35Numb. That's all you felt for the next few days. It was hard to experience any sort of emotions after what Tom put you through, leaving you broken, withdrawn, and psychologically damaged. He kept on praising you, saying how pleased he was with your progress in the dark arts, how pleased he was in your mastery of the unforgivable killing curse. It was sickening to be congratulated for taking a human life, for having to be reminded of it over and over again until you felt sick to your stomach. All you wanted was to forget your awful deeds but Tom did nothing but remind you of your foul "accomplishments."
You felt emptier than ever, as if half of your own self has simply vanished. You recalled similar experience after killing Potter under the Imperius curse. However, it was nothing compared to how you felt now. Was it because the first kill was out of your control or was there a magical reason behind your emotional void? You recalled reading one of the ancient tombs predominantly focused on the unforgivables. The reason why they were called unforgivables was the prolonged effects of their usage, which had a mild to significant distortion on the user's psych and soul, especially the Avada Kedavra. Could it be that your sudden emotional numbness was the result of the curse? It was frightening to think that you were turning into something you hated… someone like Tom.
You haven't spoken to him in a while choosing to stay silent for the most part. It annoyed Tom a bit but he didn't press any further. He seemed preoccupied with his own plans, spending half the time going over really dark tombs and meditating, seemingly searching for something inside his head. You watched his concentrated brow as he set in silence, his eyes closed, arms neatly folded. You hated his guts, his attitude, his plan for you. But most importantly you hated his attractive face, or more so, you hated yourself for finding it attractive despite his vile deeds.
You weren't exactly sure what sort of relationship you and Tom shared. It was clear that he was attracted to you but he never seemed to act upon his desires—thank Merlin—not since the Chamber of Secrets. You weren't complaining of course, wanting nothing to do with him. However, his changed attitude towards you was rather peculiar. It was more than obvious that he chose you to be his "apprentice," so did he now see you more than just a pretty face? You shook your head trying to free yourself from your ridiculous thoughts. You didn't need to understand his intentions. You needed to get stronger so you could escape, or better yet stop him. You scoffed at yourself. And then what? You were wanted for the murder of a 12 year old boy. Asking the ministry for help was a ticket straight to Azkaban. There was no one who'd believe you, not even Dumbledore. All you had left was Tom.
The idea of having him as the only person to rely on was frightening... yet logically sound at the same time. Tom always had a back-up plan, an answer to any difficult situation or riddle. He was highly intelligent, sly, and opportunistic. But most of all, he seemed to care enough about you to keep you safe and close to him at all costs, and, simultaneously, away from ministry and the aurors. You found your own reasoning hard to believe given all the agony he has put you through. But the facts were facts. Tom could have gotten killed you multiple times in the past, but he has chosen not to. It was safe to assume that he either needed you or wanted you with him. You couldn't wrap your head around his intentions, leaving yourself confused and frustrated.
You watched a wide sly smirk appear on his face as he finally opened his eyes, filled with victory and satisfaction. His dark chocolate orbs lingered on yours, dancing across your facial features, seemingly delighted with whatever it is he just accomplished. You wanted to wipe that nasty smirk off his face.
"Pack your things," he spoke standing up and dusting his robes. "We're going to the Forbidden Forest."
You looked up in confusion, watching the Heir of Slytherin quickly pack up their belongings, erasing all the traces of them ever occupying the Riddle Manor. You stared as the furniture was covered with the thick layer of dust, along with cobwebs on the side of each wall. The atmosphere suddenly changed, as if a thick veil was lifted off you, making it easier to breath. You realized that Tom neutralized the protective charms around the property signifying his completion with this place… for now.
He lifted you off the couch by the arm, pressing you against his body, his face uncomfortably close to yours. He stared down at you seemingly in a good mood as he licked his lips. Your eyes involuntarily followed his tongue, unable to stop yourself, feeling bile rise up your throat with disgust, looking away in shame.
"Brace yourself," he whispered before apperating, dragging your body along the compressing vortex, vacuum collapsing your lungs into shrivelled balloons.
It was over before you could blink but the effects of the spell lingered more than appreciated. You broke down in a wheezing cough, doubling over from the lack of air, instinctively succumbing to erratic breathing. Tom hasn't paid much attention to your predicament, seemingly pointing his wand in multiple directions, trying to find his set target with penetrating but focused gaze.
"Are you finished?" he spoke in a mildly annoyed but mostly disinterested tone. You glared daggers his way, wiping your mouth and standing up straight. Just because he has mastered apparition-like everything he did-didn't give him the right to treat you like an inexperienced child.
