A/N: I apologise for taking so long to post this chapter. This one took forever because (1) it's a very unnerving chapter and (2) I've been very ill recently (as in spending time in the hospital).
Nemesis: The references from Mein Kampf are indirect and very subtle. Hint: Think of what Hitler thought of Jews before he came to power (shortly after he left his home, after both parents had died). Okay, I will not argue with you about which fic deserves more awards. Let's call this a stalemate. ^_~ I started to read yours awhile back, but was afraid that it would influence mine so I stopped. Now, that my Riddle is hopelessly irredeemable, I can return to reading your story. I promise to be a responsible reviewer.
Clem & Co: Oops! *ducks* I'm sorry; I wasn't thinking of you at all! The name just popped into my head. Sometimes, my characters choose their own names. Think of my Clem as a totally different Clem. On the bright side: I don't have any plans for Clem to suffer more at the hands of Riddle. However, sometimes, Riddle takes over me and forces me to write things that I did not plan to write. Keep this in mind when you read this chapter. ;-)
Iphigenia: Ohhh, he gets worse. Definitely. I will say no more.
Chimaera: LOL. If you are reading this between 11 P.M. and 6 A.M., stop NOW. Turn off the computer. Oh, I deliberately had Salazar incorrectly use the words, hath and doth. Have you noticed that people who think they are far better than others usually have a major flaw they completely do not see? Anywho, Salazar talks on and on about how Muggles lack intelligence, but he doesn't know that it is "hath" and "doth" until his other book, Slytherin's Selective Hogwarts. Thanks for sharing your grandmother's account of the war. I couldn't find any literature from a civilian's viewpoint on the Battle of Britain, so I used my overactive and vivid imagination to fill in the details. Thanks a million for letting me know I wasn't off the mark. *hugs*
All: Many hugs and kisses for continuing to read this depressingly dark fic, and enjoying it. :-D xox
Warning: Violence (of course), animal cruelty (of course), and perversions ahead.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter ideas, characters, and places do not belong to me. They belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers.
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Immortalis Dominus Dominatus
Part I: Alpha
by Auror5
~~~~~~
Chapter IV: Serpent
He spotted the diminutive, redheaded first year in the crowded corridor between lessons as she passed a window displaying a mid-December snowstorm. Tom reached the girl, and gently tugged on the straps of her bag to capture her attention.
Abigail Orlen glanced up and smiled. She was pleased to see the tall, handsome fourth year walking beside her. Several older girls jealously eyed her with disapproving faces. Feeling smug, Abigail haughtily lifted her chin and moved a little closer to Tom. Their black robes occasionally brushed together as they strolled the corridor.
"Abby, I have a special assignment for you," he eventually said in a low voice.
"What is it?" she replied without looking up at him.
"I need a strand of Melia's hair."
"All right."
She would do anything for Tom.
******
Professor Parry grouped them into pairs for Duelling Lesson. The Slytherins had class with the Ravenclaws.
Tom faced Colby Pinstripe, his partner.
"Now, bow!" ordered Parry.
Tom bent slightly while keeping his eyes locked onto Pinstripe.
"Wands at ready!"
He raised his wand as though it were a sword.
"On the count of three, cast your spells.
"One...
"Two...
"Three!"
He was fast. Before Pinstripe could open his mouth, Tom hurled his spell.
"Finite Incantatem," Parry shouted.
The professor walked over to each pair to ensure that neither partner was harmed by the charm or curse that was cast.
Parry approached Tom with a baffled expression on his face. "Riddle, where is your partner?"
"He should be arriving at any moment, sir."
"What?" Parry said at the same time as Pinstripe barged into the room.
Panting slightly as though he had been running, Pinstripe furiously shouted at Parry, "Professor, Riddle didn't play fair. He used a Banishment Charm to send me to Transfiguration lessons."
Loud muttering erupted in the classroom.
"He did?" Parry turned to Tom in amazement.
"Sir, Professor Dumbledore was not happy that I interrupted his lesson!"
Several students snickered.
Indignant, Pinstripe added, "Sir, I landed on Professor Dumbledore's lap!"
A number of students laughed, Parry smiled, and Tom grinned.
"Don't worry, Mr. Pinstripe. There was no harm done."
"But, sir..."
"I will speak with Albus to smooth things over. All right?"
Pinstripe made no comment but glared at Tom.
Parry clapped his hands together in a business-like fashion and said to the students, "Let's start again, shall we?"
"Sir, I want a different partner," said Pinstripe.
Frowning, Parry replied, "Why?"
"I don't like him," he responded in a clipped manner. "I think something's wrong with him. I want another partner."
Seething with hatred, Tom gazed steadily at Pinstripe's back.
"I strongly disagree with your unflattering sentiment, Pinstripe. Mr. Riddle is a model student and is, by far, the best I have ever seen at duelling. Contrary to your opinion, he does plays fair and by the rules. Yes, I imagine it must have been quite humiliating to find yourself on Professor Dumbledore's lap but the Extradition Charm was fair. Mr. Riddle did not break any rules by placing it on you. In fact, I would say that he was a genius. Mr. Riddle executed it extraordinarily well for a fourth year. That particular charm is very advanced sorcery. Few in the magical community can actually carry it out. However, if you feel adamant about changing partners...."
"I do, sir."
"Very well." Then Parry glanced around the room. "Miss Reese and Mr. Rudyard, you two are changing partners. Reese, Riddle is now your partner. Rudyard, Pinstripe is yours."
With an unreadable expression on his face, Tom watched Pinstripe walk swiftly over to where Cole was standing.
Sheena Reese, an exotic appearing black girl, reached Tom and shyly said, "Hullo."
He gave her an ingratiating smile.
******
Nude and sitting cross-legged on the rocky floor, Tom checked to ensure the preparations were nearly complete. He had discovered this cave-like room several weeks ago while attempting to locate the Chamber of Secrets. It was in a partially blocked corridor deep below the castle. The floor was damp and slick with mould. Occasionally, bats swooped in through a sharply inclined tunnel to circle slightly below the craggy ceiling. The whisperings of the nocturnal birds' onionskin-like wings soothed him. The Christmas holidays had begun.
