SERPENT HEART° TOM RIDDLE

041. VITIIS NEMO SINE NASCITUR

"How exactly did Tom get interested in all of this? No one ever said."

Astrea heaved a sigh, a slightly guilty look crossing her features.

"Tom and I became friends during the train ride to Hogwarts, as I think you know. I sat in his compartment and I was surprised because he knew nothing about the wizarding world. He had to navigate through Diagon Alley and find the platform all by himself. He just seemed so . . . alone. So, I told him everything he would need to know and we were each other's only friends for a while until he met Abraxas.

"Tom knew who Abraxas was because he was the most popular boy during first year. Everyone wanted to be friends with a Malfoy, but Abraxas didn't want to be friends with anyone except for Lupe and Lupe hates everyone. Tom managed to convince Abraxas to be his friend by proving to him that he was someone worth being friends with. Ever since then, Tom's only had one goal in mind and that was to make Muggles understand what they put our people through."

"Why did you stick around then? You don't exactly strike me as someone who wants to see Muggles suffer and I doubt the only reason you stayed was because you have a crush on Riddle."

Astrea's cheeks flamed red at Rhea's revelation that she knew about Astrea's crush on Tom, but the Ravenclaw didn't comment on that. Instead, she frowned.

"Not all muggles are bad, and not all muggles are good. There are those who still persecute our kind and wish to see the end to all witches and wizards. There are groups and factions who operate in secret all over the world, using knowledge about us that has been passed down from generation to generation." The expression on Astrea's face as she spoke about these Muggles was unlike anything Rhea had ever seen on the girl's face before. Darkness clouded her expression and her words were marred with venom and veiled hatred that let Rhea know that Astrea's issues with muggles were a lot more personal than she let on. "Tom made me a promise long ago that he would put an end to those kinds of Muggles, and Tom always keeps his promises."

Rhea hadn't heard about Muggle witch hunters in the present era until now. She knew that, before witches and wizards began to live their lives in secret, they were persecuted by Muggles for centuries. There were, of course, the stories parents would tell little witches and wizards to get them to behave ("Don't do that or else the Muggles are going to get you!"), but actual hunters were another thing entirely.

"What about you?" Astrea asked, startling Rhea. The blonde frowned.

"What about me?"

"Why did you decide to join the Knights? It's obvious that you don't see Tom as a god, or as someone who will allow you to achieve great things yet you're still here. Why?"

"I've never exactly believed that anyone except for myself could help me achieve greatness, but there is something different about Tom. Something in him that I haven't seen inside of anyone else. Wizards as naturally gifted as he is don't come around often, but when they do you just can't look away. I've met some of the greatest dark wizards of our lifetime, but none of them ever had Tom's potential."

Astrea silently stared at Rhea, a dawn of realization crossing her features as she listened to Rhea's words and the way Rhea spoke about Tom. It was Rhea's turn for her cheeks to warm since she didn't like the look of understanding and pity crossed Astrea's face.

"I see." Astrea said softly and Rhea turned away from the girl, no longer wanting to speak about Tom in case she said anything else that would leave her feeling embarrassed. "I should get going then. Tom's assigned me with some sort of task that I need to get started on before our Slug Club meeting tomorrow night."