You looked around unable to see much of anything around you, darkness engulfing you both. The only source of light was coming from Tom's wand, casting shadows upon the tall trees and the dead forest floor. There were all sorts of sounds around you belonging to multiple magical creatures hiding in the night. You instinctively closed the distance between you and Tom, annoyed at your dependance on him. You hated him, you feared him, and yet he was the only thing that made you feel safe right now.
You watched as Tom levitated your wand and placed it onto your hand surprising you to no extend, not even looking back to make eye contact. He had his back towards you as you followed his long strides, dumbfounded with his carelessness. You could easily Stupify him and find your way back to Hogwarts…. And then what? Tell Dumbledore about Potter's death? Tell him how you killed an innocent muggle? You scoffed angrily at yourself. No, no one could help you now. All you had left was Tom.
You bit your lip in aggravation as you felt his annoyingly powerful presence, sensing the dark aura coating his form in a protective cocoon. He was more than prepared for your resistance, almost waiting for you to fire a hex in his direction. However, you weren't that ignorant to destroy Tom's trust. It was more than clear that your current situation would not be changing anytime soon. You had nowhere to go and nowhere to run. Any sort of resistance and disloyalty would be met with severe punishment and, ultimately, your own suffering. Having had enough of emotional and physical abuse, you decided to play the role of Tom's Apprentice for as long as you could.
"The Forbidden Forest can be quite dangerous, especially during the nighttime," Tom suddenly spoke casting a single glance once you lowered your magical weapon. You didn't realize you were unconsciously pointing your wand at him the entire time!
"Stay close to me," you were surprised with his tone of voice, expecting it to come out as a command rather than a precaucion. Was he...protective of you? You shook your head from such ridiculous thoughts.
You nearly pressed yourself against his back, feeling the heat radiate off his body, drastically contrasting the cool forest air around you. You followed him closely keeping your own wand at the ready in case of attack, but not from Tom, from whatever was lurking out there in the darkness. You had no idea why Tom had brought you here. Was he searching for some rare potion ingredients? No, he didn't seem too engulfed in that subject lately.
You felt his hand stop you in mid-track, causing you to almost bump into Tom's slim form. You heard a serpentine hiss in front of you, seemingly defensive but overall docile for a wild animal. The human-sized serpent was looking directly at Tom, calming down significantly the more it made eye contact with him, as if recognizing the Slytherin's features.
"Don't touch it," came a sharp hiss from Tom's lips, his dark aura engulfing you and sucking you in even closer. "Not yet," he whispered holding onto you tightly. You nodded pointing your wand at the large snake-like creature, ready to fire nasty spells if so asked. You blinked when you heard a serpentine hiss coming from Tom's lips, recognizing the ophidian language as Parseltongue. To your surprise the creature mimicked the response with its jaw closed seemingly much calmer, its long tongue flickering in night's cold air. You watched the interaction curiously, unsure of the events unfolding in front of your eyes.
"The girl is an important pawn," Tom spoke tightening his hold on her form possessively, eyes bleeding red as he watched the creature turn its head. "She is mine."
"I trust you did not reveal the nature of this meeting," Tom heard a disinterested hiss back, trying his best to stay calm as ruby-red eyes of a serpent watched him closely.
"You know why I'm here," Tom switched the subject quickly trying to keep the creature's interest away from the Heir of Ravenclaw.
"Yesssss, after a decade Lord Voldemort will finally rise again," Tom nodded at the hissing chordate, keeping respectful distance and a cool but confident demeanor.
"Yes, that is why I am here," he let go of the girl's hand and took out the old diary, introducing it to the luminous light of his wand. The creature hissed in delight at the presented object.
"I was right to place the diary into Lucius's care after all," came out a pleased reply laced with satisfaction. Tom had no idea who this Lucius was but he would learn everything in a matter of time. That was his plan. Tom had to know everything he knew in order to proceed. He smirked at the creature pointing his wand in its direction, casting dark binding spells to keep it immobile.
"That is unnecessary. I have complete control over the…"
"The spells are not for the serpent," Tom interrupted quickly, watching the scaly slithering coils in was a long pause before human laughter erupted from the creature. It alerted the Heir of Ravenclaw who gripped her wand even tighter as she cast a worried look at Tom.
"Insolent boy" the ophidian hissed aggressively, unable to move or attack. The girl tensed up in response, fingers locking in a death clenching grip, eyes focused and tense, ready to fight back. She had no idea what both of them were saying, but she will, in time.
"Yes, I've been told," Tom smirked in reply, momentarily casting his eyes at the girl.