Tom was bored with stalking, torturing, and killing small, inconsequential animals. He wanted to try his hand at something larger. He wanted a challenge and a worthwhile conquest. Most especially, he wanted to denigrate what was considered taboo in the magical world to prove that the rules did not apply to him. To be the greatest sorcerer who ever lived, which was Tom's aspiration, he would have to be daring and bold. Everyone must bow down to him. He had to conquer everything within his domain. Not capitulating to anyone was important. It was his only way to survive, his only way to continue living.
Two cauldrons, each containing a substance simmering over a conjured up fire, were before him. A small pile of clothing Abigail had stolen for him was in the corner of the dim chamber. The light from the flames threw strange, writhing, dark shapes across the walls and ceiling.
Tom quickly reread the passage from Dark Majick of The Ancients. He was ready.
"Eye of fedonamem to deceiveth mine enemy..."
He threw a small, red-veined orb into the cauldron filled with an oily, black substance. Immediately, the contents' colour became a vivid orange. A hissing sound followed.
"Heart of pondhil shieldeth mine soul..."
Tom opened a small, bloodstained cloth and dropped what appeared to be a slab of pulsating meat into the cauldron.
The liquid bubbled violently and turned a vibrant sea green colour.
"Soul of mine perceiveth not; mine enemy perceiveth its own echoed soul.
"Hair of unicorn, I defineth mine enemy."
He threw the hair into the cauldron, and the contents silently imploded in a blinding white flash. Tom clapped his hands over his eyes. Several seconds later, the light was gone and the liquid was clear. Tom ladled the potion into a goblet and then drank from it.
Stooping, he walked over to the cauldron that was still waiting. Tom ladled the murky brown liquid into the goblet. Then he dropped a strand of human silk into it. The potion sizzled and foamed. Then the colour changed to a bright, lemony yellow. He drained the potion from the goblet.
Immediately, a cramping and writhing sensation seized his insides. Tom doubled-up as a burning sensation washed over him. Very quickly, it was replaced by a feeling of intense itching. Shortly after, he began to feel as though he were shrinking. Tom moaned.
Then the process abruptly ceased. Tom lay curled up on the floor. He stretched, slowly stood, and surveyed the chamber. Everything in the room, including the room itself, appeared larger. The cauldrons were not so far below him.
He went over to the pile of clothing in the corner and hurriedly put them on. Tom only had one hour. He hoped Wilda was hiding near the edge of the Forbidden Forest so that she could see him.
Tom swiftly climbed the tunnel leading to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Once outside, he glanced around to make sure that he was not being followed. At a swift pace, he entered the Forbidden Forest. Unlike the vast majority of Hogwarts students, Tom had no fear of the forest or what it contained.
"Lumos."
It was not necessary to light his wand for the moon was full and the night cloudless, but Tom did it for Wilda's benefit. He was glad that there had been a recent string of several unusually warm days. Most of the snow had melted, and what was left could only be found in shadows and at the base of trees. The lack of snow made it easier for him to pick out the faint path.
Tom manufactured some tears and cried plaintively.
Eventually, a unicorn appeared. He wondered if the charm would work. The unicorn, dazzling in the moonlight, stopped a few paces from him. Undecided, it pawed at the ground with one of its forelegs and threw back its head a few times. Then it approached Tom, and lowered its head toward him. Tom reached out and touched the glorious beast.
"Would you like an apple?" he said in a soft, child-like voice.
He reached into his pocket and drew out an apple slice. The unicorn's nostrils flared with eagerness at the smell of the sweet fruit.
Tom fed the beast the apple. At that moment, a large serpent silently slithered up behind the distracted unicorn. Suddenly, the unicorn's head jerked up and the last bit of apple fell from its mouth onto the ground. As the unicorn prepared to flee, the snake's mouth yawned open and it sank its venomous fangs into the beast's hindquarters. The unicorn let out a high-pitched scream. Then it ran stumbling through the forest. Tom pursued after it. The beast's movement was slow due to the poison rapidly working through its body.
He eventually caught up with the creature. It stood in a clearing, bathed in moonlight. The unicorn's head drooped as though its horn were suddenly too heavy. Its sides heaved as it gasped for air. The creature stumbled. Then its legs crumpled up under it, and the beast fell onto the ground to lie on its side. Tom approached it while removing a sharp, twelve-inch dagger from the pocket of the robe he wore. The unicorn lifted its head slightly and peered at Tom as though he were being marked for future reference. Tom then plunged the dagger into the unicorn's abdomen and proceeded to eviscerate it. Silvery-blue blood stained his hands and clothing.
Tom turned to the serpent lying docilely nearby.
"You've done well, Wilda. This is for you." He handed the warm, bloody heart to the snake.
She seized the morsel, even though it was not alive as she would have preferred, and swallowed. "Thank you, Massster."
Tom waved his wand and the snake disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
He rose to return to the castle.
******
Back in the chamber, he removed the bloodstained outer clothing and burned them. In about ten minutes, he would return to his true form.
He went and stood before the mirror that was left in the forgotten room. Tom gazed at the image of the pretty, eleven-year-old girl wearing only knickers. Then he ran his hand through the long, silky, black ringlets that fell halfway down his back.
An idea occurred to him while staring at the girl's reflection. Tom was curious. He had never seen a naked girl. He slowly removed the last article of clothing. Standing nude before the mirror, his eyes and hands explored Melia's body until the Polyjuice Potion began to wear off.
******
Not wishing to be disturbed, Tom was reading a book in a dimly lit corner of the common room when Isaac came to him.
"Erm, Friedrich can't join us tonight."
"Why?" he replied, irritably.
"Erm, I don't know."
"Liar. Bring Friedrich to me."
A few minutes later, Friedrich appeared before him with eyes full of fear.
Tom smiled at him. "Isaac tells me that you will not join us later. Is that true?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
"Pro-Professor Steinway g-gave me de-detention."
