Riddle's Salvation

~Gaunt~

(Vienna. July 19th, 1944)

    "Are you sure about this Tom?" I ask the question for the probable tenth time since arriving in Little Hangleton merely a few minutes ago. Beside me, Tom rolls his eyes and shoots me an annoyed look. "How many times are you going to ask me?" I huff, casting a rather worried look to Albus before replying. "How many times do I have to ask you until you change your mind?" Tom let's out a short laugh as the rest of our rag-tag group chuckles in amusement. "Vienna, everything will be alright." He takes hold of my hand, giving it a light squeeze before dropping it again and taking determined strides towards the Gaunt house. I just watch him for a few moments as he walks to where he knows his insane Uncle lives and only move when Olivia gives my arm a light tug. "Come along Vi. Don't want to keep our favorite Uncle waiting!" I snort at her words but hesitantly begin walking, following behind a leading Tom and Albus. "I can't believe you wanted to do this on your birthday," I mutter the words to Liv who only chuckles as she swoops down to pick a daffodil from the field surrounding us. She spins around to face Abraxas and Neville who are a few paces behind us and calls out to them. "Do you think this goes well with my outfit?" Neville looks absolutely bewildered at the question while Abraxas shakes his head disapprovingly. "Absolutely not. It doesn't go with the bronze in your hair and the stitching in your dress." Both Olivia and I stop at his words and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Since when did you become a columnist for Witch Weekly?" Ab snorts at my question, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in defense. "I'm a pureblood. I have to stay up-to-date with trivial things such as fashion and floral." It only takes a look between Olivia and I before we're laughing nearly maniacally at Ab's words, tears flowing down Olivia's cheeks and me having to gasp for breath. 
    "What is going on?" Tom's voice filters through our laughter and I grab onto him to steady myself when he walks closer and laughing harder as Olivia falls to the ground. "Ab's..hahahhaah....he's a columnist....hahahaha....for Witch Weekly." I break off my explanation in fits of laughter as Tom looks at me with a mixture of confusion and concern. "Alright, you two!" Ab has seemingly had enough of our laughter as he picks Olivia up off the ground and steadies her onto her feet. "We have a mission to complete don't we?"  I can only manage to nod my head at Ab's words, still giggling uncontrollably, as I give Tom a light push forwards. Neville had made his way up to the front of the group with Albus and the two were talking quietly amongst themselves. Tom joined them as I hooked arms with a still giggling Olivia and an offended Abraxas. Eventually, the air grew more serious the closer we got to the nearly hidden lane of the Gaunt residence. Once we were just outside of the overgrown hedges protecting the lane and the shack, Albus turned to us with a serious look upon his face. "I don't think I need to mention that Morfin Gaunt is dangerous -" he takes a steadying breathing before continuing, "-but Morfin Gaunt is dangerous and insane. I want everyone to have their wands ready. Protect each other. Don't get backed into a corner and keep your eyes open for any signs of hidden traps."  We all nodded grimly at his words, before watching him wave his wand and clear away a big enough space for all of us to go through.
    We all manage to make it through and find ourselves face-to-face with the Gaunt Shack. If at all possible, it looked even filthier and more deteriorated than when I last saw it back in December. The thick trees surrounding it cast a dark shadow to encapsulate the building in darkness, the windows were all cracked and nearly black from the layers of filth upon them. A newer snake was nailed to the oddly shaped front door and beside me, Olivia nearly gagged. "Is that a snake?" I nodded grimly as Abraxas blanched, taking a few steps away from the dead snake on the door. "Come on. Let's get this over with." Straightening my shoulders as well as lifting my head, I begin to take determined strides towards the front door before Tom catches my arm. "I think I should go first." I begin to protest but stop after Albus sends me a warning look over Tom's shoulders. "Alright." I sigh heavily and wave toward the door. Tom doesn't hesitate in walking to the door and quickly opens it, pointing his wand inside the shack in preparation for an inevitable attack. I follow quickly behind Tom, waving my own wand and lighting the questionable fireplace and a few candles as I step inside. The others aren't too far behind me, all of them pale and unsure. 
    Within the shack, there are layers and layers of filth and mold covering nearly all the surfaces within the dilapidated building. Scattered bits and pieces of furniture, paper, and pots cover the floor and a few still hanging shelves. Sitting upon a moldy chair in front of the fireplace is Morfin Gaunt who jumps in surprise and stands quickly from the disgusting chair and spins towards us, a dangerous looking knife in his hand. He stops suddenly, a cloud of dust drifting off of him and looks upon Tom curiously. "I thought you was that Muggle, you look mighty like that Muggle." Tom scoffs and rolls his eyes at his Uncle. "Yes, we've been over this already. Don't you remember?" Morfin scratches his head, globs of filth falling to the floor at the action before he rests his cross-eyed gaze onto me. "You. I member' ya." I narrow my eyes at the man as he takes a step towards our group, beside me Albus stiffens and raises his wand slightly towards the deranged man. "You took ma' ring. Where'd it go?" He raises his knife and points it towards me in a threatening manner. "I have the ring." Tom takes a protective stance in front of me, putting himself between the knife and I as he flashes the ring at his Uncle. "It belongs to me now," Morfin growls at Tom's words and takes another step forward. "Give it back." Tom scoffs before taking a step forward himself. "I'll give it back. If you tell me why you told my father I was dead." My eyebrows raise in surprise at the bribe as Morfin's face seems to pale. "I don' know wha' your talkin' bout." Morfin lowers his knife and begins to retreat further into the shack, looking slightly panicked and scared. "I'm almost certain you do." Tom's voice holds barely restrained anger that seems to wash over the whole entire room, causing the air to crackle with his angry magic. "No, I don'. Riddle came back, didn' he?" My own anger at the delusional man seems to flow and collide with Tom's as I manage to pull Tom away from in front of me. "Morfin. Don't lie. You may be crazy but you're not that stupid. Tell us why you told Riddle that Tom was dead." Morfin was shaking his head vigorously as the pendant around my neck seemed to heat up and my anger lashed out with a flourish. 

