Pure

Tom Marvolo Riddle's Dysphoria

(Important A/N at the end! Don't miss it!)

Friday came too quickly, and suddenly, I was waiting in the common room for Clive to join me for his first official torture meeting with Riddle.

Riddle had his nose in my mystery book for the duration of the week when we weren't in classes, and like before, didn't allow me to make conversations with the other students unless it was for my task. He assured me it was imperative for others to see me as unapproachable because then I wouldn't have to deal with any of their 'insolence' when I didn't want to. He also told me that anyone consorting with him regularly had to have the same image as he, powerful, yet elusive. When I heard this, I stopped short. It seemed as though I was becoming more of a confidant to Riddle than a death eater, or 'knight' as he called them now. It was almost like he wanted me to be his equal... or his pet.

"Granger, lets get this over with," Clive muttered from the shadows of the common room. I snapped my thoughts back to the task at hand: bringing Riddle his victim. With stern set eyes, I whipped around and started walking in the direction of the Room of Requirement.

"Follow me," I commanded.

The journey to the seventh floor was short and silent. It was already very late, so no students were to be seen roaming the halls, that is, with the exception of us. That was always how it was. I always had to be the exception. Why did Riddle choose to "befriend" me of all people? Why did I have to be the one to travel back in time 5 decades?

I shrugged off my thoughts as we got to the seventh floor, and quickly created the same doorway from last week. After Clive walked through, I followed and closed the door behind me to see Riddle seated in the armchair he'd occupied the friday before. He was reading my book of course. When we arrived though, he promptly stood and took up his commanding stance that I was now used to.

"Weasley, let's get down to business," Riddle said calmly, but determinedly. Clive didn't make a move to reply, and I'm glad he didn't because that could have given Riddle a reason to be angry, and that wouldn't be good for any of us in this room, even for Riddle himself.

"Stand in front of the cabinet, Clive," I piped in, to ensure that Clive didn't even get a chance to talk and tempt Riddle's anger. Riddle nodded at me, letting me know that I could proceed. I took Clive's wand so he couldn't easily make his fear disappear. Of course Riddle would want me to be the one to torture poor Clive. It was my task after all to get the sword.

I pulled out my wand and whispered a quiet, "Alohomora," under my breath, and the wardrobe opened. Once again, the spider came out and Clive shook in fear and then froze altogether with a horrified expression on his face. He looked towards me, but I scoffed and gave my best impression of boredom, looking down to one of my cuticles so I didn't have to see Clive in the state he was in. He'd thank me if he knew what I was doing... at least that's what I told myself.

"Since you're not trying, I think we should add a little incentive to make you useful," Riddle expressed. I furrowed my brows and looked at Riddle in confusion, "Don't you think Granger?" he asked.

Before I could reply, Riddle turned and flicked his wand on me and an invisible rope circled itself around my throat before I could finish my last breath.

"What are you do--" my breath caught as the rope tightened even further, cutting off my airway.

I was helpless. Riddle wouldn't catch my eye no matter how hard I looked at him. He adopted manic expression, rather than the calculating one he had only a few moments prior, and focused on Clive's reaction with his wand still trailed at me. I couldn't reach my wand without severing my whole neck completely. My hands moved up to the rope, helplessly clawing at them for a release, but they wouldn't budge. In that moment, I hated myself more than I ever had before. Was I really so stupid to think that I could go up against Tom Riddle? I was such a fool to believe that I could actually change him... or defeat him. If Riddle hadn't had a rope tied around my neck about to kill me, I'd have done it myself solely because of the complete idiot I was in having any hope for him. I attempted to speak once more but all that came out was a crackle of pointless noise.