"You really think you can defeat me?"
The young Heir of Slytherin looked back at the wild creature, allowing his features to turn into a crazy disgusted sneer, laughing maniacally at its form.
"Of course I do! Just look at you. Reduced to nothing but a leach," he spat out between chuckles, causing the servant to burst in an angry shrill of rage. "How pathetic!"
"You're nothing without me! Everything I built can never be yours!"
"I strongly disagree," Tom smirked to himself having thought this through. "I don't need you. I need your memories. My future memories," he licked his lips as he felt his older self fight against the powerful bonds, unable to break free without a wand. It was useless to resist. The young Lord Voldemort was much stronger than the old- a wasted spirit currently residing inside a green scaly vertebrate, feeding off its life energy just to sustain existence.
"Do not worry. I will learn from your mistakes," Tom reassured his older self mockingly. "So I can build a brighter, more successful future," his eyes lingered on the girl, unintentionally spiking Voldemort's interest.
"Ignorant fool. She will betray you if given a chance," Tom chuckled at the angry hiss, shaking his head and looking down at the journal.
"Who said I'd let her?" he tilted his head in curiosity. "Legilimens!"
Tom's eyes turned red, an angry scowl appeared on his face as he struggled to keep the spell up, fighting through the barrier. To say that it was difficult to breach Voldemort's mind was an understatement. The more he pushed, the harder the shields became, quickly draining the young Slytherin from his magical powers. Afterall, Voldemort had fifty years of experience while Tom only possessed the raw power. Riddle did not want to admit that he underestimated his enemy, forcing him to rely fully on his apprentice.
"Attack but don't kill," he suddenly spoke in a cold tone not looking at you. Your jaw hardened, but you nodded, throwing multiple painful hexes at the creature. Having practiced these spells multiple times, you knew exactly how much damage a body could withstand before succumbing to shock. It looked like Tom needed a distraction for his spell to fully work and he needed your help. You frowned in concentration, sweat falling down the side of your forehead as you struggled to perform the torturous spells correctly. They were powerful but very draining. Was there finally a purpose behind all those painful lessons? Were they all leading up to this exact moment? Was this why Tom needed you?
The Heir of Slytherin smirked as the creature wailed, human-like screams coming from its distorted form. Tom watched in delight at the sight. He has taught her well. She was ruthless, beautiful, and obedient. A perfect apprentice, a perfect woman.
Feeling significantly less resistance, Tom entered Voldemort's mind, bypassing the strong barriers, and engulfing himself in all the delightful details of the past. There it all was, delightfully placed for his taking.
You kept on torturing the serpent feeling disturbed at the mixture of human and animal sounds coming from its mouth. What was this reptile? Who was it? Was it an animagus? Were you torturing a human being?
"Keep going," you heard a cold voice snapping you from your confusion. So many questions were on the tip of your tongue, itching to get out, but you didn't dare to interrupt… not when Tom was like this.
A trickle of blood coated Tom's lips as the spell went on, his nose soaked in warm bodily fluid caused by excessive new information retention and Voldemort's powerful resistance. His head was throbbing, blood painfully pulsating through his brain, leaving an insufferable headache. If he kept it up he would get a brain aneurysm. He knew he had to stop. Not yet, he could taste the victory on the tip of his tongue.
"Tom!" you screamed in his face as you pulled on his cloak to snap him out of his oblivion. His eyes were unfocused, burring behind his eyelids, leaving nothing but the white eyeballs. His nose was bleeding profusely, soaking his white shirt dark red.
"Tom!" you slapped his face hard hoping to bring him back, but there was no response. You began to panic, looking at the wild slimy vertebrate behind you, thankful for it's current immobility.
You placed your wand on top of Tom's forehead, using one of the ancient spells to calm him down. It was an electrical neutralizer used to treat seizures and to "reboot" the brain. You sighed as Tom's body stopped convulsing, hoping that he'd gain consciousness soon. You had no idea if you would get out of this place alive without him; therefore, his survival was your survival.
"Do you know who he is, girl?" you suddenly heard a weak whisper. You turned around, finding nothing but the serpent, laying on the ground numbly. To your surprise you could see a human face on its side. It looked rather disturbing, weak, and pathetic. You almost felt sorry for it, almost... You frowned at your own thoughts. Since when did you stop feeling pity for an injured being?
"He is Lord Voldemort," you spoke, blinking repeatedly to wipe away previous thoughts. You heard a weak laugh, bringing you back to your senses, trying to nudge Tom to wake up.
"Why do you follow him?" came another rather curious question.
