Finally wrote a new chapter. I'm very grateful for all the reviews this story is getting! I will try my best to incorporate everything I can with the gigantic task of having all the lore of Harry Potter in this story!

There is a certain some one in this chapter that makes an appearance. I'm not sure if the character will be a recurring one or not throughout the story. I just decided to have the character in this chapter because I couldn't think of any one else to show up!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter because I had fun writing it.

Happy reading.


Chapter 4: Unforeseen Reunion

Kavya stood there; her eyes fixed on Tom. She looked different from the last time he saw her, but still just as captivating. Her presence sent a jolt of emotions through him, a mix of surprise, curiosity, and a hint of longing.

"Kavya," Tom said, his voice betraying his surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. "What are you doing in Little Hangleton? And what's with that creepy shack?"

Tom hesitated for a moment before answering. He couldn't tell her the truth about what he was doing there, about the dark magic he was seeking, and the horcrux he intended to make. He decided to play it cool.

"I was just exploring the area," he said casually, trying to sound nonchalant. "And this shack caught my attention. It's quite... intriguing, don't you think?"

Kavya raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying his explanation. "You don't strike me as someone who goes around exploring abandoned shacks in the middle of nowhere. What's really going on, Tom?"

Tom hesitated for a moment before answering, not wanting to reveal his true intentions. "I'm looking for something. I heard there might be something of value hidden in this area."

Kavya raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his response. "Something of value? What could that be?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not entirely sure. Just something I heard from someone."

Her curiosity seemed to pique, and she took a step closer to him. "Well, if there's something valuable hidden here, I'd love to help you find it."

Tom hesitated for a moment, torn between wanting to keep her close and not wanting to involve her in his dark pursuits. "I appreciate the offer, Kavya, but this might be dangerous. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

She smiled, a hint of determination in her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Tom. Besides, who's the one that taught you how to duel properly with a wand? Remember?"

His heart softened at the memory of their time together. The way she offered to help him so boldly after his failed attempt to defeat her in class. "Yes, I remember."

"So, let's do this together," she said, her voice unwavering. "I won't take no for an answer."

Tom knew he couldn't dissuade her once she had made up her mind. He sighed, conceding to her insistence. "Fine, but I did warn you of the danger. Don't start screaming if things are too overwhelming for you."

Kavya nodded, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "I promise. We'll watch out for each other."

With that, they both turned towards the dilapidated shack, their curiosity and determination guiding them towards the mysteries that awaited inside.


As Tom and Kavya explored the outside of the Gaunt shack, they found it abandoned and in a state of disrepair. The place gave off an eerie and unsettling vibe, making Kavya shudder involuntarily. Tom, however, seems strangely drawn to the place, as if a long-forgotten memory is tugging at his consciousness.

He approached the Gaunt shack, curiosity mingled with apprehension. The sight of the dead snake nailed to the front door made him feel like he was at home. He felt an inexplicable pull towards the decaying structure. He turned to Kavya and said, "I need to go inside. There's something I'm looking for."

Kavya looked at the shack warily and replied, "Tom, I don't think it's safe in there. It looks abandoned and creepy."

Tom nodded, understanding her concern, but a burning desire to uncover the truth compelled him to proceed. "Just wait here, and I'll be back soon."

Kavya reluctantly agreed, staying outside while Tom cautiously stepped into the dark and musty interior of the Gaunt shack. The floorboards creaked under his weight as he navigated the dimly lit space.

As he explored the shack, Tom noticed a figure sitting idly in a corner. It was Morfin Gaunt, his uncle, but Tom didn't know that yet. His thick matted hair was covered in filth and dirt as well as his clothes. His clothes seemed to be something he hadn't changed in years. The gap in his missing teeth could be seen as his mouth turned into a scowl. Morfin looked up, his eyes widening in surprise as he mistook Tom for his father.

"What do you think you're doing here, you filthy muggle!" Mofin scoffed bitterly.

Tom's eyes angrily flared. How dare anyone call him a muggle? Let alone a filthy one.

And then he spoke parsletongue. "I am no muggle!" He hissed in parsletongue.

"You speak it?" Mofin hissed back in parsletongue coming to understand that this young boy wasn't the man that his sister ran off with.

