"Well, little Amy Benson and Denis Bishop were never quite right afterwards, and all we ever got out of them was that they'd gone into a cave with Tom Riddle..."


Amy Benson was a big girl now – at least that was what they'd told her at the orphanage. “I rather like being eight,� she thought as she brushed her long blonde hair. It meant she could go to the seaside with her best friend Denis Bishop...

Her brushing hand suddenly stopped in mid-air and her eyes widened in horror, as she remembered what had happened the previous day.



Amy stared out the window of her bedroom, watching the children playing outside. She was still a bit creeped out having come across a boy's dead rabbit two weeks previously. She sat there wondering how on earth it had gotten under her bed but she didn't like to dwell on the subject too much. A strand of her hair fell in front of her eyes and she swpet it away irriatably. The big girl, Katrina, hadn't done her pigtails that morning and Mrs. Cole was in the shower. There was only one person she could ask, but she certainly didn't want to. In desperation she went upstairs, gulped, then knocked twice on a door marked:



Tom’s Room

Trespassers Will Be Eaten Alive



“Come in,� someone called from the other side of the door.



Amy walked in, shaking.



“H-h-hi Tom. I was, um, wondering if you could tie my pigtails for me.� Amy held up two rubber bands.



At first the ten year old glared at her, and then he smirked. “Okay Amy, sit down.�



Amy did so, terrified. Tom scared her a lot and he teased her a lot too. Well, almost everyone did that. But he teased her about her parents who had drowned at sea –



Tom stopped plaiting and bent down to her. “Missing Mommy and Daddy, are we?� he said with a sneer.



Amy nodded.



“Did you know that if you drown at sea you turn into a zombie?� Tom asked, his eyes gleaming.



“No, I didn’t.�



“Well they do.� He pulled Amy’s hair so tight her eyes bulged. “And they’re going to grab your ankles at the seaside and pull hard. Do you know what happens to poor little Amy Benson next?� he asked, an almost hungry expression on his face.



“N-n-no.�



“She dies and nobody notices because nobody misses her. So her rotting corpse lies on the seabed for ages until a huge shark comes along and then –�



“No!� Amy screamed. “Stop it! Stop it! I won’t listen!� She ran out of the room, sobbing...



I won’t think about it anymore, Amy decided, but I have to tell Denis. So she went downstairs to the playroom where a boy of Amy’s age was sitting on his own.



“You still don’t look very well, Amy,� said Denis Bishop, concerned. Amy gave a tiny sob, told him everything and burst into tears.



“Why does Tom have to be so…be so…unusual?� Denis asked.



“I dunno, Denis,� she sniffled. “He always thinks he’s absolutely it, bossing us around, not listening to Mrs. Cole, he’s nothing but a big, scary –� Amy said the naughtiest word she knew.



Someone pushed past them on his way to lunch. A tall someone with pale skin and dark hair. He reached the door and turned round his eyes boring into Amy’s, and then he left, a slight frown on his face.



“He might not have heard us.� Denis squeaked, not really believing it himself.



Amy let out a tiny whimper and shivered. She wasn't looking forward to the seaside anymore.

*~*

The orphans had arrived at the seaside and all the boys were protesting against that there wouldn’t be TV for a week.



“Ah, but Miss, its ‘Doctor Who’ on Monday!� moaned Jamie Fenton. "Its the grand finale, Miss!"



The other boys nodded in agreement.


“Hush you lot! Okay kids, lets go up to the big hotel over there and – Yes Tom?� Mrs. Cole looked a bit surprised that Tom had raised his hand.



“You see, Mrs. Cole, I promised Amy and Denis I’d go exploring with them straight away. I know that they’ve been looking forward to it and if we don’t go today I’ll feel as if I’ve let them down,� Tom said politely.



Mrs. Cole wavered. “Well I suppose, seeing as you promised…�



Tom quickly grabbed Denis and Amy by their hands and dragged them along until everyone was out of sight.



“Come on.� Tom gave a quick glance over his shoulder and then beckoned them towards the edge of a cliff. “We’re going to climb down.�



All the colour drained from Amy’s face. It was a very long way down.



“But we can’t, Tom, we’ll fall.�



Tom smiled. “I’ll go first then, babies, but you’re going to have to follow even if I have to make you.�



He hooked his leg over the edge and began to climb down.



Suddenly Amy walked to the jagged side of the cliff, like she was hypnotized, and Denis followed.



Half of the journey passed as a dream until it started to rain and Amy came to her senses. Her hands were covered in blood from the jagged rocks, she was freezing, soaked and Tom was definitely going to kill her. No he wasn’t, that was ridiculous. Then the thought of his smile came back to her… Maybe it wasn’t ridiculous, maybe it was true…



Amy had stopped climbing, caught up in her thoughts – until Denis’s boot collided with her forehead. Amy gave a gasp of pain and let go of the rocks to examine her brow.



I let go…

But that meant –



Amy screamed as she plummeted to the ground, preparing her self for the crash; but no crash came. Just a soggy, firm grip on her. Tom Riddle had caught her.



“You’re not getting away that easily,� he whispered softly, his eyes shining greedily.



