I do not own Harry Potter.
Not Worth It
Chapter 13
Halloween Scares
After his years of study at Hogwarts, Tom Marvolo Riddle took a job at Borgin and Burkes, much to the suprise of his teachers and fellow classmates. He had the capacity to work for the ministry if he wanted. Nevertheless, he did well at his job. One of his assignments took him to the home of Hepzibah Smith, a hoarder of many magical antiques. She showed Tom her two most special possessions: Hufflepuffs cup, and to her surprise, Slytherin's locket. Merope's gasped when she saw it.
"My locket!"
Hepizibah declared she had to pay an "arm and a leg" for the locket. Merope didn't quite understand what she meant by that, other than the fact Hepizabah probably had to pay more than ten galleons for it. Merope was shocked that Mr. Burke believed that Merope had stolen the locket, but would he believe that Merope was the descendant of Salazar Slytherin? Tom's face darkened after he saw these two artifacts and it didn't go unnoticed by Hepizabah.
"Are you all right dear?" she asked.
"I'm fine," said Tom.
"I thought for sure," she began. "A trick of the light I suppose."
Though Merope knew that look in Tom's eyes and it wasn't good. "Tom, whatever you are thinking, don't. Let her keep the locket. It's hers now."
Before Tom left the home of Hepizabah Smith, he killed her, modified the memory of her houself Hokey and stole both the locket and the cup.
In the bedroom of his humble flat, he attempted make the locket a horcrux but when he opened it by speaking it into Parseltongue, the soul of a bearded wizard floated out of the locket.
"You're Salazar Slytherin," whispered Tom. "I recognize your statue from the Chamber of Secrets."
"You must be my heir then," said Salazar. "Tell me, is Hogwarts safe? How many of our kind died? How many muggles attacked the castle?"
Tom cocked his head. "What?"
"The battle at Hogwarts," said Salazar. "My heir was to open the chamber of secrets to keep students safe."
"And I did." said Tom. "You created the Chamber of Secrets and placed the basilsisk in there so that I could destroy the muggleborns. I managed to kill one."
"YOU WHAT?" Salazar bellowed. "That's not what it was for!"
"It wasn't?" Tom looked confused. "But you argued with the other founders that magic should be kept in wizarding familes. You planned to teach the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets, didn't you?"
Salazar sighed. "The Dark Arts? Teach the Dark Arts to children when they barely know how to hold their wands? The Dark Arts isn't for children! They would end up killing their classmates, blowing up the school and then reanimating their classmates as inferi out of their guilt!"
"If you didnt' create The Chamber of Secrets in order to teach students The Dark Arts and place a basilisk inside to kill the muggleborns, then why did you make it?" Tom challenged.
"One of my students was a seer. Her name was Saga Moran. She had a vision of a battle at Hogwarts. It terrified her and many of my students. The other founders dismissed her vision as paranoia, even Rowena, a seer herself! I didn't want what took decades to build to crumble so I planned to have the Chamber of Secrets to serve as a panic room for my students. My heir was to use the basilisk to fight the invaders, who I presumed to be muggles. No such battle took place?"
"No, believe me, I won't let such harm fall to Hogwarts. I will make the world a better place for wizards even if have to kill every muggle or wizard that stands in my way."
"You'd go so far as murder?" said Salazar.
"I'm sure you'd do the same," Tom insisted. "I bet you killed loads of muggles in your time."
"Wrong!" Salazar bellowed. "I not once took a human life, be it wizard or muggle! I may have transfigured them into snakes, poisoned them until they begged for the antidote and messed with their minds, but I didn't kill them. Killing them would be too easy."
"But you've had to!" Tom insisted. "Your locket is a horcrux, isn't it? You must be still alive somewhere, right?"
"Beehive me boy, I died centuries ago. Before I died, I instructed my eldest son to encase my whole soul into the locket so that I may continue to guide and empower my descendants. Many a time I helped them accomplish things they couldn't do with their own power."
"I see," said Tom. "So you expect to instruct me the way you did them?"
"Yes," Salazar answered.
Tom stepped forward and raised his wand at his ancestor. "Well I am powerful enough and I don't need you. There's not room enough in the locket for both our souls."
"You are not going to turn my locket into a horcrux!"
"It's my locket now," Tom inissted. "And I will."
Tom waved his wand and Salzar vanished. Tom put another piece of his soul in the locket, grinning.
