Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Masters of Manipulation	By : Nerys Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 28506 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Again a couple of more AFF codes need to be added: Oral; HJ.

Masters of manipulation

Chapter twenty-one

Hermione read Rowena's writings with incredible speed. Normally, she would have taken her time to absorb in everything the famous Founder had written down, but she knew she had to hurry. She also still had to read a couple of chapters of Godric's book, so she wouldn't draw attention to herself. She was pleased Riddle deemed her to be a slow reader and that she had never shown him she could pick up some speed in reading if necessary. Hermione had a feeling Rowena's subject of interest might hold the key to finding a method of gaining access to Salazar's book, because that was still proving to be a huge problem, despite their fully completed Blood Bond. And she hoped that Rowena might provide her with a method of finding Helga's book, because that one was still nowhere to be found.

Rowena Ravenclaw described in intricate detail how to create magical objects, but she went beyond the normal theorising of the books Hermione was accustomed to. The power she was able to bestow upon items was amazing. Hermione had been right in her assumption that Rowena had provided the background into creating the four Founders' books. After all, the books themselves were objects with incredible power. It stood to reason that their creation was due to Ravenclaw's theory. The Elder Wand, the Ravenclaw Diadem, and the Sorting Hat, they were all made by Rowena. And Hermione figured it was most likely that the Invisibility Cloak and Resurrection Stone were made by the Founder as well. So Hermione hoped Rowena Ravenclaw would supply her with a solution to her difficulties with the two other Founders' volumes.

So, for the next couple of days, Hermione varied her time between showing her face outside the Room to the Hogwarts' Staff and reading Godric and Rowena's writings inside the Room. She got really excited when their cause-and-effect theories seemed to overlap, because that meant it was most likely Salazar's subject of interest would have the same qualities. And she began to understand Ravenclaw's method in adding lasting magical attributes to inanimate objects.

Whenever Riddle came back, Godric's ward warned her, and she quickly closed up Mind over Matter and returned to reading Infinity in Space. Rowena's book seemed to dislike Riddle a lot, because every time he opened the book, the pages had turned blank again. Nothing, he did, made the writings appear. Hermione was very happy with Ravenclaw's protections on the book. It was obvious she had thought about ways to protect her knowledge from Slytherin's Heir.

However, Hermione had become much more forthcoming with the knowledge inside Infinity in Space, since she knew she needed Riddle's help to solve the mystery and find the answer to their problems with Time and Space. The possibility, that this new information might contain the answer to their Time Travel problems, had also provided Riddle with a solid distraction from the, in his eyes, still blank-paged novel. And they would spend lengthy evenings in debating the similarities between manipulating Time and Space. Something Hermione actually enjoyed doing a lot.

It kept feeling strange to her, not having to explain everything her mind came up with for a second time, and it was certainly a new experience for her to get feedback in a matter she had not thought of. Though, it did irritate her when she lost track of Riddle's thought process, because he could make gigantic leaps from one subject to the next without losing the underlying issue at hand. And she did not mind one or even two of those leaps, that much she could follow, but he was perfectly fine with making four or five in a row and when he was finished making his, no doubt, excellent point, he would look at her jubilantly, waiting for a reply that would not come. Hermione would just stare at him blankly and slightly annoyed that he did it again, which usually resulted in him snickering and then trying to rekindle everything in smaller steps. Something that always cost him more difficulty to do and when he would complain about that, a smirking Hermione would reply by saying that if he could not repeat it in smaller steps, then perhaps the leap had been too great to begin with. She truly felt that what he would do with his life was an utter waste of an otherwise brilliant mind.

But Hermione was certain they would find a solution to their Time Issues, eventually, and Riddle seemed to agree, because he was positively delighted twenty-four/seven. His mood was so dominant that it was contagious, and it rubbed off on Hermione. Only she was feeling happy about her abilities to keep her secret activities from him. Something, she was certain, Riddle had not taken into account when he was staring at her with that predatory look in his eyes, while she was reading another chapter of Infinity in Space.

The only downside to his happy-go-lucky mood was that it turned him bloody touchy, not to mention that his possessiveness of her reached astonishing new heights. Tom would get her everything that she needed and if he had the chance, he even picked out what she should eat. He would, continually, gaze at her with extreme intensity, which was rather uncomfortable, especially since his eyes were always incredibly red whenever he did this. And when he felt like it, he would grab a hold of her and pull her on his lap, holding her in his arms while she read. Or rather, while she tried to read, because the physiological effects, which occurred when they had contact with each other, turned out to be so distracting that she could not concentrate on the sentences at all if he held her. However, since that only slowed down her progress in Godric's book, it was a side-effect she was not unhappy about.

She knew these increased physical effects were due to the severe strengthening of their Bond, ever since they had "been together". Tom had blamed the flawed potion and the addition Voldemort placed on top of it, but Hermione was certain, due to her earlier contact with his older version, that the strengthening had taken place prior to those events. Although she wasn't sure whether the effects hadn't got worse after that either. Hermione knew a lot more about Blood Bonds than she had been letting on, and she had a sneaking suspicion theirs had become irreversible at Durmstrang, which meant there was now only one method of breaking it and she rather not think about that to often. Especially not in the vicinity of someone so very qualified in performing that two word curse.

