I Dreamed a Dream



There was a time when men were kind.

When their voices were soft, and their words inviting.

There was a time when love was blind.

And the world was a song,

And the song was exciting.



There was a time when it all went wrong…



Merope Gaunt had stumbled through the streets, hurt both emotionally and physically. Her brother had jeered and taunted her, teasing her flimsy magical abilities. She had taunted back that he was just as bad, and her father had slapped her. Her mother had been kind to her, despite her…handicap. True, she wasn’t a Squib, but she was as close as you could get. Merope’s mother didn’t care, though. She loved her more than anything else in the world. Her mother was someone that Merope could share the burden of being beaten with. Her father beat both of them, but they had a good time comforting each other. But then her mother had been murdered by her father’s friend (payed by her father of course), so she was left alone. Heart-broken, she would sit by the fire, hypnotized by the crackling flames, always lost in though. She didn’t understand why her father loved her brother more, but she was sobbing so hard that she couldn’t think past her tears. Her father had gone to Azkaban shortly after, with her brother by his side. After a year of running all of the house chores and cooking disgusting meals for herself, she was fed up.



She ran out to find her love, Tom Riddle. Merope met him at a restaurant near his home, where she was, coincidentally, a waitress. It was too easy. While bringing him his whiskey, she slipped in the love potion, and he fell in love with her. I wish they could see me now. Ha, I can make a better love potion than they’ll EVER be able to make. Especially daddy dearest, hitting me all the time. Hmm…I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out that I stole his precious medallion. Merope enjoyed thinking these thoughts over, all the while, she watched Tom fall madly in love with her. It had started out more of a physical attraction, but after their first few dates, it was pure emotional love. Of course, he showered her with gifts. He had bought her jewels of the most beautiful kind and robes and gowns that had beauty exceeding all others.



I dreamed a dream in time gone by,

When hope was high and life worth living.

I dreamed that love would never die.

I dreamed that God would be forgiving.



Then I was young and unafraid,

And dreams were made and used and wasted.

There was no ransom to be paid,

No song unsung, no wine un-tasted.



Ah, love was indeed intense between the two of them. They loved as nobody had loved before, traveling the world and learning exciting languages. Africa, Asia, even sight-seeing in Greece. All the while, more and more love potion was used. Merope was happy, for once in her life. She was overjoyed that Tom had stayed with her, but she hoped that it was more than the potion that convinced him. After all, with the jewelry and elegant evening gowns and styled hair, she was quite pretty. He had even paid for her to pierce her ears and get glasses for her poor sight.



“Merope, my darling, where shall we go now? It’s up to you, as long as you’re happy,� he would say before he kissed her. “China,� she would whisper, and before you would know it, they were appreciating dragon festivals in Beijing. If she would have whispered “America,� they would have been wondering at the Statue of Liberty. “New Zealand,� and they would be exploring the rolling green hills. Anywhere she went, he followed, not unlike a puppy.



But the tigers come at night,

With their voices soft as thunder.

As they tear your hope apart,

As they turn you dream to shame.



He slept a summer by my side.

He filled my days with endless wonder.

He took my childhood in his stride,

But he was gone when autumn came.



After they had returned from their frightfully exciting journeys and moved to London, Merope had decided that Tom would have fallen in love with her by then, so she stopped spiking his drinks. He only stayed for a little while, but they had been fighting during that time – her sobbing and him yelling at her for deceiving him. Then he left, before she could protest. No doubt he went back to his beloved Cecilia So, distraught, she had taken to begging on the streets. She was very poor again, for he had taken back her jewels and fine things. He didn’t take her favorite necklace, though. She had hid it under a loose board in their flat, so she had that. She vowed never to sell it, even if she was a breath away from death.



A little while after, she was ready to have a baby, but this only hurt her more, knowing that her beloved Tom would not be by her side. I’m being foolish, she would think, Why do I keep hoping he’ll come back? He’ll never get near enough for me to slip him another potion, but maybe…maybe…Maybe he’ll remember the great times we had together. Maybe…He’ll come back. I know it. He’ll come. Merope kept feeding herself false hope, waiting for the next sunrise, when he would come. Or at least, she thought he would come.



She wandered through the streets of London, wondering what to do. She finally decided, though it tore her to pieces, to sell Slytherin’s medallion. The first few people she asked did not believe in its authentic value, but she finally came to a man who gave her ten Galleons for it. Merope didn’t understand money, as she had never had any, but when the man began pulling out gold coins, she hastily took the deal.



She came to an orphanage, and decided that this was an appropriate place, as there was nowhere else. A kindly woman invited her in and took her to a shabby bed.



Merope felt a tiny burn of hope inside her while looking at her son. When Tom sees his son, he'll accept me. He'll come back. I know he will.



*



I’ve just had my baby. I’m deciding on what to name him. The woman who was my midwife, Mrs. Cole, is giving me time to think. I’m desperately alone. No, I’ve decided, Tom won’t come for me. Tom… The once beautiful words make tears sting my eyes. His first name will be Tom. I’m desperately alone. No, I’ve decided, Father will never accept me. Marvolo…My father’s name brings a frown to my face, but I’ve disgraced the family enough, so I’ll make his middle name Marvolo. I’m desperately alone. No, my life was never easy. Mother, Father, and now Tom have all left me. I only have one choice for his surname. I’ll never hear the word ‘Gaunt’ again. Riddle. The love of my life’s name. Tom Marvolo Riddle. It sounds nice to me. The midwife comes in and tells me I don’t look well. I give her his new name, and she looks puzzled for a moment, but nods her head and takes my son. I’m desperately alone. Tom won’t come back. Mother is dead. Father hates me. I hope Tom will like it here in the orphanage. I’m going away. I’m desperately alone, but soon, I’ll be welcomed graciously. I’m desperately alone. But not for much longer.







And still I dreamed he’d come,

That we would live the years together.

But there are dreams that cannot be,

And there are storms we cannot weather.



I had a dream my life would be

So different from this hell I’m living.

So different now from what it seemed.

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.