Realization

October 31, 1981

Something is around me. I can feel something or someone touching my hair and running their fingers through it. I hear voices, distant murmurs but nothing from the person standing over me, now putting a hand on my cheek ... I feel like I can't move a muscle. Though I keep my eyes closed I try bending my fingers and some of the people who were murmuring to themselves earlier started gasping. I'm guessing now that I'm able to move again and the person over me took their hand off my face. I opened my eyes.

I say nothing but look around. My eyesight has gone bad somehow and all the images around me are a blur. I sit up and gaze at all these cloaked, misty figures tiredly when finally one comes into focus. It is a young man; he's standing above me. I can't tell who he is but I know I've seen him somewhere before. I stare at him for a while with my same exasperated expression and suddenly I realize who he is. "Tom?" I say hoarsely. Trying to speak is making me want to vomit.

He stares at me for a long time, saying nothing. His unusual stare is making me fear him. It's almost like he is inspecting me of things I don't want to think about. "Allura," he finally mutters. The figures around him grow silent immediately and Tom's face turned grim. "You failed your mission, Allura. You know the punishments." It wasn't a question.

I sighed and stood up, then bowed. "Please accept my penance to you." Then I took yet another nine lives away from me. That is the tradition. When a Klausbatil is made a servant to another, the punishment is to take away nine lives when the servant disobeys. Tom's face stays firm then after the process is over then he kneeled down next to me and put his hand on my chin. I was forced to look into his eyes.

"Do not fail me again, Allura. You only have seven lives left for your journey on. I don't want to lose you so soon," he murmurs. I know he means much more than that but I stay silent. He nods then stands up. To everyone else, he declared, "Let it be known that James Potter will die at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Tonight, when the moon is full."

The moon shone eerily that night. I knew what was to come. Tonight, my brother instead of me will avenge the victim I failed to kill. I await the screams. But I kept my place. There was nothing I could do. It is hard to change my brother's mind. It is hard serving him. So long ago ... memories fill my head.

*~*~*

September, 1942

Tom Riddle was a fifth-year student at the age of sixteen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that fateful year. Little did he know what was to become of him.

Only by his closest friends did they call him a different name. Malcolm Snape, Brutani Malfoy, among others. Very rarely new students above first years came to this school. He knew this. But he didn't know much about himself. Tom Marvolo Riddle was his entire name, yet he was named after his Muggle father and grandfather. He felt disgusted by this and was instead known to his friends as a name he had found most amusing. Lord Voldemort.

The moon did not shine one night. Many of the flames from hallway candles mysteriously vanished though there was no sign of a strong breeze. Something was going to happen, yet only one person knew.

Albus Dumbledore frowned at the sight of the still darkening weather. He knew what was coming yet as only the Transfiguration teacher at the time, he kept his thoughts to himself. He noted thunder crying out in the distance but paid no mind. The professor kept his eyes to the sky, where he had continuously seen glimpses of large, red eyes.

A cry filled the air suddenly. A long, loud, sickening cry that sent chills down even Dumbledore's spine. Many students looked out the windows of their dorms yet found nothing. There was nothing to see. A dense, black fog had drawn a thick veil over Hogwarts.

Another cry, this time more in pain and mourn then the last, then another in vengeance. "Back to your dormitories!" Professor Dumbledore ordered. "There is nothing to see! Go back to bed!" Reluctantly the students closed their windows and turned out the remaining lights, but Tom merely stared. After a while Malfoy tugged on his arm and motioned him to go back up the stairs. Tom finally went back to his senses then glared at Malfoy, running up the steps.

Tom didn't argue with Malfoy the next day on why he had forced him out of his stares. He knew the answer. That is why he paid attention when the new first years had come to Hogwarts the next day - September 1^st.

There was some murmuring around about the night before and some others were saying it was a warning from the spirits that a dark wizard was coming for them. Tom muttered to himself then looked around, waiting for the congregation to end.

Many names went across his mind as the students were sorted. Igor Karkaroff, Minerva McGonagall, Brian Weasley, many others. Then Professor Dippet stood up in front of them.

"I have an announcement to make for all of you." A tense silence echoed softly in the air, then Dippet continued. "We are very lucky today to announce that we have a transfer student from the Far East in China, and will be accompanying the fifth years at our school." He smiled and then, as before for many of the other names, he shouted out, "RIDDLE, ALLURA!"