"What for?"
"For pushing a Mudblood down a flight of stares," he said, half-defiantly.
A lopsided grin appeared on Tom's face. "You did?"
Friedrich nodded his head vigorously.
"Did the filthy Mudblood get hurt?"
"She broke her leg. I have to help the gamekeeper tonight for my detention."
"So it was you who lost our house one hundred points," he replied in a half-musing tone.
Friedrich offered no reply.
"You ought to be rewarded. The Mudblood should be thankful she's still alive. Because of your detention for a worthy deed, you are excused from the meeting.
"Our next Hogsmeade visit is in about a fortnight. What would you like as a reward?"
"Erm..." He glanced over at Isaac. "A packet of Merlin's Crystals? They don't cost much."
"All right."
Isaac and Friedrich turned to leave.
"Friedrich."
The second year turned.
"Next time, don't be such a bloody coward. I have no use for cowards. Also, make sure that your next detention isn't during one of my meetings.
"And Friedrich, don't arrive at the next meeting without two Sickles."
******
"Blimey! Look at the Mountain Boy," said Omin Strick in awe.
Tom switched his focus from Melia Conrad to the Gryffindor table.
Hagrid ate directly from the serving bowls, which contained enough portions for at least thirty students. There were two empty platters in front of him.
"He's like a giant pig, isn't he?" said Thelma Ransom, a fourth year Slytherin.
Staring at Hagrid with contempt, Zephyrus Baird said, "He shouldn't be here. Mudbloods and people like him should not be allowed in Hogwarts."
"Miles, pass me the steak," ordered Tom.
Miles obliged and stated, "The Founders made a mistake when they decided to let non-purebloods into Hogwarts."
Tom bristled at Miles comment.
"Aye," agreed a sixth year sitting nearby, "too bad Slytherin didn't have his way."
"Uthman, pass me the meatloaf," said Tom imperiously.
Alvar noted that Tom always avoided soups, milk, bread, oranges, and porridge. It seemed that he only preferred meat.
******
Late that night, when everyone was asleep, Tom silently rose from his bed and went over to the four-poster where Miles slept. He pulled back the curtains, pointed his wand at the sleeping teen, and muttered two words.
The following morning, Miles awoke unable to see. His screams of terror alarmed the entire house. Miles' unexplained blindness lasted three days.
******
Standing outside the Three Broomsticks, the cluster of girls watched as the group of boys approached their location. They whispered amongst themselves and occasionally giggled behind their hands.
Tom, projecting an air of superiority, slightly led the procession of boys to the Three Broomsticks. The girls who watched surreptitiously close by absorbed his image like thick cotton swallowing a liquid. He embodied the unconscious and conscious fantasy lurking in many girls' dreams of the tall, dark, handsome stranger promising mystery; bravery; arresting charm; thrilling danger; and a hint of forbidden pleasure.
Uthman and Miles flanked him. Immediately behind them were Alvar, Max LaSalle, Jordan Towshipp of Ravenclaw, Bertram Greeneye of Hufflepuff, the Strick twins, and Kyle Toadstool of Hufflepuff. The girls' giggles increased as Tom and his followers reached the Three Broomsticks.
"Oi, Tom," a fourth year Gryffindor called out as Tom entered the pub.
He ignored her.
Uthman barely glanced at the blushing third year Hufflepuff who shyly greeted him as he walked through the doorway.
******
Tom and his friends sat at a table in the Three Broomsticks sipping butterbeer, eating sweets, and talking of war, girls, Muggles, and hexes. Suddenly, everyone's attention was diverted to a chubby girl wearing spectacles.
"I hate you, Olive Hornby!" the girl sobbed. "You're a horrible, wicked girl!"
The girl she directed this outburst to laughed contemptuously and said, "Poor fat, thick, ugly, four-eyed Myrtle whom nobody likes." Then she added in a mockingly sweet voice, "Why don't you go to the Muggle world where you belong? Go on fat, ugly cow. You would fit in better with Muggles."
"I'm not ugly," screamed Myrtle Specter.
"Yes, you are, you fat pig!" Hornby threw some sweets at Specter. "Take those to your trough."
Specter cried and ran toward the door as Hornby and her friends laughed.
As Specter passed the table where Tom and his friends sat, Miles stuck out his foot. She tripped over it and fell ungainly to the floor.
A number of students laughed aloud.
A bespectacled, sixth year prefect with long, straight, black hair and an aristocratic demeanor went over to assist the bawling Specter to her feet.
"Honestly, it is not funny!" the prefect glared at the nearby students. She returned her attention to Specter whose bottom lip was bleeding from a tiny laceration. "Are you all right?"
Uthman snorted and said, "Of course, Miss Four-Eyed Piggy is all right."
Specter wailed louder, and the prefect glared at Uthman.
"That will be fifty points from Slytherin for your nasty remark, Malfoy," she said, icily.
"Oh come now, McGonagall," exclaimed Max, "fifty points? That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"No," Minerva McGonagall snapped.
"Typical of a Gryffindor," muttered Alvar.
"Does Slytherin wish to have more points removed?" McGonagall said in a low voice. "Because if any of you open your stupid mouths again, I will remove one hundred points from your house. Understand?"
Miles, Uthman, Alvar, and Max glowered at her.
"Come on." McGonagall gently beckoned the still crying Specter.
As McGonagall and Specter reached the door, McGonagall looked over her shoulder and shouted, "That will also be fifty points from your house, Hornby."
******
Before the meeting adjourned, Tom made an announcement.
"From this day forward, down here, you will refer to me as 'Lord' or 'Master,' understand?"
The "soldiers" nodded their heads.
"No more 'Sir' or 'Leader.' It's 'Lord' or 'Master.' Don't forget. You may leave."
The chamber rapidly emptied of Slytherin's Army. Tom grabbed Abigail's arm as she stepped out and pulled her back into the chamber. He closed the door.
"I have another special assignment for you."
"All right. What do I have to do?"
"I want you to watch Melia for me."
She frowned slightly.
