Friend or Foe

Friend or Foe

Chapter 7: The Road to Darkness

Tom Riddle. Even now, Nicolas found it hard to believe what the boy had become. But he knew, if anyone, he should be the one who was able to anticipate this; for he was the only one who had witnessed the entire process of Tom Riddle's transformation to Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard after Grindelwald.

"Look, the freak got a visitor!"

"What? Who would like to visit him?"

"Who is he, little Tommy, your freak friend? Oh, I forgot, you don't have any friends, do you?"

Nicolas snapped out of his thought as he heard the voices. He looked sideway at Harry, who was frowning after hearing what the voices had said. Harry did not seem to be startled at all when his whole body had been sucked into the pensieve. Nicolas could only assume Harry had entered someone else's pensieve before. He wondered whose memory the boy had viewed.

Nicolas looked around. They were both standing in the meeting room of an orphanage, where Nicolas had first met young Tom Riddle.

From 'Alex', Nicolas had gathered quite a bit of information about Tom. Since 'Alex' had been so worried about his friend when he had been forced to leave, Nicolas had paid the boy who 'Alex' viewed as a little brother a little visit.

The door opened and Tom Riddle stepped into the room. He eyed Nicolas suspiciously. Without taking his eyes from Nicolas, Tom took the seat opposite to him. The boy's eyes were dull and he was way too small for a thirteen-year-old boy.

Nicolas smiled at him gently. "Nice to meet you, Tom. My name is Nicolas Flamel."

The boy's eyes widened in realization. "You are the one invented Alex's stone, sir?"

Nicolas nodded.

"Why are you here, sir?" the boy asked politely.

Nicolas' eyes caught sight of an odd dark spot on the boy's sleeve, which looked suspiciously like a blood stain.

"What happened to your arm, child?" he asked.

Tom gulped. "Nothing, sir," he answered, quickly hiding his arm from view.

Nicolas frowned.

"I'm fine," the boy assured him.

Nicolas heard Harry snort at that statement.

Nicolas raised his eyebrows, but said nothing about it, since there was no way he could help Tom if the boy refused to tell him what had happened. He hesitated, then took out something from his pocket and handed it to Tom.

"You gave that to him?" asked Harry from beside him.

Nicolas nodded. "I was not sure if it was a good decision or not. But I was afraid the muggles really did abuse him. So I gave that to Tom in case he needed help."

"I'm glad you did," said Harry, sighing.

Nicolas knew Harry was feeling guilty at not being able to be with Tom when the boy needed him.

Harry looked up sharply as if he had suddenly thought of something.

"Does he still have it with him?" he asked, looking uncertain.

Nicolas smiled and turned back to watch the memory without answering the question.

"A stone, sir?" Tom asked.

Nicolas nodded. "It's a portkey." He explained to boy how to use to stone. "Just say 'vado' and it'll bring to my home. In case you need help, or simply want someone to talk to, you are welcome to come and visit me."

Tom blinked. "You are giving this to me, sir?" asked Tom, eyeing the stone in disbelief as if he had never expected anyone would want to help him.

"I believe that's what I've just said," said Nicolas.

"Why?" the boy asked. "Why are you..."

Nicolas frowned at the boy's behavior. "Caring someone needs no reason, child."

Seeing Tom's face filled with uncertainty, Nicolas shook his head. "I see you are as stubborn as Alex told me."

Nicolas' teasing successfully warmed up the boy a little.

Tom snorted. "Alex was even worse."

Harry rolled his eyes at that.

Nicolas chuckled. "Take the stone, child, and you are welcome to come to me if you need anything."

Tom hesitated. He looked up at Nicolas, then took the stone slowly.

"Thank you, sir," said Tom softly. "That means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," said Nicolas. "And please, call me Nicolas."

Tom smiled for the first time during the conversation.

"Thank you, Nicolas."

They watched as Tom left the room, the teasing of the other orphans came back immediately when the door was opened.

Harry sighed. "Did they beat him again?" he asked wearily.

Nicolas nodded. "Several times," he said. "But they dared not do that again after I... threatened them a little with my wand." He winked at Harry. "And the snake you gave Tom did a great job in protecting him. From what I've heard, that snake nearly bit several of the kids who had teased Tom, had Tom not stopped it in time. They would have died otherwise. The venom of that snake could kill if the victim was not given the antidote in time."

Harry seemed to feel better after he knew he did help Tom to improve his living condition in same way.

Nicolas then told Harry what had happened after his first meeting with Tom as they continued to watch several more memories. It was quite obvious that Tom had become more relaxed around Nicolas after several visits and had grown closer to him when time proceeded.

A little closer. The boy was so distrusting that it was impossible for anyone to break through the thick wall Tom had built around himself. Nicolas still did not understand how 'Alex' had broken through Tom's defense wall and become such a good friend with the boy. But he knew that if anyone could possibly drag Tom out from the hole he had fallen into, it was Harry.

Honestly, Nicolas had no idea how much hope was left for Tom, but he knew he had to try. He knew Harry felt the same way as he did. That was why Harry had told him that he could never kill Tom; the same went for why Nicolas had refused to join the order again when Albus had asked him years ago.

Then they reached the memories of Tom Riddle's fifth year. It was obvious how much the boy had changed over the years. Nicolas had been contacting Tom constantly throughout the boy's third year, mostly by owl post. When he visited the boy again in the orphanage that summer, he had noticed something was different about him. Tom had been even colder than he had used to be and... darker. Nicolas had been busying with various missions of the order at that time and had not paid much attention to the changes until it was mcuh too late.

