Lord Of Time

43

"Just a few questions," Prewitt said, trying once more to calm Slughorn down.

"What do you need to know?" Tom asked staring at the Aurors, his face set in a serene mask, keeping his suspicion and fury tucked away. If Hadrian was right and Dumbledore had done this, he was going to make sure the old fool paid for this.

Dumbledore couldn't have any proof whatsoever, yet he'd called on the Aurors? On HIM! Calming himself, Hadrian's voice echoed in his mind that he could do this. Of course he could, he'd charmed almost everyone he had met. He knew what others thought of him, 'brilliant but parentless, so brave and a model student' even Horace knew he was going to go places in society.

"Do you know Tom Riddle Senior?" Moody asked getting straight to it.

"It depends on your definition of know, sir," Tom said smoothly, his dark eyes gazing earnestly into the Aurors.

"Have you ever met him?" Moody corrected himself, feeling right a right idiot for doing this.

"No, sir," Tom said quietly, looking down at his feet giving a little sniff, "I had intended on looking for him once the war was over and I had graduated Hogwarts. I had no idea if he was alive or not, all I had to go on was my birth certificate which listed him as my father.

"I grew up in an orphanage you see, and I assumed at first that my father was a wizard, but using my name I looked up the school paper archives to find any mention of them, but there was no Riddle's mentioned, but I did find a mention of Marvolo, I believe he might be my grandfather, unfortunately he died many years ago." Bringing up his status always made people feel sorry for him.

Moody shifted uncomfortably, "Have you ever met Morfin Gaunt?"

"No, sir, he is my...uncle but I never met any of my family, it's just recently I found the newspaper on him, I had plans to visit during the summer..." Tom said his face coming up, a look of sadness in his eyes, "If I had gone sooner...maybe this wouldn't have happened and I might have gotten to know my family now they're all gone."

"Not quite," Prewitt couldn't help but feel sorry for him, judging by what they'd unearthed during the course of their investigation it was a good thing Tom hadn't confronted Morfin Gaunt, not only was he crazy but he was a pureblood fanatic, there was every chance Morfin could have killed the teen.

Not that he would reveal that titbit, let the boy live with his hopes and dreams, no need to tell him something nasty when he had grown up without family. "You do have your parental grandparents, they live in Little Hangleton."

The fighting between Morfin and Tom Riddle had been ongoing for years, they had been called out numerous times to Obliviate the muggle so he didn't remember magic being cast on him by Morfin Gaunt. It was an open and shut case, he really shouldn't be here. The note was obviously from someone who was trying to stir up trouble.

"Oh," Tom muttered, wondering when this interview was going to be over, it seemed to him that even the Aurors didn't want to be here.

"One last question then we can let you get some rest," Moody informed the dazed teen, "Where we you on New Years Eve?"

"New Years Eve? Celebrating my birthday with my friends in our common room, me and Hadrian left just before midnight... to go to our dorms." Tom said with exaggerated innocently.

"I trust you are done interrogating a fifteen year old wizard," Horace stated sharply, furious with them, he knew what they were accusing Tom of, how could he not? They weren't exactly being subtle about it.

"We are, sorry for interrupting," Prewitt said seriously, both Aurors vacating their seats solemnly.

"What exactly do you think I did?" Tom asked standing up when the Auror's did, as if he finally understood the meaning behind the questions.