Stolen Time A Tom Marvolo Riddle Fanfiction completed

Chapter Twenty-six

Author's note: I accidentally published the chapter a little earlier and had to take it back again. Originally, I wasn't planning on updating today, but I didn't want to leave it like this, so here we go :-) Thanks for reading!

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When Cassiopeia returned to Houlton Manor, she went straight to her mother's study. The last time she had been there, she had seen a Pensieve on one of the shelves. She suppressed the slightly creepy feeling the room still caused her and retrieved the Pensieve, placing it on her mother's desk. Sitting down, she took the vial from her pocket and eyed it for a moment before she poured its content into the Pensieve. Then she lowered her head until her face touched the surface and she was pulled into Ben's memory.

Ben was lying in his bed in the boys' dormitory, his blanket drawn over his head, a book next to him and his wand in his hand, lighting the pages. Suddenly he heard a low noise. He removed the blanket from his head just in time to see a tall figure with black robes and a hood standing in the doorway. He had barely time to see the wand in the intruder's hand before everything went black.

When he regained consciousness he was lying on his back. The man in black robes was towering over him. He had his hood still in place but Ben could see parts of his face in the dim moonlight that was illuminating the room. He was staring down at him, his wand pointed at him, his eyes blazing menacingly. From the corners of his eyes Ben saw that the other boys were still stunned. He focused on the man again while fumbling for his wand.

"Are you looking for this?" The man held up his wand with his left hand, never lowering his own wand, a mocking sneer on his face. "Don't worry, you won't be needing it."

Ben felt a wave of panic sweeping through him. They had found out about the lessons. They were going to take his wand and exclude him from the magical world, never allowing him to use magic ever again. Maybe they were even going to kill him.

"That's not quite what I've been intending but it's actually a great idea. You'd definitely deserve it." The icy coldness of the voice was sending shivers down Ben's spine. He gasped. The hooded man was reading his mind as if it were an open book. He had to protect the others. He had to stop thinking. He had to concentrate on something else, something unimportant.

A wicked smirk spread across the man's face. "That's not quite how it works, sorry. But don't blame yourself, you wouldn't be able to fight me off anyways. As it is there are only very, very few people who I'd reckon to have a chance at blocking me out." His lips twitched a little and his eyes travelled over Ben's features. "Well, Ben," he said, stressing his name contemptuously, "I think I can see why she's granted you the privilege to expand your knowledge of magic. But," he paused, shaking his head in a mocking way, "I don't think I'm happy with her choice. Yet, you wanted to know more about magic, so what about me teaching you a little? You see, I know quite a lot about magic, lots of great curses..." His voice was  cold and chilling. "Let's see if I'm able to teach you something, shall we?"

Ben eyed him, his expression panic-stricken. Who was this man? How could anyone be so horribly terrifying? And obviously crazy and deadly dangerous. He watched a smile form on the man's face.

"You think I'm crazy? I don't know about that. But you surely are right with the rest. And as for who I am...maybe you've seen a picture of me? There aren't a lot around but the few that are out there are surprisingly hard to ban." He shoved his hood slightly back and the moonlight fell on his features.

Ben gasped. "You're him," he breathed. "You're V....Vo...him."

The man smirked maliciously, marring his handsome features and turning them into an ugly mask of cruelty. He twirled his wand in his hand once before pointing it back at Ben. "You got it, I'm him. So let's start with a little lesson on defying my rules. First of all, and for many most importantly, disobedience causes pain." He sneered, narrowing his eyes the tiniest bit. "Crucio."

Pain beyond anything Ben had ever known shot through his body, making him instantly scream at the top of his lungs, but no sound left his mouth. His body was twitching uncontrollably and his mind was filled with nothing but the excruciating agony the curse was causing him.

Finally, Voldemort lowered his wand, his face blank. Ben gasped for air. Voldemort looked back at him and yet it felt like he was somehow looking through him when he said, his voice toneless, "That's what pain feels like, just so you know."

Ben coughed, trying to breathe, but again no noise came out. Unconsciously he touched his throat with his hand.

Raising an eyebrow, Voldemort said, "Oh, don't worry, your voice is alright. I just muted you. No need to disturb anyone with our little interaction. Besides, there's obviously no need for you talking anyways, your thoughts being that plain to see." He cocked his head. "So let's get on with our lesson. Second, beware of the infinite freedom inherent in the lack of conscience." He brandished his wand and a dark red light hit Ben in the stomach. "I don't care what happens to anyone and that makes cursing people ridiculously easy. It's probably way harder, trying to save them." He flicked his wand once again. This time a shining blue light erupted from the wand and hit Ben straight in the chest. "And third, whoever leads you into temptation will pay for it."

Ben stared at Voldemort and again he had the impression that Voldemort was looking right through him. Yet the yellowish curse that left Voldemort's wand was plainly directed at him and again he could do nothing to avoid it. His body was aching badly where the three curses had hit him and he curled up in the fruitless attempt to stop the pain from spreading.

Voldemort kept watching him, his lip curling contemptuously, and twirled his wand in his fingers again. "Now, I've wasted more than enough time on you. I'm really curious to see who's going to be capable of helping you." He stopped twirling his wand and pointed it back at Ben. "Obliviate."

Cassiopeia pulled back from the memory, her face pale and her mind racing. Anger was boiling up in her. Tom had intended for her to see this. He had peppered everything he had said with allusions that he had known she wouldn't miss.

'Beware of the infinite freedom inherent in the lack of conscience.'

The night when he had killed Floris she had accused him of being corrupted by his lack of conscience. She could still recall his reply. 'You call it lack of conscience. I call it infinite freedom.'

'Whoever leads you into temptation will pay for it.'

Floris had led her into one kind of temptation, and he had paid for it. Ben had led her into a very different kind of temptation, but still into temptation, and Tom had made him pay just the same.

Suddenly things fell into place. The three curses, dark red, shining blue and yellow. Tom's little speech, full of allusions to Floris.

All the curses he had used on Ben were curses Floris had taught them. Cassiopeia closed her eyes. She knew what he had done to Ben. She knew which curses he had used and yet she didn't have an antidote.

Why had he done this? He had been a step ahead of her ever since he had come here, claiming he wasn't going to curse her again, claiming she were different, claiming he hadn't been able to cause her pain, claiming he were ready to accept her decisions.

Cassiopeia pressed her lips together. Had all of this been just another one of his far too many lies?

He had known she might be capable to circumvent his Memory Charm. He had known she would witness his performance in Ben's dorm. He had even let her know which curses he had used.

He had done all this, fully aware that she still wouldn't be able to help Ben despite all her effort and all the information. There was no remedy for Floris' curses. There was no cure.