Author's Note: Hey readers! I know it's been a while. I've been busy with schoolwork and I recently started a new fanfic so I've been updating that one a lot and somewhat neglecting this one. Here is the first part of the infamous Battle of Hogwarts. I'll have the next chapter up for you very soon. The end is definitely near. Only three more chapters to go. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter rights and characters belong to J.K Rowling. I am simply having fun with my imagination. Thanks

Dedication: All readers; thank you for the continued support!

...Tom stopped his pacing suddenly and looked around the familiar old cliff. It was time. He was going to go back to the source—to the very beginning. And once he figured out just how damaging the situation was, he was going to come for Harry Potter and have that final duel, once and for all, whether Potter was ready for it or not...

CHAPTER 47: THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS PART 1

The wind soared against his face as he flew over the hillsides and mountaintops. He did not stop or slow down. He was too angry to do so. As he flew, he felt a youth's presence invade his mind. He shook it off as hard as he could, but the longer he flew, the more difficult this became.

...What I am not understanding is how this child is a danger to me. I mean, it knows not of any of my horcruxes. It is only just a baby…

How completely ridiculous he felt now. He had gone further than any other wizard in magical history—further than Gellert Grindelwald himself! He had overcome the greatest challenges and obstacles. Merlin's beard, he was the Heir of Slytherin for crying out loud! How could he have underestimated a petty little boy?!

As he flew, his thought process began to circulate around Dumbledore again. No matter what, it all always led back to Albus Dumbledore…his nemesis in life and death. How could Dumbledore still, to this day, induce fear inside Tom? How did he still manage to make him sweat with nervousness? HE WAS DEAD!

...We both know there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom….

So he had known by then? Or did he know all along and only clued Potter in on it recently? How could Tom have overlooked this? Where had his head been all along?

He landed firmly on the damp ground and marched right over to the dirty old shack in Little Hangleton. With the flick of the Elder Wand in his hand, the entire side wall blasted open. He let himself in and looked around. The place was as damp and filthy as it had been the last time he'd been there, years and years ago. Ignoring the violent hissing of the snakes out in the yard, he threw the stinky old armchair aside with another flick of his wand, and bent down to remove the floorboard. His heart pounded hard against his chest now. The ring was missing. Missing!

Cursing out loud, Tom apparated to the hillside in a violent rage. He yelled "BOMBARDA" and destroyed the shack completely. Without so much as a glance at the large manor house over on the other side of the hill (for it brought up too many memories for him), Tom disappeared from the village and moved on to his next destination: Borgin and Burke's.

...People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about…horcruxes…

Could the old git have said something to Dumbledore? Is that how he found out what Tom had been up to? But Tom could hardly imagine a world where Horace Slughorn was not utterly terrified to defy him. He wouldn't dare. He wouldn't.

He flew on, ignoring the strong youthful presence that was somehow forcing itself into his mind. He furiously shook it off and diverted his thoughts back to Dumbledore. So he knew about the existence of the horcruxes. But could he have known how to destroy them? Or was that Potter's doing completely? Tom had felt absolutely nothing. No pain, no panic, no jolts in his stomach. If his horcruxes were being destroyed one by one, as he now assumed was Potter's ultimate plan, why was he not feeling a single thing?

He arrived at Knockturn Alley in no time and marched right through Borgin and Burke's. He ignored the look on Borgin's face and marched up the stairs without a word to him. As he reached the top landing, he heard Borgin whimper with fear and a bottle shatter somewhere. Tom threw open the door to his old bedroom and knelt down, moving the old carpet aside. If the filthy scum had touched it, he would kill him this instant. Tom removed the floorboard and grew instantly white. There was nothing there. Borgin came up from behind him, keeping his head bowed. Tom jumped to his feet and faced him.

"Legiliments!" he cried.

He occupied Borgin's mind for all of thirty seconds before diving out and cursing him so that he fell down the stairs and out of his sight. He had no information to offer Tom. Furious, Tom fell down to the floor and sat in the corner, thinking. Once, long ago, he had hidden two objects underneath these floorboards…his diary and the Hufflepuff cup. But both were removed from this location long after. Why couldn't he remember now where he had put them? Tom buried his head in his hands and thought long and hard. The memories were all very hazy now. Of course he was too overcome with stress. Now, it slowly came back to him. He'd given the diary to Lucius Malfoy to guard (and it was destroyed of course) and the cup to Bellatrix who had hidden it in her vault (which was now broken into). As far as Tom was concerned, one horcrux was surely destroyed. As for the cup, it was only a matter of time before Potter managed to destroy it. But what had happened to Morfin's ring?

