Dissindere Temporalis
So here we are again.
It has been so hard to not over spoil the events in this chapter in the previous ones, as I already knew what it contained, way back when.
I hope you enjoy the revelations!
Thanks
Enjoy!
Interlude II
For as long as she could remember, Kelanna had had visions in her dreams.
As she grew older, she learned to differentiate dream from vision, snapshot of the future or just her mind being weird. They had a very different feeling, visions and dreams, one hazy and strange, loose, almost like the sip of champagne she'd had once at her Aunt's fancy end of year party. The other, clear, but sometimes harder to understand, as they lacked context.
She'd had so many over the years, terrible visions of Voldemort and his rise to power, visions of people she didn't know, visions of a young woman, kind and pretty, soft, but so sad…
And then that day had come when it had felt like Time itself cracked, or a door slammed, reverberating in her skull and through her body.
Something that only those gifted with the Sight could feel.
Now she knew what it had been. It had been their arrival, the arrival of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco into their world and into their time.
It had changed everything.
Voldemort was gone.
Oh, there was always the danger that Tom might fall to evil, magic sometimes lured even the most wary, down the path of misuse. It was so easy to use magic for the best of reasons, but with cruel purpose.
But even if he did.
He would not be Voldemort.
That future was gone.
But Kel sometimes wondered what secrets lay in that old future, what truths might now remain unfound now that time had shifted.
And so her project had begun.
"You want to borrow it?" Harry's head cocked bemusedly as he considered her with those intensely green eyes.
She smiled slightly, as it was a gesture that he and Tom shared. She couldn't remember who had had the habit to begin with, but they now copied each other in the most adorable way, completely unaware that they were doing so.
"Yes please," she laced her fingers behind her back, "I have… so many memories, so many thoughts… it's getting muddled. I'd like to be able to… organise it."
Something softened in his gaze, warmth suffusing it and he nodded, reaching into his bag to retrieve the lovely pensieve he'd gotten as a gift.
"This may take a while…" she felt compelled to tell him, not wanting him to be upset when her project took her longer than he'd thought, "I don't know how long…"
"It doesn't matter." Harry assured her, pushing it into her hands and giving her a little smile, "Just… one thing?"
She nodded, curious.
He smiled, "Would you share some with me? When you have sorted some of them out? I'd be very interested…"
Kel blinked.
She hadn't expected him to ask that, although it now made a great deal of sense when she thought about it. It felt strangely intimate, sharing her visions in that way but… it felt right too.
"We have an agreement," She nodded, holding out her hand.
Harry solemnly shook it, and gave her a small smile before heading off. She watched him go, seeing the tiredness in his body language. There had been small steps towards reconciliation prior to Yule, but all of them knew that he and Tom were still at odds.
It was weighing on him.
And on her.
Kel ran her thumb over the pensieve's edge and looked forward to that evening.
Over the next few weeks she slowly began retrieving her vision memories and started looking at them.
She saw a haughtier, prouder, colder Tom unleash his potential on Slytherin House until all either followed him, or feared him too much to speak out against him. She saw his interactions with Abraxas, with Bash, with Rexton Lestrange and other purists, and she was saddened by how different it was. He did not trust them, he saw them as useful. Even Bash, someone who she knew he loved in this time, was treated with that cool distance.
Although she saw him give Bash more of those small smiles than any of the other boys.
She saw Aurora marry Rexton, heard how he spoke of her like an expensive and rare exotic creature to be tamed but also to be admired by others. She saw Aurora slowly fracture over years until she became cold, cruel, clinically savage.
She was more powerful than her husband, but he'd bound her with vows at their wedding. Vows which kept her down, kept her bound to his will.
Her son, the eldest one, had formed an attraction for dark, strong women in appreciation of his mother. He'd ended up marrying a witch, a witch she recognised from the shared visions with the others. The one who'd tortured Hermione.
These snippets she saw of their lives made her stomach roll, tiny frames of a life… a life she hoped Aurora would never have to lead again. She deserved more.
She saw snippets of the others too, flashes of visions interspersed which she carefully separated into their own tiny fragments and considered on their own.
She saw an older Kara smiling at an older version of a boy in Gryffindor, Leach. He smiled back, bright and eager and wearing ministry robes.
She saw them being watched by a man with pale hair, and cold hatred on his face.
She saw Victoria, proud and intelligent Victoria marrying a pureblood man she despised, simply because her family wanted her to and she had no better plans. He was pleased by her and was unaware of her distaste.