"You share a room with Melia and have all your lessons with her. So, you will be my eyes and ears. I want to know everything."
"I don't understand, Ss...I mean, Lord."
"Tell me what Melia does, what she likes, who are her friends, who she doesn't like, her favourite food, everything."
"She loves daffodils. That's why everyone calls her Daffy. Her best friends are Rivers Tyndalle and Ophelia Gloomis."
"What else?"
"Erm, her favourite lessons are Charms, Transfiguration, and Herbology. Oh, she likes Quidditch, too. She hopes to become a Chaser one day. She doesn't like that Gryffindor girl, Harriet Pritchard." Abigail wrinkled her freckled nose. "No one does. Pritchard thinks she's so smart, and always looks down her nose at us."
"Where does Melia live?"
"Erm, I think she lives in Eyemouth. I don't quite remember, but I know she lives in Scotland."
"Very good, Abby. I'll bring you back some sweets from Hogsmeade on our next visit." He went to open the door. "Periodically, I will ask you about Melia. Make sure you do your assignment well."
She started to leave the chamber but then hesitated. Abigail turned to gaze up at Tom.
"T-...Lord, I was wondering if," she glanced shyly down at her feet, "we could pretend that you're my big brother. Please? I don't have any brothers or sisters. It's just me and my grandmother."
"Abby, I'm your Lord and you're my servant."
Her face fell with disappointment. "But...."
"No," he said, firmly. "Pretend that I am your Lord and Master, nothing else."
With a hurt expression on her face, Abigail left.
******
Tom spent nearly twenty-one hours in his private chamber below the castle without food or drink trying to come up with his new name. If he planned to become the greatest sorcerer who ever lived, he could not possibly go by his Muggle father's name.
Approaching twenty-one hours, he began rearranging the letters of his given name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. He wanted a name that would later inspire dread in the ones who heard it. Tom wanted a name that wizards and witches around the world would one day fear to speak.
The first time he rearranged the letters of his name, he ended up with this hideous result: Mortdred Mirdolov.
The second time, he came up with something suitable for a wizard family's ghoul: Dervom Tormadoll.
The third permutation resulted in something that would likely evoke laughter, not fear: Vort Middlelom.
His fourth rearrangement yielded a result he would likely encounter in a child's fantasy book: Lord Drolomet. An image of an angelic appearing prince with blond curls instantly came to his mind. Disgusted, he started over again and came up with Lord Meldovort.
As the bats swooped low and the fire in the cave became nearly extinct, Tom rearranged, for the final time, the letters of the name that was given to him by his dying mother.
LORD VOLDEMORT
Tom said it aloud. Lord Voldemort. He repeated it as though he were tasting it. Lord Voldemort. He grinned and whispered to the bats overhead, "I am Lord Voldemort."
******
On the train ride to King's Cross, Tom pondered over, in his mind, the clues he had so far on the Chamber of Secrets. He reckoned that the chamber must be somewhere below the castle, but he still could not figure out what was meant by "where water springeth forth." Tom decided that the monster in the chamber must have been a serpent. It was logical since Slytherin was a Parselmouth, and likely he would want a beast that he alone could easily control. Tom wondered what type of serpent it could have been as there were many that could easily kill a human.
"Tom," said Max LaSalle, "you never told us why you were down in your dungeon for so long a fortnight ago. Come, tell us."
"I was choosing my new name."
"Eh?" said Alvar.
"I gave myself a new name."
"What is it?" replied Uthman.
Tom gazed intently at each boy in the compartment: Uthman, Miles, Alvar, Max, and Jordan. He considered them to be his intimate friends. All of them were generals in his army.
"I cannot tell you unless I know that I can trust you. I need to know whether I have your loyalty."
"Isn't it obvious, Tom?" exclaimed Alvar. "We haven't mentioned to anyone about your army or the chamber beneath the castle. We keep it between ourselves, don't we?" Alvar looked at the other boys.
They nodded their heads.
"Aye," Jordan responded. "What more must we do to prove that you have our loyalty and can trust us?"
Tom sighed. "All right. Like everything discussed between us, don't share it with anyone else. I want to become the most powerful wizard who has ever lived, as you know, but Tom Marvolo Riddle is an unworthy name. Lord Riddle?" He grimaced. "Indeed not. I am Lord Voldemort. When we are alone, refer to me as Lord Voldemort, understand?"
The boys glanced at each other and shrugged.
"All right," they said in unison.
******
... Summer 1941: Year Three of the Second Great Muggle War ...
Tom noticed that St. Cuthbert's Orphanage for Boys had acquired a significant number of new cases. The makeup of the orphanage staff had also changed while he had been gone. Most of the members were new faces. Tom was surprised to see several women on the staff, but they were no friendlier than their male counterparts. It pleased him that they no longer had to sleep in the basement as the air raids had become infrequent since the Germans retreated. However, the boys still had to carry their gas masks with them to and from the factory. The only item that remained unchanged was the quality of their rations.
******
He and the rest of the teens returned to their crowded wing after a meager supper. The boys ignored Tom. As far as they were concerned, he did not really exist. While his fellow orphans talked amongst themselves or quietly played board games, Tom lay supine on his cot reminiscing of the past. He remembered that when he was five years old a couple adopted him and took him into their home. A fortnight later, he was returned to Ste. Catherine's Orphanage. The man and woman claimed that he was possessed by the devil, that he inexplicably set the bathroom on fire; screamed and attacked viciously when they attempted to discipline him; and tortured the puppy that was given to him as a present. When he was around seven years old, another family adopted him. Less than a month later, he was returned to St. Cuthbert's. They accused Tom of incinerating the barn; torturing the piglets; breaking their four-year-old son's arm; and stabbing the woman with a knife. After that, no one asked for him.
Two staff members barging into the room startled Tom and the boys. The two, large, greying men rushed up to Tom's cot and roughly yanked him onto his feet. They then marched him swiftly out of the wing and down the corridor. He apathetically wondered what he had done to merit his upcoming punishment. They shoved him into the Whipping Room.
