9 – The Theatrics of Voldemort

Voldemort. Snape had never heard the name before. "Was he a powerful wizard?"

"Not exactly," said Riddle. "He never existed. And at the same time, he was larger than life."

"I don't understand."

"When I was in Albania, I was searching for new magic and a new wand, should a better one surface. Several wizards pointed me to a man named Cyrus. Naturally, I was curious."

"Yes of course," said Snape.

"I wasn't impressed at first. Cyrus ran a restaurant in the town of Berat, and it was obvious he wasn't a real wizard." Riddle said the word real with such force that a few of the patrons turned their heads. He met each of their gazes, and they quickly turned away. "But what Cyrus lacked as a wizard, he made up for it with theatrics."

"I don't—"

"You couldn't understand," said Riddle. "This is why I have brought you his story. Cyrus kept local news articles and documented it all." He handed him a black leather scrapbook sealed by a singing worm. Riddle mumbled a few words, and the green glow dissipated making the scrapbook flip open.

Snape read the first page.


The Berat Inquirer – Volume 101

Local Man Opens Family Restaurant called The Glass House

This Friday, Philip (pictured below with son) will open a restaurant nestled among the Art Deco homes on the great hillside. It will serve the finest in Italian cuisine and boasts a rare treat of wasabi nuts for guests before dining. Philip calls his restaurant, The Glass House, for its lavish windows and spectacular views of Berat. "This is my life's dream, and I'm living it," says a happy Philip…


Snape looked at the picture on the front page more closely. Philip's arm was around his son Cyrus, and both were smiling. The restaurant did have an amazing view of the town center and Osum river, and he could feel their excitement to be starting something new together.


The Berat Inquirer – Volume 174

The Glass House Gets Hit By Vandals

Early Sunday morning, The Glass House, a local favorite, was struck by vandals who destroyed hundreds of bottles of wine, several pieces of family art, and the restaurant's fountain. This is the tenth attack by the Berat Vandals, and they've left no significant leads for local protectors. Chief Protector, Constantine Zagros, said, "It's as if we're not dealing with ordinary men. Ordinary men make mistakes, but these vandals have left nothing behind."


Beneath the article, Cyrus had written notes.

I know who the vandals are. They possess special abilities to fly objects through the air without touching them. I have seen them. They are Zagros's three sons, and for some reason, Father refuses to let me talk about them. Every time I speak of turning them in, he will hear none of it. But I am sure he will side with me once I can bring proof, and we can bring them to justice together.

"Why wouldn't Philip speak to Zagros if his sons were responsible?" asked Snape.

"Weakness. Philip was a small, weak man. And he feared that Constantine Zagros might already know of the boys' unique abilities. So long as the town helped him restore his restaurant, he didn't care."

"But his son cared."

"Indeed. Cyrus wasn't cut from the same cloth as his father."

Snape continued sifting through the scrapbook. Before the next article, there was a longer entry from Cyrus.

After the vandals pillaged the local gelato shop, I argued with father. Our tempers had never been so fierce, and I almost thought he was going to strike me. He kept telling me to mind my own business, but I couldn't see the logic in his thinking. Our people were being hurt, and I asked him why he didn't feel the same. Was he not a native of Berat? Or was he afraid of what Constantine Zagros would do to him? Father did not like my questions and told me to leave before he did something he regretted.

I stormed out of the restaurant and searched for the Zagros vandals, their identity still unbeknownst to the rest of the town. I had to find proof. I went to the gelato shop, and as I looked at the ruined storefront, I felt a strength surge through my veins. I'd never felt anything like this before, and in that moment, I moved a fallen ceiling beam (just for a second) back to its original place. Except I hadn't lifted a finger. It flew to the ceiling, crashed, and fell back to the ground. How had I done that?

I tried to move other pieces of the shattered gelato shop. Nothing else seemed to move. With each attempt, I grew more and more frustrated, thinking that the ceiling beam had only been my imagination. I decided to leave the shop, and if it weren't for the vandals' writing on the wall, it wouldn't have happened. PURGE THE MUDBLOODS was smeared in chocolate gelato, or maybe it was blood, all over the store's proud mural of a girl and boy eating gelato together. I didn't even know what mudblood meant, but I had the feeling again. The wall began to crack and a chunk flew off. Now, only PURGE THE MUD was on the wall. The BLOODS piece was lying at my feet.

Something came to me in that moment. What if I didn't have to convince father to talk to Constantine Zagros? What if I had powers like his sons? Maybe I could do something to stop them.

Snape looked to Riddle. "Cyrus was a mudblood?"

Riddle merely nodded, suggesting that he read more.


The Berat Inquirer – Volume 237

Local Thief Tied Down Before Protectors Arrive

Berat Bank & Loans found a surprise in its vault Monday morning. Wanted thief, Apollo Androzio, was found unconscious on the vault floor, hands and legs tied together even though protectors hadn't caught him the night before. When asked about his capture, Apollo wouldn't comment. He also didn't care to discuss the unusual currency he was carrying. A sliver coin with two glowing, green scythes, forming the shape of a V…


"It was a simple Protean charm, transforming a local silver coin." Riddle had read Snape's mind. "It was nothing advanced, but it was Cyrus's work."

"Cyrus was responsible for the capture of Apollo?" Snape couldn't believe it, and he didn't wait for a response this time. He thumbed through the articles seeing capture after capture of Berat criminals, always a V coin left with them. Gradually, the name Voldemort appeared in the reporting, and there were pictures of the silver coins, one side showing the V and the other with the Voldemort name. As he thumbed through more articles, pictures showed the next version of the coins. The side with the V remained unchanged, but on the other there was a new scene: a hooded man sneaking up on a monstrous looking fellow. Voldemort was etched at the top of the coin, curling with the circle, hovering above the scene. At the bottom, the phrase, "Everything in its right place," was written horizontally.

Not only were the coins gaining attention in the articles, the legend of Voldemort was growing as well. His name was being paired with terms like vigilante and underground protector and always quotes from Constantine Zagros. Zagros went on record multiple times saying, "While the prestigious legion of protectors appreciate the work of their secret little helper, he should come forward and make it official. Become one of us. Become a real protector."

And the articles weren't only coming from Berat—Korca, Permet, Vlore, Fier, even the capital Tirana, were covering stories about Voldemort's work in their own cities. Whether it was Cyrus's heroics behind all of them or copycats, no one will ever know.

"But his magic wasn't even that good," scoffed Snape. "I mean the Protean charm on the coins is interesting, but everything else I've read here is basic."

"Yes," said Riddle. "All respectable wizards would consider the summoning and banishing charms elementary."

"He wasn't even doing one of the four curses."

"Ah," said Voldemort. "That's where this story gets interesting. Philip began to suspect his son's secret identity. And"—he paused to check if any of the Hog's Head patrons were listening—"Cyrus feared that he might go to Zagros."

Snape looked puzzled. "Why would he reveal his son to the Chief Protector?"

"It's difficult to know what kind of relationship he had with the man, but he feared him. Cyrus suspected as much of his father and realized that his restaurant was everything to him."

Snape sipped his butterbeer and contemplated this, his eyes widening a little. "Did he use the Imperius Curse to control his dad? To stop him from going to Zagros?"

Riddle seemed pleased with this question. "Something more sinister. He stumbled upon some magical properties of a tree in his family's yard."

"A Yew tree? The kind used to make your wand?" Snape motioned to Riddle's side where he likely kept it.

"No," said Riddle. His eyes changed to a fiery auburn. "He happened to have the only doppelganger tree in Albania. It was Cyrus who invented and first used the Dark Tourist."