Killing Me Softly

Chapter One
The Heir of Slytherin

"You can discover what your enemy fears most by
observing the means he uses to frighten you."
-Eric Hoffer

*****

The tiny thuds of Harry's feet hitting the dungeon floor echoed throughout the chamber. His heart pounded with each step, and he tried his best to keep his gaze straight ahead. On each side of the chamber was a row of gigantic pillar serpents, although whether or not they truly were just pillars, Harry wasn't sure. He thought it was probably best not to look any of them in the eyes just in case. It looked like one of them had just moved…

Where was Ginny? Harry stopped and concentrated hard. He listened for any sound that might be coming from Ginny, but heard neither cries nor whimpers. The only sound was made by the occasional drop of sewage water.

A mass of red hair caught his attention. Ginny lay at the end of the chamber, unmoving. Harry ran to her, but in his haste to reach her, slipped on the damp floor and slid, nearly colliding with her. There was a dull pain in his elbow, but he ignored it. There was a more pressing matter at hand.

"Ginny?" Harry called softly to her, anxious. He turned her over to examine her pale face. First he tried shaking her gently, then more aggressively. She didn't wake or move at all.

Ginny, please don't be dead! Harry prayed as he shook her again. It was no use. He tried to pick her up, but he wasn't that much bigger than she was and her weight made him stagger and nearly buckled his knees. Instead, he set her back down and started to drag her back to the tunnel. They were making good progress until Harry's foot got caught in the space between two stones on the floor. He and Ginny went crashing down to the floor.

Harry got up and looked down at her desperately, his eyes watering with dread. "Ginny, can you hear me?" She didn't make a sound. Harry touched her hand; it was cold. Starting to feel helpless, he tried shaking her again.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice. Startled that he and Ginny were not alone in the chamber, Harry looked up. Beside one of the pillars stood a teenage boy. His black hair and handsome face were instantly recognizable.

"Tom Riddle?" The last time Harry had seen Tom was in the memory contained in Tom's diary, a memory from fifty years ago. But now here he stood not a day over sixteen. He was slightly transparent and glowing with life. A sly little smile played on his face. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked. "Wait, never mind that! Tom, you have to help me! The basilisk is coming and I have to get Ginny out of here!"

"The basilisk will not come until it is called," Tom Riddle said calmly.

"What do you mean it will not come until it's called?" Harry said. He tugged at Ginny again. "How can we get her out of here, Tom? Can you pick her up?"

"I am sorry. I am not yet strong enough," Tom said. The sides of his mouth curled.

"Then do you know any good spell I can use to make her lighter?" Harry asked. "Do you think I could carry her with a Levitation Charm?"

"I know a much better spell."

"You do?"

"Yes, Harry," Tom said softly as he bent over a little. "Point your wand at her chest." Harry nodded and did as told. "Now, concentrate with all your might and - Accio wand!"

The wand flew out of Harry's grip, and Tom snatched it. He laughed in a manner that did not suit him. It was high and cold, and Harry felt the hair on his neck stand.

"What spell was that?" Harry asked.

"A Summoning Charm," Tom answered casually as he twirled the wand between his long, slender fingers.

"Why did you do that?"

"Just felt like it." Harry's eyes narrowed.

"This isn't funny," Harry said a little angrily. "Give me back my wand, Tom." He reached out for the wand, but Tom drew the wand away from Harry's reach.

"You won't need it," Tom said, and he pocketed it. Harry's jaw dropped slightly.

"What's going on here?" Harry demanded. "How did you get here?"

"I am a memory, Harry Potter. I was preserved in a diary for fifty years." He pointed to a small black book not too far from them. Harry squinted his eyes and recognized the book as Tom's diary; how did it get here? Something began to dawn on him…

"Yes, Harry," Tom said, as though he could read Harry's mind. "It was Ginny who took the diary from your room. She set me free."

"How? Are…were you a ghost?" Harry asked. Tom smirked. He was looking more solid than he had few moments ago.

