[Horcrux POV]
With Ginny's affirmation—her willingness to let me take control—I found it difficult to focus on anything except the simple, intoxicating thought of tomorrow. Food. Taste. Sensation. A body again. I couldn't help but grin at the chaos that would soon ripple outward once my plans were finally set in motion.
From what I remembered of the Harry Potter storyline, the Malfoy estate would soon come under frequent Ministry scrutiny. Arthur Weasley would be involved in at least one of those raids, and that cursed house-elf Dobby who would inevitably interfere. An unpredictable variable. A nuisance. One that would need to be dealt with decisively.
For now, though, Diagon Alley came first.
I intended to follow the plan as discussed, first visit the Alley, indulge mysef while I would also ease Ginny into a deep sleep once the time was right. Gently. Without harm. I still wanted her loyalty, after all.
Setting those thoughts aside, I spent the remaining hours refining my magic. Sleep charms, layered and subtle. Occlumency exercises, sharpening my control until crafting false memories felt as natural as breathing. When the time came, Ginny would remember nothing amiss.
[Diagon Alley]
Ginny wasted no time that morning. She finished breakfast quickly and obtained permission from her mother to visit Diagon Alley, mentioning ice cream along the way. Soon enough, we were back in her room—alone.
This would be the moment.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ginny?" I asked, allowing just enough hesitation into my tone to reinforce the image I had carefully cultivated.
"Yes, Tom," she replied without pause. "You always help me with my magic. This is my way of helping you back. We're friends, after all."
I let a brief silence stretch between us.
"Thank you, Ginny," I said at last. "You don't understand how much this means to me."
Then I reached out.
Magic flowed smoothly through the connection between us, and I took control of her body with practiced ease. Ginny could still feel everything I did, taste, touch, movement—but I gently wrapped her consciousness in soft enchantments, easing her into growing drowsiness so she wouldn't question anything later.
Our first destination was immediate and non-negotiable.
Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour.
I ordered peanut butter and jelly ice cream without hesitation. The first bite nearly overwhelmed me. Sweet. Cold. Rich. Real. I savored every spoonful, feeding the sensation back through our link while subtly nudging Ginny's soul to become more receptive—to associate my presence with comfort and pleasure. Better to take a hundred unnecessary precautions than leave even a single vulnerability unguarded.
After dessert, we moved on to the Leaky Cauldron. I ordered cottage pie, and the first mouthful nearly brought tears to my eyes. I ate slowly, then lingered, watching the Alley while waiting for Ginny's consciousness to finally slip fully into sleep.
"Thank you for today, Ginny," I said quietly. "It really means a lot to me."
"I'm glad I could help you leave the diary," she replied. "Is there anywhere else you want to visit? From your childhood?"
"I'd like to see the Muggle orphanage I grew up in," I said. "But that's in the Muggle world. Another time."
"Um… okay."
"Are you alright, Ginny?" I asked, letting concern creep into my voice. "You sound tired."
"No," she murmured. "I just… feel sleepy, Tom…"
Then she went silent.
Through our link, I confirmed she was fully asleep.
I returned us to the Burrow first, ensuring no one noticed Ginny's absence from the Alley. Once certain I was unobserved, I acted quickly. A robe materialized around me—dark, nondescript, unmistakably belonging to a dark wizard. I enchanted it to shroud my face in writhing shadow, leaving nothing visible but darkness.
With a sharp crack, I Apparated back to a secluded corner of Diagon Alley.
I took a moment to steady myself, checking my enchantments one final time. Then I altered my voice—lower, colder, closer to the tone of the Dark Lord who made the entire wizarding world tremble in fear.
I Apparated near the junkyard on the fringes of Diagon Alley, ensuring the space was empty before immediately casting a series of obliteration charms to erase any residual traces of magic. The air settled. Satisfied, I vanished again—this time reappearing within Knockturn Alley.
The shift was immediate.
Diagon Alley's warmth and noise felt like a distant lie. Knockturn Alley shared the same crooked architecture, the same ancient stone and leaning buildings, yet everything here seemed wrong. It has dim lanterns casting sickly yellow light, shop windows grimy and half-shuttered, the streets nearly deserted. The silence wasn't peaceful but terrifying.
I moved slowly, memorizing escape routes, angles, blind spots. This place rewarded awareness and punished hesitation.
That was when I noticed him.
A lone wizard stood near the corner of the street, cloaked in black robes not unlike my own. He wasn't browsing, wasn't walking—just waiting. I narrowed my eyes. Hopefully just an ordinary dark-alley scavenger and not something more troublesome.
I didn't give him time to decide.
With a flick of intent, I unleashed a rapid barrage of Sectumsempra, the invisible slashes screaming through the air toward him. He reacted faster than expected—Protego flared into existence, sparks flying as the curse carved shallow grooves into the shield.
"Bombarda!"
The explosion tore up the stone where I had been standing a moment earlier. I Apparated mid-blast, reappearing directly behind him.
He barely had time to turn.
I raised my hand, finger pointed like a wand, and spoke softly—almost reverently.
Crucio.
A jet of red light struck him squarely. His body seized, collapsing to the ground as every muscle locked in agony. His mouth opened in a scream—
Silencio.
The sound died instantly.
He writhed soundlessly, fingers clawing at the stone, tears streaming down his face as his body convulsed. I watched with a cold smile, adjusting the intensity just long enough to remind him what helplessness felt like before cutting the spell.
"P-p-please…" he choked out once his voice returned. "I haven't done anything… I swear…"
I lifted him off the ground with invisible force, fingers closing around his throat without touching him, and invaded his mind.
The memories spilled easily.
Robert. Gryffindor graduate. Above-average. No close friends. A habitual bully—especially toward younger Slytherins because of his resentment towards Snape. Three years unemployed after graduation. Poverty. Desperation. Muggle drugs. Illegal ingredients. Knockturn Alley. Profit.
Interesting.
"Haven't done anything?" I said quietly, tightening my grip. "Think back to Hogwarts, Robert."
His eyes widened in recognition.
"A filthy Mudblood acting righteous because Dumbledore was there to protect you. Because you thought rules applied only when they favored you."
I slammed him into the ground.
"Now you face the consequences of offending your betters."
I crushed my foot against his face and reignited Crucio—just for a second. Long enough.
"Money," I ordered. "Now. Then you disappear from Britain."
He nodded frantically, sobbing, fumbling for a pouch with shaking hands.
"Y-yes, sir—please—200 galleons—I just made a sale—I was going to leave anyway—"
I caught the pouch mid-air.
Good.
Then I raised my hand again.
Imperio.
His resistance crumbled instantly.
"You will end your life," I said calmly. "By Muggle means. You will leave a letter."
I dictated as his eyes glazed over.
"You will say you could no longer live like this. You will blame Hogwarts. You will curse the professors for failing to educate you to ICW standards. You will name Severus Snape—his incompetence, his bias, his failures. You will say you completed every course required to become an Auror, only to be denied by favoritism and neglect."
I leaned closer.
"You will write that your parents' deaths ruined your last chance at recovery. That the wizarding world abandoned you."
I released the spell.
He rose unsteadily, turned, and walked away into the shadows without another word.
I watched until he vanished.
Then I straightened my robe, tucked the pouch away, and melted back into the darkness of Knockturn Alley.
This was only the beginning.
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Bonus Chapter if we reach 50 power stones by tomorrow