Unexpected Encounters | Tom Riddle

Lilia's thoughts swirled in her mind, convinced that Grindelwald had sent his men to eliminate her friends. During their duel, she had been reckless, her anger and grief slipping through the cracks of her carefully constructed facade. That moment of carelessness had given Grindelwald all he needed to piece things together- that it wasn't just her but someone close to her who would one day end his life. If he couldn't pinpoint who it was, then the answer was simple: eliminate them all.

Screams echoed around them as chaos engulfed the pub. Tables overturned, shattered glass crunching beneath hurried footsteps, and people pushed past in their desperate bid for safety. Lilia barely registered the noise. Her sole focus was on Abraxas and Tom, both of whom she shoved toward the back of the bar with urgent force.

"What-" Tom began, but his words were drowned out when Lilia fired a spell at the wall behind them, blasting it apart. Snow and cold air rushed in as the makeshift exit loomed before them. "No time for questions!" With a flick of her wand, she blasted apart the rear wall, exposing them to the biting snow and crisp winter air. Shards of wood and stone sprayed out into the cold as her spell struck true.

"What in Merlin's name-" Tom started, his voice trailing off when he saw her step into the snow-covered alley, her jaw set, her eyes sharp and focused.

She took a deep breath, centering herself amidst the chaos. Happiness. She reached deep into her memories, forcing herself to think of every fleeting moment of peace and love: Harry's laughter, Theo's smirk, Remus's kind words, late-night talks with Evangeline and Celeste, and even stolen moments with Tom. Her hand tightened around her wand. "Expecto Patronum!" She cried, her voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air.

A shimmering Newfoundland dog erupted from her wand, bounding forward in radiant, silvery light. Its glowing form was almost blinding against the darkened streets. Tom and Abraxas froze for a fraction of a second, both stunned. Lilia's patronus wasn't just powerful; it was luminous, almost alive in its intensity. The dog circled her briefly before she commanded, "Find Evangeline, Celeste, Tiernan, and Icarus. Meet at the Hog's Head Inn." With an obedient bark, the patronus bounded off, weaving through the destruction like a beacon of hope.

Tom's eyes narrowed, but there was no time to question her as two black-cloaked figures apparated directly in front of them. Lilia didn't hesitate. Her wand whipped up, and before Tom or Abraxas could react, she fired a barrage of curses- dark spells they had never seen her use before.

The first spell hit one of the cloaked figures like a hammer, throwing them back several feet. They scrambled to raise a shield, but Lilia's reflexes were faster, her wand flicking sharply as she hurled another dark spell at them, forcing them further back. Tom's lips parted slightly, a flicker of surprise darting across his features as he recognized the incantations she was using. Spells that required both precision and a certain ruthlessness to execute.

"What the hell?" Abraxas muttered under his breath, his grip on his wand tightening as he shot a glance at her.

Lilia didn't notice. Her focus was unrelenting. She blocked and deflected curses with a ferocity neither of them had seen during their practice duels. Red and purple streaks of light crackled through the air, her shields shimmering with an intensity that left her opponents visibly frustrated. Even as she dodged, her movements were swift, graceful, almost instinctual, as though she had been trained on the battlefield itself.

"She's holding her own against them," Abraxas muttered, half to himself, as he cast his own shield to deflect a curse. "More than that," Tom said, his voice low. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty in her spells. She wasn't dueling to spar, she was fighting to incapacitate, to dominate. And she was winning.