"I…" you had nothing to say as you looked speechless, unable to reply, not knowing the answer yourself. Before you could finish, you felt Tom's harsh grip on your wrist, snapping your attention away from the strange amniote. You almost screamed as you came face to face with those red eyes, the same eyes you've come to fear and despise.
He smirked at you, his sneer more vile than usual, more cocky. His entire being felt more powerful, more influential… more evil. He burst out laughing, patting your cheek gently as if rewarding you for your good behavior.
"We have what we need now. Kill it," he spoke coldly tilting his head towards the injured legless carnivore.
"But…" you protested trying not to meet his eyes. "It spoke to me," you were more than confused, silently asking Tom to explain himself.
"Of course he would," Tom rolled his eyes smirking. "She only listens to me, old friend," he hissed in Parseltongue menacingly.
"Thank you for the knowledge and all the lovely memories," Tom bowed his head charmingly, his voice filled with glee. "Now," he spoke looking directly at you, serious all of a sudden, "KIll him."
You felt a shudder go down your spine as your eyes connected with his intense red, unable to sustain his gaze for even a second. He was much scarier now, much more intimidating. Going against his wishes would bring more than a simple punishment, it would unleash the gates of hell itself.
"Is it a human?" you softly spoke, pointing your wand at it.
"Barely," came a sharp reply filled with disgust. "The weak must fall so the strong may rise," he spoke looking at it.
You looked at the creature, hoping to find pity to stop yourself… finding nothing but disgust and curiosity. It was quite a disturbing realization. What was wrong with you? Was it due to Tom's influence? Or was it because you've murdered two people in the past?
"Do it," came a harsher command, snapping you from your thoughts.
You tightened your fingers around your wand, feeling unnaturally calm and… almost emotionally detached. You cleared your throat before uttering the words of the Unforgivable spell, feeling shame in having to kill a talking defenceless creature, but fearful of what Tom might have done if you'd disobeyed him.
Your eyes widened as you saw a shapeless spirit quickly escape the serpentine body, heading straight for you. You set up a defensive shield but it went right through it. Heart beating fast you were almost ready for an impact until…
You opened your eyes to see Tom battling with the entity, directing it towards the opened diary with his wand. An angry focused frown coated his face as he skillfully deracted the spirit into the open pages. He closed the book once the entity was finally sealed, giving you a pleased yet charming smile.
"Well done, Apprentice," he placed a hand on the side of your neck, fingers gently tracing the bare skin, making you shy away from contact. You didn't acknowledge his congratulations, lost in thought about the diary and the entity behind it. What was that? Who was that?
"You will look at me when I speak to you," came a sharp hiss jolting you away from your thoughts. You felt a sharp tug at your chin, being forced to look into irritated orbs of fire once more.
"Today was a test," he spoke smiling softly to himself. Test? A test of what? Your skills? Your abilities? Your loyalty? "I'm happy to inform you that you've passed the said test Outstandingly."
You blinked in confusion, blushing as Tom gently rubbed the back of your head, looking intently at you. He leaned closer, placing a single kiss upon your lips, meeting no signs of resistance from you. You knew better than to resist, especially since his sudden change in character. Who knew what he'd do if you fought back? You felt a shudder go down your spine just at a mere thought of it.
"We should celebrate. Lord Voldemort has finally truly risen," he gently wrapped his arm around you and spun you around. "Thank you for helping me," he sneered at you sadistically, watching your face as sudden realization took over you.
Tom never really seemed to be a true Dark Lord because he was still so young. He wasn't the Voldemort of your time, he wasn't yet a monster everyone so desperately wished would stay dead. But now… now it seemed like he was more vicious than ever, more charming than his elderly predecessor, more confident in his abilities. He was now someone people were more likely to follow.
You closed your eyes, feeling a new era of slaughter approach the muggle England, feeling responsible for the upcoming deaths of innocent people.
A/N: I am so sorry I did not update for a while. This chapter was written years ago but I was never happy with it because I thought it was missing something. I have edited it recently to bring you an update. (LOL finally) Please let me know what you think. Yes, Tom read ALL of Voldemort's memories and now knows what he knows. Yes, Voldemort is now trapped in Tom Riddle's diary. Remember, Voldemort cannot die unless he HIMSELF casts a killing curse on his Horcrux, this is why Tom needed Reader-chan and this is why he had her practice Killing Curse for so long. She simply separated Voldemort's spirit from the snake so Tom could trap Voldemort in a diary. No, reader-chan does not know any of it. This marks the end of part 1. Part 2 would be a few years later with Tom taking over the Magical world. yay!