This is a Harry Potter AU One-Shot with an interesting difference:

What if Voldemort had been a smart Dark Lord?

And now, let's start!

It was a chilly night at Hogwarts.

It was Christmas and many students decided to go back to their homes and enjoy the holiday with their families.

Just few preferred to remain in the castle. Some were Ravenclaws, that wanted to start and finish some preparations for their NEWTs. All from the other so called 'light houses', Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were those who went back to their warm houses.

Slytherin too was no exception, since many purebloods were accustomed to have important balls at their majestic mansions, attempting to secure alliances and loyalties with other heirs from noble families.

Only one of those decided to stay at Hogwarts. Tom Marvolo Riddle was by no means a pureblood. Heck, he thought he was a muggleborn since he was raised in a orphanage. But that all changed because of a potion. Yes, Tom had always been obsessed of his parents. Even though, he was sure they were dead, he wanted to know who they were.

That's when, after using several favours that he had with Abraxas Malfoy, he smuggled an Heritage potion. The result was acceptable. His mother was a witch, Merope Gaunt.

He remembered very little of his dear mother. The matron back at the orphanage said that she died giving birth to him and wanted the best for him. Love was something that Tom craved in his first years of life.

But life was a cruel mistress and Tom found out early of how much harsh the world was. Nobody with good intentions was able to achieve their dreams. That's why his mother died. Her husband was a pathetic muggle that beared the same name of the young teen.

Another thing he had confirmed was his Slytherin's connection. The Gaunts were a branch of the Slytherin family that had all withered to just two members.

Tom and his dear uncle Morfin. The latter was barely human, with all his deformations and from an old Aurors' report, he was cruel to his sister, Tom's mother, and was imprisoned for using magic on muggles. With his Slytherin heritage confirmed, Tom decided to proceed with the next step for his plan. His Ambition.

In his seven years at Hogwarts, Tom had learnt much of the wizarding world. The people, or sheeple as the boy as long ago decided to call them, were complacent with their status and most of the traditions were old, middle-age old. Tom understood the potential untapped that the wizards had.

They were meant to succeed. To strive and become the ultimate beings.

But Tom was neither foolish nor insane. He knew the importance of muggles in restoring the 'magic' into the old, inbreed families. Muggleborns represented the face of reform with their need to develop magic true potential.

So Tom proclaimed himself as the avant-garde of the New Magical World Order. No more corruption or inefficiencies. No more blood status' differences.

He will be the one to forge a new world. He was sure of it. No, better. He knew it!

Anyway, he found himself knocking at the head of the Slytherin House's door.

The door opened, revealing the man. He was particularly round with a face that made him see almost child-like. Horace Slughorn, of course, was not a child-man. His careful selection of potential important characters made him the perfect manipulator. But he was too much good and used very little his own connections.

Tom was accepted in the Slugclub in his second year, showing great capacity in all subjects.

"Oh, Hello Tom. How may I help you, my boy?" He seemed a little surprised at seeing one of his favourite students still at Hogwarts, thinking that he would have gone with one of his Slytherin 'friends'. "Professor, I know it seems a bit inopportune but... I may have something to discuss with you, sir." Tom's face perfectly resembled an innocent facade, mastered during his years at the orphanage. "Sure Tom, here.. come inside.".

Tom entered the room and stopped by the fireplace. The fire exuded magic, indicating it was a Floo too. Slughorn moved behind Tom and grabbed a bottle of Firewhiskey and a glass.

"Do you want some, Tom?" Tom gave him a negative response and waited for the professor to sit down.

"As I was asking, how may I help you Tom?" Tom felt a small smile creeping, seeing the man starting to get influenced by the alcohol and feeling his occlumency barrier weakening.

"Professor, I had the... possibility to visit the restricted section of the library-" Slughorn intercepted "Oh yes, I know how much you are studious Tom, but beware of certain dark books." Tom nodded and continued his elaborated question.

"Professor, while researching, I found an interesting word... it was.. Horcrux..." Once that word came out of Tom's mouth, Slughorn paled and seemed almost ready to faint.

"Tom, that's dark magic. You should be reading about that!" Tom felt intrigued by the response and reaction, but pressed on. "Sir, I by no mean want to use such foul magic, it's just a curiosity of mine."

