Tom opened his eyes and looked around, finding it strange because he seemed to be in the Hogwarts infirmary. He knew it because he'd been there once before, thanks to Avery, who had been the victim of a Potions class explosion caused by his magnificent partner.
He looked at three children, roughly his age. Two were dressed in the distinctive Gryffindor uniform, and the third lay in a bed while they appeared to be talking about something.
— There's a name in all this — Said the girl with messy brown hair —Tom... Marvolo... Riddle — She said, looking at what appeared to be the cover of a notebook.
The subject of their discussion looked at the trio, wondering why they were talking about him. Was this a dream, but why did it feel as real as the previous one he'd had with an older version of Anna?
— Tom Marvolo Riddle — Repeated the red-haired boy with freckles on his face, who took the notebook and looked at the cover — Wait. I know the name — He declared. Tom, who had moved closer and saw the notebook, knew it was his diary. He tried to snatch it, but when he touched it, he passed through the diary as if he were a ghost — Why do I know the name? — The redhead wondered, trying to remember, while being watched by his two companions and a furious, invisible Tom.
<
— Of course! — He exclaimed, remembering. — The day of detention. My job was to polish the silver of the trophies. I won't forget it, because I was throwing up slugs all over Tom Riddle's trophy — He confessed with a disgusted grimace, recalling the slugs.
Tom, listening, became curious. When had he won a trophy, and why couldn't he remember? He had only been at Hogwarts for two months and hadn't done anything remarkable to earn one. But he chose to listen; something told him it would be interesting.
— What was the trophy for? — Asked the other boy with messy hair and glasses.
— An award from 50 years ago for special services to the school — He informed them.
<<50 years?!>>
He was barely 11 years old, and it was as if they were talking about the past. He felt tangled in this dream that even he didn't understand.
— 50 years ago... Are you sure? — The girl asked.
— Yes... why?
— You forgot what Malfoy told you —The mention of a familiar surname gave him a strange premonition — The last time it was opened was...
— 50 years ago! — Interrupted the other boy, who now held the diary in his hands — That means...
— That Tom Riddle was at Hogwarts when it happened — She said — If he wrote what he saw... Perhaps he knew the location of the Chamber. How to open it and about the creature that lives there — She declared —But then the person behind the attacks won't want us to find this diary, do you think?
— Brilliant theory, Hermione, but there's a problem — the two looked at their companion, not understanding the problem — There's nothing written in the diary — He opened the diary, showing blank pages without any writing, and they looked old.
The three fell into a deep silence over the problem they faced; without information, they couldn't do anything. Riddle, for his part, was surprised to see it blank, without any information about what he had written in his short life.
— What can I say about this trio that always gets into trouble — Another voice spoke with a sigh of resignation.
— Samed! — They called out to the intruder, who smiled at them with her hands behind her back. Her purple hair stood out against the dim light in the infirmary, and her gray eyes reflected the trio who watched her nervously. Her distinctive Ravenclaw uniform spoke volumes about her, her eyes looking at them as if nothing could escape, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.
— I think I've become close enough to you all for you to call me by my name — She said, approaching them and sitting on the bed next to them.
— What are you doing here, Erin? — Hermione asked.
Tom, observing, felt a familiarity with this person but didn't know where he knew her from, and the dim lighting made it difficult for him to recognize her features.
— When Harry picked up that diary in the bathroom, I felt a sense of familiarity and didn't remember at the moment, and when I returned, that's when I realized that I had one — She confessed, pulling out an identical diary from behind her back. The trio's eyes widened in surprise at the diary she offered them.
— Where did you get it? — Harry asked.
Tom was also intrigued as to why she had Anna's diary; he wanted to know, too.
— I found it hidden among some Potions books — She replied with a brilliant smile. Hermione took the diary and looked at the cover.
— Anna Lyra Riddle — She read the owner's name — Both diaries have the surname Riddle, and that means...
— That they're related, and they both must have seen what happened 50 years ago — Harry completed, taking the diary and opening it to read, but he was pleasantly surprised that, like the previous one, this one had nothing written in it.
— It's blank! — The other exclaimed, disheartened by how things were going, two clues and nothing useful in them.
— I was researching who she was, and guess what I discovered — She looked at the three with a playful gaze, as if expecting them to ask.
— What did you discover?
— If I tell you, then you won't leave me out of your crazy plan — She negotiated. The three looked at each other and nodded; after all, they were talking about valuable information — From what I found out, Tom Riddle was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, and Anna Riddle was just an orphan girl who adopted his surname, but, that didn't matter to the two of them, and they treated each other like siblings — She began to recount, pacing back and forth as if she were a history professor — But... — She stopped speaking, intriguing them.
— But...? — The curious trio repeated.
— 50 years ago, strange cases occurred where Muggle-borns or half-bloods died. From what I could gather, for some reason, these two siblings began to distance themselves, to the point where the younger one was ostracized by her own house and became the subject of gossip throughout Hogwarts due to an event that happened in one of the classes of the Director, who was a professor at the time — Every word Tom heard made his heart clench; this wasn't real, these words were false, he would never alienate his sister to the point where everyone hated her.