"Strip!" Kelvin snarled while glaring at him.
Tom sighed and removed his clothing. Afterwards, he turned to the wall and gripped the metal handlebars projecting from it.
"What did I do? Can you tell me that?" he said in a tired voice.
"You bloody, f---ing demon brought a filthy owl belonging to one of Satan's minions into our sanctified home. So you shall receive the punishment you deserve."
Yul then struck Tom forcefully between the shoulder blades.
Tom hissed in pain, and clamped his jaws together so that he would not cry out.
Yul continued to strike him with the thick, wooden cane until Tom passed out.
******
Standing outside the Hogwarts Express, on platform nine and three-quarters, Drakonis Slytherin gave pale and thin, fifteen-year-old Tom an envelope which clearly had been already opened.
"Congratulations, boy. You were made a prefect."
Then he left.
Tom lifted his trunk, stepped on the train, and found a compartment occupied by Miles and Jordan.
"Hullo, Tom!" exclaimed Jordan brightly. "Pleased to see you, chap."
Tom glanced at Jordan and placed his trunk in an overhead bin.
At that moment, Uthman and Alvar entered the compartment followed by Max LaSalle.
"Lord Voldemort," said Alvar, "how were your holidays? Quite miserable with the filthy Muggles, I gather?"
"Shut up, Al," replied Tom as he opened the envelope.
Dear Mr. Riddle,
Congratulations! You have been selected to represent the Slytherin fifth years as a prefect. Your selection was based on your outstanding marks and exemplary deportment. During the first week of school, you will receive more information regarding your role and responsibilities. Meanwhile, we ask that you wear the enclosed Prefect badge at all times while in Hogwarts.
Your fellow fifth year prefects are Luke Marchworthy and Arianne Ford of Gryffindor, Thomas Breadwinner of Hufflepuff, and Sheena Reese of Ravenclaw. This year's Head Boy and Head Girl are Trevor Bloomington of Hufflepuff and Minerva McGonagall of Gryffindor.
Again, congratulations on your selection!
Albus Dumbledore,
Albus Dumbledore
Deputy Headmaster
Tom smiled while admiring the prefect badge.
"What's that, Lord Voldemort?" inquired Miles as the train began to move.
"My Prefect badge." He displayed it for them to see.
His friends clapped and whistled.
Max winked at Tom and said, "Go easy on our house, eh?"
He grinned at him in response.
"Bad form! What about my house?" said Jordan indignantly.
Uthman snorted. "What about it?"
"Should he also go easy on the Ravenclaws? I'm one of his friends."
Tom smirked. "You will have to talk to Reese about that. I'm giving Ravenclaw no favours. After all, Towshipp, our houses are after the same prize: the House Cup."
******
A few days after the start of the school year, Abigail went up to Tom as he sat in the common room with his friends.
"Hullo, Tom," she said, shyly.
Uthman, Miles, Alvar, and Max smirked.
"What do you want, Abby?"
"Erm, I was wondering why you didn't come to my party. I hoped that you would come, but you never showed up." In an injured tone, she added, "You didn't even owl me back to say that you couldn't come."
Tom frowned. "What party? I didn't hear of any party."
"I sent you my owl, Thebes. I'm sure he delivered my invitation. My party was on the fifteenth of July. I waited for you to show up, but you didn't."
He stiffened and then forced a congenial smile on his face. "I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't receive your party invitation. I would have come if I had. Thank you for thinking of me."
"Oh." She frowned slightly. "I'm sorry you didn't get it. You can come to my next party." Then she completely startled Tom into uncharacteristic inaction by lightly kissing him on the cheek.
The boys noted Abigail's scarlet face as she fled from the room.
"Oh dear," Max whispered with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Lord Voldemort, I do believe little Miss Orlen fancies you."
Tom leapt up from the chair he was sitting on and gruffly stated, "Uthman, remind everyone that our first meeting will be next Wednesday, after supper."
He rapidly exited the Slytherin dungeon for the library.
******
One by one, they stepped up to Tom to pay him the obligatory Sickle. Alvar, Max, Uthman, Miles, and Jordan gazed upon the scene with amusement.
"Lord, sir, I have news to report," piped up second year Clem Michaelson. "I forgot about it earlier."
"What is it?"
"I heard an older boy say in the corridors that you shouldn't be a prefect."
"Who was it?"
Clem shrugged. "I don't know, Master. Jason and I were on our way to Charms, weren't we?"
Jason Weber nodded his head vigorously.
"I told Jason about it when were in Charms. He didn't hear him."
"Do you remember what he looked like?"
"Aye. He was tall, but not like you. He had brown hair, a pointy nose, and blue eyes. He was talking to that dark girl with the yellow eyes."
"And what did she say?"
"Erm, nothing, I think. They kept walking."
"Did the boy have a birthmark in the shape of a broom on the side of his neck?"
"Aye, he did!"
Thoughtfully, Tom remarked, "Pinstripe. I will deal with him."
"Did I do well, Master?"
"Yes, you did, Clem."
The boy beamed.
"Abby, come here," ordered Tom.
From the back of the chamber, she moved toward Tom.
Once Abigail stood in front of him, he demanded that she strip.
"Wh-What?"
"You heard me, Abby."
"Bu-But what did I do?" she said with a stricken expression on her face.
"Abby, do as you are told."
Her face crumpled up and she tearfully exclaimed, "But I'm a girl, Tom!"
He struck her across the face and she fell to the floor.
"Get up, Abby!"
Sobbing, she awkwardly rose to her feet.
"Now, strip!"
Abigail stood where she was without complying. "I'm a girl! All of you are...."
Tom knocked her back down to the floor with a blow to her head. Then Tom yanked Abigail onto her feet by her short, bright hair. Blood flowed from her nose and mouth.
"Abby, don't make me ask you again," he said in a low, even voice.
Nearly choking on her sobs, Abigail began to remove her clothes. The boys watched intently and with anticipation.
Abigail stood before the boys wearing only her flower-printed knickers. Her hands concealed what she did not have on her chest.
