The Regina

Disclaimer - I own nothing of the HP books or whatever associated, blada blada blada, you know the drill...

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Author's Note:

Creatress: Second TMRGW!!

Tom: You didn't finish Circles yet.

Creatress: So...?

Ginny: Will you?

Creatress: ... ... ... Just shut up and read this!

luv

The Almighty Creatress

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The Regina

Chapter 1 An Anagram For You

Tom Marvolo Riddle frowned, turning the book over in his hands and studying it carefully. It was black, leather bound and had TMR stamped across the front in silver. He opened it and flipped through the pages. The pages were completely blank - it was obviously a notebook. His frown deepened.

As handsome and well-suited as it was for him (how can it not be? It had his initials across the front), Tom had not bought it. In fact, the Slytherin had never even seen it before. It had shown up in his trunk, flanked by texts and other books. He himself had never seen it before. As unfamiliar with the magical world as he was - this being his first year at Hogwarts, after all - he was quite sure that books didn't simply appear in peoples' trunks.

A little suspicious, he pulled out his wand and tapped the book with a spell that would detect anything he should be wary of. Nothing came up.

And this was enough to satisfy Tom and keep him from trashing the book as he'd originally thought he would. He would keep it. Afterall, that spell was at the third year level and it would have shown him any type of danger - he was able to do it because he'd studied his books and practiced like mad ever since the transfigurations professor had paid him a visit a few weeks ago.

Not that he'd minded. Studying magic had grown like a drug on him, and he was addicted to knowledge and harnessing his power. He'd barely noticed as the days passed and he began performing harder, more complex spells and curses. The result was that he was now the darling of all of his proffessors - except for the one he'd met first, Dumbledore - and they were always lavishing him with praises and good marks. Slughorn kept guaranteeing him admission to his Slug Club - Tom didn't exactly care. Marks were good in the short run, but he was focussed on long-term goals. The teachers treat him as well as they wanted, but as far as he cared, they might as well not even have noticed him.

Absent-mindedly tapping his wand against the book, he let his eyes run over the text books piled on his bed. All of his homework was done, extra reading and research was done... He had time to do whatever he wished. And he knew what he wanted to do.

Ever since he'd stepped into Hogwarts, that damned poltergeist, Peeves, had been giving him a hard time. The ghost's behaviour was strange, but extremely irritating. Peeves had never attacked him head on as he did to the other students. In his case, the ghost preferred to give him contemplating, wary looks when he thought Tom wasn't looking and dart away, only to attack (or attempt to attack) the young Slytherin from behind. It was incredibly annoying. Yesterday, Tom had demanded that the Baron do something about it. The Baron had promised Tom that he would tell Peeves to stay away from him, but Peeves had a tendancy of breaking the Baron's rules when the Baron himself wasn't present.

So Tom had a job - do something to exorcise Peeves or do something else to send the poltergeist into the deepest bowels of hell.

He pondered this for about two seconds before the dorm room's door banged open and anguished screams flooded the chamber. Abraxas Malfoy was led screaming into room by Tarquin Parkinson and Ian Goyle. Vincent Crabbe followed closely behind.

Tom was suddenly angered by this sudden outburst of noise and he tossed his book onto his bed before turning to his roommates, eyes flashing. "What the hell happened?!" he demanded.

Parkinson and Goyle moved away from Malfoy and Tom saw that the blonde was covered with red boils, most of which had burst and were oozing disgusting yellow vile.

"Timothy Weasley," Crabbe said in answer to Tom's question.

Ah. That was what happened.

Timothy Weasley was a Gryffindor in their year. He and Malfoy were always getting into scuffles, but Tom wasn't particularly fond of him either. It wasn't that Tom sided with Malfoy because he liked him - far from it. It was because Tom detested everything Weasley was and everything he stood for - truth, justice and the Gryffindor way, gag me. Or, better yet, gag him - Weasley would be the lesser loss and Tom doubted he'd be the only one who'd be glad to see him go.

However, Weasley had proven to be a rival to Tom. He wasn't nearly as intelligent, but they'd had a heated duel out in the grounds over some such thing or another, and Tom had found it a challenge to take the other boy down. Most boys he'd delt with in the short month he'd been here had all gone down quickly. Timothy hadn't won their fight, but he hadn't lost either - the sudden appearance of Slughorn had forced the duel to a draw. Not that Tom had suffered more during the actual confrontation.

"Why did you bring him here?!" Tom snapped over Malfoy's loud groans. "Take him to the hospital wing - "

"No!" Malfoy suddenly groaned.

Tom scowled at the interruption before raising his wand at Malfoy. A quick spell and Malfoy was suddenly mute. "Fine, stay here," Tom growled. "But shut the hell up or I'll give your boils boils!"

Malfoy glowered briefly at him before nodding curtly. He jumped into his bed and pulled the curtains around him so that he could lick his wounds in privacy. Tom then shot the other three boys in the room a dark glare that easily yelled "Scat!" and they all quickly dissolved to their own beds or to some other parts of the castle.

Tom inwardly nodded in satisfaction before returning to his own bed. In little more than a month at Hogwarts, the orphaned Half-blood ran the show in the dorms and the common room full of pure bloods. Quite an achievement.

He didn't dwell on this though. He'd never doubted his own self-worth and he wasn't too surprised at the dominance he wielded.

Tom pulled the curtains around him before laying down on the bed, upper half of his body against the headboard. He spotted his new book and picked it up. He had something to write in it now. A list of ways to hurt Weasley.

