Legend:

"Thoughts"

[Parseltongue]

Narration

"Dialogue"

~…. ~…. ~…. ~ Pensieve scene

[~….~….~….~] Scene change within pensieve

Chapter 3: Sometimes You Just Have To Let Go

Last time on The Dark Descent…

"My grandson scared of me… how pathetic."

In Number 12 Grimmauld Place, everything was a mess.

The members of the Order of the Phoenix are all going crazy due to Harry Potter's disappearance. Harry's magical signature was traced outside until they reached a dead end at a nearby park. Kingsley Shacklebolt had a theory that the boy apparated to somewhere. But his "theory" was contradicted by a certain Albus Dumbledore who said that the boy didn't know how to apparate yet.

"May we assume that there is accidental magic involved?" Shacklebolt asked in a business like tone.

Albus' eyes twinkled both in delight and annoyance.

"Alas! It is possible, Kingsley." Was all Albus said before turning his back to the auror and returning to Number 12 with a slight difference to his mood. It's like he's delighted that Harry is able to apparate even if it is accidental.

"What is the old coot up to?" Kingsley thought to himself before apparating from the outskirts of Grimmauld Place to the Ministry of Magic. He will find out what Old Puppeteer is up to later, for now they have to find Harry Potter. The safety of the whole Wizarding World lies in his hands after all.

DMHPDMHPDMHP

Harry Potter cannot believe the situation that he is currently in. Here he was in the middle of the Malfoy Dining Room talking, in a rather civil manner, with the "Dark Lord" himself. What kept him from running away or hexing Riddle's balls, he didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that Marvolo was about to reveal something that Harry felt will be essential to his being or maybe it was just his fear for his life. Harry wasn't sure. All he is certain about is that he wanted to hear Riddle's explanation about a certain mind block that was casted by, none other than the Master Puppeteer, Albus Dumbledore.

"The mind block that the old coot put up was no ordinary block. It wasn't easy to remove either. It is a block that turned my sanity into madness. It made me unwise and it made my turn into a savage murderer. If my estimation is correct, the block was casted when I was just 11o years old." Marvolo tried to explain his situation while Harry listened intently. "The effect of the mind barrier was chaotic. I didn't have control over my own body and I went into a ton of dreamlike states wherein I would just kill random people."

"Sorry for interrupting but, how did you found out that you had a mind block?" Harry asked.

"It was when my head started to feel like it is being split into two and when I began to somehow, doze off in the middle of Deatheater meetings." Marvolo answered. "But aside from that, Harry Potter, I also found out that I am not who I thought to be."

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion as a pensieve floated from the top of the mantle towards the table. Harry was miffed when it settled in front of him. He looked at Marvolo who just inclined his head in encouragement.

~….~….~….~

(1960)

"TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU! WE WON'T EVER HAVE SEX EVER AGAIN! YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU BASTARD!" Arabella Ludivine Marceau-Riddle laid panting and screaming on a stretcher in a muggle hospital. She was clutching her huge pregnant belly as she gasped for breaths and yelled bloody murder at her husband, Tom Marvolo Riddle. The said man just held his wife's hand and smiled at her as he anticipated the arrival of their dear daughter.

"It's all going to be okay, mio precioso. Our dear Lily will arrive soon enough." Tom whispered sweet assurances into his wife's ears as another contraction occurred and made Arabella scream in pain.

"PRECIOUS, MY ASS! YOU ARE TO NEVER GO NEAR ME AGAIN OR I SWEAR TO MERLIN AND HIS DESCENDANTS THAT I WILL THROW A CAULDRON AT YOUR HEAD!"

"Shhh, darling. We're in a muggle hospital right now. It won't be wise to shout about cauldrons and Merlin in here."

In all honesty, Tom Riddle didn't know what persuaded him to let his wife give birth in a muggle hospital. He didn't like muggles. Nope. Not one bit. Oh, wait. Now he remembered why. Arabella hated the Ministry and somehow the Ministry has control over St. Mungos and there was no way in hell would she give birth in a different country. So, the couple decided to have their sweet Lily in a muggle hospital in London.

After 8 horrible hours of contractions, screaming, pushing, punching her husband and more pushing on Arabella's side and pain, smiling, hushing and encouraging on Tom's side, Lily Elisabeth Riddle was finally born. She had a small mop of fiery reddish hair on her head and her eyes were a darkish blue indicating that she will have her mother's bright green eyes rather than her father's brown ones. Lily was almost the exact copy of her mother except for her nose and chin that she got from her father.