She had counted the number of things they had done after the first bond was placed inside Slytherin's work to strengthen their link, and she was appalled when she realised just how many additions they had placed on top of it. There had been two Blood-Binding Charms, an Unbreakable Vow, a bet, a sex oath, and they had supported the bond by engaging in physical, mental and emotional contact. They had taken over the other by using the Bond as a weapon to overwhelm the other with their own emotions, which created a severe emotional link that was even stronger than the original charm. And they had done all this, while their Bond was also linked with two powerful magical objects that were essential in order to become Master of manipulation.

There was no way she would ever be able to truly assess the consequences all this would have on her and Riddle, but one thing she knew for certain, she had just as much an effect on him as he had on her. She could see it in all his responses to her. Hermione remembered very clearly what Dumbledore had told Harry about Riddle's emotional state, and this Riddle, that was around her, reacted differently. Sure, their bond did not, suddenly, turn him into Mister Nice. After all, she also did not, suddenly, turn into a murdering fruitcake by feeling his emotions. She remained Hermione Granger as he remained Tom Riddle. And Tom was still very much capable of doing everything he had done before, only now it would leave marks, where previously he wouldn't have cared less.

And Hermione saw in his reactions that he was from time to time experiencing life the way she felt it. She had recognised it, because she had felt his temper inside of her, the emotionless moments, the hatred, the arrogance, the determination and the emptiness. And she realised that after she had dived into him, he had gone through life dealing with her feelings and emotions, which he previously had been able to suppress to some extend.

She also wasn't the only one, who had noticed the change in Tom. Dumbledore had always been a shrewd observer and Hermione had seen his blue eyes twinkle slightly whenever they darted between her and Tom during the dinners in the Great Hall. Dumbledore had made no comments whatsoever about it to Tom, but he had winked at her on two occasions. One of those times was when Hermione was certain Tom had another difficult episode, because of her feelings of care towards a first year, who had got hurt.

So, as much as she had her problems in dealing with his temper and issues; it was nothing, nothing compare to his problems in dealing with her emotions. Tom simply wasn't doing a very good job in handling them. He just wasn't equipped to feel compassion, care, friendship, love… Hermione had noticed the turmoil and the annoyance when those feelings struck him. And she blamed his sudden, extremely controlling attitude towards her on just that. He was losing control of himself and he was grasping at straws to, somehow, regain his hold.

So Hermione let him be, well, you know, him. Though, on a couple of occasions, she had to restrain herself from wringing his obnoxious, arrogant, little neck for trying to subdue her. And she kept telling herself, that some day soon, if he would not get a grip and change this behaviour very quickly, she would find the answer in Rowena's writings, hex his sorry arse, take all three books, hex his no good arse again, before she would transport herself back to 1997 and leave Riddle inside an empty Room of Requirement on his own. Something she was duly beginning to look forward to. She wondered why he wasn't a bit more suspicious of her sudden change in behaviour, but she counted on his arrogance to prevail and was not disappointed. He was totally underestimating her, as his older self had predicted he would.

On December 29th Hermione had completely finished the theory inside Mind over Matter. She laid the book to the side and began reminiscing on the possibilities it provided. She had a good idea on the device she had to make in order to obtain Helga's book. The problem she still faced was her inability to use Salazar's book. Rowena's writings had made it clear that it wasn't her lacking abilities in Parseltongue that were the cause of her problems. Hermione had been worried that Slytherin's book would only activate to someone, who could speak this language. But, according to Ravenclaw's theory, he would not have been able to make that distinction when he added the Time Travelling magical abilities to his book. The book would respond to any language of the person, who mastered it fully.

Hermione figured it was probably due to the fact she had not finished the entire theory that she was still unable to activate the book. It was the only answer she could think of, since she was certain their fully completed Blood Bond should enable her to override the protections Slytherin had placed on the pages, or so she hoped. Otherwise she would never be able to use it. Fortunately, Riddle had become very forthcoming in telling her all about Slytherin's theory on Time Travel, ever since he thought he had won her over. And when Lord Voldemort got into one of his talkative moods, it was hard to get even a single word in between. But, for once, that habit came in pretty handy.

It was during the evening when Tom Riddle was once again incredibly chatty that he, suddenly, said something, which sounded familiar to Hermione.

'…states that Time is forever changing; its linearity is basically an illusion drawn before human eyes.'

'What was that?' Hermione said, suddenly, very attentive.

'Come on, Granger. We discussed this before. If I recall correctly you were the one nagging about how Time was not linear and that …' He stopped talking when he noticed Hermione was waving her hand and shaking her head in disagreement.

'No, no, not that part. Did you just say Time is forever changing and that it's an illusion? I read something quite similar.' She picked upInfinity in Space and started turning its leaves, searching for the part she knew was there. 'Ah, found it,' said Hermione triumphantly. And she started reading out loud from Godric's book.

'The Space we inhabit on a daily basis has some unique qualities. The most important law is that it wants to remain stable. Once a Space has been formed it wants to remain in that form. I call it the Beginning. Any changes to the Beginning lead to the Result. There is always the Balance between Beginning and Result. Now, the Result is not nearly as powerful as the Beginning. Therefore any change made in Space is never infinite. The changes are mere illusions. And they want to return to their prior state. And they do so by eradicating the Result.'

