Hey guys, long time no . . . read? Write? I'm sorry, it's been a really insane year and I haven't had the time to even read fanfiction, let alone write it. But it's summer now! I was rereading this to get a grasp of my story again, and I was honestly appalled. Seriously, how did you guys even bare this crap? My grammar was atrocious, and Voldemort was disgustingly out of character. I understand that this is AU, but seriously? Ugh.

So A Twist in Destiny is now under reconstruction! I will be rewriting this chapter by chapter, and taking that time to hopefully exercise my more mature literary capabilities and ability to story-tell. Because of this the story may be a bit choppy until I catch up to the current chapter. I do not plan on changing the overall plot, and many scenes may stay the same or at least similar, but I will be giving a more realistic character development to Voldemort and Harry both.

Please give the reconstruction a chance, I can pretty much promise it will be a million times better. I want to thank you all for your support throughout this story, and assure you that I will be working on it pretty regularly now.

Obviously anything you recognize as canon is JK Rowling's.

Prologue

As Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin, he had never felt that base need to take part in carnal activities. That wasn't to say he hadn't, it was as effective a tool of manipulation as any, and could be pleasurable, but it was such a disgusting base instinct, really. It would have boggled his mind—had he been anyone but himself—that even the slyest of Slytherins could turn into vile, sweating pigs when sex became involved. But this was simply another way in which Tom knew he was different to those around him, superior. They were ruled by such barbaric acts, and he was not.

As the popular politician, Thomas Marvolo Gaunt, Lord of House Slytherin, he still saw no benefit in such pastimes, he had better things to do. Laws to impose, and the true formation of a Dark Alliance that went beyond the foolish House Loyalties of school children. He also knew, perhaps better than ever, that while he was superior in every way to these sniveling cretins, for now he should blend in with them. It disgusted him, he had thought he could be free of such trivial pursuits when he had graduated Hogwarts. But the easiest way to wrestle power from the corrupt Ministry, to implement his own rule with relative peace, was to do so gently.

If that meant that he would need to marry and procreate in order to produce an Heir for House Slytherin, then so be it. Political marriages were not at all uncommon, and if his "wife" were to have a horrible accident that left him a grieving single father, so much the better for public opinion.

He would allow himself to admit that he was also curious. If nothing else, his child would surely be brighter, more tolerable than others. He was curious to see what he could have been had he been raised correctly, not that he believed his progeny could possibly surpass him. The boy—for it would have to be a boy—could be useful in any case. A child would secure his position as Lord Slytherin once and for all. And if the boy became troublesome he could be subdued.

He had chosen a woman, a follower, for the honor the following year. She was beautiful, and more importantly loyal not only to the cause but to him. It had not been hard to lure her in, and they were married after only a few months. She was a Slytherin, of course, and under no illusions as to their arrangement. She would produce an Heir for him, and she would receive the highest of statuses in the New Regime.

And bare an Heir she did, nearly exactly nine months after they were wed.

He was named Hadrian Thomas Salazar Gaunt, a strong Pureblooded name. He was small and shriveled, ugly, and Tom felt no inclination to spend time with the screeching little urchin most of the time. But sometimes, when the boy slept, he was tolerable and he would sit in his nursery, reading reports or simply reading books for leisure.

He didn't know what he had expected in the child, perhaps something simply more. He was disappointed most of the time, the thing never stopped screaming, but during such instances, sometimes the boy would wake and simply stare at him with a sort of awareness in his eyes, and Tom wondered if the boy had inherited something of him other than his looks after all.

It seemed that he had, for by the time the boy was two, he was able to read simple sentences and solve simple math problems. The by then fully recognized Dark Lord (though his position received much pushback from the light) was not much surprised, he would never father a dull child, after all.

He wouldn't say he was particularly fond of the boy, but he was . . . tolerable.

The Order of the Phoenix raided his stronghold when his son was two and a half. Regulus Black, one of the youngest of his Inner Circle, a bright boy, too perceptive for his own good, had betrayed the Cause. He ran to his blood traitor brother with the Order, and sold the location of his stronghold for protection. Later, he would die horribly at the Dark Lord's hands.

His wife died in an attempt to run, the bitch hadn't even tried to protect the boy.

Lord Voldemort's forces seized full control of the Ministry only weeks after, and as the Dark Lord tore the Minister's beating heart from his chest, he did not think on his raw and barely controlled rage.

The name Tom Riddle—along with any revenant of it— was no more, there was only Lord Voldemort.

And later, Harry Potter.

So there you have it! As you can see, Tom is way more in character, and this will cause new and interesting situations later in the story. As I said, ultimately this reconstruction will have the same overall plot, I'm just going to explore a slightly darker, more realistic version of the relationship between Harry and Voldemort than I had going in my original version of A Twist in Destiny.

Tell me what you think, please! I really appreciate the insight of my readers! Also let me know if there are any scenes or over-arching themes you absolutely do not want to see redone, and I will find a way to make them work!