Harry Potter and the Perfect Stranger: Updated Book 3 - Page 49

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Chapter 21

The Twin Shock

"Harry Potter, what is going on?" Latnok hissed at Harry the moment Roy disapparated.

"Ask yourself. Who has the authority to allow apparition in and out of the Ministry for everyone?" Harry hissed back at him. If only Latnok had not favored Malfoy things would be a lot more different.

"You can't blame everything on Malfoy. What is going on in the first place?"

"I have no time for explanations. Meet me in an hour at my office. I'll tell you everything but right now I need help down in the Department of Mysteries."

"Who else is here?"

"Ron, Hermione, my wife and one of my staff."

"You mean Lestrange?"

"Apart from him there were two more. I'll tell you the details later. You must accompany me down there."

As Latnok and the rest of the members of the Wizengamot made to accompany him, Harry shouted to stop them. "No! I want Latnok to help me, not anyone else." Harry didn't want everyone down there. Tom's and Riddle's unconscious bodies lay there. He could confide into Latnok about them because right now there wasn't another option but if word got out about them then Tom's life would be over even before it started. He would be sent to Azkaban for no crime but for only being Voldemort's son.

"Why?"

"Because there has been a murder. I don't want any details removed from that place. It's better if the two of us go down there alone."

"Who?"

"Rabastian Lestrange."

"Rabastian Lestrange... he was reported missing a year ago... then the case was withdrawn...we assumed he would have been found..."

"Look, we can talk about this later. I need help, right now."

"Alright."

Harry and Latnok took one of the lifts back down to the Department of Mysteries. Harry's heart was pounding. He didn't know exactly how he was going to explain it to Latnok about Tom and Riddle but as of now, both of them needed help. The moment they entered the Circular Room they found themselves face to face with Hermione who was looking for a way out.

"Harry, we need to hurry." She said glancing at Latnok.

Harry nodded and all three of them entered the room with the veil to find Ron and Tom unconscious on the floor. Near the door lay Rabastian's dead body which was to be taken away by the Auror Department for investigation. To Harry's surprise, Riddle was nowhere to be seen. Harry looked at Hermione and saw her reassuring beam knowing she had concealed him.

"My God... what has happened to him?" asked Latnok when his eyes fell on Tom who was drenched in blood. Harry had noticed the gashes over his face but had not known the same had happened to the rest of his body. The same thing would have happened to Riddle.

"He had a tremendous duel with Malfoy. He needs help, we need to get him to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? Harry, he needs professional Healers."

"Madam Brown will take care of him. He doesn't like hospitals." Harry didn't want Tom to be sent to St. Mungoes. What if he woke up with complete strangers around him and reacted differently but Latnok wouldn't give up.

"I don't care what he likes. He's going to St. Mungoes, right now." Latnok conjured up a stretcher and put Tom over it, hovering it by his wand tip, he turned to leave. Hermione revived Ron and to Latnok's shock Ron didn't know where he was or what he was doing here.

"What's happened to him, now?"

"He was imperiused. We have to go." He added to Ron to make him realize the urgency of the situation.

"Harry, Tom, what's happened to him?"

"Not now, Ron. Hermione help him." Harry had told her to take the disillusioned Riddle with her. Ron could help himself. "I have to find Ginny. She's in the Prophecy Room." Harry addressed Latnok who nodded.

After about 5 minutes Harry and Ginny caught up with Latnok hovering Tom, Hermione and Ron hovering Riddle making their way back to the Atrium. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Riddle not known by Latnok disapparated to Hogsmeade while Harry, Latnok and Tom disapparated to St. Mungoes. Once inside St.Mungoes and Tom was submitted to the healers who were devastated to see the state he was in, Latnok wanted Harry to clear things now only.

"Your staff is being healed, the rest all are fine, now you may tell me what happened to them and you."

"Not yet, I need to make sure if he's fine or not." Harry nodded towards Tom as a healer patched up his own arm. "Please meet me at my office in an hour. I have to wait until he wakes up or at least I'm assured that he is fine."

Latnok seemed like he wanted to argue or shout at him but he controlled himself in the light of the event that might have occurred the previous night. "Look, summon his family. They can attend to -__"

Harry didn't want to argue anymore. He wanted peace for at least 5 minutes which he wouldn't get with Latnok hovering above him like a ghost. "I'm his family and that's exactly what I'm doing. Now, please, meet me in my office in an hour."

Latnok finally realized Harry needed isolation, nodded and left.

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Hermione, Ginny and Ron appeared in Hogsmeade. Riddle was still hovered by Hermione's wand. Hermione had done what she had felt necessary to do but she herself had no idea what had happened at the Ministry or why. All she knew was that she should wait at Hogwarts for Harry to tell them exactly what had happened. Ginny had filled her in about the two of them being imperiused and Hermione had remembered Malfoy cursing them but she also didn't know what had befallen Tom and Riddle.

Once inside the castle they were relieved. But they didn't relax until they were safely inside the hospital wing and Ginny had awoken Madam Brown.

"What has happened? You look ruffled." She said as she peered closely at Ginny. "Oh, what a pleasant surprise, what are you two doing here?" And then as her eyes fell on Ron and Hermione she approached them.

"Lavender, we need your help." said Hermione exchanging looks with Ginny and Ron.

Madam Brown looked like she didn't understand. Hermione pointed towards the nearby bed which much to her shock was occupied. She had removed the disillusionment charm from over Riddle and had put him over the bed which was soaked in red blood by now.

"My goodness! Tom! What-_ How--_?" She approached the bed staring at him completely bewildered. She took out her wand. She needed to examine his wounds, see what had happened to him. As she peered closely at him she realized there were gashes over his face and body which could only appear at the application or removal of some powerful curse. Ones that could heal only over time. There was no potion or spell that could heal those but there was a potion that could sooth them.

