Echoes of Ambition & Entwined Fates: The Enigma of Tom Riddle

The Boy Who lived

I couldn't fathom what could drive him to kill a child's parents, and I wondered how old the boy was who had managed to chase him away. Just as the Death Eater began to approach the room, I moved swiftly to the other side to avoid being caught.

At that very moment, Bolby dropped a newspaper in front of me, its headline reading 'The Dark Lord Defeated.' The article detailed how Lord Voldemort had been defeated by a baby named Harry Potter (1) and how he had managed to kill the parents, James Potter (21) and Lily Potter (21). My heart ached for the little boy, and the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

Riddle walked into the room, and I couldn't contain my agony. "You wretched creature, you lunatic. I knew your ways would remain unaltered. Caring for you is akin to cherishing a lifeless stone.", I screamed, my pain and anger spilling out. He gripped my arm and jaw tightly, his eyes filled with anger. "Ah, you were skulking about the chamber!" he snarled.

"I'm already furious, don't provoke me further." He pushed me away, and I feared the depths of anger I saw in his eyes, deciding to cry out my frustration in solitude.

As I tried to move on from the darkness that had enveloped my life with Riddle, I found myself unable to escape the madness that was slowly consuming him. It became clear that he was using Horcruxes to sustain his existence, and the toll on his appearance was striking. He grew paler and greyer by the day.

One fateful day, I made the decision to run away, to seek refuge from the horrors that had become my life. After hours of walking, I found myself on a seemingly ordinary street. Unsure of what to do next, I approached a man standing near a pub. His eyes widened as if he had been waiting for me.

"How did you find out?" he asked.

"Find out what?" I responded.

He examined me carefully and seemed to realize that I genuinely had no idea. "I am Remus Lupin," he introduced himself. Tears filled my eyes as I recognized his name from the newspapers. I asked desperately, "How is he? Is the boy okay?"

Understanding that I wasn't a threat, Remus remained silent and motioned for me to walk with him. He took my hand, and in an instant, we apparated to a London street among Muggles. We stood between numbers eleven and thirteen, and I inquired about the missing number 12.

With a grin, Remus revealed the secret. The buildings shifted and revealed a third door, bearing the number 12. We walked in together, but as Remus asked me to stay in the entrance and he entered a room, I heard furious voices inside. The door flung open, and a furious Sirius Black emerged, pointing his wand at me.

Remus Lupin stepped forward and intervened, saying, "Sirius, put your wand down. She's not a threat."

Sirius remained stubborn, refusing to lower his wand, and he retorted, "Lower my wand? She's not a threat?" He moved even closer, the tip of his wand now mere inches away from me, and then he glanced at Remus. "She is his companion! Our Harry lost his parents because of her!" He said, rage streaming down his face.

I felt a crushing guilt as I admitted, "I didn't know a thing. I don't know much. I just needed to escape from him... he is consumed by darkness."

Remus, trying to mediate the situation, interjected, "Sirius, let's hear her out. She might be able to help us, and we can protect her from... her companion."

Tears filled my eyes as I continued, "He was turning into something I couldn't bear. He's obsessed with power. I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran."

The tension in the room was palpable as they considered my words, torn between anger and compassion.

The room was now filled with the Weasleys, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt, all wearing uneasy expressions. The tension hung thick in the air, and nobody seemed quite sure how to proceed.