to expect seeing the spirits of dead people, no doubt all by his hand, but that wasn't what they were experiencing at all. There was no spirits, but instead the vast amount of power was pulling him in. The bright white light created in between them, shone all around them, not doubt hiding them from everyone else's view, as it created a large dome.

The power the bright light fed him was delicious, and he could feel himself enjoying every moment of its raw power. However, he had no idea what it was, or what it was doing to him. He'd already found that he could not pull himself away from it. He caught a flash of something through the light and could see a petrified Hermione trying to pull herself away from the power's pull. Although he could tell that she felt it's draw just as much as he did, she was scared to fall down to it.

Slightly scared for the first time, Hermione tried to pull herself free from the power of magic pulling her. It was a bright mixture of light and dark, made by the power of their two spells. She felt entrapped. It was a magnificent feeling, the power, but she didn't know what would happen once it met with her body.

Hermione finally reached the centre, her eyes shut in anticipation, and was surrounded by the magic inside. Her hand that was still raised in mid air, and would not drop as it was held there. Just before she tried pulling again, her hand came in contact with something soft, yet firm. Her eyes opened again wide, and she found herself staring upwards into the eyes of Tom. She looked at her hand and saw it now rested against his own one. She looked back at him. His eyes were soft as he looked down at her.

She felt her fingers lace through his, as they held each other's hand. His touch comforting her and calming her momentary panic.

She felt herself go into a daze as she looked deeper into his eyes. She could see so much. All his emotions were free to her during this one moment.

Tom didn't know what was happening to him, he blamed it fully on the magic surrounding them. But looking down into those warm eyes, he saw a little girl, made to grow up far too quick. A young girl longing for that little bit of peace. He didn't know what she saw as he looked into his eyes, but he knew what he needed to do at that exact moment.

Their hands swung down to their sides, still entwined, and Tom's hand and arm snaked round Hermione's lower back and pulled her closer to him, where he held her gently but firm at the same time. Hermione's other free hand came to rest on his chest. Their eyes never left the other as his head bent down lower. His eyes mentally asked for permission, and with her slight nod, it was all he needed before he swooped down further and placed his own lips gently against her own.

Hermione didn't have a clue what she was doing, or why she was allowing it to happen. One thing she did know was that some where deep done, she wanted this. It was wrong, on so many different levels, but it felt so right. This was the man who would grow to become one of the most powerful men in the universe, and kill many people, most closest to her, but right now, he was somewhere on the verge of normality. In that moment she didn't care. Her magic had met with his, and it was the first time she'd felt whole in so long.

As the kiss deepened, her eyes that had shut with the moment, sprung open when she felt a sudden surge of magic flare within her. And judging by Tom's reaction, he felt it too. Just then, unbeknownst that the large dome had started to disappear, and that they were now on show for the rest of the students - who were all cheering at the kiss. Some murmurs of 'finally' going about.

Hermione let out a startled gasp as something in her chest began to burn. Her hands left his and grasped at her chest. The pain was unbearable. It was almost like the same burning that had occurred in her whole body before she was sent back in time.

But now, it was as if it was her heart burning.

Just as the last of the silver wisks that was once a bright dome began to finally dissapparate, something amongst them caught her attention, even through the pain. The wisks began to form a head and face. Her face was written with contained pain as her sight recognised on of her best friend's face.

Harry...

She caught sight of the sad smile he sent her way, and what almost appeared to be a nod of his head before he fully disappeared.

I'll see you soon.

Her sight began to blur, as one of her hands left her chest to lean against Tom's chest for support. She felt drowsy as the pain continued.

"Tom," she murmured before her sight went blank and she collapsed into his arms.

The tall, inhuman figure walked proudly, and with great confidence on his way to the large chair seated at the head of the room. He watched with great satisfaction as his followers cheered and began to celebrate. All prisoners had been taken down to the dungeons of his one time home, leaving only himself and his followers in the vast hall.

He would allow him this night to do as they wish, although come morning, severe hangover or not, they would be back to business, starting with the clean up of the 'community'.

All mysteries of the disappearance of the Granger girl was forgotten. But come morning he would have his top researchers on it. God knew were the girl had ended up, but he had no plans in letting her just walk free. He was not blind to the rumours of her skills and knowledge. It was not a bright idea to let her have freedom, when she should be brought back, and be prosecuted along with the rest of them.

It didn't really help the inner conscience to know that she had travelled via broken time turner...

For the next half hour or so, he calmly watched from his good seating as the festivities carried on. He sat with his goblet now only half full of fire whiskey, a drink he'd enjoyed over the last few decades, and had become well accustomed to it's fire.