"No, Harry, not that kind of memory," he said, chuckling a little. "I am very much alive." His smile widened. "She, however, is not. You're too late, Harry. Ginny has been dead for the past half hour. Don't believe me? Look at her face. Her lips are turning blue." Harry felt his heart squeeze as though it were jammed between two large blocks of ice. For a moment he couldn't breathe. Ginny was dead. He was too late. He had failed. His hands clenched.

"What happened to her?" Harry asked, his throat constricting. "And you, what do you mean you're not a ghost? What else could you be? You were sixteen fifty years ago!"

Tom continued to smile. "Think of me as a very powerful wizard, Harry."

There was something odd going on.

"How did Ginny die?" Harry demanded, eyeing the taller boy. "How are you alive and young?"

"Ginny has been writing in my diary for many months," Tom explained calmly. "She wrote down all about how hard it was to be a new student at Hogwarts, her pathetic fear of not making any friends, how embarrassing it was to wear second-hand robes, and her worries that you might never like her." Tom snorted at that; Harry felt sick.

The way Tom was speaking was very different from the memory of him that Harry had seen; in the diary Tom had been understanding and kind, but now he was quite the opposite. "So I fed off her fears and deepest secrets for many months. It made me strong enough to finally leave the pages of the diary forever. And it was all thanks to this silly little girl," Tom continued.

"I trusted you, Tom," Harry said, his voice shaky. "And Ginny trusted you too! Why did you do this to her?" Tom bent down so that his eyes were level with Harry's.

"Why?" he repeated. "Because Ginny told me everything about you, Harry. Your entire fascinating history. She was quite taken with you." His eyes traveled to the scar on Harry's forehead. A dangerous look burned in his eyes – a dark, wide, greedy look – and Harry was almost sure that they were tinged with red. "She told me that you are famous for defeating the most powerful wizard of all time: Lord Voldemort. I simply had to meet you. In the meantime, I decided to return the favor and tell Ginny some of my secrets. I poured a little of myself into her, just as she poured herself into me."

Harry eyed Tom suspiciously. "Ginny's been writing the messages on the walls, hasn't she?"

"It took you this long to figure it out?" Tom laughed. "Ginny grew suspicious of me after a while and tried to dispose of the diary. And then you found it. You can imagine my joy; I had only to gain your trust, so I showed you the memory of my capture of that great oaf Hagrid."

"Hagrid's my friend!" Harry said angrily. "And why are you so interested in Lord Voldemort? He was after your time!"

"Lord Voldemort is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter," Tom explained softly. He stood up, pulled Harry's wand out from his pocket, and wrote three words across the air.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

With a flick of his wand, the words began to rearrange themselves:

I am Lord Voldemort

Harry felt his heart plummet. He couldn't stop staring at Tom, the orphaned boy who grew up to murder Harry's parents.

"Voldemort? You're Voldemort?" Harry said, unable to believe this. Tom turned to look at him, a coy smile plastered on his face.

"I came up with the name Lord Voldemort in the hope of forever severing the ties that connected me to my father." Tom's body tensed with rage. "Did you honestly think I was going to keep my filthy Muggle father's name forever?" It took a moment for Harry to understand what Tom was talking about.

"Of course. Witch mother, Muggle father," Harry said, remembering what he saw in Tom's memory.

"Yes," replied Tom. "My father was nothing more than a filthy Muggle who left my mother before I was born, all because he found out she was a witch! My mother, on the other hand…" He motioned to the statue facing the chamber; it was of a wizard with long hair and a long beard. "My mother was a direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin. I am his only remaining heir."

Harry stared at the statue for a couple of moments before redirecting his gaze to Tom Riddle. "That's why you can talk to snakes," he said, eyes widening in realization. "That's what you meant by the basilisk not coming until is called. You can control the basilisk! And you're Slytherin's heir, the same wizard who wished to wipe out the Muggle-born population at Hogwarts! That's why you opened the Chamber of Secrets!"

