A Life With Chaos

Hello mortal, looks like you came here once again. You are just in time for the real adventure to begin. Before that though, I'll try to gather my thoughts so that not a single detail about the plan I came up with minutes ago escapes my mind. Death wanted a full report of our future actions and I had forgotten about it, thankfully for us, I work best under pressure. Fate would be doing her own thing elsewhere making sure that every important detail about history excluding Tom Riddle happens. 

Sister would have to maintain the flow of the original timeline just as it was, of course there would be minimal changes but in the great scope of things it would look particularly the same. Everything about Voldemort would be wiped out, but she was prepared for that, there was still a dark lord candidate that could cause as much destruction as Voldemort had once. The other entities had to work full time as well to keep the timeline but since they had been warned years prior, they were ready if anything was to happen.

Unfortunately for our fun trip, Death is a killjoy, so we won't be using the time traveling car like last time. Yeah, I know, I also want to boo Death for being such a boring old man at times but whatever, there will be other opportunities to use the car in the future. Should I say past now that the future would be the past? I am confused, next time I see Logic I will ask him to know what the correct term would be.

“Khaos, are we ready to go?” Death appeared suddenly in a cloud of dark mist with his usual dark robes around his skeletal figure

“Aye, aye, captain. Just say the word and I'll free the veils” My usual clothes transformed into a sailor's and I fixed the white hat on my head “I hope you don't mind traveling by sea instead of land”

Death deflated in defeat and I smiled happily at the thought of brother coming along on our journey by the boat “I don't care how we get to the past, just tell me that you have a plan to put my mind at ease”

“Of course brother, don't worry about it” My sailor clothes went away and I shifted to my normal appearance. I knew that Death wasn't fond of my ways of transportation so even though the other would come with us, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable “We will be going back a week before Merope gives birth”

“I thought we would to the time when Tom Riddle was older, maybe eight or so” Death said curiously

“If we want to do this right, then we have to change many things for there to be a long term effect” I made a horizontal cut in the air with my finger and a portal appeared where I did the motion “Depending on what happens then, we will have to adapt our course of action”

“I suppose a visit to Merope Gaunt is the first thing we will do then” Death inquired as they both walked through the portal

As we went to the past, the current future collapsed and destroyed itself. I know that there are theories about how time travel works, and multiple universes and what not, but in my opinion everything was simpler when time was linear. This way I would only have to take care of one timeline instead of two. I don't want to imagine how much time I would need to work if there were two or more universes, it makes my skin crawl just the thought of it.

When we completed the trip, the modernized streets of Britain were long gone, now there was a rustic and industrialized city around us. There were cars going up and down the street just as in the future, but these ones were ancient and vintage looking. For all the mortals around them, they would seem modern or even luxurious but since they were from the future they didn't share that thought. People dressed and carried themselves differently, as if they had a status to conserve; if I am honest, this was one of the traditions of the time I don't like that much. The need to conserve an image was also among the things that had altered Tom Riddle's mentality. He always felt inferior because of his poor beginnings and blood status. As you can see I have multiple things to correct if we were to prevent Voldemort from rising.

Using my powers, I teleported to Diagon Alley; Death followed close by and followed my every step. The loud and busy street filled with magical people welcomed them, just as it would in its future version. Around them there was a huge crowd moving from one shop to another. All of the wizards and witches passed through them as if they were ghosts but none of them could see or feel their presence. Even if I wanted to stop the mission to shop for a while, I didn't let myself get distracted. WIthout missing more time than necessary, I walked towards one of the shady turns and entered Knockturn Alley.

After I passed a distinctive dark passage, we as in Death and I, took human appearances to manifest in the physical world. I transformed into the human body I used to meet Merope before so that she could recognize me, while death became an old and scrunny vampire. 

On one of the windows of a shop, I saw the torn and depressed appearance of Merope. It was evident from the smell of birchwood and ancient magic which store it was. I didn't have to look upwards towards the sign to know that such an establishment was Borgin and Burkes. This was the day that Merope would sell the locket for only ten galleons so that she could survive the rest of her limited life. Yeah, I know, tragic.

“Stay outside, don't let anyone come into the shop” I said to Death and the other nodded back “You can always show them your fangs if you need to”

Death gave me that annoyed stare and I walked into the shop feeling proud that I had been successful at annoying Death even for a second. Inside, I could see hundreds of stands with cursed items and others which weren't magical in the slightest. There was an unlimited source of chaos energy in there but I didn't have time right now to blow up Knockturn Alley and much less curse it more than it already was. 

