History Fanfic / TheVerySecretDiary

* WhamLine: "You have mentioned this You-Know-Who several times, Virginia. But I do not know who. Won't you tell me?"

* GoodIsNotDumb[=/=]GuileHero: Ginny. Despite all of Tom's insults and snipes, she was able to delay Riddle's plans by several months, first by manipulating the concern of her friends and family, and through sheer willpower.

* DarkFic: In a sense. While the ''Harry Potter'' books are famous for being pretty damn dark, especially for children's literature, it wasn't at ''this'' level in the second book. (Fifth book, maybe. Certainly the sixth.) However, aside from a few details that got [[OutdatedByCanon debunked later on]], this story is entirely canon-compliant -- something like this ''must'' have happened offscreen.

'''Tom:'''Breathe deeply. And when your mind is blank and cold, and your body feels numb and open, put me away under your pillow and stay very, very still.\\

* DramaticIrony[=/=]KuleshovEffect: Early on, Ginny thinks of Tom as a friend, so many of his responses sound interested and earnest to her. To the reader who knows the truth, however, those same responses are sardonic and condescending.

* EvilGloating[=/=]KickTheDog: Tom bullies Ginny well past the point where he's won. 'Cause he ''evil''.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: It's been pointed out that Tom's manipulation is disturbingly similar to that of real life predators.

* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: This fic gives Ginny one for the original book. [[spoiler:Ginny spent almost a full two months fighting Tom off before she was finally fully possessed. Talking back to him and snarking at him along the way. DownerEnding or not, that's impressive.]]

* TermsOfEndangerment: Tom frequently addresses Ginny as "dear" or "sweet girl" or other pet names. It's enough to make you sick.
** A sickening [[InvertedTrope Inversion]] is that Tom often uses her full name, Virginia, which is a little more grown-up and elegant. In the follow-up ''Disenchanted,'' when Dumbledore tries to use her proper name, Ginny stops him. Her own name has been ruined in her ears. Dumbledore retains a quiet hope that she will heal in that aspect, too.

** A sickening [[InvertedTrope Inversion]] is that Tom often uses by her full name, Virginia, which is a little more grown-up and elegant. In the follow-up ''Disenchanted,'' when Dumbledore tries to use her proper name Ginny stops him. Her own name has become ruined in her ears. Dumbledore retains a quiet hope that she will recover in that aspect, too.

* VisionaryVillain: Tom, as always.

** Ginny, towards Harry, a little bit, though it's relatively harmless -- just perfectly ordinary frustration any eleven year old would feel if her crush seemed way more interested in his female friend than her.

* MinimalistCast: Other characters are mentioned frequently, but only Ginny and Tom appear in person. (Or, on page.)

* FreudianExcuse: Defied. Ginny acknowledges that Tom had a rough life, but as she points out, so did Harry. Tom's terrible upbringing didn't make him evil -- and she's not sure what did.

* SmugSnake: Riddle is certainly dangerous and manipulative, but he's not as smart as he would like to believe. He utterly underestimates Ginny's intelligence. [[spoiler: This partly ends up his undoing, since he constructs fake backstory was so weak, Ginny only had to ask a few questions to poke holes in it. And when Ginny does get wise, his plans are setback by her attempts at resistance]], leading him to basically throw a tantrum.

Starting from her first entry, the story shows Ginny's increasing terror as she starts blacking out and waking up to hear about students being petrified. She turns increasingly to Tom for support, but his underestimation of Ginny, along with his frustration at being a child's diary, causes him to gradually reveal his true nature. Ginny catches on to him, and they soon find themselves in a fight as Tom tries to completely control her and Ginny casts about for a way to fight him without going to a teacher and getting expelled.

Despite its ForegoneConclusion, The Very Secret Diary is able to draw out a lot of characterization, FridgeHorror, and suspense out of its subject. The story can be found [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/2345300/chapters/5171522 here]] and there is also a German translation that can be read [[http://www.fanfiktion.de/s/46b394cf00002d99067007d0/2/The-Very-Secret-Diary-by-Arabella here]].

* AdultFear: [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Your eleven year old daughter makes a new friend she doesn't tell you about. They write back and forth for months, not meeting in person. She pours her heart out to this new friend. He is older than her, very possessive and controlling, and makes her feel isolated and alone without him. He presents himself as a benevolent ally, someone who wants to "teach" her things about the world, but slowly reveals himself to be a sadistic monster. When they finally properly meet, he shows his true colors, but by then, it's too late.]]

* DefiantToTheEnd: Even when she's powerless against him, Ginny refuses to go quietly.

* GoodIsNotDumb/GuileHero: Ginny. Despite all of Tom's insults and snipes, she was able to delay Riddle's plans by several months, first by manipulating the concern of her friends and family, and through sheer willpower.

* GetOut: Tom's only response to the above.

* KickTheDog: Tom bullies Ginny well past the point where he's won. 'Cause he ''evil''.

---> '''Tom Riddle, informing Ginny Weasley that she's naive, defined as having not experienced true pain.'''
---> '''Tom''': ''I tell you this to help you. To spare you pain. It is possible that Beth is kind to you in order to distract you so that you will not see her true intention.''
---> '''Ginny''': ''To read my diary. ''
---> '''Tom''':'' It is not for me to make accusations. I mean only to make you aware. I know the ways of the world and I could not bear to see you taken advantage of.''
---> '''Ginny''':'' ... What happened to make you not naïve, then? ''
---> '''Tom''':'' What… ''
---> '''Ginny''': ''Did someone hurt you? ''
---> '''Tom''': ''It … You …''