"Precisely," Tom whispered. "It had taken me a good five years to find out all I can about the Chamber of Secrets, but after that Mudblood Myrtle was murdered it wasn't safe to open the Chamber any longer. That was why I preserved myself in the diary, so that one day I could return to finish Slytherin's work." His dark eyes bored into Harry's. "But recently, killing Mudbloods has not mattered to me anymore. For many months now, my new target had been you." Was it just Harry's imagination, or had Tom's eyes momentarily flashed red? "Look at us, Harry. Surely you also must have noticed the similarities between us. We're both orphans, half-bloods, raised by Muggles. We may have been the only two Parselmouths to enter Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. We even look a little bit alike. So tell me, how were you able to defeat Lord Voldemort twice?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "My mother died protecting me; I don't know why your future self lost his powers that night!" Tom continued to survey him for a little while.

"Well then, I suppose this proves it," said Tom, smirking. "Your mother sacrificing herself for you … a very powerful countercharm, yes … so there is nothing special about you despite the similarities between us." He turned to the large statue of the Salazar Slytherin. "And now, Harry, I am going to teach you a little lesson."

He started speaking to the statue, and Harry heard the familiar hissing sounds of Parseltongue. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

Harry backed away. He almost tripped over Ginny's body, but caught himself just in time. He felt vulnerable, naked, without his wand. He had no means to fight while Tom had his wand and the basilisk. Harry watched shakily as Slytherin's mouth slowly opened and something slithered inside. Heart pounding as though it were about to erupt from his throat, Harry closed his eyes tightly.

"Keep your eyes open, Harry," Tom commanded calmly. "I promise I will not let him look at you. I want you to see something." Should he trust Tom? Harry heard Tom command the basilisk to close its eyes, and Harry cautiously opened his own.

The bright green basilisk was about fifty feet long and its mouth was big enough to fit two Hagrids. The scarlet plume on its head indicated that it was male.

Tom slowly inched towards the body of Ginny, and he cast Harry a little look before picking her up.

"What are you going to do to her?" Harry asked as he stared at the tiny corpse in Tom's arms. All Tom did was smile, and before Harry could do anything else, Tom tossed Ginny's body to the basilisk.

"Eat," he commanded.

"No!" Harry screamed, horrorstruck. "What do you think you're doing?" Tom turned to Harry, smiling slyly.

"She is dead, Harry," Tom explained softly and slowly as though he were trying to explain a simple situation to a handicapped child. "She died giving me the energy to live, so she may as well keep on helping my cause with the generous donation of her body as well. The poor fellow hasn't eaten human flesh in the longest time. Look at him, Harry. Can't you see the look of satisfaction in his face?"

Harry cast his eyes back on the basilisk. Ginny's torso and legs were sticking out from the basilisk's outstretched jaw.

"A snake's jaws are loosely connected to its skull by very strong ligaments," Tom lectured. "This allows the snake to swallow any food much bigger than itself. Ginny is not very big, but it will take a while before she is completely inside. The basilisk will not chew her, but its digestive acids will do the trick. After consuming, the basilisk will rest in order to conserve energy during the digestive process." Harry felt acid rise up his throat. How could anyone talk about a little girl being eaten without any emotion?

"You're sick!" Harry yelled at him. He was shaking, his eyes clouded with unshed tears of grief. Oh Ginny, poor Ginny…After a couple of moments, Harry came back to his own tight situation, namely that he was completely alone in the Chamber with Tom Riddle and had no way of defending himself. "What are you going to do to me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Kill you, of course," Tom said carelessly. "But I have time, and I would like to have a little fun." He took a few steps closer to Harry, and before Harry could react, rope shot out from the wand. It wound around Harry's waist, arms, and ankles. Tom tugged on the rope, and Harry's lost his balance. He struggled, but the binds were too strong to break through.

Tom conjured up a throne-like chair and sat down elegantly, looking down smugly at Harry as though he were king and Harry were a filthy subject. He tugged on the rope so that Harry was facing him. Harry wondered what Tom wanted to do with him. Tom was studying him, a corner of his lips curling. Suddenly he raised his wand and said, "Crucio!"