Tom jumped to his feet and disappeared from the room above Borgin and Burke's. There was no use in checking the Gringotts location for it was already exposed. There was one last place he needed to look before he reached Hogwarts, where the Ravenclaw Diadem was hidden safely in the Room of Requirement. As he flew, his thoughts wandered to the ring. Was it Dumbledore or Potter who'd removed it from its place? Was it already destroyed? Why was it that Tom had not felt a thing?

He was getting closer to his destination and the boy had stopped invading his mind for the time being. Feeling relieved, Tom allowed his thoughts to wander off to a dangerous place. Was it possibly his fault that Dumbledore and the boy had learnt his secret? Could he have revealed a little too much?

...I have experimented; I have pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps, than they have ever been pushed…

Had Dumbledore caught on that day when Tom had requested the teaching job? Or had he already known, even before then? When had it all happened?

...How could you have believed I would not rise again? You, who have seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living…

Tom forced the presence out of his mind again. The boy was really throwing himself in. Why was he spying on Tom all of a sudden? Did he know that Tom had finally figured it out? He directed his thoughts on something else. Who had known about his horcruxes? Slughorn certainly had…he'd never told any of his Death Eaters outright, but he had hinted several times. Bellatrix, Lucius, Avery, Regulus...it could have been any one of them. But Tom highly doubted that they'd gone behind his back. Hmm…

He finally arrived at his destination and stopped on the edge of the cliff. Crystal Cave. It looked exactly as Tom had left it. This place was full of secrets…magic…sorcery. It was the place where he had experimented with his magic as a kid. It was the place where he had grown to learn his strengths and powers. It was the place he associated with his first performance of the legendary Cruciatus curse. And it was the first-ever secure hiding place for his horcruxes.

...Pain beyond pain, my friends. Nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body. I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost, but still, I was alive…

Yes, he had revealed far too much.

He found the exact spot and stared at the blank inside of the bowl he had enchanted long ago. It was gone. Vanished. He had no way of knowing what had happened to the locket. Had Regulus destroyed it before the inferi got to him? Or was it Dumbledore? Or had Harry Potter gotten to it? Tom had no reason to believe that the locket still existed, yet he also had no way of being sure. The hot, coiling ball of red anger grew to tremendous size in his chest. Furious, Tom kicked the bowl and it fell to the floor with a loud clank. He waved the Elder Wand in the air, a string of the meanest spells circulating in his mind, and threw rock against rock, water on top of water, and inferi against all ends. His yells of anger echoed throughout the whole of the cave. He only hoped that, wherever Dumbledore was at the moment, he was not watching this scene of weakness unfold.

When Tom was finally finished massacring the cave, he disapparated. It was his fault. He had told them too much. He had trusted them too much; given them too much faith. And now, he was to pay the price. His most precious secret was exposed. He was exposed.

…I, who have gone further than anybody upon the path that leads to immortality…

It was all over. His secret was out. And he had no one else to blame but himself.

…But now I was tested. And it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it…

He should never have trusted them—the filthy traitors. He should never have underestimated the power of the old fool, and definitely the teenage minion.

At that moment, Tom felt his mind leave his body and land somewhere else. He was standing on a cliff somewhere he did not recognise, and facing him were two people.

"It has something to do with Ravenclaw and it's in the castle. We have to go there. NOW!"

Tom withdrew. No. This couldn't happen. He left the cave as fast as he could and forced the Dark Mark into the air. He passed the message along to Bellatrix who stayed true to her word and proceeded to summon everyone. With this knowledge in his mind, Tom departed from the cave to meet the others at Hogwarts. He did not waste his time and flew as fast as he could—before long, he arrived at the scene. The hundreds upon hundreds of dark-hooded followers stood on the cliff, at his service. Tom eyed them with fury gleaming in his red eyes, before he turned to look at the castle. The lights flickered from inside the large windows. They were all awake. It was time.

Nagini appeared at his feet and Tom eyed her with admiration.

"I am glad to see you," he whispered. "Alive, I might add."

"I am too, master," she hissed back.

Smiling to himself, Tom rotated the Elder Wand between his fingers and glanced back at the castle.

...We both know there are other ways to destroy a man, Tom...

Indeed, thought Tom. Now, we shall see. It was time for a little message for Dumbledore's little army.

I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU WILL WANT TO FIGHT. SOME OF YOU MAY EVEN THINK THAT TO FIGHT IS WISE. BUT THIS IS FOLLY. I WISH YOU NO HARM. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE STUDENTS OF HOGWARTS. I WAS ONCE ONE MYSELF AFTER ALL. I ASK FOR BUT ONE THING AND IF GRANTED, NO MAGICAL BLOOD SHALL BE SPILT. GIVE ME HARRY POTTER. DO THIS AND NONE SHALL BE HARMED. GIVE ME HARRY POTTER AND I SHALL LEAVE HOGWARTS UNTOUCHED. GIVE ME HARRY POTTER AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED. YOU HAVE ONE HOUR.