    One second Morfin was practically cowering and the next he was blasted against the wall, his back arching, and his mouth open in silent screams. The druid magic that ran through my veins had taken over, the corners of my eyes were filled with the now coal black of my changed hair and I knew in the back of my mind that my eyes were the brilliant gold that was both mesmerizing but deadly. My hand was outstretched in front of me as I held the disgusting Gaunt against the wall, the mere force of the magic could be seen emanating from my hand against the man. "Tell me, Morfin." My voice didn't sound like my own anymore, it seemed deeper and somehow far more lethal. "Vienna!" Olivia's voice didn't even register in my brain as I continued to push my magic towards Morfin. By now, rivers of tears fell from his grimy eyes and thick crimson blood was flowing from his nose as he continued to scream silently. "Vienna! Stop it!" I cast an angry gaze behind me quickly only to have the breath catch in my throat. All of my friends were being held against the wall and I looked down to my other hand to find magic flowing from it as well towards the people I cared for. "Vienna! Stop! This isn't you!" Tom's voice is loud and clear, ringing through my ears almost painfully as I manage to wrangle in the magic, dropping a gasping Morfin to the floor and releasing my friends. This isn't me. 
    "It was me da'. He tol' me'! He tol me ta' do it!" Morfin Gaunt was crying, his nose still dripping blood as he practically screamed the words at me. My body was trembling, my eyes stinging as they shifted back to their original color along with my hair. The pendant was nearly singeing my skin where it lay against my chest, and I was taking in deep shuddering breaths. I look towards my friends again, meeting the horrified gaze of Tom, before choking back a sob and fleeing the building. I hear shouts of protest from behind me, but I plunge into the hedges trying to get as far away as possible from the shack and my scared friends. I find myself bursting through the entrance, nearly tripping and falling in my panic but being caught by a strong pair of arms. The stranger whirls me around and I gasp at the old man holding my arms tightly. He nearly reminds me of Albus, with his long white hair and beard, but this man seemed to be far older. A man wore down from adventures, heartache and time altogether. His blue eyes look upon me with a mixture of absolute sadness and complete understanding, causing confusion to blossom through my chest. "VIENNA!" I turn around to the sound of Tom's voice coming from behind me, breaking out of the old man's grip as I spun. "Vienna!" The panic fills my veins again and I spin around once more to face the old man. Except standing in the old man's place is a much younger man, whose eyes glow a brilliant gold as I find my vision filling with black, and then, nothing.  
    

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AN: All hail Queen Katie!