Disclaimer: I do not own any of the precreated characters in this story example- Tom Riddle, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Dippet. They were created by writing genius J.K. Rowling. Not me....

Emotions

I'm sorry Tom, I'm...just...sorry. I can't pretend to love you." Said the teary eyed Angel Mason. "You must have known this was going to happen." She said.
Tom Riddle sat in silence staring blankly back at her. He was watching yet another one of his hopeful relationships fall apart in front of his eyes. Sadly he was used to this bu now. He knew precisely how to handle it.

"Of course Angel, don't cry. It was fun and I will always keep you close to my heart. Now wipe your eyes and get back to your dorm." She nodded and left slowly without looking back at him, leaving him alone in the huge library with nothing but his pain and the silence to keep him company.

He looked down at the essay he had been working on before Angel had asked to talk to him. "The effects of human emotion on magic." 'What a wonderful essay to be working on after a painful breakup.' He thought sardonically.

It was common belief that the stronger your emotions were, the more powerful your magic could be. But there was another side to that. Emotions could also distract you and cause you to become weaker. No one really knew which was true because no one had ever been totally emotionless.

"Damn the bloody emotions I say." Tom said slamming his fists down on the table.

"sh." Madame Unfrail, the librarian said.

"I'm sorry." He said.. "I was just leaving." He said gathering his books and leaving the library, finished essay in hand.

He didn't think much of it until he came to the staircase. 'If you were emotionless, you wouldn't have any pain ever. He never had much happiness anyway so it wasn't as though he was losing much of that.

"Mr. Riddle, where are you going?" asked Professor Dumbledore from the top of the stairs. "If I remember properly the head's dorm is downstairs. You have no reason to be here right now."

"I was just making my rounds sir." Tom said, never looking at him. He didn't know why, but Dumbledore scared him so. "Then you may keep going but be quick about it." Tom nodded and headed up the stairs, avoiding eye contact with Dumbledore. 'If I had no bloody emotions, I wouldn't feel this fear.'