In this grand tale, Voldemort schemes to turn the Golden Trio to the dark side. Will he succeed or fail miserably?

Insidious Plots and the Lure of the Dark Side

Chapter One: Corrupting Hermione

Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord, knew that Potter's pet Granger was a bibliophile of extreme proportions. If he was to corrupt her, he needed to appeal to her love of books and lust for knowledge. Tom was very adept at persuading people to see things his way, and considered the corruption of the Golden Trio to be the ultimate test of his talents. He wouldn't rest until he succeeded.

Hermione Granger was easy to find. One had but to search in the vast Hogwarts library. Tom easily gained access to the school, Hogwarts' paltry wards being no match for his vast magical talents. The Dark Lord knew Hogwarts like the back of his hand.

"Hermione Granger," Tom called. The bushy-haired girl turned her head to look at him. Her eyes widened and she seemed to recognize him.

"Who's are you?" Hermione asked. She seemed to know the answer, but for some reason wanted to hear him say it. He would play with her a little longer.

"A friend who wishes to help you," said Tom. He did honestly answer her question, if not the intent of the question.

"What is your name?" Hermione further inquired. "I don't recognize you from Hogwarts."

"Tom," said Tom. Surely an innocuous name like Tom would not be easily associated with a dark lord. He somehow doubted it would fool her.

"How can the dark lord help me?" asked Hermione. So he was right. He knew that Potter would have revealed his given name to his little friends.

"I have a vast library that I would love to share with you if you swear loyalty to me. It's even bigger than this one," said Voldemort. He was sure that this would get her, but even if it didn't, he had a reserve offer that he knew she wouldn't be able to refuse.

"While tempting, you'll need more than that to convince me to betray the order," said Hermione. He could work with that.

"I am also have the most magical knowledge of any wizard alive. I would personally teach you everything I know," tempted Tom. She was his.

"You have yourself a deal, Mr. Riddle." Most excellent, Tom's plans for the bookworm came to fruition. That was one down and two to go.

Ron's corruption is next chapter. What do you think Tom should offer him? A state of the art chess board? All the food he can eat? His own Quidditch team? All of the above?

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