Chapter 30-School Rivals
A/N: Thanks very much to all the people who reviewed the last chapter! I will reply to those reviews- all the support is very much appreciated.
Thanks very much to my sister for relentlessly editing this chapter and the next chapter!
The next two chapters should be a change from the previous chapters in terms of what we see and the action. I hope you enjoy!
During the next morning Charms' lesson, Harry relayed his entire evening to them. He did extract the memory from Slughorn; all of them were extremely impressed by the way he had appealed to Slughorn's greed and sentimental feelings about Lily. And as they had predicted, he went straight to Dumbledore. When he finally revealed what the Horcruxes were, a wave of nauseating disgust surged through Natalie. She could not understand why someone would be willing to cut up their soul, even if this splitting achieved immortality. And judging by the aghast expressions on Ron and Hermione's feelings, both shared her sentiments. However, when Harry told them about Dumbledore's promise to take Harry along to destroy the remaining Horcurxes, Natalie could not feel happier for Harry. She knew how Harry longed for Dumbledore to stop treating him like a child that needed protection. The promise to let Harry accompany him at the very least suggested that the Headmaster started to see Harry as more of an equal.
"Wow," said Ron, when Harry finally finished telling them about the Horcruxes. Ron was waving his wand vaguely in the direction of the ceiling without paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was doing. "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore… and try and destroy… wow."
"It's really great, Harry," said Natalie earnestly. Harry squeezed her hand, a glowing expression on his face.
"Ron, you're making it snow," said Hermione patiently, grabbing his wrist and redirecting his wand away from the ceiling from which, sure enough, large white flakes had started to fall. Lavender Brown glared at Hermione from a neighbouring table through very red eyes and Hermione immediately let go of Ron's arm.
"Oh yeah," said Ron, looking down at his shoulders in vague surprise. "Sorry… looks like we've got all horrible dandruff now…" He brushed some of the fake snow off Hermione's shoulder. Lavender burst into tears. Ron looked very guilty and turned his back on her.
"We split up," he said to Harry out of the corner of his mouth. "Last night. When she saw me coming out of the dormitory with Hermione. Obviously, she couldn't see you and Natalie was with McGonagall, so she thought it had just been the two of us."
"Ah," said Harry, "well – you don't mind it's over, do you?"
"No," Ron admitted. "But it wasn't, er, the smoothest of break-ups."
"A lot of shrieking and yelling, if I remember correctly," said Natalie amusedly.
"Well, you had a part to play as well," said Ron, staring bemusedly at Natalie. A smile threatened to tug at the corner of his lips.
"Ron was pretty brave," said Hermione in admiration. "He stood up to her even though she was, I have to say, quite frightening."
Harry grinned, exchanging a knowing glance with Natalie. They both knew that Hermione was more than delighted to see that relationship finished.
Ron shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment. "She said some very bad things about Hermione and you know, I couldn't stand there and let her insult Hermione."
Harry nodded, smiling at Hermione. "What did you do?" asked Harry curiously, turning to Natalie.
"Oh, I had my usual words for Lavender," reminisced Natalie. "Though I still really would have liked to try 'Levicorpus' on her. Can you imagine her screaming when she's upside down?"
Harry's body shook with laughter. "You do realize that you sleep in the same room as the girl?"
"Yes, we do," said Hermione in resignation. She gazed sternly at Natalie. "That's why we shouldn't anger her further."
"I think she's pretty buggered if you ask me," said Natalie, looking over to Lavender who was now being consoled by Parvati.
"I agree with Hermione," said Harry, still chuckling.
"So, getting back to Horcruxes before Flitwick comes here – there's Nagini, the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup," said Natalie, counting on her fingers, "and something of Ravenclaw or Gryffindor."
"Oh, that reminds me," began Harry, apparently remembering something. He cast an excited glance towards Natalie. "About the Horcrux that may be Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, Dumbledore believes Kalissa may know what object Voldemort used."
"Really?" said Natalie, her stomach bubbling in excitement. She had wanted to ask Harry whether Dumbledore had explained to him how Kalissa found out about the Horcruxes.
Harry grinned at her. "Yeah and she wants to show us the memories."
"Us?" asked Hermione.
"Yes," said Harry, turning his head to the left to grin at Ron and Hermione. "According to Dumbledore, she insisted that all of us see those memories."
"Great," breathed Ron, his eyes widening.
"She's coming to the castle then?" asked Natalie hopefully.
