Chapter Text
On July 31, 1996, in the house at number 4 Privet Drive, in the second small bedroom, Harry Potter sits on the beautifully made bed with a single muffin decorated with icing and a single candle.
"Happy sixteenth birthday, Harry!" The boy closes his eyes and blows out the candle.
Make a wish!
He hears a strange, kind female voice, a smile spreads across his lips.
"I want to find my soulmate!" He whispers to himself, everyone around him has been talking about it for almost a year, most of his friends have already found their soulmate, a few friendships have even broken up because of it. Like the friendship between Ron and Hermione, who now only speak through him, if they speak at all. He also wanted to find his own, the person who will love him despite everything. The real him. Not the boy who lived, nor the savior of the wizarding world, nor the golden boy of Gryffindor, but him himself, Harry James Potter.
August 1, 1947, London, Tom Marvolo Riddle
Humming a soft tune, I approach the door of my apartment in muggle London, that I occupied yesterday.
:Be a good girl and wait for me, Nagini!: I smile at the snake as I put my hand on the doorknob.
:Hurry up! I want to go to that zoo!: I start giggling at her answer and, accompanied by a nod, I walk out the door. I take out the key and lock the apartment, then put the small piece of metal in my pocket and turn around, a car honks loudly, the sudden sound makes me squeeze my eyes shut and put my hands over my ears. When I open my eyes, I can only blink and a very bad feeling comes over me.
I'm sure I didn't apparate, but then how in Salazar's beard did I end up on Diagon Alley? I thank myself that it rained in the morning and that I put on a hooded cloak, immediately pulling it over my head. I have to find out what happened. This must not have been normal. I try to walk as calmly as possible along the shopping street, constantly looking at people. At first glance, I don't see anything strange, but that unpleasant feeling is still there in the back of my mind. Until the moment when I see the Prophet on a stand and my feet are rooted to the ground. My eyes have probably grown twice as big and I almost open my mouth.
:It can't be, it's out of the question! It's completely impossible!: I whisper to myself, but the paper doesn't lie and the date is right there on the cover. August 1, 1996, but it was only 1947 a few minutes ago! I swallow hard as my throat goes dry, my eyes sliding from the date to the headline. "Is the Boy Who Lived lying? Did You Know Who return?" I quickly start to scan the article, but I get stuck halfway through when they quote that Harry Potter speech. What I see almost makes the earth turn from under my feet. "Voldemort is back!" I don't understand! I don't understand at all! Who knows my name? Who dares to use that stupid nickname Theseus and Abraxas gave me? I take a deep breath to calm myself.
:And I thought I was having a quiet day! I beg you, I went for a simple job interview, not time travel!: I grumble to myself, then I decide that I need to learn as much as possible of the time I've lost, so I march into a bookstore and buy all the history books. When I exit, I close my eyes, there is one place that is probably mine even now and where I can be safe and that is Slytherin Manor, I just have to say the name of the place in my head and I'm there. I don't even look around as I storm into the library and put the books on the table, take a seat on the couch and pick up the first book.
:Who are you and how did you get into our house?! What did you do with the Master?!: I hear Nagini's voice, and I drop the book from my hand in surprise, how did she get here? I left her in London, although that was a long time ago, or wasn't it? :M-master?: The snake blinks at me, as if she sees a ghost, I try to force a kind smile on my face, then I wave at her a little, as if I'm afraid of her reaction.
:Hello little girl! I'm sorry, but I don't think we're going to the zoo! I've found myself in a bit of an awkward situation!: I sigh, the snake glides closer to me, I can feel from her aura that something is very wrong in her head.
:It's been a long time since you smelled of so much life, Master!: In her voice, as if I hear happiness, but I just grimace, I don't understand anything, nothing in the world and it's really starting to get on my nerves.
:Why do you call me Master? I already told you to call me Marvolo the first time!: The snake immediately picks up her head from my lap, where she had just placed it.
:What happened? How did you become normal again? The last time you were like this was when you tried to apply to be a teacher at Hogwarts for the second time!: I gently stroke her head, I want her to feel safe. Something tells me she's been to Hell, there and back, and I don't like the thought at all.
:I think I've time-traveled, dear! One moment I was standing in front of my London flat and the next I was on Diagon Alley. Then when I looked around I found myself almost fifty years later and something had happened. Someone's been using my nickname as a pseudonym for a while now and judging from the newspaper, they doesn't exactly have a good reputation!: I grimace, continuing to pet the snake, somehow it comforts me to know that at least she's here with me.
:I think I have a lot to tell you, Marvolo. It would be better if you called a long-eared mop in a skirt and asked for tea!: I start to giggle at her words, I've always loved her humor.
:Now, now, my dear, it's not appropriate to talk about house-elves like that: "Mipsy!" I exclaim, before the little elf appears and looks at me with huge blinking eyes. "It's complicated, kitchen fairy!" I shake my head, using her old nickname, which brings tears to her eyes. "When I understand it all, I'll explain, but now could you get me some tea, please?"
"Mipsy will do anything for Master Marvolo! Mipsy is so happy that Master Marvolo is back!" She folds her hands and disappears.
:Okay! This is suspicious! What do you two mean by me returning thing?: I look seriously at my snake, who I feel like if she could, she would sigh.
:When you came back from the job interview, you were not the same Marvolo as before. A lot of things happened, a lot of terrible things.: Mipsy appears with the tray in her hand, which she puts on the table and disappears. :I think you became Lord Voldemort by then!: My eyes widen at the snake's words and I listen to her long tale of what happened in the last forty-nine years, when I became Lord Voldemort and literally lost my mind.