She swished her wand and removed the cloak from over him. As she did so, she realized that Tom never wore cloaks. She looked questioningly at it and was about to ask about it when the door of the wing clicked open and Harry entered.
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"How is he?" He asked the moment he entered.

"He's fine." Madam Brown replied. "But If I may Headmaster, what is going on? Has anything happened?"

"It's a long story, Lavender. I shall explain to you everything I know the first opportunity I get. I just wanted to be sure if he was fine or not. Ron, Hermione, Ginny please accompany me to my office."

Saying so, Harry left the wing followed by the three of them, leaving Madam Brown quite confused. She had forgotten about the cloak but she was curious about what had happened to him.

Harry entered his office and locked the door from inside so no one could over hear them. He told them everything that had happened the previous night. When he reached the part when he was able to disarm Riddle, they were all confused.

"Does that mean you got the ownership of the wand back?" asked Ron.

"If that was the case, Riddle would not have penetrated my shield charm, but he did."

"That means his protection was weak." devised Ginny.

"Was he hurt, in any way, then?" asked Hermione.

"No, but Tom was."

"So, if one's protection can be penetrated so can be the other's." said Ron comprehension dawning upon him.

"Maybe, but there's more to it than just that. They are connected, the two of them. Their souls are, anyways." Harry resumed explaining what had happened after that. They were shocked to hear that Riddle had actually asked for remorse to help Voldemort come back. Once again when Harry told them what had happened when the part of soul had left the locket, there was nothing but more confusion.

"Harry, how's that possible? You are saying that when Riddle's soul parted with him, so did Tom's? How can that happen?" asked Hermione now agitated.

"I don't know, but, I told you, they are connected. Like, we've seen stigmatic twins, their bodies are connected in such a way that if one is harmed so is the other. Only in their case, it's their souls which are connected and their powers not their bodies. If one's soul is harmed, so is the other's or powers. Do you remember when Riddle had stabbed Tom, we were all wondering why hadn't he just killed him? I think I know the answer to that and I think so does Riddle. If one of them dies, the other one is deprived of the protection they have, deprived of the special powers inherited by the two of them."

Once Harry finished a long silence prevailed as all four of them were lost, though Hermoine had something on her mind.

"Harry, what are we going to tell everyone else, here? They don't know it's Riddle and not Tom."

"We're not going to tell them anything. They won't know it's Riddle. To them he will be Tom. They are not yet ready to accept Riddle. He has done much harm to them to deserve their wrath, but now when he wakes up, he'll have changed, but they won't see this."

"But Harry," said Ginny, "once Tom comes back, then everyone will know there's two of them."

"We won't let anyone know Riddle's here. They'll be after his blood if they find out. Once Tom comes back Riddle lives in hiding. He can disguise himself pretty well. He won't even need a cloak to be invisible."

Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked disapproving but didn't argue as Harry got up to change. He went to his room to freshen up. By the time he had come out Ron and Hermione had left to go to the Burrow to do the same thing. He sat down at his Headmaster chair and sent a patronus to Latnok.

Latnok knocked at his door 15 minutes later. Harry sat up straight in his chair. As Latnok entered, he looked grave.

"We just took out Rabastian's body from Department of Mysteries..." Informed Latnok as he sat down opposite Harry. "What did happen, Harry?"

"Voldemort...I told you Malfoy was planning to bring him back fully..."

"Voldemort? You never mentioned him when I asked you earlier and he wasn't even seen at the Ministry."

"I told you I'll tell you the details later which is now and he wasn't seen at the Ministry because he disapparated before you arrived. Malfoy lured me into a trap. He needed my blood to bring back Voldemort." Harry lied, his minded guarded by occlumency. Harry couldn't breathe a word about Tom's relation to Voldemort, he knew it would get him killed so he brought his old enmity with Vodlemort in to protect Tom. "And he was successful, thanks to you. You gave him complete access to the Ministry of Magic! And you didn't trust me and my friends when I told you this would happen! What were you doing at the Ministry, at this hour? Interrogating my friends?" It was Harry's turn to be angry.

Latnok looked at him from his slits for pupils. Of course, he had been at the Ministry at that hour with half the Wizengamot to interrogate Harry's companions and make them spill the secret of the Order of the Phoenix, instead they had all stumbled upon the chaos that Latnok had not expected at all. He had not expected Harry's deductions to be true. He had trusted Malfoy profoundly and Malfoy had fooled him skillfully. Now, he would be the one explaining his actions to the Wizengamot but he could handle them. They were a bunch of greedy bureaucrats that didn't care who was right and who was not as long as they stayed in power. He was only glad he had not broken the news of arrest of Harry's companions. That would allow him to slide out of this situation with a humble apology. "I am sorry. I should have listened to you. Malfoy got the best of me, I guess. But I am listening now. And I want to know everything, Harry."

"Ron. Malfoy imperiused him and he took me to the Ministry. He told me he had arranged a meeting with you. That he had convinced you to release our friends. I didn't think twice before accompanying him."

"Then?"

"It was only then that I realized that it was a trap when I came face to face with Malfoy. With help from Royston Lestrange and Estella Zavatti, Malfoy overpowered me and took my blood to complete the spell of the potion he had been brewing up in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione and Ginny realized something was wrong when they didn't hear from me. They arrived at the Ministry when I was dueling with Voldemort. As they backed me Malfoy, Zavatti and Lestrange backed Voldemort."

"Wait, Lestrange and Zavatti were your teachers, how come they were involved in all this and how can you prove Malfoy was directly involved in all this?"

