𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓟𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 [√]

Part Twenty-Eight

Tom made his way to the stands and sat down. He looked at his mates who gave him encouraging smiles.

"Tom Riddle, you are here because of the claims against these three men for what they have done against you. You will be questioned first without the veritaserum. Then we shall view your memories also, so you agree to this?" the judge, Phillip, asked, and Tom shook his head, making the man frown.

"I cannot take the Serum; I am pregnant with a child and have been advised not to take any potions for the next month unless prescribed, or it might harm my child," He said, and the Judge nodded.

"Very well, after your testaments have been given, you shall swear it on your magic," The judge said and Tom agreed.

"Can you tell you exactly what happened on the day of the events that brought us here today?" The judge asked, and Tom told them.

"It is also widely known that you are Lord Voldemort. Many may say this is a plot to get rid of the people who will help the Boy Who Lived and defeat you. What do you say to that?" Phillip asked, and Tom shook his head.

"I have no reason to take down or harm the Boy Who Lived, and I have not been Lord Voldemort since my return," Tom said, and people on the side of the light scoffed.

"But were you not the one who went to the Potters' home and attacked them?" the judge asked, and Tom nodded.

"I was, but it is not something I am proud of. At the time of the events, I was not wholly sane; I was not thinking logically. But at the time, I was not thinking as a normal person would. There was a traitor in my group who was trusted highly and who was on the side of the light. He fed me liquid Imperius, and I was given the order to go and do what I did that night," Tom said, and the light side shouted their protest, saying that he was lying.

"So you're telling me you were ordered by someone on the side of the light to go to the Potters' home and attack Liam Potter, the Boy Who Lived?" the judge asked, and Tom was getting really tired of hearing that phrase.

"Liam Potter is not the boy who lived," he said simply and the room went silent.

"What do you mean? Dumbledore himself proclaimed him," Phillip said, and Tom huffed.

"You put too much trust in the old man. Liam Potter is barely a squib. He doesn't have the power to defeat me in even a duel if he tries. No, the other Potter child was the Boy Who Lived," Tom said, and a gasp went up around the room.

"What do you mean other Potter children?" Phillip asked, confusion written on his face.

"Just as I said, Liam Potter is the youngest of two twin boys that Lily Potter gave birth to, Dumbledore couldn't have known which one of them was the boy who lived. Only I could, and it's not Liam," Tom said and watched as a realization came over the Potters, Sirius, and Albus's faces.

The judge looked back at James, who sat chained to a chair in front of the stand. "Do you have another child?" he asked, and James nodded. Do you know where the child is? Because the wizarding world has no records of a second Potter child," he asked, and James shook his head.

"Have you seen this boy?" Phillip asked and Tom nodded. "Where?" The judge asked.

"He is my mate. We share the same bed at night with our other mate. I have known him since he was eleven," Tom said, and the judge looked at him for a few minutes.

"You are mates to the boy who lived?" He asked and Tom sighed.

"Yes, I am. Though he does not like to be called that," Tom told the man who frowned.

"And what does he like to be called? And is he here?" The judge asked.

"He likes to be called by his name, Tobias John Lupin-Snape," Tom said before looking at Tobias. "And he's sitting beside the youngest Malfoy," he finished and every head in the room turned to look at Tobias and Draco.

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Word count: 707

Re-published: May 2, 2024, 6 pm

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