Slughorn calmed a bit "An... Horcrux... is the foulest and darkest magic ever. Because for someone to create one..." the old professor hesitated and Tom decided to not press him too much, seeing the seriousness the older man was emanating.

"... you have to kill a living being! Killing by magic is as worse as drinking unicorn's blood." Tom then asked, having lost his patience

"What if... someone created seven-" Slughorn almost jumped

"SEVEN?! Killing once is horrible but... killing seven innocents is monstrous, Tom." Tom felt satisfied and was about to get dismissed... but a small voice, a quiet thought stopped him. He decided to ask just another question, something actually serious and important.

"What about the sanity of the creator?" Slughorn was still shocked but replied

"Nobody that has created a Horcrux has retained their original sanity, some even lost part of their knowledge."

While Tom maintained his external composure, internally he was raging. Years of planning gone, destroyed by that particular. While he wanted immortality, he wanted to preserve his almost perfect mind.

He needed to find a solution to this. But he needed a convenient one, not a easy one.

"Thank you for answering my doubts, professor." Tom started to move towards the door.

"But I need to go now, I have to finish my multi-subject project." Slughorn was staring at the fireplace, deep in his thoughts.

"Yes... Tom, you may go...".

Closing the door, Tom started to find a resolution to this annoying delay.

...2 years later...

Tom huffed, maybe his plan was just more difficult than he thought.

When he had finished Hogwarts, many foresaw a shining path towards a good ministry job with a decent wage and even better pension.

His first step in adulthood had been shocking. Nobody would have expected Tom Riddle, greatest prodigy of the period, becoming a worker under Borgin & Burke in Knockturn Alley.

Many of his old companion in Slytherin, first Abraxas Malfoy, tried to get in Tom's graces by giving him other work offers, better work offers.

But Tom was a Slytherin, literally and metaphorically, and saw the benefits in working under Mr. Borgin: Many of the clients there were in the shop to sell important dark artefacts and most of the time Tom had been sent to buy those from important houses.

Just few hours ago, he had to obtain a particular object. Not truly a dark artefact, the Slytherin's locket was still a family heirloom.

He was quite surprised on learning how the locket found itself under the possession of a old witch. She was very relaxed with the company of such young and handsome man and decided to spill out that interesting story.

She told him of how the shopper that sold it to her that it was bought by a naive and nervous almost squib witch, just 19 years.

'How peculiar...' Tom mused darkly, knowing that that witch had been her mother.

Tom felt almost enraged by the tone of the elder woman in describing his parent.

But Tom knew that acting aggressively would have made him a suspect.

While he could have elaborated a plan to use the woman's house elf as a scapegoat, he was sure that other important 'enemies' like the new headmaster Dumbledore, his previous Transfiguration teacher, would have tried to find something, a clue of his implication.

What many didn't knew was that Tom's first job appliance had been as DADA's professor at Hogwarts. Dumbledore's response was legitimate, but that did stop Tom from being suspicious of the vanquisher of Grindelwald. "You're too much young, Tom. Re-Apply in 5 years or so and will surely secure the position."

While growing up at the orphanage, Tom had learnt how to caught certain emotions that were used or restrained when someone talked.

Dumbledore was almost convincing the boy of his good will.

Almost being the keyword, Tom was not trustworthy of that old man.

When he had first meet the elder, he felt almost labelled as a monster. Sure, Tom did many wrong things during his time at the orphanage, but classifying him so much quickly and resolutely was... curious.

So, knowing that he would have been unable to beat the headmaster, Tom bid his time.

The locket was hidden in his disillusioned satchel.

Officially, it got destroyed during a fight between the old woman's house elf and a thief, Tom was just about to knock at the door when the criminal escaped. 'What a pity...' a smile crept in his face.

'Soon... I will achieve what I am meant to be!'

Returning to the shop, Tom gave to his 'boss' his resignation letter.

While the letter was very short and no good motivation was explained, Tom just had to put a compulsion charm on it and the trick was done.

The next step of his glorious was about to start and he felt giddy. Who wouldn't , learning from the last greatest Dark Lord was going to be... Great!

