Unravelled² → Tom Riddle [Rewritten]

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Interesting..."Dumbledore pondered, "why now?"

Evelyn blinked rapidly, "you aren't even questioning why I want to know?" It was all real.

"No," he stated simply, "I knew you would eventually." He took another liquorice lace.

"Tell me about him, tell me about what happened."

"I fear you may not trust words Evelyn, I would rather show you Evelyn. Words may not be able to convey the truth that you are searching for," he stood up, motioning towards a small stone basin, "I think you ought to see what everyone else saw,I extracted these memories from myself a few years ago." He motioned for Evelyn to stand up, "take a look."

Evelyn stood up, making her way into the basin and plunging her face inside.

Immediately, she found herslef transported back into Professor Dumbledores Office, as if she had never entered the basin. She watched as younger self emerged from the basin, "hello?" It was as if she was invisble, hidden from herself.

Professor Dumbledore walked to a muted red armchair, tucking into a liquorice lace. "Evelyn that was the boys future. That was what he will become without intervention." 

"Well, why haven't you done something yet then? If this really is the future, why haven't you reported it?" She watched as her younger self almost shouted, brows furrowed, "why have you shown me such a thing?"

"A memory gained through unlawful timetravel is not exactly the evidence that the Ministry of Magic would want. Icannot do anything to stop this, I cannot change the course of my own destiny,but you can. Your future is not set in stone and his doesn't have to be either,although this event will occur in the future, it could occur anywhere in thefuture, it could occur differently from how it did before, and that could bedown to your actions."

Her eyes widened, "mine? Professor I do not understand, what are you asking of me?"

"I wish for you to do whatever Tom Riddle asks of you in the future, but I wish for you to have this memory in your mind. I wish for you to continue to befriend him, show him empathy, show him the emotions that make you human, I wish for you to help him. You cannot stop him, you can only delay, or alter his future, and I believe that this is a job that only you can achieve."

"I-I" She stuttered, "I-I don't think I can..."

And all at once, the world faded from arround her and she found herself somewhere else entirely, she found herself in the vast Hogwarts corridors.

"Professor Dumbledore," she found herself approach him in the corridor.

"Yes?" He turned to face her, stopping in his tracks.

"I was just wondering if I could have a word with you, you see there have been some," she paused, "complications."

"Come to my office, we can discuss all we like there," he said, leading the way along the endless corridors, a both versions of Evelyn following closely behind him. 

"I do believe it's been a while since we last spoke Evelyn," he took a seat in the Gryffindor red armchair that Evelyn recalled well.

"Yes Professor," she took a seat in the chair and sat up, looking him in the eyes, "It's just that I am not sure what to do with myself. You and I both know that the boy is innocent but he is going to go to Azkaban for a crime that he did not commit, it is simply unfair!" She felt tears prickle in her eyes and she hastily wiped them away.