A/N— Tom Riddles returns to Wool's. A story of vengeance… and dessert.

Dinner at Wool's

By-RobinTheSlytherin

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Wools Orphanage stood looming over the cobblestone street of London, like a menacing phantom.

The brick building were worn, the windows had been broken out, yet it still inhabited the gutter babes- the abandoned ones.

Like him.

Tom Riddle gazed up at Wools, seeing ghostly memories of himself as a boy. Always shunned, alone, and beaten. The image of Mrs. Cole didn't cause him to shudder anymore. Instead, he smiled innocently, cocking his head in childlike curiosity.

Tom could hear the sounds of children playing from the courtyard and continued to smile. Inside of his head Tom remembered the sounds of the whippings he received almost daily.

He remembered now infuriated Mr. Wool became when Tom took his beatings stoically.

Mrs. Cole would cane him harder and harder, the sound of the cane breaking upon his back was all he could hear.

Certainly, Tom probably deserved every lash, but that didn't mean he forgot them.

His hand twitched.

Tom had just finished his 7th and final year at Hogwarts. So, it was only natural that he pay Wool's one last visit.

Tom smirked as he walked forward. Mrs. Cole had been most surprised when Tom offered to make dinner for the Wool's staff, as a last farewell to the orphanage.

Tom walked across the cobblestones, purposefully. With every step his smile grew, until he looked positively giddy. The was a hysteric kind of laugh that escaped him as Tom reached the gates.

He reached for the rope to ring the bell and waited, schooling his features politely.

Tom watched as the white-haired matron opened the front door, walking down the narrow steps towards him. She nodded approvingly at how very handsome and mature Tom seemed.

"Welcome back Mister Riddle," Mrs. Cole said formidably, looking just as severe as he remembered.

"Its good to be back, Mrs. Cole." Tom smiled with a warm boyish charm.

As they entered the ancient Orphanage, He slowly took off his outer coat, revealing a well-tailored suite beneath. Mrs. Cole nodded in approval at his tidy appearance. Of course, Tom had always been a neat and clean boy.

Always so manicured for a child…it was strange.

On the way towards the kitchens, Tom met Mister Wulfred Wool. He was in his wooden wheelchair glaring up coldly at Tom.

Tom smiled, remembering the Orphanage's trip to the Museum, and 'accidently' falling into Wool, causing the man to fall into a very busy street.

Tom's polite smile stayed in place.

"Good afternoon, Mister Wool. I hope you are well?"

Wool stared hard into Tom's vivid blue eyes, as if he knew the truth of the boy.

"Never thought I'd see you again, boy." Wool sneered, balling the tartan blanket on his lap between his fists. "suppose after today, Its good riddance."

"Mister Wool." Tom bowed respectfully "I hope for you, and all of the staff to enjoy dinner tonight. After all it I would not be the man I am today, were it not for…all of you. And for that I would like to give you my all gratitude."

Mrs. Cole smiled up at Tom, as if he were a completely different person. She was proud of herself and Mister Wool. It seems the discipline they instilled in the boy had not gone to waste.

There had been nasty accidents that seemed to follow Tom wherever he went, and yet seeing the man standing before her….well, it was clear that the staff had done a wondrous job with him.

Mister Wool eyed Riddle suspiciously, before rolling off towards his study without another word.

"Don't mind him, Tom." Mrs. Cole sniffed "He's just getting older, He must feel quite distraught that you'll be parting ways with us."

"Of course." Tom smiled, as they walked towards the kitchens. "I took the Liberty of having the produce man deliver this month's order of food for the Orphanage. If you don't mind, I also took up the bill as well."

"Gracious Tom! The whole months bill? Well, I must say this is a surprise." Mrs. Cole's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't know things were going to well for you."

"It just took a littler persuasion. It was nothing, really." Tom bowed his head.

For the rest of the afternoon, Tom spent his time receiving the produce from the delivery truck, washing the vegetables and seasoning the steaks. He took one of the aprons and smirked as he slowly tied it around his lean waist.

"Tom?" small voice came from the kitchen door

"Hello Elizabeth." Tom replied as he chopped the vegetables.

"I thought you were leaving?" the blonde girl replied, stealing the end of a carrot Tom was about to chuck and stuck it in her mouth.

"Close your mouth when you chew, Elizabeth." Tom reprimanded, with an amused look in his eye "but as to your question, yes, I am leaving. But first I thought I should give the staff a nice dinner."

Elisabeth scrunched up her nose as she continued to chew "Why? They're awful Tom, they hurt us."

"Why have you come here?" Tom snapped, tapping his fingers impatiently against the cutting board.

"Oh, I need to find Mrs. Cole. The loos are all clogged up. Its starting to smell awful."

"Just tell the others to use the outhouse." Tom smirked knowingly "at least until tomorrow."

"Kay!" Elizabeth smiled, rushing to Tom and throwing her small bruised arms around his waist.

Tom's blue eyes narrowed on her bruises as he returned the hug she offered.

"I'll miss you Tom, you were an odd one." Elizabeth laughed, scampering away.