Denis jumped and landed beside them, and put his hand on Amy’s shoulder.



“C’mon Denis,� said Tom, still clutching the frightened Amy. He started walking towards a dark cave.



Amy mouthed “Don’t leave me!� over Tom’s shoulder. Denis felt he couldn’t desert his friend and followed.



The three children went down a slope into a pitch black cave; it was so close to shore that it must be filled with water at high tide. Finally they reached a dimly lit chamber and Tom deposited Amy on solid ground with a soft thud.



Tom closed his eyes and started muttering. It wasn’t a language Denis or Amy had ever heard before. Hisses and rasping and words they couldn’t describe.



“Tom?� Denis called.



No one answered, just quick, excited hisses.



“What are you doing?� Denis shouted.



Then Amy threw back her head and screamed.



She fell to the ground writhing and shrieking.



“Tom, stop it! What are you doing to her?�



Between her screams Amy started to speak.



“I don’t want to…don’t make me.�



“Amy? What’s he doing to you?�



“…don’t like…want to stop.� Amy’s screams were getting louder and louder.



“No…� Amy groaned. “I don’t want to…I don’t want to…let me go Tom…let me go…�



Tom’s eyes were shining brightly in the dark, clearly enjoying it.



“Make it stop, make it stop,� Amy moaned.



“Make what stop, Amy?� Denis yelled. “What’s he doing? What’s he saying?�



Amy shrieked louder. “No, no, no….no…I can’t…I can’t, don’t make me, I don’t want to…�



“Amy, you’re not making sense! Talk to me Amy, please!�



“Amy, you’re not making sense!� Tom mimicked. “Is widdle Denis getting fwightened?�



“It’s all my fault, all my fault,� Amy sobbed. “Please make it stop, I know I did wrong, oh, please make it stop and I’ll never, never again…�



Denis sank to his knees beside Amy and shook her shoulders. “Amy, is he hurting you? Please Amy, wake up!�



For half a second Amy’s eyes focused on him. “D-d-denis,� she whispered.



Then she began to wail. “Don’t hurt him, Tom, don’t hurt him, please, please, it’s my fault, hurt me instead…�



Denis began to panic. “Don’t say that, Amy, I need you to get up and then I’ll help you climb back up.� He tried to lift Amy off the ground.



Suddenly, she fell forwards, screaming loudly, beating her fists on the ground.



“Please, please, please, no…not that, not that, I’ll do anything…� Amy wailed.



“Not what? Oh, please stop, Amy, your scaring me.�



The whole cave was filled with Amy’s screams and Tom’s high-pitched laughter. The insane cackle made Denis’s blood run cold.



“No more, please, no more.�



Denis started to cry. “Please Tom, don’t hurt her, she’s sorry, I’m sorry!�



Amy yelled louder than ever. “I want to die! I want to die! Make it stop, make it stop, I want to die!�



“Amy wake up, please wake up Amy, I need you!� Denis sobbed.



Amy uttered one last blood-curdling scream. “KILL ME!� Then she fell and lay still on the floor.



Denis wrapped his arms round his friend, kissed her clammy cheek and started toward Tom. He didn’t know what he was going to do, all he wanted was to beat Tom to a pulp and then throw him off the cliff.



Tom was ready for him. He grabbed Denis’s t-shirt and held him at arms length. He laughed softly.



“I didn’t kill her.� He jabbed his thumb at Amy. “Cole would murder me.� He dropped Denis as if he was contagious.



Amy’s eyelids flickered open.



“Amy, are you ok?� Denis asked wiping the tears from his eyes.



“Water,� croaked Amy, sitting up in a pool of her own blood.



Tom rolled his eyes in the dark and threw Denis his bottle.



Amy downed the bottle in one before throwing up on the floor.



The vomit was emerald green and emitting a phosphorescent glow. Tom quickly scooped it into a discarded glass bottle and pocketed it.



He picked up Amy and they climbed up the cliff wordlessly.



When they reached the top Tom swore loudly. Amy was completely covered in blood, it had even managed to work its way into her hair. He reached forward to put his jumper on her and she backed away fearfully.



Tom rolled his eyes and tossed it to Denis. “Clean Benson up, will you?� he said, brushing himself off. “Not a word to Cole about any of this, got it?� he added fiercely.



Denis nodded. “Who would believe them anyway?� he thought as he wiped blood off Amy’s forehead.



*~*



“Amy! Denis! Tom! You’ve been gone for two hours!� Mrs. Cole exclaimed. “Is that vomit in your hair, Amy? Why have you got a big gash on your forehead?� She pulled Amy into her embrace and whispered in her ear, “What did he do to you?�



Amy made a faint gurgling noise. “Nothing, Mrs. Cole,� she lied. “We just went into a cave, you see.�



“Yeah,� said Tom smoothly. “And poor Amy here fell on a rock in the dark.�



Denis clenched his fists. Poor Amy? Hadn’t Tom just tortured her mere minutes ago?



Mrs. Cole nodded, not really believing them and chivied them into the hotel.