"I do." Tom replied normally and then his gaze fell upon a peculiar ring his uncle was wearing. It was a gold ring inset with a black stone, engraved with it. The symbol on the ring was rather odd to him as if he'd never seen it before. It was a circle, line, and triangle combined.

"Fancying my ring, are ye?" Morfin sneered. "It belonged to yer grandfather, Marvolo who got chucked in Azkaban by some aurors a year ago."

Tom's eyes shifted back to his uncle. "What happened to my mother?" He demanded.

Morfin's lips curled into a sneer. "Your mother was a disgrace to our family. She ran off with that Muggle, bringing shame upon us all."

Tom's eyes narrowed. "Why did she leave? What happened to her?"

"Who cares? She died, and good riddance!" Morfin spat. "She had the only heirloom left of Salazar Slytherin. A locket! Who knows where it is now? The only good thing Merope was good for was keeping this filthy place clean! Even then she didn't use an ounce of magic! Lousy squib!"

Tom's hand curled into a fist and his other was reaching for his wand. He didn't like how his uncle was speaking about his mother. He remembered seeing a locket in Borgin and Burkes last year when he was working there. He wondered if it was still there.

Morfin's odd glance looked at his nephew. "You look like him, ya know. That handsome man that lives on top of the hill," he told Tom. "That muggle brat my sister ran off with. It's making me feel uneasy. I suggest you leave now boy, before I hex you!"

Tom's frustration grew, but he knew he couldn't push further. He knew he wasn't going to find anymore answers here. But he would eventually return for that ring.


Kavya nervously waited outside. Cinnamon was beside her growling and whimpering. Clearly, even the small corgi had an uneasy feeling about this place.

"I know, boy," she said kneeling down patting her animal companion to calm him down. "There's something odd about this place."

There were traces of unused magic all around this shack. Like it was suppressed for years.

She then saw Tom leaving the shack. She noticed the angry and disappointing look on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

Tom sighed. "Not really. He didn't tell me much, just that my mother was a disgrace to his family."

Kavya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tom."

Tom's eyes were fixed on the Riddle house. The fancy manor his father was lucky to have while he remained in an orphanage for years. It angered him so much.

The sun began to set, casting long shadows over the deserted landscape, Tom and Kavya stood near the Gaunt shack.

"It's getting late, I need to head back to my aunt and uncle. They're probably wondering where I am." Kavya replied and then looked at Tom. "You know if you need a place to stay…" Her words were cut off as Cinnamon began barking loudly.

The air was getting heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. The dilapidated shack loomed before them, its decaying walls a haunting reminder of the tragic past it held.

A sudden rumble beneath their feet startled them both. The ground trembled, and a deep, guttural growl echoed through the air. Tom instinctively reached for his wand, his heart racing with anticipation.

Kavya followed suit drawing her wand and shouted to Cinnamon, "Go home, now Cinnamon!" She commanded her pet.

The small loyal corgi gave a small whimper and then ran back to the safe havens of Kavya's aunt and uncle home.

Kavya gasped, taking a step back in alarm. "Tom, what is that?"

"It's an Obscurus," Tom replied, his voice steady despite the apprehension gnawing at him. He had read about them in one of the dark arts books in the restricted section of the library of Hogwarts last year.

The Obscurus pulsated with fury, its swirling mass of darkness reaching out as if searching for something. Tom could feel its volatile emotions, the torment and anguish that had given rise to its existence. He knew that it was drawn to the Gaunt shack, to the painful memories that lingered there. Most likely his mother's suffering at the hands of her father and brother.

"We need to be careful," Tom warned Kavya, keeping a cautious distance from the unpredictable creature.

Kavya nodded; her eyes fixed on the Obscurus. "What should we do?"

"I don't know yet," Tom admitted, his mind racing to find a solution. "It's dangerous, but I can't help but feel a connection to it. I need to understand more about its nature and how it came to be."

As they watched, the Obscurus seemed to sense their presence and turned its attention toward them. It crackled with malevolence, and Tom could feel its volatile energy coursing through the air.

"We should go," Kavya urged, taking another step back.

Tom hesitated, torn between his curiosity and the growing danger before them. He knew that studying the Obscurus was risky, but he couldn't ignore the opportunity to uncover its secrets.

"Just a little longer," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to uncover it's secrets." This type of dark magic was a rare sight, and he wasn't going to run. He wanted to see what this type of magic was capable of and if he could one day be stronger than it.

