Chapter 21
Tom was quick to dismiss the meeting, though he was concerned that somebody would think they confunded each other because that's how each member came looking out of this meeting after what happened, looking white like they had seen a basilisk. He himself was still mulling over what he learned but he forced his mind to sober enough to head to Slughorn's office, he would make up some story about the hospital needing him urgently so that he could borrow the fireplace to go straight to Gringotts, he absolutely would not let the artifact at Hogwarts, specially not with Dumbledore here. He found Slughorn sipping on his firewhiskey as he greeted him and offered him some snacks. Tom refused and pretended to be agitated, not that he needed much pretending mind you , Slughorn seeing his "state" was quick to oblige and let him use the fireplace. He used it to go to Saint-Mungo and once there he didn't dally to transplane outside of Gringotts. His mind could only rest a bit after he put the artifact back to the vault and even then it was not totally at ease as he remembered the letter where Bellatrix was berating the goblins for asking her to borrow the artifact, but it was the best solution as of yet as goblins were bound by magic to protect wizards belongings and not extend their reach to them.
He transplaned back to Saint-Mungo and headed towards Bellatrix's room. The noise in Saint-mungo was not that different from the morning even though it was already night. He needed to think over everything that happened and what better place to do it than with the culprit herself and he needed to confirm something. Once inside the room, he closed and warded the door before taking off his cape and putting it on the sofa where he would be sleeping today probably. The stillness and silence of the room with Bellatrix's presence despite her being asleep was calming his nerves and helping him think through everything. So, Bellatrix was Cygnus and Druella"s daughter and she herself was twice his age which means that she comes from around 50 years from the future and in the future she comes from, he must be actually her elder. Now that explains many things. Her overbearing protectiveness and her thinking him to be fragile and weak and feeling the need to protect him, the difference to her must indeed be weighing on her. Tom already figured out who that man in the artifact was. Despite her showing favor towards Druella and Cygnus, her actual parents , it didn't make sense for the favor she showed Tom and how she actively kept protecting him. He remembered her telling him he would be the greatest wizard of all times, then calling that...apparition the greatest wizard to ever exist. At that time, he was angry thinking that Bellatrix was just not sincere in the compliments she previously gave him as he wouldn't think to associate himself with that apparition. He remembered her being confused when he asked her "do you work for the dark lord" and the ridicule that donned her face when she realised what was being asked and ...by who. Indeed, it must have been funny. While Tom was glad that in the future, he would become a famous Dark Lord, he was very unhappy to say the least about what he saw of his future self. While indeed he was powerful, somebody so insane looking would mean he lost his biggest asset, his mind, and that would certainly lead one way or another to his loss. Just from that glimpse alone, he understood that many of his future followers wouldn't have been truly loyal and of those who did, they must be themselves utterly out of their mind or just searching for an excuse to be unleashed on society and happened to stumble on him. Any loyalty to that man must be bred out of blind fanatic devotion and utter unhinged madness, none needed to be lacking. But no matter, he now has the possibility to change everything as he sees fit. As Tom approached the bed and Bellatrix's sleeping face appeared, he understood very well how wrong it could have gone for him and how creepily chilling this time traveling ordeal was. It could have been someone from the other side or even his own followers taking advantage of his young age and him still being a mere half blood at Hogwarts and figured out it was better to step on him for glory instead. The fact that it was Bellatrix may have been a terrible thing for others, but it was just great for Tom. It couldn't have been greater. While she was insane, only an insane person would really be loyal to... that man and somehow think it was a good idea to secure his future without any rewards promised and more of a burden taken on really. He felt discomfort in his chest when he remembered the gringotts report, no matter, he still has time to thoruoghly study the artifact and solve that too. As he sat on the bed, he reached for her arm and folded the sleeves once more showing the mark. It did look like something that he would have made indeed. This time, he didn't look at it with aversion and rather fondness. It did after all mark Bellatrix as belonging to him and also a future of greatness. He decided to study it with more focus. As he ran his finger through it, it started darkening and moving. Indeed, it reacted to him only. Had he figured out the strangeness of the mark moving, maybe he could have avoided having anybody but himself even know of who Bellatrix was. He could already feel a headache when he thought back to the meeting. He deliberated within himself whether he should tell Bellatrix that he figured out everything once she woke up or continue to pretend to be oblivious for a while, maybe he indeed should pretend for a bit to observe her some more before revealing everything or at least until she got better. She must already be stressing over Grindelwald targeting him. It's true changing time would lead to such averse consequences like alerting a seer or maybe the timeline attempting to correct itself, specially if there is a prophecy involved, Tom thought darkly while remembering that book on her nightstand. However, with great risks come great rewards and Tom would not avoid using such immense power just because of the potential setbacks that it can come with, like Grindelwald being alerted. Only the weak would not seek power and Tom was not weak. All he would need to do was to thread carefully and calculatingly, something his future self seemed devoid of in his utter madness. Maybe doing as much as seven horcruxes was not the brightest of ideas.
