Make a Heaven of Hell
Disclaimer: see previous chapter
Summary: Albus Dumbledore's good intentions got him and Voldemort send to Hell. And now, three centuries later Voldemort is working as an advocate. Or: "How Tom Riddle made himself a Heaven of Hell"-A drabble.
Warning: Besides the title there are a few Milton quotes in this drabble. Dumbledore bashing will be in the next drabble.
AN: I am currently re-watching the Harry Potter films and the scene at the end of PS where Dumbledore steals a Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Bean from Harry inspired me to write another short drabble. With a second one following once I finish watching all 8 movies.
-~-~- Make a Heaven of Hell -~-~-
-~-~-by StillWatersAreDeep-~-~-
"What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?"
Paradise Lost, J. Milton
-~-~- Make a Heaven of Hell -~-~-
As much as Tom Marvolo Riddle disliked Muggles, he could not deny that during the last three centuries he developed a special liking to John Milton's Paradise Lost. When he read the book for the first time out of sheer boredom, he stumbled over more than one passage in Satan's long monologues that agreed with his own ideals and believes.
And to think that I have the old fool to thank for my position, he thought, remembering how he received his current position of power.
He'd just rather easily thrown back every argument Dumbledore had brought forth when the female spirit condemned him to Hell and he was force-Apparatedto another place in the afterlife.
"Name?" a male spirit asked him.
"Tom Riddle," he answered as he took in the room with its stone benches and green-yellow lights.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle?" the spirit ask for clarification.
"Yes," Tom answered, getting annoyed.
Searching around on his desk, the spirit finally found the scroll with Tom's name on it. "Ah, here it is!" he exclaimed triumphantly, opened the bindings and began to read through the scroll.
"The deeds of yours that were collected at the entrance already earned you five century long stay here in Hell. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are more crimes you have to pay for that are not listed here," the spirit stated. "However, like anyone who comes here you have the chance to do penance for all of your crimes. But I have to warn you. Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light."
"And what if I do not want to?" Tom asked, raising a brow, his lips forming into a smirk. He did not regret what he did and saw no need to repent for them.
The spirit smiled. "If you decide against penitence, then you'll stay here for the rest of time, with no chance of ever seeing paradise or going to the next great adventure."
"And what does staying here entail?" Tom asked, not interested in either paradise or the next great adventure.
"You would receive a room and, of course, an occupation. No place for the idles here."
Interested, Riddle asked, "And what occupation would I receive?"
"Let me see..." the spirit said and once again consulted the scroll in his hands. "You are far to impatience to become one of the overseers. But if the little note here is correct, you would be a good advocate candidate. The way you handled Mr Dumbledore certainly speaks in your favour. So Mr Riddle, now that you know your options what is your decision? Will you do penance for your crimes to receive your pass out of Hell?"
"I'll rather become an advocate," Riddle answered.
"Are you sure?" the spirit asked. "Once denied, you will never again receive the offer for penitence."
"Oh, I'm quite sure, I assure you."
"Then so it shall be," the spirit said. "You'll be introduced to your new task tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your new room." And with that, he was once again force-Apparated to what had been his room for the last three centuries. And not for one day had he regretted his decision against penance.
Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven, he thought with a smile on his face as he left his room to visit his clients of the day. Oh, how he loved to visit the fools that had chosen the way of redemption, condemning themselves to years, if not centuries of agony and pain just for the chance of entering Heaven. He enjoyed to stand there, watching as they were tormented for their crimes, unable to escape while he was spared from even feeling the slightest discomfort and walked around as he pleased as long as he did his daily task. And what an enjoyable task it was.
As an advocate, it was his responsibility to visit the penitents when their time of penitence was nearly done. He was to read out all the crimes that were listed during their placement in Hell at the entrance desk, to tell them how much penitence time these crimes demanded and to state how much of it they already served. He loved to see how their eyes lighten up with hope and joy when they realised that they served nearly all of their sentence.
And every time, he would put on his prettiest smile and inform them that they nearly served their time for all the crimes they committed that sentenced them to Hell, confirming the penitents thoughts. Even without using his Legilimency skills, he knew that nearly all of them believed that he was there to tell them that they would be realised from their torment early for their good conduct.
But how wrong they were. His task was not to shorten their time of redemption. On the contrary, his job was to lengthen their time of anguish. Mockingly he would compliment them for how well they have atoned so far and then add, "I'm confident that you'll bear the price for the crimes that were not taken into account at your entrance with the same endurance and passion. So let's see what crimes you still have to atone..."
With that, Tom would list every little crime he saw the penitents having committed during their lives, getting high on how fast heir hope turned to despair and horror. He even twisted some events just to give them another three days of suffering before he finally announced the final verdict for them. And sometimes, he amused himself by deliberately holding back some of their crimes, just to revisit them later and once again see the despair overcome them when they learned that they were far away from their pass to Heaven.
With a satisfied smirk on his face, he would tell them his typical "Farewell Hope, and with Hope farewell Fear," turn around and walk away from them as their torment went on for another decade or century. Oh how he enjoyed his new job.
Going to his assigned box, he took out the scrolls for today and was very gleeful when he saw who his one and only client of the day would be: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
"Never can true reconcilement grow where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep," he quoted Milton as he made his way to the part of Hell where the scroll said Dumbledore was currently residing. He could not wait to have the old fools whole life laid out for his pursue, free to find any little crime he could see. Oh, yes, today will be a very, very good day.
-~-~- Make a Heaven of Hell -~-~-
AN2: The next drabble is called "A Hell of Heaven" and will be centred on Albus Dumbledore. It should be posted sometime after Easter.
