Tom Riddle's Time • Tom Marvolo Riddle

2

"No! Drakewyrm!" The Cockatrice prick on the dirt a countless times to find the snake but Vettriana lifted him with ease.

"You cannot persist in this attempt! Ugh." She left with Drakewyrm who kept squirming on her forearms.

As time went on, Future Vettriana would deeply regret her choice that day. She had given the serpent a name Kilhorth and allowed him into her life. Kilhorth had resided in the garden for a long time, and his dark scales blended so well with the earth that he could easily hide, even from those ghostly eyes of the people. Abby had noticed Vettriana's frequent trips outside but didn't grow suspicious.

Kilhorth, in his own unique way, began teaching Vettriana about the meanings of words, the nature of things, and even some harsh truths. One day, as they both gazed into the distance, he hissed, "Have you ever contemplated the peculiar ability to converse with a serpent, my dear?"

"No, doesn't everyone indulge in such practices?"

"Wrong!" Kilhorth hissed sternly before adopting a sly expression. "You, Vettriana, hold immense importance to us, to serpents."

Vettriana raised her eyebrows in surprise, growing even more intrigued. "And why might that be?" she inquired.

"You are the final descendant of the Malphas lineage and an esteemed member of the powerful families associated with Salazar Slytherin, which is your true bloodline," Kilhorth revealed. Vettriana's jaw dropped, and her expression shifted from astonishment to ire upon learning this momentous revelation.

"Pray, thou art informing me that my family is whole?" Vettriana huffed, a blend of ire and astonishment adorning her countenance.

"Aye. Shall we-" Kilhorth's words were curtailed as Vettriana clasped him more firmly than propriety allows and rose.

"We are returning to our abode! I must delve into this matter further with Abby," Vettriana declared as she hurried back home, completely unaware of the Raven silently following her every move above her. This mysterious revelation had piqued her curiosity.

Vettriana barged into the room with a hard slam, clearly upset. Abby turned her head to investigate the noise. "Vettriana, come see if this soup's good," she called out.

"Abby, I have an inquiry for you..."  Vettriana slowly approached her, and Abby sensed an unusual nervousness in her tone.

"What troubles you? Abby observed Vettriana's hesitancy, not entirely sure what was causing her unease.

"Do I have a kin?" Vettriana finally asked. The question took Abby by surprise, and she struggled to find an answer. She didn't want to reveal her family's involvement with dark arts.

Vettriana, skilled at reading body language, interpreted Abby's hesitation as confirmation. She looked down in disappointment and asked, "The cause?" The little girl was curious about her family's past.

Abby carefully responded, "They were better off not being a part of your life." The truth was a heavy burden, one she was determined to shield Vettriana from.

Vettriana let out a loud scoff before continuing with frustration. "Better off without me? How could you? How dare you? I have a family!" Angry tears streamed down her cheeks.

"A proper family!" she emphasized. Abby had never revealed the painful truth about Vettriana's parents' fate, as she had been too young to comprehend it. Still, Vettriana's determination to meet the family who had supposedly taken her parents' lives weighed heavily on Abby.