We were at Hogsmeade Station, where we would come off the train. He let go of my arm and began to walk. I stared after him, confused. Why was he taking me to the village?
"Harry, stop standing there and follow. Do I have to verbally give orders to you?" Tom said between annoyance and impatience. I ran after him before stopping behind him, at a walk. Soon we reached the castle gates. Tom just waved his hand, still walking, and they opened for us. I looked at him before quickly looking away.
"What is it Harry?"
"I was wondering why we're here. I've never come to the school during the summer."
"Nor does anyone else. We shall be alone here. We are here to teach you magic. What else could I be taking you here for? Or are you still worried I will kill you?" He smirked at his question.
"You manipulative jerk. I was never worried about you killing me."
"Such lies Harry. I thought I told you to respect me? Maybe it slipped your puny mind."
"Takes respect to get respect Tom." I replied as we reached the end of the Entrance Footpath and passed the Stone Circle and onto the Covered Bridge. As we walked across, my mind drifted to the battle. The Death Eaters did a great job at fixing Hogwarts. As if the fight never happened.
"Tom? What's the difference between a manor and a mansion? I think the Riddle House is mansion."
"You ask trivial questions Harry. Why did this come up?"
"Comparing Malfoy Manor and the Riddle House, honestly."
"Do you feel the house does not match up to the Malfoy house? Maybe you are feeling poor compared to them?"
"I would just think that the Dark Lord would prefer a bigger house compared with his followers."
"So I have something to compensate for?"
"You mean besides for the fact you aren't as nice as you pretend to be? Yes. You kept me alive even though you have been trying to murder me for a while. Surely the Death Eaters think the big bad Dark Lord has lost his touch if after all this time you have changed your mind." We'd reached the Clock Tower Courtyard now. We walked around the water fountain.
"Careful Harry, you're starting to sound like a Slytherin." Fuck you! "The Death Eaters know their place. Admittedly, yes, at first they were upset at your position, but because I saw fit, I gave the trusted followers special privileges over you that, however, can be revoked, with punishment, if I see fit. As well as those that will be working here. I, myself, will be Supreme Headmaster." We'd entered the Clock Tower, climbing the stairs.
"The Supreme Headmaster?"
"You will understand next month. Your question from earlier will be answered. The Riddle House should be called Riddle Manor, in that field. It is, indeed, a manor house. A manor is fit for a lord. A manor has more buildings than just the house the owner and their kids, if any, live in. There is a mansion also on the property, not Malfoy Manor, that houses the slaves, or in our case, the house elves. There is more but that is what separates Malfoy Manor from Riddle Manor."
"The Malfoys have less buildings than us?" We reached the Fifth Floor landing and headed in the hall toward the Grand Staircase. "How do you know where you're going?"
"Why should one not know where they are headed in a building they have been in for seven whole years minus the insignificant three months of summer?"
"That is a long question."
"Sometimes questions are long." We left the staircase at the seventh floor landing. We walked down a corridor before he opened a door and let me in first. The Room of Requirement! It just has to be. Above there was a night sky, before me there was a giant house, and beside me stood Tom. I forgot he knew about this room.
"The Room of Requirement. Why are we here?"
"Because, Harry, you are going to learn a few spells. Two that are of necessity. First, we need to talk." He walked straight into the building, and I followed him. It was an unspoken command. What was inside shocked me. There were two chairs, a bookcase, a fireplace, and a pot with powder in it. Must be floo powder. He motioned me to sit down, smiling pleasantly. I obeyed. He pooled out my wand, my broken wand and the one I'd borrowed. I opened my mouth to speak but he sent daggers my way… not real daggers but he was glaring at me… if looks could kill. I began to fidget, looking away immediately. "A Pureblood does not fidget. A Slytherin does not show apprehension. Harry, stop that and look at me." I looked at him. "How did your wand break and where did you get this one?"
"Took it from a snatcher."
"It does not matter how it broke. Because either you are foolish or you are a twit. Only a fool would purposely break his wand, and only a twit would break his wand haphazardly. This wand is not yours. You need a new one. Go upstairs. There will be wands waiting for you to pick from. There is also a box for those you do no like or do not work. You have two hours once that door closes. I suggest you get started or you will have to go to a meeting wandless."
