I usually dislike rainy days. They screw up my hair. On this particularly rainy day, however, I was on a particularly large tree in the Forbidden Forest. Even though the forest was prohibited, I was out there because of the electrical storm.
"Amato, Animo, Animato, Animagus," I chanted, putting my wand to my chest. I took the vial out of my pocket that stored a precious potion. There was a faint smell of ozone in the air as I downed the uneasy potion.
I dropped the vial as I hunched over, gagging at the horrible taste. Splitting pain erupted throughout my body as I remembered what my book said: The first transformation is always the most painful.
The image of a bird flashed in my mind as my body shrunk in size. My clothes and skin turned into jet black feathers as I felt my legs thin to a twig's width. I felt all my toes retract into my feet as talons took their place. But the most painful of all, was the wings. Goddamn, they hurt.
My arms thinned and elongated as feathers grew on my epidermis. I tried to grit my teeth in pain to find that I had a beak. And then, as if a switch was turned off, my pain went away. I looked at my reflection via a raindrop to see a jet black bird staring back at me.
I was a raven. And holy Hogwarts, I looked nice. My sleek black feathers were long and seemingly sparkled. The only thing that'd indicate that this was me was the fact that instead of the normal beady black eyes crows normally had, my vibrant green irises remained.
I squawked and flapped my great wings as I flew out off of the tree and towards the Hogwarts grounds. I have to say, flying is way better than walking. I twisted and turned as I soared over the great eves of the castle.
After thirty minutes, I was utterly exhausted. I dive-bombed the courtyard in a spiral as I tried to transform back into a human. I ended up smacking head-first into the courtyard grass. I squawked in pain as I tried to concentrate on the image of myself but it was a little difficult because of the growing headache.
After two minutes, I got my arms back. And I'll be the one to say, a raven with no wings and arms for replacement is one of the most cursed things you'll ever see. And I live in a magical world.
After five minutes, I had my legs back. Don't even get me started on how strange I looked. After three minutes, I had my midsection back. Okay, now I just looked like an Egyptian god as I had my regular robed body with the head of a raven. Oh lord, I can already picture the name. Y/N-us god of stupidity.
After ten minutes of trying to picture my face in all its glory, I managed to succeed. I groaned and clutched the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb as my migraine grew. I ran a hand through my raven black hair—I'm so funny—only to find my hand streaked with blood.
I winced as I stumbled inside of the castle grounds only to find a familiar tabby cat looking at me. I groaned again as I looked at the cat. "Good evening, Professor," I said to McGonagall. The tabby cat transformed into a stern but impressed looking woman.
"Mr. Riddle, I'm afraid we'll have to work on transforming back into a human," she said as she turned her back to me. "I can help you practice. Oh, and it would be prudent to go to Madam Pomfrey. Good day."
I watched as her figure disappeared behind a corridor. I rubbed my forehead as I made my way to the infirmary.
I opened the hospital doors gingerly to not wake any sleeping patients up. Within mere seconds of my presence, I saw a woman rush towards me. "Oh dear," Madam Pomfrey said as she inspected my head. "You better take a seat, Mr. Riddle."
I nodded, causing pain to erupt through my head, as I sat down on one of the infirmary beds. I saw Madam Pomfrey unravel a white bandage while cleaning up my blood with the flick of a wand. She gave me a medication that made my head numb as she moved my hair up and wrapped the cloth around my head.
"You might want to stay here overnight," Madam Pomfrey said. "You took a pretty nasty hit to the head."
I sighed and didn't even bother to move the hair out of my eyes as I lay down on the bed. As usual, I was awake for two to three hours until I finally drifted off to the land of dreams.
"You have to get rid of him, Albus!" Cornelius Fudge screamed at the old man. The Professor's brow was furrowed as he glanced at the baby in the cradle. They had found the boy floating in the air at the base of a mountain with shadows nearly pulsating off of him.
Professor Dumbledore didn't know what he was but he expected the boy to be supernatural even before joining the wizarding world. Dumbledore had asked a long time friend of his—Newt Scamander—for his opinion as he is one of the best magizoologists to ever live.
They were currently in the ministers office at the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore could sense that the boy was a Riddle but he didn't tell Fudge. That would only want to make Fudge kill the boy more.
"What do you think?" Dumbledore asked Newt. He glanced at the boy curiously. Newt thought for a moment before starting to inquire.
"Where did you find this child?" Newt asked.
"At the base of a mountain," Dumbledore responded, fixing his half-mooned gaze on the magizoologist.
