I selected my destination with careful precision.
[Chosen Worldline: Golden Trio Era — Year 2 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]
A time when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. When his diary was still in play. Perfect.
I closed my eyes, channeling the system's energy through my core. A sensation like twisting light wrapped around me — weightless, then crushing, then gone.
When I opened my eyes again, I stood in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts.
The castle was alive with magic — the wards thrummed through the stones like the heartbeat of a slumbering dragon. The familiar corridors were unchanged, but this world felt subtly different — the same melody played in a slightly altered key.
Footsteps echoed in the distance. Voices — laughter — children. The students of this parallel Hogwarts had no idea that a far greater darkness had just stepped into their world.
I adjusted my robes, focused my magic inward, and whispered,"Metamorphic Transfiguration: Human Form Copy."
My body shimmered. My bones shifted, my hair coiled into chestnut curls, my skin tone softened, and my eyes deepened into a warm brown. Within seconds, Hermione Granger stared back from the nearest mirror of conjured glass. Every detail — every strand of hair — was perfect.
A flawless disguise.
I needed access to the Gryffindor common room — and Neville Longbottom was the weak link. I found him alone near a stairwell, fumbling with a stack of books. A subtle wave of my wand and his eyes glazed over.
"Tell me the password, Neville," I murmured.
His voice was slow, mechanical. "Caput Draconis."
"Thank you," I said softly, and wiped the memory with a flick of my hand.
Moments later, I was climbing through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. The fire crackled quietly as I passed groups of students whispering about the attacks — about the "Heir of Slytherin."
If only they knew how close they truly were to one.
Moving silently up the stairs, I reached the girls' dormitory. The room was dim, moonlight spilling across four beds. My eyes found the smallest one — Ginny Weasley.
Her breathing was shallow, restless. The diary pulsed faintly beneath her pillow.
A simple charm whispered from my lips. "Somnus."
Ginny fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. I approached her bedside, brushing aside her blanket. The black diary sat waiting, quiet and unassuming — yet filled with power and corruption.
I picked it up carefully. A strange, nostalgic energy ran through my fingertips. It was unmistakable — Tom Riddle's soul fragment.
My soul fragment.
This version of me, split and sealed by an alternate self.
I smirked faintly. "So, you're this world's echo of me, are you?"
The diary felt alive, almost curious, as though it recognized something kindred in my aura.
I slipped it into my robes, whispering a containment charm to suppress its influence. The black energy dimmed instantly.
Now, I had the first Horcrux. One of seven.
Six more to find — and one alternate me to hunt down.
I looked down at the sleeping red-haired girl. "Don't worry, Ginny. You won't have to suffer through possession this time."