"Sometime soon," said Harry. "Dumbledore will tell us beforehand and we can go to the office to see her. I think you might be able to stay the night at the Hog's Head with her, but I'm not sure."
"We'll finally get to meet her," exclaimed Hermione.
"I know," said Harry happily. "Pretty nice and Dumbledore said the memories are very interesting, even for him."
"Oi, here comes Flitwick," said Ron in a warning tone. "Looks like Hermione's the only one to change her thing."
The tiny little Charms professor was bobbling his way towards them. Ron was correct. Hermione was the only one who had managed to turn vinegar into wine; her glass flask was full of deep crimson liquid.
"Now, now, a little less talk, little more action, " squeaked Professor Flitwick reproachfully. "I see Miss Granger is successful as usual. Let me see the three of you try."
Natalie raised her wand, focusing on the proper incantation and visualizing the transformation. She felt the magic course through her arm and wand as the vinegar turned into wine.
"Very well done Miss Malkae," said Professor Flitwick, pleased. "Now, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley…"
Both Harry and Ron pointed their wands at their flasks, concentrating with all their might. Harry's vinegar turned to ice; Ron's flask exploded.
"Yes…for homework," said Professor Flitwick, reemerging from under the table and pulling shards of glass out of the top of his hat, "practice."
Natalie spent most of the next two days, anxiously wondering when they would see Kalissa. She really wanted Kalissa to see her friends, but also was very curious about these memories about the seventh horcux. At lunch on Saturday afternoon, a blonde haired first year girl gave Harry a note with the familiar long, slanted handwriting.
"Dumbledore?" said Natalie eagerly.
"Yes," said Harry delightedly. "Tonight at 7'o clock. McGonagall will take us – we are apparently to see her for 'detention.'"
"Minerva must be coming too," mused Natalie, very happy that she would be seeing Kalissa in only a few hours.
"I think so," agreed Harry.
"What do you reckon are in those memories?" asked Ron through a mouthful of mash.
Natalie gagged at him. "It could be anything, but my guess is the memories encounters with Voldemort when they were in school together or perhaps later on – she did fight with him a few times, if I remember correctly."
"He wouldn't gloat to her about Horcruxes, would he?" posed Hermione, biting her lip thoughtfully.
Harry shook his head. "No, even though he's a maniac, he's very careful."
"We'll see anyhow. And you three finally get to meet her," said Natalie, her eyes sparkling as she looked at them all.
"Harry, not nervous mate? You're meeting your girlfriend's mother," said Ron, a dubious grin on his face.
"Of course not," said Harry, clapping Ron on the back, causing the redhead to choke while he was drinking his pumpkin juice. "I might be a little edgy, but if she's anything like Natalie says she is, I don't need to worry."
"She is a legend in Arithmancy circles," said Hermione, her eyes glistening in admiration.
"And among the Order too," added Harry. "You should hear Remus go on about her – I almost wonder if he's in love with her."
Natalie and Hermione shared an amused glance. They both knew the target of Remus' romantic aspirations.
While Harry and Ron had Quidditch practice for most of the afternoon, Hermione and Natalie elected to go to the library and finish most of their homework for the weekend, knowing they would not be able to do any work this evening. At 7'o clock, the four of them headed to Minerva's office. Harry brought his invisibility cloak, stuffed into one of his pockets.
Once they reached the door, it opened immediately to reveal Minerva in her familiar position, sitting behind her desk. She was marking a stack of essays.
"Come in, you four," urged Minerva as the door closed behind them. With one wave of her wand, the stack of essays on her desk glided into a nearby drawer that sealed itself. She stood up, walking to the four of them.
"Potter, did you bring your invisibility cloak?" asked Minerva briskly.
Harry nodded, pulling out the cloak. "Cover yourself and Natalie with the cloak," ordered Minerva.
Natalie raised her eyebrows at the mention of her first name; in front of other students, Minerva always referred to her as 'Miss Malkae.' Minerva gave Natalie a small shake of the head to indicate that they would talk later.
Harry pulled Natalie towards him so that they were pressed snugly against each other before he wrapped the cloak around them.
"Now Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, I will be casting a Disillusionment charm on each of you. Please remain still while I cast the spell," explained Minerva.
Ron and Hermione stood motionless as Minerva swished her wand in a complicated circular motion around each of them. After a few seconds, both of them were almost invisible; if Natalie looked close enough at the right spots, she could barely make out the outlines of their bodies.
"Very well," said Minerva. "Now, you know that I will be accompanying the four of you to the Headmaster's office."
