Chapter 36: Horror

Sometimes human places create inhuman monsters. - Stephen King

"My Lord, it'll start in a moment," Avery declared. Tom nodded - but Joelle looked back and forth with eyebrows twitching in entertained disbelief.

"My Loooord?" Joelle whispered into Tom's ear, but he merely shoved her face away, ignoring her voiceless chuckling from the back of her throat that sounded like an engine dying. As Joelle glanced around the dark basement in curiosity, she felt how Tom's hand around her shoulder squeezed her tighter. He leaned down to whisper into her ear. "How could you open the door?"

Joelle wanted to answer, but she felt all eyes on her. The others were sitting on the opposite sides on couches and armchairs, but as soon as she glanced at them, they went back to staring at a wall that showed nothing. What were they waiting for?

"I panicked when you weren't there," said Joelle truthfully, not further elaborating on the topic. Tom's watchful gaze turned softer upon her words.

"Come, I'll take you upstairs again," he whispered and got up, holding his hand out to her. The other males were curiously watching the scene. Joelle didn't yet take Tom's hand.

"Why, didn't you say-"

"It's not my wish to discuss with you, my dear. I don't want you to be here right now," said Tom firmly. Joelle scowled, but she understood that Tom wouldn't take any humiliation in front of his puppets. And disobeying would seriously humiliate him - something she didn't want to take the consequences for. Joelle got up and Tom walked off while pressing her head to his chest, his arm wrapped around her waist as they marched through the corridors.

"But what are you all doing down there?" Joelle asked. Tom didn't answer at all while walking, and soon stopped in front of a door.

"No!" Joelle hissed, crossing her arms. "Enough with your secrets! Tell me!"

"In," Tom commanded through gritted teeth, but something else caught their attention. The portraits were raging once they recognized Joelle.

"There, the mudblood is misbehaving again! Better kill her! Get rid of the dirt!"

"Savage on the grounds of my father!"

"Mudblood! Mudblood! Look at her! Acting like she's one of us! Disgusting! She-" but before the lady in the frame could've finished her words, Tom had already waved his wand, muting the whole hallway. Joelle looked off to the side, fighting the tears in her eyes. Tom was so taken aback by what the portraits said that his eyes were widened. The next second, he stared at Joelle with a frown, grabbing her shoulders.

"Have they said these awful things when you walked downstairs?"

Joelle nodded in silence. Tom inhaled deeply through his nose, closing his eyes, his lips pressed together firmly. "I will have them removed," he now opened the door for Joelle and she walked in without another attempt of disobeying. Quite contrary to the belief of Tom marching off again, he followed Joelle inside the room and watched how she cuddled down the bed on an instant. He moved over to her and sat down on the edge. Joelle was clearly troubled by the recent insults, but Tom did not want to press it on his own accord. It wasn't necessary, as proven after a moment.n

"Why is being a mudblood such a bad thing?" Joelle asked. "Just because my family didn't consist of witches and wizards?"

Tom didn't respond. He saw how Joelle looked at him with the curiosity of a child that was expecting the world to be explained.

"You ought not to listen to their nonsense," Tom whispered. "They know nothing about your family."

"What about your parents? You said that your father was a...I forgot the word."

"A muggle," Tom grumbled, biting his bottom lip in anger. "No more word on it."

Joelle narrowed her eyes now. She hated how he forbade her to speak about the things that were interesting to her.

"There's something I don't understand. Still don't understand. You said that mudblood means having dirty blood - no magical parents. But a mudblood is still a witch or wizard, right?"

"More or less."

Joelle rolled her eyes and turned over, causing Tom to chuckle.

"You are not less of a witch."

"Why, because I enchanted you?" Joelle asked as she turned around with a wink, giggling at Tom closing his eyes. He had trouble suppressing a grin, which caused Joelle to laugh full on before she glanced away.

"Look at me," Tom whispered. Joelle turned around. They stared at each other for a short while.

"I will go back downstairs again. No more sneaking around, is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Joelle."

Joelle cackled, but she nodded again. "Alright. I'll stay here and stare at the boring ceiling until it drives me mad."

Tom stared at the girl, then up. With a wave of his wand, the "boring white ceiling" was replaced with the galaxy from the room they've trained in earlier. Joelle gasped in awe. "Oooh!"

