The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xvii.

It seems to me, 

that love could be labeled poison

and we'd drink it anyways. 

-unknown

Atarah. 

As we walk down the street I am overwhelmed by the memories from my childhood. The closer we get to my family's home I try to push down all the feelings to focus on the task but it becomes harder with each step. 

Both Tom and I stop in front of a small field in between the two houses, he was right there is absolutely nothing here to indicate that there was once a beautiful home. Walking forward I enter the field and examine the surrounding area. 

From my research I found that they may have used a protection charm that only reveals the item being hidden by saying a phrase while touching a certain object that has been placed nearby. It is a long shot but if it works then it was worth it. 

I continue to look around the field, looking for anything that could stand out. I am nearing the back of the area when I notice an item sticking out of the ground. 

"Tom." I announce letting him know I found something, as he comes closer to where I am at, I lean down to look at the object. 

Picking up the item, I pull it closer to me to get a better look at what it is. I almost don't recognize it but when I do, I am brought back to when I was a child. My family and I went on a vacation the summer before my first year at Hogwarts, while we were on the vacation they bought me a small statue of a lion. 

They did so in anticipation thinking I would be sorted into Gryffindor, but now here it is. They are using it to hide my home, maybe they did that on purpose to show me exactly what I lost. Next to me Tom clears his throat and I am brought back from my memories. 

"Do you have any idea on what the phrase they used could be?" Tom asks, reminding me of the task. I think through the steps on how to undo a charm like this, apparently I am supposed to say a certain phrase along with touching the object. 

After a moment of thinking it finally hits me, growing up my parents would always say the same phrase. Over and over again they would remind me of the meaning of it, so i'm sure that's what the phrase is. 

"Nos mos vigemusque, ut familiam." I whisper and point my wand at the object. For a moment I think that I was wrong until the house appears in front of us, as if it had been there all along. Except it's not the same house I remember, it is in shambles and parts of it are ripped from the rest- it was destroyed. 

"What happened here?" I breathe out in shock, taking in what is left of my home- my family's home. I hold the lion closer to me as I step forward towards the front door. I stop in front of the door, studying how it's hanging off the hinges. As if someone forced their way in here. 

At that realization I suck in a gasp and move to enter the home, until Tom holds my arm back. "Let me." he says before moving ahead of me and pushing the door away to allow us access into the home. I watch as he moves into the house and holds the door open enough for me to follow after him. 

Upon entering the house I see that the outside is nothing compared to the destruction inside, there is glass shattered everywhere. As well as wood splayed across all surfaces- whoever did this had an intention of getting something..or someone. 

Tom veers off into the living room leaving me standing in the foyer still taking in everything. After a moment I move up the stairs to survey the bedrooms upstairs. Careful to avoid the big hole that is now located at the edge of the stairs- I move towards my bedroom. 

I take a deep breath before pushing open my door, my room looks to be the least damaged in the house. Apparently they didn't seem too worried about what may be in a Child's room. Stepping forward I reach my bed and kneel down next to it, I reach my arm underneath and retrieve the old shoe box I used to store momentums in. 

Opening the lid I rummage through the few items I put in the box. A few childhood toys and pictures are what I find while looking through it. Since my parents were very strict on what items I could have and couldn't have I would hide whatever they disapproved of in this shoe box.  

Closing the lid back on the box, I slide it back under the bed and move to stand up. "Find anything?" I jump slightly at his voice, I forgot that I wasn't alone here. 

"No." I reply and Tom just surveys me before moving to the side, signaling for me to leave the room after him. I follow him back downstairs and as we are about to enter the kitchen, I notice my fathers office. Moving away from Tom, I enter the office and see that all the drawers and cabinets are thrown about. 

I move to turn around so I can see the whole room but my eyes get caught on something on the wall. Our family tree is displayed there and I remember coming here as a child and hearing my parents telling me about it and everyone on it. I felt so proud to be displayed here among so many amazing wizards and witches. 

A small smile tugs at my lips remembering that small detail, however it falters and I feel my heart shatter as I look upon my name on the wall. It's been burned out. 

They erased me, my name, my history, and my place among them. 

Tom. 

I stand on the threshold of an office, watching Atarah notice her name burned from the family tree. Her shoulders start shaking and a few tears run down her face. She hasn't noticed me standing here yet. 

For the slightest moment I feel a strange amount of remorse for what she must have lost- that small amount of emotion surprises me. I quickly shake it off and step forward into her view. 

"We should get going back- we can return another day." I state and I watch as her head turns to meet me. She looks at me with such hatred- different from what I have seen before. This burns deeper than I could have ever known-