I turned my head back to my main objective and there I saw Tom Riddle's mother trying to sell the legendary Slytherin item. Her hair was disheveled and her dress was torn and muddy in multiple sections, it was embarrassing to see a friend of mine in such a state. Knowing how people are these days, it was almost impossible for someone to not make fun of her.

Since I am the most benevolent entity there is, I sewed her dress with my powers and polished it to make it look fresh out of the clothing store. Old man Burke and Merope widened their eyes at the spectacular demonstration in front of them and I almost laughed because of it. It felt nice to help people that needed it, especially when they were about to be scammed and undermined.

“Merope! I saw you wandering in this extravagant shop and I couldn't stop myself from sharing some of my time with you” My current human form was an pompous british man that dressed with the finest clothes there were, I even carried gold rings on all my knuckles to blunt my wealth “How have you been my dear?”

“John! What brings you here? So much has happened since we last saw each other” Merope now with a cleaner look said with a smile on her crooked face. I am not one to judge when it came to looks, but he knew mortals didn't consider her the most extravagant for the right reasons

“I believe you, dear Merope, last time you were not with child!” I laughed so superficially that it seemed as if I was imitating Santa Claus “Have your wishes come true my friend?”

“On the contrary, they backfired a thousand times harsher John” Some tears gathered by her eyes and I wiped them with my handkerchief “I am selling this locket as my last resort. My father clung to it as it was a gold mine, but this man says it only costs a couple of galleons at most”

“Allow me my dearest” I said as I extended my hand to inspect the artifact and Merope gave it to me without much thought “Magnificent! Dear Merope, you are with luck! This is the legendary locket of Salazar Slytherin!”

“Imposible! Such relic has been missing for centuries! How could such an ugly witch carry it as if it belonged to her? She must have stolen it! Preposterous!” The shopkeeper screamed infuriated. Don't worry mortal, I am not one to let my friends be looked down upon

“Those are no words to treat such a respectable lady” I said dramatically as I brought up a wooden stick up to his throat to simulate it was my wand “She is the rightful owner of the locket and we can prove it in front of your very eyes. Come on Merope dear, talk the language of the snakes, prove your family's talent once and for all”

To his luck Merope did know at least the word 'open' in parseltongue, it would have been extremely awkward if they just stood there and watched her slur as if had smoked a whole plantation of weed. If needed he would summon a snake to help her out on the translation but thankfully she came through.

Just as the strange word left Merope's mouth, the locket opened and revealed the golden inner walls which held nothing but air. Even if the inside of the heirloom wasn't something that caught the eye, its name and history made it an invaluable item. Maybe one day if the locket ended up in Tom's hands he could use it for something other than a horcrux.

“I apologize for my insolence, but please allow me to purchase this locket from you” Burke blabbered as he looked at the Merope with pleading eyes “Say your price, I will buy it no matter what!”

“Before you do, dear Merope, let me advise you to go for a big number if you plan to sell it. This locket could fill any vault of Gringotts with galleons” It was true, I wasn't going to let her set a price under at least thirty thousand

Merope's mental engines were working and I could see her determination to go for a big number just as I had recommended her, after a while, she answered confidently “This is an invaluable item, anyone would kill for it. However it means nothing to me, so I will sell it to you for nothing less than seventy five thousand galleons” 

Burke started coughing at the price and I couldn't help but do the same. I had thought Merope would go for a fair price, but she did the opposite. No one in the current time would pay such a huge amount for the locket, not even the Malfoys. Maybe she really was suffering the long lasting damage from inbreeding like the rest of her family. 

“Don't you think that's a bit much my lady? Not even my shop or the entire alley is worth that much” Burke said nervously as he cleaned his sweaty hands on his trousers, I could tell the man wanted the locket to be his no matter what

“I will accept a thousand galleons upfront, with the condition that you make an unbreakable bow to pay the rest before my child becomes seventeen”

“That would be a little more than four thousand galleons a year. For a shop such as this one, it barely is a dent to its annual earnings!” I said excitedly as I clapped multiple times after doing the math “Sir Burke, if I may say, this is unprecedented! It would be unfortunate if you let such an amazing offer go!”