"I saw how mesmerized you were today. I'm sure you'll find enough stars to count," he got up and walked towards the door. Just before he stepped out, he took one last glimpse at Joelle, whose eyes were twinkling in fascination as she sat on the bed with her knees and stared up to the ceiling.

Tom adored her magic virginity.

"Ah, I am not sure, Albus. Wouldn't go for any of that. Not once," said a voice in the darkness. "Why the girl? Why would Tom take the girl? Didn't you say he wouldn't find her? And besides, Tom, really, the most talented young wizard of his generation, yes, maybe even since you've been at Hogwarts yourself. No. And I stand by it. Even if it were him -which l firmly believe it wasn't! But even it were, you said he couldn't find her, said she's protected!"

"You see, Horace," said the softer voice of Professor Dumbledore. "None of us believed a capable man such as Tom would find any interest in working at Borgin and Burke's after being destined for the position of a minister. But alas, he has. And you are walking the false trail of putting too much trust into my abilities, I presume. It is not as easy as to merely count on Tom's inaptitude. He had years to research and find a way to reach her, while I was busy tending to somebody else."

"Grindelwald, of course, yes. Your victory is legend. So you are saying Tom chose a time where he knew you would be too busy to uphold protection? Isn't that far fetched? I was his teacher as much as you were! He certainly was...erm. Digging for information, if I am free to say so. Very curious. Knowledgable. He was a role model! Prefect! Head Boy! You wouldn't say he planned, truly planned to harm anyone?"

"I cannot say for certain, but certain it is that Riddle is a strategist beyond compare."

"But an ordinary girl, Dumbledore! I don't know! What would Tom want with her?" Horace waved the older man off as they stalked up a hill. Dumbledore merely chuckled. "Special enough to catch his full attention, wouldn't you agree? You were there the night we found her in the castle those years ago."

"Certainly was. Had only she been at Hogwarts at the time, I would've invited her over to Slugclub just for that accomplishment. But this place!" Professor Slughorn suddenly stopped walking. "Isn't it most pointless to look for her here? It's just a house."

"Two murders in the past few months. Riddle manor might be an intimidating place, but it cannot kill on its own accord."

Both professor Slughorn and professor Dumbledore stopped walking as they reached the tall facade of Riddle manor. "Here we are."

"The spell was perfectly set up, Rosier. It is very entertaining to watch them," said Tom, leaning back with a glass of wine. Rosier nodded with a faint grin. "Thanks." And their attention went back to the wall again that projected the pictures of Dumbledore and Slughorn cautiously walking around with their wands alight.

"It was very wise to consider Dumbledore being on your heels, my Lord. How could you know?" Nott asked. Tom gave him a pitiful smile. "He never stopped. It was only a matter of time until he would try to do something about Joelle. It is very inconvenient that he knows her, I must admit. He did not believe any of the newspaper scandals. And I anticipated that."

"Impressive," said Black, earning Tom nods of agreement.

"I was wondering about something. Joelle is...a witch. Why didn't Dippet send a letter when Joelle was eleven? Like it was done with everyone else? Why send Dumbledore to hand over the news that she had a place at Hogwarts?" Avery asked. Tom glanced at him warningly - he felt provoked by that simple question. It implied that Joelle, the mudblood, received a treatment above all the others; something she, in Avery's eyes didn't deserve.

"Because she is special," said Tom swiftly. None of the present dared to contradict. Instead, their attention went back to Riddle manor.

"What a fine house, don't you think? Oh, look at the porcelain, such artwork," Professor Slughorn turned around to every direction to take in the great view of the interior. Dumbledore, on the other hand, didn't pay much attention to decor.

"Don't forget, Horace. We ought not to grasp anything with the hands of curiosity but with mere caution."

"Now, I am not a student anymore," said Slughorn flustered, his large stomach aiming at Dumbledore with hands pressed to his hips. The latter, however, merely continued walking with his wand shining to every angle. Slughorn sighed, but picked up his wand as well, strolling around carefully, almost jumping when he saw his reflection in a particular mirror - then grew frustrated at himself for falling for this. "I still believe this is a waste of time," he murmured just when out of nowhere, Dumbledore grabbed Slughorn and pulled him out of the way, for a large column behind started to crash towards them in the darkness.

"Merlin's beard!"