The pain was beyond anything Harry had ever endured. He collapsed back onto the floor, convulsing. White-hot knives pierced him all throughout his body, his mind was mercilessly grinded…when he thought he couldn't take the pain any longer, he felt the curse lift. Tom was laughing coldly.

"Do you know what that was?" Tom asked. "It is called the Cruciatus Curse, and it makes a person suffer. Quite useful if you do not like a person. It's one of my favorite spells. Would you like to feel it again?"

Harry decided not to respond. The curse was dreadful, but he wasn't going to beg Tom to stop. He wasn't going to play. From the corner of his eye he could see Ginny's little feet still sticking out from the basilisk's mouth. He shuddered.

"Did the curse destroy your ability to speak?" Tom said. "I asked you a question, Harry. Answer me now!" When Harry didn't respond, Tom added, "Would you like to play another game then, Harry? I know another spell that I enjoy. Imperio!"

This time, a wonderful sensation filled inside Harry. His mind was completely cleared of thought, and he felt as though his body was floating. He watched dreamily as Tom stuck his foot near Harry's mouth.

"Kiss my foot, Harry, then take it into in your mouth." Harry obeyed. He positioned himself and kissed Tom's shoe before taking it in. He then felt the curse lift. Thoughts returned, and Harry realized what position he was in. He quickly tried to spit out the shoe, but Tom yelled, "Immobulus!" and Harry froze right where he was. Tom laughed coldly again. He pushed his foot into Harry's mouth until Harry thought the sides of his mouth were going to tear. Tom laughed again in his high, cold manner.

"That's right, Harry," Tom sighed. He sneered sinisterly as he started to move his foot in and out of Harry's mouth. "Do you know what this action reminds me of? Perhaps I shouldn't tell you...should I risk ruining your innocence like this? Do you even have any idea what I am alluding to, little Potter? Ah, what would your filthy Mudblood mother think about her precious stupid baby kneeling here before me like a good little bitch." Harry gagged. "Not enjoying sucking me, Harry? Well, I hope you choke on this, little parasite!"

Harry fought against the magical binds and rope. Something awful was gurgling in his stomach; his last meal was threatening to spill out. He used every inch of his strength and broke free from the Immobulus spell. He vomited over the floor, his robes, and even Tom's shoes.

"Filthy boy!" Tom said angrily. "Clean up this mess with your mouth."

"No!" Harry croaked, the taste of vomit and dirt still in his mouth.

Tom waved the wand again, and Harry felt an invisible hand push him down into the mess. Harry pressed back against the force; the smell of the vomit alone was making him feel ill again. The invisible hand was too strong and Harry fell forward, but fortunately his face did not fall into the pool of sick. Looking up he could see that Tom was a bit disappointed. He gave Tom a dirty look.

"Don't give me that look, filth," Tom said. With another swish of the wand, the ropes binding Harry extended and wrapped around his throat. They began to constrict. "Crucio!" Tom yelled, and Harry twitched in pain again. He couldn't scream because of the tightness around his throat. Tears spilled down his face.

Help me, please help me! Harry prayed frantically. He couldn't breathe; the pain was intensifying every second. Finally, the curse was lifted and the rope loosened its grip. Air was starting to rush back in, but he was still twitching. He felt odd, confused…his eyes shifted to the tunnel door through which he had entered. Just a bit farther off, his best friend Ron was there waiting for him. Tears filled Harry's eyes again as he thought about his friend; he had let Ron down by being too late to save Ginny, and soon Ron was going to have one less friend. He was never going to see Ron again…

"Ron …" Harry whimpered as emotion filled him. He heard a chuckle behind him; Harry turned over again and looked into Tom's cold, mocking eyes.

"Crying for your best friend now, Harry?" Tom asked. "Oh, you poor thing." He waved the wand, and Harry felt the invisible hand grab him by his hair. He was too weak to fight it. The hand pulled his head up before bashing his head against the floor. Harry screamed, but he could not fight anymore. As Tom continued slamming his skull into the stone floor, Harry thought that his head would surely break apart.

Please, no, he thought, fear and hopelessness and pain clouding out everything else. Then, blessedly, his mind fell silent.

