Chapter 1
8th June 1995
King’s Cross Station, London
“Finally!” Ron exclaimed, guiding the Ford Anglia into the only parking space left. They have been circling the station’s parking lot for about half an hour and Ron was beginning to get impatient.
“No worries,” said Hermione softly. “We are early. There’s still time for a coffee.”
Ron said nothing. Hermione could just picture his glum expression. She did not know what had gotten into her boyfriend of five years recently. His mood swings were unpredictable, and he often flew into a violent temper when things did not turn out well for him.
Hermione could not help blaming herself for putting Ron into this predicament. Things were never quite the same between then since the dreaded Halloween night four years ago, the night which altered her future forever. She had tried discussing the problem with Ron, but he always finds ways to avoid the discussion. He assured her that everything between was fine and her current predicament did not have any bearing on their relationship.
Hermione did not try to initiate the discussion further. She dare not do so. She could not bear the thought of losing Ron. She knew deep down that it was unfair for her to impose the burden of caring for her daily needs to Ron, but she could not help it. Losing Ron would mean losing herself, her life will be totally shattered. Ron was the one last thing which she could cling to in maintaining her sanity; the last thing which reminded her of her past, which she did not want to forget.
Hermione tried hard to focus on what Ron was currently feeling. She scolded herself for thinking about her past; those painful and unhappy memories which continued to haunt her whenever she let her mind wander on. She should not be spoiling her day now, at least not so early.
Ron was saying, “I’ll just let Padfoot out so that he could come to your side and guide you. Don’t worry about your overnight bag, I’ll carry it for you.”
“Thank you,” said Hermione quietly, as she stepped out of the car and onto the pavement.
“Anything for you, dear,” Ron replied quietly, as he locked the car.
By then, Padfoot, who was Hermione’s guide dog was by her side. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, wagging his tail madly as Hermione petted his silky black coat. Hermione caught hold of his leash and Padfoot obediently bounded over to her right and into position.
“Good boy,” Hermione said. “Time for a train ride, darling.”
“Woof!” answered Padfoot, giving Hermione’s hand a lick, as though he understood every word she said.
“May I offer you my arm, my lady?” Ron teased, as he moved to Hermione’s left. Hermione guessed that he had seen her downcast look in the car and he was trying to lighten up the mood.
Hermione forced a tiny smile, and took Ron’s arm. Together, the three of them made their way into the station.
It was packed with people. With great difficulty, they managed to make their way towards the ticket booth. Hermione could tell that leading a visually impaired individual who happened also to bring a guide dog was not an easy task, but Ron always managed it well, and she was glad of this.
The crowd parted for them as they approached the counter. As always, Hermione could feel the familiar prickling sensation on the back of her neck, as people started to stare at her. Within a few minutes, she would hear their silent whispers. She really hated this initially, but as time goes by, she was used to it. All the same, she was still slightly uncomfortable for attracting so much attention.
“One ticket to Ottery St Catchpole, one way,” said Ron.
“Only one, love?” asked the ticket attendant.
“Yes,” said Ron.
Hermione could tell that the attendant was dying to ask another question, but as the queue was getting longer, he merely handed the printed ticket to Ron.
“The next train will be leaving in an hour’s time,” the attendant said. “Have a nice trip, love.”
“Ta,” said Ron.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” said Ron.
They made their way into a small bakery, which was packed with people. Ron managed to find a table near the window, and after making sure that Hermione was comfortably seated, he joined the queue at the counter to order for both of them.
Hermione sighed contentedly and leaned back on her chair. Padfoot was now lying under the table, his nose in the air, sniffing the delicious scent of baked pastries and fry-ups.
Hermione tried to relax despite the noise in the bakery. She bent down and started to stroke Padfoot absently. She told herself that she will not allow her mind to wander, for fear that she would be remembering those terrible times again. So, she tries to distract herself by tuning into the conversation of three women at the next table.
“….of course. What else do you expect, Hannah?” one of them was saying.
“Well, to be honest, I am not surprised. Their marriage was doomed from the beginning,” said another.
“Too right, Susan,” said the first one.
“I know, I know. I was just surprised that it happened so soon,” said the third one, whom Hermione assumed to be Hannah.
“Well, you can’t always be sure. There are many surprises surrounding our pretty Mrs. Lestrange,” said the first one.
“It’s Miss Black now, I guess,” said Hannah. “After the divorce, I mean.”
“I bet she’ll not be Miss Black for long. Probably the soon-to-be Mrs. Riddle,” Susan chimed in. “You all know she only married Rudolphus for his money. She practically adores Riddle.”
