"Mark Antonovich, this is Kirill and Artem."
"Nice to meet you, young men," we shake hands briefly.
"Nowadays people get interested in literature at a more mature age." I smile kindly as I look at some awkwardly shifting boys.
"We don't often indulge in serious literature either," Artem smiles back, "mostly something light. "
"Like what? "I wave my hand invitingly in the direction of the chairs. "Tea?"
"Thank you! Do you have anything to eat with tea?" And this is Kirill speaking.
"Ha-ha, you never miss an opportunity," I turn my head, "Mariya, can you organize it?
"Of course, Mark Antonovich, I'll do everything," the girl who brought the boys smiles sweetly and goes into the next room.
"Our club has a kind of dining room there," I explain. "So what is the younger generation into these days?"
"I can't say about the whole generation, but I've read Harry Potter, do you know it?"
"Are you kidding? Of course I am! After all, that book had a huge impact on world literature!" An expressive wave of the hand came out on its own.
"And how do you like it in general?"
"You know, Artem, in general it's not bad. Of course there are some problems..."
During half an hour of discussion, with tea and cookies, the topic does not fade away, on the contrary, it only gains momentum. We have time to discuss the story itself, the personality of the author, and even mention the movies.
"No, no and no! The magical world cannot be changed in this time. What can Harry do, even if he becomes Minister of Magic? No one would let him change the laws so easily; no amount of fame would be enough. If anyone could change the world, it would be Voldemort. "
"Why not Dumbledore, Mark Antonovich? "
"Because, Artem, Dumbledore has always been under the strict control of the Ministry. Remember the fifth year, when Fudge thwarted him at every turn? Was there anything he could do then? All his magical power, all his influence, all his connections. No. He could do nothing. "
"Is Voldemort capable of anything?"
"Well, that's a bit different. He could, but he won't. His goal is an impossible dream, like Grindelwald's. To destroy all Muggles and Muggleborns as well! Only when the second was beaten by the whole world, and no one could get out of that pit, no matter how strong they were, did the first really have a chance to make a difference. At least on the scale of a country. But even that would not have been a bad start.
"It wouldn't be a bad thing to beat Muggles?"
"No, that's not what I meant...!" I overreacted, too emotionally, too late to notice the grin on the boy's face. He's just trying to provoke me, the little bugger.
"Voldemort had taken matters into his own hands. No matter how limited and insane he was. If he'd had the right ideas, if he hadn't gone off the rails..."
"Tell me, how do you see it?"
"Hmmm... he had the power all to himself, like Stalin had in the USSR. One word from Voldemort and everyone would have rushed to kiss Muggle asses, that's how he frightened them and built them up. If he had any reasonable ideas... ahem, I repeated... well, if he was not only a powerful wizard, but also a normal manager, not constrained by a book plot where good is always stronger than evil, then he would have had a very high chance."
"And if you were offered, hypothetically of course," Artem grinned at this point, "to change this made-up magical world by becoming, well... let's say, a reincarnation, where, when and who would you be?
"Ha ha, you're lucky, young man, that I know such a genre as reincarnation! But it's my job to know," I drink my tea, which has already cooled down, and eat a cookie. The one from the Dark Side, of course.
"Wool's asylum, definitely," I nod my head at my thoughts, "Reddle's age, just as gifted in magic, starts helping him, so-and-so..." I think, "and he changes his views as he communicates," I look seriously at the boys, "you know that all this comes from childhood, right?
"It's a wool orphanage, for sure," I nod my head at my thoughts, "Reddle's age, just as gifted in magic, starts helping him, this and that... and he changes his views as they communicate," I throw a serious look at the boys, "you know it all comes from childhood, don't you?"
They nod in agreement.
"So all these manias, phobias, obsessions, etc. are the wrong foundation of the person's personality that comes from a shitty childhood. There are exceptions, of course, stressful situations, but that's not what we're talking about. If Tom Riddle had someone to help him, a true comrade and friend, they would have worked out a plan for a new world and changed Muggle history".
