"What if He had Listened?"
Instead of going that fateful night to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry, Tom went that night to surrender. Because someone- maybe Malfoy, maybe Snape, maybe even Dumbledore himself, confronted Voldemort about the prophecy and made him actually realize what he was becoming. More than likely, it would be Dumbledore- carrying the guilt he held from the last war, unwilling to see it spiral out of control, he takes the initiative and confronts Tom, besting him in an epic duel and letting him know what he has become, the monster he is becoming. And tells him the full prophecy, because he is fated to fail. And finally, gives him an out, a chance at redemption- show himself to have some final scrap of humanity, or he will end him.
So, that halloween night, Voldemort apparates to Godric's Hollow, blasts open the door with his followers...and then stuns his followers, falls onto his knees, and begs for mercy.
His connections in the Ministry prevent him from being Kissed. He spends the next decade and a half inside Azkaban. Dumbledore comes to visit him every month, to talk, hoping for some show of humanity, or redemption.
And during his Third Year, Tom Riddle finds himself on the run, and trying to find the boy who was fated to destroy him or die trying- and trying to find if there's a way for him to be saved.a
Instead of going that fateful night to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry, Tom went that night to surrender. Because someone- maybe Malfoy, maybe Snape, maybe even Dumbledore himself, confronted Voldemort about the prophecy and made him actually realize what he was becoming. More than likely, it would be Dumbledore- carrying the guilt he held from the last war, unwilling to see it spiral out of control, he takes the initiative and confronts Tom, besting him in an epic duel and letting him know what he has become, the monster he is becoming. And tells him the full prophecy, because he is fated to fail. And finally, gives him an out, a chance at redemption- show himself to have some final scrap of humanity, or he will end him.
So, that halloween night, Voldemort apparates to Godric's Hollow, blasts open the door with his followers...and then stuns his followers, falls onto his knees, and begs for mercy.
His connections in the Ministry prevent him from being Kissed. He spends the next decade and a half inside Azkaban. Dumbledore comes to visit him every month, to talk, hoping for some show of humanity, or redemption.
And during his Third Year, Tom Riddle finds himself on the run, and trying to find the boy who was fated to destroy him or die trying- and trying to find if there's a way for him to be saved.a