𝐀 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 ║Tom Riddle ✔ [EDITING]

Chapter Nineteen: Confrontation of Aurors

"Would you like me to go over there and start screaming that you were the one who duelled Grindelwald and survived while being thirteen?" I snarl back at him, making all the cruel amusement vanish off his face.

"You wouldn't dare, Dumbledore." He snaps, eyes blazing with a threat.

"Really? You don't think I'd dare?" I let out a laugh. "HEY!! TOM HERE-" I start to say, but Tom shoves me to the side, snarling.

"Dumbledore don't even-"

"Mr. Riddle. Ms. Dumbledore!" Albus roars, and we freeze whipping around to look at our professor. Albus was giving us a strange look.

"Now you will both explain to me exactly what happened after I deal with the Aurors. I am going to take you both to Aberforth. He'll help heal your injuries there." Albus orders, while still carrying the girl. She wasn't crying anymore and was looking between Tom and me with an enthralled look.

He grabs Tom's arm and the back of my jacket and apparates us all at once.

The spinning lasts a second, but then it stops, and I'm ramming into Tom, getting off balance. "Oomph." We both mutter and then start to glare at each other.

"Val?" Aberforth wonders, looking at Tom and me in confusion. "My darling girl. What happened to you both?" My cousin demands, rushing over to grab my hand and then grab Tom's shoulder, checking him over as well. I whirl around, looking for Albus. Everyone turns with my movements, and we all pause when we see Grindelwald's daughter looking up at us with frightened mismatched eyes.

"Hello," The girl waves at us, and I think my heart melts a bit.

Tom scoffs, crossing his arms. "We should've handed her over when we could've." He mutters, causing me to shoot him a cross look.

"There was an attack, Aberforth. It was Grindelwald. We were there. " I explain, making his usually warm blue eyes go stiff in anger. He rushes forward and grabs the girl in his arms, ushering us to some seats in the corner. He sets the child across us and then points at all three of us.

"Stay." He orders, voice stern, before marching away.

"We aren't animals." Tom scoffs, leaning back and crossing one of his legs over the other, relaxing into the large armchair he was in. He looked regal... like he was royalty.

"Thank you." The girl whispers, suddenly causing Tom and I to whip around to stare at the child. Her voice was high pitched and innocent. It chimed like a bell, and I let my mouth twitch upwards into a warm smile.

"Oh, course sweetheart," I say, making her beam at me. She turns her attention to Tom, looking at him with eyes filled with hope.

He ignored her completely.

I elbow him harshly, causing him to sneer at me. "Tom!?" I hiss at him.

"What!?" He hisses back, and I look between him and the little girl, gesturing towards the child with my face as discreetly as I could.

Tom lifts up his lips in a sneer, looking at the cute blonde in disgust.

He looks at me like he was saying; What on earth do you want me to tell her?!

I answer him with an impatient look of my own; Anything... something nice though!

He looks at the child, emotionless. "We didn't hand you over to Grindelwald. He would've killed you, so you are in our debt." He muses in a nasty tone.

"My dad would've killed me?" She asked, eyes brimming in tears, and I push Tom roughly, annoyance drawn all over my face.

"TOM!!" I demand.

"What!" He says, leaning back into his chair and giving me a deadpanned look, "I was nice."

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
― Bernard M. Baruch