"Why kill them at all? If he wants to rule so much, let him! Let him unite the whole world. That goal alone is enough to keep him going for a long time," I chuckle, "and then, if it works, develop the whole civilization, let them build ships and go into space. Combine magic and technology. Ha ha.
I take a breath. I cannot catch my breath after a long speech. A sip of tea makes it worse. Slight shortness of breath sets in. Age is taking its toll... I look around at my companions with a slightly melancholy look. Young men... Their whole lives ahead of them. I wish these years... Oh, Mariya would have to keep her honor, heh-heh.
"As a politician," I continue, "an adequate riddle would be good. After all, that's what everyone said about him before he made a bunch of Horcruxes... "
"Exactly what I was going to say," Artem interrupts, "is part of his madness caused by his soul being torn apart?"
"I'm sure if you can tear it apart, you can rebuild it. Riddle was in a hurry. If you study the process and control every step, you can make a Horcrux and not go mad. Or restore the soul after a tear. Actually, the idea of making a Horcrux, if it doesn't affect emotions and personality, is good enough. After all, there have always been plenty of criminals who have been sentenced to death. But there are not enough unique scientists, so let them compensate each other! That way, progress will increase by leaps and bounds, and at the same time, there will be a lot of conditionally immortal people who will be useful to society first and foremost."
"There can never be enough of such people, Mark Antonovich! And it seems you've already thought it all out."
"I was just thinking about it, and this subject is quite popular in our club."
"And you would just put all Muggles under Voldemort's control? Imagine that happening now. No one knew about magic, but suddenly it opens up, and then all the countries start to merge."
"Ahem," I scratched my chin, "I stress that we should be talking about a proper Voldemort. One who knows the cost of lives and doesn't throw them away. After all, a skilled politician capable of running the world is much better than what's going on in the real world right now. Regular wars, endless corruption, laws that don't work, oligarchs who think they are above everyone else... This world has to change. A single strong hand that is not interested in material goods, the so-called "Eternal Emperor". Yes, I think that would be good for the world."
"Emperor? Somehow Star Wars is coming up, I don't think we have enough time to discuss anything else," he taps the clock demonstratively.
"I agree, we're already overdue." I swallow my iced tea and put the empty cup on the table.
"One or two last questions!" My other companion, who has been silent most of the time, exhales.
I smile, I've enjoyed this discussion, it's been a long time since I've seen such interested people, unafraid of the reputation of a strict rector.
"Let's get your questions over with."
"Wouldn't you like to reign alone?" Kirill announced, and the boys looked so intently into my eyes that I almost suspected we were discussing something more serious than a fantasy book.
"I think I'll decline," I grinned, looking at the stretched faces, "if I were in the world of magic, ruling would be the last thing I'd be interested in. Well, maybe not the last thing, but certainly not the first. Magic, that's the real wonder. So I would study it with all my might."
"By the way," the chatty Artem interrupted, "the character we are talking about is supposed to be as magically powerful as Voldemort? He's a friend of Tom Riddle's, and I don't think he'd consider an obvious loser for a mate. At most, he'd let him into his inner circle, and that's not a fact."
"That is true. He shouldn't be any weaker magically." I nodded in agreement.
"You don't have to be Mary Sue!" Kirill grimaces, interrupting Artem who has already opened his mouth. I nod, showing that I understand this "term".
"If this person immediately has the power of an Archmage, then he alone will overpower the whole world. No, that shouldn't happen, at least it's not interesting!"
"Ha-ha, okay, let's look at it more closely, let's say... by talents. After all, every wizard should have his own thing, don't you think?"
They nod and Kirill starts chewing on his cookies, passing the torch to Artem.