She saw Druella, married into the Black family. Cold and beautiful as a winter rose. She loved her daughters, she tolerated her husband.
She endured her husband.
The Black's were far too fond of the Unforgivables.
It was a bleak future, for these people she'd come to love. Cold and cruel and lacking in hope…
It was as it was.
And there was Tom, dark, powerful, strong, talented, driven… he'd taken their cruelty, their malice and used it to sharpen his blade. He became their King, using their bigotry and their hatred as his way into their hearts. He had no true friends…
Except one.
Amongst all the heartache and cruelty of that other past, Tierra felt like a breath of fresh air. She was refreshingly the same to how she was in this timeline, warm, affectionate, gentle, kind and deeply loving.
And somehow, no matter what timeline it was, she was always still on the verge of being constantly late.
She wasn't a rare beauty like Druella and Aurora, nor did she have Victoria's blunt charm.
She was pretty, but normal, with her sweet round face, delicate features and kind smile. She was just like so many girls at Hogwarts.
Except she was the one that Tom paid attention to.
She saw them studying in a small tower room, sometimes not talking, sometimes debating, sometimes with her simply listening to him as he reasoned something through. She saw Tom share things, thoughts, hopes, wants with her, wary like a feral cat. And Tierra never betrayed his trust, she simply listened to him intently.
No one knew of her.
None of his Slytherin friends, not Albus Dumbledore, so mistrustful and wary of Tom as he was. He assumed he was off with his little band of followers.
He never suspected that sometimes he was in a tower with a friend.
He never suspected that Tom even had a friend.
He seemed to always think the worst of him.
She pieced together separate visions, moments of Tom and Tierra as they grew up, their quiet, simple friendship, and the singular pillar of support that she was for him.
She saw his possessiveness, his anger at her other friendships, at the way other boys talked to her, at the hugs the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor girls gave her. Every touch, every smile, every laugh she gave someone else would make his expression turn stormy, and then spine-tinglingly blank.
Tierra never knew that jinxes swiftly followed those she bestowed them on.
Tom and Harry had made up by now, when she got to a memory that was three visions tied loosely together.
She knew these were important somehow, the magic always let her know when something was to be paid extra attention to.
She found herself in the tower and saw Tierra peering out the window at the winter snow storm raging outside.
Tom was in the doorway, but he hesitated there, simply looking at her.
It was the closest she'd ever seen this version of him look like the friend she knew and loved in this timeline.
Slowly he walked forward but instead of joining her at the window, he hesitated and stopped in the middle of the room.
"Tierra."
She turned, surprised, but the smile on her face was warm, bright, and all for him.
"Tom! Look, it's the first snowstorm!"
He shook his head at her, "I will never understand your fascination with snow."
Tierra rolled her eyes, it had the feeling of a familiar argument, something fond and safe, "I don't have a fascination with snow, I just love this time of year. When it snows, it's completely silent out there, it's like…peace. As long as you're warm of course."
Tom considered her as she peered out the window, and then he asked, sounding surprisingly unsure, "Would you like to walk in it?"
"Really?" There was an eagerness to her voice, and those soft eyes were bright when she turned back to him, before she hesitated, "You don't really want to…"
"...no." he admitted, and then frowned slightly as disappointment flickered over her face, "But I would like to see it, as you do."
She smiled, hesitantly, which broadened as he held out his hand.
The two of them slipped through the castle, which was quiet. Everyone was clearly in their Common Rooms or the Library, no one wanted to be outside in the snowstorm.
Except for Tom and Tierra.
They walked down the front steps and towards the forest, coming to a stop just inside the trees, where they could still see the faint, shrouded glow from the castle, but it felt alone.
You couldn't see details more than a couple of feet in every direction.
They were completely alone.
It was silent, hushed, as it only could be when snow fell around them in thick flakes.
It felt intimate, almost. Shrouded in fog, blanketed in soft white.
Tierra stood, face upturned, occasionally putting out her tongue to catch a flake with a grin, unashamed of how ridiculous she looked, and unconcerned of being judged.
Tom's eyes never left her.
"See, I told you," she grinned over at him, "It's like an entirely different kind of magic."
Tom's lips quirked up slightly, moving to stand beside her.
Their shoulders brushed together.
"I found the Chamber." he murmured, and she stilled, turning to look up at him, "I told you I would find it."