Therefor, it was clearly unrelated to the fierce burning that he suddenly felt come alive inside his chest. He hissed as he dropped his goblet of whiskey in order to grip the arm of his chair, while his other clung to his robes pressed hard against his chest. It felt as if someone, or something, had set his heart - something many people over the years had accused him of not owning, which only caused him amusement, seeing as without one he wouldn't have been alive to do many of the things he had - alight with some sort of match. He had reached the point in his life, were much pain hardly effected him, and if it did, he never let it show. But this... this was something else.

Everyone in the room were still cheering and causing havoc. The noise was loud, and their attention span little. However, none of these things stopped them from all silencing at the loud clang made from his dropping goblet.

Nor, how they all payed rapt attention as their Lord and Master slumped in his chair unconscious.

If anyone had been close enough at the time, they surely would've heard Voldemort's small murmur of 'Hermione' before he collapsed.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the death eaters, small eyes watched from there hiding area as the death eaters all gathered around their Lord and levitated him off to one of the guest chambers.

No one had heard what the great lord had uttered, but these small creatures easily heard with their heightened senses.

"The Lord's gonna try and get her back."

"We cannot let that happen."

"We must. That is how it's supposed to be. That is how it will be."

"But you saw what it did to him!"

"Yes, but that will all change once she returns."

"Will we help?"

"Yes. Dobby promised to help Mr Potter. That includes his friend, Miss Hermione."

Tom inaudibly sighed as he sat himself down on his bed. He'd just finished paying Hermione a visit in the Hospital Wing, where the healer insisted on her spending the night. He never got the chance to speak with her, as she had yet to wake up since their duel. As far as the healer could tell, there were no internal injuries, or attacks to her magic that went outside the duel.

Dumbledore had convinced the healer that Hermione was simply overwhelmed by the amount of magic she was subjected to inside the dome.

Tom guessed that it was only he and Dumbledore that actually knew that that was a complete and utter lie.

He didn't know why he had kissed her, but... no amount of convincing himself otherwise would change the fact that he'd enjoyed it. It had felt right for them to be together at that moment. Now, Tom was, by far, not a romantic, but he didn't doubt his own sences or 'on the spot' decisions. It just seemed... right.

Another thing was, no matter how long ago it had now been since they'd duelled, he'd felt different since. He and his magic... it felt whole. He felt stronger almost.

At first he thought he might have accidentally drained some of Hermione's power during their moment inside the dome, but that couldn't have been possible. Something like that was done through a ritual.

Again, he sighed, deciding that he'd excersized his mind enough for the day, and he'd best get some sleep before the rest came in and stopped him. Sometimes, the 'boys'he shared a room with, were just as bad as the girls of Hogwarts when it came to gossip.

With a casual wave of his hand, his clothes were off of him and he was now only dressed in his silky black, pajama bottoms (A.N. contain yourselves girls!), a set that he had recieved once from Malfoy along with a set of books for Christmas. He lay down in his bed and under the covers, one arm under his head. Casually, his head turned to his left, were his eyes fell on the Slytherin ring rested on his bed side table. His hand came up and lifted it. He brought it in front of his face as he fingered it playfully, while studying it's features, something he'd done many time before.

It was then that he came to a sudden realisation.

The ring dropped from his hand and fell on his covered lap as he sat up like a bolt. He looked down at the ring with complete, warrented shock. He no longer felt the same draw to the small piece of jewellery that he normally felt. He couldn't feel that little extra piece of magic that it normally contained.

It wasn't that he'd drained energy, or the magic from the dome fed him.

It was because his soul was whole again.

HA! Bet you'd all thought I'd forgot about those, didn't ya? lol.

I know it's been long, and that this chapter isn't exactly a really long one like the last couple have been, but you can't say that I haven't seriously thickened the plot in this chapter!?

Wow, I am seriously relieved to have finally gotten to this stage. It may seem odd, but this was probably the hardest chapter I have ever written.

You are gonna get some Harry next chapter! :) And a lot of others that we havn't heard of in a while. But that's all the hints you'll be getting.

Ahh! I've brought Voldemort back into the mix! I can't believe I finally got to put him in a chapter! Cheesy! :)

Okay, yes, I am a little hyper at the moment, so I'm just rambling... but I don't care! Having way too much fun being happy and getting this chapter up, lol ;P

Thank you so much for all the supporting reviews you all gave me, I hope you decide to keep reviewing. I am honestly still shocked that people are actually sticking with this story :)

Love you's all, hope you enjoy'd the chapter!

Madame Dee!

xxx