Lord Voldemort's Request

Headmistress Miriam's POV

Humming aimlessly to myself, I wandered into my portrait hanging in Dumbledore's office. Looking around I saw that all of the other portraits were asleep - I wasn't surprised as to why when I looked out of the window. Outside, snow was falling lightly in the pale moonlight. My gaze was dragged away from the outside world when Dumbledore entered his office and hurried to his seat. Only moments later, a knock resounded through the office.

"Enter." Dumbledore called out. The door opened and a young man stepped in. Or so I thought. For when the hood was taken a way from his face I saw that his face was somewhat only half human - his skin was waxy and oddly distorted and the whites of his eyes had a permanently bloody look. I could not work out who this person was, not until Dumbledore spoke his name.

"Good evening Tom." Said Dumbledore easily. I stifled a gasp. Tom Riddle? It couldn't be! His handsome face, his intelligent eyes, his charming smile... I sat down on my chair with a plop! as I tried to comprehend the news. I suddenly realised that Dumnledore had started up a conversation with... Tom... and I forced myself to stop thinking and start listening.

"So Tom... To what do I owe the pleasure?" Tom didn't answer straight away but merely sipped from a goblet of wine that I guessed Dumbledore had given him.

"They do not all me 'Tom' anymore," He said. "These days I am known as-"

"I know what you are known as," Said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly. "But to me, I'm afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. It is one of the irritating things about old teachers. I am afraid that they never forget their charges' youthful beginnings." Dumbledore smiled cheerfully, raising his cup as if toasting Tom but was met with the very unsettling emotionless face of one of my own ex-students. I shivered suddenly, feeling the atmosphere in the room change slightly: Dumbledore's refusal to use Tom's chosen name was a refusal to let Tom dictate the terms of the meeting, and from one look at his face I knew that Tom took it as such.

"I am surprised you have remained here for so long," Tom started speaking again, although it sounded like he was mumbling, no thanks to the slight roaring that now captured my hearing. I was extremely confused - my hearing was perfect a moment ago. I took a deep breath and shook my head, therefore immediately clearing my the sound away. Although I immediately wished it hadn't for the next words that were exchanged between the two.

"Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies. You !UST know this Dumbledore."

"You call it 'greatness' what you have been doing, do you?" Asked Dumbledore delicately.

"Certainly," Said Tom and I could swear on Merlin's Beard that his eyes seemed to burn red. "I have experimented; I have pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps than they have ever been pushed-"

"Of some kinds of magic," I interrupted causing both wizards to turn around at neck breaking speed to gaze up at me. "Of some. Of others you remain... Forgive me... So woefully ignorant."

And for the first time, Tom smiled. It was a taut leer, an evil thing, more threatening than a look of rage.

"The old argument," He said softly. "But nothing in the world ha supported your dear friends famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Floing."

"Well perhaps, you have been searching in the wrong places." I said, icily even though my heart felt like it was going to beat out if my chest (which  would be impossible as I am dead)

"Well what better place to start !y fresh researches than here, at Hogwarts?" Tom said, turning back to Dumbledore. I zoned out then, frozen to my seat. I was petrified. Tom Riddle - no this monster - wanted a job as a teacher at Hogwarts? It would be a suicide mission for any student to step into his classroom! The school would have to close down and young wizards and witches would be left alone without the correct guidance and would cause the wizarding world go astray! But my worrying was for nothing for when I listened into the wizard's conversation again, I noted that Tom looked quite outraged.

"If you do not want to give me a job-"

"Of course I don't," Said Dumbledore. "And I don't think for a moment that yo expected !e too." And will that Tom Riddle stood, turned and stormed out of Dumbledore's office. A small sigh left the headmaster's lips and he turned to me.

"Well, Mariam, I believe that we may have just dodged a curse." He spoke softly to me. I nodded.

"I agree Albums. But I can't help but feel that that won't be the last we see of the likes of Tom Riddle."

"As always, Mariam, you are right."