"Who would arrange apparition in and out of the Ministry? Who had complete access to the Department of Mysteries?"

Latnok nodded, he had been wrong trusting Malfoy. "But why Department of Mysteries?"

"It's at the lowest level. If anyone arrived at the Ministry, they wouldn't know what was going on. Lestrange as it was revealed, was siding with Voldemort because he had captured Rabastian. Estella Zavatti, on the other hand was a grave mistake that I made. I hired her without proper investigation. She was involved with Voldemort all along. I suspected her a few months ago and that's the reason I expelled her."

"Hmm. What about Tom? Where does he come in?"

"Tom usually remained with Zavatti and Lestrange and he had been suspecting them too. It was on his word that I expelled Zavatti. Last night when Malfoy executed his plans, Lestrange was called to him and Tom got air of it. He dueled with Lestrange but Lestrange put him under imperius curse and left him in the Forbidden Forest. Inside the forest he fell into a trench, and broke his wand." Harry had to explain the broken wand because he knew aurors would set up several traces in the room with the Veil to discover the no. of wands used and will detect all spells curses cast there and Harry was sure they would come one wand short and that would be Tom's. That was why he had explained Tom's broken wand as per what porch had informed him when he had come looking for him to tell him that Tom had run after Roy to help him. Porch and Tom had both been in the forest chasing after a Dragon, Porch had figured Tom had fallen in a trench seeing the broken wand and Tom's ruffled state. "But he was able to free himself of the curse. The moment he was out of it, he apparated to the Ministry. He was able to sneak Ron's wand from where he lay unconscious and he dueled with Malfoy as I did with Voldemort. When I couldn't fight Voldmort alone, Hermione joined me and Ginny dueled with Lestrange and Zavatti alone. She was stunned. Tom who was still fighting Malfoy had started bleeding but he gave it his all and finally stunned Malfoy. Zavatti was able to stun Hermione and Lestrange who wanted nothing but his father back reverted Malfoy and asked him the whereabouts of Rabastian. Malfoy took him to Rabastian as Tom joined me against Voldemort but Voldemort put a deadly curse on him. Those gashes you saw on his body, that's very dark magic."

Latnok nodded heavily then asked, "How did Rabastian die?"

"Voldemort was about to kill me when Rabastian, who was bound in the Prophecy room, entered the room with the Veil followed by Lestrange and Malfoy. He saved my life and Lestrange started dueling with Voldemort. Malfoy revived Zavatti and convinced Voldemort to leave. Voldemort ran away leaving Lestrange to tackle a gigantic snake as Malfoy dueled with me and Rabastian. It was one moment just one moment when he disarmed Malfoy, one moment when he looked to me in the eye and I thanked him silently and couldn't notice Malfoy retrieving his wand. I realized a second later that he had fired the killing curse at me. Rabastian saved my life again but couldn't save himself. He pushed me aside and died himself. That is why Lestrange followed Zavatti and Malfoy up to the Atrium and fired an unforgivable curse at Malfoy. He had seen his father die in front of his very own eyes. What else would you expect him to do?"

"So, Lestrange is innocent?"

"Isn't my word enough to prove that?"

"Not completely, Harry. If he is to be proved innocent then he must present himself in court."

"You know that is going to be difficult."

"It already has been. We've started search for him, but yet we've had no luck whatsoever."

"You don't need to do that. I can find him and get him to court. Remove your aurors from his search." Harry couldn't let aurors catch Roy. He could be great help to him.

"But-_"

"Listen, if anyone can get him to court, that's me. So, trust me. I'll find him. I don't want any aurors swarming around him when he's not expecting them. After all, it's his father who's died and if he's arrested for that, there could be consequences."

Latnok nodded. "I'd remove my aurors immediately. But Harry, what about Malfoy?"

"He's not coming back. He never did."

"The Minister's post will be empty again, what will we do about that?"

"If I may, I suggest you don't put it on offer and do what you should have done a year ago. When I nominated Hermione, I did it for a reason."

Latnok was staring at Harry straight in the eye. He could see assurance there that his decision will be respected no matter what but he felt something. He felt like Harry was holding something back. There was something that he wasn't being told about. But what? and Why?

"Harry, I am still at a lost about one thing. If Voldemort was brought back tonight, what did we see last year in the Atrium?"

"That was Voldemort in soul, formless, bodiless..."

"And now, he is back? In flesh? He has returned in the same manner as in the final night of the Triwizard Tournament?"

Harry gulped down. He knew that hadn't happened yet but he knew Voldemort would be hell bent on getting there as well, it would be better with the Wizrding World was aware of that threat sooner than later.

"Yes."

"Very well." said Latnok after a little while. To him Harry seemed relieved, perhaps because the tense conversation they were having had just ended. Latnok was about to leave when something struck him. That boy, Tom Riddle, why was he everywhere Harry was? Or if you looked at it the other way around why was he everywhere Voldemort was? He was there when Bolt had died. He was there when Rabastian died, both times left barely alive. Why? Why was he getting so much of the fire when the stove wasn't his?

"How's Tom, Harry?" asked Latnok in a by the way manner.

"Oh, he's - he's fine." Harry wasn't expecting the question. "The Healers think they'll be able to patch him up."

"That's good. He would have been a real help to you, right?"

"Yes."

"Talented boy, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Who's line does he come from? I mean, I've never heard the name Riddle before, you know."

"I don't precisely know, but he was in Gryffindor when he studied here. His roots might be down there somewhere."

"Well, you know how neutral Hogwarts has become since Voldemort's exile 20 years ago, so you never know."

Harry just nodded to that. He was afraid to say anything for the fear that he might let something slip.