Newt seemed to take this in. "And you said he was shrouded in shadows or some other shadowy thing?" He asked. Dumbledore nodded.
"He was thrown from the top of the mountain by his parents," Dumbledore followed up. Fudge narrowed his eyes at the old man.
"How did you know—"
"Interesting," Newt said cutting Fudge off.
"Do you think he's an Obscurus?" Dumbledore asked.
"I did at first," Newt said. "But now that you mention that he was thrown from a cliff... perhaps there might be another Obscurial-like being that might match him and I think I know what it is."
"Could you tell us what he is already!" Fudge exploded.
"I think he's a Fracturus," Newt said. Dumbledore became thoughtful.
Fudge looked between the two men in half confusion, half annoyance. "Is anyone going to tell me what a Fracturus is?" he asked.
"A Fracturus is an Obscurial-like wizard that has manifested not by concealing magic, but by having such emotional conflict that they are driven to a near breaking point," Newt explained.
"But how would the boy have an emotional conflict when he's a baby?" Fudge asked.
"Something tells me that this child is aware of everything," Dumbledore butted in as he looked at the child. The baby stared back at Dumbledore with a gaze that could kill.
"Keep a close eye on him," Newt said.
***
I awoke to sunlight pouring through my window nearly blinding me. I groaned at the sudden sunlight as I rubbed the grog out of my eyes. I gripped the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb as I tried to recall what happened last night.
When I ran a hand through my hair, I felt a bandage. I was confused for a moment and then it clicked. Animagus.
I looked over to see Madam Pomfrey tending to another student. When she noticed me awake she quickly made her way over to me. "How are you doing, Mr. Riddle?" she asked.
"I'm doing fine," I said. "I was wondering, is there anything you could give me for my headache?"
Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Of course," she said, leaving the room for a moment before returning with a flask. "I knew that you would probably have a large headache throughout the day so just take a few sips of this flask every time it acts up. Besides that, you're free to leave."
"Thank you," I said as I took the flask. I looked down at my clothes to find that I still had the same clothes as yesterday. I sighed as I took out my wand and twirled it over my body. I was instantly refreshed as my clothes were replaced with fresh Slytherin robes. I was thankful for the magical equivalent of showering and changing as I had class right about—I checked my watch—now.
I tightened my tie as I exited the hospital. I pointed my wand in the direction of the Slytherin common room. "Accio books!" I commanded. I heard the rustling of pages and a few frightened yelps as a pile of books flew from the corridor and into my hands.
I put my wand on the small clip on my pants as I put the books under my arms. I raked a hand through my hair tiredly as I walked towards the Transfiguration classroom.
I ended up arriving early to the classroom by about twenty minutes. I looked to see a tabby cat on Professor McGonagall's desk.
"Good morning, Professor," I said to the cat. Professor McGonagall jumped from the desk and transformed mid-air.
"You're here early, Mr. Riddle," she said.
"It seems so," I said, taking a seat at one of the desks at the front. I took out the fifth year Transfiguration book I had been reading.
"Transform," McGonagall said out of the blue.
"Pardon?" I replied.
"Transform," McGongall repeated. I looked at her like she had gone mad. "We have a little more than fifteen minutes so I think we should start."
"Okay," I said. I got up from the desk as I pictured the raven I saw in my reflection. I felt myself shrink down into a bird as my limbs reconfigured. I'll admit, it's way easier to transform into the animal then to transform back.
I squawked and flapped my great wings, getting used to the feeling of having such long limbs. I took to the air and flew around the room before landing back on the ground.
"Now," Professor McGonagall said, "anchor yourself on the image of a raven. When I was starting out, I imagined each individual limb."
I started to imagine human arms and before I knew it, my wings retracted into my body replaced by human arms. I did this for the rest of my body parts until I was finally back.
"Good," McGonagall said. "Now put that all together."
I imagined all the body parts I had imagined earlier connecting together like Devastator from Transformers—if you know it, you know it—and after a few tries, I did it.
McGonagall kept drilling me for the remaining ten minutes until I had become pretty fluid in transforming into a raven and back into a human.
I heard footsteps and I looked to see the Quartet walking into the classroom. "Hey guys," I greeted as I jumped in the air and turned into a raven. I flew around the room before turning back into myself mid-air in front of them. In my peripheral vision I saw McGonagall roll her eyes but in an almost amused way.
"That's bloody brilliant," Ron said as Harry's and Aurora's expression matched his statement. The only one who didn't look impressed was Hermione.
"You're an Animagus," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes at the brown haired girl.