Tom continued to stare after her for several minutes, then snapped back to the cooking.

Evening fell upon the Orphanage, and Tom leaned his head against the wall of the pantry listening to the sweet singing of prayers echoing through Wool's.

He shut his eyes and begun to sing the familiar song quietly.

"Abide with me

Fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens;

Lord with me abide.

When other helpers

Fail and comforts flee;

Help of the helpless

Lord, Abide with me

It was the song the Orphanage children sang before bed. The small voices were heavenly, and melodious as they swelled. Tom continued to sing the song, feeling the darkness fill him with hatred.

Swift to its close.

Ebbs out life's little day

Earths joys grows dim;

Its glories pass away

Change and decay

In all around I see.

O thou who changes not

Abide with me."

Hatred choked Tom, in such a way that made his eyes fill with tears. He wiped at them furiously, spinning on his heel to face the feast before him.

O thou who changes not… Tom repeated within his heart, fingering Slytherins locket inside of his pocket.

He set the table with slow precision and laid out the splendid banquet. It really was a beautiful set up, and he did it all without magic. It was fitting somehow, that his last evening here would be one without the use of his magic.

"Gracious Tom!" Mrs. Cole gasped as she and seven other staff members, plus Mister Wool entered the dinning room.

The room appeared brighter, as Tom stretched out his hand to offer each of the ladies a seat, tucking them in properly, before turning to Mister Wool. His place was at the head of the table.

Tom bowed, as mister Wool took his seat.

Tom was the last to sit, seating himself at the other end of the long table. He was now face to face with Mister Wool, who was caught off guard by the fabulous meal set before them.

"Tom, why don't you read a passage before we tuck in?" Mrs. Cole asked starting to rise from her seat "

But Mrs. Cole was stopped and looked up at Tom in surprise when the boy pulled out a small black bible from his best pocket.

The other staff gaped as Tom stood, opened the book and began reading a passage from Psalm 18:6-11

"in my distress I called upon the Lord and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry came before him, even to His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry." Tom recited from memory without looking down, smiling as he spoke.

"Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down with darkness under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub and flew' He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place' his canopy around him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies… Amen."

The others glanced at Tom curiously, wondering why Tom choose such a passage. Regardless, then muttered 'Amen', smiling at the food before them.

Tom tucked himself into his seat, splaying his hands.

"My teachers, please enjoy this meal tonight, and afterward remember me- for I will never forget you." Tom said warmly "Lets dig in!"

Mister Wool looked warily at the food until Tom was the first to fill his plate and glass. Tom looked up and met the eyes of Mister wool, and smirked as he placed a spoonful of roast and mash potatoes into his mouth, chewing and savoring the flavors.

As the night progressed, the staff ate and drank their fill, even drinking a few glasses of fine wine that Tom bought, much to their surprise.

Tom excused himself for a moment, making his way towards the bathroom.

"Riddle." A voice behind him snapped, causing Tom to stop in his tracks and smirk.

He paused before turning to face Wulfred Wool.

The man was thin and gaunt, and sickly looking, and smelled faintly of urine under his cologne….

Pathetic Muggle.

The day of Wulfred's accident, Tom remembered the expression of raw fear on the mans face as he fell into the street. Tom watched passively as an automobile threw the man under, running over his legs.

Tom didn't know the wheels of an automobile were powerful enough to twist a person's legs so grotesquely.

Tom smiled as he faced Mister Wool.

"Sir?—"

"I don't know what game your playing, but I want you out." Wool spat venomously "I want you out and I don't ever want to see you again, boy."

Slowly Tom pulled a flask from the inside of his suit and uncorked it. The antidote he drank from his flask felt like liquid adrenaline. He couldn't help the glamor that fell from his eyes, but it mattered not.

With his other hand Tom held one of the silver butter knife.

"Trying to steal the silver, too?" Wool sneered with a bitter laugh "Of course, I'm not surprised. You were quite filthy little thief as a child too."

Wool watched the boy smile as he pressed the vial to his lips and drank.

For a moment Wool thought the boys eyes flashed red. Wool rolled back, as he felt something sharp and hot collide with the side of his cheek, as if he had been slapped with a red hot poker.

Wool's eyes began to droop and blur, which made him panic.

He knew instantly that Tom was to blame.

"What are you?!" Wool gasped, as Tom approached him with a bone white stick pointed at his head. "WHAT ARE YOU?!"

Tom's smile was gone, staring down at Wool like a dead-eyed shark.

"I am what YOU made me!" Tom hissed, blasting another burning hex across the old man's cheek.

Wool gasped and then a moment later froze, paralyzed from the poison Tom had added to the food and drink. The man's eyes remained wide and afraid, but he couldn't more an inch. Tom placed his hand gently under the mans chin and lifted it with little difficulty.

"I couldn't stand how you looked at me as a child….how you still look at me." Tom whispered "Its like you're looking at something foul, like a roach crawling about. A roach that you yearned to squash beneath your boot. Tell me Mister Wool… did you think you- a filthy muggle such as yourself, could ever squash me?"