The dreams worsened and Merope watched helplessly as Tom committed murder after murder. He met with the darkest of wizards to change his appearance. He no longer looked like himself. The sleeping potions were the only thing that allowed her to sleep. She was nervous during the day and flinched at every noise. Even after what happened at Tom's party, Kevin still came to chop wood and do some other chores for Meope. She gave him some vitamix potion and he was able to finish the fence in half the time. He noticed she was acting strangely and when he asked about, and she told him she was having trouble sleeping. Somehow he managed to talk her into coming to his home for Halloween. Merope forgot about a costume, and even if she did remember, she wouldn't know how to get one or what to get. Mrs. Hale was able to fix that. The had an attic full of Halloween decorations and costumes.
"Let's see, princess, cat, witch or maid?" Mrs. Hale asked Merope as she searched through the costumes.
"Witch," Merope said with thinking. She was already a witch for real. Pretending to be one shouldn't be too hard.
Mrs. Hale gave her the witch costume and a broom for a prop. After she got dressed in the costume she joined joined Kevin downstairs, who was dressed as a pirate.
"Argh! A witch!" Kevin said in his best attempt to play the part. "Ya best not be making me treasure disappear!"
Merope stared at him in confusion and Lora giggled. Kevin groaned. "That was horrible wasn't it?"
"Where's the constable?" Merope asked.
"Halloween is Dad's busiest night," answered Lora, dressed as a member of the press. "There's some kids that play pranks on people, throw eggs at their houses, break windows and Dad has to keep an eye out for them."
"That's awful!" Merope gasped.
"I know," said Lora. "I wanted to come with him and maybe I could get pictures."
"Lora!" said Kevin. "You actually think that's funny?"
"Hey someone's got to take pictures for evidence!" said Lora. "I could help him catch the culprit."
It allowed Merope to forget her nightmares and she was having fun for once. When a knocking came to the door, Merope jumped up to greet the trick or treaters. But before her she did not see a group of young children dressed as princesses or doctors or clowns. Before her were several tall figures in dark costumes. One was dressed in a cloak with scabby hands and face and it looked similar to a dementor. One was dressed as a vampire with blood dripping down his chin. A werewolf. A skeleton. The grim reaper. Someone with a snakelike face. Merope screamed, dropped the bowl of candy and ran up the stairs. The group of teenagers laughed.
"Wow!" said Lora, rushing forward with her camera. "Great costumes. What are you supposed to be?" she asked the teenager with scabby hands.
He pulled down his hood, revealing a face of scars and fake skin. "A leper."
"Can I get a picture?" Lora asked enthusiastically.
"Only if we can get some blood," said the vampire.
"Or sweets," added the werewolf.
Mrs. Hale walked forward. "Sure help yourself. Hey, I might have some cream for those scars."
The teenagers laughed and while Lora and Mrs. Hale entertained the group of teenagers in scary costumes, Kevin went to check on Merope. He found her in his bedroom, sobbing.
"Merope, are you all right?" he asked.
"Dementors!" she cried. "a werewolf—monsters! We have to get out of here!"
"No, Merope, those were just some boys in scary costumes," said Kevin. "They're not real monsters."
"But—they were so-," she shook her head.
"Realistic?" said Kevin. "I know. I dressed as a vampire myself last year and I scared most of our trick or treaters away!" He chuckled but this didn't help her calm down. He came closer and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry they scared you. That's just Halloween. We saw some kids in cute and innocent costumes, but not all of them will dress that way. You're going to see someone dressed as a devil or a monster sooner or later. Just remember they're not real."
"So...they're not here to hurt us?" Merope said shakily.
"No, they're just trying to have some fun. Pretend to be someone else for once."
She breathed in shakily.
"You want to come back downstairs?" he said and Merope shook her head. Her eyes fell on a clay fish on his wall.
"What's that?" she asked.
"That?" Kevin stood up, took the clay fish and brought it to her. "Don't you recognize it, Merope? You gave it to me on my eight birthday."
Merope examined it. It looked slightly familiar but she couldn't remember giving it to him. It looked poorly made. Almost as if...
"I made this," she muttered.
"Yeah, you did!" Kevin said enthusiastically. "You knew that my favorite animal was a fish, so you took clay from the river and made it for me."
She handed it back and he hung back on the wall. She noticed his telescope. "Kevin, what's this?"
"That's my telescope!" he said proudly. "I got it a couple years back when I started taking Astronomy in school. Here, let me show you how it works."
They looked at the moon and some stars that he could see from his window. "Say, Merope, did you know that you're named after a star?" Kevin said, adjusting his telescope.