*~*



One thing was for sure, Amy thought as she lay down in bed: she would never cross Tom Riddle ever again. She closed her eyes and fell asleep instantly.



She did not notice the two eyes watching her, plotting, or two slim hands holding something very odd encased in a bottle.

Tom Riddle walked down the cobbled streets of Little Hangelton, with an uncontrollable smirk on his face. He was attracting a lot of funny looks too, with his face covered in the middle of the summer.

“Who on earth does he think he is?� a girl hissed loudly. “The bleeding Prime Minister?�

Her friend nodded in agreement. “He thinks himself fanciful, he does. Look at that queer locket hanging round his neck!�

And there was a gold locket hanging around his neck, one with a fresh piece of soul encased inside it.

Tom walked for an hour and a half until he came to a jagged cliff which made him smile wider. He climbed down with apparent ease and walked into a familiar, dark cave. He reached a wall and took out a small phial of blood and sprinkled it over the rock face. The next bit was the easiest, and the most enjoyable, Tom thought to himself. He wished he could see Amy Benson’s face when – ‘Concentrate!’ he thought to himself. ‘You need to do this properly!’

He muttered some well chosen words and a boat rose up from the depths of the lake. He lay back lazily as he crossed a sea of black water to a small island where an empty basin lay waiting.

He put a hand inside his robes and drew out a glass bottle filled with emerald green liquid. He placed the locket fondly in the centre of the basin, and then uncorked the bottle and poured it in.

A young girl’s scream rang out through the silence, a horrible, ear piercing shriek.

Tom laughed softly. “Thank you, Amy Benson.�


Many miles away, fifteen-year-old Amy Benson collapsed and broke into a cold sweat.

*~*

Amy felt as if she was falling through space, images and words passed by her, until she landed with a clunk.

She found herself standing outside the orphanage, on an ordinary, sunny day. Except there was a younger Mrs. Cole helping a small girl out of a car. Suddenly, Amy knew where she was, the trembling five-year-old…was her.

Mrs. Cole put her arm around the little girl. “Now, I know it looks big and scary at first –� she began, but Amy had already wandered off, to where a boy was standing by a wall.

She smiled at him shyly, wishing she knew how to ask people to play. He was a boy around her own age, with messy brown hair and big blue eyes.

“Hello, my name’s Denis, what’s yours?� he asked happily.

“A-a-amy,� she stuttered.

The had just started to chat properly when an older boy came up to them, a smirk on his face.

“Hi Denis,� he said, punching an unsuspecting Denis on the side of the head. “Who’s your girlfriend? Well? Aren’t you going to introduce me?�

Denis had been knocked against the wall, and his glasses had been broken. “This is Amy, Tom, she’s my friend.�

Tom grabbed Amy’s bag and fumbled around with it for a minute, Amy was almost certain he took something but she couldn’t see what.

“Hey that’s mine!� Amy cried and tried to take it from him.

Tom bent down to her. “Listen Amy, this orphanage is a rough place; you make enemies easier than friends here. And it seems you’ve already made one of each.� With that, he walked inside again, with a malicious glint in his eye.

Amy wiped the tears from her eyes furiously as Denis helped her look through her bag to make sure everything was still there.

Suddenly, Amy knew what he had taken - the silver thimble her mother had given her…was gone.

*~*

Now there was a six year old, fast asleep in a bed, waiting for Mrs. Cole to bang her pans together to wake her up.

Sure enough a loud clang echoed through the house and Amy got up quickly, to brush her hair in front of the mirror.

A stomach-churning scream cried out, and everyone came running.

Amy was standing in the middle of the room, sobbing.

Her long hair had been severed off during the night.

Tom Riddle pushed a bag further down into his pocket, and swept a strand of blonde hair off his scissors.

*~*

Now she was seven, sitting down at breakfast as everyone threw cornflakes at each other.

“Amy, darling!� Mrs. Cole called. “Could you make all the beds for me sweetheart, we think Eric Whalley’s swallowed a thumb tack.�

Amy got up, picked some cornflakes off of her chest and went upstairs.

Everything went pretty smoothly; she made all the dirty boy’s beds – even Tom’s, which was very scary as he watched her do it before going downstairs.

Finally she got to her bed and whipped off the duvet.

A snake was sitting there curled up on the sheets, it stretched its head out almost lazily and bit down on her finger. Blood spurted everywhere and Amy ran from the room – yelling.

“I think someone’s been telling Porky Pies Amy,� said Mrs. Cole, after inspecting all the rooms in the orphanage.

“But I’m not, Mrs. Cole!� Amy wailed. “The snake really was there!�

*~*

The present-day Amy was shivering, she had relived some of the worst moments of her life, especially the last one. That was when Tom Riddle had taken her down to the cave.

It suddenly clicked in her mind that these were all memories of Tom Riddle. The orphanage swam into focus again, to reveal her as a nine-year-old.

Amy balanced her dirty sheets carefully before setting off.

An old man had come to visit Tom, there was muffled conversation but Amy couldn’t hear anything properly.

Suddenly there was a bang and Amy heard Tom yelling. She shrieked in surprise and fell over. She lay on the floor for couple of minutes and jumped up as soon as a man opened the door.