“Oh, come off it, ladies,” said the first woman, whose name Hermione had still not managed to catch. “I think the great Tom Riddle can’t wait to get into her pants again. They were always seen together for the past few years. I heard rumours that Bellatrix was the first woman he fucked. Not just a one-night-stand, mind you, they said that he seemed to enjoy her company the most.”
“You and your rumours, Ramilda,” said Susan, laughing.
“You know, I often wondered how he manages his time. I am surprised that he managed to set aside some time for sex. His schedule was really packed. One of my friends tried to book an appointment with him, and was told to come back in three months time, as Riddle’s hands were full,” said Hannah.
“Well, there will always be time for sex, Hannah. After all, Riddle is a human being. And with regards to your friend, probably that’s just an excuse. Don’t get me wrong, Hannah, but you know the type of clients he normally work for. Your friend wouldn’t stand a chance if she has less than one million GBP in his or her bank accounts,” said Ramilda.
Hermione shook her head, feeling disgusted. She figured that she should not waste her time listening in on useless gossip. She knew that the discussion could go on forever. After all, Tom Riddle was quite a prominent figure in society, and the mounds of gossip surrounding him were never-ending.
She was about to reach into her handbag for her mobile when Ron Returned, placing two trays on the table.
“Heard anything interesting?” he asked her, handing Hermione a cup of coffee and a vegetable pasty.
“Only some gossip about Tom Riddle,” said Hermione.
“Blah,” said Ron. “Not interested. That bloke is evil, and I would not want to be associated with the likes of him.”
“Agreed,” said Hermione, taking a sip of her coffee. “I wonder whether he has any conscience at all. He literally helped those who shall be rightfully punished by the law to get free. I am just curious how he managed to do that.”
“Probably tampering with evidence,” said Ron through a mouthful of bacon and eggs.
They changed the topic then and continued with the meal.
Half an hour later, Ron guided Hermione onto the train. Padfoot bounded along happily.
“Let’s find you an empty compartment,” said Ron, sliding open compartment doors and peering into them.
“Ah,” he said. “I think this one will do,” he said, pushing open the door of an empty carriage. Padfoot immediately guided Hermione to a seat near the window.
“You know I liked to sit by the window, don’t you, my boy?” said Hermione, scratching Padfoot’s ears fondly.
Ron placed Hermione’s overnight bag on the seat beside her.
“Listen,” Ron started to say, but Hermione cut him off.
“Now, now, Ron. Please don’t nag. I know my way around. It’s not my first time,”
“Okay, okay. I’m just worried, that’s all. Make sure to change at…”
“Little Hangleton,” said Hermione impatiently. “Go to Platform Nine and board the train to Ottery St Catchpole. Make sure to get help if I can’t find my way. I know, Ron.”
Ron sighed. Then, he leaned in and put his arms around Hermione.
“Take care of yourself, my dear,” he said gently, stroking her hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I really feel bad for not being able to come with you. I really wanted to…”
“I understand, Ron. I really do,” said Hermione, leaning into Ron. “But you must attend the meeting to present your idea to the company. You know that you want to be promoted, right? I am sure you will get it. You need to show the company that you are a competent businessman who deserves to be promoted.”
There was a brief pause before ron said, “Thank you for being so thoughtful. I’ll see you at Bill’s engagement party tomorrow.”
They shared a brief kiss, before Ron pulled away.
“Don’t get too mad with Harry and Ginny,” Ron said as he walked out of the carriage.
“Don’t you worry. I certainly won’t,” said Hermione. “Although, I can’t promised the same about Padfoot. You know how excited he gets when he sees them.”
“Beast,” Ron chuckled.
“Ron…” Hermione said softly, as he was about to close the door.
Hermione could hear him pausing in the doorway.
“I love you,” said Hermione.
“I love you too,” Ron said, closing the compartment door quietly before walking away.
Hermione leaned back comfortably, and sighed contentedly.
“Well, we’re off, Padfoot,” she said, as the train rattled out of the station.
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Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton
Tom hastily stuffed the documents he needed into his briefcase. For one, he was late for an important appointment. What made things worse is that he need to take care of something before said appointment.
“Damn,” muttered Tom under his breath, as he failed to close the bulging briefcase.
Cursing silently, he pulled a smaller briefcase from one of the drawers of his huge mahogany desk and stuffed the remaining documents into it.
Having done so, he walked out of his study and locked the door.