"Very well, then, Harry. I will be releasing your friends the first thing in the morning and brief the Wizengamot about the turn of events. I will need you to hold a press conference about Voldemort's complete return in flesh, I assume because we saw him quite clearly last year in that very Atrium. He will be gathering forces I assume. We had best gather ours. I'll let you know when we're arranging Rabastian's funeral and you let me know when Tom comes around." Latnok stood up to leave.

"Tom, Why?"

"I need his statement, just to verify things, and being a talented boy he is, his talents should be acknowledged, after all, he dueled with someone else's wand to save his Headmaster."

Harry nodded again. Latnok nodded in reply and left leaving Harry worried sick.

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Latnok apparated in the crowded Atrium of the Ministry and made straight for the Minister's office. He entered without knocking as no one was inside. Once inside he didn't care what he broke or trod over. He was in a hurry, to find something. He was looking for the files that contained bio data of all Hogwarts teachers, as they all had to be approved by the Minister at the time of their appointment. Finally, he found the drawer that contained these files. He pulled all of them out and scattered them on the table and sat down on the chair that a few hours ago belonged to Malfoy. He looked through them feverishly until he found the one that he was looking for. The file of the Deputy Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He opened it slowly not able to contain his excitement neither wanting to ruin it as he knew there was something unique that he was about to see. But when he opened the file there was nothing uncommon there. Tom Marvolo Riddle, Son to Tom Marvolo Riddle, nearly 23, teaches DADA, Grad of Hogwarts School of W...But this was all that he already knew. He looked at the details closely again and noticed one thing. The name of Tom's father, was his own name. The whole of it. It was very curious but then what was so strange and sinister about that? As this thought occurred to him, he remembered something. He remembered the name Marvolo... he had read it somewhere...in history...about old wizarding families...Marvolo...it was something related to sinister, but what...yes, Marvolo...Marvolo Gaunt was the absolutely last descendant of Salazar Slytherin, the Sinister Salazar Slytherin.
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He awoke in one of the warmest places in the world. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was feeling exceptionally warm under plain white sheets. He pulled them off of himself annoyingly. He didn't like white that much. Riddle blinked furiously as he saw a woman enter the room with a kid in tow realizing that he was alive. But where was he? He sat up. He was wearing light blue pajamas and he hated them. Where was his cloak? He stood up and looked around. At the foot side of his bed lay neatly laundered and ironed clothes. He picked them up but to his astonishment they were muggle clothes. Was he in a muggle territory?

"Tom, thank goodness, you're fine!" Riddle turned to look at the woman who had called him. She was approaching him quickly. "Oh, sit down for heaven's sake!" She pushed him down on the bed and he obliged not because he wanted to but because by the name she had called him reminded him of everything that seemed to have been resting at the back of his head.

He remembered the previous night and everything that had happened then. He remembered Neville, Hannah and Mayweather and Bolt. He closed his eyes for fear.

"Tom, are you alright?" Madam Brown shook him back to reality. This woman was really annoying him now but he knew better than to say anything. He knew she thought he was Tom, his brother, but why? Where was he? And why was he in his place at Hogwarts?

"Tom, answer me, boy!" Madam Brown peered closely at him when he didn't reply her but kept staring at her strangely.

"I am fine." He finally spoke, only to silence the irritating woman.

"Thank God. I was so worried. What had happened?"

Riddle thought for a moment. He didn't want to talk to anyone let alone this woman. "I don't remember."

Madam Brown nodded. She knew Tom was very emotional. Perhaps something painful was going through him and he didn't want to talk about it just yet. "Very well, dear. I've put your clothes on your bed. Get dressed and as soon as you feel like it visit the Headmaster. He had been wanting to see you."

Riddle stared at her. She didn't know that he was Riddle. Did Harry Potter know? Had he brought him here? He knew all answers will be available to him when he met with him. But there was something else. If he went to see Harry, he would also meet Tom, something that he didn't want to do since he had awoken. He couldn't explain that feeling yet but he just didn't want to have to face him not yet at least.

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Tom was walking through a corridor with a dragon beside him but when he entered the Department of Mysteries he was quite alone. He was looking for someone but he didn't know who. He knew he would know that when he would see the person he was looking for. Suddenly a woman came out of the shadows, she was a fairy with bloodstained teeth and dark circled eyes. She attacked him and as he bled he saw himself standing over himself laughing at himself. He reached for his wand and found it split into two. He had just turned for help when he came face to face with Voldemort and felt like a hundred knives were cutting into his very skin. He fell to the floor gasping for air when Harry was brought into the room and was thrown down a trench in front of his very own eyes. As he ran to save him, his foot slipped and he fell into the trench himself, the trench which didn't seem to have an end. He managed to grab an edge of the trench to keep him from falling and he shouted, with all his might, for help. A light erupted and someone extended their hand and pulled him up. As Tom's feet found the concrete, the face of the stranger loomed out of the darkness and he saw his brother, his friend, Roy, standing there smiling at him. He held on to his brother, feeling safe again when something strange happened. Roy pulled him towards him, looked him eye to eye and smiled, but something about that smile wasn't sound, because a second later he pushed him with all his might and before Tom knew what had happened he fell into nothingness and darkness.

"Harry!" Tom awoke with a start.

Tom looked around feverishly. Where was Harry? Was he alright? The dream he had been having was vivid to him. He threw off the white sheets that covered him. The moment he stood up he felt a searing pain in his spine but he didn't care. He needed to know where Harry was. He strode out of his room looking furiously around not able to realize that he was at St. Mungoes. He wasn't conscious properly. His head wasn't in the right place right. Somehow, it was still exactly where it had been last night, when he had been lured to the Ministry of Magic.