"Tom…" she frowned slightly, "What about the monster?"
"It's not a danger to me," he assured her, and then seeing her worry, "I swear."
"What about others?"
Now it was his turn to hesitate, "This is my chance to prove myself. To truly be Slytherin's heir, and make the House pay attention."
"Not at the expense of others." Tierra turned to face him, "Tom…I know how much you want them to accept you…"
"To fear me, to respect me. " he corrected her, also turning to look her in the eye, "I couldn't care less about their personal feelings, merely their loyalty."
Tierra hesitated, "You can't, sorry, you shouldn't, hurt other people to achieve your goals… not the innocent…"
Tom's fingers lifted and brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead where the wind had blown it, "No one is truly innocent. Every Slytherin knows this."
She frowned up at him and he sighed, "I will grant you a concession, for your aid in helping me discover my heritage."
"Alright…?" she considered him, "What concession?"
"The creature inside the Chamber will answer to me. I can.. Freeze people, lock them in a sort of stasis…"
"Petrify them?" Tierra whispered, "Only truly dark creatures can petrify their victims, Tom."
"Yes," he conceded, "Petrify. They will be unharmed. They will live. I will have my statement. They will eventually be restored. Is that not what you want?"
She hesitated, something flickering over her face, "Otherwise…"
"Otherwise they might die."
Her gaze met his, shocked, saddened, "Tom…you can't…"
"I could." he did not look away, "You know I could. I make this allowance for you, for you alone…"
She bit her lip, and then nodded, "Promise me, Tom. No one will die."
He smiled and kissed her forehead so lightly it was almost like a snowflake itself.
"For you. I promise."
Slowly the vision filled with snow, and then melted away to reveal the tower again, and Tierra standing within it, once more standing at the window.
But this time the sun was shining, bright and burning.
Tom entered the room behind her, quiet, but wary in a way she hadn't seen from him before.
"Tierra…"
"How could you." she asked, even though it didn't sound like a question, not really. There was something in her voice that Kel had never heard, in visions or in person before. It was raw, angry but also trembled with emotion, "How-?"
"I had to." Tom's fists clenched, "Tierra, I did not mean for this to happen."
"You think that makes a difference?" She whipped around to face him, and Kel saw her eyes were red and puffy from weeping, "Tom you killed someone, a young girl."
"I did not intend-"
"It doesn't matter what you intended!" Tierra's voice rose, and now it really was raw, and pained, "You promised me!"
"It was not something that was meant to happen!"
"And yet it did!" She stormed up to him, "And now I'm party to your crimes Tom, because I know. I know it was you and not Hagrid. I know it was your monster and not whatever weird creepy crawly he was tending to now. I know that you have ruined two lives to save your own… and that makes me culpable!"
His lips curled in a sneer, "You're more concerned with your own hide then?"
Tierra stared at him like she didn't recognise him, "I couldn't care less! I care because I know the truth, I know and could help someone innocent-"
"No one is innocent."
"Hagrid is innocent!"
"Of murdering her? Perhaps, but he was still tending to a dangerous magical creature within the castle, a creature which could have broken free at any moment and hurt or killed someone. He was not innocent, he put others in danger-"
"Is that how you justify it?" she shoved at him, but he didn't move, "He didn't deserve having his wand snapped… being branded as a murderer…"
"People already viewed him with suspicion because of his heritage." Tom shrugged, "It was they who decided he was too dangerous to remain a student."
Terra stared at him, horrified, "You knew it. That's why you chose him. You knew about Hagrid because I told you… and you kept it secret as a… a back up plan."
Tom's dark indigo eyes bored into hers, "I had a contingency plan-"
Tierra pulled away, rubbing at her arms, clearly in shock and breathing turned rapid and shallow.
"You promised me."
Tears gleamed in her eyes.
"I did." something passed over his face, regret maybe, sorrow, sadness? Kel couldn't be sure, "I meant it. This…was never meant to happen, Tierra, I didn't intend for it to, but I had to act. I just had a plan…in case it did go wrong."
"I trusted you." Tierra's voice cracked on the words, "I trusted you, because.. Because I care for you. I trusted you because I believed you, because I.."
Tom was very still, "Because…?" he asked, so softly it was almost inaudible.
"It doesn't matter. Not any more…"
The tears were falling now, but she seemed unaware of them.
"This heritage? This one you seem desperate to claim? Tom, it's not real."