"I'm sorry that I can't impress you, Your Highness," I said sarcastically. I even bowed for extra dramatics earning a slap from Hermione.
As more students filtered in, the lesson commenced which consisted of turning chairs into pigs. I did it easily on the first try along with Hermione.
As the day stretched on, I didn't really think much of the classes. I was just excited for the Halloween feast. I just hoped that it didn't end up like last year's dinner.
I ended up heading to the library right before dinner because I wanted to check out a book about Potions. I traced my fingers over the spine of the books, looking for Moste Potente Potions.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find it anywhere. I walked up to Madam Pince's desk. "Excuse me," I said. Madam Pince looked up at me and smiled. I was a common resident of the library so we had frequent interactions.
"Yes, Mr. Riddle?" she responded.
"I was wondering where I could find Moste Potente Potions?" I asked the librarian. Her smile vanished.
"That book is in the Restricted Section, I'm afraid," she responded. "You can only access the Restricted Section if you get a note from a professor."
I nodded. "Thanks anyways," I said before walking out of the library. I checked the time on my watch to find that the feast in the Great Hall started twenty minutes ago. Damn it, I thought. Malfoy will have eaten all the good food by now.
As I rounded the corner, I tripped over a redheaded girl and fell to the floor. Hard. Unfortunately, my hands landed on a few sharp pebbles causing some pain. I examined my hands to find that I had a few nasty cuts on each hand that were now causing my whole hand to go red.
"What the hell is your problem?" I asked the girl. She seemed to have a misty expression in her eyes and she had red paint on her hand.
"Wait a minute, your Ginny Weasley," I said. The girl didn't acknowledge what I said. As if in a sort of trance, she turned her back to me and walked away. I let out a loud huff. "Kids these days."
I continued to walk until I saw something on the wall. I walked closer to find a message: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED... ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE.
I must have paled at least three shades. This didn't make sense. I opened the Chamber of Secrets last year... why would there be a message now?
I heard footsteps coming from one side of the corridor to find the Quartet looking back at me. I stared at them, then to the message, then to my red hands. I shook my head.
"I-It wasn't me," I said.
"You've been caught in the act, Riddle!" Ron exclaimed. I suddenly heard hundreds of footsteps coming from both sides of the room.
I smirked. "Have I? Or have you?" I turned into a raven and flew towards a torch on the opposite wall. I watched as the entire school poured in through the hallways to find four kids with a writing on the wall. I felt a pang of guilt when I looked at Hermione's betrayed face.
"Enemies of the heir beware!" Draco said reading the writing from the wall. He quickly searched around the room probably to make sure I wasn't there. He then smirked and looked at Hermione. "You'll be next, mudblood."
I felt the sudden urge to kill Draco Malfoy but I suppressed it and flew from the torch back to the Slytherin common room. I transformed back into myself as I approached the dungeons. I said the password and burst through the entrance.
I felt... conflicted. That's the easiest way to put it. I couldn't get in trouble, I was a Slytherin, I was THE FREAKING SON OF VOLDEMORT, and yet I felt a pang of guilt when I looked into the eyes of a Gryffindor.
I am pathetic. Fury coursed through my veins as I slammed my fist into the stone wall. I definitely heard my metacarpals snap when I did but I didn't care. I just kept slamming my fist into the wall.
I was so caught up in my own self loathing rage that I didn't realize the shadowy figure that encased me. I felt different though. I felt faster and less susceptible to pain. It was when my next punch broke straight through the concrete wall that I realized something was wrong with me.
I looked in the mirror to find a shadowy figure staring back at me. It had white holes for eyes and a wicked smile across its face. It took me a second to figure out that that beast was me.
"Fracturus," I whispered but the voice that escaped my lips didn't sound like mine. It was completely, utterly, absolutely, demonic.
In this form, I felt vicious, I felt powerful, but above all, I had the utmost craving for... death. I zoomed out of the common room with speed I couldn't even comprehend. Nobody in the castle even noticed a blood-thirsty demon sprinting down the hallways at breakneck speed. I was invisible. And let me tell you, it was GREAT. I let out a demonic laugh as I sprinted out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest.
I was a predator. An apex predator at that. I killed everything that moved. I didn't care if it was a beetle, a thestral, or a squirrel. They died.
As I was on my rampage I caught a glimpse of a group of unicorns. When we made eye contact, they immediately sprinted away. My smile widened. I always loved a little chase. I almost flew after them, I was running so fast.
Wall-running on trees, diving through branches, and swerving past plants, it was a full blown expedition. I eventually caught up with the creatures and I slayed the unicorns at the back that were lagging behind. Silver blood splashed onto my face and body but I didn't stop.