"Do you still believe this is a, how did you word it, waste of time?" Dumbledore asked with his soft voice. They stared at each other, then around again, oblivious to the fact that Tom was most amused, laughing coldly at their attempts to help the world being a better place.

"The silliness of scholars," Tom chuckled, swirling the red wine in his glass before sipping on it. Nott and Lestrange chortled loudly while Black and the rest watched everything with sheer excitement.

"It's almost as funny as watching Dumbledore having an eye on you after Myrtle Warren," said Avery. Tom threw him another warning glance that caused Avery to instantly know that this was uncalled for to say. "Just, reminded of that, my Lord."

"No word on it around Joelle. At all," Tom murmured darkly. "She ought not to know."

The rest of the guys nodded while Tom went back to staring at the scene ahead of him, rubbing his chin in deep thought, but his full attention was grasped when Dumbledore and Slughorn moved around again.

"My Lord, you haven't told us what you had prepared for them," said Mulciber with excitement.

"Watch," whispered Tom with a faint smirk. Just when Dumbledore stepped ahead, the carpet below started to warp and bulge. Slughorn and Dumbledore both staggered backwards with their wands raised at the carpet growing bigger and bulgier - and then, out of nowhere, flattened down. Dumbledore had his arm outstretched towards Slughorn's chest, looking through his half moon spectacles at the Persian fabric. Only the quiet breathing from their very mouths was audible. And then many things happened at once. ZOOM. The carpet heaved them up, causing the both men to fly into midair where they hovered just as Dumbledore waved his wand in time and made them float on the spot, for the floors of Riddle manor were nothing but glowing hot lava.

"ALBUS!" Yelled Slughorn, firing off spells at the lava that leashed out at him and burnt a part of his leg, causing him to hiss in pain. No sooner than the lava was there, it began to sicker back down into the carpet - and disappear like water in potting soil. Slughorn winced in pain once they hovered back down onto the grounds.

"Not your regular home, is it?" Dumbledore asked collectedly, turning around, ignoring Slughorn's glare of bitterness. None of them heard the loud laughter coming from Tom and his gang.

"That was just the drawing room, wait for what comes in the remaining parts of the house," said Lestrange amused.

"Where are they going now?" Nott asked.

"Looks like the kitchen," said Mulciber. All eyes went to the wall.

Dumbledore marched ahead with Slughorn looking around insecurely, clutching to his wand with a shaky hand. Just as Dumbledore tilted the door open with his wand poking it, about sixty knives were flying their way. Both men managed to duck just in time, hearing the loud thudding of steel against the walls from behind, which is where the knives stabbed into. Slughorn rushed ahead to close the door.

"I doubt he would hide the girl in a place that could stab her to death!" Slughorn said fiercely. "Really, Albus! We can't just explore, let's send Aurors here, it's their job to do this!"

"You are under the belief of being forced by me, I think. Feel free to go home, if you will. I shall stay," said Dumbledore and merely proceeded his way. Slughorn watched him, looked back and forth, then bit his bottom lip and threw his fist to the side, carefully following Dumbledore upstairs.

"Why do you have to be so reckless!" Slughorn asked. "This house is full of curses and jinxes! This is so unlike you!"

"Indeed," whispered Dumbledore. "I am not here because I truly believe to find the girl here, my dear Horace."

"But then what are we here for!" Horace exclaimed.

"I want to see how far Riddle has delved into the darkness. I want to see how much negative force he's capable of in those young years."

"Am I understanding you right - you just want to stroll around here to see what murderous spells could kill us?!"

"Curses, Horace. Curses."

Tom sat up when Dumbledore said this.

"Now isn't that cute," said Avery. The other guys chimed in in agreement while chuckling. "Right now, we've just been playing around with them."

"What do you mean?" Asked Black.

"I was the one setting the curse up in the drawing room," said Rosier. "And Nott set the one up in the kitchen.

"My Lord," said Black. "So that is just a...foretaste? Which room did you take over?"

Tom smiled to himself, his eyes glowing a faint shade of red. "The basement," he cooed, which was exactly where Slughorn and Dumbledore were headed next.

