𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 | Harry Potter

2.19

"It was me against Hagrid" Tom says "Well you can see how it looked to ol' Armando Dippet,  On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student... on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls... but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance... as though Hagrid had the brains"

"Hey-" Celeste snapped

"Only Albus Dumbledore, the Transfiguration teacher seemed to believe that Hagrid was innocent" Tom says "He persuaded Dippet to train him for gatekeeper, yes dear ol' Dumbledore might have guessed- never really liked me like the rest of the teachers"

"Dumbledore saw right through you" Harry says

"He kept an obnoxiously close eye on me- especially after the death of Adhara" He eyed Celeste "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work"

"Well you failed- no muggleborn are dead- not even the cat" Harry says and Celeste elbowed him

"Well can't you see?" Tom asks "The death of muggleborns don't matter to me anymore, it had been you"

"What" Harry breathed

"Can't you imagine the anger and annoyance I felt when it was Ginny writing back to me and not you? She was worried that I'd tell her about stranglin roosters- about all her secrets. But I knew- especially after Celeste had seemed more focused on things with your best friend gone that she'd go on lengths to save it" Tom says "So I stalked Celeste through her eyes- taking her to the chamber of secrets- to kill her off for personal reasons, but you came. I made Ginny write her farewell- and brought her here"

"Stupid girl cried and it was boring- weeping over Celeste's passed out body. Knowing she was the cause of this. Was boring- but there isn't much life of her left." Tom says "I knew you'd come and now I have many questions for you"

"Like what-?" Harry spat and Celeste looked down at Ginny- there wasn't much time left and they can't just keep bantering like this- IT'S WASTING TIME.

"Like how can a mere scrawny boy- who if it wasn't for the help of his friends would have never found out the location of the chamber of secrets, escaped Lord Voldemort with nothing more than a scar when he lost his powers?"

"Why would you want to know?" Harry asks "Voldemort was after your time"

"Voldemort is" Tom started "My past, present and future"

Tom pulled out Harry's wand out of his pocket and traced out 

'TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE'

He waved his wand slightly and the letters rearranged itself

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"Bloody hell" Celeste whispered

"I have been using this name since I was in school" Tom says "Of course only to my intimate friends- Ara refused to call me that- didn't care how disgusted I was to hold my muggle father's name. I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through mymother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? I wouldn't do that- no! I fashioned a name that would light fear if ever spoken of- in which people would know as the greatest sorcerer of all times"

"But you aren't" Celeste mumbled and Tom's head snapped to her

"Aren't what-?"

"I'm sorry to say but you aren't the greatest sorcerer of all times" Harry continued "It's Albus Dumbledore- whether you like it or not. "

"He isn't even frightened of you" Celeste adds

"Dumbledore has been driven out of this castle on the mere memory of me!" Tom's face curled up in frustration as he snapped at them

"It's not what you might think" Celeste says "He's not gone"

Tom opened his mouth before they all heard muisc echoing through

Celeste felt her heart pound as the music lit a fire in her heart like no other- the music wasn't like normal muggle ones- it was spine-tingling and high-pitched. Celeste felt her vibrations peak up as it got closer and her insides swelled up

That's when she turned and saw a crimson-bird that flew in majestically, it was the size of a swan and it was piping it's music all around. It's golden peacock-like tail and gleaming golden talons held onto something raggidy and old.

"Merlin" Celeste whispered