Riddle hopped on the couch next to her, took her quill and parchment, and started scribbling. 'So according to Gryffindor the changes are illusions, because anything that you alter wants to return to its original shape,' said Tom. 'And if the Balance of power between Beginning and Result is the cause for these illusions….' he added thoughtfully, while sketching a diagram, 'then, it stems to reason that if you want to make lasting changes, you need to shift the Balance. And not bother with the Beginning or the Result, but shift the force between them.'

'That's also what Gryffindor states,' Hermione added, excited, and she read the next segment out loud as well.

'If one looks at Beginning and Result separately, then their properties are the same, but one is more powerful than the other. The Balance between the two always favours the Beginning. In order to achieve a permanent Result the Balance needs to shift in favour of it. It can be done by fooling the Balance temporarily that the Result is the Beginning. Space becomes Infinite if it is continuously changing, if one makes certain the Balance does not remember what is the Beginning and what is the Result. Then, and only then, can you receive lasting results.'

'So if we take the Room of Requirement as an example,' Tom lectured, 'the Beginning being the wall and the Room as its Result. Now, the wall wants to remain, but still the Room becomes what you need, because it has received its infinity due to the constant change. The Balance is still in favour of the wall, but the Room remains too. That means the wall has to be continuously in motion, changing, so the Balance thinks the wall is the Result and wants to recreate its Beginning, the Room…'

'…which is the Result, so when it does create the Room, the Balance wants the wall back, changing its direction again, becoming infinite in motion. Hence, the Room of Requirement will stay in existence. The illusion is gone and the changes are a reality,' Hermione finished.

'Exactly,' Tom replied. 'So hypothetically speaking, if Space and Time share the same properties that would mean Time would become eternal if it's continuously changing. When the Balance does not remember what the Beginning is and what is the End,' Tom concluded.

'And without a clear conception of Beginning and Ending Time would become the illusion Slytherin is referring to,' Hermione added. 'Nothing changes, because it is continuously changing. Time would go back and forth, correcting the errors it perceives. And that's why those rooms came and went. It was Time correcting errors.'

Hermione was pretty pleased that the mystery was solved. However, Tom was still contemplating on this.

'So if you want to make lasting changes in Time and you know Time goes back and forth correcting the errors it perceives, then the only way to get a Result that is lasting is by making Time believe it was the Beginning after all,' Tom added, and he leaned backwards in the couch, while a rather smug expression flew across his features. 'You'll have to divert the attention of Time to significant changes in Space in order for it to overlook other minor changes.'

Hermione's jaw dropped. That was a jump she had not seen coming. 'So you avoid the Temporal Corrections that Time wants to make by altering Space at the same moment as you alter Time!'

'And that's what we experienced those two times my counterpart send us across Time,' Tom said smiling. 'He changed something in Time permanently, and we only saw the alterations in Space, because they were noticeable to us.'

'And when Time came by it corrected the major error it perceived the rooms to be, and …' Shocked, Hermione stopped speaking mid-sentence. This was not good.

'It overlooked whatever it was I needed changing,' Tom stated tremendously pleased, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him.

A victorious glint ran through his eyes as he claimed her mouth with his and she responded to his demand by opening her mouth and allowing him access. Not only was that action accompanied by the familiar jolt of the bond, but also by a new sensation of surrender inside of her body. An overwhelming urge to please Tom fully began filling her mind, while the core of her sex contracted and she felt the loss of control over every fibre of her being. She moaned inside his mouth as his hands travelled underneath her shirt. She was on fire instantaneously, and her vagina burned with desire and wantonness for the man who was now drawing small circles on her skin. She squirmed in his lap as a result of this excellent attention she was receiving and wanted to turn around to have him take her.

'No,' Tom ordered, holding her tightly in his lap. 'You gave your body to me, my dear; therefore, you will do exactly what I say when I say it. And right now, I want you to be a good, obedient, little girl and remain lying in my lap while I examine you. Do you understand?'

'Yes,' Hermione breathe, leaning her head and body back against him.

'Yes?'

'Yes, Master.'

He kissed her neck and she tilted her head to the side to ease his access. 'Good girl,' Tom whispered condescendingly. 'You understand your place now.'

It shouldn't turn her on as much as it did, but she felt herself go wet at his words; at the control he exhibited over her. His hands and mouth continued to explore her skin teasingly and his touch was making her shiver. Soon, her body grew heated; she perspired and her face flushed in excitement. She twisted and turned, while he drove her on the brink of insanity with his tauntingly slow and meticulously thorough investigation of her reactions to his every move and gesture. A tingling sensation incensed her nerves and she didn't know what to do to relieve the tension that was building up inside of her.

'Oh Tom,' she moaned when his fingers finally found their way into her knickers and he inserted two of them inside her while his thumb was rubbing her clit. Her fluids were now flowing down his hand rapidly and she felt her clothes sticking to the wetness her body was producing. She needed a release, desperately. A disappointed whimper escaped her lips when Tom's hands suddenly stopped their delicious activities, and he withdrew them and his mouth from her fully ready-to-service-and-incredibly-needy body.