"Beautiful little Lily-flower." Arabella whispered to her daughter when the nurses of the hospital finally let her hold Lily.

"You did great, darling. I love you and our little Lily." Tom said to his wife.

Arabella smiled and mouthed "I love you, too" back to her husband.

[~….~….~….~….~]

(1961)

One year later…

"Tom? What are you doing? Lower your wand, please." Arabella Riddle warned as she saw her husband getting closer with his wand pointed right at her and a dazed look on his face. "TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE! YOU WILL LOWER YOUR WAND RIGHT NOW!"

There was a quiver in Arabella's voice as fear crept within and throughout her entire being. A cry can be heard from the second floor of their house as baby Lily was awakened from her slumber.

The dazed look in Tom's face seemed to waver a bit. His eyes turned from lifeless to shining and fear, anger, pain and sorrow can be seen in the depths of his soul. It was like he was fighting something within him, something very strong and powerful.

"I-I'm s….s-sorry. I…I love y-you…, da…darling." The strained and gutted voice of her husband was the last thing that Arabella Ludivine Riddle heard before she was killed by her own husband.

The moment that Arabella dropped dead on the living room floor, Tom Riddle snapped out of his trance to see his wife's lifeless body lying on the floor and his own wand still pointed at her body.

"Love? Arabella! No, no, no. This isn't happening." Tom Riddle was too caught up in despair and pain to even hear his daughter's cries. The love of his life was taken from him by himself. He killed his own wife, his life. It was like a big gaping hole had formed in Tom's chest. He was having a very hard time breathing and it seemed like the whole world had just came down in crumbles around him. It was too much. He had to run away. But he was sure that when he gets caught by the aurors he will be taken to Azkaban and be placed with the Dementors and the memories of his love's death will replay over and over in his mind. No. Tom Riddle is too much of a coward to even think about facing that horror. He was a Slytherin for Merlin's sake, not a bloody Gryffindor. Besides, there was his daughter to think about.

His daughter.

Lily.

Tom abruptly stood up and ran away from his wife's corpse and to his daughter who is still crying and waiting for her parents in her room. He picked up his daughter from the crib and cuddled her to his chest.

"I'm sorry, Lily-flower. Mummy's gone. Daddy didn't mean to. I'm so sorry, darling." Tom hushed then he kissed the top of Lily's head.

Lily looked too much like her mother and he can't take it. He want really wanted to be there for his daughter but the pain of losing the love of your life is still too fresh for Tom that he couldn't even take looking Lily in those emerald green orbs.

So with all the courage and will he could muster, he covered Lily in the softest of blankets before placing her in a wicker bassinet.

Lily needs even a little reminder of her family. Tom thought as he placed a simple bracelet with a lightning and cloud charm on Lily's wrist. After whispering a final goodbye to his daughter, Tom apparated to a muggle village, set Lily down on some random muggles door and rang the doorbell. He waiting until he was sure that Lily is well taken care of before apparating back to his house, he refuses to call it his home, and wallowing in the sorrow that shrouded every nook and corner of the house and in every inch of his soul.

It was around dusk that Tom finally let go of his wife's body and turned his back behind the loneliness and suffering. He walked, and sometimes ran, to wherever his feet took him with the promise of return and revenge in his core.

[~….~….~….~]

(October 31, 1981)

20 years later…

It seems that history does repeat itself. Tom Marvolo Riddle, now known as Lord Voldemort, stood in the middle of the street in Godric's Hallow with that same dazed expression that he had when he killed his own wife 20 years ago. He had no control over his body. He didn't have any control over himself for over 3 years now. It was like he was a puppet being manipulated by someone else. Tom didn't care much about it before but now that he stood in front of the house of his own daughter he tried to fight it. He tried to cut the strings that were binding him to be this creature.

Once again, Tom Riddle walked with a heavy heart and a suffering soul into the front yard of his daughter and her family's house.

"James! He's here!" A woman's voice that he never thought he would ever hear again shouted from inside of the house in Godric's Hallow. It was filled with both fear and determination.

"Go, Lily! Take Harry and run!" A man's voice came next just as Tom blasted the door away from its hinges.