His whispers echoed violently throughout the grounds and right into the minds of every Hogwarts student, staff member, Snatcher, and Death Eater. He could almost taste the fear and pain of having one's mind possessed like so. Tom smiled as he concluded his speech.

And so he waited. He waited like he had never waited before. If they were smart, they would do the right thing and hand Potter over to him. If they were meddlesome fools, they would put up a fight and try to be noble or brave or whatever other heroic nonsense Dumbledore had taught them. But that would not be enough. He would still get to the boy. No matter what happened tonight, no matter how long it took, and no matter how many would have to die, Tom was going to kill Harry Potter, once and for all.

Several different-coloured sparks flew up into the sky from within the Hogwarts grounds. A silvery blue shield began to slowly form itself around the perimeter, stretching into the boundaries and guarding it from the Death Eaters. In the distance, Tom could hear shouts and yells of orders. By the time the hour was up however, everything went instantly quiet and still.

"They never learn," said Tom aloud to the hundreds and hundreds of black-hooded Death Eaters standing behind him on top of the cliff. "Such a pity."

He smiled, seemingly amused with the worthless efforts of the Hogwarts crowd. There was faint movement behind him and then someone cleared their throat.

"M-m-my lord," said Pius Thicknesse. "S-s-shouldn't we w-wait?"

Tom turned to look at him His red eyes gleamed fiercely at the nerve of the man. Chilled by the look on Tom's face, Thicknesse looked away nervously. Then, Tom nodded in Bellatrix' direction and turned back to the school. From the corner of his eyes, he glimpsed Bellatrix raise her arm in signal and behind them, the sea of Death Eaters settled, poised and waiting. The air went completely still.

"Begin," Tom declared.

As if burying a knife deep in the heart of an enemy, Bellatrix dropped her arm. The explosions sounded immediately. Hundreds of wands pointed at the castle, sending out all colours of sparks. The sparks hit the shield at impressive speed and just as quickly exploded like cannonballs, sending blue light everywhere. The shield shuddered and shook violently. A fresh volley of curses laced the night sky and bombs struck the shield like lightning. Down below, a sea of snatchers closed in on the bridge, their howls deafening. The first snatcher ran flat into the shield and bounced back just as quickly. The others stopped just in time and glared up at the castle.

Suddenly, a hot stab of pain pursed its way through Tom's body, almost mechanically. He howled in pain, his eyes burning scarlet. The pain jabbed its way through his stomach and arms and then it was gone. Impulsively and violently, he drew his wand—then stopped briefly, studying it. A strange mixture of awe and ambivalence darkened his face. Would this wand do the trick? What horcrux had just been destroyed and why was he now able to feel the effects of it? Suddenly, he screwed up his face and pointed his wand to the sky. His arm swept forth and a crack of thunder shook the grounds. The sky turned white. For a moment, everything was frozen still, and then an eruption of sound and fury rolled the grounds. Tom dropped his arm and the shield shattered like millions of tiny shards of glass.

Almost instantly, the swarm of Death Eaters ran for the castle. Windows shattered, pierced by plumes which then materialised into Death Eaters. The yells of students and staff echoed through the darkness, wands blazing in every direction. The thundering rumble in the distance introduced the giants which Tom had recruited long ago. The Death Eaters ran over the grounds, dodging the giants which stepped on anything in their path (including the occasional Death Eater), all the while crushing skulls and snapping spines. Explosions detonated all throughout, shattering windows and smashing walls. Rubble was falling into the night and tapestries burned, producing smoke everywhere.

The battle was in full-on mode. Lives were being lost on both sides as Tom stood at the top of the cliff with the second half of Death Eaters, waiting. He waited as limbs flew here and there. Nagini slithered at his feet, whispering pleas of food. Tom ignored them and watched the castle intently. The first place he had ever called home was now being destroyed and wrecked completely. All the teachers that had taught him...Flitwick...Slughorn...they were all inside the castle, suffering the wraths of the Death Eaters. The common rooms...the trophy room...the infamous Great Hall...it was all tumbling into nothingness. When would Harry Potter decide enough was enough? When would he step forward and save them all this trouble?

Tom felt slightly unsettled about the slow destruction of the castle. He had, after all, lived her for a good couple of years. But it wasn't his fault that the boy was being stubborn. He wanted a fight? And so a fight he was going to get.