His breath brushed her ear, as he held his hand in front of her mouth, making her lick his fingers clean one by one. 'You are gorgeous when you surrender to me, Hermione; and I may even give you what you want tonight if you please me enough,' he whispered softly, sending shivers down her spine. 'Now get up and strip for me, doll.'

Hermione rose from Tom's lap somewhat wobbly, because she felt a bit weak in the knees and her muscles had to readjust to this sudden change of heart and activity. And while she stepped away from him the Room of Requirement altered their surroundings significantly. The table that was blocking her path disappeared and she stood on a small elevation that had a pole centre stage. Music entered her ears and she turned around nervously to see Tom sliding down on the couch lazily with a huge smirk on his face.

'Let's see what you got, darling,' he ordered.

Slowly, she complied and undressed at the sound of the beat. Tom's gaze turned quite intense, while she performed before him, using the pole as she had seen in some Muggle movies. During some of the moves she made, Hermione wondered about the effect of the charm Voldemort had placed on her, because she was pretty certain she had never been this agile before. She was also pretty certain Tom hadn't Imperiused her; but yet, that split she made wasn't her idea at all. However, she stopped wondering about the control he had over her, when she saw him shift his position in the couch several times as she moved around the small stage. It gave her an extreme form of satisfaction and power to notice she was affecting him in that way.

When she was fully unclothed and he felt satisfied at her performance, he beckoned her to come to him. With a mischievous smirk, Hermione strolled towards him in a slow, seductive pace. When she ended up standing before him in all her glory, he told her to kneel. She complied, while keeping her eyes locked with his. Her heart was pounding in her chest as Tom leaned forward and caressed her face and hair gently, while his eyes burned into her very soul. She noted his fingers were entwining themselves in her curls as he massaged her skull, enhancing his grip.

'Give me a blowjob, doll.'

His gaze turned heated as she stared lusciously into his eyes, while unbuttoning his trousers slowly in order to release his cock from its confinement. Eh, if he could be a tease, so could she; right?

Wrong.

Tom tightened his grip on her hair before yanking her head roughly to his crotch. 'Suck me, witch,' he snarled viciously, the very moment his already aroused member sprang free.

Hermione, having never done this kind of thing before, felt somewhat unsure of what was expected precisely, but she always had an inquiring mind and it became clear very quickly as she started licking his tip with her tongue, drawing circles around it before taking him a bit into her mouth. He shifted in the couch, and she felt his grip increasing on her head when she started sucking at his length; slowly taking him further and further inside for as far as she could without gagging herself. She felt a surge of vindictive pleasure inside of her when she heard him groan in response to her actions. So, she withdrew and started over again. This time she also massaged his balls with her hands. He jerked underneath her.

'Yesssss,' he cried out in a low hiss, bucking toward her slightly.

With a naughty grin, Hermione looked up as she slowly drew her mouth back while sucking at his member fervently. He swore loudly. Her hands stroked him as she had exited him fully with her mouth. Quickly, he forced her head back to its previous position making sure she would continue her delicious activity. 'Make me come, witch.'

She repeated her previous gestures and he moaned in lust when he was inside her fully and she began moving back and forth up his length with her mouth in a fast pace. Wanting to gain some control back of the situation, he pushed her head down further then she had done on her own volition. He grinned when she gagged. 'Thought you were in charge, my dear?' he hissed, bucking towards her roughly. 'Think again.'

He moved her head back for a moment so she could take a ragged breath, and then, he made her take all of him again as he spilled himself inside her mouth. Swallowing his nectar in order not to choke on it, Hermione looked up as he let go of her head. Tom's eyes were closed and he had an almost serene, contented expression on his face. He was absolutely stunning and she wanted to jump all over him. So … she did.

Surprise flew over his features when Hermione landed in his lap – knees on each side of his body –, grabbed his head and started kissing him ferociously. He had thought she would be angry and upset over the treatment he just ditched out on her – like so many other girls had been before her. It had always been a terrific method in getting rid of the clingy ones. Not that he felt Hermione was clingy or that he wanted to get rid of her, he just wanted to show her who was in charge.

Apparently, that resulted in him now tasting himself on her mouth and getting his clothes ripped off in the process. Oh well, that was fine by him too. Tom used a little Sex Magic in order for his cock to be able to perform again, and he felt himself harden fast at Hermione's feisty actions. So, he grabbed her hips harshly and pulled her down around him. She gasped and flung her head backwards, while holding on to his neck with her arms.

'Fuck me, witch,' he snarled.

Hermione took a deep breath and look him straight into his eyes as she began moving up and down his cock, clenching and unclenching her walls, massaging him. Their shared gaze intensified as it quickly became a matter of who would yield first. Tom groaned and clenched his teeth to hold back as Hermione slammed back down around him with a determined look. It made him realise he had to do something or she would win. She was moving back up when he wrapped his arms around her and pushed her back down, shifting his hips to alter the angle he was hitting her with. A victorious smirk became visible when she finally let out a muffled cry in pleasure.

'Yes dear, why don't you try to hold back now as you fuck me,' he whispered.