The moment he stepped out the door a sweet faced witch stopped him. "Where are you going? You're supposed to stay in your room." She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him back to the bed but he shook her off.

"Get away from me!" She was taken aback by his rudeness. "I must leave. I must find Harry. He has him. I must find a way to rescue him."

"Who has who? Who are you talking about?"

"Voldemort has Harry! He'll kill him...it was my fault...all of it...I called him there...for him!" As Roy's thought struck him anger rose inside him.

"You-Know-Who has Harry Potter? But that's impossible! Harry Potter's safe and sound. But I think you need help, dear. Look just get back into your room-_"

"No! I must help. It was my fault...I must go!"

"I'm sorry, dear but I'm going to have to do this." The nurse pulled out her wand. She would put him to sleep for some time. He would relax that way and be rid of these fantasies.

Tom though felt a completely opposite impact of the woman's actions. He felt like he was being attacked again. He wanted to disarm her but he didn't have a wand. In his anxiety to rid her of the wand he swished his hand making a gesture downwards, at the same time feeling the power surge through him that he usually felt surging through him when he had his wand, as the woman's wand flew out of her hand. She stared at him unbelievably.

"I've got to go!" Tom shouted at the woman aggressively and hurried out into the corridor.

"Wait!" She grabbed her wand and ran after him. "Accio Patient!" The spell simply bounced off of him. She was amazed at it. She had worked at St. Mungoes for 11 years and had used this spell a million times to summon patients who were trying to escape but today it hadn't worked.

Tom didn't know where was he headed to. All he knew was that he had to save Harry. He had spilled quite a lot to that woman subconsciously. He pushed past witches and wizards as he tried to get out of there. Unaware of the presence of stairs he tripped right over them and fell through the length of the stairs. As his head collided with the bottom stair he heard a shout behind him and someone came running at him, climbing down the stairs as quickly as they could.

"Tom, get up!" It was Hermione. She was supposed to be with him all the time but she had gone to get herself a cup of tea when he had awoken. She pulled him up by the arm. As Tom got to his feet his vision blurred more and more. The stinging pain on his head where it had collided with the bottom stair and was now bleeding profusely was blinding him. Hermione pointed her wand at the wound.

"Healious Momento!" It healed then and there but as she wiped off the blood and Tom saw her wand he swished his hand again and her wand flew out of her hand. She stared at him bewildered but she knew she had to get him back to that room otherwise questions will be asked about him.

She shook him to bring him back to his senses. "Tom! Tom, look at me! Tom!" As she said it not only did his vision clear but so did his memories and he knew this had happened before. He remembered the night in the Gryffindor Tower when he had awoken half decent to find Roses staring into his eyes with her brown ones just like Hermione's. He felt it was happening again. Not wanting to feel more ashamed he pushed her away from himself. "Get away! Don't come near me!"

Hermione backed off. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't control him, she couldn't talk to him. There was just one thing that came to her mind and she knew Harry would forgive her if she did that but she knew it was necessary. She picked up her wand and pointed it at his head.

"Tom, remember this! I'm so sorry! Imperio!" For a second Tom's face contracted as if, he were in pain and then it relaxed. She ordered him to climb up the stairs and go back into his room. He obliged without the shadow of a doubt because right now his mind wasn't in his control.

Once inside the room, Hermione thanked the nurse for running after him as he had run around the place. Requested her to leave and closed the door locking it from inside. She sent a patronus to Harry to get to St. Mungoes as soon as he could, hoping against hope that he would come before anything happened to Tom.

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"Tom, out of control, need help, nothing's working." Harry received Hermione's patronus exactly the moment there was a knock on his door.

"Enter." Harry said quickly getting up. He was a few feet away from the door when it opened and entered the last person he wanted to see right now.

"What am I doing here, Harry Potter?" Riddle asked Harry stopping him dead in his stride.

Harry had wanted to see him the moment he awoke but right now he needed to get to St. Mungoes to help Hermione with Tom. As this thought occurred to him, he realized something. The moment Tom had awoken, so had Riddle. Harry could see a remarkable change in Riddle's appearence. The glint of red that usually lunged at your insides was gone from his eyes, his face previously damaged had somehow repaired itself and the gashes that had appeared on his face and body had gone away completely, leaving no mark behind. Riddle seemed relatively calm. He didn't seem angry but seemed annoyed. His eyes didn't have the sparkle that Tom had, they were plain and empty like dark tunnels but they weren't evil like before.

"You are here, because I need your help." Harry suddenly knew what to do. He couldn't penetrate Tom's powers but Riddle could. Though he wouldn't let him harm Tom in anyway.

"How?"

"Tom, he isn't fine and no one can get to him at this moment except for you."

Riddle understood more than what was said. He didn't need to be told everything. And he had immense control over his own mind along with that of the others. He had penetrated Harry's occlumency pretty easily. "I will not harm him, Harry Potter. Although I do not feel the love he has felt for me for years, I at least know the worth of a life, after last night."

Harry nodded. "Disguise yourself, the best way you can."

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While waiting for Harry, Hermione dozed off a little as she had not slept properly since last night watching over Tom, as Harry had instructed her to. She had relaxed because Tom was imperiused and under the imperius curse he had sat peacefully on his bed. A few moments had passed after she had fallen asleep when she heard a loud bang. She awoke immediately to see that Tom had broken the door open, without a wand. She hadn't even realized when he had broken through the curse. She couldn't believe just how powerful he had become when he was hardly conscious. He held more power than he knew because he had never tried to explore himself and even if he had known of these powers he had avoided them taking them as something bad or poisonous.

"Tom, wait, please!" Hermione shouted from the doorway but he hardly heard her and started to move away. Hermione who had to stop him at any cost could only think of one thing.