"You'll be staying, won't you?" blurted Natalie.
Minerva looked in the general direction of Harry and her. "Yes I will, Natalie. Now let's go. You know how impatient Kalissa can be."
The five of them quickly walked to Dumbledore 's office with Minerva leading the way. They went through several of the hidden passageways and arrived at the gargoyle statue within a few minutes. Minerva muttered the password 'toffee eclairs' to the statue which leapt aside, permitting their entrance one by one onto the spiral staircase.
"Enter," said Dumbledore when Minerva knocked. He sounded quite spirited.
When they entered the office, Natalie heard Hermione gasp beside her. She too looked around, noticing it had not changed at all. Most of the instruments and devices were in their original positions, clearly untouched. However, unlike in the summer, all of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses in their portraits were alert and wide eyed, staring at Minerva. Natalie saw Kalissa sitting in a chair next to Dumbledore's desk. In a rush of excitement, Natalie ripped off the cloak from her and Harry before hurtling herself at Kalissa.
Kalissa caught her in surprise, hugging her tightly. As she pulled back, she looked at Natalie, a beaming smile on her face. "How are you doing, my dear?"
"Much better," replied Natalie breathlessly. Seeing Kalissa made her feel like a little child.
"I must say I was surprised at your enthusiasm – it's only been two weeks," remarked Kalissa in amusement.
"Oh, well, anytime I get to see you, it's hard to control myself," mumbled Natalie sheepishly, also a bit shocked at her own reaction. She supposed her elation at Kalissa finally meeting her friends had spilled over into the very ecstatic greeting.
As Natalie stepped out of Kalissa's view, she smiled at Professor Dumbledore. "Nice to see you Professor."
"It's always a pleasure, Natalie. I've been missing your presence in this office – you were quite a frequent visitor in the summer," said Dumbledore, the familiar twinkle in his eyes.
She turned her head to see Kalissa first give Minerva a tight hug before turning to the other three. The Disillusionment charms on Ron and Hermione had been reversed.
"This must be Hermione, then. Very bright girl from what I've heard," said Kalissa, pulling a pleased and embarrassed looking Hermione into an one arm hug.
"Very nice to meet you," said Hermione, a reverential edge to her voice.
"And Ronald Weasley, I suppose?" asked Kalissa, now gazing warmly at a very nervous Ron. "I've heard from both Albus and Natalie that you're an excellent chess player."
"Thanks," mumbled Ron, his face also red. Surprisingly Kalissa also hugged him.
"Don't worry Ron. Kalissa loves to hug," noted Natalie, smiling at Ron's obvious discomfort.
At last, Kalissa looked to Harry. "And who must this be?" said Kalissa, wagging her eyebrows dramatically at Harry. "The boy who's going out with my dear Natalie?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Harry as Kalissa pulled him into a fervent hug that Harry hesitantly returned.
As she pulled back, with her hands on his shoulders, Kalissa shook her head in amazement. "My goodness, you truly do have –"
"Lily's eyes," finished Harry, grinning at her.
"Yes," said Kalissa, her face glowing. "Both your parents were remarkable people."
She turned away from Harry to look at Professor Dumbledore. "Everyone is here, Albus. Why don't we start?"
"Yes, we should," said Dumbledore earnestly. "Though Miss Granger, you seem to be very taken by my office."
Hermione indeed looked to be completely mesmerized by the office around her. Natalie remembered her wonder at the welcoming, yet immensely powerful magic aura all of the objects in the office collectively conveyed. She noticed with some amusement that many of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses did not look too pleased at Hermione's unabashed stares in their direction.
Suddenly remembering another distinguishing feature of the office, Natalie swiveled her head towards the perch of Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, located behind the door to office. However, to her dismay and also Harry, who turned his head with her, a pile of ashes lay on the perch. The phoenix would grow into its golden, vibrant form in a few days.
"First time in the office?" said Kalissa to Hermione, smiling in understanding.
Ron nudged Hermione, jerking her from her shocked daze. She shook her head, her cheeks pink. "Sorry about that Professor. Yes, I've never been here before."
Harry frowned at her. "But Ron has, haven't you?"
Ron nodded. "That was in second year though – she was petrified then."
"Oh yes," said Harry.
"I have to admit that I'm rather surprised that you've never been here before," commented Dumbledore in amusement.
"It is quite an amazing sight. Dippet's office was an absolute dreary place in comparison," said Kalissa.
"Are the memories in there?" asked Harry, motioning his head to a shallow stone basin etched with Rune markings around its rim that sat on Dumbledore's desk.