"Why a meeting? Aren't we-"
"Would you like incentive to obey me?" He asked calmly as he walked to the bookshelf, picking one out. Secret Of The Darkest Art. I glared before going upstairs and slamming the door as hard as possible. I groaned, angry, but started upon the set task. The wands were all in boxes. I opened one but felt nothing come from it. So I put it back. I looked around for the box and put it in there.
I tried many wands, not getting a thing from them, like my first wand. 'You know, it's not my fault that Nagini tried to kill me. Or that Hermione broke my wand with the force of the spell used to save my life. In fact, it's his fault, but he's so Slytherin that he'll never see it as his fault. I mean, this is the Dark Lord I'm dealing with.' I dropped off, grumbling to myself as I looked for a wand.
When I did find one, it felt like my old wand did, nearly with the same warmth. I put the wand back in the box and put all the others in the box. I opened the box, took the wand, and looked for something to try it on and a target appeared. What spell should I use first? I noticed something drop to the floor:
'Length: 12 1/2 (12 and a half) inches
Wood: Cyprus
Core: White River Monster Spine'
The wand's description. Just like from Olivander. I jumped as I heard my name called downstairs.
"Harry! Your time is up. Come here." I put my new wand up before going down.
"Yes?"
"Where is your new wand? Or were you too lazy?" I pulled it out, and it was snatched as he inspected it. He looked at the box before looking at me. He turned and I followed him, clearly another silent command. He gave me my wand before taking out his own, not the Elder wand, before shouting. "Morsmordre!" The Dark Mark appeared in the sky. He waved it away after a few minutes before turning to me. "Practice that until it actually happens. If you have trouble, then we will go over the 'theory'." He's mocking me. He sat down in a chair that appeared. He was going to watch me try the spell he made? The one that stood for him and his cause? "Yes. Get started. We still have Morsmordrela to go over."
"I will never betray Wizarding kind and don't read my mind!"
"You are not betraying them. Just do the spell." He ignored half of what I said!
"I'll have you know that in my fourth year I was almost attacked by the Ministry for that spell."
"It does tend to have that effect on some people. Now you are under my protection and the Death Eaters protection. Those who displease me usually die. As do those that oppose me. But you didn't ask for words of comfort. If the Ministry attacked you for the Dark Mark, knowing you were The Boy Who Lived, then they are either losing their minds over something simple, foolish for believing that a fourteen year old boy like you would be on my side and at such a young age knew how to cast the spell, or they hate you." I remembered in Fifth Year that was the case. "Perhaps it was a little of all those solutions." He smirked at me.
"Umbridge sent Dementors after me, she admitted to it, she was going to use the Cruciatus Curse on me, and she used that stupid blood quill." I couldn't show it to him because he'd had the scar removed. So instead I raised my wand in the air and tried the spell halfheartedly. "Morsemordreh!"
"Wrong pronunciation."
"Well I still don't want to learn the dumb spell."
"How do you feel on getting a Dark Mark on your left forearm? That is also a way to call for help." He was staring at me hard, trying to get a decision. I shook my head, glaring.
"I will never pledge allegiance to you! I am not a Death Eater! I thought I already told you I don't need your help! There is nothing out there I can't beat if you are the worst thing, the most dangerous creature in the world!" I looked for something to throw at him, and to my astonishment, I found something. Before I could touch it, my wrists had been grabbed. He drug me over to the house place, threw the door open before going up a flight of steps, going three doors down, threw open another door, before dragging me to the far right corner. He placed my hands on my head before letting go. I tried to turn around but my legs began to burn. I staid in position. I decided to stay in position especially when moving my hands also began to burn.
"Let us try a time out, we need our anger to simmer down before things get out of hand. I will be back when I think you can be calm about this."
"I am calm!" I heard him chuckle before closing the door behind him. "You can't keep me here!" I shouted but I didn't get an answer. I really need to either get out or get the horcrux out so I can kill it. Or something. I felt stinging begin. Like pins and needles creeping up. Why did I let him work me up like that? I felt my mind wander around and found myself thinking of my friends. How are they doing? What are they doing right now?
Eventually I took the effort to escape my thoughts to find myself calmer than before we had that spat. I sighed and heard the door open.
"Are you calm now Harry?"
"Yes."
"We have a meeting to go to. We will try again later. First, I want to make a deal with you." I felt the spell lifted and turned to look at him. "Learn the spell to summon the Dark Mark and the Dark Mark Barrier spell, and I shall also teach you how to fly unsupported. We have a meeting to attend." I rolled my eyes as I followed him.