Hermione moved back up and tried to lower herself slowly, so he wouldn't hit her G-spot again, but Tom had been expecting that and he pulled her down while bucking his hips towards her.

'Ohhhh,' Hermione breathed.

Their movements became more and more ragged as sweat dropped down their bodies in a futile attempt to cool them down. Hermione bit her lip as Tom attacked her clit with his right hand, while shoving her down around him with his left arm that was resting around her shoulders. She wasn't going to yield. She wasn't. Both Slytherins were now gazing at the other with a resoluteness to win. Their bodies locked in a battle for victory. As Hermione milked his length with her internal muscles, Tom's eyes flashed red. Trickery, little witch! She would yield first. He pulled her head back by her hair and his mouth crashed on the nipple of her breast. Sucking at it fiercely, he sent jolts of ecstasy to Hermione's core.

'Noooo,' she groaned, 'stop.'

He attacked her other breast, giving it the same treatment and he felt the unset of her loss of control. But to his frustration, she bit down harshly on her lip, causing blood to flow and the pain made her capable of holding of. So close… he was so close. He looked back up, tilted her head and sucked her blood away from her lips. Licking and battling with her tongue, they engaged in further contact. He removed his right hand from her clit and moved it behind her back, pretending to use it to pull her down on him in hard continuous strokes. Flicking his wrist unnoticeably, his wand appeared. He was close, but he would not lose. He could not lose. Lord Voldemort never loses, especially not from little Mudblood witches.

As Hermione moved back up and almost exited him completely, he cast the Stimulating Charm upon her and quickly made his wand disappear. Grabbing a hold of her with both hands, he grinned inside her mouth. She would yield now. And he shoved her down violently. Sparks flew through Hermione's body as he entered her fully. She cried out desperate as she felt her body losing control. 'No!'

'Yessss,' he hissed satisfied when she came, shaking around him, and he filled her with his come. Exhausted, they crashed down on the couch into each other's arms. Hermione was lying with her head on his chest, feeling both defeated and utterly contented. His hand was stroking through her hair gently, while his other arm was wrapped possessively around her waist.

'Mine,' she heard him utter triumphantly.

The next morning Hermione began working in secret on creating the device that would track down Love of Mankind. Rowena's writings and something she remembered from Helga's journal had given her an idea on what to make. Helga's journal had said that the four books wanted to be together. 'They, somehow, always ended up in the same room together,' Helga had stated or something quite similar.

This made Hermione think that if the books wanted to be together, the other three might be able to lead her to the location of Hufflepuff's finest. And she used the theory inside Mind over Matter to create a device that would tell her where to go. She had already taken a blank page out of Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's, but she still needed a page from Slytherin's as well to make the Tracker active. Only that was a bit more complicated, since Riddle had Eternity in Time with him when he left the Room to avoid temporal mishaps. And he always woke up from the slightest bit of movement in the Room, so nicking a page during the night had proven impossible. And she could not do it when she left the Room with Eternity in Time underneath her shirt, because she needed the power of Ravenclaw's book to separate the page.

So on December 31st, Hermione and Riddle reached the day that their Unbreakable Vow would be fulfilled and the entire contents of both books were shared. Hermione was beginning to dread the end of that day. After all, the moment Riddle gained access to the entire theory inside Infinity in Space would also be the moment he would master that volume fully. She had provided him with complete access to the book's capabilities and there would be no way she could stop him from using it. Godric did not have Salazar's attitude towards others.

Godric's ward went off. Hermione placed down Rowena's writings back on the dresser and, quickly, disposed of her nearly finished Tracker. She hopped on the couch and opened Infinity in Space just in a nick of time, because Riddle was already stepping through the door. He was looking rather dishevelled. The mood he was emanating was dreadful and his clothes had mud, twigs and leaves all over them.

'What happened to you?' asked Hermione, frowning.

'Oh, nothing important,' Tom said dismissively.

He tossed Salazar's book on the living room table and walked into the bathroom. Hermione watched him go suspiciously. She had been so busy with keeping her own activities a secret that she had never concerned herself with what Riddle was doing all the time when he wasn't inside the Room of Requirement. And now she was regretting that oversight on her part sincerely. He was definitely up to something.

Hermione's eyes darted between the bathroom and Salazar's book. Could she risk doing it now? She heard the shower start and decided she was never going to get a better opportunity.

'Accio Mind over Matter,' she said.

Hermione held out Rowena's book in her hands right above Eternity in Time. She cast one more apprehensive glance in the direction of the bathroom. She kept her fingers crossed for luck and activated Mind over Matter.

'I need a page from Eternity in Time. I need a page that won't be missed. I need it in order to track down Love of Mankind,' Hermione whispered to the book.

A dash of bronze lighted up the Room of Requirement. Hermione threw an anxious glance towards the bathroom door. Mind over Matter started glowing intensely, and the leaves started turning, until they reached their predestined page. Hermione held out the book towards the other one. A beam of bronze hit the silver-and-green volume. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, but then, Eternity in Time opened up. Its leaves started turning, until the final page was reached. Another dash of bronze hit the page in question, and it separated itself from the others without a trace. The blank parchment flew through the air and landed on top of the living room table. Hermione sighed relieved. Riddle hadn't noticed a thing. Quickly, she pointed her wand at the parchment and cast a spell to hide it in her beaded bag. Everything had worked like a charm.