"No," replied Kalissa. "They're still in my head, but I will take them out right now. We need as much time as possible to see those two memories."
She tapped her wand against her forehead. A silvery substance flowed out of her head and attached as a strand to her wand. Kalissa used her wand to place the strand in the pensieve.
"So you know about the Horcruxes?" asked Natalie, looking at Minerva. She decided to voice her earlier question before they looked at the memories.
"I told her about everything the last time we met and when I arrived here, about an hour ago," answered Kalissa.
"Yes," said Minerva, shuddering. "I knew what a Horcrux was, but the thought of one person making seven of them for himself is quite horrifying to say the least."
"It is, sadly, how Tom's mind operates," remarked Dumbledore.
"Yes, it is Albus, but we should see the memories – all of you, come to the pensieve," said Kalissa urgently. They all huddled around Dumbledore's desk. "This first memory is about an encounter I had with Tom Riddle when we were both in Seventh year. The ghost he's talking to is the Grey Lady, formerly known as Helena Ravenclaw."
"Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter?" gasped Hermione in amazement.
"Yes," said Kalissa, smiling at her. "And it will tell us something about what object Tom wanted to make his Horcrux. To enter the memory, just bend forward and let your face sink into the fluid. When it is time for us to leave the memory, I want the four students to grab onto one of the three adults. Natalie, I will take you. Harry and Ron – you two can go with Albus and Hermione, you'll be with Minerva."
One by one, they plunged their faces into the silvery fluid. Each person before Natalie appeared to have their whole bodies sucked into the basin. When Natalie dipped her head into the fluid, she felt her feet leave the office floor; she was falling through swirling darkness and then quite suddenly, she found herself in a dimly lit room that she vaguely recognized as Professor Flitwick's office.
Shelves of books lined both walls, leading to the desk. A refreshing, vibrant blue scattered with twinkling stars spread over each wall. A grand portrait of Hogwarts under a clear twinkling sky adorned the back wall. If one looked closely enough, the slightly larger and disproportionate size of the Ravenclaw tower could be discerned in relation to the rest of the castle as well as the subtle way in which the moon's penetrating beam only draped the tower, leaving the Gryffindor tower conspicuously dark. The office had not changed at all in 50 years; the only difference was a rug at the entrance bearing the Eagle emblem of the house. Opposite them, a much younger Professor Flitwick with light brown hair and no wrinkles sat in an elevated chair behind an expansive, mahogany desk. Papers and books were littered all over the desk in the untidy, eccentric style that Natalie had come to identify with the professor. In the chair facing him, Natalie could make out the back of a teenage Kalissa.
Looking around her, she noticed that everyone had entered the memory. Kalissa motioned for all of them to watch her younger self.
"Is that all Miss Malkae?" asked Professor Flitwick in an extremely squeaky voice.
"Some things never change, do they?" whispered Harry in her ear from her other side.
"I don't think your voice changes with age anyway," whispered Natalie, smiling.
The young Kalissa lifted herself from her seat. "Yes, sir. Thank you for all your help. I really do appreciate your help with the charm – before, I really could not visualize exactly what physical transformation the charm entailed." Kalissa's voice, even as an 18 year old seventh year, held that playful, lighthearted melody that underlined the rich, rejuvenating ebullience of her nature.
"I do believe that might be the only charm I've seen you unable to visualize exactly the way it was intended," said Professor Flitwick, an amused smile on his face.
"Yes, well, it was frustrating, but thank you. I'll leave you to your marking then," said Kalissa, turning her back so that they now faced her.
Natalie's eyes widened as she took in Kalissa's appearance. Having seen pictures of her as a teenager, Natalie still could not help but gawk at the sheer beauty of the girl in front of her. The long, black hair flowed seamlessly down her back as it did with the present Kalissa, but her round face contained a polished smoothness that age had eroded. Her body had matured and filled out so that while her features were not noticeably voluptuous and exposed, her curves fitted nicely into the Hogwarts uniform so that no unusual bulges or disproportions could be seen. But what captivated Natalie remained the glowing expression on her face. Her brown eyes were alight with an intensity and passion that still uplifted Natalie. Her smile, though a small, subtle curving of the lips, worked with her eyes to emanate an indomitable exuberance, as if only a terrible, destructive force of nature could extinguish that glow.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Natalie detected Ron staring at Kalissa with a far too eager look on his face. She elbowed him from his daze. "Stop ogling her," muttered Natalie.