"Please forgive me, Tom." muttering under her breath she finally did what she was avoiding to do for a long time. "Crucio!" Although Hermione did not want to do what she did but she was a professional. When she cursed him she meant it and she was the only witch in the century who could perform the Cruciatus Curse when they did not mean it. It had been a part of her training as a Ministry official to use on deatheaters.

Hermione's curse was strong. Tom fell to the marble floor of the hospital immediately. When Hermione removed the curse, he took a deep breath gasping for air. It had come as a shock for him. He stood up as she neared him. And instead of Hermione he saw Estella, standing there laughing at him as he was cursed. He wanted to kill her. As this thought occurred to him Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. She hadn't actually stopped, she was pushed back by a force which wasn't visible to her. Her wand slipped from her fingers as a tight knot gagged her throat and she found herself shaking as her feet left the floor.

All the healers of that floor and the nurse who had previously run behind Tom now gathered around him trying to make him leave Hermione who was hanging in mid-air choking violently as Tom did all in his power to kill her once and for all.

"Stupefy!"

Tom was thrown 10 feet from where he stood and Hermione fell from the air on the marble floor as Harry ran to her aid. To Harry's surprise Tom wasn't stunned but was shocked to have been knocked down like that. No one else in the corridor could see him but for Tom, only he was there. Riddle disguised completely by a disillusionment charm advanced on Tom who did not back away. Even Riddle was taken aback to see his spell not working on Tom. He had always considered himself to be of superior powers but today, perhaps, he was going to be proved wrong.

He silently tried to stun him once more and to his astonishment Tom blocked his spell. Tom who couldn't recognize anyone had suddenly recognized him. He had known him, had cared for him, had loved his brother but today, his brother had finally taken his very best thing away from him. He had taken Harry away. Tom who had not recognized Harry as he had run to catch Hermione before she fell still thought that he was bound somewhere with Riddle.

Riddle didn't know, how or exactly where to attack him to bring him back to his senses but he felt one thing. Right now, the weakest point of Tom was him mind, with which he could not focus. It was very easy to be penetrated. And as he went through it furiously he suddenly came across a fear, that was rather childish, but it was there. Knowing what to do, Riddle conjured a dagger out of nowhere. A dagger, which was sharp and seemed ready to strike. The moment Tom's eyes fell on it he stopped. Fear flooded his face and he started backing away.

Harry who couldn't see what Riddle was doing could only tell that whatever it was, it was working. Riddle advanced on Tom who backed back into his room. Harry grabbed that opportunity and repaired the door, shutting it back safely to ensure no one saw what was going in there.

"Show yourself." The moment the door closed, Harry ordered Riddle to remove the disillusionment charm. Riddle did so and Harry gasped. He was holding a dagger and Tom was slammed against the wall for the fear of it. He couldn't believe that this was the reason Tom had backed away but he needed to bring him back to his senses.

"Tom, look at me." His words made no impact whatsoever on him. Harry decided it was no time for talking. He motioned Riddle to stun him while he was still scared. He would figure out something when they'd all be back at Hogwarts.

Riddle raised his wand and Tom closed his eyes ready for what came next. He was so scared he felt minute in front of that dagger. "Stupefy!"

Once Tom was stunned there was more trouble than Harry had imagined. Hermione got back to herself within a few minutes but she was very scared. Tom who lay stunned was disguised by Riddle and they had planned to take Riddle with them, portraying him as Tom while Tom would by hovered by one of them, right above their heads.

Once they apparated to Hogsmeade, they were worried about where to keep Tom. He couldn't stay at the Hospital Wing because as per Madam Brown's view he had left it only this morning. They decided he would stay in his own room, concealed in a disillusionment charm. Harry didn't argue that but he knew it would be a disaster if Tom awoke and found himself in the lone presence of his brother, who had tried to kill him.

"Revert him now, Harry. So he knows you're fine. And doesn't go looking for you again." Hermione suggested the moment Tom was laid on his bed and the disillusionment charm was removed from over him. Harry had removed the portrait of the Fat Lady before they brought Tom here. If the Fat Lady knew there was two of them, the whole castle would know.

Harry nodded. Riddle started to leave the room but Harry stopped him. "Wait, it's better he takes it in all at once. I don't want him to come across any surprises." Riddle nodded, but strange though it was, he casted a shield charm, as Harry raised his wand. "Enervate!"

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Peri I have read the cursed child recently.

AND this is better this is far better version of a take on future.
If you don't believe me say so I will give you why yours is a better version.

Chapter 22 (The Final Chapter)

Compromising Closure

Tom opened his eyes. He looked around, slowly and his eyes fell on Harry.

"Tom, it's me. I'm here and we're home. We're back at Hogwarts. Everything's fine. Everyone's fine. Tom, are you getting me?" Harry bore into his eyes and was relieved to see him nod. He pushed himself up and as he moved his hand the glass on his bedside table fell crashing down on the floor. He was surprised to see that like others but he couldn't tell what it was.

He was relieved to see Harry. He had been so scared for him. As everything came back to him he closed his eyes for what he had seen. He had seen what Riddle had done to his friends, how he had tortured them and then when they had finally begged for it, he had killed them, mercilessly.

"Harry, thank God you're..." Tom started but as he looked up his eyes fell on someone standing behind Harry. Fear and anger flooded him when he saw him. There stood none other than his brother, Riddle. "What's he doing here?" Tom asked Harry as he jumped out of the bed and strode right through the protective shield charm to face Riddle who observed him with interest. He had never seen Tom so powerful yet so weak, before. Tom felt his head was still heavy.

"That is the same question I asked your headmaster." Riddle replied him calmly.