...8 years later...

Tom felt tired. The training under Grindelwald had been a nightmare.

His discovery of the status of Grindelwald had been all thanks to the old Dark Lord's rival, Dumbledore. Putting on him an almost invisible tracking charm, Tom had been interested in seeing his old teacher apparating in Nurmengard, Grindelwald's old fortress.

Convincing Grindelwald of his ambition had been nerve-wracking. Under the pressure of a massive Legilimens assault had been painful, almost like the Cruciatus.

The old wizard smirked and Tom remembered the sentence that summarised the next 8 years of training. "Welcome to hell, Tom Riddle".

After eight years of painful workouts and learning the most obscure arts of magic, Tom felt mighty. Not enough to achieve immortality, but he was definitely stronger than Grindelwald and on par with Dumbledore.

Only problem that made a possible duel with the elder man was his wand, the deathstick, one of the Deathly Hallows. Tom discovered the truth about the Hallows and thought of those as a mean to obtain invincibility and control of Death itself.

But Tom knew better, he planned to battle the old headmaster, just not in a duel. No, Tom planned to ascend to a great position with great strategy and charisma.

When he returned to Great Britain, his first stop had been Malfoy's Manor. Abraxas was so much overjoyed by his good ally, that he showed him his heir, Lucius.

The boy was meant represent the picture of the perfect pureblood by being a spoilt and arrogant brat. He was the perfect tool under Lord Slytherin.

Yes, Tom had initially decided to be call himself as 'Lord Voldemort', but after so many years under harsh physical and mental training, he saw how much foolish he was in his early youth. Using a name that represented his ever present fear was for him weakness, while using the name of his glorious family was being respectful and showing his power.

His new home, Slytherin's manor, had been the old Riddle's mansion. While Tom put aside his pitiful sense of revenge against those muggles, he needed a great home and so he asked himself 'Why not a mansion from his rich relatives?'.

The encounter had been anticlimactic, expecting resistance of some sort.

He actually found funny his foolish father's attempt to seem brave, yet unable to stop himself from pissing his own pants.

His grandparents were just the same and all of them fell like flies.

His successive steps had been to reach all of his old minions and explaining his political ascension's plan.

Some doubted his success, but Tom had a particular skill in wrapping simple-minded individuals in his fingers and mold them in his own pawns.

Sitting in a green and silver couch, Tom closed his eyes and relaxed.

Now that he was alone and had free time, Tom started a secondary long project he wanted to complete, a Slytherin bloodline detector. During his studies, Tom had learnt of the possibility of existence of another branch of Slytherin. Tom didn't need a family, he needed a Plan B: he needed a Heir!

...2 years later...

Tom found himself knocking at the headmaster's door, determined to acquire one of his dreams: the DADA's teacher position.

Hearing a soft "Come in." Tom proceeded and opened the door. "Good evening headmaster."

The old coot's eyes twinkled at the young adult "Good evening, Tom, here sit and please.. lemon drop?." Tom seated in one of the two chair present and nodded negatively at the candy's offer. He eyed momentarily Fawkes, the phoenix familiar, but calmed down seeing it ignoring him.

"I think you know why I am here, headmaster." The elder clapped his hands together.

"Yes, I remember our old promise: you had to have more experience for the position as DADA's teacher." Tom nodded at him but saw a small, almost imperceptible change in Dumbledore's composure. "But..." He sat up and moved to the window, looking at the coming moon.

"... I cannot let you have the job, Tom.".

Tom felt cold rage growing but maintained his external composure thanks to his Occlumency.

"And why not, headmaster?" He returned to look at Tom, his face showing weariness and distrust.

"You have been learning dark magic, Tom, and I cannot accept a dark wizard as a teacher in our school." (*cough*Snape*cough*)

Tom's perfect emotionless seemed almost melting in outrage. Shockingly, a smile crept in his face and decided to show his trump card. He moved a letter to the table, Dumbledore, confused by the action, took quickly the letter and paled. "Headmaster, while I enjoy joking with old friends.. I don't appreciate when someone starts to accuse me, a ex-model student, a dark wizard without proofs."

