Rose & The Riddle || Tom Riddle Story

Chapter Two - The Hogwarts Express

During the two weeks leading up to the start of term, Rose's visions had grown stronger and more frequent. She had them sporadically. Sometimes she had the same vision multiple times, but other times it would be the same vision but with a different outcome.

Rose understood that the future is ever changing and the slightest deviation in the universe could produce a different outcome, but it still scared her nonetheless. Her Seer abilities were forthcoming and she was unable to control them. She imagined she would be predicting prophecies in the very near future.

The visions started off extremely innocent, but as time passed they became more ambiguous and Rose was unsure how it was directly related to her. For example, a week before term she had a vision that Tom Riddle and her had a secret meeting in the Room of Requirement and Rose revealed to Tom that she may know what the secret relic is that belonged to Godric Gryffindor, and she saw flashes of an ornate sword encrusted with scarlet rubies. But then, two days ago she kept getting flashes of newspaper headlines alluding to a woman named Hepzibah Smith who was murdered by her house elf. It was beginning to become an overload of information, so she began writing down her visions in a notebook.

The night of August 31st, Rose packed the remaining items she would be bringing with her to Hogwarts. She folded her favorite jumper and placed it right on top, along with Tom's diary and her green and silver Slytherin scarf.

Rose's hand brushed the cover of Tom's leather diary, which also happened to encase a piece of his soul. She picked it up and flipped through the blank pages with her thumb. She wondered if he had written it and it was enchanted to conceal itself or if it was simply blank and its pages had been forever undisturbed.

She was saddened when she reminded herself that it was Tom's last year of Hogwarts. It was her last chance to attempt to pull him into the light. She realized she hadn't done a very good job up to this point, but she could sense that he cared for her deeply and she clung to that. Maybe, just maybe it would be enough to get Tom Riddle to give up his heinous plans. With two Horcruxes, she was sure that he could already achieve immortality. No one would ever suspect a diary and a ring would conceal a piece of his soul. Surely splitting your soul twice was enough.

There was a faint knock at Rose's bedroom door. Rose turned and saw her dad standing in the entranceway.

"Lights out, kiddo," he said.

"Sure thing, dad," she replied. She was hoping that he would leave; as she wanted to be alone but she could hear his footsteps come closer.

"You know... your brother told me that you saw your boyfriend in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago," he began.

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes.

Big mouth.

"He's not my boyfriend," she denied.

"Rose, call it what you will, but it's clear that you're involved with this boy," he said as he sat down at the edge of Rose's bed. "And as your father, I just want to make sure that you're –

"Safe, dad I know," interrupted Rose.

"No, happy," he corrected. "Your happiness is the utmost importance for your mother and I."

Rose didn't answer, but busied her hands with organizing her trunk so everything would fit.

"Does this boy make you happy, Rosie?"

She tried to hold back her tears. She did not want to cry in front of her dad, but she knew she could not open up to him about the truth of Tom Riddle. She had to put on a brave face.

"He makes me happier than anything," she said. She couldn't hold back the tears.

"That's great," he cooed, "I wasn't trying to make you upset, I swear. I just want to make sure you're okay. Finding your first love is a big deal, and you're so young. I just don't want you to get hurt."