CHAPTER 12
THE MINISTERIAL STAND
Tom turned around to see Malfoy with his wand out. Tom reached in his back pocket for his and realized he didn't have his. He turned to Riddle who had started laughing his cold cruel laugh.
He pulled Tom's wand out of his robes. "You did not even notice when I pulled it out."
Tom stood trapped between Malfoy and Riddle. He turned to Riddle. "He does not know the truth. You know what I have done , you saw it yourself and you healed me."
Riddle walked past him paying no attention to his words. He bore his eyes into Malfoy's. Within minutes he had come to terms with the truth.
He turned back to Tom his eyes glinting a dangerous color of Red."You've thwarted my trust again. But now you've proven you will always be a traitor."
Tom knew he had been made.There was no point lying anymore. He had to find a way out now."I am not a traitor. I am a human being who cannot live seeing others die. Riddle please, think of it. You're not going to gain anything out of this. You are only going to regret." He stopped for moment then realzied he couldn't stop himself anymore. He knew the promise he had made to Alex, he knew he owed Neville, Hannah and Mayweather his life but he could not let go of Riddle either. "I will forgive you from the depth of my heart. Just leave it all behind, and repent, you will find forgiveness. I'll help you, I'll take you with me one step at a time-_"
Riddle looked like he was going to breathe fire in his anger. "What did you say? You? You will forgive me? I have no remorse of what I've done or of what I'm going to do. I do not require forgiveness. My purpose defines my actions. I have nothing to be sorry for. I will be invincible and immortal as had been the Dark Lord years before me. On the contrary, you may beg me for forgiveness for I am not merciful, I am ruthless and revengful." He had advanced on Tom all the while he had spoken and now stood an inch away from him, Tom realzied this was not the time to convice Riddle for anything. He ought to have understood it before. He pushed him away as Malfoy tried to stun him.
"Stupefy!" Malfoy shouted. Nothing whatsoever happened to Tom though Malfoy was thrown back into the wall.
Tom bent down to grab Malfoy's wand which had fallen nearby him but got stunned by Riddle. He fell on the carpeted floor of the Drawing room. Riddle motined to Malfoy to grab his hands then reverted him. Tom came to listening to Riddle that for now was a blur to him.
"You made a mistake Tom, you should have never come here."
"Kill him!" Malfoy shouted. "A killing curse would do it!" Malfoy had been put in a very critical position. If Harry discovered what he had been doing, he would have a hard time maintaining all that he had acheived in the past 20 years.
"Now, now Malfoy I don't want him dead. He will have to live. But he will face pain so he would never attempt what he did tonight. Crucio." Riddle whispered and Tom felt pain as he had never felt. Malfoy who had let go of him when Riddle had cursed him grabbed him again. Riddle went to a table in the Drawing room and took out a sharp and shiny dagger. It was a likeable purchase. Riddle had bought it from Borgin and Burkes. He had not yet thought of using it. He had only bought it as a joke, a mockery. He couldn't understand the weapons muggles wrought to inflict harm upon each other. Today, he would see the effects of this weapon first hand.
Tom enjoyed being a muggle. There couldn't be a better way to mock him. He knew, the Dagger was poisoned. Tom wouldn't be able to heal himself. Riddle would render him helpless like a muggle that he had always wanted to be. He approached Malfoy who was holding a struggling Tom.
"Hold him straight, Malfoy." Riddle ordered. Malfoy did so. The next thing Tom felt was white hot piercing pain as the Dagger penetrated his skin, his flesh and finally cutting through his ribs, piercing part of his lung. Riddle had stabbed him right below his heart.
Malfoy let go of Tom as he fell bleeding by Riddle's feet. Riddle bent over him. He pulled the dagger out of his wound as Tom grabbed his hand. "Don't do this!" He was coughing out blood now. He knew he wouldn't last long. "There's no turning back...from this!" Riddle jerked his hand away.
"You trust in that Potter, don't you? You trust him more than you trust your own blood. Let's see now. Let's see if he can save you." Riddle stood up as Tom thrived in pain at his feet. He handed Malfoy Tom's wand. " Take him to Private Drive and leave him there. Potter will know where to look for him. But Malfoy, I don't want him dead. You know very well your wand will tell me if you've used the killing curse and I can always detect a lie." Malfoy nodded. He pulled Tom off the floor and took him outside the Manor.
Malfoy appeared in the darkened street of Private Drive with Tom who went straight back to the concrete the moment they apparted. Malfoy threw Tom's wand beside him then took out his own,
"Riddle doesn't want you dead. He doesn't care about anything that I lose. I can't kill you. But I can't have you spilling everything to Harry. He doesn't need to know I am involved." He raised his wand. "Obliviate!"