"I don't suppose you'd like to go back to Malfoy and take innocent lives again, like you did before?" Harry mocked him at his rudeness.

Riddle looked back at Harry now both afraid and tense. He did not want to go back. After what he had been through, he knew he couldn't take another life, again, not for the world. He didn't reply Harry but dropped his gaze as he remembered his actions.

"He is here because he has nowhere else to go and also because he owes an apology to someone." Harry replied Tom's question looking directly at Riddle. Riddle looked at him and knew what he meant. He knew he couldn't utter the words but he also had an inkling that his stay here was somehow depending on his apology. And somewhere deep down he knew he did owe that apology but he just couldn't do it.

"I never said I did." Riddle replied Harry back and turned to leave, knowing he would be told to leave anyhow.

"Where are you going?" asked Harry.

"I will see to it."

"No, you will not, Riddle. This is my opportunity to show you exactly what your father had been and exactly what I am. And I will not let you take it away from me. You are welcome to live at Hogwarts."

"Harry! He cannot stay!" Tom shouted swaying a little. He still couldn't focus but he knew where he was and who was he talking to. "You know what he's done!" Tom who didn't even want to see him protested against Riddle's stay here.

"I know, but he deserves a second chance."

"No, he doesn't! He's a murderer! He killed Neville and Hannah, he killed Mayweather, he killed Bolt, he tried to kill you and he tried to kill me!"

"I never intended to kill you." said Riddle.

"And we all know the reason for that." Harry retorted back at Riddle who realized Harry knew the reason he had not killed Tom for.

"You do?" asked Tom taken aback. Harry had always told him he hadn't known. Tom who felt things were moving around him swayed once more and was about to fall when Riddle grabbed his arm. Tom would rather have fallen. He pushed him away as if he had something infectious. Harry who saw that quite clearly, grabbed Tom.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked him as Riddle looked away. He hadn't liked the way Tom had behaved with him.

"No, Everything's moving. I can't focus." Tom replied.

"I understand. Look, Tom, Riddle, we need to talk. All of us. Tom, Riddle is staying here, with you, in your room. Mainly because no one knows he exists and for that matter he does not. Riddle you are not to roam around the Castle. Even if you leave your room, you are to be disguised, completely. Am I clear?" asked Harry.

Tom nodded reluctantly not understanding why harry was making such a stupid decision but he also knew he was in no condition to oppose him.

"No." It was Riddle who replied. "I want to ask something."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a black cloak. This is rather uncomfortable." replied Riddle with distaste. He hated these muggle clothes but he did not pronounce it out loud.

Half an hour later when Riddle had received a black cloak from Harry and Tom had changed into his usual clothes, all three of them settled down in Harry's office with Tom still glaring angrily at Riddle. Hermione had gone home to rest when Harry had assured her he could handle it.

"Tom, I want to know everything that happened last night. Every single thing since you walked into the Forbidden Forest earlier." Harry said to Tom who didn't look at him when he was addressed.

"I'd like our conversation to be more private." said Tom still glaring at Riddle.

"Tom, please-_"

"No, Harry, don't ask me to understand it!" Tom stopped to take a deep breath. He still wasn't feeling completely well. "You don't know what I've been through. You don't know what he's done! He sent Estella, he sent him..." He didn't want to say Roy's name. "He lured me into the trap! He helped Voldemort come back! There is nothing in the world that can justify that!"

"True, there isn't...but what's done is done. He's paid for his mistakes. He is truly ashamed. And now is just not-__--"

Before Harry could finish there was a knock on his door. Riddle didn't even need to be told. He disappeared in a fraction of a second but only for Harry and the one who entered but for Tom he just stood up and left the seat empty for whoever had knocked.

"Enter." said Harry his mouth dry. He wasn't expecting anyone right now. And only to increase his worries entered none other than the Head of Wizengamot, Latnok.

"Harry," said Latnok as he reached across the table to shake his hand as Harry and Tom stood up. "Just got the news that our Deputy's doing well, I thought you'd inform me, but instead I got it from St. Mungoes directly. Anyways, how do you do?" Latnok extended his hand to Tom who took it quite confused. Why would the Head of Wizengamot want to know if he was well or not?

"I'm fine." replied Tom.

Latnok sat down beside him as did the two of them.

"I was just going to inform you." said Harry trying to cover up but he knew they were in trouble. Latnok had come to interrogate Tom who didn't know about the story he had presented to Latnok.

"Never mind that now. Are you sure you're fine, Tom?" Latnok asked him again.

"Yes, thank you for your concern."

"Oh no, I'm not concerned. You have much better people than me to be concerned about you." replied Latnok looking at Harry now. "I was asking because I heard what happened at St. Mungoes this morning." He continued looking back at Tom, boring into his eyes. Latnok was surprised to find that Tom wasn't even using occlumency at this moment. He could see all that was in there. And he could tell that he really didn't remember what had taken place this morning.

Riddle who had by now read Latnok's mind knew that Latnok knew about Tom being related to Voldemort and was here to question Tom about it, motioned to Tom to look away from him or else he would know everything. Tom understood what he was pointing at and looked down.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember anything."

"Well, I am aware of that. The staff there told me, you felt that Harry Potter was captured by the Dark Lord."

"Yes," Harry replied taking this opportunity. "I told you all about it. Tom did all in his power to protect me."

"Yes, yes, I remember. And when it comes to power, the hospital staff was kind enough to tell me that, although, you didn't have a wand on you, you knocked down quite a few things and were able enough to strangle Mrs. Granger-Weasley."

"Hermione...have I hurt her??" Tom looked questioningly at Harry.

"No, she's fine. She understood that you didn't know what you were doing."