"I am?"
"Yeah, Merope. It's in the constellation of Taurus and part of the Pleiades star cluster." Kevin said excitedly. "Ah, there it is. Merope have a look at Merope."
They both chuckled at that and Merope peeked through the lens. She saw a bright violet star. It was gorgeous. "So pretty."
"The Pleiades star cluster gets its name from the Seven Sisters in Greek mythology: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Celaeno, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope. They were pursued by the hunter Orion. Zeus protected them by first turning them into doves and then into stars."
"Isn't Orion a constellation?" Merope asked.
"That's right!" said Kevin. "Zeus turned him into constellation so he could continue to chase them."
"What happened to the other sisters?" Merope asked.
"They had children with gods, except for Merope," he said. "I think that's why Zeus made her the least brightest."
Merope frowned. "So did that mean she was cast out?"
"No, Zeus still made her a star after all," Kevin said. "It doesn't matter how faint or bright you are, Merope—you're still a star."
He smiled at her and she smiled back. Somehow, knowing what she she was named from made her feel good. Merope might have been close to a squib and ugly and inbred, but she had some sort of worth. She could still shine. She placed her hands on the telescope to have another look. Then she felt his warm hand over hers.
"Merope," Kevin began and she took her eye away from the lens.
The door opened and Constable Hale walked in. Kevin jumped back. "Dad—er—what's?"
"Merope, you've got to come with me, quickly," Constable Hale looked slightly agitated.
"What's wrong?" Merope asked.
"Crazy kids," Constable Hale muttered. "Every year they do something like this."
"Dad, did someone trash Merope's place?" Kevin asked.
"I'm afraid so," said the Constable and Merope gasped.
"I'll come with you," said Kevin."
"Me too!" Lora declared.
"No, you stay here, young lady," said Constable Hale.
"But Da-aad!" she protested.
"It's not safe."
She groaned and shoved her camera in his hands. "Fine, take some pictures for clues."
The constable sighed, leading Merope and Kevin out of the house. They got in his car and the constable tried to explain what happened.
"I decided to watch Merope's house—because I had a feeling someone would target Merope now that Mr. Gaunt and his son are no longer there. There have been kids that said they would love to egg their house but were too afraid to with Mr. Gaunt around. I was there for an hour or so and nothing. Got a tip to go check on Mr. Smith, the milkman. I left to warn him and he said nobody has been by. I came back to Merope's place and—well-"
"It was a set up!" Kevin exclaimed. "Someone knew you were keeping on eye on Merope's place and they wanted you to go away. Dad, why didn't you continue watching Merope's house? Why didn't you just stay there?"
"Because I'm the constable, son!" he said. "When I get a tip I have to take it! You know how old our milkman is-"
They approached Merope's home. Kevin almost jumped out of the car while it was still moving. "I don't believe it!"
The constable stopped the car. A deputy was still at the scene taping the area off. Someone had kicked down the gate and part of the fence that Kevin had built. Piles of rocks beneath the windows proved that someone tried to break them. If not for the Unbreakable Charm Emily had put on the windows, they surely would have. The plants in her garden were uprooted. Trash was strewn everywhere. Across Merope's front door painted in red letters was "HOME, FILTHY HOME." There was a couple dead snakes on the grass and Merope screamed when she saw them. She didn't care about the fence or the paint on the walls. She could fix that—but the snakes—there was nothing she could do for them.
"Oh no, no please no!" Merope rushed to her door before anyone could stop her. She opened the door and called for Marada and a faint hiss answered her. Merope looked in Marada's tank and there she was, injured but still alive.
"Merope, we first have to see if it's safe!" the Constable said at the door.
"I can do that myself!" Merope barked, turning around.
Kevin appeared behind his father.
"Merope," Kevin mumbled. "Please, calm down."
"Sorry I—I need to take care of my snake," Merope murmured. She tried to usher the men outside. "She's hurt."
"Let us help you clean this up," said Kevin.
"No, your sister was right," said Constable Hale, handing the camera to Kevin. "We need to get clues. Talk to Larsen and take pictures."
"Take pictures—what good would that do? You expect us to go to each house with this pictures and ask if anybody knows of this?"
"It's a start," Constable Hale replied coolly. "I've got to ask Merope some questions."
Kevin groaned and went outside to do as his father asked.
"Constable, my snake-" said Merope.
"It'll be just a moment," said the Constable, taking out a pen and a notepad. "Tell me, do you know anyone who would do this?"
Merope shrugged. "I—I don't know."