Soon after the start of his fourth year, Tom had started to distance himself from Nicolas. He had barely contacted him during the whole year. It was that summer when Nicolas met Tom again that he knew something was wrong, very wrong.

Tom Riddle reluctantly stepped into the room and dropped himself on the chair.

"He's changed," Harry muttered. "He is changing over the years."

Nicolas studied Tom. The fifteen-year-old boy was indeed very different from his younger counterpart Nicolas had just seen several minutes ago. This Tom was obviously more confident. And something about him made Nicolas feel uneasy.

"Why don't you answer my letter, Tom?" asked Nicolas cautiously.

"I've been busy," said Tom. "I must have missed it somehow."

Nicolas frowned and asked slowly, "You are the one, are you? You are the one we've been searching for."

Tom winced. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nicolas looked straight into Tom's eyes The boy averted his gaze a little too late.

Nicolas closed his eyes. "I thought so," he whispered. "But why? Why did you accept?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tom repeated.

Nicolas sighed. "I only want to help, my child."

"You won't understand," said Tom hoarsely.

"Tom..."

"Just leave me alone!" Tom snapped, gritting his teeth. Then, as seeing Nicolas' worrying gaze, he sighed. "Just leave me be."

With that said, Tom quickly retreated from the room.

"What has happened?" Harry eyed to retreating form of Tom. "He is so different."

"Have you heard of Grindelwald, Harry?" asked Nicolas.

Harry shook his head, looking confused at the question.

"Grindelwald was the Dark Lord, it was he who turned your friend into what he is right now." said Nicolas quietly.

That gained Harry's full attention. "What?"

"Grindelwald was a very powerful wizard. He believed the wizarding folks were superior and the muggles were worthless creatures. He had recruited numerous supporters and dark creatures to help him, and his dark influence was expanding rapidly. It was a dark time, Harry." Nicolas paused, momentarily losing in his memory. He took a deep breath and continued, "About one and a half year after you left, the spy of the order brought the news that Grindelwald, in order to gain an upper hand in the war, had found an heir, and had been training the child himself. The order had been searching for the identity of the child since then, with little success. I had my own suspicion at that time. Unfortunately, my guess was correct."

"Tom?" Harry asked shakily.

Nicolas nodded. "Tom is a very powerful wizard and he is the heir of Slytherin. With the strong dislike Tom held towards muggles, he was perfect for Grindelwald to shape into his dark weapon."

Harry paled. "But... why? Why would Tom join him? He wouldn't let anyone control him."

"Grindelwald used Tom's hatred to his advantage. He provoked Tom's negative emotions and step by step transforms him into a heartless torturer," said Nicolas, his eyes hardened. "Gindelwald also offered Tom one of the things he wanted most- power. He provided a great opportunity for Tom to take revenge against all those who had hurt him before."

Harry closed his eyes. "Tom..."

Nicolas looked at Harry with sympathy. "How you heard of what happened in Tom's fifth year, Harry?"

Harry went even paler. He looked up and said, "He opened the Chamber of Secrets and..."

"Made his first kill," Nicolas finished for him.

The scene of the pensieve changed and they found themselves back to Nicolas' room.

"After that incident, I kind of... kidnapped Tom to my house and confronted him. He was shaken after the incident, especially because he was responsible for the death of a student. There was not much I could have done though, Tom was already deeply influenced by Grindelwald at that time," said Nicolas sadly. "It was the last time I saw him... as Tom Riddle, not Voldemort."

"Tom!"

Tom Riddle looked up to face Nicolas.

"This is my choice," he said flatly.

"He's using you."

"He offers what I always want."

Nicolas shook his head. "Power is not everything, my child."

"This is my chance to show everyone what I can do," Tom retorted.

"The Tom Riddle I know has always despised people torturing others merely because they have the power to do so," said Nicolas softly.

"They deserve it," said Tom.

"That's not the right way, and you know that," said Nicolas.

"There is no good and evil, there is only power and those too weak to seek it," said Tom.

"Grindelwald has been brainwashing you."

"He has not!" shouted Tom. "The muggles deserve it! You too know what they've done to me."

"Yes, I know." Nicolas sighed. "But you never want to hurt them."

Tom narrowed his eyes. "People change, Nicolas. I used to be so naïve, but not anymore. Now I understand things better. I know what I should do."

"Tom..."

"Why should I care, anyway?" Tom continued. "They hate me, or are trying to use me. Now I will have power over them and no one can ever hurt me again."

Tom reached for the portkey in his pocket.

"This is the road I have chosen," said Tom. "I know you work for the light side, Nicolas. I won't come here again, then."

They both knew that by the time Tom activated the stone, they would be enemies, working for their own side.

"What about Alex?" asked Nicolas weakly before Tom said the activation spell. "Have you forgotten him? What will he think of you in the future?"

Tom lowered his head and did no answer for a long time.

"Alex cares for you as though you are his brother. It will hurt him greatly if you continue being like this."

"I can't turn back, not now." said Tom. "Alex will hate me for what I've done, and what I'm going to do. I know he will never work for the dark side, it's not like him. I've broken my promise to him, and if we meet again..."

Tom turned back and before he shouted 'vado', he said a last sentence with a barely audible voice,

"Then he of all people has the right to kill me."