"I wasn't," mumbled Ron defensively though his ears turned red.
"She is very attractive though," whispered Harry from her other side.
"Just look at the older version and realize what you're saying," countered Natalie. "But I agree with you."
As the younger Kalissa nodded to Professor Flitwick and exited the office, Kalissa, with a wistful expression in her eyes, jerked her head for them to follow her teenage self. They walked behind the 18 year old Kalissa who took the familiar path back to Gryffindor Tower. However, at one of the turns, Kalissa immediately stopped, leaning her back against the stone wall. Her eyes were now alert and very interested.
Once they caught up with Kalissa , Natalie realized the source of her attention.
The sound of a boy's voice drifted over to them. "…You are Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter? That's absolutely wonderful." Seeing the way Harry's head perked upward, Natalie at once realized who the boy was: Tom Riddle.
"Yes," said a young girl's voice, haughty, but slightly sad. "We did not have the best of relationships." Natalie exchanged an awed glance with Hermione. The girl must have been the Grey Lady or Helena Ravenclaw.
"Well, many mother-daughter relationships aren't the smoothest – I'm sure she still cared deeply for you," said Riddle. From the apparently genuine compassion and kindness lacing his voice, Natalie never would have predicted that this boy was on the brink of becoming a maniacal murderer with no idea of the concept of love.
"Yes, she did," said the Grey Lady softly, her voice saturated with regret. "I was just so horribly jealous of her."
"She was a remarkable woman and anyone who was her daughter, would not have enjoyed living in that shadow," commented Riddle in that flattering, sincere tone.
"I suppose you're right," said the Grey Lady, sounding slightly satisfied. Natalie could sense that Riddle had managed to gain the trust of the ghost. "I so desperately sought to prove that I was cleverer than she was – you see, there was an object she treasured with all her heart."
"The diadem?" asked Riddle cautiously.
"Yes," answered the Grey Lady. "So many have asked me for it but the diadem was her most prized possession."
Natalie exchanged another significant glance with Hermione, both of their eyes widening in realization. According to legend, Rowenan Ravenclaw possessed a diadem with a vast assortment of magical powers, but most sources that Natalie had read, including Hogwarts A History, vehemently denied the existence of this diadem, given the complete lack of tangible evidence.
"And what happened to the diadem?" asked Riddle curiously.
The Grey Lady laughed bitterly. "I stole it from her and ran away."
Natalie's earlier suspicions were confirmed as having deemed Riddle trustworthy, the Grey Lady eagerly continued with her story. Natalie inferred that he may have been the first one to talk and listen to Helena Ravenclaw about her relationship with her mother, explaining the sudden and unjustified confidence in him. "My mother, they say, never admitted the diadem was gone, but it affected her… She concealed my betrayal from all of the other founders."
"But soon after, she became fatally ill – she wanted to see my face one more time despite my perfidy. So, as was typical of my mother, she sent a man, whom I disliked immensely, but was in love with me, to find and bring me back to her."
"Who was this man?" asked Riddle warmly. Natalie did not think that he remotely cared about the man.
"The Baron, of course."
The young Kalissa covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes as wide as saucers. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Natalie all simultaneously let out sharp gasps of surprise, gazing at each other in amazement. Minerva's mouth was wide open as she gaped at the older Kalissa and Dumbledore who wore identically wry smiles. Natalie knew of only one Baron that the Grey Lady would also know, but it seemed extremely unlikely that he would have loved her.
"The Bloody Baron!" breathed Riddle in shock. For once, his calm visage had unraveled.
"Yes," said the Grey Lady, sounding amused. "It is quite difficult to think that he loved me, isn't it? But he did track me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him and then refused to be with him, his anger was terrible. The Baron was always an ill tempered man. Furious at my refusal, jealous at my freedom, he stabbed me."
"Oh, that's horrible – I'm so sorry," said Riddle sadly. "It's a devastating story."
"It is," agreed the Grey Lady, apparently satisfied with his answer. Natalie could not help but think that perhaps the reason Riddle could slip into her good graces so easily was that they were not completely different.
"Did you manage to see your mother?" said Riddle sincerely.
"I was dead," answered the Grey Lady coolly.
"Oh no, I didn't mean that way," protested Riddle frantically. "How insensitive of me! I mean as a ghost?"
"Oh," said the Grey Lady. "I did not – she died before I could make the transformation."
"I'm sorry again," said Riddle, the flattering compassion returning to his voice. "I'm certain that she loved you no matter what happened."