He was dressed quite oddly, wearing colourful robes, with his auburn beard tucked into his belt. He didn’t notice Amy at first and walked right into her.

“I am terribly sorry…?�

“A-a-amy sir, Amy Benson.�

Tom glared at her through a crack in the door, but stopped immediately when the man looked at him.

“I believe, Amy, that Tom has something to give you.�

Tom muttered something under his breath and grudgingly tossed her a thimble.

Amy caught it, open-mouthed.

“And…� the man prompted.

Tom muttered something again.

“Didn’t quite catch that, Tom.� The old man smiled, his eyes twinkling.

“I’m sorry I took it,� Tom mumbled before slamming the door in their faces.

The man strode towards the stairs. “If you will excuse me, Amy, I have various errands to attend to.� And in the swish of a cloak he was gone.

*~*

Images came more quickly now and more disjointed.

Amy was ten and Tom had made her watch as he fed his pet snake.

Then she was eleven and Tom put ketchup on her birthday cake.

She was twelve and Tom “accidentally� smashed her window with a football.

But these Amys were happier; Tom only came home in the summertime.

Suddenly Amy arrived at her thirteenth birthday party and groaned.

The most embarrassing moment of her life and she had to watch it all over again.


Amy walked across the room distractedly, watching all the boys and girls dancing and talking and eating.

Unexpectedly she crashed into a boy around her own age. He had wavy brown hair and blue, nervous-looking eyes. He was wearing glasses, which had been broken during the collision.

“Oh Denis! I’ve broken your glasses! I’m so sorry!� Amy wailed.

“It’s ok,� Denis grinned. “I never liked them much anyway.�

They both looked up at the ceiling.

“Mistletoe.� Denis smiled. “Mrs. Cole must’ve forgotten to take it down after Christmas.�

Amy smiled back. She moved closer to Denis, so that their noses we’re touching, Amy tilted her head sideways and –

Someone pulled her back by her hair and sent her flying into the half-eaten birthday cake.

“Whoops,� said Tom softly. “Sorry Benson.�

Amy ran from the room with her face covered in jam and whipped cream…

*~*

The present-day Amy woke with a start.

“Oh thank the lord!� she heard Mrs. Cole cry.

“Amy!� Someone wrapped their arms around Amy and kissed her. Amy had a shrewd idea who it might be.

She rubbed her eyes. “W-w-what happened?�

“You fainted,� Denis explained, “on your way home from school, you’ve been out for around 3 hours.�

Mrs. Cole left Amy and Denis alone and went to look after Billy Stubbs, whose rabbit was missing again.

“I had a horrible vision when I was out.� Amy told him.

“Do you want to talk to me about it?� Denis asked.

Amy remembered her 13th birthday party. “Not just yet.�

Denis walked towards the door and turned. “I love you.�

Amy waited until he was gone and then whispered, “I love you too.�

Amy pressed a hand against the frosty window. It was late November and one of the coldest winters in history. Many people had died. Amy could feel dark shadows prowling the street, they seemed to feed on death and despair… Amy shivered and huddled down as Denis came into the room buttoning up his coat.

“I’m going shopping,� he called, breaking in on her reverie.

Amy bolted upright. “You can’t!� she exclaimed. “Denis, it’s minus twenty degrees out there!�

Denis grinned. “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a little bit?�

Amy decided to throw caution to the winds. “You can’t go because there’s, well, there’s dark shadows that seem to suck the life out of people...I’m…I’m, well, I’m scared for you.�

Denis put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll take my chances with the shadows; all we have to eat is apples and I need to go before it gets any darker. You relax and I’ll be back in ten minutes.�

Amy wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Promise?�

“Promise.� Denis kissed her on the cheek and left.

*~*

Amy lay back on the sofa and stared into the crackling fire. Something felt weird, almost like someone was watching her – “Stop thinking like that,� she told herself “There’s nothing here that will hurt you.�

That was when someone spoke from outside.

“Morsmordre!�

The windows shattered and the door fell off its hinges. A hooded figure stepped through. Amy grabbed a candelabra for support.

Then the person threw back its hood and Amy screamed. It was a grotesque mutant; it had horrible pasty white skin with red, cat-like slits for eyes.

“W-w-who are you?� Amy asked holding the candelabra like a sword.

The mutant sneered at her, Amy knew she had never seen this person in her life before but he still seemed strangely familiar.

“I, stupid filth, am the all powerful –�

“Tom Riddle!� Amy exclaimed. It had been years since she had left the orphanage but she would have recognized that voice anywhere.

Tom’s features split into a wide smile.

“Well, well, well. Amy Benson. You’ve grown up.�

Amy clenched her fists. “Unfortunately so have you.�

Tom raised his eyebrows. “A wonderful retort Amy, you must write them down in a book.� He walked lazily around the living room, as if he did it every day, glancing at things, sometimes laughing.

Amy’s hand was clutching the candelabra so tightly now that it was about to snap. She remembered how he had used to do this in the orphanage. Walk around her room, sometimes taking things, eating her sweets and cutting the hair off of her dolls while she watched helplessly.