"I have the blood of Salazar Slytherin…"
"As do I!" she snapped, frustrated, "But I can see the truth, that the Gaunts lost their way long ago. Thank Merlin, my grandfather turned his back on them after Hogwarts, and never looked back. This… obsession with purity isn't healthy. The Blacks and the Lestranges and the Malfoys… they might have power in this world but they lack what truly matters…"
"Love?" Tom sneered, "You sound like that fool, Dumbledore."
Tierra flinched.
"There is power in love, Tom. You are a fool to overlook it."
"And you are a fool for placing so much stock in it." Tom glared at her, and then his expression softened a small bit.
He moved forward, "I did not intend to kill anyone, but the girl was in the bathroom when I emerged and called the snake. She would have seen too much, and would have exposed me. I had to, and because I had to, I acted without hesitation, or regret."
"A girl is dead."
"Hardly a loss." Tom sneered, "Oh come on Tierra," he coaxed at her disgusted expression, "A miserable muggleborn that the rest of her year group intensely disliked. And Hagrid? An oafish, giant Gryffindor. And Dumbledore has already jumped into action to protect him…"
He moved forward and gently traced the back of his finger against her cheek, "Would you have rather seen me caught, punished, wand snapped and expelled back to the Orphanage?"
Tierra's shoulders slumped, defeat flicking over her face, in her eyes.
"No…"
Tom's lips curved into a smile and the tower shimmered.
It refocused a moment later, and once more Tierra was at the window, hand on the sill, looking older.
And sadder.
Once again Tom entered, also looking older, and somehow more handsome.
A ring sat on his finger.
"I thought I would find you here."
His voice was smooth, deeper, silky on the ears like satin or chocolate, and there was an air to him too. Something confident, something alluring…
He would be a heartbreaker if had an inch of this charm in her time.
Tierra didn't look around this time, and slowly he moved to join her at the window, where she was watching a young, incredibly large, young man tending to the lakeshore.
He stilled when he saw what she was looking at.
"Tierra…"
"You'd think it would be easier…after a year." she murmured, quiet, contemplative. "You'd think… think the guilt would go away."
"You have nothing to feel guilty for." Tom murmured, "You protected me."
"Yes I chose you, over doing the morally right thing." there was something brittle and bitter in her tone, "You don't even feel regret."
"You do what you have to to survive." Tom gripped her shoulders gently and turned her around before offering her a small, folded, square of parchment, "Take a look at his."
Curious, the girl unfolded the parchment and read, but by the end her hands were shaking.
"What is this?"
"Immortality," Tom murmured, and his dark eyes gleamed eagerly, "I have been preserving my memories in the diary your Mother gave me, like your Grandfather's one. That will make it a most powerful Horcrux."
Tierra shuddered, horror blanching on her face, "Tom this is seriously evil magic, it's a perversion of balance, of nature. Yes you wouldn't die but you won't be living either, that's how magic works…"
"I will be immortal." a fervent light shone in his eyes, "I will be able to reshape this world…rule it, make it better."
"Tom," the girl stared at him, "For this to work you have to feel no regret, no shame, have not a flicker of doubt about the murder you committed."
Tom tilted her chin up, "The only regret I have is that it strained things between us."
The silence was electric, Tierra seemed stunned by his words, lips parted.
So he continued on.
"I have learned from the mistakes of others. The others who used this magic and then were destroyed…"
"Tom…" Tierra whispered, "The lesson to learn is not to do it at all…"
He shook his head, "No Tierra. The lesson is that they did not go far enough. They settled for a single Horcrux, or two. The most magical of numbers is seven."
Tierra lost all the colour in her face, "Seven…?"
"Seven," he nodded, so lost in his fervent excitement that he'd missed just how shaken his companion was, "Seven deeply magical objects. I will never die."
"You're talking about seven separate acts of murder." Tierra whispered, "You would repeat the mistakes you've already made?"
Tom frowned at her, finally realising just how appalled the Hufflepuff was.
"I already have two, the one that solidified me in the eyes of the Purebloods as the true heir of Slytherin, and the end of my faithless Muggle father. The acts should also be meaningful, it will give them greater potency…"
Tierra blanched, "You were distressed after your father."
Instantly Tom's face turned stormy, cold and angry, "It was a moment of weakness. One that will not be repeated. The next time I perform the act it will be with purpose."
"The next time you murder someone?"