"It seems like it's quite normal for you to use magic without a wand, is it?" Latnok asked Tom who didn't remember what he had done.

"No, it isn't. You are aware that he was hardly conscious and in such a situation things can become a little out of ordinary." replied Harry.

"I know how out of ordinary it became." Latnok retorted back at Harry who didn't like his tone. He had an inkling Latnok was here on a specific purpose. It seemed like he was intent on getting some facts out of Tom of which he had been suspecting him. "So, as Harry would have informed you, I wanted to verify some facts from you about the night when Rabstian Lestrange died."

"What!" Tom suddenly jumped out of his seat. And as he did so a vase nearby his chair exploded into bits. Latnok stared but didn't say anything as Harry quickly mended it. "Rabstian...he...died? But I thought he was..."

"You thought what?" asked Latnok.

"I thought he had died a year ago."

"What made you think that?"

"Roy, told me." Tom unintentionally said his name. But he realized it a moment later that he would reveal more facts if the conversation kept going this way.

"Royston Lestrange? Rabastian Lestrange's son? He said his father had died a year ago?"

"Yes," Harry replied, trying to put his story into Tom's version of it. "I told you, he lured me into the trap to save his father, about whom he had lied to us."

"Hmm. So, first of all, how did you break your wand?"

As Latnok asked him that question, Tom remembered he hadn't told Harry about the dragon. Tom looked at Harry whose face expressed only one thing quite clearly to speak anything but the truth.

"I-er-I fell into a trench in the forest. When I fell my wand was in my back pocket. It broke there."

"What happened when you reached the Ministry?"

Tom looked at Harry asking for help but knew Harry couldn't help him out of this. "When I reached there, I saw Malfoy, Estella and...uh-hu" Tom stopped. He didn't know what to say, he decided to excuse himself out of this. He wouldn't even have to lie. He couldn't stand any longer and he still felt his back ached a little. "I'm sorry...I can hardly remember..."

"Then try to. I need to verify Harry's statement."

"Look, perhaps, today is not the day." Harry suggested.

Latnok looked at Harry then at Tom. He had a feeling something was wrong and now that Tom wasn't ready to tell him anything he knew he was right. Nevertheless, he wouldn't leave empty handed. He was sure that whatever he had devised about Tom was not known by Harry. He wouldn't let Tom be at peace while he was shaken by what had occurred to him. If he really was related to Voldemort then he would give him enough of a wiff to wipe out his sleep.

"Very well." Latnok nodded then motioned to Tom. "I understand. I'll take my leave. You wouldn't mind escorting me to the gates, would you?" He asked Tom who nodded quickly not wanting to make it an awkward situation but before he and Latnok left Harry gave him that very same look of not letting anything on that he had given him just moments before as Riddle followed them.

"So, Tom, you're quite a young lad to be the Deputy Head, I say that is an achievement." said Latnok by way of speaking as the two of them stepped out of Harry's office. "Dutchsmen told me you were quite a student in Slytherin."

Tom looked at him fear flooding his eyes. "Gryffindor, I was in Gryffindor."

"Oh really? But aren't you from the line of the descendants of Salazar Slytherin?" Tom didn't know whether to nod or to shake his head as he felt doing either would cause more trouble. When he didn't reply Latnok continued himself. "Aren't you a great grandson of the Guants? Marvolo Gaunt? He's in your middle name. Surely, you know about him?" As Latnok asked Tom realized he had no way to escape, he would have to answer now.

"Yes...Marvolo Gaunt...I do come from his line."

"Oh, then it means that you are perhaps the last descendant of Salazar Slytherin."

"Perhaps..."

"You know, it's very curious but do you know who was the absolutely last descendant of Salazar Slytherin before you?"

Tom who knew exactly where Latnok was going shook his head.

"It was Lord Voldemort."

As Latnok said that silence fell between the two of them and Latnok did nothing but stare at Tom who was looking anywhere but directly into his eyes. They reached the Hogwarts gates and Latnok finally said what he had come to say.

"I know you are related to him."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your presence at the death of Bolt last year and at the Ministry last night wasn't a coincidence." Latnok took a step forward, grabbed him by his collar and stood so close to Tom that he had no other option but to look him straight into his eyes. Tom put all his theories into practical and blocked his mind. It was so difficult for him he couldn't even stand still. "I know Harry doesn't know that you're related to the Dark Lord but I do. I need one proof against you and you'll be in Azkaban being haunted by Dementors. When I step out of here don't think you'll be spared. I'll make sure I leave my eyes behind to follow you."

Latnok pushed him away and strode out of the Castle gates as Tom straightened up and felt something warm trickling down his nose. He was bleeding profusely. The effort occlumency had taken had proved to be too much for him. It was a second's relief and then everything went black as he fell to the leaf strewn grass of his beloved home and Harry caught him just before he hit the ground as Riddle appeared out of nowhere.

Harry looked from one to the other. He had never expected this, never thought of this. He didn't know what would happen next but he could feel the change in tides. The secret that Tom had protected all his life seemed to be dragging itself out and being there with both of them right now, Harry realized it would be out in the open sooner than he had expected and it wasn't something that he was looking forward to, not now when Voldemort was inches away from setting foot on this earth again.

Originally posted by: i_yatharthk

Peri I have read the cursed child recently.

AND this is better this is far better version of a take on future.
If you don't believe me say so I will give you why yours is a better version.

Keep Reading and Commenting! 😃

Hey Everyone!! So, the second book ends here!!! And I will be starting the third installment in this fanfiction series soon!!

Awesome work.. you keep us spell bound.. beautiful work girl..

Read both books in one go.. Awesome work Peri... Its far better than The Cursed Child... I would love to have a published copy of this one... Looking forward to the next instalment