"Remove your knickers, Abby," said Tom in a low voice.
All of the boys in the room gazed at her with bright eyes.
"Abby, you have a choice: either you drop your knickers or I will." He slowly removed a coiled whip from the pocket of his robe.
Burning with shame and humiliation, Abigail removed her underwear while the boys watched. She quickly covered her privates with her hands.
"Turn around, Abby, and put your hands on the wall." Tom partially uncoiled the whip he had pilfered from Hogsmeade. It was designed for use on dragons.
He lashed the whip across her back. She shrieked and nearly fell. Blood instantly welled up in the raw stripe that marked her formerly unblemished skin.
"Never, ever, send me an owl without my permission!" A blow to Abigail's back punctuated each syllable.
Tom struck her again, and she fell to the floor unconscious. Blood sluggishly dripped onto the stone. He recoiled the whip and placed it in his pocket while fighting for breath control.
"Come. Let's go," he told the boys once he had control of himself. "I have to finish my History of Magic essay."
"We're just going to leave her here?" inquired Friedrich with a worried frown.
"Never mind her. She needs to learn a lesson. She won't die, I assure you. Now, let's go."
As they entered the corridor, Jordan quietly remarked in a tremulous voice, "Crickey. That was brutal, Lord Voldemort. She's only a little girl."
"No one gets special treatment from me, Towshipp," Tom hissed.
******
On a day in early October, after supper, Tom furtively watched Melia and her friends attempt to sort out an assignment. He noted that Melia was becoming increasingly frustrated by how often she ran her hands down the side of her face. Tom slowly rose from the chair in a darkened corner of the room and went over to where the three girls sat.
"Hullo. It looks like you three need help with your assignment, eh?"
The girls looked up at him as he grabbed a chair from an unoccupied table and placed it at theirs.
"What are you three working on?"
"Charms," promptly answered Ophelia Gloomis.
"We have an exam tomorrow but we still don't know how to do the Yawning Charm," added Rivers Tyndalle.
Tom removed the wand from his pocket, pointed it at Ophelia, and lazily said, "Oscito."
Ophelia yawned. About three seconds later, she did it again. Melia and Rivers smiled. Tom observed that when Melia smiled a dimple appeared near the left corner of her mouth.
He redirected his attention to Ophelia and said, "Fin."
She stopped yawning.
"The trick is to focus your concentration on the person you want to put the charm. Of course, you must pronounce the spell correctly; else, it won't work."
He turned to Melia. "Here. Why don't you give it a try?"
Melia's eyes widened as she stared across at her best friend, Rivers.
"C'mon, don't be shy," he coaxed.
She giggled and pointed her wand at Rivers. "Yawn," Melia shouted.
The girls collapsed into laughter.
After the girls' mirth subsided, Tom softly said to Melia, "What's your name?" while watching her closely.
"Melia."
"All right, Melia, let's try this again, eh? Remember what I told you."
She took at deep breath, gazed at Rivers while pointing her wand at her, and slowly said, "Oscito."
Rivers yawned several times in succession.
Melia jumped up and down while exclaiming, "I did it! I did it!"
Tom smiled and gently grabbed the exuberant second year by the arm. He pulled her close to him. "Now you can help me teach your friends, eh?"
Smiling, she nodded her head vigorously. Then she gasped, "I did it."
About a half-hour later, all three girls were able to perform the charm flawlessly each time.
******
"My father attended Durmstrang. I wanted to go there, too, but since we live in Wales I had to come here. Father said that Durmstrang doesn't allow Mudbloods in its walls. Father's family moved to Great Britain from Bulgaria when he was only a lad like me. Then he met Mother. My father's entire family is very wealthy, even the ones who still live in Bulgaria. Grandfather is on Durmstrang's Governors' Board. I'm the only heir to my parents' wealth. We have six house-elves. Oh..." Edmund Dulovo turned to the boys who stared at him in captivated astonishment. "If you don't have enough money to give our master, you can ask me. Father and Mother send me enough money to pay for everyone in this chamber. I have ten...."
"Oh shut your f---ing, ever flapping gob!"
Edmund immediately complied while sheepishly glancing down at his feet.
Tom regretted allowing the first year into his ranks. He found Edmund to be an exceedingly annoying, insufferable prat. Tom believed Edmund's only redeeming quality to be the amount of money he had. It was easy for him to manipulate the boy into giving him a few Galleons per week.
Edmund Dulovo, a blonde, blue-eyed boy who looked too much like a girl, was one of the three new soldiers, all first year Slytherins, the army gained a few weeks ago. The other two were: chubby, bespectacled Brett Mitchell and Garret Oblong, a handsome boy full of jokes featuring Muggles and giants.
"All right," Tom said, bored. "Remember your assignment. Slytherin wants to win the House Cup this year. For us to win, the other houses must lose. How else can we help them lose besides winning our Quidditch matches?"
"We can find out which rules they're breaking!" the "soldiers" answered in unison.
"Why?"
"So our Lord can remove points from their houses!"
"Good. You may leave now."
They noisily filed out of the chamber. Tom grabbed Abigail as she passed him and pulled her back into the room. Her face was unusually pale, which made her freckles even more prominent. Since Tom disciplined her, she had been uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. She avoided contact with him whenever possible. During the meetings, when the rest of the boys yelled or shouted their responses, she mumbled. Half-heartedly, she would drop her payment into his outstretched hand. Tom had not received any worthwhile reports from her in weeks. Inwardly, he had to concede to the fact that she had been one of his better soldiers.
Once everyone had left, he closed the door to the chamber.
"I have something for you, Abby."
She stared at the floor, with her pale face devoid of emotion.
He squatted on his heels before her.
Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, square box. "This is for you." He opened the clasp and revealed a gold necklace with an emerald green serpent pendant dangling from it. Tom then placed it over her head and around her neck.
"Thank you," she whispered while staring at and fingering the pendant.
Pretending that she was Melia, Tom kissed her on the mouth.
Her face scarlet, Abigail flinched backward in surprise.
Softly, he said, "Abby, do you still want to pretend that I'm your big brother?"
