Metanoia~ Tom Riddle

Chapter 29

It had taken some convincing- Dumbledore was apparently a skeptical person in his younger years. Why did she want to go even further back? When was she going? Why was she so determined to fix her mistakes? Why not go home, where she might've been safer?

Yet, through all of the questioning she had made it back outside safely and without being caught. Now, all that came before seemed easy as she made her way through the Forbidden Forest. This was a task no one looked forward to doing, particularly at night, but she hadn't had much of a choice.

Twigs snapped beneath her feet, and owls hooted and chirped, bats screeched and somewhere, hopefully far away, wolves howled. This made for a fairly nerve-wracking trip to the small clearing where she had first arrived not three months ago.

She hadn't explained in detail to Dumbledore, he couldn't know too much, but she had told him the gist of her plan. Go further back in time, help Tom as a child, hopefully, change his heart, and not die. Dumbledore seemed very, very, VERY unconvinced in the chances this plan had in succeeding. But, Veruca remained optimistic- she didn't have another choice.

So, when she arrived at the clearing she didn't stop to think too hard about the possibilities and impossibilities. Instead, she quickly began turning the knob on the time turner.

1..2..3..4..5..6... and she was whisked away.

*

Her feet met the cold ground, and she stumbled before regaining her stance.

She looked around and realized the Forbidden Forest had changed very little in 6 years. She couldn't go back towards Hogwarts, then she wouldn't be able to apparate. So, she rather stupidly started to trek forward, further from the safety of Hogwarts and closer to the dangers of the unknown Forbidden Forest.

Suddenly the birds and bats grew quiet, and the howling got louder. Veruca pulled out her wand and gripped onto it like it was her life source, at any moment it just might be. She kept walking forward, glancing to the left and right of her path, but never behind her. She was both too scared and too suspicious- she might jinx herself second-guessing everything.

She pressed on, in the darkness, continuing for a few moments longer, thinking and hoping, then she stopped. It was quiet... far too quiet. You could've heard a pin drop, but Veruca heard a twig snap. She hesitated, then whispered, "Lumos."

In the small light, she could see nothing but forest in front of her, nothing but forest to the left of her, nothing but forest behind her, and nothing short of a demon to her right. She choked on her breath and decided against moving. The figure, who hadn't moved a muscle since Veruca saw him, had watery blue eyes, bloody fangs, and mangled fur in scruffy patches on his chest and shoulders.

Veruca could've guessed one or two of the spells and potions that would've made a normal human look similar to that. This figure though, this demon, there was no way this was ever a human. The lack of anything but the liquidy blue in his eye sockets was purely demon.

Veruca blinked and suddenly the creature was right in front of her, his hot, metallic-smelling, breath in her face. She screamed and fell back, scrambling away from the being. She pinched herself, then looked back up at the creature to see his lips curl into a sadistic smile and suddenly he was chasing after her.

She got to her feet and started running the other way, her wand still lit. She screamed as the creature let out a growl. Veruca turned suddenly, towards a cluster of trees and dove straight for a boulder. She hid behind the rock and waited, trying to slow her breathing. It was silent.

She turned to peer around the rock and ran straight into the creature. She shoved herself away from him, only to fall again. She dropped her wand as he jumped straight for her throat. Veruca screamed and rolled away from his attack. Turning to roll away again, she bumped into the rock, effectively trapping herself.

The creature looked up at her, licking his bloody lips for show. Veruca whimpered, fumbling for her wand. The creature started for her again and he lunged just as she found her wand and held it up.

The words fell from her lips before she could even think like they were formed on instinct.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding green light escaped from her wand and the creature crumpled on top of her. She shrieked again, and shoved the demon off of her, scrambling away. Veruca stood, hurrying away from the body. She was sobbing erratically, gasping, and hiccuping. She started jogging, then she was running.

She ran and ran, jumping through bushes, dodging tree branches, and not looking back. After what felt like hours her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. She was still crying, though her body now felt numb and her head hurt. She hugged her knees and closed her eyes, wishing to be anywhere else.

*

Veruca opened her eyes to see a small town, stretched out before her. She quickly stood, dusting off her green, teacup dress and matching travel cloak. Her brown eyes flitted around, trying to find a landmark, trying to figure out where she had apparated.

"S'cuse me, miss."

A small child quickly ran past her, making her stumble backward.

"Wait!" Veruca called.

The child turned around with an impatient look on his face, "What?"

Veruca blushed, quite embarrassed by the state she was in, "Could you tell me where I am?"

The boy watched curiously as Veruca shuffled forward a few steps. He nodded, slowly, staring at her as if she had grown a second head, "This is London, lady!"

Veruca nodded, "That'll do, could you point me in the direction of Wool's Orphanage?"

The boy's shoulders slumped, "Why'd you wanna go there?"

Veruca hesitated, not sure of what she should say, "Uhm... I'm looking for a place to stay for the night."

The boy laughed, coldly, "You'd be better off on the streets than that wretched place."

Veruca frowned slightly, shrugging her shoulders, "I'd rather not ask why, could you just point me in the right direction?"

The boy shrugged, "Suit yourself, lady. You go down this road and turn left, then you'll see signs for the place."

Veruca smiled, "Thank you."

The boy nodded, then shook himself and took off down the lane. Veruca hesitated before starting to walk the opposite way. She turned left and, as the boy said, found a sign that read; Wool's Orphanage: right in two miles.

She let out a huff and began the trek.