Tom bent down to whisper in her ear as he passed. “I can see you married that scum, Denis Bishop, why on earth would you want to marry him?�

“Speaking of scum,� Amy said, sounding a lot braver then she felt. “Get out of my house.�

Tom stopped moving but he didn’t say anything, so Amy went on.

“You think you scare me, don’t you. You may have frightened me when I was eight but that was a long time ago! I do not fear you anymore!�

And then she did something she had wanted to do ever since he had entered her house. She hurled the candelabra at him with all the strength she could gather.

It was a mistake.

He smiled hungrily. “Aww poor little Benson doesn’t fear Tom anymore, that’s a good thing, it means you’re not scared of death.�

Amy backed away nervously as Tom raised a wand (that was what it looked like, but Amy’s mind wasn’t functioning properly at that point).

“Avada Kedavra!� he shrieked.

Amy ran and tripped. All she could see was a flash of green light and hear the cold, high-pitched laughter of her nightmares.

And then she knew no more.

Tom turned on his heel and strode out of the house, deciding he would spend a few nights in the company of his followers before starting on a long journey home.

*~*

Denis Bishop grabbed a jar of pasta sauce and dropped it in his haste. He swore loudly and began to pick up the shards of glass. He wanted to get out of the supermarket as quickly as possible. He had hated having to leave Amy alone. He didn’t like the sound of life-sucking shadows either. Amy had a gift, that was for sure - she could feel people’s emotions, see things that he couldn’t, sense deaths in the neighbourhood.

Denis had to admit it was creepy.

He had reached for another jar of pasta sauce when a frantic-looking girl bumped into him.

He recognized eleven-year-old Connie from down the road.

“Mr Bishop! There’s been a…a…�

Denis grabbed her by the shoulders “A what? Is Amy ok?�

“We don’t know!� Connie wailed. “There was an…an…an explosion! A giant green explosion! And then –�

But Denis was already halfway down the road, still clutching the jar of pasta sauce.

*~*

Amy Benson woke suddenly but kept her eyes shut tight.

“You’re dead� said a voice inside her that sounded uncannily like Tom Riddle’s. “You’re dead, Amy Benson, you’re never going to see Denis or your friends or –�

Something furry brushed up beside her miaowing.

“Cleo?� Amy asked incredulously. She opened her eyes in astonishment and sat up carefully. Her nose was bleeding and her ankle appeared to be broken but she was in much better shape than she deserved to be.

The house hadn’t been so lucky. The windows were all shattered and the door had fallen onto the ground. Furniture was overturned and somehow the coffee table had been cracked down the middle.

A tall person came through the doorway and Amy shrieked.

But it wasn’t Tom Riddle; it was a tall good-looking man with black hair.

“Are you Amy Benson?� he asked.

Amy nodded.

“I’m...Regulus Black. And, well, I think this belongs to you.� He handed her a golden locket with a snake carved into it. It was one of the most beautiful things Amy had every seen, yet it also made her feel uneasy.

Regulus bent down to her. “I couldn’t open it, but maybe you might have more luck.�

“I’ll…I’ll try,� Amy said. She dug her fingernails into the groove and pulled. The locked creaked open and a mist emerged from it and started to coil around her, like a snake. The mist seemed to tighten, making it harder for her to breathe –

“I knew it!� Regulus muttered and then yelled something Amy couldn’t make out. The mist stopped wrapping around her and disappeared.

Amy took a few deep breaths and then collapsed, unconscious, for the second time that day.

From down the road a siren sounded.

Regulus hastily pushed the locket into Amy’s hand and ran out of the house, it was best that neither his master nor the police found out about this.

*~*

Amy opened her eyes. She realized that she was no longer on the living room floor, but instead in bed in a hospital.

“Amy! You’re ok!� Denis hugged her so tightly she thought her eyes might pop out.

“I guess so,� Amy gasped. “But I won’t be for long unless you stop hugging me so tightly!�

“Oh, right, sorry,� Denis muttered, loosening his grasp.

There was something heavy tugging at her neck. Amy put her hand up and felt the locket, it was still open. She closed it gently and then remembered something.

Amy punched Denis on his arm.

“Ow!� Denis cried out. “What on earth did you do that for?� he demanded rubbing his shoulder.

“For making me wait the longest ten minutes in living history.�

Denis stared at his shoes. “I – what I mean to say is…sorry,� he mumbled.

Amy grinned and kissed him. “I love you.�

Denis smiled sideways at her. “Promise?�

“Promise.�


Maybe things weren’t going to be so bad after all.

Amy Benson was sitting in a big leather armchair with her chin resting on her knees. Denis was flicking through a holiday brochure while rocking the baby in its cot.

“Well we could go to Ireland, I suppose,� he said, “but all the flights are in the middle of the – Amy, am I talking to myself?

“What? Um, no…sorry, what were you saying?� Amy asked distractedly.

Denis flicked a page. “I was saying we could go to Ireland…oh, wait, how about the seaside, there’s a – oh Amy, I’m so sorry!�

Amy’s dark brown eyes had filled with tears.

