If You Could Change One Thing

This chapter is really similar to one part in the sixth Harry Potter book, but everything else I've written builds upon this :)

As twenty three other sixteen year olds in Tom Riddle's Christian Apologetics class, a required course at his school, stood up, Tom intentionally knocked his books off his desk. As the other students filed out of the classroom, talking and laughing loudly, Tom slowly gathered his things off his desk.

"Look alive, Tom." said Tom's professor, Professor Baumann. Professor Baumann was young - barely thirty years old, but extremely knowledgeable about what Tom wanted information on.

"Professor Baumann, is it alright if I asked you a few questions about... some theories presented in this subject?

Professor Baumann looked at Tom through piercing blue eyes. "Doing some extra-curricular research, are you?"

"I have some questions about the occult. The act of splitting your soul, immortality, and horcruxes -"

"Why are you asking about this? Pofessor Baumann cut him off. His sapphire blue eyes, which were perhaps his most outstanding feature, began to glow with caution. Perhaps he could see the hungry, almost deranged expression that was spread across Tom's face.

"Well... like you said, I'm simply doing some extra-curricular research. Some things that you mentioned in class last week happened to spark my interest."

Professor Baumann began explaining, though he still looked rather cautious. "Horcruxes are among the evilest of things. Extremely dark stuff, and though the Bible is often looked to as a bright, good object, it also speaks of the evilest creatures ever known. I do not wish to share that sort of information with students. Too evil."

"But I've heard that horcruxes are beneficial - if you choose to overlook the darker side to those objects."

"If I?" Professor Baumann said incredulously, eyebrows raised.

"I mean-"

"Be careful what sort of pronouns you use, Tom."

"Professor Baumann, I mean - things like magic and evil - the truth in the elements - surely, a professor like you - not in that way, of course -" said Tom Riddle. Despite the carefully placed hesitation and nervousness in his voice, he had been planning this moment for weeks. And it had worked, for Professor Baumann relaxed and said, "well, it wouldn't hurt to help one of my brightest students. The occult is a many-faced thing. Religion speaks of demons often, and I believe strongly in evil, for if there is good, there is evil. There are groups of the evilest humans, and though they look normal on the outside they brew with angst and are bloodthirsty within. However, to delve deeper into the evil side of supernatural is to find horcruxes. You see, they prevent one from death. To create a horcrux one must split his soul - for if the body of one dies but the soul is still alive, he will live forever, become immortal."

"But, Professor, how would someone do that? How would someone become immortal using horcruxes?"

"By committing a soul-splitting act, Tom. By going against nature. Murdering the innocent. For each innocent life the soul splits into another fragment."

"Surely someone has done it before? Professor?"

"Perhaps it has been attempted, or perhaps it has been done. To split your soul once is -"

"How do you take the fragments of your soul? What do you do with them?" Tom's face lit up with an eerie, insane happiness. Professor Baumann stayed unawares, as he was staring out the window into the distance.

"They are taken and inserted into an object of the person's choice. While the object remains undamaged, the soul stays alive within the object. It is extremely difficult to destroy a successful horcrux. For example, simply flinging it into a fire or chucking it into the sea would not do."

"How do you take that part of a soul and put it into something?"

"Well, there's an invocation, several different spells, I am not sure."

"Do you know what kind?" Tom said eagerly.

"My Lord, Tom, do I look like a murderer to you?" Professor Baumann snapped. His eyes traveled back to Tom's face. "I'm religious! I teach a religious class! Do you honestly think that I would know how to commit one of the evilest acts known to man?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but... I'm curious. I'm trying to research methods of religious rituals... What if someone did it more than once?" There was no hiding the hunger and insane light that was spread across his features now. Every last centimeter of his handsome features was alight with it. "What if they did it, say, seven times? Isn't seven a magical num-"

"To commit seven acts of murder!" Professor Baumann said loudly. "To even think of doing it once, let alone seven times! Tom, do not speak of this again, for this is among the evilest of magic in the world." Professor Baumann looked cautiously at Tom, surveyed his long, straight nose, pale skin, and thick eyelashes. "Tom, whatever you have been looking into, stop. You do not want to mix with things like horcruxes, or people who have dealt with them. Go on, lunchtime has started." With that, Professor Baumann stood and left the room, leaving Tom standing alone in front of his desk.