Dark Wizard Collector: A Hogwarts Fanfiction

Chapter 66

The Minister of Magic visited Hogwarts the very next day, and all that was impressed upon me were the yells of Lucius Malfoy as he was told the sad news. The dark circles under my puffy eyes spoke to the agonizing teenager as he took in Dumbledore's words. Lucius approached me and I never saw more hatred in the young eyes as I did then.

"IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU WITCH!" Lucius frothed, pulling out his wand to threaten me.

"Yes." I sighed.

The Minister of Magic, Dumbledore, and Minvera watched uneasily, waiting for the inevitable truth.

"Voldemort and the Death Eaters have been hunting me. I had stolen something from them." The latter of which was true. I had stolen from them, but I doubt any of the Death Eaters, or even Tom himself suspected me. Avenger was genius when it came to stealing, and he did love his shiny objects. Carefully, I used the accio spell to bring out Tom's matching diary. "Voldemort's diary, though it's blank." I knew pinching this from my brother was going to be useful, because besides the magic I had put into it, I sensed something deeper; something darker. Another item followed closely behind.

"Is that Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem?" The Minister of Magic breathed and I let her hold the silver crown with sapphires.

"Yes. I wondered what reason they had stealing it." I nodded.

Lucius interjected. "What does any of this have to do with my father?"

"Your father and I were planning on getting married, there's no point in hiding that now."

"WHAT?!"

"It's true, Lucius. I have known your father for quite some time now. When I worked in the Ministry, we had worked on securing wizarding schools, as well as fortifying Azkaban. Your father and I did not know each other then, but I remember it now." I needed these lies which were Maera's truths to hide my true identity, Maven Riddle.

While the silence lasted, I hoped to divert from the subject. "If we call Professor Busterforth here, I'm sure he'll be able to expertly detect anything on this journal."

Dumbledore looked up from the blank diary and at me through his half-moon spectacles. "I'm afraid that will be impossible."

"What?" Genuine confusion gripped me.

"Miss Zeria, Professor Busterforth was found dead outside your quarters last night."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

"You have nothing to fear. It was clearly Voldemort's doing." Dumbledore waved the journal. "He was looking for this. Professor Busterforth found him on his night watch and defended your office as best as he could."

"Merlin's beard." I whispered. Minerva gave my shoulder a pat, and the Minister of Magic continued her official duties for addressing an attack on school grounds.

Rowena's Diadem and Tom's Diary were placed in the Room of Requirement, where only the Minister, Minerva, Dumbledore, and myself knew they were to be kept among the multitude of long lost items. Hopefully, this would keep them as safe as possible.

Within the next days, the academic year came to completion. I took a necessary hiatus from Hogwarts and went to work at the Ministry. Unfortunately, I could not escape the Malfoys. Lucius had an internship in the Ministry, and I knew that he would be guaranteed a full time spot as soon as he graduated Hogwarts in another year.

Even the Ministry could tell I needed a complete respite from work to recover from losing Abraxas, and it did not help that Lucius blamed me for everything. The only thing I could think of doing was falling back into old habits. My trunks were packed and compressed to fit into a bag I shouldered easily. I stood in the center of the small apartment I had been renting from a Muggle couple in London, and I Apparated to the outskirts of a desolate wasteland.

My eyes searched the horizon, until I spotted the prison, Nurmengard. "I'm home, Gellert."