Star Crossed

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen- The Initiation

3rd March 1950
It was him I know it was him. No matter how many times I try to convince myself otherwise there is no denying it. I was worried for his safety when in reality it was everyone else's safety at risk. Earlier today I was called out to a suspicious death with my superior... Hepzibah Smith. Lazarus's Aunt... the house elf has confessed but yet something does not fit right with me. Lazarus dies after finding the Hufflepuff cup and only weeks later his Aunt is killed... no... 
The ministry have arrested the house elf... they have accepted the confession. Why wouldn't they? But I can't let this go. I must find him no more than every, I need to know why. I need to stop him before it's too late. 

30th May 1953 

Two long years. Two long years tracking him. Traveling from town to town, from city to city, from country to country always two steps behind but now... now  I  am close but I feel that I can't do this alone. It's been a long time but I can only hope that he is happy to see me... 

I reached out my fist towards the wooden door of the quaint little shack, I felt nervous. I shook my head. How ridiculous considering our past together we were once so close. Sister and Brother. Biting down my nerves I knocked upon the door, causing it to swing open gently at my touch. 
"Wiglaf," I whispered as my eyes fell upon my long lost friend stood just feet before me, he looked so different and yet the same all at once. 
"Grisha," he greeted warmly. I ran to him all nerves forgotten as if we had never been apart I threw my arms around him and held him as tightly as I could. I felt his strong arms reciprocate the hug, I heard him sigh sadly. 
"What happened Wiglaf?" I whispered into his chest like a child. He didn't reply as he continued to hold me. "What happened to us, the four of us." I continued. 
"We fell apart as only the best things do," he muttered calmly onto the top of my head. I closed my eyes drowning in the comfort of my old friend. 
I pulled away from me, fixing my eyes upon his. 
"You will help me find him won't you?" I whispered my tone serious. Wiglaf nodded his head solemnly. 
"If that is what you wish," he said, reluctance lacing his voice. 
"It is." I replied stubbornly. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Wiglaf asked me for what must have been the third time since we had concocted the plan. I just looked up at him and toasted him the veil in my hand before I threw it back and swallowed the foul tasting substance.
"Has it worked?" I asked, the sound of my own voice told me that it had. It was distorted, I sounded nothing like myself. Answering my own questions I turned back to Wiglaf, 
"Are you sure that they will not turn up?" I asked.
"I am sure." Wiglaf nodded a look of guilt upon his face which made me feel a little uncomfortable.
"But they are safe?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yes they are safe. They have merely forgotten..." He replied cautiously. A memory charm... I nodded, although it was not the most morally correct thing you could do to another human being it was by far not the worse and a necessity. 
Wiglaf handed an ornate black mask towards me, I took it admiring it for a moment in my hands.
"Are you ready?" Wiglaf asked. I nodded, holding the mask up to my face. I glanced across to the mirror on the far left wall I looked nothing like myself. Cloaked in black with the mask upon my face. It was certainly a convincing disguise. I needed to be careful. I could not be recognised. People within that circle would certainly remember me if they were to see my face or hear my voice especially if I came across Riddle himself.
"I am ready," I replied in a voice that was not my own.

Night had fallen and the rain was hammering down, bouncing up off of the ground as I walked. Luckily I remained completely dry as my charm resisted the water causing it to roll off of me like water upon a duck's back. The time of the meeting was approaching. I was starting to feel nervous as the danger of the situation began to dawn on me... I was about to infiltrate the ranks of one of the if not the most up and coming of dark constitutions. 
I held my breath, there they were stood on the outskirts of the small hidden cave within the depth of the hollow. As I approached them they turned their attention to me, or perhaps I should say to who they thought I was. I bowed as I reached them remembering what Wiglaf had told me. They nodded their heads back to me... so far so good... I gasped as the group parted ways making way for a new presence. A presence which I knew all to well but this time it was different, suffocating and dark, hopeless and empty but powerful, overwhelmingly powerful. The air around seemed to pulse with magical energy. My heart hammered inside of my chest as the cloaked figure moved into the light of the illuminated wands, so shocked was I that I almost forgot to bow my head along with the others. Tom Riddle stood before me but it was not my Tom Riddle, it was not the Tom Riddle that I remembered, that plagued my dreams and fueled my memories no this was only his shadow, the demon which had lived within his heart all those years fighting for dominance and now it was winning, taking over him. He was still recognisable but his face had become slightly blurred, his skin had a greyish tinge, his once startling crystal clear eyes now dark and murky, his cheeks dark and hollow but that wasn't all there was... there was something else different... something I could not put my finger on but which sent shivers up my spine. Whatever had happened  over those two years had almost seemed to drain him of his being.

I flinched as I realised I had been staring at him unaware of the rest of the group who had now extended their forearms towards him. All eyes were upon me, I knew I had blown my cover... Riddle was suspicious of me. He knew I was not who I was pretending to be but I could not have him know that it was me. I was trapped, I couldn't make a move if I did Riddle would kill me without question, as much as I hated to admit it I knew he would it was in his eyes. It was as if he was daring the intruder to act. 
Before I had time to panic a curse flew by my right ear knocking back the man on my right hand side and temporary distracting the others, Riddle included. Wiglaf, he had been watching. Taking my opportunity I ran as fast as I could away from the scene fighting through the brambles and nettles that strewn all over the path I could hear the sound of curses flying through the air behind me. 
I gasped as I dropped to the floor just outside of the forest I couldn't breath, my chest of heaving, my brain had turned to fog, it was as if I was underwater, sinking, drowning. 
"Grisha, Grisha come on." I let out a lung full of air I hadn't realised I had been holding as I felt as strong hand grab a hold of my arm and pull me to my feet. 
"What happened out there?" He asked me, I stared as his face went in and out of focus. 
"I... I..." I stuttered. Seeing Riddle like that had rendered me in ept. "I didn't expect..." I breathed.
"I... I'm sorry..." I gulped. 
"I know." Wiglaf sighed. "We need to stop him Grisha. We need to get to the remaining heirlooms before he does." 
I nodded weakly. 
"You are hurt..." I murmured looking towards Wiglaf's bleeding hand. Guilt and embarrassment beginning to clutch at my gut. 
"He saw me." Wiglaf said bluntly. I stared at him wide eyed. 
"What are we going to do?" I whispered. 
"Finish this." Wiglaf replied sternly.