#1, he wrote. And started to ponder about plans. As he did, something caught his eye. The pound sign and the number had started twitching on the page. As he watched, one eyebrow raised in curiosity, the figures disappeared.

Tom stared, wondering what had just happened. As he prepared to write something else to see what would happen, neat, graceful handwriting appeared on the page.

Hello?

Tom stopped short.

May I ask who I am talking to?

The book talked.

Suspicious, yet curious, Tom brought his quill to the page.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

May I call you Tom?

I don't see a problem with that, Tom wrote back, quickly. What is this?

This book?

Yes. Who are you?

Regina. A pause. Then V. appeared beside the name. Regina V.

"Regina," Tom said quietly, trying the name out. It was an unusual name, but he liked it. Still, it wasn't common. That is your name?

It is a name.

Tom frowned. What does 'a' name mean?

It is what I'm known as. My title. It is not, however, the name my parents bestowed upon me when I was born.

I see. A nickname then?

Very much so.

What does the V stand for?

It's my initial. I cannot tell you the name. At least, not now. You do not even know my first name.

Tom furrowed his eyebrows. He was a little annoyed, but intrigued. Then tell me that first.

You're a smart boy, Tom.

Tom raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was supposed to mean. Her next line answered his unasked question.

You tell me.

Tom was almost annoyed at this, but he wasn't. On the contrary, he smirked, accepting the challenge. At first, he thought her initials may be TMR, and started running names through his head... Titania, Mary, etc. All at once, he noticed that every name he'd conjured were names of queens. He decided it was because Regina was Latin for queen... Did the V mean 5? The fifth queen of something? No, no - it was her initial. But it seemed strange that she wouldn't tell him what it stood for. It was seemed like the odd letter out of a name, left to itself on the page.

With that thought, Tom's eyes narrowed as something clicked.

Ginevra.

The answer didn't come quickly. And then: Yes. But... how?

You hid the name of a queen behind the Latin word for queen. Very clever, he added with honesty. He smirked, pleased with his accomplishment. Ginevra, he thought. It was even better than Regina.

Your level of intelligence is astounding. How old are you?

11

Such wit at such a young age.

How old are you?

I don't have an age, Tom. I've travelled back and forth through time in this book.

I've never read about or heard of any books like this.

Only two have ever been made. This one was made by myself.

You made this book? How?

I was once a witch, Tom. What I am now is just a small sliver of my soul that I - or she - put here to... Shall we say - preserve my memory.

Preserve her memory? Where are you now? I mean, the rest of you?

Not alive.

I see. He thought it was interesting how people could reserve their memories in books, instead of paintings or portraits. Perhaps it was the same magic? But if that was it, why was it that only two have ever done this? Who else did this?

He was a powerful wizard.

His name?

I can not say. He was so powerful, the world fears to speak or write his name. He wanted that - it was an ambition of his. I can not deny him.

Is there a way I can find out?

If you are ever fortunate or unfortunate enough to meet him, Tom, you'll know it's him.

Tom read her words, growing more and more intrigued by the moment. He wanted to know who this wizard was... Who could be so powerful that the world feared to speak his name? Did you know him?

Quite well.

How?

My lord and master.

Did he teach you this?

Yes. Ginevra paused before continuing. The 'Yes' had almost disappeared from the page before her next words appeared. This magic is so strong and dark. Very, very few would be able to manage it.

I would. Tom had written the words before he'd even realized he was doing it. The reaction was natural for him - he wasn't rated second best at anything. Anything anybody could do, he could do better.

I've no doubt.

Tom raised an eye-brow at her response. He would have expected her to be angry or, at the very least, amused at such a statement coming from an eleven-year-old. Don't you?

I can already sense that you're a powerful wizard, Tom. You have already proven yourself as an intelligent individual, just as he is.

I have? Tom thought for a second. By figuring out your nickname?

Yes. My Lord gave it to me.

Tom was pleased about this. It was something to figure out a puzzle that was developed by an all-powerful wizard.

Tom?

Yes.

I sense that you are pleased.

I am.

That wasn't what I had sensed when you first started writing. You seemed quite angry. Tell me, what was wrong?

There is a boy in my class named Timothy Weasley. I was going to write a list of ways I could kill him.

He must have done something terrible. What happened?

Tom proceeded to tell Ginevra about his problems with Timothy Weasley. As he wrote, she was very sympathetic and shared his views regarding the Gryffindor. He finished his written tirade against Weasley and waited for a reply.

As awful as he sounds, I must ask you not to kill him. Before Tom could demand why, Ginevra continued. Making him live a life of torment has its charms, wouldn't you say, Tom? Wouldn't humiliations here or there satisfy your thirst for his blood?

No. Tom's answer was prompt and more of a calm statement than an angry reaction.

I'd thought not.

Tom thought she might have been laughing a little as she wrote that. He found that he didn't mind it though.

It wouldn't do to have you kicked out of school and off to Azkaban for murder. You are at Hogwarts, correct?

Yes.

House of Slytherin?

How did you know?

You're intelligent, witty, ambitious... Ginevra paused again. Then her next words appeared on the page. You're evil.

Tom smirked. Of course.

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A/N

Creatress: Eh? Eeeehhhhhhhh??

Tom & Gin: ...

Creatress: And there's the first chapter of my first ever AU TMRGW.

REVIEW!!! (Please:-) )