How to Prevent a War

Voldemort

Before Voldemort could do anything with the newly required information, a white snow owl came flying through and aimed her claws straight at Voldemort's face. Harry's eyes widened as he recognized the bird trying to scratch the Dark wizard's eyes out.

"Hedwig!"

"You damned bird!" Voldemort roared once he was able to slap her away.

He aimed his wand at the owl, sneering hatefully.

"Deletrius!"

"Protego!"

The magical shield Tom conjured protected Hedwig from Voldemort's curse. Harry couldn't stop the sigh in relief, but soon tensed again when he realized that Hedwig had to have come here together with someone, and that someone was likely not Voldemort and his followers.

He barely thought of this when three people stormed in, screaming curses and hexes at the Death Eaters. Harry's eyes widened when he recognized them as Remus, Tonks and Moody. The Death Eaters jumped into action right away, and so did several of the party guests. Michael's parents and two older sisters pulled out their wands while Sirius, Hermione and the Weasleys did the same.

Like Tom had ordered, his friends stayed back and watched with grim expressions. Tom nodded at them in encouragement. They'd know when the time came for them to act, and it was not yet.

The following battle was one to behold. Remus and Sirius almost immediately caught up with one another and battled the Lestrange brothers in a four-way duel. They were fierce and Tom could see that they were trained. The metamorphmagus, Tonks, was fighting along with Harry's friends against the other Death Eaters, while Moody took on Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy at the same time.

Tom just stood calmly and watched the whole thing with a detached expression from his position next to Voldemort. The older version, however, was less composed, and though he didn't do anything whatsoever either, he was grinning widely as he watched the battle commence.

Ron and Hermione were the first to be disarmed, followed almost immediately by Ginny and Tonks, who was knocked out with a Stupefy. Sirius and Remus got really close to defeating the future time Lestrange brothers, but all went wrong when Moody's defeat distracted them.

Mad Eye Moody proved himself to be the perfect Dark Wizard catcher he had always been made out to be and easily juggled against both Inner Circle Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange laughed insanely, casting dark curse after dark curse, which were all deflected or send back. Lucius seemed to struggle much harder, and it was no one's surprise when the man was blasted backwards. Sadly, this had left Moody open for an attack from Bellatrix for just long enough for the dark witch to cast the killing curse at his back.

Rodolphus Lestrange cast a full body bind curse on Remus just as he was about to rush towards the dead Auror, and grabbed the man, pressing his wand against his jugular. Sirius had no choice but to surrender his wand to his mad cousin's brother-in-law.

"Let's not start something unnecessary," Voldemort told them all amused.
"All of you, move back and wands down before anything... tragic happens."

He looked pointed at the bodies of both Dumbledore and Moody and smirked darkly. He clearly knew he had won and with the way he glanced smugly over to Tom, he was probably very confident that his younger counterpart would join his side.

Tom smirked darkly, but didn't confirm nor deny Voldemort's expectations. It was odd to think that he would underestimate himself. Did his mind get so muddled in the future that he couldn't even remember what he had been like? How Tom hadn't hated muggleborns yet, and that he always had his own agenda? It was sad that when Tom had claimed himself disappointed with his own older self, he hadn't even lied. The man was nothing more but a shadow of what he could have been. Voldemort was less than Tom Riddle.