"Please, I know that this his hard but we need a name to go on."
"It could be anybody!" Merope cried. "You said that there were people that wanted to do this to my house for a long time! The whole village hates me. It could have been everyone. You and your family could have been in on it and you're just pretending to help me."
"Merope, Kevin helped fix the roof. He chopped wood for you. Built a shed and a fence to improve your home," said Constable Hale. "Why on Earth would he ruin the hard work he put into it?"
"I—I," Merope stammered, putting her hands to her head. It wouldn't make sense for Kevin to do it but Merope was under so much stress she didn't know what to think. "I don't know!"She fell onto the love seat in tears. "M-maybe it was the same person who killed my mother!"
Constable Hale nodded and jotted the note down. "All right, that may be a possibility."
"She did work for almost everyone in the village," said Merope. "Talk to them. Now please, just go!"
"All right," Constable Hale said and went outside to finish his investigation
Merope picked up her snake and went toward the cellar.
"Don't die, Marada," Merope pleaded, playing her snake on a table and grabbing a potion to releive cuts.
"I am not going to die," the snake insisted. "I will heal after I shed my skin."
"This will help," Merope put a few drops on the wounds. "What happened? How did the others die?"
"Other snakes saw muggles near. They followed them here and when the muggles began what they did, they tried to stop them. Each received a bite and the humans killed them. I came out to help and I got hurt."
"How many where there?"
The snake grimaced. "Five."
"Did you recognize them?"
"No, faces were hidden."
"You know where the muggles were bit?"
"Legs," said Marada. "I got one on the hand."
Merope straightened up. "Stay here and rest." Merope went back upstairs and went outside to meet with the Constable.
"There were five of them," Merope said.
"What?" Constable Hale looked confused.
"There were five that did this," Merope gestured at the vandalism done to her house. "They all got snakebites. They killed my snakes. Check for anybody that might have snakebites and you will find them."
"How'd you know this?" he asked.
"I can't explain," said Merope. "They would have snakebites on their legs, and one would have it on their hand."
"I think she's right, Dad," Kevin called. "Look."
Constable Hale and Merope came to a dead snake. A piece of cloth was clinging to its fang. "This one definitely got somebody."
Larsen the deputy came forward. "We've got sufficient enough evidence, sir. Let's go."
"Right," Constable Hale stood up. "Kevin."
"In a minute," Kevin approached Merope. "Merope, maybe you should come back with us. You shouldn't stay here."
"This is my home," Merope said.
"But Merope," Kevin pressed.
"I'm staying here," she told him.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Well all right," said Kevin. "I can be home tomorrow morning to help clean this up."
"I'll do it," Merope said shortly. "I want to be left alone."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Kevin said. "If these kids come back..."
"I'll handle them," Merope fingered her wand inside her pocket. "If I was home today, my snakes wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"But if you were home, you would have gotten hurt," Kevin said.
Merope shook her head. "No, I would have handled them."
"How?"
"I can't explain," Merope sighed.
"Kevin, come on!" Constable Hale shouted. "We have work to do."
"I'm coming," Kevin groaned. He pulled Merope into an embrace and whispered in her ear. "You know where to find me, Merope, if you need anything."
Merope didn't reply. Kevin stepped back, waved goodbye to her and then joined his father and the deputy.
Merope waited until they out of eye site and then she whipped out her wand to put her home back in order. The fence and gate repaired. She put a "NO TRESPASSING" sign on the gate and she placed several charms on it as well. She buried the dead snakes and removed the bad message off the door. She went inside to put more healing potion on Marada then placed her in the tank so that she could be comfortable. Merope took a bath and had a cup of tea that was mostly sleeping potion. Within seconds she was asleep and the dreams came not too long after.
Tom Marvolo Riddle no longer had the same face or the same soul. He went to great painful lengths to change his appearance. Merope couldn't understand why. He had once been so handsome. Why would he do that? Was it for more power? After much traveling and change, he returned to England. Nobody recognized him. He crossed paths with his old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Galatea Merrythought while he was in Hogsmeade.
"T-Tom Riddle, is that you?" she blurted.
"Professor Merrythought," he said. "How are you? Enjoying your retirement?"
"Oh I'm no longer a professor. You can call me Galatea," Professor Merrythought said, coming closer to him to get a better look. "You've been gone a long time. Where'd you go?"
"Albania, Bulgaria, some other far off countries," Tom answered.
"Hmm," Merrythought eyed him for a moment. "You feeling all right, dear? You don't look like yourself."
