I'm not sure how to explain what has happened to me. My world seems to have switched upside down in a matter of weeks. However unlike some, who may find themselves in a similar position, I have no desire to turn back the clock.

One Tuesday night, I had a vivid dream about the dark musty tunnels of the chamber of secrets. When I awoke it was midnight and something inside me compelled me to get up. I quietly swung my legs over the edge of the four poster bed, stretched and stood up. I crept to my trunk and rifled through my belongings. It wasn't long until I found what I was looking for- my father's invisibility cloak and the marauders' map.

I wrapped the cloak around my shoulders and left the sixth year dormitory in the Gryffindor Tower. I strode through the common room, and out the portrait hole. I checked the coast was clear on the marauders' map and set off to my destination.

After ten minutes I arrived at the girls' toilets where Moaning Myrtle lives. I had had a clear journey, avoiding all the patrolling teachers and Filch. I pushed the door open and shook the cloak from my shoulders. I prayed the Myrtle would ignore me but sadly this prayer was not granted and within seconds I heard,

"Harry! How nice to see you. Come to see Myrtle have you? All alone?"

I groaned, turned to the stalls and forced a smile, "Myrtle, it's nice to see you too. I'm not stopping long though."

"Why? What's wrong with me? Why does no-one stay and talk? It does get awfully lonely in my U-bend," moaned Myrtle.

I gave her an apologetic smile and looked at the sink with the serpent on the tap. I called in parseltongue and watched the entrance to the chamber of secrets open. Myrtle gave me a look of disgust before pulling a raspberry, flying back into her toilet and diving down the bowl to her U-bend.

After smirking at the retreating back of Myrtle, I leapt into the hole and fell the many feet to the chamber floor. I remembered my second year and the hard stone that I had landed on after the long fall. I waved my hand as I fell to conjure a soft surface to land on. I smiled as I landed on a particularly squishy goose feather mattress. Not bad workmanship at all. No-one knows about my wandless magic ability- not even Hermione or Ron. I thought it wise to keep my new talent a secret in order to give an advantage in my final duel with Voldemort.

I rose from the mattress and set off down the spacious stone tunnels. As I walked I admired the carvings and inscriptions on the walls. In my second year I was in a bit of a hurry- worried sick about Ginny Weasley- and so had had no time to take in the beauty of the chamber. Not only that, I had been so bloody terrified that the basilisk would appear any second that looking at the walls had not been a top thought in my mind at the time.

Before long I reached the chamber where I had found Ginny and destroyed the diary. It was here when I began to wonder why I had had the urge to come here again. The chamber didn't hold any happy memories. I gazed around, unsure where to go next. Over on the far right at the back of the chamber was a small door. I headed over to it and I was surprised to find the oak door was heavily engraved with serpent designs and inscriptions. The writing was in parseltongue but I barely noticed. The text read 'Trapped; pain always; fear surrounds; constant regret.'

I debated whether I should go any further as the writing was ominous, but curiosity overcame me and I decided it was worth going on. The door was probably locked anyway. After taking a deep breath, I tried the handle and luckily the silver handle turned easily. Sighing with relief or maybe fear I pushed the heavy door open slowly.

I can honestly say that what I saw next was nothing like I was expecting. The door led to a reasonably sized room which was comfortably furnished. A large green sofa stood by a roaring fire, drowned in cushions. On the far side was a writing desk and a small bed with a cover in the same green as the sofa. Each wall was covered in shelves packed with old dusty books. I gazed around, surprised at the warm cosy feeling of the room.

"Hello Harry."

I started and looked for the source of the voice. In a corner stood a tall figure dressed in expensive fabrics, with their face obscured with the dancing shadows of the room.

"Who's there? Who are you?"

The figure stepped forward, "Do you not recognise me Potter?"

I did. Instantly. The moment the figure had stepped from the shadow I recognised the face of Tom Riddle. "Riddle?"

"Well done Potter. You found me!" Tom Riddle moved to the sofa and sunk into the mound of cushions. I looked on in disbelief- Tom Riddle was gone! I had destroyed the diary.

"How?" I stuttered, "the diary…"

Riddle turned to me with an unreadable expression, "Yes Harry. The diary form of myself was destroyed four years ago, but I am not from the diary."

"I don't understand. How can you exist? The diary is gone and Tom Riddle became Voldemort years ago."

"You are not quite right Harry. True- the diary is gone; True- Voldemort replaced me, Tom Riddle. However Voldemort is not me. When I was sixteen I came across a book which had many spells to prolong life- not forever- but for only a few years. It was just what I was looking for, as my uncle was suffering from a wizard cancer. I was desperate to spend more time with him as I had only just learnt of his existence.

"You have to understand Harry that I was incredibly lonely having been raised in a muggle orphanage. I longed for a family, somewhere where I'd be accepted, other than school. I hated my father for leaving my mother when he learnt the truth about magic. My mother died giving birth to me, so I has no one. The moment I arrived at Hogwarts I began a search for an existing relative, someone who would love me. It was in my fourth year that I came across a distant uncle. I contacted him immediately and was welcomed as a long lost son. It felt so good to be wanted…"

He stood up and stared into the flames in the grate. "Where was I? Oh yes. This uncle of mine had fatal form of the wizarding cancer and was given weeks to live. The one person who had accepted me as family was going to leave me. I'd be alone again! So, when I discovered this spell I thought I'd found my answer. It would keep my uncle alive slightly longer so I could get to know him better and he'd have time to appreciate his last years and do anything he had wanted to do in life before dying."

I watched Riddle's face as he explained this. I saw emotions there which I had never seen in Voldemort's face or the diary Riddle. I felt the boy's pain, I understood his desires. "What happened?" I asked quietly.

Riddle closed his eyes briefly and took a breath before carrying on, "I approached my uncle with the spell. He was willing for me to cast it on him, and gain some extra time. The spell was complex and full of dark magic. I did not realise this at the time and went ahead with casting it. The moment I had finished the incantation an eerie green light surrounded my uncle and turned red. Lightning sparks flew from him and he fell to the floor- dead. Or so I thought. I collapsed to my knees weeping, begging for forgiveness.

"The lights went out and I felt immense pain. The lights flicked back on and I realised there was an identical copy of myself staring back at me. The clone walked over to the body of my uncle, and bent over him. He put his lips to my uncles and blew. A wispy white cloud rose from my uncle and flew into my clones mouth. I stood watching, terrified beyond belief. My clone looked at me and said, 'Thank you Tom. You have granted my greatest wish! I am Lord Voldemort and I shall rid the world of all mudbloods. Tom you have rid me of this cancer, this useless old body and given me a chance to fulfil my dreams. I have your power and your youth. I no longer need you Tom. You shall not age, but stay sixteen trapped in that ridiculous place you call home- Hogwarts.'

"Voldemort knew how to open the chamber and created this room for me. He took my place in classes and oversaw the basilisk attacks. The sixth year Riddle was an impostor but no one noticed. I had always been a muggle hater so it didn't seem odd to my house mates that I began to make plans to kill them. It wasn't long until Voldemort had discovered more spells to prolong life and form a small group of loyal followers.

"Since that fateful day I have been imprisoned here, desperate for help."

I was speechless. Was Riddle lying? I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but honesty. It was true. "I don't know what to say," I murmured.

Riddle looked at me with pleading grey eyes, "Help me. I long to be free. I'm so tired. The pain is getting worse each day."

"What pain?"

"As Voldemort gets stronger his curses hold more power and cause more pain. The pain of his victims is also felt by me. It is inescapable." I saw now that his handsome face was etched with lines where his face had screwed up in agony. I knew I had to help him, but the question was- how?