He sat up himself and looked straight into the headmaster's eyes.

"The Board of Governors has approved my application and handed me the role." The headmaster then without thinking asked "Then why are you here, Tom.. Why have you handed me this application, even though you had been assumed?" Tom continued to smile, his fiery red eyes almost flames. "I just wanted to say hello to you, headmaster, and... how do the muggles say it.. 'test the water' about your trust in me." The headmaster sat down, still shocked "Now, I am sure about my idea of you, sir." Tom started to move towards the door and stopped just before opening it "It's going to be great to be back here at Hogwarts, but now I have to go.. we will see each other in September, sir." Tom left the room, not bothering to being authorised by the headmaster.

...5 years later...

Tom was sitting in his custom-made couch, sipping from a cup of tea. His first years as professor at Hogwarts were quite tense, under the scrutiny of the old, untrustworthy headmaster.

Dumbledore had tried to find proof of his connection with dark magic, but all of those were in vain.

Smartly, Tom had decided to limit his normal usage of dark magic and artefacts to when he was at one.

The bloodline detector had been finished two years before and, sadly, didn't caught signal of any wizards from Slytherin's line.

But Tom was determined in finding an heir. He had teach many students, but none of those showed the potential in being the adult's successor.

Still reading one of the Prophet's newspaper, Tom noticed a faint green light coming from the detection charm. The charm had been created to emit two kind of lights: red for no member of the Slytherin's line, green if there was a member other than Tom.

He put aside the newspaper and began to meditate. One of the techniques he had learned from Grindelwald had been feeling more detailed magic auras. His own was a dark green, with few part of silver, Dumbledore's was a dark shade of grey, partly black, Grindelwald surprisingly had a shade lighter that the old headmaster's one. Since the member had to have had a shade similar to Tom, the adult had to just focus in that particular. He opened his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face and apparated to his destination.

Unsurprisingly, Tom had found himself in a large muggle town, Cokeworth. The name had been given for its industrial origins and the massive use of coal in the Victorian Age. He walked few block before reaching the house. Tom knocked at the door and it was opened by a little 4 years old girl. The girl was quite average, her visage showed a bit of panic and nervousness.

"Hullo, mistah.." Tom looked at the fidgeting child "Hello child, I'm the doctor, might I come in?"

The girl, naive and innocent, let the adult inside and while she was closing the door, found herself unconscious, last thing she would remember a red light. "Pitiful...' Tom muttered darkly and started to move to where his 'heir' would have been given birth. An older man opened one of the doors and demanded to know who he was and what was doing here. Being very merciful, Tom just stunned the man and obliviated him. Opening the same door from where the older adult had come from, Tom found what he was searching. She was a small baby, few red hairs sticking from her head but what made Tom freeze was her eyes. Tom had learnt of the true origins of Slytherin and found out that red eyes were not something that the founder had always had. Green eyes, symbol of power, was the original shade of eyes that Salazar Slytherin had. After obliviating the tired woman, Tom took the girl with him and while leaving the town, he found a small bracelet in the baby's arm with a name on it. Tom smirked "Welcome to family, Lily Riddle." He apparated, he had few tweaks he decided to add to the plan.

...6 years later...

"Again" Tom barked at his daughter. "Yes daddy."

It had been 6 years since Tom found himself a father to his heir, Lily Riddle.

At the news of his mysterious parenthood many were shocked.

Serious and anti-social Tom Riddle had been able to reach parenthood. Obviously many questioned about young Lily's mother and Tom always replied with a pre-fabricated story.

He had meet his lover during his eight years self-exile and she had died by childbirth.

Dumbledore, even with all the proof Tom presented, was still suspicious about the matter but found no support for a detailed investigation. When Lily was four, Tom started her magical education and was stunned at her learning speed. Seeing this child so much determined in her studies, Tom felt repressed memories of his early childhood return. Before becoming such an ambitious and paranoid individual, Tom had felt contented in just reading books as substitute of real life friends. Sadly, the world was, and still is, a cruel place and bullies never left him alone. Well, until he began to retaliate with magic.

"Reducto" Lily launched the spell at some dummies and those were obliterated by the small explosion. She was learning 4th year DADA curriculum. Tom couldn't stop but be proud of his child. 'My? Maybe...'.

