Chapter 18
Episode - The Cricket Game
After Sundown that night Voldemort, his daughter, and the two Death Eaters were walking through town under cover of darkness.
"So what is the plan My Lord." asked McAlister.
"The ceremony to restore my Powers will require several ingredients." said Voldemort.
That's when he paused. He touched his finger to his forehead as though he was feeling a sixth sense. They were walking by the docks at the water of the Atlantic Ocean. Voldemort looked in the direction of a vacant birth that had a middle-aged man wearing a long black leather trench coat, and a pirate sword in a scabbard at his belt. And an older woman holding a parasol over her head.
"This way." said Voldemort.
They walked down the dock to the vacant birth where they came face to face with the man and woman. The man appeared to be a pirate and had a metal hook for his left hand, while the woman wore a traveling cloak around her neck and shoulders.
"Long time no see." said Voldemort. "Your Majesty."
That's when Voldemort waved his wand to turn his face back to normal as he had disguised himself to look normal.
"Well, hello Tom Riddle." said Cora with a devious smile.
Voldemort then looked at the pirate.
"Hook." he acknowledged formally with a look of disinterest.
"Dark Lord." the pirate acknowledged in recognition.
"I will say, Lord Voldemort, I never expected to see you in Storybrooke." said Cora.
"Likewise." said Voldemort.
"Snow White, her daughter, and their witch friend Hermione Granger managed to foil our means to cross realms, however we managed to do it ourselves now anyway." explained Cora.
"Well, all the better that you're here anyway." said Voldemort. "These are my two servants, Euphemia Rowle, and Nathan McAllister. And my daughter, Delphini Lestrange. I have walked over to you right here right now to retrieve an item that I left in your care for safekeeping many years ago."
Flashback -
Wonderland, 28 years earlier, one month before the dark curse
In a strange and unusual landscape of giant mushrooms Lord Voldemort stepped through the 'Looking Glass' that was off to the side on the road.
He looked around. Trying to get his bearings. He then began to walk down the path.
It was only minutes after he had arrived that a group of Royal Guards wielding swords and Spears approached him.
"Surrender in the name of her Royal Majesty!" demanded the guard that seemed to be in command.
With a wave of his wand however the men were lifted into the air.
"No one gives orders to Lord Voldemort!" he said with a maniacal sneer. "Crucio!"
The men screamed in pain. He tortured them only for a short 10 seconds where then he released them.
"I demand an audience with The Queen Of Hearts!" said Voldemort with authority.
"This way." said the Commander compliantly.
They traveled for about 20 to 25 minutes when they came across a palace.
They walked through a courtyard with some decorative pools.
A lot of things were red and white, and a lot of the people wore masks. Including the queen who sat upon her throne.
The Chamberlain then inclined his head in respect to Lord Voldemort.
"Dark Lord, please show respect and reverence for her royal majesty, The Queen Of Hearts."
He then turned towards the queen.
"Your majesty. May I present to you the intruder into this land who came through the Looking Glass. The dark wizard, Lord Voldemort."
The queen then stood up and then took off her mask to reveal the face of Cora.
"Hello Tom." said Cora with a devious smile.
"Hello Cora." said Voldemort with a smile.
Much to the protest of the guards he walked right up to her and with a wave of his wand conjured a bouquet of red roses and then got down on one knee and bowed his head while kissing her hand.
"I will say Dark Lord, I never expected to see you again."
"The feeling was mutual, Your Majesty."
"Did you ever manage to create your horcruxes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. My wand being one of them. As long as it and all the others exist, then I will never die."
"Fair enough. But do be wary. All magic comes with a price."
"So I've heard."
"I assume that there is a reason that you have chosen to enter my Dominion?" said Cora in a tone of inquiry for information.
"I have come here to request a service from you."
"And what would that be?"
"For you to hold an object of mine for safekeeping."
"And what object would that be?"
"Well, as the Queen of Hearts, it is an object that is right up your alley."
It was then that Lord Voldemort waved his wand and conjured a box with a hinged flip open lid. The Box bore the Dark Mark of the Death Eaters. Voldemort then thrust his hand into his own chest. His hand magically passed through his robes, skin, and bone and when he withdrew his hand he held a magically Enchanted heart that glowed red but was tainted with a lot of black. He then waved his Wand Over the heart and his wand started to Glow briefly and then the heart started to Glow briefly. He then placed the heart into the box and closed it.
"I wish you to keep this safe until such time as I request it back." said Voldemort as he handed the Box to Cora. "I have Enchanted it, so that I cannot be controlled with it, nor can it be destroyed."
"Very well, it seems like a small favor. I will keep it safe."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave." said Voldemort.
But it was right then that the guards pulled in two more men. One man was apparently dead on a stretcher while the other man was being dragged by his arms and legs.
"Another uninvited guest through the Looking Glass, Your Majesty?" asked Lord Voldemort.
"Apparently so." said Cora.
The man who was alive had a metal hook for his left hand, and wore black leather pants and a black leather jacket. Voldemort got the impression that he was a pirate, and considering that he was in a storybook universe, he had a pretty good idea on who this particular storybook character was.
"Kneel, before the Queen Of Hearts." said the Chamberlain to the prisoner.
"Appreciate the warm welcome." said the pirate with sarcasm.
Cora then whispered into a long tube that the Chamberlain had put his ear to the other end of.
"The queen demands to know why you have come to Wonderland?" said the Chamberlain.
"I'm in search of someone." said the pirate. "In the Enchanted Forest she goes by the name of Cora."