“Amy, I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned the seasi – listen, we could go to Wales instead!�

Amy shook her head and ran upstairs.

Denis kicked the chair in frustration as he heard the bedroom door slam. What an idiot he had been! He sat down again, it would be best to leave Amy to calm down a bit.

The baby giggled in her cot, kicking her legs, unaware of what had just happened.

*~*

Denis knocked on the bedroom door.

No reply came, he’d been expecting that.

He pushed the door open gently.

Amy was lying face down on the bed with a handkerchief clutched in her fist.

“I brought you some tea,� Denis said softly and put the cup down beside her.

“I want to go there, Denis,� Amy mumbled.

“What!?�

“I need to go back, Denis, please,� she pleaded. “You don’t understand. It’s like a part of me needs to go back and it won’t rest until I do.�

“Amy, you’ll just upset yourself,� he said firmly. “I’m sorry, but there is absolutely no way we are going back there.�

*~*

Denis leaned over the balcony railing and stared out at the sea. The sun was setting and it cast pink and orange and yellow lights onto the water. He really should learn to say no, but at least Amy was happy…happier than usual anyway.

Amy was tucking the baby, Gloria, into her crib and selecting a bedtime story.

There was hardly anything to do here at night, so Denis quickly changed into his pyjamas and lay down in bed. The only sounds were the crashes of the waves on the rocks and Amy’s soft voice telling the story of Snow White.

“Snow White became fairer as she grew up and when she was eight, she had become the most beautiful girl anyone had ever seen.�

Denis yawned. Perhaps he had done the right thing after all.

“And so, she cooked and cleaned for all the dwarves and they let her stay at the cottage.�

It was so nice, just lying here, listening to Amy. Denis’s vision had started to blur at the edges.

“And when they returned, they found Snow White lying on the floor, dead.�

Those were the last words Denis could remember, and then he fell asleep.

*~*

Amy grabbed an oil lamp and closed the door softly. She stepped out onto the dewy grass and shivered, wishing she’d brought her coat, but she couldn’t go back, she might wake Denis.

“How horrible I am,� she thought. “I’m lying to my own husband.�

She walked and walked until she came to a familiar, rocky cliff. Amy attached the oil lamp to her belt and gently lowered herself onto the cliff face. She kicked out for a foothold and began to climb down. The wind howled in her ears and her muscles began to ache when she had gone a quarter of the way.

It grew darker and darker as Amy climbed down. Every time she grabbed a rock she cried out in pain. Once she was almost thrown from the cliff face into the sea by the strong wind.

At last she reached the ground, breathing heavily. She sat the oil lamp on a rock and then screamed. Amy’s hands were raw and completely covered in blood. Blood sloshed around in her shoes from when she had kicked out to get her footing.

She picked up the lamp and felt blood trickle sickeningly down her sleeve. She walked to the cave entrance and found it filled with water. Amy swore, but it was no use, she had to keep going, she needed to. Amy pinched her nose and jumped into the freezing cold water and swam. She swam quickly, forcing her aching arms to work. Suddenly – her hands closed onto the rock. She dragged herself to the surface, coughing and spluttering.

Amy groaned. She was now faced with a stone wall, which certainly hadn’t been there before.
Amy pushed against the wall in desperation. Her hands had left a splatter of blood on the rock.
Suddenly, the shape of an arch glowed white on the rock. The rock seemed to open, revealing a dark room emitting an eerie green light. Amy staggered through the arch and she saw a gigantic black lake, as smooth as a mirror. In the centre of the lake was a small marble island with a basin, the contents of which, Amy could not see.

Amy cried out in desperation. She turned around – the arch had sealed itself.

She was trapped.

“Help me,� Amy sobbed. “I don’t know what to do, please, help me.�

There was a loud rattle of chains, and a boat rose out of the water.

“That was a coincidence,� Amy told herself as she clambered into the boat. “It had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with what you said.�

Amy picked up the oars and began to row. After about five minutes her arms felt as if they were about to fall off. The oars seemed to get heavier and heavier as she rowed along and the island seemed to get further away.

Until there was a loud clunk.

The second Amy had stepped out of the boat it sank to the bottom of the lake, leaving Amy stranded on the marble island.

“Oh, fantastic,� Amy thought. “I’m even more trapped than I was twenty minutes ago.�

Peering down into the small basin, Amy saw it was filled to the brim with a thick, greenish substance emitting a glowing light. Amy sniffed the contents of the marble bowl, it didn’t appear to have a scent. Amy bent over the basin and touched the liquid.

A small, blurry picture appeared on the surface of the liquid. A small boy nibbling his lip nervously, another one with his eyes closed chanting something over and over and…. a young, blonde haired girl twisting and writhing on the floor…it was Amy.

She screamed and stepped back, one of her shoes brushed the surface of the lake behind her.

A grey, rotting hand rose out of the water, and started to drag Amy down into the depths.

Amy let out an ear-piercing shriek and grabbed the white basin. The hand’s grip tightened and began to pull harder. Amy clung onto the basin for dear life while trying to shake her foot loose.