She shrugged, and then shook her head.
"Your lover?"
If it could be imagined, her face reddened further. "No."
"Perhaps you ought to think about it. I wouldn't discipline my lover." He stood. "You're free to go."
Abigail fled from the chamber like a deer being pursued by a pack of wolves.
******
Late one Saturday night in early November, Tom silently roamed the castle on a quest for the Chamber of Secrets. Occasionally, he would mutter aloud to himself, "Where water springeth forth. Where would water springeth forth? The kitchens? The toilets?" He reckoned that the chamber had to be below the castle. Tom was running out of places to look. Already, he was starting to tread previously covered ground. In the gloom, he spotted a faintly glowing door ahead of him. Tom reached it and grasped the doorknob. It was locked. He removed his wand from his pocket, pointed it at the door, and said, "Alohomora."
The door swung open and revealed a spacious room seemingly filled with swirling, brilliant white clouds. Puzzled, Tom stepped inside. The chamber was slightly chilly. Boldly, he penetrated the cloudy depths.
What is this? he thought.
The clouds began swirling around him at a faster rate while alternately changing from green to silver in colour. Tom began to feel a sense of vertigo. Very soon, he realised that he was at the centre of a vortex. He closed his eyes to shut out the mad spinning. When he reopened them, he shouted out in wonder and surprise.
He was standing on a grassy hill in a place where he had never been. The wind pulled at his long, black cloak. There was something covering his face. He reached up and encountered a wooden surface. Tom removed the object from his face and turned it over in his hand. It was the Greek mask of tragedy. The sun dipped below the horizon and he was plunged into blackness.
Then the world was filled with light again, and he found himself in a forest. A large serpent circled him. Then he spotted dark-robed figures silently marching toward him. Their hoods masked their faces. Each halted before coming directly up to him, fell prostrate to the ground, and kissed the hem of his robe.
Darkness fell. It did not matter for he could see quite clearly. In fact, Tom realised with growing pleasure that he could actually see through solid objects. He laughed aloud. A thousand owls suddenly fluttered up into the night sky, riding on the current of his high, cold mirth.
It was day, again. An opponent was pursuing him. Tom ran like the wind, and hid in a cave full of vampire bats. They were no danger to him, but he was wary of the one who vowed to defeat him. His foe caught up with him but it could not see him in the cave. Tom's enemy was the phoenix circling high in the sky while filling the atmosphere with its eerie, melodic cry. Eventually, the troublesome creature flew away.
Thirsty, Tom exited the cave. He found a clear pool of water nearby. He leaned over to dip his hands into what promised to be a cool and refreshing drink. Then Tom caught his reflection in the pond. It was that of the Grim Reaper. He screamed.
Trembling from the vision, he realised that he was standing in an empty classroom.
******
In the wee hours of the morning, Tom dreamt of serpents; dark, slippery, sloped corridors; a toad perched on a hen's egg; and, oddly, Salazar Slytherin who was a thousand years before his time.
"A basilisk," he whispered as his eyelids flew open and the dream fell from him like a bed sheet. "Salazar's monster was a basilisk."
******
The mysterious, magical room occupied Tom's thoughts for several weeks, but he did not return to it. He found the visions haunting and not exactly comforting. The phoenix and his reflection in the pond disturbed him the most.
******
One night, in mid-December, he was unable to sleep so he sneaked from the castle into Hogsmeade. Tom went to the Three Broomsticks, silently entered the premises, and pilfered a bottle of butterbeer. Then he surreptitiously traversed the entirely magical village. He slipped in and out of gardens (yards) as the occupants of the homes slept. Occasionally, a kneazle hissed and spat at him or a crup ran up to greet him. Sipping his butterbeer, he noticed a warm, yellow light between the slender trees in a copse on the edge of town. Tom went toward it. As he approached, he saw a silhouette of a woman framed in a window.
Tom crept closer while trying to avoid stepping on the underbrush and dead leaves. The small house appeared secluded from the main road and from the rest of Hogsmeade. He could clearly see through the open window that did not contain curtains. It presented a view of a surprisingly spacious bathroom. A woman with honey blonde hair was in the room humming as she brushed her hair. Tom could hear water falling into what he imagined to be a tub. She rose from where she was sitting before a mirror to turn off the tap. Then she began to undress. Tom slowly sipped his butterbeer while he watched in the darkness. His breath caught in his throat when she stood before the window completely nude and gazed out into the night. Unaware of her audience, she stepped into the sunken tub. Tom remained to watch the woman bathe, dry herself off, and then put on a sheer gown. He left when she turned off the light and exited the bathroom.
He made frequent visits to the house under the cover of darkness to gaze at the woman in rapt attention while she unknowingly performed for him.
******
Unlike the previous Christmas holidays, Tom was not the only Slytherin who stayed behind. His company was Edmund Dulovo whom Tom had developed an irrational resentment. He despised everything about the boy, his wealth and ancestry in particular. It enraged him to hear Edmund constantly boasting of his family's money and the purity of his bloodline. Tom's image of Edmund was that of an overly pampered, lap dog in desperate need of a brutal kick. He did not look forward to listening to the boy's mindless chatter during the holidays. Tom could not fathom why Edmund would prefer to spend Christmas at Hogwarts instead of at his grandparents who supposedly doted on him.
One night after supper, in the common room before the fire, Tom asked Edmund why he did not spend the holidays with his family.
"I hate spending the holidays at my mother's parents. Grandmother always treats me like a baby. She makes me eat large bowls of porridge every morning, forces me to rub her feet every night, insists on checking me after I bathe to make sure I washed everything properly, and every day asks if I had two bowel movements." He grimaced. "Grandfather acts like I'm going to break everything in the house. He constantly tells me, 'Careful, laddie.' He won't let me play. He prefers that I read and stay quiet. It's awfully boring there. I like Father's parents immensely better. I have all sorts of fun at Grandfather and Grandmother Dulovo's. They buy me anything I wish, and let me do whatever I want. They...."
"What's that you have there?" Tom interrupted.