“I'll do it! Say your conditions so that this noble man can do the bow for us” Burke didn't waste any time to put his hand forward and Merope took it confidently

Merope stated her sole condition as he waved his fake wand to create the unbreakable bow. I really was making the bow just so you know, I just used the wooden stick so that they wouldn't get surprised at the demonstration of wandless magic. In reality, entities didn't use magic. They worked by using their own will to manifest things into reality. That way just by thinking about something, it would really happen. At times entities have conflict of interest between them, however the one that has the strongest will is the one that would change reality while the other not.

The silver tendril of magic dissipated when they both agreed to the bow and I tucked my fake wand into the holster by my hip with a big smile on my face. Merope gave the locket to the overweight man and the other gave the thousand galleons as the contract demanded. This money wouldn't be for Merope to use, but for Tom. In the future, this capital will be at his disposal and he will be able to buy himself nice things. Do you think Voldemort would be happy to know that he hadn't gone to Hogwarts with second handed clothes? Knowing how much money the dark lord spent on his robes, he probably would be ecstatic at the thought.

After everything had concluded, I helped the very pregnant woman out of the store and introduced her to Death. I didn't use his real name of course. They hadn't discussed what Death's name would be but he came up with one in the moment.

“Merope, meet my dear friend Augusto. He is a temperamental vampire, like the others, but don't worry, he doesn't drink from pregnant women” I said with a wide smile as I introduced brother to her

“I've heard much of you lady Gaunt” Death said as he straightened his hunchback “Good things mostly, of course”

Merope looked afraid of Death's vampiric appearance and for that reason she clung to my side as we walked through the alley. Small talk came easy, now that I could tell Death about the deal I had helped the woman land minutes ago. From the look in his eyes, I knew the other understood what this would mean. Only Merope wasn't aware, but soon she would get to know.

When they entered the apparition sections of the town, I brought Death and Merope to her temporary house, which was a block away from Wool's Orphanage. If you looked through the window, you could see its creepy black gate. The woman looked confused since she hadn't told me where she lived, but I gave her a warm smile to appease her nervousness, it didn't do much but atleast I tried. Death on the other hand, was ready to strike and reveal the truth behind their actions.

The apartment where Merope lived was clustered with dust and it was a bag of chips away from becoming a dumpster. There were all kinds of trash on the floor except on the couch, in which he supposes Merope used to sleep. The waste in the apartment wasn't her fault, it seemed like the past tenants had left all of this and the pregnant woman had worked around it to strike a deal with the little money she had. Merope had lost the incentive to use magic ever again after severing her ties with her family and Tom Riddle Snr. That's probably why she hadn't used magic to clean the floors or to mend her appearance.

“John, you are scaring me” Merope said with an alarmed voice “Why are you in my house? I demand that you two leave at this instant!”

“There is nothing to worry Merope, we would never hurt you” As I spoke the room cleaned itself and the damages done to the walls and ceiling disappeared “There is something you need to know, for your child's well being”

“What is it? Did I do something wrong? Will he be alright?” Merope bombarded him with questions and I helped her seat on the couch where she wouldn't hurt herself if she fainted

Before I could say a word, Death talked first “There is nothing to worry lady Gaunt. Your son will be glorious, the best wizard to ever exist”

“Tom? My dear Tom?” She said as she put both hands over her abdomen. To his pleasure Tom would get to keep his name, which meant that Fate was doing a good job “How could it be? I am barely magical myself?”

“His father's genes saved him, if you were to procreate with another wizard the kid would most likely be not magical because of the inbreeding in your family” I explained slowly so that she could understand 

“A squib? In the Gaunt family? I don't think that has ever happened in history!”

“Well to your fortune, that won't be the case for your son” I said lightly at first, but then I switched to a more serious tone “But there is something more Merope, more important than anything else”

“What is it? Please tell me” She begged as she focused her eyes on mine. It surprised me how easily she accepted our word without proof, maybe she was too unstable to think right. After all, if it wasn't because of his help, she would have sold the locket for only ten galleons

“You won't be alive to see him grow. Exactly in one week, at this hour, you will die giving birth to your son” He could see the light dim inside Merope's eyes and he saw her physically deflate “I am sorry Merope, but it is fated to happen”

“I knew it, I am going to abandon my child just as my family did to me” Merope started crying without restraint and I caressed her shoulder to offer some support

“It doesn't have to be this way, you could help him, even if you are not there with him” I started speaking softly with hopes that she would listen

“Anything, I'll do anything to help him” Merope lifted her gaze to me and there was protectiveness in her eyes, like an inextinguishable fire

“I'm going to need your help with some errands” I said back to her as I cleaned her face with my handkerchief once again

Now that I had convinced Merope to help us in our cause, all we needed was for her to do her part before the new years. Even with just the participation of Merope this early in Tom's life, the probability of Voldemort rising in the future was reduced by a huge margin. One side of the plan was complete, and if everything else went as smoothly as it currently has, then there would only be good news for the future.