She could hear Harry snort beside her. "Quite the charmer," whispered Natalie. "You would never think that he would become Voldemort."
"I hope so," stated the Grey Lady longingly.
"In a way, it is rather impressive," whispered Harry to her. "I mean horribly cruel and selfish, but he knows how to get what he wants." Natalie nodded, agreeing that it was no wonder how Voldemort managed to attract so many followers.
"What happened to the diadem?" asked Riddle casually.
"You're not looking for it, are you?" said the Grey Lady suspiciously. "Because you do seem different than the others that have asked me."
"Of course not," said Riddle innocently. "Coming from a Muggle background, I'm very fascinated with the history of the school and this is quite the story. I do think however that you and your mother deserve to have the diadem returned to the school – I mean it belongs to the both of you."
By discreetly including the Grey Lady as one of the rightful owners of the diadem, Natalie perceived that Riddle's subtle hint had resonated with the Grey Lady.
"It does belong to us," agreed the Grey Lady in a very content tone.
"Perhaps if during the summer, I could find the diadem and return it to you?" offered Riddle kindly. "I want to thank the school for really giving me so much – I came from a very poor Muggle background."
Natalie was rather taken aback at Riddle's willingness to use his Muggle background to arouse sympathy. She thought that he would be too ashamed of that part of his heritage.
"It would be nice to have it," remarked the Grey Lady contemplatively.
"You deserve to have the diadem," said Riddle emphatically.
"I do," agreed the Grey Lady.
"And it would save you all the effort from making that trip to the forest," said Riddle. Natalie noticed that neither a pleading note nor a pressuring insistence crept into his voice.
"It would," said the Grey Lady. "Very well – what's your name? What house are you in?"
Natalie presumed that Riddle had thought ahead to not wear his Slytherin coloured robes, nor his tie bearing the Slytherin emblem.
"Timothy Rowanson ma'am," lied Riddle. "And I belong to the house of you and your mother."
"I suspected as much," said the Grey Lady, the pleasure evident in her voice. "There you can use that book to write down the location."
"In a forest in Albania," continued the Grey Lady happily. "In fact, I hid it in a hollow tree. There come closer so I can tell you exactly where it is – I'd prefer to not say the location so loudly – nervous habit, you see."
Natalie breathed in frustration, hearing most of the others do the same. She saw the young Kalissa debating whether to move forward once they heard the Grey Lady whisper something indecipherable to Riddle. But to her disappointment, Kalissa chose to stay behind the wall, a resigned expression on her face.
"Very well, thank you ma'am," said Riddle in gratitude. "When I find it, I will make sure to come back the castle and return the diadem to you personally."
"You're a good boy, Timothy," said the Grey Lady affectionately. "Now, good bye."
After the Grey Lady left, they heard Riddle begin to walk, his footsteps becoming more distant. The teenage Kalissa finally emerged from the turn, stepping behind a tapestry that led to a hidden passageway. She moved at an almost sprint along the passageway until she pushed through a barely discernible door, and then walked down the corresponding passage, arriving directly in front of a very happy Tom Riddle.
"Ah Kalissa. What a pleasant surprise," greeted Riddle coldly, stopping in his tracks.
They had barely managed to keep up with the young Kalissa. Panting, Natalie stepped forward so she could have a closer look at the teenage version of Voldemort. He indeed was very handsome. The dark, black hair that barely hung over his forehead, the pale, unblemished face and the heavy knitted eyebrows would have had Parvati and Lavender swooning instantly. She noticed with a slight startle that his figure almost identically resembled that of Harry. He had the same lean, wiry physique that despite the lack of visibly filled out muscles and thick arms or legs, suggested a great collective strength. However, seeing his eyes and the nasty smile on his face, Natalie shivered, realizing who the boy really was. Maybe because she knew he would become Lord Voldemort, she was perceiving intricacies that were not tangible. But a vapid emptiness hollowed out his dark eyes; no intensity of emotion burned bright in those orbs, but rather a malevolent iciness intermingled itself with those dark clouds. It was not the coldness she saw in Malfoy's grey eyes, but in a much more threatening way, the iciness Riddle possessed hinted at a genuine disdain and lack of concern for anything and anyone. His smile, which instead of displaying a fulfilling joy and contentment, showed an insidious pleasure, likely in the satisfaction of some cruel, insatiable hunger. His expression unnerved Natalie far more than the handsome looks summoned begrudging admiration.
"Tom," acknowledged Kalissa, her eyes narrowed at him.