I ran faster eventually slaying all the unicorns but the one in front. I saw that the unicorn was exiting the forest out of pure desperation. I ran after it faster.
"Get back!" I heard a great voice bellow from outside the forest.
"What is it, Hagrid?" I heard the voice of Hermione ask.
"Something's comin'" Hagrid replied. The unicorn and I burst out of the forest right next to the half giant and the Quartet. The unicorn got surprised and slammed into the gamekeepers hut allowing me to tear into it with my shadowy claws.
"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" I heard the scared voice of Ron shout. I turned around to find the Quartet shaking behind the half giant.
"That is a Fracturus, Ron," Hagrid said almost shakily. "Better stick behind me. They kill anything that moves."
I lunged at the five, claws outstretched when I was hit with an arrow from the half giant's crossbow. I roared as I ripped the arrow out, blood pooling at my feet. I didn't care. I just wanted to kill.
I lunged again but was thrown back with a flash of blue. I flew back and slammed into the walls of Hagrid's hut. I looked to find Professor Dumbledore along with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick.
I snarled and lunged at the three professors only to be thrown back again by Dumbledore. I heard a crack and I lost feeling in my head and right arm.
There it was. A new feeling that broke through my vicious euphoria. Pain. I felt my anger drain from my body as my body throbbed from head to toe.
I felt the shadows peel off my robes to reveal a boy with blood—silver and red—splattered all over him. That boy was me.
I glared at the professors while the Quartet gasped. "Y/N," Dumbledore said. "I see you have manifested your Fracturial abilities."
"Y/N!" I heard Hermione yell in disbelief. I tried to stand up and walk over to her only to have my leg crumple with a snap.
I let out a pained yelp as Hermione rushed over to me. "HERMIONE WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Ron exploded. "GET AWAY FROM HIM, HE'S A MONSTER!"
I frowned as Hermione knelt down to my level. I was currently supporting myself on one knee while trying to put pressure on the arrow wound so I wouldn't lose to much blood.
"Y/N..." Hermione said with tears in her eyes. I could tell she was disappointed. But she did the exact opposite of what I thought would happen. She hugged me.
I felt so weak and pathetic as I buried my face into Hermione's shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered to me. "I'm here, it's alright."
I couldn't stop the flow of tears that came after. "I'm sorry," I whispered in her ear. She shook her head.
"It's not your fault," she replied. "When Fracturials transform they don't know what they're doing."
I heard the three professors approach me. When I finally stopped crying, I brought myself to meet the three teachers eyes.
McGonagall looked worried, Flitwick looked curious, and Dumbledore looked... surprised. "I'll be honest," Dumbledore said. "I didn't expect you to manifest so late."
I tried to get up to punch the old man in the face when my leg buckled under the pressure. I yelped again as I fell to the ground.
I pointed my wand at myself. "Wingardium Leviosa!" I commanded. I was so weak that the charm only lifted me about an inch or so above the ground.
I looked up at the three professors. "Why am I still alive?" I whispered to myself. I used my Legilimency to peer inside McGonagall's brain.
I saw that she was worried above everything else. One of her star students has manifested as a Fracturial and he was now standing before her bloody and battered.
I exited her mind. Dumbledore walked towards me. "Y/N, I would like you to follow me. There is someone I want you to see," he said.
I commanded myself to move forward. The three professors and I entered the castle and went to a statue of a griffin.
"Sherbert Lemon," Dumbledore commanded. The griffin twirled around to reveal a staircase that led to a staircase. I floated up the staircase as the three professors walked to find a huge and grand office.
There was a desk in the middle with a staircase above it leading to a platform. Most interesting of all, there was a phoenix perched on a bar.
There was a main with gray hair leaning against the desk. He smiled when I approached. "Ah, you must be Y/N," the old man said.
"Yes," I said.
"My name is Newt Scamander," he said. I nodded.
"Newt Scamander has dealt with many creatures—"
"I'm not a creature," I retorted, cutting Dumbledore off.
"Technically," Newt said, "you are."
I turned to him. "Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine," I said sarcastically.
"Newt doesn't do great with human interaction," Dumbledore said. "Besides, I called him here to work with you when I saw that you opened the Chamber of Secrets."
My jaw dropped. "Yes, I know about all your encounters with Tom Riddle," Dumbledore said. "I sensed that this would bring conflict which might activate your Fracturial abilities."
"You know Dumbledore," I said to him, "You really, really suck."