The bronze glow stopped, and at that very moment a beam of silver struck right into the heart of Ravenclaw's book. The force of the beam threw Rowena's writings out of her hands and it tossed Hermione through the air. She flew over the couch and crashed straight into the wardrobe. The bathroom door flew open and Riddle stood in the doorway with his wand raised. The noise had, obviously, alerted him something was happening. Tom's eyes, quickly, scanned the situation in front of him. He saw how a ruffled Hermione scrambled back onto her feet, while Mind over Matter was embedded in a beam of silver, hovering in midair.

Another flash and a bronze beam trashed the silvery one. Eternity in Time got struck. It flew up into the air. Two flashes occurred simultaneously. One bronze and one silver beam were aimed at each other. They collided and were diverted. Tom dove out of the path of the diverted bronze beam that headed directly towards him, and it blew up the bathroom instead. The silvery beam hit the dresser on the side causing it to explode into a million pieces.

Everything was quiet. Then, Salazar's book opened and two beams left it almost simultaneously. One headed directly for Ravenclaw's book, which defended itself perfectly without any effort, but the other one hurtled with tremendous speed towards Hermione. She did not have time to react, before it crashed straight into her, crushed her ribcage and tossed her across the room once more. As she plummeted to the ground, she heard and saw several things happen.

'Hermione!' Tom shouted fearfully, because his Shield Charm reached her a mere millisecond too late.

Mind over Matter hurtled another beam of bronze at Eternity in Time, and Slytherin's book exploded in midair with all the force it could muster due to the attack of Ravenclaw's. The sheer strength of the explosion took the blue-bronze book down with it. And while the bits and pieces of the pages from the two books dispersed itself into the air across the Room of Requirement, a male voice laughed loudly.

'With the elimination of Helga's pawn the path is free for my Heir to rule as Master of manipulation and cleans the world of all those unworthy of existence.'

It was the last thing Hermione heard before she saw her life flash by before her very eyes.

She was back in Bill and Fleur's cottage. Hermione discussed how she felt about Tom Riddle with Harry and told him the more intimate details of their relationship after Ron had gone to bed. Harry seemed deeply concerned for her safety, and he told her to be careful, to remember who she was dealing with, and to keep in mind how he had manipulated Ginny into doing his bidding ... She and Ron looked at each other in clear understanding; they had been expecting this reaction from Harry upon hearing Mad Eye's plan was to have others impersonate him … Ron was holding her, stroking her hair, while she sobbed on his shoulder at Dumbledore's funeral ... She Confunded McLaggen when he was standing right in front of where she was sitting, so Ron could get the Seeker's position ... She was explaining to Harry why all those people were, all of the sudden, interested in him and she told him it did not do any damage that he had grown about a foot over the summer. Ron inconsequentially told her that he was tall … She and Ron were in the hospital wing after the fiasco in the Department of Mystification … She exchanged a look with Ron when Harry was shouting after arriving at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place … She was having a blazing row with Ron.

'Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?' yelled Hermione.

'Oh yeah?' yelled Ron back. 'What's that?'

'Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does and not as a last resort!'

'Hermione!'

'You – you're – , fraternising with the enemy, that's what you're doing!' Ron shouted at the Yule Ball …

'Hermione! Hermione!'

Someone was shaking her rather persistently. It was kind of annoying. She really needed to sleep. She was too tired.

'Oh no, you don't,' a determined, male voice spoke.

It sounded quite familiar, but it was nice and peaceful out here, and she really, really needed some shut-eye. It had been a busy day after all.

'Don't you dare leave me, Granger,' that same voice hissed.

A flash and a tremendous pain soared through her.

And Sirius Black hopped onto Buckbeak behind her … She was arguing with Ron over Crookshanks and Scabbers … She was riding the train to Hogwarts. Professor Lupin was holding a handful of flames as the door slid open and the cloaked, hooded creature entered. It drew a long, slow, rattling breath and an intense cold swept over her ... A pair of big yellow eyes … And she ladled large dollops of the Potion into each of the glasses and added Millicent Bulstrode's hair to her own … She was crying in the girl's toilets after overhearing Ron tell Harry that no one could stand her … She opened the compartment door of the train and a red-haired boy had his wand raised. 'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.'

'Granger!'

'Stop shaking me … need to sleep … I'm tired,' Hermione muttered.

Another flash and her bones seemed to have caught fire.

'Granger, Hermione,' said Professor McGonagall. And she ran to the stool and put the hat eagerly on her head. 'Gryffindor!' shouted the hat immediately … She was jumping up and down excitedly across her parents' living room. The stern witch in the emerald robes, who had come to tell her parents their daughter was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was watching her with keen eyes behind a pair of square glasses, and she had a big, endearing smile on her face.

'Hermione, open your eyes!'

'Go away,' she whispered in a daze.

A third flash and she heard chanting like a song.

'You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart.'

'I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?' she said very fast.

'I'm Ron Weasley,' Ron muttered.

'Harry Potter,' said Harry.

