An Unexpected Guest
Standing before him was a walking nightmare; tall, thin, and draped in rags, the
horrible thing before him stared down at Tom through pearl white eyes that glowed from
behind a bald head of peeling gray skin. From a slit below the nose, a raspy hiss of a
voice echoed off the sleek chamber walls.
"So, the rumors are true I see…"
Tom was paralyzed in fright, unable to speak.
"I have been looking for you twelve years…" it hissed, "Mr. Riddle."
Tom cowered under the piercing gaze of such a hideous creature, though he
managed to utter three words because of his insuppressible curiosity.
"Who are you?" said Tom still quivering.
"I," it said, "Am the infamous Grindlewald, yet it appears my current state has
proven me unrecognizable."
"But you're dead!" snapped Tom with more confidence, now that he was sure this
thing was a fraud. "Albus Dumbledore defeated you twelve years ago."
"Ah…" hissed Grindlewald, "Now you like most have thought me gone, but I am
not dead, merely defeated. I would have thought the heir of Slytherin more clever than
that."
Tom frowned.
"Ah…yes… I know who you are Tom. I didn't believe it myself when I heard the
prophecies, yet now I have met the heir and my doubts are erased. That is why I have
come my boy, for I know what you seek. You seek what I alone have discovered. The
path toward immortality," said Grindlewald grinning.
Tom's face showed no emotion, but his eyes alone held the excitement and fear
he had toward Grindlewald.
"I took the steps toward conquering death, I searched for the spells and
ingredients needed, I Grindlewald was nearly there before I realized I was missing the
most important ingredient…"
"What was it?" whispered Tom eagerly.
"You," hissed the man so softly that his voice could only be heard by Tom.
"What do you mean?" asked Tom; now beginning to feel this man was dangerous.
"You," repeated the man. "I needed only the blood of Salazar Slytherin in my
veins to be able to put a stop to my death forever. Though as you know, only the true heir
has this. Although I was missing this key ingredient, I managed to survive my defeat by
Dumbledore. I was lowered to this pathetic creature I am now. I have managed to hold on
to my life for these twelve years, waiting till could give my knowledge to the only person
who could use it. Now that I have found you, I can die knowing you will take my place
and bring terror to those who oppose you. You must take back the power that belongs to
evil. Kill the dirty muggles, bring the world into a new era of fear, awaken the dark
creatures that have been in hiding since the fall of dark magic!" he was now standing to
his full height and using his raspy voice to yell with fury. "Spare none, and kill all! Great
power comes with no mercy."
And with that, he collapsed on to the cold stone floor. His rags covered him, and
slowly he melted into the ground, his frail body slowly vanishing from beneath his
tattered clothing. Tom, every bone in his body shaking, half expected Grindlewald to
jump out at him from under the heap of rags, though nothing happened. He carefully
lifted them off the ground and saw in place of the body a stained, ancient book. He
grabbed off the stone and looked at it in interest. Thin black letters formed the title "The
Steps towards Immortality" and in the center was a large black eye, which winked at him.
He supposed he'd better hide it before the guard returned, and quietly stuffed it inside the
rags and sat down on the floor. Had he been dreaming? His greatest wish had been
granted to him. He was quite shocked by the unexpected visitor he had just met, although
he couldn't really tell himself it wasn't real for he was still gripping the heap of ripped
clothes. Had that really been the dark sorcerer Grindlewald of whom he had read about in
school, and had used to design the plan. He had been so paralyzed by fear that he had lost
his chance to ask Grindlewald several things that he had been curious about since he had
first learned about him at Hogwarts. Though now as the echoing footsteps of the dark
wizard came closer to lock him back in, he knew this was the time for him to escape.
Standing before him was a walking nightmare; tall, thin, and draped in rags, the
horrible thing before him stared down at Tom through pearl white eyes that glowed from
behind a bald head of peeling gray skin. From a slit below the nose, a raspy hiss of a
voice echoed off the sleek chamber walls.
"So, the rumors are true I see…"
Tom was paralyzed in fright, unable to speak.
"I have been looking for you twelve years…" it hissed, "Mr. Riddle."
Tom cowered under the piercing gaze of such a hideous creature, though he
managed to utter three words because of his insuppressible curiosity.
"Who are you?" said Tom still quivering.
"I," it said, "Am the infamous Grindlewald, yet it appears my current state has
proven me unrecognizable."
"But you're dead!" snapped Tom with more confidence, now that he was sure this
thing was a fraud. "Albus Dumbledore defeated you twelve years ago."
"Ah…" hissed Grindlewald, "Now you like most have thought me gone, but I am
not dead, merely defeated. I would have thought the heir of Slytherin more clever than
that."
Tom frowned.
"Ah…yes… I know who you are Tom. I didn't believe it myself when I heard the
prophecies, yet now I have met the heir and my doubts are erased. That is why I have
come my boy, for I know what you seek. You seek what I alone have discovered. The
path toward immortality," said Grindlewald grinning.
Tom's face showed no emotion, but his eyes alone held the excitement and fear
he had toward Grindlewald.
"I took the steps toward conquering death, I searched for the spells and
ingredients needed, I Grindlewald was nearly there before I realized I was missing the
most important ingredient…"
"What was it?" whispered Tom eagerly.
"You," hissed the man so softly that his voice could only be heard by Tom.
"What do you mean?" asked Tom; now beginning to feel this man was dangerous.
"You," repeated the man. "I needed only the blood of Salazar Slytherin in my
veins to be able to put a stop to my death forever. Though as you know, only the true heir
has this. Although I was missing this key ingredient, I managed to survive my defeat by
Dumbledore. I was lowered to this pathetic creature I am now. I have managed to hold on
to my life for these twelve years, waiting till could give my knowledge to the only person
who could use it. Now that I have found you, I can die knowing you will take my place
and bring terror to those who oppose you. You must take back the power that belongs to
evil. Kill the dirty muggles, bring the world into a new era of fear, awaken the dark
creatures that have been in hiding since the fall of dark magic!" he was now standing to
his full height and using his raspy voice to yell with fury. "Spare none, and kill all! Great
power comes with no mercy."
And with that, he collapsed on to the cold stone floor. His rags covered him, and
slowly he melted into the ground, his frail body slowly vanishing from beneath his
tattered clothing. Tom, every bone in his body shaking, half expected Grindlewald to
jump out at him from under the heap of rags, though nothing happened. He carefully
lifted them off the ground and saw in place of the body a stained, ancient book. He
grabbed off the stone and looked at it in interest. Thin black letters formed the title "The
Steps towards Immortality" and in the center was a large black eye, which winked at him.
He supposed he'd better hide it before the guard returned, and quietly stuffed it inside the
rags and sat down on the floor. Had he been dreaming? His greatest wish had been
granted to him. He was quite shocked by the unexpected visitor he had just met, although
he couldn't really tell himself it wasn't real for he was still gripping the heap of ripped
clothes. Had that really been the dark sorcerer Grindlewald of whom he had read about in
school, and had used to design the plan. He had been so paralyzed by fear that he had lost
his chance to ask Grindlewald several things that he had been curious about since he had
first learned about him at Hogwarts. Though now as the echoing footsteps of the dark
wizard came closer to lock him back in, he knew this was the time for him to escape.