In just one week, Merope Gaunt could define the future of her unborn son.

I didn't make time go faster the next couple of days, I could, but I preferred to witness Merope's actions at a normal pace. What are your thoughts as of now, mortal friend of mine? Do you think we are doing a good job at preventing the future so far? You probably know more than me about what to do but I promise I am doing my best. You don't know the plans I handed out to Merope to do but don't worry, you will know soon.

When the nights came, and everyone including Merope went to sleep, I spent my time with Death sharing ideas and having nice conversations about anything that came to their mind. It was nice to talk to Death, even if they were the same age so to say, I view him as an older brother. I could make fun of him and his antiques every once in a while, but that's my way of showing that I truly enjoyed being with him. What is it that you mortals call these things? Love languages? I believe that's the term, the point is, I love my brother. There, I said it!

“So sweet of you to confess your feelings to your mortal friend, but why can't you say it to my face?” Death grimly laughed as the silver moon shone over his bony figure

“What are you talking about? What mortal?” I played dumb as I looked around and Death dropped the topic shortly after. 

Death wasn't pushy with him as he was with their other siblings. Wait! Do you think that is his love language? It would make so much sense! Something smacked my head and I turned to see Death's bored face as he crossed his arms in front of him. Maybe it was best to leave the conversation there. Hopefully another day he will wring the truth about Death's love language.

“Continuing with our conversation, do you think she will make it? We will meet with her tomorrow and she still doesn't have the most important asset in her possession”

“Believe in her Death, she will make it. Never doubt the power of a loving mother. You, of everyone in existence, should know of that fact” Now that I thought about it, Lily Potter's sacrifice might probably never happen. Maybe Fate will be able to save the family of a similar tragedy this time with Death's assistance

“Lily's sacrifice worked because Virtue, Fate, Life and a bunch of our siblings ganged up on me. The idea that mortals believe that sacrifice out of love could do the most powerful magic is out of my understanding” Death said with a frown on his face

“It is ridiculous when you think about it. Dumbledore made it look like Lily invented sacrifice and that no one had ever done so before her. So many dead people would be alive by the amount of times people sacrifice for each other” 

You might be saying “It is because Voldemort asked her to move and she didn't! That's the act of true love and sacrifice!” Then what about all the other demonstrations of sacrifice? Do you actually believe that if the killer asked for the one sacrificing to move that they would go “Oh, since you asked so kindly, you know what, let me change my mind! Kill them as you wish!” Of course not, it is stupid to think that. Dumbledore manipulated the information to his benefit and it clearly gave him what he desired.

“It's nice to know that someone apart from me sees it as it is” Death sighed as he sat by his side by the edge of the apartment building

“There is no need to think much about it now, it will never happen if you and Fate come to an agreement” I heard Death grunt in displeasure and I chuckled at his reaction “I am sure she orchestrated that last time because of the fight between you two. I think she will be happy to know that her original destiny for the Potters will happen this time around”

“What will be of Harry Potter without his fame? Probably a replica of his father, using my hallow to cause trouble in school, just like a true Gryffindor”

“The hat suggested Slytherin, but that truly wasn't because of Voldemort's horcrux. He really would have fit on that house. It was because of the house's infamy that he didn't want to be there. This time around, his father would be whispering how bad Slytherins are so he possibly won't be going there as well”

“Lily will be the savior of that family once again” Death shook his head with disappointment and he smiled at the sky above them

“When we meet Merope tomorrow I will tell her who we really are” I said honestly without fear of Death's reaction.

It had been a long time since a mortal had known Death's real self but for me it had been a few weeks at most. I didn't like manipulating mortals as if they were toys. I liked giving them choices and guidance, but taking away their freewill wasn't something I envisioned. Just like with Merope, I gave them options and they would decide if they believed and trusted in me. The outcome would always be that the mortals sided with me because of my good advice but he never demanded them to follow. Others would still think I was manipulating them but I look at it more as showing them better paths than intoxicating them with ideas for my own enjoyment.