Upon seeing him, his driver, a fat man named Gregory Goyle rushed forward and relieves him of the heavy briefcases.
“I’ll just put them into the car, my lord,” said Goyle as he slouched off. “The car will be ready in ten minutes, my lord.”
“Good,” said Tom.
Tom took out his mobile, and pressed several buttons.
“Has Zabini and Mulcibur arrived?” he barked when his call was picked up at the other end.
“Yes, master,” came Bellatrix’s soft reply. “And, my, my, what a temper. I think I shall help you relax later, hmmm? I know just the thing to give you.”
Tom smirked. Bellatrix was certainly useful in such situations. Nevertheless, he was always cautious to draw the line. He had told her long ago that it will be merely sex for pleasure and nothing more, and she seemed to be happy with the arrangement.
“We’ll see about that,” said Tom without a hint of emotion in his voice. “Make sure everything is ready when I arrived. I want to get down to it straightaway, Bella. I have another appointment with that idiotic Selvyn later.”
“Noted, master,” said Bellatrix. She made kissing noises before ending the call, which Tom took no notice at all. Over the years, he had learned to control himself whenever Bellatrix tried to turn him on. He did not surrender to her as easily as before, and he was glad of this fact.
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Privet Drive, Little Winging, Surrey
When Tom stepped into Number Four, Privet Drive, he found that Bellatrix and the others have already started the torturing process.
Vernon Dursley and his wife, Petunia was gagged and bound to the living room sofa, whilst their piggish-looking good-for-nothing son, Dudley was being punched repeatedly in the stomach.
“Get it, Vernon?” Zabini said, as Mulcibur broke off one of Dudley’s fingers. The boy tried to scream, but could not do so as he was also gagged and bound. “This is what happened when you decided to open your big fat mouth! We warned you not to say anything, but you didn’t listen!”
Mulcibur broke another of Dudley’s fingers. Zabini punched Vernon in the face.
“Now, do you understand the meaning of “shut up”, you filthy piece of shit?” said Bellatrix, giving Petunia a hard slap. Petunia’s head jerked backwards from the impact of the slap. Blood ran down her cheek, as Bellatrix’s huge diamond ring grazed her flesh. “Answer me, you wanker!”
Bellatrix removed the gag out of Petunia’s mouth. Petunia spluttered and shook uncontrollably.
“P…p…p…please don’t…hurt….hurt….my Diddikins….please…I’ll do anything….anything…..an anything. We are sorry we….we….blabbed. We’ll leave the country. We’ll go into hiding. P…..p….please stop it, stop it!”
“I asked you a question,” hissed Bellatrix. “Answer it, bitch! Do you get it now?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” said Petunia, shaking. “And we’re sorry we blabbed, all right?”
Bellatrix raised her fist, ready to administer another punch.
“Enough, Bella,” said Tom quietly, stepping in front of Petunia.
“You!” exclaimed Petunia when she saw him. “You…”
“Yes, me,” said Tom, sneering. “I warned you, Mrs. Dursley. I advised you against crossing me. You brought this upon yourselves. I hope you see sense now.”
Petunia’s eyes bulged with fright, and she turned away. She started to sob.
Tom signalled to Zabini to remove Vernon’s gag. Once the gag was removed, Tom saw Vernon taking a deep breath, getting ready to scream the place down in order to get help.
With lightning speed, Tom removed a silencer pistol from his pocket, and pressed it on Vernon’s temples.
“Don’t even think about it, Mr. Dursley. You should know better. I promised you that I will spare no one if you screamed!” Tom hissed.
Vernon just gulped and leaned back dejectedly.
“Now, that’s more like it,” said Tom, twirling the pistol between his fingers. “Let’s have a chat. I promised that none of you will be hurt from this minute onwards. Let’s settle this amicably, shall we?”
Tom signalled to Zabini and Mulcibur, and they started to untie the Dursleys. Dudley was also relieved from the gag, but remained bound. They could hear him wheezing and gasping with pain, but no one took any notice.
“Now,” said Tom, starting to pace the room. “Listen…”
“What…what about my Diddikins?” said Petunia, gazing at Tom pleadingly. “Shouldn’t he be untied too?”
“Ah, Mrs. Dursley. No, I don’t think so. Not to worry, my good lady, I promised you that he will not be hurt. I’ll give the permission to untie him, on the condition that I get a satisfactory response from both you and your husband,” said Tom, smiling maliciously.
