A Memory Reborn
The air was thick with anticipation as the ritual began. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the soft, eerie glow emanating from the diary. Harry stood in the center of the room, his wand steady as he guided the two entranced muggles into place. Their blank expressions revealed nothing; the Imperius Curse still held them in its grip.
Teeth lingered in the shadows, its eyeless face tilted toward the scene, observing silently. Harry glanced at it briefly, a subtle reassurance in its presence.
“Everything is ready,” Harry said, his voice calm and measured. He placed the diary on the table between the muggles.
From within the pages, Tom Riddle’s voice echoed faintly, laced with intrigue and hunger. “Let us begin.”
Harry raised his wand, muttering the incantation Tom had instructed him to use. The air around the diary seemed to ripple, a faint hum building into a crescendo. The muggles, still under the curse, remained motionless as tendrils of dark energy seeped from the diary, wrapping around them like living smoke.
Their bodies shuddered as their life forces began to drain, the energy pulled into the diary. Harry watched with a detached calm, though he noted the subtle flicker of life leaving their eyes. The glow from the diary intensified, and then, with a final surge of power, the energy coalesced into a form.
Tom Riddle stepped out of the smoke, fully corporeal. His appearance was youthful, his features sharp and aristocratic. His dark eyes gleamed with triumph, though they quickly shifted to something colder as he scanned the room.
“It worked,” Tom said, his voice rich and smooth, carrying an undercurrent of satisfaction. He flexed his fingers, marveling at his physical form. Then his gaze landed on Teeth, and for a brief moment, he froze. Like the first time.
“Is that?...” he asked, his voice quieter but edged with unease.
Harry glanced at Teeth, who stood as still as ever. “That’s my guardian,” Harry replied matter-of-factly. “Teeth.”
Tom took an involuntary step back, his expression shifting between wariness and fascination. “You didn’t think to mention your guardian is a monster?”
Harry shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”
Teeth tilted its head, its jagged grin unwavering. Tom quickly looked away, his composure returning as he focused on Harry.
“And the muggles?” Tom asked, gesturing toward the now unconscious pair.
Harry stepped forward, his wand already raised. “Obliviate,” he said firmly, one by one erasing their memories. He turned to Teeth. “Take them back to where you found them. Make sure no one sees you.”
Teeth let out a low growl, almost as if acknowledging the command, and moved toward the muggles. It lifted them effortlessly, carrying them out the door and into the night.
Tom watched the scene with an unreadable expression. “You’re efficient. I’ll give you that.”
Harry placed the diary back on the table, turning to Tom. “You’re here now. We’ll figure out what’s next, but for now, you’ll stay with us.”
Tom smirked, his confidence returning. “I suppose I have no choice. For now.”
Harry nodded, his gaze steady. “For now.”
The house grew quiet as Teeth returned, slipping back into the shadows. Tom’s presence lingered, a new layer to Harry’s strange and unorthodox life. The balance had shifted, but Harry was ready for whatever came next.