A Hop Skip And A Jump Away

the graveyard

Tom Marvolo Riddle was being wrenched backward in time as he forcefully tried to keep his stomach on the inside of what he thought was his body. He didn't know when or where he would arrive and he mentally cursed himself for not getting the full deal spelled out before agreeing to it, even if he thought he was simply agreeing with the explanation and the knowledge of the possible results. A light laugh next to his ear made him aware of the fact that he was not alone on his wrenching trip a moment before he slammed into his previously conjured body in the graveyard.

The body, just stepping from the cauldron, stumbled and screamed. Wormtail very nearly soiled himself believing that the had screwed up the ritual and very shortly was going to die. Harry flinched backwards into the statue holding him, terrified for himself and a painful echo resonating in both his scar and his heart for how much agony the creature before him must be in. A moment later Voldemort wrestled his reactions back under control as the pain faded, the only sounds remaining that of distressed hissing from a nearby Nagini and ragged breathing from the resurrected dark lord.

"Are...are you alright?" Harry asked tentatively, causing the serpentine man to look up at him, ruby eyes dulled with both physical and mental pain.

"Just a moment." Voldemort rasped out as he mentally sorted through the new memories as the bargain practically burned in his mind and newly created flesh.

"Master?" Wormtail asked hesitantly and was ignored.

"Damn." Voldemort muttered as he forced himself back to his feet and considered the scene before him, comparing it to what his new memories showed him would be the outcome. Nagini approached him cautiously and after a careful serpentine examination settled herself at his feet hissing contentedly. He didn't even bother to inspect his new body, being able to remember it exactly.

"What happened?" Harry asked cautiously, deciding that there probably was less to fear since the man? wasn't currently trying to kill him.

"What happened is that I made a deal and they dumped me back into a technically younger version of myself instead of letting me try and talk him out of doing something stupid. Or rather my memories got a rather vivid update through the end of your seventh year and my probable death. I can choose to follow that path again, which will only end in disaster for all of us, or I can try to work on something different." Voldemort explained tiredly as he ran his newly formed hand over his rather bald head. "Either way you'll be glad to know that killing you is no longer something that I can afford to contemplate and unless you adore your muggle relatives you aren't going to be seeing them again any time soon. Though, I suppose I could always kidnap them for you to visit or some such."

"No," Harry said with such venom he drew an odd look from the resurrected dark lord and an astonished one from the rat animagus. Nagini simply gave a hissy chuckle tasting the bouquet of emotions that rather unusual offer evoked. "I've asked not to be sent back but Professor Dumbledore wont listen."

"He did the same with me when I was in school for all that I expressed my displeasure with my living arrangements," Voldemort agreed with a wry tone. He watched the restrained youth speculatively, wondering why exactly the young man wouldn't want to live with his probably doting relatives. In the next moment a strand of silver light connected the two of them before fading away, confirming the presence of the Horcrux and the fact that the deal also bound the younger wizard.

"Who are you?" Harry asked curiously, conveniently forgetting his fear throughout the ritual and unable to see Cedric's body from his currently restrained position. He was doing his absolute best to ignore the idea that this really was the man from his nightmares. Lord Voldemort.

"You wont like it." Voldemort warned as he watched the younger wizard carefully.

"Story of my life," Harry muttered before asking again, a bit more warily this time. "Who are you?"