“Now, listen carefully. This is what I want both of you to do. As both of you are aware, you will be called as the prosecution’s witnesses for the trial tomorrow. You will be questioned on the happenings on 31st July 1994. Tell them only what you tell them initially, when you made your first police report. When they questioned you about the additional information on the sighting of my client, one Evan Rosier - which you have blabbed to the police, despite being told not to do so – you will said that you got the dates wrong, that is, you did saw Rosier, but on a different date. Try to convince the prosecution that both of you are quite drunk, hence the confusion. Do not mention anything about Rosier at all. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Vernon in a small voice. “Anything you asked, sir. Anything.”
Petunia nodded, throwing a fearful glance towards her son.
“Good,” said Tom. “That’s all I ask. I don’t see this to be a very difficult task. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Indeed, no,” Vernon agreed hastily.
“Excellent,” said Tom, turning to leave. “Remember what I said. You don’t want me to be your enemy, Mr. Dursley. I assure you, the consequences will be far worse than this if I found that you crossed me again. Let’s do what is best for everyone, shall we? For the greater good.”
“Yes, sir,” said Vernon fearfully.
Tom turned to address Bellatrix.
“You know what to do, Bella,” he said. “Make sure that their injuries are attended to. We don’t want them showing up in court with those ugly bruises. Let’s just make them…presentable for once.”
“Yes, master,” cooed Bellatrix, winking at him.
“I am off to meet with Selvyn,” said Tom. “You know where to find me if the situation gets out of hand, although I doubt this lot would dare try anything funny.”
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Little Hangleton Station, England
Hermione quickened her pace. She needed to get off the train as fast as she can, and go to Platform Nine before her entire day is spoilt.
She was not prepared for this at all. Although she had assured herself that she will be strong and face matters calmly, she had sadly failed to do just that when the moment arrived.
The moment where she bumped into familiar people, which, ironically had never happened even once despite her fears. Until now. On this train. And worse of all, Harry and Ron was not there with her.
Earlier, when the train was approaching Little Hangleton Station, Hermione had gathered up her overnight bag, ready to disembark. Holding Padfoot’s leash in her left hand, and her white walking cane in her right hand, she slowly make her way out of the compartment.
No one attempted to assist her as she navigated slowly towards one of the train doors. Hermione did not mind this at all; she was used to it. It seemed that not many people will be getting out here, Hermione thought as she continued towards the door.
She was approaching the door when she heard someone called her name.
“Hermione? Hey, Hermione!”
It was a voice she knew too well. Her spirits sank, and she started to hyperventilate. She was not prepared to be seen in this hopeless condition; travelling alone and navigating her way pathetically along the train.
She tried to calm herself. She must not panic, not now, and definitely not in front of Cho Chang.
“Oh, do hurry up and open the doors,” muttered Hermione, as she heard Cho’s footsteps approaching.
“Err…Hermione? It’s Cho. Do you remember me?”
A small hand touched her shoulder.
“Too late,” Hermione thought, as the train finally jolted to a stop.
Forcing a smile, Hermione turned around and faced Cho. She could hear the other girl’s sharp intake of breath as she surveyed her.
“Hey Cho,” she managed to forced out. “Hope all is well. How’s it going?”
“Well, everything is fine,” said Cho. “How about you? Are you coping well?”
The train door slide open.
“Still managing,” said Hermione.
“Listen,” said Cho, moving to Hermione’s side. “I’ll help you get out of here. If you had the time, let’s go for a coffee. We should catch up. It has been a while…”
“Err, maybe next time, Cho,” said Hermione, hastily stepping out of the train. “I need to catch another train.”
“At least let me walk you to the platform,” Cho said.
“It’s okay,” said Hermione hastily. The last thing she wants is to have a chat with Cho Chang, of all people. She just could not do it. Not today anyway.
“See you, Cho,” said Hermione. “I just need to….”
Without finishing the sentence, Hermione walked briskly out of the platform. At least Cho did not attempt to follow her, and Hermione was glad of this fact.
“Find the stairs, Padfoot,” said Hermione. Obediently, he started to lead her towards the right direction.
He barked once to signal to her that they have reached the stairs, and Hermione started down it, her mind still on Cho.
Like Hermione, Cho was a bright barrister. Hermione and Cho used to be top of the class. Cho was also adored by her professors. She was quite pretty, hence gaining popularity amongst the male population at Hogwarts College. But unlike Hermione, Cho had a bright future. She was one of the most promising students at Hogwarts College and an outstanding achiever at Gryfindor’s Inn. A bright future laid ahead for her, and she was climbing the society ladder in the legal industry without difficulty.
