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How It Should've Been

Chapter 19: A Not So Vacation In Hell

"Ah you're awake!" A voice said from somewhere. Voldemort blinked slowly trying to evade the blurriness in his vision as his memories came flooding back and one of his hands went straight to his midsection. When he didn't feel anything, he shot straight up and looked down. There was no blood to be seen, and no searing pain but that wasn't what really drew his attention. It was his arm. Looking at it, he turned it all around before shaking his head and squeezing his eyes closed before opening again and the site still hadn't changed. In shock, he flipped onto his hands and knees and rose into a standing position before he looked down at his body and patted it.

"What happened to me?" He demanded and looked up trying to find the voice from before. In front of him was a throne, with a man sitting in it with his legs up. The man was dressed in all black and the room and throne were also as black as night.

"Well if you hadn't noticed already, you're back in your sixteen year old body." The man answered.

"What? Where am I? How do you know who I am?" The questions came out angrily with a heated look.

"Tsk tsk." The man taunted. "No need to rush all of the information out. That takes the fun from it. But nonetheless, I will answer. You, , are in hell. I know who you are because you are quite frankly a pain in my ass. Do you realize the amount of paperwork you cause me? That is why I was happy to do my friend a favor." The man explained.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Hades, you know, lord of the underworld? God of Death, wealth, etc etc. You know the story. And now that we've done the introductions, I think it's long past time to send you for punishment. Don't worry, you won't be there long, probably." Hades stopped and thought. "Think of this like a vacation. Just a vacation in hell. It'll be great. And remember feedback is always appreciated!" Hades called as Riddle disappeared.

When he reappeared next he spun around to where Hades was before only to find a dark, wet, cold, cave wall behind him. Frowning, he turned back and looked around before it only took a second for him to realize where he was. The cave where Slytherin's locket was originally hidden. He was on the other side of the lake.

The cave passage opened grabbing his attention. He watched, waiting to see what happened. Before he knew it, another version of himself was walking into the cave with two other kids following him. It only took him a second to realize what this was when he felt excruciating pain sear through his torso bringing him to his knees.

"This is only the beginning of the pain you caused others." A voice said off to his left. Gasping for breathe and squeezing his eyes shut, he turned to look at the source, Hades.

"Agh. What… are… you.. talking about!" He gasped out. Hades gestured to the memory version of Voldemort and the kids. One kid at a hole in his torso and the other was pleading for mercy while Voldemort was laughing.

"Your feeling the pain you caused. That's-" Hades pointed to Toms chest. "The pain that, that kid felt before his died. Before you ended it." When it looked like Tom was about to pass out from pain it disappeared and he took a deep breath and sat up before struggling into a standing position.

"So that's my hell? Feeling some worthless kids pain?" Tom demanded as a smirk grew across Hades face.

He shook his head. "No. You see, in your hell? Your going to feel all of their pain." His smirk only seemed to grow. "All of it." He emphasized. Tom opened his mouth to speak when suddenly their surroundings seemed to start to whiz past as Tom doubled over in pain before crashing to the floor choking up water as the scene paused on him drowning a woman while her son was forced to watch. He began to feel like he himself was drowning. Next it was fire, then insanity, followed by torture and so on and so on. Everyone he ever tortured or killed, he felt their pain, their suffering. He begged for death more times than it was possible to count.

And his wish was never granted and the cycle repeated the next day and the next.

It felt like years but in reality Tom was only their for three days reliving the same cycle of thousands of memories everyday.

After the cycle ended on the third day, he was enveloped into blackness as it took over him.

Next he found himself shooting up violently from a stone floor.

"Someone's jumpy." A voice came from his right. Turning he blinked until he could make out the person, Alex. Eyes widening in realization he looked down to his arm. It was no longer the arm of his sixteen year old body. He was back. Standing he brushed off his robes before fully taking in his surroundings.

"No bars? Restraints?" He hissed. Alex grinned and shook her head.

"No. You won't be here long. Besides, your magic has been surpressed while in this room." She pushed off of the wall she was leaning against. "Nagini? Your last horcrux, she's destroyed. Your mortal again." She revealed with a devious grin. Voldemort struggles to remain a mask of indifference but on the inside he was worried. He had seen what she could do. She had quite literally sent him to hell. She took in his expression. "You know, your mask? The one of indifference? I can see through it. Maybe it's because I myself use a similar mask often." She stopped walking and tilted her head. "Or maybe it's just the fact you're now afraid of something. Hell maybe?" Voldemort's jaw clenched. "Ah, yes seems I've hit the nail on its head with that one."

"You think I don't know what you're doing?" He snarled. Alex's brows furrowed and her head tilted in question. "You're trying to get under my skin. Well let me tell you something, it won't work." Voldemort sneered.

