A/N: Written for the QLFC Round 8 - Dystopian Future. Team: Montrose Magpies.
CAPTAIN: How and when does Voldemort 'win' or rise to power?
Warning: somewhat cracky.
Thanks to Shannon and FF for beta work, remaining errors are my own.
The Dark Lord's Victory
Hermione's note had said it was a basilisk, but even being warned in advance hadn't helped Harry prepare for the reality of facing an enormous snake-lizard hybrid out to kill him. He had tried, tried his best to reason with Tom Riddle—Voldemort—but a part of him knew he was doomed from the start. As he ran through the slippery corridors of the massive subterranean chamber, trying to avoid the immense monster, he made the fatal mistake of looking back. One look was all it took for the Boy-Who-Lived to become the Boy-Who-Died.
Voldemort didn't see the dark smoke rise from Harry's scar as his rigid form collapsed to the ground. The basilisk paid it no mind at all.
"Good riddance," Voldemort said, before turning to address the basilisk. "Eat him, my pet. You have earned it. Then close your eyes; I feel the life force transfer of my host is almost complete."
Smirking at the still form of Ginny Weasley, Voldemort watched the comatose girl take a last, weak, breath. The next breath that came was not a girl's lungs filling up, but his own. "I'm back," Voldemort said, a small note of wonder in his voice. "I am back. It worked… what do you know, old Sluggy told the truth."
He twirled the girl's—no, his—wand in his hand, then let out a laugh that promised no good for the unsuspecting people outside the Chamber.
—-
"Harry? Is that you?" Ron called out, hearing a rumble in the blocked up corridor.
"Are you talking to me?" the confused Lockhart asked.
"No, you git. Shut up," Ron snapped. He eyed the collapsed hallway with some suspicion. It didn't sound like Harry, it was far too big, but who else could it be?
The next moment a huge scaled head barged through the rocks, the impact throwing Ron back. He had no time to voice his complaint, as the next thing he saw was a pair of yellow eyes, and then Ron was no longer capable of seeing or feeling anything at all.
"Oh, hello. What happened to him, then?" Lockhart asked, shifting his gaze from Ron's collapsed form to the creature. His last mistake.
—-
Minerva McGonagall barged into the Headmaster's office, panic in her voice. "Albus! Mr. Potter and young Mr. Weasley are missing, too! I think they went after Ginny!"
"What?!" To her surprise, it was not Dumbledore who answered her, but Molly Weasley. "Do you mean to tell me three of mine are in danger?!"
"Molly, please, calm down," Dumbledore said, mentally smiling at the idea that Harry had become an honorary Weasley to her. "I'm sure they'll turn up soon enough. Harry is fine, you see, or my instruments would tell me."
"So, what does the dark smoke on that one mean?" Arthur asked, indicating a silver orb.
Dumbledore paled. "When… when did that happen?"
He was interrupted by a silver eagle Patronus flying through the wall. It opened its mouth to speak with Flitwick's voice: "Dumbledore! Seal off the common rooms! There is a basilisk in the hallways!"
Dumbledore paled even further. "Slytherin's monster," he mumbled.
"Albus! The children!" McGonagall screamed in his ear.
—-
Tom was having the time of his life, riding the basilisk through the tunnel that connected the Chamber of Secrets to the girls' bathroom. He didn't bother to conceal his glee at not only being back with the living, but taking care of his biggest enemies as well. Ginny Weasley had done him a great service in killing all the roosters near the school, so he knew nothing could stop his pet now. Exiting the bathroom, he guided the basilisk to the corridor, not caring about the massive destruction it left in its wake as the monster made its way to the Great Hall.
The few unfortunate students that crossed his path didn't live long enough to scream, now that no-one was deliberately trying to prevent the basilisk from passing its gaze directly over its victims. If Ginny wasn't dead already, he would make her suffer for her defiance over the past year.
—-
Professor Flitwick sealed the doors of the Great Hall with his magic as several students cowered near the far wall. He had been walking past a portrait when it warned him of the catastrophic danger that had entered the school and immediately ran towards the dining hall, where he knew some students would be finishing a late dinner. As he ran he sent a Patronus message to warn the Headmaster to seal the dormitories. He could only hope that no-one was out and about at this hour as anyone who was, was likely already dead.
The doors slammed under the impact of a massive body on the other side, and some students screamed. Flitwick was still struggling to keep the doors closed, praying reinforcements would come. None too soon, Dumbledore flamed into existence next to him, hand-delivered by his Phoenix.
"It's at the doors!" Flitwick yelled, keeping his wand trained at them. Dumbledore nodded, a grim expression on his face as he added his own magic to keep the doors shut.
But even his massive power could not keep them closed forever. As the door began to visibly break, Dumbledore cast a grey spell in the air, yelling, 'Nimbus Venit!' Instantly, a thick fog began to fill the room.
The next moment, the doors broke, and a grey, immense shape became visible through the fog.
"Clever, Dumbledore, very clever," a young voice spoke.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said, as he silently pushed Flitwick towards the crying and otherwise afraid students behind them both, seeing Fawkes go with the half-goblin. "You seem to know my name, may I have yours?"
"Ever the polite one, eh, Professor?" Voldemort said, sounding amused. "Back when I was a student here, you called me Tom."
"Tom Riddle," Dumbledore said, his voice flat.
"In the flesh, once again," Voldemort said. "We have a few minutes before the fog clears, and I can have my pet take care of everyone here. Or, do you want to surrender now and save your students' miserable lives?"
"You are a greater fool than I even thought, if you'd think I'll allow you to endanger another life, Tom," Dumbledore said. A small flash of flame behind him told him that Fawkes had flame-teleported the remaining students away, and he hoped Flitwick had left with them.
"A fool, am I? You forget one thing, Professor," Voldemort replied.
"And what is that?"
"My basilisk doesn't have to see you to kill you," the Dark Lord said, and Dumbledore had just enough time to cry out as the basilisk's massive jaws closed around him.
—-
"That was rather anticlimactic," Voldemort mused. "Close your eyes, my pet. I think it's time I call my followers here. With the old fool and his boy gone, Britain is mine."
The Dark Lord let out a cackle that turned into full laughter as he considered what now was in store for all the blood traitors. If only he had thought to use his pet the first time around, he would have saved so much time!