'Are you really?' said Hermione. 'I know all about you, of course…'

'I need a Space to undo this. I need a Space to save her. I need a Place where she is to stay alive.'

And Hermione drew out her last breath on December 31st 1944, when a dash of gold lighted up the Room of Requirement.

She lay in a strange, bright mist. The cloudy vapour had not yet formed all her surroundings and she sat up. Her body appeared unscathed. She stood up and looked around, and the longer she looked, the more became visible. A great, domed glass roof glittered high above her in the sunlight. She was in a Hall of some kind.

'Hermione.'

She turned and saw Albus Dumbledore approach her. He was wearing robes of midnight blue and he was a lot older than the last time she saw him.

'Let us sit down,' said Dumbledore.

And she, suddenly, noticed the chairs that she had not seen previously. They sat down and Hermione stared questioningly at her professor. His long beard and hair had regained their silvery colour instead of the auburn she had grown accustomed to in 1944. He appeared as she remembered him from just before he died.

'Are you dead?' asked Hermione.

'Oh, yes,' said Dumbledore matter-of-factly.

'Then … I'm dead too?'

'Ah,' said Dumbledore, smiling more broadly. 'That's the question, isn't it? On the whole, dear girl, I think not.'

He was beaming at her when he said this.

'Not?' repeated Hermione.

'Not,' said Dumbledore.

'But … then … how? I got struck by that beam of Eternity in Time. I am supposed to be dead, aren't I?' Hermione asked.

'That was Salazar's plan, I believe, to eliminate the other one right before all four books could be found,' replied Dumbledore, smiling.

He seemed utterly pleased. Hermione had never seen him this content in her entire life before.

'Then, how can I be alive?' Hermione asked uncertain.

'I think you know,' said Dumbledore. 'Think back. Remember all that happened.'

'The Blood-Binding Charm! Eternity in Time could not kill me, because my blood lingers on its pages!'

'Precisely,' said Dumbledore. 'Tom tethered you to life while he lives! And as long as that Blood Bond remains you can not be killed by him or his ancestor's book. I don't think Salazar had ever taken into account that his Heir would bind himself to his adversary through so many means as Tom has done with you.'

Hermione got a bit uncomfortable about where the conversation was heading and she was shifting in her seat. It hadn't been just Riddle, after all, who had done all the bonding. She was guilty of a few of them herself. Dumbledore was eyeing her happily. And she changed the subject.

'Voldemort has changed Time twice,' she said softly.

Dumbledore merely hoisted his shoulders. Hermione eyed him rather shocked. Surely, that statement deserved a bit more reaction than a shrug.

'I would not worry about that too much, Hermione. Tom is only trying to prevent the inevitable,' said Dumbledore.

Upon noticing her confusion, he added: 'You know probably more about Time than I do right now. You understand I can't take the risk of possibly damaging the time-line by informing you what he has done. All I can say is that his efforts will be in vain. Time will correct the error.'

Hermione felt a bit more reassured after that.

'There's more,' she said. 'You practically told me that Rowena's book was at Durmstrang, but you had not given me the amulet, yet. And without it I could have never got in. How did you know?'

'You showed me the future, Hermione. On the first day we met in 1944. So I knew I'd given you the Deathly Hallows book and I knew it contained the amulet. I realised I must have had a good reason to give you The Tale of Beedle the Bard, so I hinted to you about Durmstrang. And later, when the Elder Wand became mine and with it Mind over Matter I made certain that the book would go to you too, even if it meant allowing Tom Riddle to be able to retrieve it from my families' vault. Only the owner can designate, who the book should go to, and you were the true Master of that book to begin with,' Dumbledore explained, smiling.

'But not anymore,' Hermione said thoughtfully. 'Salazar Slytherin said something right before I was supposed to die. He said the path to all four books was open for his Heir to become Master of manipulation.'

Dumbledore nodded. 'I believe you're right in that assumption. Tom Riddle will be able to read, activate and Master all four books now.'

'And I still can't activate Eternity in Time. I'm not going to win this, am I?'

Dumbledore looked at her meaningful. 'I believe you will find a way,' he said, and he gave her a reassuring wink.

It annoyed the crap out of her. So they were back doing the riddle business again, but Dumbledore spoke up before she could voice her resentment.

'What you must understand, Hermione, is that Tom Riddle might run into a few problems with Hufflepuff's volume as well. Love is a power he does not value or understands. You have a great advantage in that area over him.'

'But he feels it now,' Hermione said in a small voice. 'I have ruined everything, haven't I?'

'I doubt that very much,' Dumbledore said kindly. 'Tom feels those emotions through his bond with you. They are not his own, Hermione, remember that. It is essential that you keep that in mind.'

'I have to go back, haven't I?'

'That is up to you.'

'I have a choice?'

'Oh yes,' Dumbledore said. 'Where do you think we are?'

Hermione looked around. 'Well, it looks a lot like King's Cross station,' she said hesitantly.

'King's Cross station!' Dumbledore was chuckling immoderately. 'I can tell you and Harry have been friends for a long time.'

Hermione frowned. What kind of a remark was that?

'So you also think this is King's Cross station. Well, then, I suppose if you decided not to go back, you would be able to board a train.'