Tears slowly slid down her cheeks, unheeded and unstopped, tracing slowly down her neck.
Tom frowned at her, "Don't you see? I have found the path to immortality. I will live forever." he brushed her hair away from her face, "Eventually you will see that I have made the right choice… maybe you will join me in immortality…"
"You think I would ever murder someone?" Tierra whispered.
"You forgave me for doing so." Tom shrugged slightly, "Eventually you will see it was for the best…"
"That was a mistake…" The Hufflepuff swayed, deathly pale now, "I thought… I thought you would see, would regret…"
Tom shook his head fondly, "Why would I regret it? This was always the goal, a means to an end."
Tierra trembled, and then took a deliberate step back.
"If this is the path you're going to walk, where you hurt people and do whatever it takes to get ahead, to get away with it…this is where we part ways. I can't Tom, no matter how much I care for you. I can't."
It was almost like her breath, her voice failed her on that final word, and it came out a whisper.
Silence rang in the tower, and then Tom's lips curled in a slow ugly sneer,
"Typical, a Hufflepuff without the stomach to see things through. I expected better. Where is that famed loyalty?"
Grief shone out of Tierra's soft eyes, and she turned away.
"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" she murmured, and brushed her tears away, only for them to be replaced by more, "You have my silence Tom, because I keep my promises. But if you ever open the Chamber again, for whatever reason you might have…I will reconsider that. Do we have an agreement?"
"Are you threatening me?" he breathed, stepping forward, "You wouldn't hurt me, Tierra…you care too much."
Slowly he moved forward, fingers brushing her cheek, her chin, tilting her gaze up to his.
"You care for me."
"I do." she whispered back, "Which is why I cannot stand by and watch you destroy yourself…"
He stared at her, that nasty sneer turning his handsome face into something terrible, something cruel, "You would be my enemy, Tierra?"
The young Hufflepuff's smile was impossibly sad, and she moved forward, leaning into him.
Gently her hand cupped his cheek, and they gazed at each other for a long moment, Tom's hostile expression fading slightly as they gazed at each other intently.
"Don't do this, Tierra." he whispered, a hand lifting to brush the tears from her cheeks. She turned her head into the touch, eyes closing even as more tears fell, "Nothing has to change…"
They stood for a long moment, a long, painful, heartbreaking moment, and then those soft, sad eyes opened.
"Everything has changed, Tom."
And then Tierra turned away, sorrow in every line of her body, moving towards the door.
Tom's face worked, anger, fury, hatred, loss, sorrow, desperation all battled on his handsome, expressive face, before they shuttered into icy impassivity.
He drew his wand.
"No one turns their back on Lord Voldemort."
Tierra froze in the doorway, but she never turned back.
Nor did she reach for her wand.
"I'm not turning my back on Lord Voldemort." she spat the name like it was something foul, something rancid, " I was never here for him!"
Tom stared at her. But still she did not turn to face him.
"Goodbye… Tom."
She disappeared through the door, Kel following her as she hurried down the stairs, beginning to cry the deep heart wrenching sobs of someone whose heart had been broken.
Long moments later, far above her, the tower seemed to explode, wood flying and fracturing everywhere as Voldemort, for it was truly Lord Voldemort now, and no longer Tom Riddle, screamed his rage, the sound echoing down the tower.
The Hufflepuff ran.
The darkness of the corridor closed in on the vision.
And then she was yanked from the memory as the vision ended.
She wasn't sure what it meant, but the memory of this vision, both of these visions, was strong. Stronger than most.
But they had been before, before Harry and the others arrived.
That future had now changed. Tom would not seek to prove himself with Slytherin's serpent, Tierra would not need to put her faith in her friend and have it shattered.
It was the past, a future that could never be.
But it didn't leave her.
"You haven't been looking after yourself."
Her head snapped up, blinking as she looked up at Ron Weasley standing beside her. The Room of Requirement was quiet, the others had all disappeared long ago, but Kel had been absorbed in her homework. She'd unfortunately left it to the last minute… too engrossed in the rediscovery of her visions.
"I'm fine," she smiled at him gently, "I promise."
"Mmmhmmm…" he looked unconvinced and then placed a plate of dinner down in front of her.
Instantly her stomach growled, and his mouth curved into a victorious grin.
"Oh shut up," she sighed, pushing her parchment away to dig into the meal.
"Not hungry huh?" he teased, moving forward to sit opposite her, before his blue eyes turned from playful to concerned, "You've been using your gift, haven't you?"