<
— What happened? — Hermione asked curiously.
— I don't know the details, but thanks to one of the ghosts at Hogwarts, they told me that apparently, Anna Riddle went mad after her greatest fear became known, to the point where she was seen talking to herself and screaming at night because of nightmares. Everyone stayed away from her because of her gaunt appearance; just looking at her was like seeing her take her last breath.
Her story made the three Gryffindors and Tom listen in silence. In their minds, they imagined the scene, but for the one who knew Anna best, just imagining it was torture.
— What happened to her? — Harry asked, intrigued by the ending.
— It's obvious she went crazy enough to be currently in an asylum for the mentally ill — Ron asserted as if it were the most normal thing.
— None of that happened, Ron, because her true friends supported her; she achieved some mental stability, but... those friends of hers were Gryffindors, and it's reasonable that she was isolated from her house when she was a Slytherin. — This information surprised them.
— A Slytherin!
The most surprised was undoubtedly him, for during his time at Hogwarts, he knew that snakes and lions were like oil and water, eternal enemies.
— Let her finish speaking — Hermione scolded him, seeing his dumbfounded expression at the surprising news — After all this, what are you trying to say, Erin?
— I was getting to that, but you keep interrupting me — She complained, looking at the redhead with disapproval — From what that ghost finally told me, that year when the mysterious deaths happened, the two of them had a fierce fight, leading to the definitive rupture of their brotherhood. Anna was defending the accused, claiming he was innocent.
— That means she knew who the culprit was!
— Exactly — Erin confirmed — But you'll undoubtedly find the next part interesting… — She said with a mysterious look at her audience. The three fell silent, waiting for her next words — It turns out that when the accused was expelled from Hogwarts, she also left, but not before leaving a message, and those words were: 'If you want to know the truth, you will have to pay the price with your blood.'
— What does that mean?
— Is it some kind of blood sacrifice?
— Obviously not — She denied, dismissing her companion's foolishness — That might be a possibility, but if we pay attention to her words… — She rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. Erin, watching them rack their brains to understand the meaning, just sat to the side, her lips curving into a mysterious smile.
Tom, observing and listening to everything, didn't know what to think. Was it just a dream? It was as if he were seeing a future where everything went wrong, a future where his sister would be pushed away by him. No, that wouldn't happen; maybe it was just his imagination due to the stress of her sudden disappearance and his discomfort; it could only be that.
— If you want to know the truth… — Hermione began to repeat — You will have to pay the price with your blood — She murmured. Suddenly, her eyes lit up — The blood means it's the key to getting the truth! — She exclaimed, euphoric with understanding.
— Correct...
— You already knew, and you made us guess — Ron accused, seeing her just smiling carefree.
— As a Ravenclaw, it's easy for me to figure it out — She said, super proud of her house.
— If blood is the key,... then where is the object to get the truth? — Ron's question made the two girls look at him as if he were an alien.
— Anyway, Hermione, let their brains work a bit tonight — She said, ready to leave. The other had no objections and lay back to rest.
— By the way, Samed… — At the mention of her surname, she stopped walking and turned to look at them. — What happened to her in the end? — Harry asked, intrigued.
— Well, I don't know what happened to her after leaving Hogwarts, but there's news about her that spread like wildfire that year… — Her gaze was dark with confused thoughts that you couldn't possibly guess what was truly on her mind.
— You always leave us suffering from intrigue, Samed! — Ron complained about her peculiarity of always stopping at the crucial point, leaving them with curiosity gnawing at their minds.
— My apologies, guys, but it's a habit — She laughed, amused by their expressions — But that involves 'You-Know-Who'.
The room fell silent with an uncomfortable atmosphere at the mention of "that" terrifying person known in the magical world, but for the intruder who didn't understand, something told him that this was not good and that there was something else hidden there.
— Go to sleep, guys — She ordered like an older sister. They only had to bid farewell to the patient and go to find out a little more information. Tom was still pensive; he felt something slipping through his fingers, but what he heard left him static.
— You too — He felt her gaze on him with a deep meaning in her eyes and a smile that wasn't a smile.
<
— Brother, are you sick? — Anna asked, worried, seeing Tom wake up agitated, his whole body drenched in sweat — You don't seem to have a fever — She checked his temperature by pressing their foreheads together. Doubtfully, she looked into her brother's eyes, but Tom was in a trance, as if a whirlwind of emotions were stuck in his mind like a knot — It was just a bad dream — She comforted him, giving him a hug with gentle pats on his back — Nothing is real, just a bad dream that you'll soon forget — Her soft voice managed to calm him, but every time he remembered those words, his heart felt tight; he hugged her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go, to calm his mind that she was fine, healthy, and with her bright smile by his side.
— I promise you that no matter what happens, we'll always be together. I won't let anyone hurt you, and when we graduate, we'll buy our own house.
— I trust my brother, we'll always be together and watch each other's backs — She spoke with resolve — I also promise that I'll try to make sure you don't go down the wrong path — She wrapped her small arms around her brother.