Ever since Lily started to talk, Tom found himself confused at the warm feeling that he felt coming from his chest. Then, after so many years, Tom felt himself almost broke down at being so much loved by his daughter.

No matter how he tried to think of her as only his heir, he considered Lily his whole world.

Once, his faithful servant, Abraxas Malfoy, tried to sign a marriage contract between Lucius and Lily. The results was that both father and son found themselves recovered at St. Mungo, incapable of remembering what had happened. Only thing that they had remembered was to never try to challenge Tom Riddle, but they couldn't remember why.

"Ok, we can stop now." He patted her head "Good job, daughter."

The girl smiled brightly and hugged his father "Thank you, daddy."

They moved into the living room, where Tom had long since build a custom place for Lily.

It was some sort of workshop, with potion ingredients and various books of mixed subjects.

Then, there was a young snake. Tom was content that Lily was parselmouth, showing once more her relation to Slytherin himself. The snake was called Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy. She was one of the few breeds of magical snakes, similar to Nagini. Tom had always trusted his calm and sometime glutton companion so much, that usually when Lily was still a baby he would left her to the familiar's care, while he was doing his full-time job. Nagini considered young Lily as one of her hatchling and would protect her, even if going against his master's order.

Another thing that made Tom happy of his actual situation was the discovery of the Resurrection Stone. It had all come by Ministry's letter, stating the death of his uncle at Azkaban and the passage of the ring with the stone to him, being the last Gaunt.

The first and only dead person Tom had wanted to talk was his mother.

Merope was crying when she found herself before his precious son, trying to hug him (being a ghost can be quite an obstacle) and repeating how sorry she was and how much of a bad mother she had been at leaving him alone and not taking care of him. Tom had to use a quick, wandless silencing spell before he could actually he could start to ask her questions.

That day, after so many years, Tom Riddle cried, an hand covering his wet eyes. He didn't notice that his talking had attracted a sleepy Lily that, after seeing his father in such state, rushed at him and hugged him. Merope looked at the scene from afar, smiling absently and decided to vanish back, leaving the small family sorting that moment alone.

...5 years later...

Lily was feeling great.

Today was her first day at Hogwarts and her daddy would have been there with her.

She had been accompanied by her father in Diagon Alley and partly Knockturn Alley.

The latter had been from what her father said a 'must' and he had brought her another wand, this one without the underage trace, and few extra potions ingredients. While Lily was a prodigy in all magical, and surprisingly all muggle, subjects, she loved Potions the most. She had learnt how to make the most important medical potions and she had always few vials in case of necessity.

She had just entered the Hogwarts Express and after saluting her daddy, started to search for a compartment.

She found one with just a dark-haired boy. He was reading a dusty and old second year Potion book.

"Hi, may I sit in here?" Lily asked politely, just as her father had always told her.

While externally Lily seemed an always happy girl, internally was able to mask perfectly her true feelings thanks to her Occlumency's studies. Only her father knew her true self and she was, like her father, paranoid in showing her true side to strangers.

The boy looked up from the book and looked straight in her eyes, his own eyes widening a little at seeing such beautiful red-haired girl. Lily's heart skipped a beat and found herself gasping. While the boy was not so much handsome as many others, his eyes shown great intelligence and she felt attracted to him. The boy was having similar thoughts, he was surprised by her beauty but what make him compelled to her were her green eyes. They shown a smart and fierce teen and he couldn't but drop the book he was holding. Shaking his head, they boy blushed while replied to her question. "S-sure, you may sit...".

Lily felt her cheeks warming up and reddening a little. "T-thank you." She sit in the opposite seat to the boy. "My.. name's Lily, Lily Riddle." The boy's eyes widened once more but this time for her name. "M-my name's Severus Snape.. is your father Tom Riddle?" Lily nodded and noticed the boy very interested to her daddy.

"I have to thanks your father for helping my mum and me." Lily frowned, curious at his stories.

He told her of how her grandfather as asked to her father to help him and his mother.