***

Tom studied his lovely work. Harry lay unconscious on the floor with pretty streaks of dried tears running down his cheeks and a blot of blood widening under his head. He felt around Harry's head, located the injury, and quickly healed the wound. It would be more entertaining to keep Harry in good mental health for as long as possible.

Tom sat up and wondered what next to do with the little bastard. The boy was not aware of anything at the moment; Tom could do anything he wished.

He could cut off one of Harry's limbs and feed it to the basilisk. Oh, how wonderful Harry's reaction would be when he woke up and saw that he was missing a body part! Or he could cut him into many pieces and send it to Dumbledore in a gift basket with some decaying flowers. What a lovely present that would be! Tom laughed at the thought of old Professor Dumbledore's reaction when he received the gift basket. It would be even better if he kept Harry alive but cut him all over before putting him in the basket. Oh yes, the amount of pain Harry would endure would be exquisite to behold!

Tom shifted and brought Harry's wand to his chest. He had made up his mind about what to do to Harry. Running one hand through Harry's hair and holding Harry's wand with the other, Tom muttered the first two syllables of the Diffindo spell.

Moments passed, but Tom did not complete the incantation. He continued to stand over Harry, his wand raised. A memory was hazily returning to him. He had nearly forgotten it over the course of the last fifty years.

He had been sitting in a dim living room looking down at his notes. The notes had been for a ritual, but the steps had not been complete at the time. Tom had looked up excitedly at the wizard, but his excitement had been punctured when the man, a dark wizard, had spoken.

"You will need a partner," he had said, "and I have already chosen mine."

Tom had been reading up on history books during nights when he possessed Ginny's body. He knew what had happened to that wizard. He had died two years after that meeting. Tom was sure the wizard had continued to work on the ritual. After all, the dark wizard Grindelwald had also sought immortality….

A partner…Tom looked at Harry, and he grinned wickedly. He backed away from the unconscious boy and turned to the basilisk that had been lying lazily around the feet of Salazar Slytherin's statue.

"Go," he ordered the basilisk. "Go out into the school and attack anyone that comes your way. Do not hold back; take anyone you fancy. I do not care."

"Yesss," the basilisk hissed. It uncoiled itself from where it lay and slithered past Tom and Harry. Tom could hear it hissing to itself contently; it would surely dine on many humans tonight. Tom smiled at the thought and turned his attention to the unconscious boy. He cast the Disillusionment Charm on Harry before doing the same on himself.

"Mobilicorpus," Tom said. Harry rose up a couple of inches from the ground. Tom made his way to the end of the Chamber where Slytherin's statue stood. There was a small channel far off to the left that magically pulled the water up from the ground and out of the castle. It was too small to fit through, but Tom had an idea.

"Dilato," he said, and the channel began to expand. Wrapping his arms around Harry, Tom entered. He immediately felt the magical energy pushing them. As they soared up, Harry's head lolled against Tom's chest.

"We're going to Grindelwald's manor," he whispered to the unconscious boy. "You are going to make me immortal." He squeezed Harry's arm tightly.

The channel emptied them out into the nearby lake. Tom quickly swam to the surface and shivered. The air was a little chilly, yet refreshing. Looking up at the marvelous night sky, he realized that this was the first time he had been out of castle ever since he entered the diary fifty years ago. The scenery was lovely, but he didn't have time to admire nature. He had work to do.

He pushed Harry onto the edge of the lake and climbed out. Looking around him, he pondered what his next move should be. They had a long journey to make, and the Disillusionment Charm could only hide them as long as they kept moving. If they stood still for a while, a sharp-eyed witch or wizard could discern that they were there.

A rustling nearby caught his attention. Over in the Forbidden Forest Tom could make out the shape of a skeletal winged black horse. It white eyes shined in the darkness as it sniffed its way towards a meal. Thestrals were invisible to many people, but he could cast the Disillusionment Charm on it for added protection.

"Mobilicorpus," Tom whispered, his wand pointed at Harry. The young boy rose up from the ground again. Taking one last glance at Hogwarts, Tom approached the Thestral.