A silence as a darkening shadow loomed around in the room. A girl about Tom's age appeared in robes of leopard print, her face solemn. Her knee-length hair is black like the color of the night and her eyes like a tiger's. Many are staring at her, intrigued by her beauty, when swiftly the hat calls out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Eyes are still fixed on her as silently she walks over to the Slytherin table next to Olivine and Myrtle. No one says anything for while, until Professor Dippet calls announces the feast has begun.

In the Slytherin common room people didn't say much to Allura. Mostly the other students would ask Tom if he knew her or anything about her. Tom, for once, was lost for words.

Though Allura seemed quiet and not very flexible, this was her total opposite self. Quickly she had shown her classmates how good she was at karate when a Gryffindor student had angered her. But even more disturbing, at least to Tom, she was the one that made all the fuss at Hogwarts the frightful night before - flying in by dragon.

Hagrid seemed very happy because of this and loved to take care of the snake-like creature while Allura was away. The sight of the beast horrified most, but Tom merely stared.

The dragon looked like it had a bit of Chinese ascendants before him and was very huge with black scales all over and glowing red eyes always in the form of a glare. Only when Allura would come up to him would the glow disappear. Thus was Artemis.

The day after was the first day of class. Mostly answered questions would turn out to be muttered answers from Allura. Most would gaze at her in wonder, including at the professors, at her profound statements and exclusive descriptions of spells and curses.

But Tom would merely stare.

This has gone on for weeks, he thought, and now she seems to be a worthy rival of mine. I need to know why her name is mine. I want to know why she has come to pursue me. I need to know ...

Finally after a long while of thought he made up his mind and slipped out of his dormitory late at night. Usually about now the Slytherin girls would still be awake and would be talking gossip from just about every subject. Allura would stand guard at the door for any eavesdroppers and would use karate on them.

She heard the footsteps coming closer and she looked around, but all was black mist from the dense fog on that midnight hour. Allura tried to pick out a torso of someone walking by but saw no one, until they reached through the barrier and stared deep into her eyes.

The reflection of black eyes troubled her. "Who are you?" she whispered. By now all of the girls were peeking out of the doorway to listen.

Tom's face was grim. "We need to talk. Alone." Even his tone sounded coldly familiar to Allura, and she agreed, the two walking down the hallways to an empty corridor.

After a while from staring at each other she spoke. "Who are you?" she asked once again.

"That doesn't matter for the time being. What I want to know is, who are you." Obviously by the look on her face she didn't comprehend. He sighed and continued. "My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle," he finally said. She gasped and turned to him with such bewilderment Tom had to force himself to keep a straight face.

"But I'm ... Allura -"

"Riddle. I know." For a while they continued to stare at each other. Then he said -

"Tell me your mother's name."

She sighed and hung her head. "Melissa Slytherin."

His face turned curious. "And your father ...?"

"A Muggle. But that's all I know from my foster parents. They told me they died suddenly and I was given to them to take care of me. That's all I know."

Tom remained silent for a moment. "You were raised in China?"

"Yes, Beijing."

He hung his head. "I didn't have such luxuries. I was taken to an orphanage home when our ... our parents ... died ..." From his tone Allura could tell he didn't know what to say to her and was having trouble finding the words.

"Maybe you are the one I hear so much about. The one in my dreams. The man with the black eyes, telling me to come back to him." She forced herself to look into his eyes, only seeing he had been staring at her for the last few minutes. She felt her eyes suddenly beginning to close, her hands reaching out to him. Somehow, someway, Tom couldn't control himself anymore, and felt the world around him not mattering anymore. For a split second, their lips had touched, then -

"Allura!" Olivine's voice echoed around the hall corridors. Their friends had come upon them.

They made many excuses to get them away from each other and rushed over to them, Snape's and Malfoy's arms pulling Tom away and Olivine's and Myrtle's on Allura's. The passion was still in their eyes.

*~*~*

October 31, 1981

From then on Tom and I were forced to keep away from each other, and soon I left Hogwarts. I was to return to China and then go from there to Durmstrang Institute. Never did I get the chance to say good-bye.

Now all those years are gone. Tom went on a rampage watching me go and he was determined to find me. Sadly, his rage controlled him for the rest of his life. He changed his name and renounced himself as Voldemort. He formed his own group of Death Eaters and destroyed all who opposed him. Pity fills me, but it is not a feeling I like.