While Tiberius Prince had cut most of the ties with her daughter Eileen Snape nee Prince, he still cared her as a father would. Seeing then that the result of her union led to a magical, Severus, he decided to ask as a favour for Tom to help them against the abusive man known as Tobias Snape.

Tom needed no other talk that he created 'an accident' where the foul muggle found himself killed by a passing car. Tiberius then made Eileen head of the branch line of the Prince family and Severus his heir.

Hearing such stories made Lily proud of her father. While he had shown cruelty and cold attitudes when someone or something had put an obstacle in his ambition, he would at the same time show mercy to those who were rightful of that. Yes, Lily knew of her father's ambition of becoming the greatest wizard of the world and his dream of achieving immortality and she couldn't but show be impressed by his drive. In all of her short life, Lily had always been awed by her father's might and knowledge and found more stunning his patience in slowing down to help her in her own path.

That was one of the things that made her like her father, his unconscious sense of dedication in help others that had potential. Her father believed in superiority for merits and not for blood.

"I will tell him that." Then she looked out of the window.

"So, Severus, what house would you want to be?" Severus replied without doubt. "Slytherin, of course."

Lily smiled "Same, my second choice being Ravenclaw."

Several topics came and what seemed a good conversation started, that was until someone barged in the compartment. "Sorry, me and my friends have found all other compartments full, may we sit here?" The boy had all kind of beautiful traits a girl may dream with his unruly hair and brown chocolate eyes. But Lily was not just a girl "You may, Severus?" His first friend nodded and the three sat down. They all presented as James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The giddy one, Sirius, was a boy with an almost perfect cut of hair and aristocratic pale skin. He attempted to start a conversation with the same question Lily asked before "What house are you hoping to be? Gryffindor would be great!" The other friends nodded while Lily replied "Me and Severus both Slytherin.".

The group of four boy looked at them as they were insane, the same giddy one was the one who continued the conversation "Slytherin?! Why would you two be stinky Slytherins?" Severus was about to reply but shut down seeing the enraged look on his friend, her tone was a cold one "So, you think Slytherin is bad?" Sirius nodded, unknowing of the Pandora's box he had opened.

"So you think my father is bad?" At this statement, Sirius continued to nod while the his friends' eyes widening a little, seeing what tone the conversation was taking. They found themselves kicked out of the compartment by Lily. "And stay out!" The boys scrambled and went to search another compartment. Severus looked at Lily with a mixed look of awe and caring. "Are you okay?"

Lily took few breathes to calm down before replying. "Yes... it's just that I don't like when someone badmouth my daddy and spew racist and stupid sentences." Seeing her deflate, Severus decided to do something he had never done before: he hugged Lily. Lily squeaked a little at the unexpected contact and blushed a little but didn't back down, hugging back. She felt melting in his arms and both fell asleep for all the travel's duration.

That was the start of a great love.

...5 years later...

In those years, Lily enjoyed her stay at Hogwarts. Being in Slytherin, life was initially difficult with all those pureblooded dunces. It was all thanks to his father's influence on the head of the house, Slughorn, and on the house in general. She and Severus became a couple during their fourth year, where the boy asked her if she wanted to be his girlfriend during a Hogsmeade weekend.

Her father had been a bit cold toward Severus and after giving him a stern and strong talk, he seemed to calm down and accepted their relationship. The same for Eileen, but she was much more happy after having seen their deep bond.

But life was not all roses and she had to deal with four 'Well, three..' annoying boys. The Marauders where outright bullies in their pranking. They spared nobody and attacked without discrimination. Only one that was untouchable was her daddy and DADA professor. Sadly, they were not punished more than just few weeks of detention because headmaster Dumbledore saw 'boys being boys'.

Severus was the most targeted since James Potter seemed to have developed a one-sided crush with the young red-headed Riddle. She obviously rejected the dark-haired idiot every time he asked her out. Once, he had threatened the young Prince to back down or he would have called his father and had him arrested for being a dark wizard. The threat was empty when it was the power of the Potters against the combined force of Tom Riddle and the Princes.