He pointed to a silvery garment lying beside him. "This?"
"Yes."
"It's an Invisibility Cloak," he replied, smugly. "Father gave it to me for my Christmas present. Isn't it splendid? They're very rare and very expensive, you know."
"May I see it?"
"Sure." Edmund held out the cloak to Tom.
Tom took it and put it on.
Edmund clapped his hands and laughed. "Blimey! All I can see is your head!"
Tom grinned and said, "Let me keep it for a while."
Edmund frowned. "No. I haven't had a chance to really use it. I've only had it for three days."
An ugly expression marred Tom's handsome features. In a low, ominous voice Tom said, "Don't you ever tell me 'no,' you f---ing prick."
Edmund stood up. "But it's mine! I want it back!"
Tom glowered at the boy.
Edmund reached out to snatch at the cloak. "Give it back to me!"
Tom struck him across the jaw with his fist. Edmund screamed and fell to the floor. A large lump was rapidly swelling on the right side of his face. Then Edmund foolishly leapt up, kicked Tom, and began pummelling him with his fists.
Enraged at Edmund's audacity, Tom summarily and methodically beat the boy. Once Edmund cowered on the floor and begged for him to stop, Tom forced him to remove his clothing. Then he grabbed the poker by the fireplace mantle and beat Edmund until he became unconscious.
Panting, he stood over the seemingly lifeless, naked boy on the floor. Edmund was a bloody, lumpy, bruised mess. After about fifteen minutes elapsed, Tom picked up Edmund's clothing and ripped them. Then he wiped blood on them before he put them on the unconscious boy. When Edmund was dressed, Tom pointed his wand at him, and uttered a spell he hoped would work. "Obliviate."
Tom made sure the Invisibility Cloak would cover him entirely and then removed it. He bent, lifted Edmund, and draped him across one of his shoulders. Then he put the cloak back on. Silently, he left the common room for the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Once he made it to the forest, he removed the cloak and placed Edmund on the ground. He tore the Invisibility Cloak, smeared blood on it, and dragged it across the ground. Then Tom ripped his robe, rolled about on the ground, and then hit himself with a good-sized tree limb with as much strength as he could muster across the face and shoulders. He deliberately dragged his knuckles against the rough bark of a tree. After he was done, he lifted Edmund and ran awkwardly toward the castle.
"Help! Someone help me!" he cried as he re-entered the castle and ran in the direction of the hospital wing.
Professors Dippet, Dumbledore, and Allkimee, and a few students rushed into the corridor.
The professors swiftly went up to him with alarm etched on their faces.
"A troll, professor! A troll attacked us!" Tom said to Dippet.
Allkimee ran ahead to alert Madam Salve. A minute later, Tom and his entourage entered the hospital wing.
"Oh dear!" Madam Salve exclaimed when she caught a glimpse of Edmund. "Put him over here," she ordered Tom.
Tom complied and then collapsed on the bed beside the one Edmund was on. He carefully watched Madam Salve revive the boy.
"Mr. Riddle, please tell us what happened," Dumbledore said in a low voice as Edmund moaned.
"I was in the common room studying, sir, when I realised that I hadn't seen Edmund in a while."
"So you went to look for him?" said Allkimee in a soft, soothing voice.
"Yes, Professor. I remembered that he had an Invisibility Cloak and was thinking of sneaking out of the castle. I had warned him not to do so several times. First, I went to the first years' room and called out his name. He wasn't there. Then I left the common room to search for him."
"Why didn't you tell one of us?" said Dumbledore.
"I didn't think it was necessary at the time, sir."
"We understand, Mr. Riddle," said Dippet gently. "Please continue."
"I have to admit that I did step out of the castle, but just to see if I could spot him. Then I heard a scream. So I ran in the direction that it came from. That is when I saw the troll shaking Edmund like a doll."
Allkimee gasped.
Dumbledore stared at him in a probing-like fashion. "What did you do then?"
"I didn't think, sir. I just reacted. I ran toward the troll shouting. It saw me and dropped Edmund. Then it lunged toward me with its club raised. I stepped aside as it was brought down. It grazed my shoulder. Then I grabbed the hand holding the club to wrestle it from the troll. It hit me across the face."
"How did you escape, Mr. Riddle?" inquired Dumbledore. "What happened to the troll?"
"I don't really know, sir. I heard what sounded like an angry roar, and the troll simply stopped. Then it stumbled rapidly off into the forest. I picked up Edmund and ran to the castle."
"What a brave lad you are!" Dippet said with admiration.
Tom blushed and said, "Thank you, sir."
Then professor Dippet said, "We must get you cleaned up, too. Madam Salve, how is Mr. Dulovo?"
"He's fine, Professor. I gave him a potion so that he could sleep soundly. He doesn't seem to recall what happened."
"I can understand that," said Allkimee. "The lump on the poor boy's forehead was rather nasty appearing. He is lucky to be alive." Then she smiled warmly at Tom. "Thanks to you, Mr. Riddle."
Tom returned her smile. Then Madam Salve forced him to drink a bitter tasting medicine to heal his self-inflicted wounds.
Dumbledore watched Tom with a bemused expression on his face.
Tom turned to Madam Salve. "Madam, is it all right for me to return to my house?"
"Yes, you may go, dearie. This one however must remain overnight."
He stood to return to the common room.
******
A few days later, Tom regretted that he had modified Edmund's memory. If he had not, Edmund would not have returned so quickly to his insufferable self. Tom was tired of the eleven-year-old flaunting his wealth and ancestry.
******
Tom watched from the doorway of the first year Slytherin boys' room as Edmund polished his racing broom. Of course, Edmund had the best broom on the market, a Cleansweep Three. So engrossed in his broom ministrations, Edmund did not notice that he had company. Tom silently stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.
Edmund glanced up when he heard the soft snap of the door being locked.
~~~~~~
::shudders:: I can't believe I wrote any of this.
Oh, you can find a crup (page 8) and a kneazle (page 24) in Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling as Newt Scamander (Scholastic Press, 2001).