Unlike Cho, Hermione’s future had been shattered. Her fate was sealed on a cold and dark Halloween’s night four years ago. She had lost everything on that night: her parents, her sight, her career. Her life was in shambles.
Seeing Cho brought back the bitter memories which she tried in vain to keep at bay.
Hermione was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not realised she had arrived at Platform Nine. It is only when Padfoot stopped and touched his wet nose to her left wrist that she realised it.
“You are the only thing that managed to help me keep my sanity during these times,” said Hermione as she stroked the huge Labrador’s nose fondly. “Let’s find a place to sit, shall we?”
Padfoot lead her towards one of the cool metal seats which was empty. As Hermione sat down, there was an announcement that the train will be arriving in fifteen minutes.
Sighing, Hermione leaned back and try to distract herself by tuning into conversations around her.
This was not difficult at all, as the platform was packed with people. Hermione was not surprised, as the train is a long distance one, with Ottery St. Catchpole as a midpoint stop along the way.
By doing so, she managed to amuse herself by the time the train pulled into the platform.
As the carriage doors opened, Hermione rose and with Padfoot’s guidance, started to make her way towards one of the carriages.
A voice behind her made her stop in her tracks.
“Don’t be silly, Neville! He’s just a toad! You can’t expect him to stay put all day! Good lord, boy, this is a train station! Who knows where he hopped off?”
“But, see here, gran…”
Hastily, Hermione veered to her right and started to walk briskly towards the end of the train. She hoped that they did not manage to catch a glimpse of her. She really could not handle this again. Meeting Cho was enough. Meeting Neville and his loud-mouthed and obnoxious grandmother is the last thing she wanted to face. She needs to get away before she collapsed and break down. There is already enough disappointment for one day, thank you very much.
As she neared the end of the train, Padfoot pulled on his leash, leading her towards the final carriage.
Hermione’s mind was blank as she followed Padfoot. She did not even know what she was doing. She just needs to sit in a compartment as far as possible from Neville and his grandmother.
She heard the man’s voice before she managed to stop. She gathered that he was on his mobile, and he was saying, “Listen, Selvyn. I say that I’ll handle it. Just stay put. Don’t try anything stupid, damn it…”
She tried to stop, but Padfoot, owing to the speed that Hermione was walking, plunged onwards before Hermione could tug at his leash to stop him.
“Just calm down and listen, you fool,” the man said. It sounded furious. “I said…”
That was the last thing Hermione heard.
In her haste to avoid colliding with the man, Hermione had tugged urgently on Padfoot’s leash. The Labrador, taken by surprise, swayed on his fours before taking a few backward steps. Hermione guessed that Padfoot had accidentally trodden on the man’s foot, as there was an exclamation of surprise.
“What the…” said the man, trying to back away from the huge Labrador. He accidentally stepped on the roller tip of Hermione’s white cane, which she was holding, and lost his balance and fell. Hermione heard a clutter as the man’s mobile flew out of his hands and landed a few feet away from her. There was another thud, and Hermione heard something else fell to the ground and a loud snap. She heard the sound of documents falling out onto the floor.
“Fuck,” the man swore.
He seemed to be in a violent temper.
By now, a small crowd who was nearby was gathering around the man. Padfoot, excited by the commotion, started to bark madly.
“I’m so sorry,” Hermione said hastily, picking up her cane from the floor.
“Use your bloody eyes, girl!” the man hissed angrily. Hermione could hear him hastily gathering up the fallen documents. “No use having them if you can’t see where you are going. And for goodness sake control your dog! He’s barking mad.”
Hermione gathered that the man had not managed to look at her properly, hence his outburst. All the same, his remarks stung her. This was the last straw. She could no longer control it.
“Sorry,” she said hastily, choking back a sob. “Come on, Padfoot. Into the train.”
Reluctantly, the Labrador stopped his barking and returned to her side. She pulled him away hastily, and he guided her into the carriage.
As she was about to step into the train, she distinctly heard someone from the watching crowd said, “There’s no need to take that tone with her. You should be ashamed of yourself. She’s blind, my good fellow. Where is your conscience?”
She then felt a familiar prickling sensation at the back of her neck when someone was watching her. The man had probably just realised his mistake. It does not matter, for she did not give a damn about him. She wanted nothing at all to do with this rude and arrogant man.
Still trying to hold her tears, Hermione hastily slid into an empty compartment and pulled the door shut. Once she was sure that she was alone, she sank down on the seat nearest the window and started to weep.
Not even Padfoot could comfort her this time.