"Not… really."
"But sort of?" he coaxed, shaking his head, "You've lost weight Kel, you look exhausted,"
Did she? She blinked at him in surprise.
"I- It's important…"
"So is your health." Ron informed her, and seeing that she'd paused in her meal he nudged her to keep eating, "There's barely anything of you to begin with, you have to remember to eat."
She sighed, "I would promise to but…"
"You can't." he nodded, like it was confirming suspicions he'd already had, "Alright, I'm going to make sure you eat."
Kel stared at him, "And just how are you going to manage that, Ron?"
"When you miss a meal I will notice, and make sure you eat something."
"And what if I'm somewhere hidden away, studying?"
"Then I will find you, and then you will eat." he nodded, as she giggled, amused, but also charmed.
"You'll find me? Wherever I'm hidden in the castle?"
"I have skills, Miss Hale." he winked, and her stomach fluttered a little, "You shouldn't doubt me."
"I would never," she smiled back, and hesitated, "Well… I wouldn't send you away… if you did manage to find me."
He grinned at her, bright and eager and… wonderful.
And taken… worse luck.
"Finish your meal." he told her, "I'll see you later yeah?"
"Yeah," she reached out and touched his hand, surprised to see him pause when she did, and squeeze it firmly, "Thank you, Ron."
His smile was gentle, but warm, so warm, and that warmth didn't leave her until she was tucked up in her bed that night.
That night… Her dreams were sweet.
After Ostara, after they'd bonded themselves into a Coven, Kel felt her magic had strengthened significantly.
And so had her visions. They were clearer, sharper, more vibrant.
But nothing like the vision she'd had during the ritual.
She saw a young woman, youthful, beautiful, but so fragile, dressed in a simple white mediaeval gown.
Striding nearby was a dark haired woman, with locks that were pitch black, so black they almost had a blue sheen to them, like a raven's feathers, and her gown was far more rich, in shades of sapphire.
The woman was pacing, anxious, worried.
"There must be a means of fixing this!"
"Vivienne…"
"He cannot do this! He cannot discard you, his soul's intended, and simply replace you with another, simply because she is rich, and fair." Vivienne stormed, blue gown swishing as she paced, "He cannot lock you up, simply because he has no use for you!"
"You know it's not so," The blonde woman murmured, gentle, but sad, "My Sight will kill me Vivienne, it is both a gift and a curse."
"You have used it for him! To secure his Kingdom, to restore peace to a realm divided!" Vivienne wasn't having it, pointing at her friend, "You have damn near killed yourself to protect him! And this is his gratitude."
"Vivienne, you are unkind," She turned away, moving to her table and the mirror that sat there, "Arthur needs a Queen. Someone to stand at his side…"
"You have been by his side since he was no one!" Vivienne hissed, "Charlotte, you are the reason he succeeded, you and Merlin and myself. Alone he would have failed…"
Charlotte ran her finger over the wood of her table, "He will visit…"
"For your visions." Vivienne tossed her head, "For he still has use of you."
Tears slid down the blonde's cheek and Vivienne's face softened, "I am sorry Charlotte, truly."
"I know. And I know you speak the truth." Charlotte sighed softly, brushing her tears away, "What do I do now…I gave him everything…"
"We shall leave." Vivienne insisted, moving forward and gripping her arms, "Merlin is nothing but Arthur's lackey. You and I shall go to Avalon, and we shall fight the injustice from afar."
Charlotte looked torn, and Vivienne gently squeezed her arms, "The Fae wish to speak to us. They know Arthur is false. We shall become anew, dearest Charlotte. I shall be Morgana, as the Fae do call me, and you… you shall take their name for you too. You shall be Nimue. No longer Arthur's discarded other half. But a powerful lady of your own."
"Arthur is King."
"Arthur is blind." Vivienne, or Morgana as she must also be, leaned forward, "Charlotte, dearest, he wields Excalibur, the sword that none can stand against, but he does not know its true power. The true power of all such ancient objects. He does not know the truth of the magic of the very fabric, the very foundation, of the world."
"And that is?" Charlotte whispered, leaning into her friend.
"Only one who seeks to wield them in the defence of others, the protection of the world, not merely for selfish gain can truly unlock their potential. Only someone who wishes to save, to help, to protect, to guard, to treasure…to love, can truly wield these objects. Otherwise their power is but a shadow of their true potential. For it is not Excalibur that has the power, Charlotte. It is the scabbard. The scabbard protects one from any harm. The stone in the hilt is to grant one wisdom. Not the blade."