Tom lifted the butter knife to Wulfred's old grey eyes and smiled.

"Don't worry Mister Wool," Tom continued to whisper, tightening his grip on the spoon "You won't ever have to see me again."

Tom's movement was excruciatingly slow as he dug the butter knife, into Wulfred Wool's right eye socket and plunged it back.

There was a sort of crunch sound as the knife hit the back bone of the socket.

"Don't worry, I just added a little monkshood in your supper, causes temporary paralysis." Tom explained as if giving a lecture

"It latches onto the nervous system first so that you lose control over your limbs. Your muscles will seize, and you'll feel a bit of fire in your veins. I hear that it causes such gruesome pain, but I'm sure you know that already?"

Tom was certain that if the man hadn't been paralyzed that he would have been screaming horrifically.

Tom was slow and precise, making sure to pull the ligaments from the back of the socket, until the eye popped out of the old mans head easily.

"Are you terrified, Mister Wool? Are you?" Tom laughed softly, madly "because my life here was terrifying- at any rate I'm not going to kill you yet… well maybe after desert. I made you all chocolate dessert, it really shouldn't go to waste. Oh, but I do love a good chocolate dessert, don't you?"

Wool looked up with his remaining tearful eye, still paralyzed.

Tom tucked the butter knife into his pocket reverently, then turned to walk around Wulfred and push his wheel chair back into the dining room while whistling a merry tune.

When they entered, everyone was either standing or sitting, but all were paralyzed where they were rooted.

Tom clapped his hands, looking around the room.

"Now its time for the real fun to begin!" Tom sighed happily, lifting his wand. "Levicopus!"

At once all the staff rose into the air and followed him out of the dinning room. Their bodies floated gently behind him as he rounded the corner towards the basement.

Leading the procession, Tom began singing beautifully,

"Abide with me

Fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens;

Lord with me abide.

When other helpers

Fail and comforts flee;

Help of the helpless

Lord, Abide with me

Swift to its close.

Ebbs out life's little day

Earths joys grows dim;

Its glories pass away

Change and decay

In all around I see.

O thou who changes not

Abide with me."

It seemed the basement had another trap door which lead out into the plumbing and sewage.

Tom weaved though the maze until he came upon a set of twelve pipes which hung at an L shape against the brick wall.

"Pipes," Tom chuckled fondly "I became quite fond of them at Hogwarts, although this one definitely smells worse."

Carelessly, Tom dropped the bodies of Mister Wool, Mrs. Cole, and the other staff members.

Tom noticed their eyes starting to move as the monkshood began to wear off.

Tom smiled as he lifted their bodied one by one towards a pipe.

He made small work opening their mouths and sticking the pipe in it. He used a sticking charm to place their hands around the pipe, and against their mouths.

In the end they all looked to be grasping the pipes and drinking from it like a giant straw.

The sticking charms were permanent, and nothing- not even death could remove them.

Tom sat himself on the floor watching the monkshood wear off.

Each of them screamed and struggled against the sticking charm. They fought furiously to pull away from the pipes but could not. Some cried, some tried to call for help, others continued to fight.

Finally, Tom spoke, his eyes lifting up to where the pipes vanished above them and into the Orphanage.

"Are you ready for your dessert?" Tom chuckled, his voice echoing through the sewer "I'll even let you guess the flavor! You'll smell it before you taste it."

Some of the staff members were quicker than others, but when the realization hit there was only screams and more sobbing.

"I do believe you have over 150 children who use these toilets on a daily basis." Tom said a matter-a-factly.

Tom was pleased to see Mrs. Cole vomiting into her pipe, then being forced to swallow it again.

Mister Wool was in a catatonic state, sitting quietly as blood continued to run down the right side of his face.

"You hated me. I could see it from the moment I grasped how special I was. You tried to beat it out of me." Tom mused quietly, twirling his wand in his hand "you let my mother die and turned her away as soon as she birthed me… she died of infection, or perhaps it was the cold?"

Tom sighed, pushing himself off the ground.

"But you didn't know what I was, only that I was different. You didn't know the power I had in me, but then again no one does. Even in a place full of witches and wizards, I was unique. And I will continue to rise."

Tom pointed his wand towards the pipes and flicked his wrist.

"I meant to tell you Mrs. Cole." Tom smiled demonically "Elizabeth wanted me to tell you the toilets were horribly up… must've slipped my mind."

Another flick of his wrist and the sound of rushing water echoed in the distance, coming down the pipes fast.

"But don't worry." Tom hissed, leaning forward to watch the spectacle with unhinged amusement "I've fixed it."

As the screams turned into choking gagging noises, Tom smiled, pushing himself off the ground and dusted himself off.

"Thank you for all of your lessons," Tom called over his shoulder "I shall never forget them."

With a crack, Tom vanished on the spot, never to return to Wool's Orphanage again.

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A/N—yes, toilet water, shit, and piss just came down those pipes.

'Abide With Me' from Dr. Who soundtrack

I was influenced to write this by American Horror Story Coven, and the webcomic Melvina's Therapy.