Be honest with me, do you think I am manipulating them? Ugh, this is too confusing to have a full on conversation about it. I need to schedule an appointment with my therapist for a whole day just to get this out of my head.

“Do as you wish” Death responded, oh yeah, we were having a conversation before my mental breakdown “It might help her ease her way into the afterlife. At least she will know that her son will be alright without her”

“I hope that's the case”

I hadn't known Merope for that long, I don't even know if our friendship could really be classified as that. If you count the time they have been in each other's company, there is probably less than a day worth of time. However, I have always seen her as a friend even if I am just a stranger to her. Don't get me wrong, I know she is a flowed mortal and that she has committed many of the worst crimes posible. But don't we all have that one friend that needs more help than the others? 

You probably are the one that fits that category in your group of friends since you are spending time with me and not doing something else. It's ok mortal friend of mine, we can help each other through the rough times.

Enough of the emo times, let's go back to our main story.

When the clock in Merope's apartment marked nine and five minutes, the woman went out of her home to complete the last task she had due. I wouldn't say it was the hardest, in fact, it was simple to complete; the only reason why Death was anxious about this one is because it is among the most important for their plan to succeed. Brother didn't like that she had left this assignment for last, but it is not as if they had given her an order in priority and she deliberately chose to procrastinate. Part of the adventure was to let things flow naturally, if Merope couldn't do all the tasks it is not as if the world would end.

I and Death came into the apartment now that she was no longer inside and waited for the rest of the day for her arrival. They both could follow her to see how well she was doing, but it would be for nothing since it wouldn't really affect the result. Death was frustrated because, as expected, he wanted everything under his control and for everything to go his way. I kept convincing him to calm down and that nothing bad would happen. 

Since Death was busy looking through the window, waiting for Merope's arrival, he started thinking about their future course of action. In a little more than a day Merope would be dead and Tom Riddle would be born. It is slightly scary, don't you think so? I always try to appear confident to everyone but at times it is hard. Sure, I am an entity and I am all powerful but when I feel responsible about something I can't help but worry. Especially when something as important as Death's hallows are at risk. I know everything will turn out alright, but still I don't want to disappoint anybody.

I had lost track of time as I talked to you, if it wasn't because I sensed Death becoming more tense I wouldn't have snapped out of my thoughts. Merope had just entered the building and she was going up the stairs right at this moment. He and I changed into our human appearances and waited for her in the living room. Seconds later, they heard the door open and close right after someone had entered the home. From the sound of the heeled boots against the wooden floor, I knew it was Merope and not a burglar or someone else. 

“John! Augusto! I didn't expect your visit at this hour” Merope said surprised when she entered the room and saw both of them sitting on her couch “You almost give me a heart attack for coming unannounced”

“Be at peace lady Gaunt, you still have a couple more hours of life” Augusto said happily as if that would calm the woman. Seriously, how can he be so socially inept?

“I apologize Merope, we should have waited for your arrival” I wanted to apologize for Death's commentary but I decided it was best to forget about it

“I suppose it is not of importance, if what you two say is true, this will be the last time that we see each other” Merope said with a sad face

“No, Merope, it won't be the last time” I said confidently and the woman turned to him with a curious expression “There is one more thing you should know before tomorrow comes”

I explained to Merope our real identities slowly so that she could comprehend and process the information as I went. There are things I didn't mention, like the reason we were helping her or what her son had become in a different life. That future would never happen so there was no point in paying it any attention. They had changed the future so much that even if Tom Riddle did become a dark lord, he wouldn't become as evil as Voldemort had once been. If I peeked into the future, I could see that Tom would still create horcruxes and start a wizarding war. That meant their duty was far from over; they were making progress, but they still had things to change.

In general, Merope seemed to take the information better than I had expected. She was in shock and distracted for a couple of minutes as she tried to assimilate the facts. I answered her questions as best as I could, though they never seem to come to an end. To prove that we were telling her the truth, Death became his usual self in front of her. I had to hold her shoulders in case she fainted but once again she took it like a champion. For the rest of their conversation, Death kept his appearance so that she would get used to it before her death.

Their plan to make Merope more at ease of going to the afterlife was working. Of course this made the fact that she would die more real to her but after Death explained to her where she would go she became more at peace. She also had many questions of the Afterlife and surprisingly Death was patient with her as he answered her every question just as he had before.