Amy felt like the rope in an awful, life-threatening tug-of-war. Perhaps she would be stuck here forever being slowly torn in two. A loud crack echoed around the cave and Amy’s leg fell limp.

It was broken.

That was when she realized there was no hope left for her now. If only she’d listened to Denis none of this would have happened. Tears began to poor down her face.

“Denis,� she whispered. “I’m sorry.�

Amy sat there crying, her arms wrapped around the basin and watching helplessly as the hand kept on pulling her closer to the edge. Suddenly, a burst of pain shot up Amy’s broken leg; the hand had pulled her ankle underwater.

Amy felt as if she were on fire, unbearable pain engulfing every part of her body. Her hands lost their grip on the basin, and she bent forward to examine her leg. At once, the hand grabbed her left arm and began pulling it down as well.

Amy screamed and tried to clamber up to the other side of the marble island but the hand had seized her other leg as well.

It pulled her healthy leg under and then her arm. It began to tug her slowly towards the edge. Amy’s right-hand fingernails scratched the cold marble, creating small sparks.

And without warning, the hand let go and sank down to the bottom of the lake.

Amy pulled herself out of the freezing water, panting. She took a few deep breaths before passing out on the marble floor.

*~*

A loud cry broke the silence in the seaside apartment. Denis groaned and heaved himself out of bed. He glanced at the clock. Twenty past three in the morning.

He walked over to Gloria’s crib, picked her up and brought her into the kitchen. He rocked Gloria gently as he spooned the baby mixture into a milk bottle. Denis loved his little girl to pieces but he couldn’t wait for this night feeding lark to be over.

When the milk was ready he brought Gloria back to her crib. She drank the milk happily and the bottle was empty in two minutes flat.

He placed her back in the cot and tucked her in. The he turned to go back to his own bed.

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He had thought Amy was lying beside him but her half of the bed was empty and it looked as if nobody had slept there at all.

Denis’s first instinct was to call the police, but then he realized it was pointless; he knew where Amy had gone. Part of him had known she would go there, no matter how hard he tried to stop her.

He sat on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

“Amy,� he murmured, “please be safe, please.�

*~*

Down in the cave, Amy was regaining consciousness.

She was exhausted, her leg was broken and she had no way of getting out of this horrible cave. She glanced down at her leg and gasped.

There was a hand-shaped burn that covered her ankle. Amy touched the cut tentatively. It glowed and seemed to burn her hand. She drew her hand back quickly.

What a wonderful day this was turning out to be.

Amy closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. “I wish I was able to get out of this cave,� she muttered, trying very hard not to cry.

She sighed and opened her eyes. What she saw almost made her cheer happily.

The boat had risen from the water and was waiting for her to get in. Amy managed to lift herself in though it took a while getting her leg positioned.

The thoughts of the awful hand faded away, Amy was just happy she was going home.

*~*

Denis couldn’t seem to sit still. Horrible thoughts of what might be happening to Amy kept playing inside his head. He remembered the last words he’d heard her say.

Found her lying on the floor, dead

“Stop panicking,� Denis told himself. “Any second now, she’ll come in and everything will be fine.�

Suddenly, there were bangs and noises outside the door. Denis stood up and looked out the window.

It was pitch-black outside, he couldn’t see anything, but he knew people were there. Perhaps it was a few drunks from the village.

One of them yelled something in a made-up language and the door clicked open. A man stepped into the house. He had sickly white skin and twisted, snake-like features.

“W-w-who are you?� Denis asked, hoping that the man wouldn’t notice that he was shaking.

Tom Riddle’s lip curled, Denis obviously wasn’t as clever as his late wife. “Your worst nightmare,� he hissed.

For the second time that morning Denis’s eyes widened.

The man raised a stick and shrieked something in the unfamiliar language. There was a flash of green light and Denis knew no more.

*~*

Amy dragged herself off of the cliff face and onto the cold, wet grass. Thankfully, it was low tide and she didn’t have to swim out of the cave. The climb had been very difficult with her broken leg and had taken her what seemed like an eternity to reach the top.

Amy grabbed a stick and began walking, using the stick as a crutch. She would have to get it bandaged up back at the apartment. Oh, Denis was going to be terribly mad with her. She had been extremely reckless going to the cave like that and not telling him about it.

“I shall take him out for dinner tonight,� Amy decided. “And I’ll do all the – oh my god!�

A glittering green skull hung above her apartment. What on earth was it doing there? Was Denis alright?

Amy hurried up to the flat as fast as her leg would allow.

The door was open and it was creaking in the wind.

“Denis?� Amy called. “Denis, are you alright?�

She stepped into the apartment and quickly checked the kitchen and the sitting room before entering the bedroom.

Gloria was sleeping peacefully in her cot and Denis –

Tears rolled down Amy’s cheeks. Sprawled on the bed was Denis Bishop.
Amy wrapped her arms around her husbands limp form and went on crying quietly. She knew who had done this; it was the same person who had pulled her plaits when she was five, the person who made sure she was never happy.

Tom Riddle.