That day had been perfect. Severus had taken her to a date near the lake and he was cuddling with her sitting under a tree. The moment was cut short by the arrival of the Marauders. Potter disarmed Severus and started to throw hexes and curses at him. Lily instantly used a portkey amulet her father had given her. The boys found themselves disarmed and stunned by a furious Riddle. His red-eyes almost glowing with unholy power. He took them with him to the headmaster's office and demanded their expulsion. Dumbledore once again tried to use the same phrase he had always used but was shocked to see Tom Riddle floo-calling Alastor Moody and the Minister. Young Alastor had been a great Auror during the war against Grindelwald and his adamant mantra of following the laws made him the perfect candidate as head of the DMLE.

Bagnold had been very active in the war too, but was more of a politician than a fighter and promoted numerous reforms that helped in the conflict. Explaining what had happened to most of the students to the hands of those fools, all of this proved, Bagnold gave order to arrest the headmaster for negligence of his charge. Dumbledore attempted to call his familiar and use the fire-apparation but Fawkes was stunned by the same DADA professor. Minerva McGonagall was chosen by the Board of Governors as Headmistress and Tom became Deputy Headmaster.

The Marauders were forced to do social works under Aurors' sight. Their parents voiced their disagreement but the voice of Tom Riddle, with all the support behind him, stopped them from just barking without biting. Lily took his boyfriend to the hospital wing where he was treated by Madame Pomfrey and by Lily. After waking up, Severus grabbed a box from his vest and opened it in front of Lily. She looked dumbfounded at seeing the custom-made ring. It was made of crystal and the stone was a deep green with a silver word written on it. 'Always'. At this tears fell from her face and hugged with all her might the boy, that had started to cry as well. "Yes!".

The answer was a bit mumbled because of her pressing onto him, but Severus heard it and hugged her more. Then Lily pressed her lips on Severus' and Tom looked at the couple with the happiest smile he could muster.

...2 years later...

Their school years had ended very quick, graduating as the best of the entire school.

Tom was overjoyed for their achievement and congratulated them. But before they could leave and return to their homes, the elder Riddle wanted to speak with his soon to-be-husband.

"As you know, Severus, I want to candidate myself as the new headmaster and that's leave the role of DADA professor open..." Lily gave a comforting squeeze to her boyfriend's hand.

"... so I want to ask you something: Do you want to be the one for the job?" Severus seemed stunned by the request but nodded. "Good" Tom then shook Severus's hand "Just need you to send me your CV and I will make official the assumption. "Now" the 41 years old turned to Lily "As I gave my blessing to your union, I felt compelled to give you a decent gift." He handed her a letter.

She opened it, her eyes widening. Then she hugged her father, muttering numerous 'thank you's.

"I decided to give you a good manor all for yourselves. It is warded completely with powerful goblin wards and it has its own staff of house elves.".

They were overjoyed by the gifts and decided to go to explore their new home.

Finally alone, Tom sighed "Now we can proceed with the last bit of his plan."

He flooed at the ministry to sign the most important document of his life.

With Dumbledore in Azkaban, Tom had been able to candidate and win the campaign to become minister, achieving an huge major popular and aristocratic support. Just yesterday, his victory had been proclaimed and now he was one of the most influent men in the wizarding world.

And now, he could start his plan for the entire magical world.

...20 years later...

The last 20 years had been classified by the historians as the 'Modern Golden Age'.

The entire system of the ministry was reformed and accustomed to some old and new traditions.

The Auror training became much more harsh but efficient and criminal rate was reduced to almost zero. Hogwarts subjects and staff was expanded to include numerous obscure arts and muggle subjects. Astronomy had been modernised and muggle studies removed for its uselessness.

The Noble houses were introduced to some serious proof of the danger of unions with individuals too much close in blood. It was a bloody battle but they changed for the best. The ministry had to reform to something much more authoritarian to permit such changes and Tom became the first Lord Protector of Magic. His powerful magic has halted most of the changes that age give and he seemed just a thirty years old. Sighing, the Lord Protector finished his paperwork and apparated to his manor where someone was waiting him. He was instantly tackled by two child. "Grandpa!"