Charlotte considered her words, "How can I abandon him?"
"He already abandoned you," Morgana cupped her cheek, kissing her softly on the lips, "Come with me. Be free. Do not be chained by your gift."
"I will."
And the vision had faded, leaving her standing in the grotto of the chamber, feeling disoriented and shaken.
She didn't know what it meant. Not yet.
But she knew eventually she would.
Still, after that morning her magic had strengthened, and Ron had kept his promise. No matter where she was conducting her projects, no matter how cleverly she thought she was hidden, he would find her with dinner, or lunch and stay there, joking and chatting with her until she had eaten every last bite.
It made her feel warm inside, and she had stopped feeling like she might faint in charms class. Even Victoria looked less worried.
And Kel kept it close to her heart, treasuring those moments when he'd appear in her hiding place, with a smile that was just for her.
Kel agonised what to do about the vision of Tom and Tierra.
It was important, she was certain it was important, almost like the magic was telling her to look, look here.
But what to do about it?
Should she tell Harry?
The future had irreparably changed, Tom was not going to pursue a path of murder and sacrifice, and Tierra wouldn't have to compromise her very self for one she loved.
Because Kel was certain that the Tierra in that other future loved Tom Riddle.
Because Kel was certain that a Hufflepuff who loved that deeply, would do anything to protect the one they loved.
It was a tragedy, a poignant heartbreaking lesson.
Voldemort had been defeated by love every step of the way.
But what to do about it?
It was a future that was gone.
She wasn't sure.
Kel walked with Tierra towards the Room of Requirement, listening with fond amusement as the girl gushed about the creatures she'd looked after the previous night. She'd taken on some extra work assisting the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, and seemed to take a deep pleasure in the work.
Her eyes were bright, shining, and she looked happy.
With the new awareness of each other after Ostara, Tierra felt like hearthfire.
It was comforting.
Until they swung the door open and Tom's sharp voice was suddenly audible.
"-she's a Hufflepuff. No Hufflepuff has ever been special. That's why they're in Hufflepuff in the first place. She's nothing special."
The hearthfire was suddenly extinguished and Kel felt goosebumps ripple up and down her arms.
Silence hung in the air after his comment, and then Tierra disappeared, slipping back out the door and around the corner so fast it was almost like her feet were on fire.
Kel looked back into the room, chest aching.
Inside Tom was facing Harry, hands on his hips defiantly like he expected his friend to disagree, and he saw that Harry was staring over his shoulder, a stricken expression on his face.
Harry, who was standing there, staring at Kel.
Harry who was staring at where, moments before, had been the girl Tom had been speaking about.
"Wh-?" he turned, and saw Kel, "Oh, Kel… Hi. Harry, for Merlin's sake, what's the matter?"
Harry didn't answer him.
Kel felt the ache, the cold, slowly spread further through her body.
"Kel? He turned back to her and something on her face must have told him, because the colour slowly left his cheeks, "Kel who did you come in with? Harry?"
He turned back to his friend and Harry's open, honest, face said the answer before his lips even began moving.
"Tierra."
The ache got worse.
To Be Continued...
Review Responses
Shiara - Yes Tom has definitely grown from his origins. It's hard to measure the impact of our friends and the people we care for and we're seeng that with Tom. Magic is definitely rooting for them, rooting for the rejuvenation of the magical world. Its an ideal of course, and one that will always be corrupted by human failings, but the goal is pure for now.
Amk - Not in this chapter, this was always going to be the next Kelanna vision interlude. I hope you enjoy. Don't worry. Walburga will get it soon...
bookivore - of course she has been raised with basic manners and social ideas, however she comes from a middle income muggle family in the late 20th century, however the requirements of the Pureblooded children in the early 20th century would have been very different. And if she was born in that time she would be expected to at least be aware or naturally using them.
And the other point "Something called the Room of Requirement." I believe in the books Draco doesn't know it by this name. He knows it as the room where things are hidden, but the actual name Room of Requirement is only one of the names that's used. Come and Go Room. Room of Hidden Things. Room of Requirement. In this story Draco knows it by the hidden things, and would have boggled when he realised that it was the same room he'd used. Draco only ever entered and used it as the Hidden Things incarnation. And never created a custom room...
Hope this clears it up!