Chapter 12: Hufflepuffs Cup

"It was a year after Tom left the orphanage," Mrs. Cole began, eyes closed as she recounted memories it seemed she would rather forget.

"A room that was used as a storage room suddenly became inaccessible. It wasn't so much that nobody could get in, it was that no once ever dared try. The hallway by the former storage room suddenly filled everyone with dread. Orphans who remembered Tom Riddle told horror stories of him haunting that hallway, and warned others to stay away."

"As the years passed it was self understood that the hallway was taboo. Even myself or the other staff members were too scared to even go near the halllway. One year a group of children were taunting another, calling him a coward and worthless. Told him no one liked him and no one will, the orphan by the name Tony Stewards was desperate for the acceptance of his peers, and begged for it. Of course they set him a dare."

"The five other orphans dared poor Tony to go down the hallway and open the door of what had by then come to be known as the Haunted Room. Obviously after a bit of needling Tony agreed, on condition the five of them actually watch him do it, so that they can't claim he was lying and force him to do it again. Plans were made the cards were dealed and a week later Tony walked down to the Haunted Room, looking behind him every few steps to make sure everyone was still watching."

"When he got to the door, he reached for the handle, but was, to the shock and horror of the five watching, sucked into the Haunted Room. Terrified and stricken the five immediately ran to me and told me the whole story. Knowing the whole situation stank of Tom Riddle, and not knowing what to do, I cordoned off the hallway and made it forbidden to everyone. I then extracted oaths from the five never to repeat the tale to anyone, knowing if it got out it would be the end of the orphanage."

Shade finally interrupted her, it had taken a good hour and a half to tell the tale and he was impatient to grab the horcruxe and leave. "Can you show me where this hallway is?" Shade asked her carefully looking at her.

She vigorously shook her head looking terrified. "Are you mad!?" she croaked. "There's good reason why I named it forbidden! I am not going there even if you pay me!"

Shade resisted the urge to rub his temples feeling a headache coming up. "Very well." he said simply. "I will go look for it myself, thank you for your time ma'am. Have a good night." Not bothering to wait for her, he got up and showed himself out.

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Shade cautiously approached the door. The hallway had been well warded to hide itself from wizards, and to instill fear in those that dared approach, equivalent to the Dementor effects sans the cold feeling.

The wards had been impressive and he had started to regret coming after spending an hour breaking them, and now he had to get through the door. Not pulling any punches he quickly blew the door open collapsing wards and all with a wave of his hand. Waiting for the dust to clear he slowly walked into the room, his senses tingling, waiting for a threat to make itself present.

"Hello." The voice came suddenly, and unexpectedly, causing Shade to almost throw up a sheild, before it registered in his brain what the word was and he breathed in calming down.

Looking at the source of the of the voice he saw what might have been a normal man, around forty sitting in the exact center of the storage room. There was long hair, still black hanging to his shoulders, and despite that he was pale Shade knew he was italian. This, he realized, must be Tony Stewards. The poor boy who had taken the dare to open the door.

Tony's eyes were closed, yet at the same time Shade got the impression that he could see everything. Cautiously he walked into the room. "Tony Stewards." he greeted as he passed the threshold of the door. The man's eyes snapped open and Shade barely stiffled a gasp. The man's eyes were red, the pupils were evil blood red boring directly into his, just like one other he knew. The man spoke.

"I have not used that name in sometime stranger." Tony's voice was strange, despite the fact that it had not been in use for forty some odd years, it had come out perfectly. No accent, no scratchiness, just pure cold malice and power was behind the voice.

"I suppose not Tom." Shade responded easilly, "Tell me I am most interested how you can be here eighteen years old while your sixty year old self still runs around the world unchecked."

"My name has been discovered?" the disgust in his voice was palpaple. "I The Great Sorcerer Lord Voldemort am known as Tom?"

"Only to a select few, as I am sure you know Albus Dumbledore knows of it." Shade said, while pondering how to destroy Tom, racking his brain for ideas.

"Don't speak to me of that muggle loving fool! The old goat Dumble-

"I never claimed to be friendly with Dumbledore." Shade interrupted mildly, "I am wondering however..." he trailed off as if not sure how to continue. Tom took the bait.

"Wondering? Wondering about what exactly?"

"If I were to tell you right now that I wish to join the noble Voldemort in his quest to rid the world of all mudblood and half-breed scum. Would I then be allowed to walk into a Death Eaters house hoping not to be killed? Will Voldemort know of this conversation and allow me to join him?" Shade eyes were looking hopefully at Tom, begging almost that the answer would be yes. Tom relished it, and it showed.

"What would filth like you be able add to Voldemorts already all-powerful and respectable army? Why should he- why shoud I let you in? What power do you have?"

"I HAVE POWER!" Shade screamed a maniac glint shining in his eyes, his aura exploded around him in an impressive display of power. "YOU THINK I HAVE NO POWER!? WHAT ABOUT YOUR WARDS YOU PUT UP! THEY WERE GOOD! I WILL GIVE YOU THAT BUT THEY WERE TORN TO SHREDS LIKE PAPER BY A TWELVE YEAR OLD!"

As he yelled Shades aura grew more and more, whipping his clothes around and his hair up in an invisible wind, the walls around were crumbling and against his will, Tom found himself impressed.

"Very well." He spoke, his calm voice belying the rush of adrenaline that had just shot through his body at the display. "Unfourtanately, Voldemort will not know of this conversation. However together we can go to a Death Eaters house and I will vouch for you. When I was created I was completely separated, until I merge back with him, which I can't do now anyway, he will not know of this conversation."

"Good." That single word suddenly seemed to Tom as if he had just made a mistake. "That was all I wanted to know anyway, after all I can't have Old Voldie learning all my tricks now can I?" Shade asked retorically. To Tom's horror, the aura that seemed impressive before suddenly grew to enormous proportions, while previously it had been invisible but felt, now suddenly a white glaring aura surrounded Shade.

"I can now destroy the horcruxes without Voldemort finding out. I hope you enjoy the irony, it was your help that finally made you mortal again."

Tom knew he was in trouble, so he did the only thing he could. Whipping out his wand and flaring his aura, which was impressive itself, he started casting any spell he could think of non-verbally hoping it would take this twelve year old whelp by surprise.

His hope was in vain.

Shade didn't bother using a wand, jumping and leaping over the continuing stream of spells, he kept to wandless and non-verbal magic firing as many as ten spells at a time. Let it not be said that Tom wasn't a decent dueller.

In fact Tom was turning out to be an incredible duelist, having a powerful sheild to block what he could while conjuring physical objects to block what he couldn't, and finally dodging the ones that made it past his tight defense.

Shade kept up the offensive hopeing to slip him up and bring him down. The spells were flying thick and fast and both were amazed at the others skills. After a twenty minutes of duelling Shade got fed up,

Tom cocked his eyebrows in surprise as the offense suddenly stopped, but before he could throw any spells at his opponent, whose name he still didn't know, a massive dragon -a Hungarian Horntail to be precise- suddenly appeared in front of him, and Tom's panicked screams of terror were away in pain as fire comsumed him, defenses and all. In under a minute nothing was left but a small pile of ashes, and gleaming gold cup that had a crack in it. A crack that looked remarkably like a lightning bolt.

Between the talk and the duel, and hour and fifty minutes passed, and Shade his aura disappearing as wearyness overcame him. Sliding to the floor Shade took a rest all the while unaware of the doom that approached his family and home.

A/N: Thats Chapter 12, hopefully the next chapter wont be too long. Don't expect a good fight between Shade and Voldemort over Azkaban.