Tom rolled out of the way to dodge his spell. Malfoy aimed at him again as he grabbed his wand, stood up with the help of a lamp post and ran for it. Luckily, he dodged a stunner and dived inside a nearby garden. The high bushes and rose beds gave him cover but he could hear footsteps, Malfoy was nearing the garden he had dived in. He couldn't fight back, he knew it. In utter pain and misery the only person he called out for help, in his heart was Harry.
Before he realized what was happening, a light was emerging out of his heart. He touched his chest and felt the Deluminator in his breast pocket. He pulled it out and understood the light had been coming from the Deluminator. He wanted to put it out, Malfoy would find him sooner now. He clicked the Deluminator. The 12 balls of light that had been trapped in it, flew back to their lamps. Private Drive suddenly glowed orange. Malfoy froze. He pocketed his wand quickly and disapparated. He could be seen. He had already cast a spell in a muggle street, someone from the Ministry would be approaching soon. He couldn't be found upon this scene.
Tom lay in the garden not knowing what was happening. The light that had stood at some distance from him was returning to him. This time, it did not go back to the Deluminator it went straight into his heart and he disapparated. He bounced off something and fell on an uneven piece of earth. That was it for him. He passed out.
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All four of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood in Private Drive at the break of Dawn, disillusioned. The moment they had apparated, they had disillusioned themselves. A couple of Ministry officials were roaming around looking for evidence of a spell being cast here. Though they had found none, they had been alarmed to find a pool of blood on the concrete.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny only needed to see the blood to know something had gone wrong. After making sure Tom was nowhere in Private Drive, they returned back to Hogwarts.
They didn't know where else to look for him. Their only hope was he could find his way back himself.
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Malfoy returned to his Manor quite beside himself. "Why did you let him leave?" He asked Riddle who had only just lay down on his bed to sleep. His eyes snapped open as if he had never been sleeping.
He sat up. "Do you mean to question me?"
Malfoy hesitated. He could not afford to argue with someone like Riddle. He calmed himself down. "No. But he will tell Harry Potter about me. I have made a place in this community in the last 20 years. This information will jeopardize everything I have worked for."
Riddle stood up. "Is what you have worked for, more inportant than what we have been working for? Does your being head of a department in the Ministry matter more than my becominh immortal? Do you find your purpose to be greater than mine?"
Malfoy retreated a little. He gulped down. "No."
"Then understand one thing. it does not matter to me whether Harry Potter knows of you or not. In fact, it is only beter that he does. I prefer to put all my cards on the table before I begin playing. Let Harry Potter do what he can. As you say, you have acheived more than enough in the past 20 years. Let Harry Potter try to destroy you, you shall not lose anything, not as long as, our purpose remains."
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"Thank you Mr. Eric bouganwill. I'm glad you applied for the post. You may begin taking classes when the christmas holidays are over."
"Thank you, Professor." Bouganwill left Harry's office to send in the next applicant.
It was nearly afternoon and Harry was sitting in his office taking interviews of applicants for teaching positions at Hogwarts. Harry had just finalized the Herbology teacher and was waiting for the applicant of Ancient Runes and Transfiguration.
He was quite tensed though. Tom had not returned till now even though they had scheduled his return at the break of the dawn. He had sent Ron to search the whole castle. Hermione and Ginny had been to London to see Hugo early in the morning promising their return by afternoon. Ron would be visiting him tomorrow. Even Dudley had come askig if Harry had seen Tom. Harry had to tell him that he had sent Tom on an errand that he could not reveal just yet. Dudley had obviously not understood but he knew Harry and Tom had been doing something together, what he didn't know.
There was a knock on Harry's office door.
"Enter."
Ron came in. "He's not in the Castle. I thought of sending him a patronus but if he's near Riddle that would put him in danger." He sat beside Harry who had conjured up a chair beside him the moment Ron had entered as the one in front of them was for applicants. Harry gave Fawkes a meaningful look who was sitting on his perch and flew out of the window at Harry's look. Harry sometimes felt that Fawkes understood what Harry felt. Perhaps, Fawkes could find Tom. There was a knock on the office door again.
"Enter."
A girl, fair, blonde with light green eyes, wearing a pink skirt over a white top, in her teens entered. Both Harry and Ron looked at her. She was so beautiful and mesmerizing. The moment she sat down she started speaking. She had a thin sweet voice.
