Before He Was Voldemort (A Tom Riddle Fanfiction)

Epilogue: What Became of Them

May, 1998

For nearly fifty years, a duration of memories had been suppressed in the deepest caverns of Voldemort's mind. Now, everything flooded back to him in what seemed like a never-ending film, but was really an instant. What once felt hollow seemed whole again. A certain warmness filled the Dark Lord in which he could not fathom. Fragments of memories stood out more than others as though the most significant were illuminated.

The day he was told he was a wizard.

His first night at Hogwarts.

The Sorting Hat announcing he was in Slytherin.

The moment he met Corinne Carrow.

The first time he kissed Corinne Carrow.

The day he realized he could no longer be with Corinne Carrow.

His last night at Hogwarts spent with Corinne Carrow.

And the night forty years ago when he realized he and Corinne Carrow had produced a child together.

Times had changed since then. The world was Voldemort's for the taking. His name made every man, woman, and child tremble in fear. He was now in possession of the most powerful wand ever created and was in control of the Ministry of Magic. Lord Voldemort was unstoppable.

Harry Potter may be in search of the rest of his Horcruxes, and he may have somehow managed to destroy the majority of them. But he was only a mere boy. Harry Potter alone was no match for the most powerful sorcerer in the world. His magic was insufficient compared to that of Lord Voldemort, whose was amplified by the Elder Wand. And when it was time for the boy to die, the Dark Lord would be waiting and would relish in killing the only thing standing in his way of domination.

Voldemort heard a sniffle and turned his attention back to Corinne, whose thin lips were parted and her large eyes were wide and glassy. She stared straight ahead, tears slipping down her cheeks. Her face, which had been blank since she began recalling her memories, contorted with emotion as she snapped out of her trance and turned to rest her gaze on Voldemort again. Her brief startled expression softened at the sight of his familiar face, which was still enchanted to appear as his younger self. Cautiously, Corinne reached out with a shaky hand and lightly touched his handsome features with her fingertips.

"Oh, Tom," she choked out, her voice cracking. "Is it really you?"

"Yes," Voldemort replied, the corners off his lips quirking slightly at the sound of Corinne saying his name again after so long. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Smiling, Corinne's quivering hand cupped Voldemort's jaw. He tensed at her gentle touch. "Indeed it has," she whispered.

There was a comfortable silence spent with the two of them taking it all in. They studied each other like they couldn't quite believe they were reunited again after so long. Then Voldemort asked, "What all do you remember?"

"My memory worsens each day," Corinne said, smiling weakly. "I can never keep track of the days or months. Sometimes I even forget what year it is. Just yesterday I couldn't remember how to spell my own name." She swallowed, looking at Voldemort knowingly. "But I remember enough."

Voldemort knew he shouldn't ask, but he did anyway. "Do you remember your family? Any friends?"

Corinne pondered for a moment before she shook her head, her expression pained. "I-I can't recall all of their names, and I most certainly don't remember any of their faces. I don't even know if they're all still alive; it's been so long since I've seen them. Don't I have a brother named Cyril? No, Cyrus! Yes, my dear brother Cyrus! How is he?"