'And where would it take me?'

'On,' said Dumbledore calmly.

It became silent.

'If I move on…' Hermione started, and she paused a moment before finishing her sentence, 'Riddle will get the four books.'

'Yes,' said Dumbledore quietly.

And he looked at her, when she made a decision and got out of her chair. Dumbledore did the same. She smiled at him. 'Has this been real? Or has this been happening inside my head?'

'Of course it is happening inside your head, Hermione, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?'

And she heard him laugh loudly about something, while his figure alongside the rest of the station disappeared into the strange mist again.

Hermione opened her eyes and stared straight into a pair of dark ones. Tom was looking at her and relief spread throughout all his features.

'You're alive,' he whispered hoarsely.

And he placed Gryffindor's book next to him. The golden glow was diminishing softly as he picked her up and held her in his arms. From the corner of her eye, Hermione saw something glowing in a bright yellowish colour. And she did not know why she did it, but she stretched out her hand and snatched the piece of parchment with the black rim out of the air, just before it stopped glowing and was about to vanish. She turned it and read: 'Chapter 25. How to Reverse the Dynamic State of Death.'

Hermione frowned and looked up, but Tom wasn't paying attention to the piece of parchment in her hand. He was still watching her, like he couldn't believe his eyes.

'I thought I lost you,' Tom whispered. 'You weren't breathing anymore.'

And he held her close in his arms, like he never wanted to let go, ever again. Hermione lifted up her hand and touched his face. She felt his feelings and emotions inside of her. And it was the first time he wasn't running away from them. He wasn't annoyed or upset with himself about how he felt. But Hermione's eyes really widened when he spoke the next three words.

'I love you.'

A dash of yellow-and-black flew across Hogwarts. It embedded everything in its path. And the very fabric of Time shook on its foundations the moment Tom Marvolo Riddle truly felt love for the first time in his life. Beyond the veil a yellow-leather book with black letters and a black badger on the cover started glowing. It was summoning all the missing pages back into its binding. And a plump figured woman with gingery red hair saw with shock in her blue eyes how a few moments later the most dangerous book of all time vanished to return back among the living. And Love of Mankind entered real Time and Space again, waiting to be found by its true Master.

'No,' Helga Hufflepuff whispered and she shook her head in fright.

'It has begun. The end is near,' Rowena Ravenclaw replied matter-of-factly.

'I love you,' Tom had said.

…But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…

And Time spiralled out of control, when Harry James Potter lost his one advantage over the Dark Lord.

'You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?'

'You dare –'

'Yes, I dare,' said Harry, 'I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?'

'NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!' Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms.

'Look … at … me …' he whispered.

The green eyes found the black, but after a second something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank and empty.

'I have a problem, Severus,' said Voldemort softly.

'My Lord?' said Snape.

Voldemort raised the Elder Wand, holding it as delicately and precisely as a conductor's baton. 'Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?'

'You realise, of course, that nothing we do will be able to keep out You-Know-Who indefinitely?' squeaked Flitwick.

'But we can hold him up,' said Professor Sprout.

'Thank you, Pomona,' said Professor McGonagall, and between the two witches there passed a look of grim understanding.

'You-Know-Who's strategy of remaining in the shadows is creating a nice little climate of panic.'

'And the rumours he keeps being sighted abroad?' asked Lee.

'Well, who wouldn't want a nice, little holiday after all the hard work he's been putting in?' asked Fred. 'Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but the fact remains he can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to, so …'

He felt Voldemort before he saw him. Looking sideways, he stared into the red eyes and was sure they would be the last thing he ever saw: Voldemort preparing to curse him once more –

'Well, that's that plan scuppered,' said George. 'Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate.'

'Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance,' said Fred.

'Funny,' said Harry. 'Really amusing.'

Dumbledore opened his eyes. Snape looked horrified. 'You've kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?'

'Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?'

'Lately, only those whom I could not save,' said Snape. He stood up. 'You have used me.'

'Would you like me to do it now?' asked Snape, his voice heavy with irony. 'Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?'

'Kill me now, Dumbledore …'

Blinded and dying, every part of him screaming for release, Harry felt the creature use him again …

'If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy …'

'Listen to me, reliving family history …' Voldemort said quietly. 'Why, I am growing quite sentimental … But look, Harry! My true family returns …'

'The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight … before midnight … the servant … will set out … to rejoin … his master …'

'Voldemort,' said Riddle softly, 'is my past, present and future, Harry Potter …'

'Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain.'

'NEVER!'

'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!

'Stand aside, you silly girl … stand aside, now …'

'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches … '

Voldemort sneered. 'If you do not want to give me a job – '

'Of course I don't,' said Dumbledore. 'And I don't think for a moment you expected me to.'

'I'd be glad to see anything Miss Hepzibah shows me,' said Voldemort quietly, and Hepzibah gave another girlish giggle.

'I had Hokey bring it out for me … Hokey, where are you? I want to show Mr Riddle our finest treasure … in fact, bring both, while you're at it …'

…But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…

As Time spiralled out of control, when due to Love of Mankind events were reset in motion, the participants had yet to become aware of this.

…
- 20
- 21
- 22
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Masters of Manipulation