Hours must have passed when suddenly, Tom froze, bellowing in pain as his eyes burned red and he glared toward the castle in the distance, his pale hand gripping the Elder Wand so fiercely. Tom's stricken face wheeled toward the black sky above, his eyes scanning the dull stars with despair as he released a mournful shriek. He felt a youth's presence invade his mind once again and, for a split second, he got an emerald green glimpse of the inside of the Great Hall amidst the rubble. His eyes glittered with madness, his gaze lost, adrift in the dark constellations above. Another horcrux had just been destroyed, and Tom knew very well which one. It had been the one that Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts for tonight. He had found Tom's secret place. He had discovered it.

"M-m-my lord?" said Thicknesse again.

Feeling a sudden urge of violence, Tom pointed his wand at him furiously.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Thicknesse fell against a few of the Death Eaters and for a few seconds, there was a commotion. Then, Nagini slithered her way over to where the man lay dead, and began to feast. Meanwhile, Tom looked back at the school, a stubborn tear streaming down his eye. When he finally spoke, Tom's voice was hoarse and oddly tender.

"Nagini, come," he whispered.

And with that, he slipped away, blasting anyone who stood in his way.

He soared over the dark fields, past unspeakable devastation. The Quidditch pitch which once stood blissfully was now burning in fire. Tom flew over to where a gaunt-looking man stood, a little ways from the battle scene. He grabbed him by the neck and disappeared over to the little boat house on the other side of the lake. Landing on his feet, Tom let go of the blond-haired man and swept eerily forward with Nagini slithering at his feet. The walls shimmered oddly, reflecting the water's surface. Here, the assault on Hogwarts was distant and muted.

Tom stood with his back to the man and stared off at the distant castle. He slowly rolled up the sleeve of his black cloak and analysed the effects that the destruction of the horcruxes was having. The scars he'd once procured were resurfacing, as though he had just created his horcruxes now. They gleamed in the reflection of the water. Tom frowned.

The others were all waiting on the cliff...Avery, Nott's son, Mulciber. All of his favourites were waiting safely on the cliff, while the snatchers and the less favourite ones shed blood inside the castle and wrecked walls.

"Stop looking at her," Tom told the man behind him, after another violent hiss filled his ears. "She smells your fear. It agitates her." He paused. "Be grateful she's just eaten."

The man whimpered slightly and turned away from Nagini, who was glaring at him. Tom drew his Elder Wand and analysed that too. It looked as though the wand had cracked during the destruction of the shield. Tom slowly moved his long fingers up and down the wand, a frown forming on his face. The wand was not respecting him. It was not following his orders as he conveyed them. It was obedient but not surrendered. Why was that?

"F-f-forgive me, m-my lord," said Lucius Malfoy.

Tom ignored him and eyed the wand carefully in his hand. It didn't make any sense. The owner of the wand was dead. Tom had stolen it from him. So why was it not listening to him? And then it hit him like a lightbulb. He had not killed Dumbledore. He had not won it from him, fair and square. Someone else had done all that for him.

"M-my lord," said Lucius again. "Might it not be more…prudent…to call off this attack a-and s-s-s-simply seek the b-boy y-yourself?"

"I do not need to seek the boy," said Tom, in a cool voice. "Before the night is out, he will come to me!"

He wheeled around and smacked Lucius across his gaunt-looking face. Lucius whimpered but shut his mouth in silence. Tom sneered. There was once a time, long ago, when he had trusted Lucius above all the others. He'd had such high hopes for Lucius' future in his ranks. But now, he was even disgusted to have him stand in his presence.

"LOOK AT ME," commanded Tom. Lucius faced him, fear stricken on his face like child in the face of death. "How can you live with yourself, Lucius?"

"I don't know," he whispered.

Tom sneered again, then turned away from Lucius and walked back to the edge of the boat house, glaring down at the lake.

"Nagini," he hissed. "You are my last one. I need to keep you safe."

"I won't leave your side, my lord," she hissed back.

Tom looked up at the night sky again and then sighed heavily. He had never thought it would have to come to this. He most certainly hoped that it wouldn't. But unfortunately, there was no alternative. The realisation was dawning upon him now that this was the only possible way for him to reach his ultimatum. He doubted he would ever feel so bad so as to regret this decision. After all, the outcome would be most rewarding. But still…he wished there had been another way.

With these his final thoughts, he turned to look at Lucius impassively. Lucius was staring at him with a mixture of fear and plea. He was obviously tortured enough and fearful for how long his life would last. Tom pursed his lips and then sighed again.

"Go and find Severus," he told Lucius finally. "Bring him to me."

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