"On the contrary," said Tom told her. "I've never been better. If you excuse me, I have an appointment."
"Really? For employment?"
"Yes," he said. "I'm applying for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. Professor Dippet encouraged me to try again after I gain more experience. I believe after ten years of traveling, I've gained enough experience."
Galatea nodded. "Well, I'm sure you'll do well. A better post for you than the shop you were working at after Hogwarts."
"My time at Borgin and Burkes served its purpose," Tom said with a smirk. "Good day to you, Galatea."
"Yes, good luck, Tom," the retired professor said brightly.
Tom's smile faltered. "I no longer go by that time. I go as Voldemort these days."
Galatea chuckled. "Voldemort, you must be joking! You expect the students to call you Professor Voldemort?" She laughed again and Tom's eyes narrowed. Merope was afraid he'd curse her in the street.
"That is my name now," Tom said.
Merrythought shook her head. "After you being my student as long as you have," said Merrythought. "You'll always be Tom to me. You were a great student, and I'm sure you'll be a great teacher, Professor Riddle."
She patted his shoulder and walked passed him. He frowned and then met with the newly appointed Headmaster Dumbledore. Like Merrythought, Dumbledore did not call him by Voldemort. Dumbledore did not give him the Defense Against the Dark Arts job either. The brilliant old wizard knew that Voldemort had a hidden reason to teach at Hogwarts. Merope found herself feelign greatful that Dumbledore didn't give the post to Tom. She worried what would happen if he became a teacher. It was likely he wouldn't be teaching the students to defend themselves from the Dark Arts at all. Instead he would teach children how to harness and control the Dark Arts. When Tom stepped out of Voldemort's office, he put Ravenclaws Diadem in the Room of Requirement and then he went to the room where Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons were held. He withdrew his wand and muttered some magical words, moving his hand in an X formation at front of the room.
"If I can't be the Defense Againt the Dark Arts teacher," Tom said as he put his wand away. "No one will."
Soon after that, Voldemort recruited his followers known as Death Eaters. He branded the Dark Mark on their left forearms and commanded him to to use the Dark Arts against others. He manipulated, tortured and murdered. His former teacher, Merrythought sought him out in an attempt to stop him.
"I knew there wasn't something right about you," Merrythought said, sounding disappointed. "When I saw you, you looked as if-,"
"Part of my soul was missing?" Voldemort added. "I thought you may have noticed that day, Merrythought—so I have to kill you now."
"Tom, no! Don't do it!" Merope begged. "She was your teacher!"
Merrythought put up an impressive fight for her age but in the end, Voldemort won. Soon after that, he had his Death Eaters seek out a seer by the name of Emily Snow—Merope's friend. His Death Eaters threw the muggleborn witch to his feet. She was perhaps around fifty years old now.
"Where's Avery?" Voldemort demanded.
Emily erupted in laughter as one Death Eater hissed at her to be quiet. "She turned him into a set of curtains, milord."
"Curtains?" Voldemort growled.
"Didn't I say it would be curtains for you bastards?" Emily said with a smirk.
"I said silence, mudblood!" shouted the large Death Eater again.
Emily chuckled. "Is that the best you could come up with? Please, mudblood is so old!"
"Nevermind, we'll retrieve him later," said Voldemrot. "Emily Snow—I've heard of the prophecy you made a week ago, publicly about my so called demise."
"And you had your friends here capture me so you can look into my head and see if were really true?" Emily's smirk didn't leave her face. She spoke faster, in a taunting tone. "You think it was something I made up, just to give people hope? Well, I saw your future, as well as your past, Tom Marvolo Riddle."
Voldemort clenched his fist and his Death Eaters gasped.
"I touched the trophy you received for your 'special service' to Hogwarts. But we both know what you really did Tom. You were the one who opened that Chamber. I know where you've been this whole, time, what you've done...how you where born. You may think you're the most powerful wizard of all time, but you're wrong. There is one much more powerful, and he's going to stop you."
"Tell me who it is," Voldemort ordered her. "Now!"
"I don't think I have to," said Emily. "You know who it is already. The one wizard you have always feared. He's going to stop you."
"No he won't."
"He's already begun," Emily smiled. "And he's not alone. Many of your Death Eaters will actually taste death. I predicted that the phoenix will devour the snake. It could be tomorrow, five years, fifty maybe, but it will happen one day. Your time will come, Tom and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
Emily laughed like a madwoman and Voldemort turned his wand at her.
"Crucio!"