Amy sobbed onto Denis’s shoulder. “Come back to me, Denis,� she whispered. “I love you.�

Regulus Black sprinted through the forest, his heart pounding. He could hear them following him, it was obvious they weren’t going to give up anytime soon. His hideout was ten minutes away…could he make it that far?

He kept on running, thorns scratched his arms and legs and once or twice he tripped over a tree stump. At last he reached his hideout – well, it was less of a hideout and more of a large shed, but you don’t entertain much when you’re on the run from a Dark wizard and his servants.

Regulus pulled the door closed. “Colloportus,� he gasped before collapsing on the floor, panting.

Were they still on his trail? Should he get out of here and hide in the forest until they gave up? Yes, that was a good idea but he would just stay here until he got his breath back – there was no harm in that.

“Reducto!� a woman shrieked and with a BANG the door shattered into a million pieces, revealing two people standing in the doorway.

“Did you have to do that?� Regulus asked weakly, shielding his eyes from splinters.

“It adds to the effect,� Bellatrix replied and swept into the room, Lucius Malfoy following in her wake.

Regulus propped himself up and tried to disguise the fact that his lungs were about to implode. “Bellatrix, Lucius,� he nodded in their direction.

Bellatrix’s face was alight with glee. “You’ve been a very bad boy, Reggie,� she smirked. “Did you think you could just back out of the Dark Lord’s inner circle?�

The real answer was ‘no’, but Regulus wasn’t going to give in. He wasn’t going to die sounding like a coward. “Yeah, I did, actually,� he said defiantly.

Bellatrix scowled. “Well, you’re wrong. The only way to end your service to the Dark Lord is to die, and we wouldn’t want to break tradition, now, would we?�

“Well, physically you could break tradition,� Regulus said thoughtfully. “But I suppose you’re talking about whether –�

“Crucio!� Bellatrix screamed.

Unbearable pain spread through Regulus’s body, piercing him like a hundred knives. When it finally stopped, Regulus found himself on the floor, sweaty and out of breath once more.

Bellatrix bent over him. “You don’t want that to happen again, do you, Reggie?� she leered, throwing her wand up and catching it again. “Now, where is the locket?�

“What locket?� Regulus asked, feigning innocence.

“The Dark Lord’s locket,� Lucius replied as Bellatrix darted around the room, opening cupboards and smashing jars.

“There’s a picture,� Regulus grinned, “the Dark Lord in jewellery. What next? A tutu?�

Bellatrix grabbed his shirt and pulled him up so that their noses were almost touching. “Never insult the Dark Lord, or face,� her eyes glittered maliciously, “the consequences.�

Lucius pushed her aside. “Stop fooling around, Bella, we have a job to do.� He hesitated before pointing his wand at Regulus’s chest. “I’ll ask you once more, Regulus, where is the locket?�

“To be honest, I have no idea.� Regulus smiled widely as he watched Bellatrix’s face go pale. “I slipped it to a secret accomplice a few years back.�

“Who?� Lucius and Bellatrix asked in unison.

“I might remind you,� Bellatrix said menacingly, “that this answer could determine whether you live or die tonight.�

Regulus sighed. “Very well, I suppose you would’ve gotten it out of me sooner or later. Her name is Amy Benson.�

Both Lucius and Bellatrix looked confused. “Surely you mean Amy Baddock or Amy Barkwith?� Lucius inquired.

Regulus shook his head.

“Well then,� Bellatrix’s cheeks had regained a little of their colour. “I think that’s all we need.� She raised her wand.

“Wait! You can’t! Bella, we’re cousins!� Regulus exclaimed.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at his heart. “It’s nothing personal, Reggie, we’re just following orders.�

Regulus was shaking, he knew what was coming but he wasn’t going to die curled up on the ground. He stood up and waited for it to happen.

Lucius gave him an apologetic glance. “I’m sorry, Reg.�

Regulus looked away and willed himself not cry. What would they say to his parents? Would his brother even care if he was dead? Was Amy Benson safe?

Then, out of nowhere, it happened.

“Avada Kedavra!� Bellatrix shrieked.

Bright green light obscured his vision and Bellatrix’s manic laughter rang in his ears before he fell backwards and the ground swallowed him up.

*~*

“WHERE IS MY LOCKET?!� Tom Riddle screamed.

“W-w-we don’t know, master,� Bellatrix said tentatively. “Black said he slipped it to an accomplice – Amy Benson.�

Tom’s cat-like eyes widened and he sat down in a high-backed chair with his head in his hands. “You have done well, Bella,� he muttered, not looking up. “You are dismissed.�

Bellatrix nodded and swept from the room.

Tom Riddle’s mind was chaos. How could Black have given Amy the locket? He’d killed her a long, long time ago. Unless he had missed – no, that was ridiculous, he never missed…but he had to make sure.

He got out of his chair and opened the drawer of his desk. It was filled with death notices taken from newspapers. He enjoyed cutting out the notices of people he killed, it always brought a smile to his face.

Tom sorted through every single one. Amy Benson’s wasn’t there. Her death notice didn’t exist…because she wasn’t dead. Amy Benson was alive and she had his horcrux.

“I’m coming for you, Amy Benson,� he whispered. “And this time you won’t be so lucky.