It all happened so quick that Tom Riddle didn't have the time to fight Voldemort's cold blooded attempt at murder. With just a wave and a whispered spell, James Potter was dead. He tried, oh how hard did he try to save his daughter. To warn her with his eyes. But his now blood red eyes were hidden by the hood of the cloak that he wore. Voldemort yelled at Lily to move away from little Harry but she didn't. She wanted to protect her son. Lily had casted a powerful blood magic to guard Harry but it will only take effect if she were to sacrifice herself for him. And with one final spell, Lily dropped dead on the floor in almost the exact manner and position that Arabella Riddle lay twenty years ago. It was all too much for Tom Riddle that he wanted to scream. His magic lashed out from within and it engulfed his physical body in rage and mourning. It hurt both Voldemort and Tom but the latter didn't mind for the pain in his heart and his soul was so much more excruciating than any other Torture spell known to man.

In a flash of blinding light, Voldemort and Tom Riddle were gone. Still united in one mind but reduced to nothing more than a mere spirit.

And so it was that Voldemort was defeated and Harry Potter became "The-Boy-Who-Lived". But no one knew the real story of it all. No one knew how Tom Riddle suffered and tried but failed to save his family. He was eaten by rage and depression that he was forced to succumb to a certain twinkle-eyed wizard's manipulations.

~….~….~….~….~

Harry Potter emerged from the memories of the Pensieve in shock. He actually had to grasp the end of the dining table for support. Dumbledore's manoeuvrings were more destructive, chaotic and powerful than what Harry first thought.

He looked up at Tom Marvolo Riddle, his… grandfather.

"You… you're… you're my…" Harry couldn't say anything in more than a whisper.

"Grandfather, yes." Marvolo nodded in confirmation before his face turned solemn and there was an unreadable but intense emotion in his eyes. "I tried, Harry. Believe me, I did. I tried so hard to fight it. But, the old coot used various kinds of magic to strengthen the block. I am helpless against someone who uses Dimensional Magic, Harry."

"This is… a lot to take in." was all that Harry could say after a few seconds of silence.

Marvolo sighed in defeat.

"I understand. I shall give you time to process this essential information. I apologize if it came as a shock to you but I cannot hold back that fact any longer." He told Harry in assurance before calling for Lucius Malfoy to take Harry back to his [Harry's] room in the Manor without even appointing anyone to guard his grandson.

DMHPDMHPDMHPDMDHP

Draco Malfoy was miffed at the news that was shared to him by his father. Potter was the Dark Lord's grandson? Lucius Malfoy was only allowed to share any information that he hears from the Dark Lord to either his family or to Severus. Lucius, at any cost, will not and cannot reveal any intelligence that he receives from the Dark Lord to anyone. Not even to the portraits of the Manor or even to the House-Elves.

But what Draco didn't understand was why his father had the need to explain Potter's entire history to him. He could've just told Draco that Potter was the Dark Lord's grandson and they now have to treat him with respect. That's that.

"Draco, the Dark Lord himself specifically ordered me to explain everything to you and you only. He believes that you would serve his grandson well." Lucius told his son and tried to make him see reason.

"Serve? Serve? Me? Serve Potter? No way in Salazar's grave would I ever want to serve the Golden Boy of the Wizarding World!" Draco protested.

"You don't have much of a choice, son. The Dark Lord knows of our Altair inheritance and he thinks that Potter will be a perfect mate for you." Lucius said before leaving his son's room, not wanting to be hit by a rather large volume of Potions, Plants and Parasites: A Guide To Creating Your Own Potion by Laurence Gutierrez.

"BUT FATHER! I DO NOT WANT TO MATE WITH A GRYFFINDOR!"

Lucius Malfoy was hiding a smirk as he walked down the corridors of the West Wing. Draco's mating will be easy. Only the deities know how obsessed Draco was with the Potter boy. If he wasn't a Malfoy, Lucius would've banged his head on a study desk with all the times that Draco had talked about Potter. He was all, Potter is like this. He is like that. "He has such a messy hair. His glasses are hideous. Why does he wear clothes like that? "

Yes. Lucius thought. Draco didn't know it yet but he is already infatuated with Harry Potter.

TBC…

Author's Note: Hello! If you're reading this, please don't kill me! I know that it has been a very long time (like 3 months) since I've last updated this story.

I think I was too excited for my trip to the USA for the very first time to update or I think I was just too lazy to do so. I'm really, really sorry.

Special thanks to: Jedi Knight Kat for the reminder/message

And thank you to all of you who took the time to comment, favourite and follow this story! Please let me know if I made some grammatical mistakes, spelling mistakes or if I created some kind of error like a huge plot hole in the story. I will really appreciate it if you leave some suggestions and comments for this story. BUT please don't be too harsh. You can be harsh, but not too much. This is my first fanfiction after all.

Until the next chapter, my friends!

-Strange Slytherin

P.S. Don't kill me.