Emily's laughter turned into screams. The Death Eaters stepped back to hoot and holler at her being tortured. Voldemrot approached her with his want still pointed at her. "Tell me these people that will fight me. Give me their names, and I might spare you."
"No," Emily gasped. "I don't know them all and even if I did, you'll get nothing out of me."
Voldemort reached for her face and stared at her with his blood red eyes. "But you've seen their faces—and that's all I need to know."
Emily shut her eyes. "No. Your end is coming, Tom. The only way for you to prevent if you stop what you're doing right now. Turn yourself in and change. Stop ruining your soul!"
The Death Eaters laughed and Voldemort shook her by her hair. "How dare you talk to Lord Voldemrot that way, mudblood! I am not giving up my power! I have sacrificed too much for this!"
"The power you killed for will one day kill you, Tom! It will destroy you! I've seen it!"
"You're wrong," Voldemort threw her down. "Lord Voldemort can't die." He rose his wand at her with a sick smile. "I can't say the same for you."
In a flash of blinding green light, Emily was killed. Merope woke up screaming. She couldn't believe what she just saw. Emily would become one of her son's victims. Merope swung her legs over her bed and pushed herself up. The moonlight was coming through her window. It was still dark. The sleep potion should have lasted until an hour after dawn, but her nightmare woke her right up. The dreams were so vivid and horrifying, even a sleeping potion wasn't enough for her to sleep. She had to make a stronger version if she were to get any rest. But she couldn't be bothered with that by now. She had to do something.
Merope paced the living room for about an hour and then realized what she could do. Emily had to know what Merope saw. Merope sat at the table and wrote a detailed letter of Emily's murder and explained that her dreams were getting worse. It was hard for her to sleep and she saw her dreams even when she was awake. Merope also decided to list the names of the other murders she saw. She hoped that Emily could warn them. Emily knew more of the wizarding world that she did. Emily could warn them when they came to Madame Trelawny's shop.
"Clover!" Merope called to her owl, and the small owl flew over and sat on the table. Merope had named her owl Clover because the owl would sometimes eat the clover she used in potions. "You must take this to Emily."
Clover tilted her head.
"And yes, I told her to give you some clover too." Merope said as she finished tying the letter to Clover's leg. "Hurry!"
Clover flew through the hole in the wall Merope fashioned for Clover's entrance. Merope sighed and went down to the cellar. She searched Everyday Household Potions for a stronger sleeping potion. A potion stronger than her dreams. The "Sleep Tight" potion was used for children and it only lasted eight hours, but a child would still wake up if its sleep was disturbed. Merope was an adult. She needed something that would make her keep her asleep until her dreams were over. She needed something that would let sleep even in an earthquake. The last sleeping potion was called "Nearly Comatose," potion. Merope read Nellie's note underneath it:
This potion is the strongest sleeping potion I use. I only make it when someone needs a lot of sleep, or if my husband and I want some time alone and we can't get a babysitter. It can keep someone asleep for a three day stretch! Not as strong as the Draught of Living Death of course, which can be very complicated and time consuming to make. I strongly recommend making the antidote to this potion to have on standby, in case you need to wake the drinker up. They cannot wake up on their own accord. They must sleep the potion off or be given the antidote if they are to be woken up. I made it for myself once when I was overworked, but gave the antidote to my eldest in case there was an emergency. Thankfully I had, because my youngest accidentally set his bed on fire. Had I not had an antidote prepared the house probably would have burnt to the ground. Now I only use the Sleep Tight potion when Mummy needs a nap.
Merope folded her arms and thought for a moment. A potion that allowed her to sleep for up to three days undisturbed? It was perfect. After three days of sleeping straight, her dreams might be over. If not, she could just have another cup and sleep another three days. And in between her hibernation sessions, she could write Emily and tell her of the people that were murdered and the heinous acts she saw her son do. Perhaps after all this over, and Merope still marries Tom Riddle and her son grows up to be Voldemort, all these deaths could be avoided if the victims are warned by who killed them. They could go into hiding. It was a brilliant plan.
Merope began making the potion at once and she even followed the author's advice of making an antidote. Making antidotes were easier to make during the process of making the potion, instead of attempting to make an antidote afterward. The potion needed three days to mature, and by then Clover would return. She'd send the antidote to Emily and instruct her to use it in the case of an emergency. Hopefully Emily wouldn't have to use it. Merope needed all the sleep she could get. Merope's dreams were a horrifying disease and the only cure was to sleep it off. Sleep it all away.
To Be Continued