"You do have a rather unpleasant habit of, how to say it properly, dropping into me this year," drawled Riddle. Natalie noticed him discreetly place the hand with the Slytherin ring into his pocket. So, Natalie thought in horror, he had already killed off his Muggle family, not to mention the girl that died from the Basilisk. In his other hand, he held what looked to be a Muggle diary. Seeing the looks of recognition of Harry and Dumbledore's faces, Natalie surmised that this was the same diary used to open the Chamber of Secrets.
"You seem awfully happy," said Kalissa suspiciously. "Perhaps, I should alert Madame Hellen that she will be treating one or two Muggleborn students with grievous injuries tomorrow caused by heinous acts of Dark Magic."
The hideous smile returned to Riddle's face. "Always with the unfound accusations."
"I don't think they're unfound at all," said Kalissa, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Tell me, do you and McGonagall spend your nights trying to place the blame for all the incidents in the school on me?"
"It's better than placing the blame on an innocent third year boy," said Kalissa disgustedly.
"Hinting at something, are we Kalissa?" hissed Riddle, his eyes briefly flashing in anger.
"I think you know what I'm talking about," stated Kalissa, sneering at him.
Riddle checked his watch. "As much as I'd like to defend myself from your hostile attacks, I really do have some Head Boy business I need to attend to."
Riddle pushed past Kalissa with his hand. As soon as his hand touched her, she immediately recoiled herself from him, sharply slapping his hand away.
"Touchy, are we?" said Riddle, as he turned his back to Kalissa, beginning to walk away.
"Vauxhall road?" said Kalissa disdainfully. "I never thought you to be the type of person to carry around a Muggle diary."
Riddle stopped. His body stiffened. Kalissa seemed to have struck a nerve.
"Is that where your Muggle orphanage is?" pressed Kalissa, stepping closer to him. "You know, for a Slytherin, I always thought you would be ashamed of the fact that you grew up in a Muggle orphanage."
"I am ashamed I had to grow up in that filthy hovel. But you wouldn't know, would you? The privileges of a pureblood child – I must wonder how it must feel to have everything heaped on a platter for you," spat Riddle venomously, his back to Kalissa. He was beginning to shake.
Kalissa clenched her fists, her eyes alight in fury. "But it is a good story, isn't it? Tom Riddle – the 'boy, who was orphaned at birth, grew up in an orphanage, completely unaware of magic, suffered for 11 years from loneliness and neglect until he received his Hogwarts Letter and developed into the next Minister of Magic'," remarked Kalissa, her voice high pitched and dramatic when she described him.
"But then again, they don't know the real story, do they? No one would feel sorry for you if they knew what you really are," hissed Kalissa.
Riddle slowly turned his back. "And what am I?" asked Riddle slowly, a malicious edge to his voice.
"A murderer," stated Kalissa simply.
"I had no idea I had killed somebody," snarled Riddle. The conversation hovered dangerously on the edge; if Kalissa continued to provoke him, he would undoubtedly retaliate. Looking at the others, Natalie noticed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staring at Kalissa in a mixture of awe and shock.
"Of course, you don't," said Kalissa simply. "You should realize my dear Tom, that a murderer doesn't become the Minister of Magic."
"You honestly think that I plan to do that?" said Riddle, leering at her.
"I suppose you have far grander plans on your horizon."
When Riddle did not answer, but merely continued to sneer at her in pure hatred, Kalissa continued. "Don't think that I don't know about your experiments with your friends. When you're out of Hogwarts, one of these experiments will eventually go too far."
"Is that a warning?" asked Riddle, moving closer to her.
"Do you think I give a damn about you?" said Kalissa, the coldness in her eyes matching that of Riddle. The absolute disdain she conveyed as well her indifference to the ominous anger on Riddle's face made her look extremely formidable. "Personally, I'm hoping that one of those experiments backfires and you get what you deserve: a painful death."
Riddle let out a horrible, cackling laugh that raised the hairs on the back of Natalie's neck. She saw Ron, Hermione and Minerva also flinch. Kalissa and Harry stared at Riddle with absolute repulsion on theirs faces while Dumbledore watched him with a sad glint in his eye.
"Death? Do you think that scares me? I have greater plans than that," drawled Riddle in a much higher, colder voice. Harry's posture stiffened. She supposed he recognized that tone from the older version of Voldemort.
The young Kalissa blinked at him. "You are a vile piece of scum. Maybe that's why your parents never wanted you."