“I know this must be hard for you. Even if we answered every question you have, you must still be worried about your son” I said as I created a cup of the most delicious tea and passed it to her “Don't worry about him Merope, he will be just fine”

“Will it be enough? Will he be happy with what I left for him?” Merope asked hopeful that I would answer her

“He will appreciate everything you have done for him” I said to her

“Were you able to do it all? Do you have everything ready?” Death asked her as his cloth made waves in the wind

“Yes, I was able to get everything” Merope had a smile on her face and she turned to her purse looking for something “It was hard to claim it from the Ministry since it had been confiscated from my father when he was arrested. Thankfully just by proving my blood I was able to claim it”

Merope opened the palm of her hand and there it was, the Gaunt's Ring. Death almost collapsed at the realization that Tom Riddle would grow with his hallow by his side intead of murdering for it. Death didn't value the mortal because of his potential to kill people, but because of his immense power even if he was a mortal. Death's future master would be the owner of one of his hallows from youth and he was two items away from fulfilling his ultimate role.

“You have done great Merope” I said as I took the ring and put it in one of her fingers

Unfortunately for Death, he had given out the hallows to mortals and the only way for him to get them back was if his master willingly gave them back to him. That's the main reason why they are going through all of this arduous process. If it was just that simple then they would have just taken the hallows and moved forward as if Death had never given them away.

“I have prepared everything else as well. The only thing I brought with me is the ring, the rest I left it in my vault” The pregnant woman said “I informed the goblins to grant access to you both if needed, but I suppose you can just appear there at take whatever you need without them knowing at all”

“Thank you Merope, this will make everything easier for Tom and for us as well” I said as I warmed her cold hands with mine “You are a great mother”

Death and I stayed with Merope until midnight to make her feel more at peace than she already was. In less than a day the woman would die but she no longer feared her end. She still wanted to be there for her son whenever he needed her, but she knew that would never happen. It saddened her, but knowing that he would have a better life than hers, it made her happy. 

Voldemort had thought of her as weak and a shame of a woman for dying in childbirth, but hopefully this time around he will get to know what his mother did for him just a couple days before her death. Dumbledore had believed she died because she had lost the will to live; in reality she wanted to see her son grow but she couldn't because her death was due to happen no matter what.

The night of the thirty first of december of 1926, Merope Gaunt walked into Wool's Orphanage seeking for help minutes after her water broke. Just as in the original timeline, the climate was rough, cold, and unforgiving. The people of the orphanage received her and took care of her, just as in the cases of many women before her. To some it was a surprise that a woman so young, a nineteen year old, had become pregnant and was in such a situation. Nevertheless, they didn't dare to voice their opinions in front of her.

The labor lasted an hour and after the deed was done, a boy with pale skin and dark eyes gave his first breath. The boy didn't cry, he just breathed calmly as if he was sleeping. The ladies that assisted the birth looked at the newborn as if it was a monster because of his unusual attitude. In the hallways they commented about how weird the kid was, but Merope was too busy looking at her son's delicate face to pay attention to their remarks. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy and content with the life she had. She had committed many atrocities, but they led her to having a son of her own. Such which to her surprise looked almost identical to his father.

When her body started to feel weak and her eyes began to drop, she gave one last kiss to the forehead of her son and instructed a lady of the orphanage to take care of him. However, as a last wish, she told the helper the name of her son and she instructed her to give him the ring she wore when he was old enough. The young woman promised to do as she wished and left the room to put the little boy to sleep.

“You finally came, I was starting to believe that you wouldn't” Merope turned her blurry vision to them and gave a weak smile

“Rest now Merope, you can be at peace” He said to her as he took one of her hands and she grabbed it with the little force she had

“Thank you, tell Tom that I love him” Those were the last words she said before her body went limp

Merope Gaunt died that day, but she had left the thing she loved most back in the world of the living. Tom Riddle was not even an hour old, but he had already lost the one that loved him most. He had lost one side of his family, but there was still hope that his father would take care of him and give him the love his mother wasn't able to offer.

The little boy was already deep asleep, but there was one more thing Death and I had to do before we could watch over the boy for the upcoming years. They had completed their visit to Merope, but now they had to meet the other side of the family.

Without missing a second, they teleported themselves in front of Riddle Manor.