"Tom, are you mad!?" Kavya shouted at him gently reaching for his arm to try to pull him back from the frightening dark magic before them.

The Obscurus let out and a burst of dark energy shot from its core, engulfing the entire area they were in pitch black darkness. Tom squinted, trying to make sense of what was happening. He felt its pain – his deceased mother's pain. He swore he could see images that flashed before his eyes. He saw fragments of memories—pain, fear, and desperation—that seemed to echo the tragic story of his mother.

Kavya reached for his hand, her touch grounding him in the present. "Tom, we should leave. It's too dangerous."

As the dark energy of the Obscurus surrounded them, Tom's initial confidence wavered. He raised his wand, attempting to push back the malevolent force, but the Obscurus was too powerful. He felt annoyed that there was a force more powerful than him. The heir to Salazar Slytherin shouldn't doesn't have anyone or anything that was more powerful than him. This angered him.

Kavya stumbled back, her eyes wide with fear. "Tom, let's go!" She desperately urged him. If they stayed here any longer, they wouldn't see their next year at Hogwarts.

Tom instinctively raised his wand, ready to defend himself and Kavya, but he hesitated. They were underage wizards, and the Ministry's restrictions on underage magic were strict. The second he would cast a spell, the aurors would arrive.

"Tom, we can't use magic!" Kavya reminded him, her voice shaking with fear.

"I aware!" Tom replied, trying to think of another way to escape. But he never played by the rules. However, he realized this force was a lot grander than him and he hated that feeling.

He mentally cursed. If only he had paid more attention to Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he always found that class useless. He wouldn't be able to cast a strong enough protego spell. He had to do something!

"Confringo!" Tom cast a spell at a nearby tree, causing it to topple over and create a barrier between them and the Obscurus. It bought them enough time to make a run for it.

"Tom, you just performed magic outside of school! You'll be expelled once the Ministry finds out!" Kavya replied disheartened.

"I just bought us enough time to run. Now take it or leave it." Tom told her. He took a breath. He would have to deal with the Ministry somehow.

Kavya wasn't going to argue with him because he was somewhat right. Breaking the rules, did buy them enough time to run.

But as they turned to flee, the Obscurus lashed out, knocking them both off their feet. They tumbled down the hillside, the dark energy swirling around them.

As Tom and Kavya tried to get back on their feet, they noticed the Obscurus closing in on them, its rage intensifying. Tom felt a searing pain in his arm, realizing that he had been cut during the fall. The darkness around them seemed to grow thicker, making it difficult to see or think clearly.


Just as they were about to be engulfed by the malevolent energy, a powerful force emerged from the shadows. A figure appeared, tall and commanding, with the authority of an experienced Auror. A former student now Auror to the Ministry. It was Sebastian Sallow.

Now a 53-year-old Auror, he was a tall and imposing figure with a commanding presence. His once messy brown hair was now streaked with silver, and he kept it short and neat. His sharp brown eyes are still filled with determination and wisdom gained from years of experience as an Auror.

His face is lined with the marks of battles fought and won, a testament to his bravery and skill in protecting the wizarding world from dark forces. Despite the scars, his face retains an air of rugged handsomeness.

As an Auror, he wore the official dark navy robes of the Ministry of Magic, adorned with the Auror badge proudly displayed on his chest. He always carries his wand always at his side, ready to defend against any threat that may arise.

Sebastian swiftly raised his wand and cast powerful protective charms to shield Tom and Kavya from the relentless attack of the Obscurus. The dark energy clashed with the protective spells, causing sparks to fly and illuminating the night.

"Stay back!" Sebastian called out to Tom and Kavya. "I'll handle this." His cocky attitude didn't waver in the years he was done with Hogwarts.

With a determined focus, he directed his wand at the Obscurus, pushing back the swirling darkness with powerful counter-spells. His auror skills and experience were evident as he fought against the creature born of suppressed magic and pain.

Tom and Kavya stunned, watched in awe as Sebastian battled the Obscurus with unwavering determination. His movements were precise and calculated, like a dance with danger. He knew the creature's weaknesses and exploited them skillfully.

With one final burst of magic, Sebastian managed to subdue the Obscurus, containing its dark power within a strong enough shield spell. The terrifying dark magic let out a haunting wail before fading into nothingness, leaving a lingering sense of dread in the air.