"I'm not trying to get under your skin. I already am." She smirked. "And now I'm going to let that be your last mystery. My nephew would like a few words." She turned and made her way to the door only pushing at the threshold. "And by words? I more likely mean torture. Fair warning! He's quite adapt with a sword. Well really any blade actually." And with that Alex exited the room leaving Voldemort to think on her words.

But he didn't get to think peacefully for too long as only minutes later Harry entered the room carrying a sword. He didn't say a word as he approached Voldemort but one thing was for sure, anyone would've been able to see the unbridled rage behind his eyes. As he stood in front of Voldemort staring at him he spun the sword in his hand a few times.

"You can't do it." Voldemort sneered. "You're nothing but a child. Weak and pathetic." Harry raised an eyebrow in response before he swung the sword quicker than he could register relieving him of his hand. He grunted in pain but didn't shout.

"You don't know anything about me or what I can or can't do." His next slash was just as quick but it was a light one, only leaving a gash on his cheek. Tom reached up with his still remaining hand and felt the blood. Pursuing his lips, Tom spoke.

"You're more like me than you believe." He commented causing Harry's head to whip to face him as he had been changing position.

"Excuse me?" Harry scoffed, Tom nodded.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll say you're more like that Alexandra, but either way? We're both bad." Tom chuckled shaking his head as Harry started to pace. Harry frowned but refrained from commenting. "You don't believe me?"

"What reason would I have to?" Harry demanded. "And aren't you supposed to be acting like the all powerful super villain right now?"

Tom paused and looked at Harry before shifting his gaze to his missing hand. "I would be… if I was. I'm not the villain of this story Harry."

"Bull." Harry retorted disbelieving. Tom shrugged.

"Believe what you want to believe. Trust what I'm saying or not. I don't care because I know I won't live to see it and while I would love to see you suffer, it's not in the cards for me. So I have decided to be generous and leave you with a bit of parting advice. Be careful of who you trust. Sometimes the ones we are closest to are the ones that hurt us the most." Tom said.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." Harry said. "I mean, you're not close to anyone. You don't have people you care about!" Tom looked thoughtful.

"Once." He said quietly as he thought back for the first time in years. Harry's eyes narrowed and he threw his sword like a spear into Tom's shoulder. Another grunt, Tom fell to his knees as Harry approached and twisted the sword before pulling it out roughly.

"Good luck." Tom took a deep breathe. "With what is to come." He swallowed. "And honestly? You have more convection than I would've thought. Much like your mother in that sense." This comment sent Harry reeling.

"What about my mother?" Harry demanded roughing yanking Tom's collar and shoving him against the wall.

"She has much more potential for torture than anyone knew." Eyes blazing, Harry dropped Tom back to his knees and looked between the sword and Tom. Making a choice he swiftly left the room and seeing Alex standing only a few feet away he approached her and handed her the sword and left without a word. Stunned, Alex reentered the room to see Tom struggling to his feet, blooding dripping from his handless arm and his shoulder. He laughed causing Alex to raise an eyebrow.

"He has no clue does he?"

"About?" Alex closed the door and ventured further into the room.

"The real war going on." Tom was now standing leaning back against the wall. "Of what's really happening. Because I think we both know what's to come and this is nothing opposed to that."

"What do you know about that?" Alex's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'm evil, even I'll admit it. But killing his mother twice? Do you really think that part was on me?" Tom alluded.

"I did." Alex admitted. She frowned as she looked away thoughtfully. "None of this is." She realized. "We're all pawns. For some bigger game. But why? Why would you go along with it?"

"Believe it or not, I wanted to see what he was capable of. I never hated him. He just was a threat to me. But because of them, I was already dying." Tom admitted. "I don't think I would've made it much longer even had it not been for all of this." As he revealed this, the redness of his blood faded into a black drawing Alex's attention. Tom saw her eyes go to the blood. "Now that you know my little secret, you can see the truth." He chuckled weakly. "I wanted to see what he was made of, because believe it or not, I would rather even him win this war than them. Not after this." He gestured to the blood with his remaining hand.

Alex could tell by the looks of his wounds, without his magic, he wouldn't live much longer and resolved to asking a question that was bugging her since she entered the room. "What did you say to him? To make him leave the room like that?"

"I told him his mother has much more potential for torture than anyone would've thought." Tom answered looking at Alex waiting. He knew Harry didn't catch it, but he also knew Alex was much more clever and observant than he was. It took her a second of frowning before her head tilted.

"'Has?'" She repeated slowly with a slight hesitancy. Tom smiled a small smile as she worked it out and nodded.

"Who do think you did this to me?" He questioned. Alex shook her head denying the possibility.

"No. No that is not possible. She died. I drove a sword through her because of you." Alex denied. Tom waved his hand dismissitively.

"That was meant to do exactly what it is now. Get you to not believe it. It's true."

"Why should I believe a word you say?" Alex demanded aggressively.

"Because yes I am a monster. I've done horrible things and I don't regret them. I don't feel remorse for any of it. You know that, everyone does. But I think you also know that I'm dying. And no matter what I did or said, it wouldn't get me out of this or that. And I have more reason to hate them than you. I'm dying, I've accepted that."