He gave Bellatrix one last look and the bandages on her were irritating his vision, Grindelwald was truly getting on his nerves. He sat down on the sofa next to her before sleep got to him.
Tom's sleep has always been light thanks to his...unfortunate upbringing, so when he heard moans, he woke up. It seemed it was still early at the morning where few Hogwarts students woke up, still an hour and a half before breakfast. He walked up barefoot to the bed and saw that it was Bellatrix waking up or at least moving. He was quick to alert the healers to have them see what was wrong. They barged into the room and one of them was quick to take the pulse in her left arm to check while doing his best to not touch the mark. Tom was right that it didn't react to anybody but him. When she felt somebody touch her left forearm, she started flailing which made the bandages all over body bleed. Tom pushed that healer aside and held her left arm. Feeling the mark moving, she seemed to let her guard down. Her eyes opened with difficulty and they were glazed and unfocused, so terribly different from how they usually were. Only when she seemed to discern his shadow was a bit of focus able to go back to her pupils as she found the strength to clench her hand around his wrist and open her garbled throat.
"Tom...Tom,k..k.g.. go b...ack" Blood started dripping from the bandages around her throat as they colored in crimson. Yet even in her state, worry and concern was felt in her voice. Tom helped the healers push her down on the bed to stop her from flailing and worsening her state and kissed her on the temple. Seeing that she didn't want to relax, he put his hand on her eyes before bending near her head.
"I am alright, s..ssstop moving" He hissed in her ear. He deliberately let his English sound a bit like parselongue insisting on the s and that seemed to do the trick in getting her to relax. He could feel her muscles stop tensing and a feeling of safety got over her. Of course, Bellatrix would be used to Voldemort providing a backbone to her actions, fearing nothing even as she sowed chaos around. But when it comes to Tom Riddle, in her mind he is someone who needs her protection, so even in her sleep she would do the best to protect him. Never being able to relax. Her bizarre actions whenever she saw him get near Dumbledore and her trying to get the words out of Grindelwald's followers is starting to make much more sense now.
They finally managed to put her back to sleep before performing a plethora of spells on her. When the situation calmed down a bit, one healer got him aside to explain the situation to him.
"She is starting to wake up sooner than expected. We put her down to sleep to avoid her worsening her situation but by today's afternoon, she should be able to wake up and that would accelerate her getting better since she would be able to eat and drink potions by herself." Tom figured that it was a good idea that he got the artifact as soon as he could, if he waited and Bellatrix woke up, he may never be able to know the truth and Bellatrix's idea of what was good for him was entirely based on the future him's opinions which in Tom's own SANE opinion was nothing good. Even if Bellatrix somehow figured out that some of his actions in the future were not the best, she is brainless enough at this point to brainwash herself into thinking that Voldemort was right or at least let that botched future self's opinion override her own logic when it comes to decisions about him thinking that he knew best for his own self and to not interfere more than she should. It would only make this whole traveling thing pointless as she attempted to mold him into that horrible version. He was right into thinking that power and knowledge must be sought no matter the consequences. As if needing more confirmation that he was right, the healer hesitatingly asked him a question he never thought he would hear and that completely baffled him and scared him out of his mind
"Do you know a bit about... her situation? Her body shows signs of severe previous malnutrition and exposition to the dementors for at least a period of 12 years"
It seemed that Walburga wasn't wrong after all. If Bellatrix landed in Azkaban for a period of 12 years, then that meant that he has been something of a wraith for at least as much before coming back since the artifact that showed Bellatrix fighting at the ministry showed her having those hardened signs on her face.Which meant he must have come back somewhere before she got out of Azkaban. Tom shuddered at the thought of having to live such a wretched life for so long, it seemed that he messed up much more than expected. A half life for more than a decade, weighing more on his already loose sanity. More than ever, Tom decided to not trust whatever nonsense Bellatrix would try "for his own good". He will keep mum about knowing this whole matter at least until he figured out more things out of her own mouth. He also decided to be much more mindful of where he would hide his horcruxes as he wouldn't be creating anymore of them for now, he didn't know if they contributed to his future state. Two was good enough, maybe he may add a third in the future after some more extensive research and if he felt the need for it, but not the seven he originally planned. Not after learning all of his terrible decisions that would lead to a pathetic downfall. The healer seemed to still be waiting for his answer. Tom told him that he didn't know and to keep this matter quiet and not go babbling to irrelevant people reminding him once more that he was the only one with the authority to act on her behalf.
