Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 134

"It's a memory of a very old house-elf," Isabella said. "Hokey was her name and she who worked for a very old, very rich witch, Hepzibah Smith"

"As a quick recap, we know that Riddle had reached his seventh year, after having murdered his parent and grandparents. And he passed his seventh year with top grades in every examination he had taken,"

"Everyone expected him to do great things, the Ministry perhaps, but Riddle chose to work for Borgin and Burkes,"

"Wait, what?" James said. "Borgin and Burkes? That tiny little shop in Knockturn alley?"

"We saw it while roaming around, didn't we?" Sirius nodded in agreement. "He worked there?"

"What do they sell there?" Lily asked.

"Dark objects, obviously," James said disgusted by the very thought of dark magic.

"He worked at that shop?" Remus said slowly. "What even for? He could have done so much more if he was at the Ministry,"

"He was looking for his mother's locket, wasn't he?" Regulus said suddenly. He had just priced it together. 

"His mother sold the locket of Slytherin to Burke, and he went looking for it," he said. 

"And he could possibly find more about dark magic there," Sirius nodded catching on.

"It wasn't his first job choice though," Isabella said. "He wanted to teach at Hogwarts first, and Headmaster Dippet said he would only be glad, but he was too young to take the job at eighteen and to come back later. But, by the time Riddle came to ask for a job, Dumbledore had taken charge,"

"Thank goodness for that," Lily muttered. 

"Why would he want to stay here anyway?" Peter said. 

"There could be a few reasons," Isabella said. "Riddle was very attached to this school than he has ever been to a person. Hogwarts was where he had been happiest; the first and only place he had felt at home."

"Understandable," Remus nodded. "He did have a tough childhood. So, Hogwarts was his solace,"

"Then the castle is also a stronghold of ancient magic," Isabella said. "And he might have wanted to search for and learn more of its secrets,"

"Do you think he found out about the Room of Requirement too?" Peter asked. "In his school years?"

"Well, safe house isn't too safe anymore, then," Sirius sighed. 

"Even if he did, I think he'd be a bit too arrogant to think that he was the only one who did," Lily said, thoughtfully.

"Just imagine," James shuddered. "Voldypants teaching the students. He could influence all of them, create his own little army,"

"Thank Merlin for Dumbledore," Lily said again.

"Which subject did he want to teach?" Peter said curiously.

"Let's guess," James said sardonically. "Which position is rumoured to have been cursed?"

"I thought so," Sirius said. "Obviously he wanted to go for Defence Against the Dark Arts,"

"So the position is actually cursed?" Lily said. 

"Well, we've never had a teacher stay for longer than a year," Remus shrugged. "You-Know-Who must have done something when Dumbledore didn't give him the job,"

"What did he do at Borgin and Burkes?" Regulus asked. "It's hard to imagine him as a cashier,"

"He was given special jobs," Isabella said. "The type that only exists in a place like Borgin and Burkes, which specializes in objects with unusual and powerful properties. You-Know-Who was sent to persuade people to part with their treasures for sale by the partners, and he was, by all accounts, unusually gifted at doing this."