Kavya gently helped Tom to his feet. "Tom, are you alright?"

Tom winced in pain, holding his injured arm. "I'm... I'll be fine."

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh. "Didn't expect to see an Obscrus in this town. And here I thought they were only lurking because of that looney Grindelwald." He turned to the two wizard youths he had just rescued. "Sebastian Sallow, Auror to the Ministry of Magic at your service." He said with pride and then looked at the two teenagers sternly and asked, "Alright, which one of you used underage magic?"

When they heard Sebastian ask them which one was it that used magic. Was that the reason why he was here? Or was this just a coincidence?

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, looking at Kavya with a mix of surprise and suspicion. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kavya hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded firmly. "Yes, it was me. I couldn't let my friend get hurt, so I used magic to try and protect us."

Tom looked at her with astonishment, grateful for her selflessness but also worried about the consequences she might face. "Kavya, you don't have to do this. I'll take responsibility."

Sebastian observed their exchange, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're both quite loyal to each other, I see." he remarked, remembering the strong bond he had shared with his own childhood friend, Ominis. Most of the time it was Ominis who had to bail him out of trouble and ever since his dear friend died, Sebastian had an empty hole in his heart that he was trying to fill. He had no idea what happened to his other friend that he made during his fifth year at Hogwarts. That was one of the reasons he became an Auror. He wanted to be better than what he was during the time he was at Hogwarts. He had been estranged from his sister Ann after he had killed his uncle years ago.

Kavya nodded gratefully, and Tom let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that Sebastian had chosen to be lenient, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for letting Kavya take the blame.

Sebastian turned to leave but then paused, looking back at the two young wizards. "You know, I see a lot of myself and my old friend in you two. Just remember, true friendship and loyalty are rare and valuable. Cherish it, and never take it for granted." He didn't wand the next generation of wizards and witches to do the same mistakes he did when he was young.

Tom and Kavya exchanged glances; Kavya was touched by Sebastian's words. Tom was indifferent to it. Despite their differences, they had come a long way from their initial meeting at Hogwarts, and the bond between them had grown stronger. The idea that their friendship reminded Sebastian of the connection he once had with Ominis filled them with a sense of pride. He had no idea that he just rescued his late best friend's great-nephew.

"Thank you, Mr. Sallow," Kavya said, her voice sincere. "We will remember your advice."

Sebastian nodded with a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that. And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be here to help." He told them with a snarky smile and disapparated back to the Ministry of Magic.

Kavya looked at Tom. "That cut looks bad. Don't you think you should get that looked at?" she asked him, noticing how deep the cut was. The sleeve of his worn-out clothes from the orphanage was torn and was stained in blood. "You more than welcome to stay the night. My aunt and uncle won't mind." She urged him. "You can't go back to London with such a severe injury."

"I can manage… "Tom replied bluntly. He wasn't used to getting help from anyone. Not even his Slytherin housemates in the school were this nice to him. But the offer was tempting. Besides he still had unfinished business to deal with his father. He gazed up at the Riddle mansion. He would get the answers he was searching for soon enough.

Kavya gently took his uninjured hand in hers, looking directly into his eyes. "We're friends, and friends help each other. Let me take care of you, just for tonight."

His resolve softened, and he nodded reluctantly. "Alright, just for tonight then."

Tom was taken aback by the kindness he received, as he had never experienced such care before. His life had been one of isolation and self-reliance, but now he found himself in the presence of a person who genuinely cared for him. Unfortunately, what had transpired today was a wake-up call for him. He knew he needed to be immortal one way or another and creating horcruxes was the first step.


I regret absolutely nothing having Sebastian from Hogwarts Legacy in this chapter.

With all that happened to Sebastian in the game, I always head-canoned him being an Auror trying to do some good in the wizarding world. And yes, that other friend is the player's OC in the game.

Thanks to Fantastic Beasts - the Obscurus was something that always interested me and I thought if there was any sense of danger it would be that because Merope was so restricted in using her magic because of how terrified she was of her father.

I wanted to have Ominis too, but with all the research I did apparently he died at an early age because the Gaunt family were known for inbreeding because they wanted to keep the lineage of Salazar Slytherin strictly in the family.

Review.