By this time, it was close to breakfast and Tom decided that he needed to go back to Hogwarts. He would have just enough time to change and shower before he could join the table.
Once he sat down at Slytherin's table, many pale heads lacking sleep turned to look at him. The others who were not part of the night or there last night were looking confused feeling as if they had something to hide. Walburga not liking to be left out of any secret involved herself
"Hey, Tom. When are you going to let me assist to a meeting like you promised me? Oh Merlin, I have a terrible headache. This is all your fault Cygnus for giving me a potion you bought from a crook" It seemed that she thoroughly forgot what happened last night with only a headache remembered. Cygnus must have made up the story about giving her a faulty potion. Her words only managed to make the rest of the members pale further including Cygnus who looked sick out of his mind already. Druella seemed to digest it a little bit better and her worry was on something else
"Tom..how is...how is Ecc...The DADA teacher?"
"Merlin Druella, why are you whimpering first thing in the morning? And what is it with you and Eccleshall? Are you secretly relatives or something? I thought she liked you because she wanted to suck up to your aunt, who knew the woman was mad enough to take her on and two other acolytes?" Blood drained from Druella's face and Cygnus's face managed the feat to look even sicker, not even his lemon dessert could cheer him this time. Mulciber who was sitting next to them had the opposite reaction and kept stuffing his mouth with pie as if he was fighting for his life in an attempt to pretend like he didn't hear what he heard. Tom cringed at how annoying Walburga and her nonsense can get, specially when Bellatrix actually took on that fight to protect him.
"It would do you well to learn to keep mum Walburga. As for your question Druella, Professor Eccleshall is starting to wake up" Walburga looked outraged but she didn't dare to say another word to him. Druella this time however didn't even seem to be in the presence of mind to enjoy her embarrassment but cared more about what she heard from him. Cygnus while pretending not to care was looking from the corner of his eye.
"Really, Tom? Is her health fine then?" She asked , the look in her eyes hopeful.
"She managed to open her eyes but her health is in a very critical state, it took the healers a lot of time of time to save her life" Tears welled up in Druella's eyes while Cygnus' face morphed into anger barely controlled. It's true that for the Blacks, as long as you were not a blood-traitor, there was an immense loyalty towards the family. In Cygnus' case to have his own child, a daughter no less in such a state was probably not something he would tolerate no matter how bizarre the situation was.
"Those acolytes don't know their place. They are getting overboard" Angry words stormed their way out of his gritted teeth as his grey eyes shone sinisterly.
"What's it with you two? Why are you acting weird today? Did you both dream of Eccleshall or something?"
"Nothing. Mind your business" Cygnus snapped. Walgurga looked outraged and went on a rant about how he dares to talk to her like that but Cygnus simply filtered her out of hearing and kept glaring at his lemon dessert absently.
"Say Rudy....Can I ask you a question? Think about it carefully" Evelyn suddenly said while turning to talk to Rudy. The latter seemed confused as to why he was being addressed but he said sure and listened with curiosity.
"If you had a son, what would name him?" Tom felt something suffocate him upon hearing that. He completely forgot this part with everything that happened. Bellatrix was born a Black, she was married to a Lestrange. He knew that she didn't seem to take her marriage seriously with the apparition and that she had feelings for him, well future him and that she was probably married by the time she even began to think of older him that way as her loyalty turned into fascination but he just couldn't feel in peace with the knowledge. He had half a mind to hex Rudy before he barely managed to stop himself wishing to hear the answer just like all the others who were listening carefully.
"Well, why are you all so focused on my answer? So weird. Well, I guess Rodolphus. If I had another one, maybe Rabastan." Rudy looked confused as his answer made many pale and let a strange knowing silence land on the table. Many knew not of what happened yet had enough sense not to say anything. The silence was broken by Cygnus Black's roar to a confused Rudy
"I should have known it, your wretched family leads good people astray" Tom almost wanted to laugh at the delusion, Bellatrix needed nobody to lead her astray. If anything, maybe it would have been the opposite. Elevyn Rosier was among the first to join his group even as he was still at Hogwarts, if a Lestrange somehow managed to join, it would be much later in the years. Evelyn was Druella's brother, so Bellatrix has much more chance hearing from him from her mother's line. Not to mention that on top of everything, she actually fell in love with her master and he could just guess that her poor husband had no choice but to be happy about it or else... One should also know that between the Blacks and The Lestranges, one didn't know who was darker or more prone to insanity, it was pot calling the kettle Black...literally. Cygnus seemed truly out of his mind from either rage or madness from the whole situation so nobody dared to correct him.
The breakfast ended in confusion for most, dread for others.