Far upstairs, Joelle was rolling around in her bed, throwing herself from the left to the right, eyelids twitching. She was in a house. She was in a dark, ice cold place, a place she has never been at before. Joelle looked around. She knew she was dreaming. Yes, this was only a dream. Or was it? As Joelle looked around the darkness lit up by nothing than the light of the moon somewhere in the back of nothingness. She carefully moved ahead. There was a door, just like she had seen when she sneaked down into the basement at Lestrange manor. And now she was walking down a basement once more. How curious. Joelle felt the ice cold air around her, again she knew that she was merely dreaming. In a dream, she could explore, she thought. She wouldn't be hurt. Her mind was awake, her body was asleep. Joelle was aware.

She opened the door with a loud creaking sound. Ahead of her was nothing but a large room built of grey bricks, dyed in darkness. Tall wooden shelves with empty dusty storages gave her the notion that this place hasn't been visited for a long time. A shiver ran down Joelle's spine, a loud noise was heard in the back. She turned around hastily.

Avery chuckled. "Did you see how Slughorn turned at that noise?"

"That basement is really dark, I almost can't see anything," Nott grumbled at the scene ahead. The two professors were alarmed.

Joelle was alarmed. She still looked to every direction, not yet moving at all. After a while of telling herself that this was just a dream, she inhaled deeply and once more picked up the courage to keep waking. She came to a halt when there, in the distance, stood something. Joelle let out a gasp of fear, instantly falling to the ground.

There stood a dark hooded figure. Tall. Almost human like, but bald. It waited there against the wall, watching with pale eyes slowly lighting up in the distance, nothing else of its face was shown. Joelle's heart was racing, she inhaled deeply, her eyes widened when the creature moved. She tried to crawl away, feeling the painful scratches from the floor breaking her skin. It felt real, too real to be a dream. The creature came closer.

Slughorn tried his hardest to get his wand to light up, but Dumbledore didn't even bother. He looked at the dark creature in the distance as it came closer, then simply grabbed Slughorn's forearm and turned around.

"We shall be leaving, Horace."

"What-Merlin's beard, what-" Slughorn exclaimed, not able to copy the levelheadedness of Dumbledore. He still felt the creature following.

"This is not an entity worth fighting. We are leaving. Do not look back. And do not look into its eyes," said Dumbledore softly, walking upstairs again. And out of Riddle manor.

The basement where Tom and his comrades remained was dead silent. None of those attendant dared to say a word - dared to comment on what they had just witnessed. None of them dared to word it, word its name.

"M-My Lord..." Black whispered, his voice shaky. "Was that..." But he interrupted himself.

"Slughorn and Dumbledore are gone," said Nott. Tom nodded, rubbing his chin with a smirk. He enjoyed their shudders of both fear and unconditional awe. None of them ever went this far as Tom has tonight.

"What are you going to do about it, my Lord?" Nott asked. Tom flickered his eyes at him, as if provoked enough to kill, but decided against it.

The creature walked closer to Joelle, her voice was dryer out, too thin to be used. She heard a soundless breath coming from the creature's mouth, it slowly, very slowly, bent down to her level. It took its long fingers and, as of time was freezing around it, pulled up its dark hood, slowly revealing parts of a monstrous face Joelle has never seen. Oval glowing red eyes looked straight into hers, a dark hand grabbed her shoulder, and Joelle screamed like she has never screamed in her life before.

"What was that?!" Lestrange yelled below, all guys in the basement jumped up from their seats.

"Joelle," whispered Tom, looking up. All of them disapparated in front of the closed door.

"Joelle?!" Tom shouted. Joelle was still screaming from the top of her lungs, crying for help. Tom kept trying to get through, but it was locked. He remembered locking it before he had left, and quickly undid the charm, rushing into the room with his comrades following close behind.

Joelle was on the floor, crawled against the wall, her head in her lap while she sobbed and screamed "GO AWAY! GO AWAY!", unable to comprehend that it was Tom in front of her. He shook her awake.

"Joelle," he whispered, throwing his arm up at the chandelier that lit up the room. Joelle looked around with her tear-stained eyes, recognizing the bedroom.

"Have you had a nightmare?" Tom asked, not seeing Avery rolling his eyes behind his back. The rest of the guys were about to step out of the room, but stopped abruptly when Joelle said the next few words.

"I-I was in a b-basement, there was a dark creature! A dark creature with eyes of pure-pure evilness...! It felt so real! It touched my shoulder, it burnt, it felt so real, it- Marvolo...what is this?!" She cried when Tom grabbed her shoulder and exposed a bit of burnt, bloody skin.