She was very happy whenever her brother was by her side, and for that, she had to protect him. In this life, she had gained a brother, and she swore to protect him with all her strength.
— It's a promise — He kissed his sister's hair with affection. Yes, that bad dream was just a dream, nothing more, because he was in the present, and he swore to protect her with all his being. He would never harm her, and if that day came... he would have failed as a brother.
He pushed those bad dreams deep into his mind, enough to forget them and not ruin his precious moment with his sister. Only he knew he was trying to hypnotize himself, but he had a bad premonition deep in his heart.
— Come on, brother! — She broke free from him and pulled him out of bed. — You said you'd take me to buy my school supplies today — Her words and gaze showed how eager she was to go to Diagon Alley, and also because she would soon be at Hogwarts.
— I understand, let me get ready.
— I'll wait downstairs then.
He just smiled happily as he watched her leave with a big smile. Well, he couldn't be down because of a silly dream and ruin Anna's cheerful mood.
He went to get his clothes to shower, but his body swayed, and his vision blurred for a moment. He shook his head to clear his mind from the momentary pain that hit him. As quickly as it came, it went.
He didn't dwell on the sudden discomfort, as he felt as if nothing had happened. He continued with his routine and went to take a bath, then to have breakfast with Anna. They had been cooped up in their room for a week, reading the books Anna had managed to buy and calculating how much money she had left from her last purchase. She wouldn't stop saying she was lucky to find money on the street, but Tom felt something was wrong with such a big coincidence.
Out of so many people walking those streets, and no one saw a bulging envelope?
People by nature were curious, and such a thick envelope would undoubtedly catch their attention, but why did no one pick it up? Then Anna, who was eager to get money to wander in the magical world and buy spell books, just happened to find it? It was too much luck for a 9-year-old to find a roll of money in such a generous amount. He dismissed it, as there was no point in investigating when his silly sister hadn't paid attention to her surroundings and instead had happily gone off with the money.
Going downstairs, he saw all the orphans sitting at their breakfast places. He spotted Anna, as always, at the same table, only this time, two more people were sitting opposite her, engaging in conversation. But it seemed they were having trouble having a decent chat with Anna, as she was so prickly with them. He didn't blame her; since she was younger, his sister wanted to have friends, and when she finally made one, she ran to him, telling him about her new friend, but in the end, their friendship was mercilessly shattered. That day, Anna cried inconsolably in his arms over the way that boy mocked her.
He swore to make that boy pay for destroying his sister's innocent friendship, but it turned out he was saved because he was adopted the next day. He couldn't do anything, and that was his great regret for not making him pay, but he believed that opportunity would come.
— Brother! — She smiled widely as soon as she saw him and pulled him to her side.
— Hello, Tom — Lucinda greeted him amiably, but was completely ignored. She watched the two siblings eat breakfast, ignoring their presence as if they were air. She wanted to lunge at them and hit them for being so proud, but she was restrained by her brother — Are you going out? — She asked with a stiff smile, but again, there was no response — Can we come with you?
— No! — The two replied curtly.
This was their precious time, which they tried by all possible means not to leave for a moment, to make up for the time they had been separated. They absolutely would not let anyone bother them. Besides, knowing both of them, they knew they didn't trust those fake smiles after being deeply hurt by everyone trampling on their pure friendship; they were forced to become like a cactus to keep those bad people away.
They are annoying, especially her. Let's go, brother, and we'll eat something there.
Tom nodded and glared, annoyed at the two faces staring at them, dumbfounded like statues. They both set off for Diagon Alley, taking a bus that dropped them near the place. Tom, walking hand-in-hand with Anna, spotted a shadow hiding not far from them, and his senses told him someone was watching them. He frowned, his senses on high alert.
From a distance, in a luxurious car, he watched the pair of siblings entering the brothel; his gaze darkened, and in anger, he threw the glass of alcohol he held.
— She stayed cooped up in that orphanage without leaving an inch or giving me a chance to have her, and now that she's out, she's going hand-in-hand with a brat to an establishment — Every word was charged with fury — I see I'll have to do something to get her in my hands — That malicious look was undoubtedly not good.
— They are both siblings, sir, and they are always together, not leaving each other by an inch. That time you saw her alone was because the boy went to a boarding school and has returned for the holidays — A woman sitting opposite him informed him, but her gaze was venomous — Those children are not normal, and I assure you that if you want to take her, it will be difficult, but if you allow me, I promise I will make that brat go with you willingly...
— Oh, is that so...
Those two adults began to scheme about those two children who undoubtedly had no idea of the storm approaching.
Tom, entering Diagon Alley, felt a bad premonition throughout his being, and something told him it was not good at all.
— Quick, brother!
Anna didn't give him time to dwell on bad thoughts; she dragged him from one side to another, looking at the different shops and their strange items. Undoubtedly, all bad feelings vanished, and warmth invaded his heart. It was just him overthinking because of that dream; he had to relax to avoid being paranoid all the time.
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