"I am Estella Zavatti. I graduated a year ago from Beauxbatons. I am extremely good at Ancient Runes. I can translate from Runes to English, English to Runes, I can speak English and I can understand Runes. I saw your ad in the Daily Prophet and applied for the post. I hope you haven't hired anyone else yet. I know it might sound insane applying for a job a year after graduation and not keeping on with studies but teaching has always been a passion for me. I always wanted to teach you see and this is the best school in the world to teach. You must be thinking why didn't I apply at Beau----" Ron and Harry had been staring at her the whole time she had spoken, they didn't know why but she was extremely mesmerizing. Ron, curious about her beauty, couldn't keep himself from asking.
"Are you Veela?"
She smiled widely as if she had been asked this before. She had a very pretty smile. "Yes, part Veela. My great great grandmother was one. So, I believe it runs in the family. As I was saying you must be wondering---" Harry cut her short. He didn't know how much more could she talk.
"Miss Zavatti, may I ask you a question?"
"Oh, sure."
"How old are you?"
"I am 18 years, 5 months, 3 days, 11 hours, 54 minutes and 42 seconds old."
Both Harry and Ron looked at each other, then at her. "What was that?" They chorused.
"Oh, I like to be precise."
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Tom opened his eyes. With conciousness agonizing pain came along. He was lying flat on the ground in a pool of blood with his back to the sun with not an ounce of energy left in him. He could not even move a muscle yet he pulled himself up and sat up with his back to an uneven wall. He felt like he would pass out again but he needed to go back, go back to Hogwarts and tell Harry about Malfoy. He grabbed his wand and tried a few healing spells on his wound with no effect whatsoever. His wound wwas still fresh and bleeding. He looked at his hands they were pale. He looked around. He realized he was in Hogsmeade among the bushes near the caves.
He tried to shout, to call out for help but the moment he tried to, he spat out a mouthful of blood. He could hardly breathe let alone shout. He closed his eyes as two tears slipped down them in mere despair and longed for help. He opened his eys again and sat staring at the shining sun as if he was seeing the last of it in his lifetime. Suddenly, the sun grew hotter and flames erupted in front of him.
A ball of fire appeared right in front of him.The fire revealed the flying Fawkes. Fawkes turned around as if telling him to grab its tail. Tom reached forward and grabbed its tail. Within a second he was lost in darkness.
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"Look, Miss Zavatti I appreciate your talents but you are too young. You are applying for Ancient Runes but you'll also have to take Transfiguration and we need someone with experience and expertise in both these fields."
"Young but talented. If you don't trust me I can show you. Give me a chance. What do you want me to do? Turn a chair itno a hen or a rat into a teacup or--" Harry tired of her cut her short and gave her a task.
"Human transfiguration. Turn my colour, turn me green."
Without a word she took out her wand. She pointed her wand at Harry and muttered the spell under her breath. As Harry and Ron looked Harry turned an acid green colour. He looked like miniature HUlk. Estella put her wand back in her pocket. smiling to herself. Harry turned himself back to normal. He had just opened his mouth to say something when she held up her hand.
"There's no need. I know what you want to say. I've proved myself so I get the job. I knew it would come to this. Anyways go on say it, say it."
"Well actually I wasn't going to say that. I must say you're good but you have no experience. How am I to trust you with the students?"
"Oh, come on! You defeated Lord Voldemort when you were 17, Professor. The deputy head here is what, 20? So, why can't I get to teach here? And I've also proved myself. I even performed a non-verbal spell. Why aren't you taking that into account? All I need is an opportunity to prove myself, you have to consider me, plea----"
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
Ginny and Hermione came in. They approached Harry's table. Before they had so much as greeted them Estella stood up and started.
"Hello! I am Estella Zavatti. I am here to apply for the post of Ancient Runes. It's lovely to meet you. I am very talented. I can---" Harry cut her short before she could speak anymore.
"You're hired Miss Zavatti. Congratulations! and thank you very much." Harry stood up.
"Oh, that's really great. Thank you very much, Professor. My luggage is downstairs. I'll stay at Hogwarts from today." She shook everyone's hand before turning to leave than turned around just as Harry approached Hermione and Ginny to tell them that Tom hadn't returned yet when there was a loud crack and Tom appeared in front of Estella holding Fawkes. Fawkes flew to his perch as Tom fell to the office floor and Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron ran to him while Estella stood in shock.
"Tom! What--, How--?" Harry began but Tom held his hand.
"Harry, it's--it's Mal----Malfoy. He's the ser--- servant." He then closed his eyes like his purpose was served and passed out again.
CID
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