After marrying, Lily and Severus had 4 children: their elder, Julius, was a red-haired young adult with dark eyes with a bang of red and had finished Hogwarts with outstanding grades and seemed to be following his steps in becoming a great wizard; the next one, Eileen, was a dark-haired girl with green eyes and was following the path to become a renowned healer just like her mother; last but not least are the twins, Empero and Delphi, those two were inseparable and loved their grandfather greatly. Empero was a younger carbon copy of Tom, while Delphi had the same visage of her late great-grandmother. He was going to enjoy one of those family weekends that had become normal in his life. After so many years at trying to found a solution to Death, he found what appealed him the least. He had been able to receive all of the Deathly Hallows but discovered that for some reason the whole 'immortality' perk was a false rumor and those were just powerful artefacts. He was just about to sit and enjoy the delicious dinner that had been prepared when an alarm started and the new head of DMLE appeared at the floo. "Lord Protector, we have an emergency."

Tom frowned "What's this emergency? What happened?"

"Dumbledor-" as she was finishing the name, a magical shockwave hit the wards of the house.

Tom muttered darkly and appared to where the magic explosion had originated.

He found itself at Stonehenge and the rock pillars were covered in ancient runes.

"It's too late, Tom" Dumbledore, now a frail old man, was floating in the middle of the monument.

While he was studying runes, Tom had stumbled into the magical legend of the Stonehenge: those who are able to activate the runes shall dominate the world.

He needed to act fast. "Surrender now, Tom, we will lead the world for the greater good."

Seeing no other choice, Tom ran and pushed the old manipulator out of the beam of light and put himself in that position. PAIN.His core was being overloaded with too much magic and he wasn't sure if he could survive that. He started to push all of his magic against the magical flux and saw that it started to retreat to its origins. The runes started to fade and everything began to shake uncontrollably until a greater explosion happened. Once the magic had been repelled completely, Tom experienced a whiplash of his own magic back to his own core, causing it to implode and destroying the elder Riddle completely.

The few witnesses were shocked by what had happened and later saddened to the dead of the greatest wizard and pioneer of reforms.

-Epilogue-

A world-wide funeral was held at the national cemetery. The late Lord Protector had been a great and respected individual that helped many nations during his charge. His family was dressed in black. Lily and the twins crying while the other members trying to comfort them. An emergency council had been called at the terrible news and Julius Prince had been chosen has the second Lord Protector as ordered by Tom's last wills. Albus Dumbledore punished to the worst kind of punishment never used, dead by veil and erased from history. A statue had been then issued to commemorate the greatest man ever since Merlin. A story, started with a orphan full of hate and ambition, finished with a proud and brave man that gave up his life for everyone's life and freedom.

Or has it?

-?-

Tom awoke blinded by a white light. Looking back once again he found himself in a white nothingness. He looked at himself and saw that he was perfectly healed and his dress not damaged.

"Where am I?" He wondered loudly.

"Everywhere and nowhere, Tom Marvolo Riddle" A voice stated behind him.

He turned and saw a feminine being looking at him emotionlessly.

"Who or what are you?" Tom was studying his surroundings.

The being chuckled softly "You know me very well, Tom, you are smart.. you should know."

The cryptic message was initially not clear, then Tom undertstood.

"You are magic or a representation of it."

The white being nodded "Correct." Then started to move forward. "You have done great things, Tom Marvolo Riddle." A grin appeared on its face "Even greater than Myrrdin's actions".

Tom's eyes widened "Merlin?".

The creature once again nodded "Yes." Then it looked straight in his eyes. "But your job is far from over.".

Tom frowned "What? Why?"

"You have obtained the Deathly Allows" The statement started to sink in Tom's mind.

He was the Master of Death, he couldn't die.

"Sadly" Tom returned his attention to Magic "You cannot return to your original universe."

The Tom understood completely. No one that had been MoD had actually been known in the old chronicles, for historians nobody has even obtained all the artefacts.

"And now what, then?" Tom replied, his voice signalling his own panic at the shocking discovery.

"Now you will live forever and be invincible.." The white creature paused before continuing "... but you will help different characters in the whole Multiverse.".

Knowing that he had no choice, Tom nodded. Then the being moved its arm and opened a portal under Tom. The elder Riddle fell into him, unknowing of what was on the other side but he did know something: "It's going to be... GREAT!"

The end...

...or just wait for the sequel... :3