"What makes the Dark Lord so special?" I continue, "Dark magic - check, mentalism - there's a lot of emphasis on that, check. Next is the obvious high knowledge of enchantments. He did not show up for Transfiguration, even though he scored the highest in all of his school subjects. So he knows it well, but he doesn't use it in battle," the boys silently agreed, inviting me to continue, "good knowledge of rituals... hmm, from canon magic it seems to be everything, but I'm sure he showed the most talent in these first areas.
"You forgot the potions."
"Right! But Snape made them all the time."
"Uh-huh, so Tom Riddle was good at everything, but emphasized dark magic, mentalism and spells?"
"I guess so. Although, judging by the original plot, he was excellent at all kinds of magic," I grin, "but it doesn't work that way, and if it does, it becomes boring nonsense when the character is a jack-of-all-trades, which, as you said, is Mary Sue.
"Well, what about our character? What's his focus?"
"Mentalism, definitely; it's harder to learn without it, and the memorization is worse. And Riddle is a master of Legilimens, so you have to have the protection of the mind, not be able to show any thoughts. Also, if it were me," I look at the boys, Artem nods and smiles, Kirill is a little bored and looks out the window, "I wouldn't go into direct combat," I correct myself, "I would try to stay out of direct combat. I'd use healing, or more globally, I'd use the magic of life.
"Wow. That's a whole branch of different schools! There's Healing, and Druidism, and Chimera, and... "
"Yeah, yeah, just like the 'dark magic' branch, huh?"
"Ahem," Artem coughs, calculates something hectically and nods accordingly, "Right, Mark Antonovich, let it be the magic of life."
"And the third would need a talent for rituals to combine with the magic of life."
"To make the bushes grow even faster?" Artem smiled all thirty-two and nudged Kirill lightly with his elbow so that he would stop snoring in his chair. He smiled at that.
"Bushes, chimeras, and all the other creatures. And there are more global rituals, old and forgotten, rituals to improve your own body, rituals of sacrifice... different, in general."
"Yes, a support wizard like that is able to create his own army of "shit and sticks" if necessary."
"Yes. Why fight yourself? You can create some monsters and let them have their fun and do more important things yourself."
"Then why not necromancy?"
"The way I see it, a necromancer has to become a lich sooner or later. It is their natural form of evolution. I don't want to give up the advantages of a living body for the advantages of a nonliving one. I mean, dying of old age is just not a threat to a good wizard of life. And with a Horcrux as a backup... " I chuckle.
"Well, you've got everything covered. Half-blood? Like Riddle?"
"Probably better not. After all, the rest of the Death Eaters character will have to deal with will be racist, better a pureblood, and ended up in an orphanage because of... well, let's say Grindewald's war. His parents flee to England, bringing with them German wizards, from whom they decide to hide their son, just in case, and then take him away. But they do not take him. And he finds out the details from the staff, because they put the child there legally."
"This is not a bad idea. I think it could be improved, but it's more than good enough for improvisation, Mark Antonovich. Pureblood would be easier, of course, but why not with parents who live in a wealthy clan and manor? Same Malfoys, for instance."
"Then there wouldn't be as much trust. The character and Riddle won't be best friends, the kind of 'magical brothers' who went through orphanage together and bonded. It will be a regular high school buddy, maybe even a friend, a partner. But not a "brother. And by brother, I don't mean blood..."
"I hear you, Mark Antonovich. I agree, if they haven't gone through fire and water, they have a lot less connections. And your knowledge can be obtained from the Room of Requirement, right? "Smiles.
"Riddle got it, so how are the others any worse? " I winked.
"Well, thanks for the interesting conversation, Mark Antonovich. We should probably go before Kirill falls asleep."
"I'm not asleep," he mumbled, "it's just that the weather outside is so nice and you're in here talking about your books, my eyes are closing all by themselves.
"Yes, yes," Artem put his hand on his neck, "well, we'll go, Mark Antonovich! We will definitely visit your club again!" Kirill started to clap his hand to show that he understood everything and was ready to go anywhere.
"Go already." I smiled and thought whether to call Mariya with her juicy ass or to clean the dishes myself?
The next day I woke up in another body.