Before the pirate had came within sight of Cora, she had donned her mask. Cora then stood up from her throne and then removed her mask.
"In this land she goes by 'Your Majesty'." said Cora with authority. "Leave us." she commanded the room at large.
Voldemort was about to leave with the crowd.
"Dark Lord, stay please."
Voldemort paused and then remained where he was as he faced the two.
"What is your name pirate?" demanded Cora.
"Hook, Your Majesty." answered the pirate as he then spread his arms and gave a bow in respect.
"Clever nickname."
He then withdrew her from his pocket with his hook a necklace of pearls and beads.
"I'll come bearing gifts." said Hook.
"This magical hat that you used to travel here? This portal? If I understand it correctly, it requires the same number of people in order for you to go back. You arrived with him." she gestured to the dead man. "Tell me, who are you planning on taking back with you?"
Hook tossed the necklace aside.
"You." said Hook with determination.
He then thrust his hook into Cora's chest. But it didn't break the skin, it magically passed through her clothes, skin, and bone.
Voldemort reacted. He pointed his wand and Hook was lifted into the air and moved away from Cora.
"What is the meaning of this!?" demanded Voldemort.
Captain Hook scrutinized his hook with confusion.
"I don't understand."
Cora then laughed.
"You fool! I'm the Queen of Hearts." said Cora in a tone of trying to get him to grasp a concept that was obvious. "Do you really think that I'm so careless as to keep my heart where everyone else does?"
"Assassination of a queen." said Lord Voldemort with disgust. "Do you have no honor or respect? Say the word Your Majesty, and I'll put him out of his misery with a well aimed Avada Kedavra curse!"
"No Lord Voldemort." said Cora as she held up a finger to signal Voldemort to wait. "I have plans for him. Please demonstrate how the heart ripping technique is done, if you please."
Voldemort smiled with maniacal pleasure. He stepped forward and thrust his hand into Hook's chest. His hand magically passing through his clothes, skin, and bone, and he pulled out Hook's heart.
Unlike Voldemort's heart that had a lot of black in it, Hook's heart was mostly red with only a slight touch of black to it.
Cora stepped forward and took Hook's heart from Voldemort's hand. She then began to squeeze gently. Hook gritted his teeth as his body then seemed to tense up in pain.
"Now, tell me, who sent you to try and kill me?"
"Your daughter." Hook answered obediently.
"Regina?" said Cora with astonishment. "She…wants me dead?"
"Yes."
Cora paused to think for a minute.
"You are now going to tell me everything that I want to know. Because when you hold a heart, you control it."
Captain Hook then revealed to Cora Regina's entire plan.
"The reason that I agreed to work for your daughter is because she agreed to help me skin a crocodile." said Captain Hook under the influence of Cora holding his heart.
Cora of course looked confused by the context.
"Explain further." she commanded Into the Heart.
"I want to get revenge on the one who took my hand and killed the love of my life. Rumpelstiltskin."
Both Voldemort and Cora raise their eyebrows in interest at this.
"Of course he is immortal, therefore he cannot be killed. But your daughter plans to enact a dark curse soon. This dark curse will transport everyone in the Enchanted Forest to another realm. A world without magic."
At hearing this Voldemort immediately knew what Hook was talking about. This was his dark curse. The only way to enact the curse was to sacrifice the heart of the one that you love the most. Rumpelstiltskin doesn't love anyone so he can't enact the curse even if you wanted to. But the evil queen. Voldemort didn't know much about her, but what he did know is that, unlike The Dark One, there were many people that she potentially loved. So she could potentially have any number of Hearts to choose from to enact it. So Rumpelstiltskin gave the curse to her so that she could use it.
"Once in a world without magic, I will be able to kill the dark one."
Voldemort then had to take his leave. The spell that he had used to only temporarily transport him to another realm was about to expire.
Storybrooke, present day
"Your heart?" Cora clarified as they stood there on the dock by the invisible ship.
"That is correct." said Voldemort.
"I don't have it on me at present." said Cora. "I believe it came over with the curse though. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it's in my daughter's vault."
"Regina, the Evil Queen?" said Voldemort.
"I needed to put it somewhere after I returned to the Enchanted Forest from Wonderland." Cora explained.
"Is it wise to have left it within her care?" asked Voldemort with skepticism.
"It was one extra heart among many. She would not have noticed it. Nor understood it's significance."
"And where is the Evil Queen's vault?" asked Voldemort.
"I'm not certain." said Cora. "But it is somewhere here in Storybrooke."
Captain Hook then cleared his throat and then started to go around everyone.
"Well, if there is nothing more that is needed from me right now," said Captain Hook as he then lifted his hook to his face and scrutinized it with a maniacal angry face, "I'm going to go skin myself a crocodile."
He started to walk away but then Cora vanished Into Thin Air with a whirl of purple smoke and then materialized right in front of Hook with a whirl of purple smoke.
"You can't do that Hook." said Cora in warning.
Captain Hook then became angry.
"We had a deal!"
"And I live up to my deals." said Cora. "Except that the game has changed. There is Magic in Storybrooke. Meaning you don't have the means to kill the dark one."
"It would be wise to listen to the Queen of Hearts pirate." said Voldemort. "I myself once tried to kill the Dark One with the deadliest of all curses. And it didn't work."
"The Dark Lord is right Hook." said Cora. "It would not be wise to go up against an empowered Rumpelstiltskin. You need a plan."
"And what exactly do you suggest, your majesty?" Asked Hook with impatience.
"I'm not sure yet. But if you want to get your revenge, you shall need to bide for a little bit longer that little commodity, time.
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