Riddle stopped laughing though a wild happiness seemed to fill his face. A hungry, unnerving red gleam appeared in his eyes, giving him the appearance of something much more inhuman than the attractive boy they had seen only minutes earlier.
"You should watch that mouth. Dumbledore's not always going to be around to keep an eye on you," hissed Riddle dangerously.
"What does that exactly mean?" said Kalissa coldly, holding her ground.
"Take it as I say it. When you're out of Hogwarts, there will be consequences my dear…"
"Is that a threat?" asked Kalissa menacingly.
Riddle let out another terribly cackling laugh. "Why don't I put it this way? If you talked to me like that in any other place, you'll be craving, longing for the Killing Curse."
"Think rather highly of your magical abilities, don't you?" sneered Kalissa. No trace of fear or hesitation could be seen in her features.
Riddle's eyes again flashed in fury. "Why don't I show you?"
Faster than Natalie thought possible, both wands were instantly pulled out and at each other's throats. "Ah impressive Kalissa," spat Riddle in her face, an insidious smile on his face. "Now, let's see the real depth of your magical knowledge."
Natalie's heart pumped against her chest. She had to tell herself that nothing dangerous had happened to Kalissa; the actual Kalissa was standing beside her, alive and healthy. Nonetheless, the way in which Riddle's face contorted into that contemptuous, menacing sneer frightened and unsettled Natalie. If he believed he could leave unpunished, Natalie was certain that he would attempt to kill Kalissa. And moreover, though it was through Kalissa's own senses and perceptions of the memory, an undeniable magical energy sizzled and buzzed through the air. Both of them were extremely powerful. The magic emanating from their anger was enough to cause an explosion.
Suddenly, the barely perceptible sound of footsteps could be heard. Riddle immediately retracted his wand, the hideous smile remained stretched across his features. Kalissa also returned her wand to her pocket, but her eyes remained squarely on Riddle's arm. As Kalissa's wand disappeared, a 50 year old younger Albus Dumbledore emerged from the nearest turn.
Natalie sighed in relief. This Dumbledore looked and acted much younger than the one she knew. Instead of thin, grey hair, rich and long auburn hair swept over his beard and head. His face bore none of the wrinkles, creases and lines imprinted onto the older Dumbledore. Though, his presence had not changed in 50 years; this Dumbledore also gave off an overwhelming sense of calm.
"Tom, Kalissa," said Dumbledore softly, approaching the two of them from behind Riddle's back. "It is rather late for a nighttime chat." Despite the harmless words, he watched Riddle intently with a solemn expression.
"Professor, we just bumped into each other," stated Riddle casually. The cruel smile finally vanished once he turned his back from Kalissa to face Dumbledore.
"I can see," replied Dumbledore, gazing now at Kalissa. "And judging from the amount of magic in the air, it looks like it was more than a friendly chat. I am rather impressed that the two of you managed to hide your wands so quickly."
Riddle blinked, his jaw clenched. He obviously did not expect Dumbledore to know they were on the brink of cursing each other.
"We had a bit of argument," said Kalissa, catching Dumbledore's eye. Natalie sensed that they would talk about Riddle's pursuit of the diadem later.
"Ah," commented Dumbledore, his eyes returning to Riddle. "As both of you must know, duels between students are not tolerated. And Tom, being Head Boy, you should be setting an example."
"Yes, sir," said Riddle forcefully. His eyes focused on the corner Dumbledore had walked from; he refused to meet the older man's eyes. "This will not happen again."
"Sorry, sir," answered Kalissa, giving Dumbledore a small smile.
Dumbledore reciprocated the smile. "I think that's sufficient. Taking points and assigning detentions seems rather harsh for a duel that never occurred. Now, it is getting late and I suggest that both of you return to your dormitories."
Riddle nodded. Ignoring Dumbledore, he walked past Kalissa, his eyes flashing at her. His figure disappeared as he descended the staircase to the dungeons.
"I think that's enough," said the older Kalissa, motioning for all of them to join hands. The four students partnered with the assigned adults while the younger Kalissa and Dumbledore exited the corridor in the opposite direction of Riddle. Their surroundings rapidly became hazier. "Alright – Albus, you'll go first, then Minerva and finally Natalie and I."
In order, Dumbledore and Minerva pulled out Harry, Ron and Hermione from the memory. As Hermione and Minerva zoomed out of the memory, Natalie felt a tug on her shoulder. Seconds later, they soared weightlessly through darkness once more, before landing squarely in the present day office.
A/N: How did you guys like this chapter?