Alex shook her head. "No, you're broken." She realized in disbelief. "They broke you." She said quietly, looking him up and down. "If they can break you…" she shook her head again. "Then they can break anyone."

"No." Tom argued. "You can win. You just have to be willing to do whatever it takes." His words started slowing.

"Which is?"

"Forget the girl. You can't get her back. It's not worth it." He took a deep shuddering breathe. "It would cost to much. Whatever deal they offer for her, don't take it." He advised.

"I can't do that."

"You have to." Tom countered.

"No, no. She's too important to the people that are important to me."

"Then you're going to die. Horribly. Along with the rest of them." Tom slide down the wall onto the floor.

"You don't give me enough credit."

"Don't underestimate them." His eyes fluttered. "I did and look where it got me. You know how to win wars. You know the costs. You need to be ruthless, you've been. If you're not…" he smiled. "Then I guess I'll see you in hell." His eyes closed for the final time as the wounds and whatever the hell they did to him caught up with him. Contemplating his words, Alex lit the sword in flames making it vanish as she left the room. Before closing the door, she spared one lasting gaze on Tom's lifeless body leaning against the far wall and closed the door, completing that chapter of all of their lives, to bad it wasn't the worst one.

All over Britain, wizards and witches with an oh so certain mark on their arm fall to their knees with a burning sensation on their arm before it spread to the rest of their body and they then fell lifeless onto the ground. People all around rushed to help not knowing what was happening or why as it just appear that random witches and wizards were falling to the ground in pain clutching at their arms. It only became apparent to some when they would lift the robes arms to see what was wrong that the Dark Mark would stand out regardless of whatever glamour or spell any of them may have used to keep it hidden.

That night, Harry and Alex both returned to their own rooms and locked their sections down for their own reasons that the other didn't even know. Sirius and Hermione, the only other two in the house were left to only imagine what happened.


-Meanwhile In New York-

"Jake!" Hunter was banging on Jake's apartment door and had been for at least the past five minutes. It was only when Jake came walking down the hall did Hunter realize that Jake wasn't at home. Spotting Hunter at his door, Jake quickened his pace.

Nearing Hunter, Jake stopped and unlocked his apartment door. "Alright where's the fire?" Jake questioned as he closed the door behind himself and Hunter once they entered the apartment. Hunter pulled a tri-folded paper out his jacket and handed it to Jake. Jake looked at it hesitantly before he sighed and grabbed it and unfolded it.

Hunter,

So we've returned Hecate to her rightful place but your daughter Luna? Well let's just say she has a purpose in this. Now, we'll be honest, she's leverage. Against you, but you probably already knew that. So you have a decision to make. You either cooperate and you get her back, or you don't cooperate and well… let's just say some very unpleasant things will happen to your precious Luna. We won't kill her if that's what you're thinking, just have some fun.

Your choice. When you make it, write it on the back of this letter. We'll talk then.

-L&W

Jake pursued his lips as he folded the paper back up and handed it back to Hunter. "This is getting worse. Have you told Alex about this yet?" Jake questioned. Hunter shook his head.

"Haven't gotten the chance. I just got it today and she wasn't at home."

"No, yeah she had something to take care of in Britain apparently." Jake moved to a cabinet on the far side of the living room. He opened it and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of bourbon. Picking up the glasses and the bottle, he moved to set this on the coffee table as he sat before pouring one for each of them. He picked up his own and slid the other to the end of the table. Nodding grimly, Hunter sat next to him on the couch and picked up his own cup, draining it. No words were exchanged for the rest of the night.

It was only the next morning when Hunter entered his own apartment did he allow himself to think about it. To think about his daughter. Whose life was at risk. He had never understand how some parents would do essentially anything, no matter how bad just to save their child. Now he did, and gods did he wish he didn't. It wasn't that he felt obligated to save her, it was that he felt he would never forgive himself and be able to move on if he didn't save her. That's what made up his mind.

Grabbing a pencil, he unfolded the letter and flipped it over writing his choice.


So I know Voldemort was kind of(a lot) out of character but if you didn't notice, at one point through it, I started calling him by Tom. Can anything think of why maybe? Anyway, some of the information he provided was certainly surprising, even to me. Honestly when I had the idea for that scene in my head, that was not even close to how I saw it going but personally I think it was perfect as it was.

Hope you enjoyed! As always, but I just can't say it enough, thank you for all of the support. I do hope all of you are really liking this story, I myself actually am as well. This has been so much fun to write so far, with all of the twists and turns, but don't worry! There are quite a few more to come, so look forward to them. See ya in two weeks with the next chapter! -DS

Hunter's choice! That is positively wretched for them to do. Can anyone guess as to what Hunter's choice will be? It's probably obvious to anyone that may or may not have a child. I personally don't, but I do hope I captured the feeling for him right!