It is not the first day she had been suspecting Tom.
All the doubts were too weak, for example:
229Please respect copyright.PENANAKqEepaWpNO
If Tom and Malfoy were working together, why would they attack Eugene?
Perhaps Ricky just happened to forget Hagrid's name during class?
Or maybe Hagrid had introduced himself to Tom at that time?
229Please respect copyright.PENANABhVo0vvzZZ
In the end, it was her own inability to believe in Tom, but she still relied on him.
She even hoped she could become someone like him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA4CcvbTn1cN
He was too good to be true.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAOeH3wtdGew
It was like seeing a cartoon character come to life in the real world.
You would doubt if your own world was the one that was false.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAi3lWG5LRFe
All the settings the diary had told her,
Suddenly had a living face to embody them.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAykTkXHirwX
Prefect, Special Award of Services, and then promoted to Head Boy in the seventh year.
229Please respect copyright.PENANANWUJhplmpA
Percy couldn't compare to him, nor could Bill.
But he just disappeared like that.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA3OpZoBompk
And if the diary's settings were true if he really was the heir of Slytherin,
Then in the newspaper fifty years ago, during the Chamber of Secrets incident, wasn't it he who did it?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAUGiCMgWwsH
Then why, in that year, was he still able to receive the Special Award of Services?
What did he contribute? Some petrified students? A dead girl?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAdbj8t2KdMV
Ginny returned to her room, filled with thoughts.
The diary was still in her bag, and she hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAXjm5JyZm3h
Hermione looked up from her book and said, "You're back. I packed dinner for you, you must have forgotten again."
She noticed that Ginny didn't look well.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAKRVJfqUkRP
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
She knew Ginny was introverted, unwilling to talk about her own affairs, and especially disliked others interfering.
But this time, Ginny spoke up: "Hermione... how do you know you can trust Harry and Ron?"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAnawy7Snb3G
Hermione blinked and asked in return, "Did someone bully you again? Tell me."
Ginny countered, "Did you also hear the rumors about me?"
Hermione said, "I haven't heard anything, but I can tell."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAxmAq1kzZom
Ginny closed her eyes.
Hungry and tired, she fell onto the bed, set her bag aside, and buried her face in the pillow.
Seeing this, Hermione said, "It's okay. I didn't have any friends at first either. Everyone hated me."
Ginny said, "That's their problem."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAwJ91hEIddU
Hermione sighed, "It's good that you know. If you believe you haven't done anything wrong, don't feel sorry. Regardless of how others see it, they have their own problems to face."
Ginny disagreed, "No, it's my fault. I was just being stupid." No one told her to write in the diary, that's her own problem.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA95eIbyJsin
Hermione cheered her up, "That's okay. We'll figure it out together. You'll be fine."
Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes, buried in the pillow. "I really don't know..."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAkN17qLggZP
Tom was important to her, why did he have to be so troublesome?
So how could she trust Tom? Should she have him examined by someone?
229Please respect copyright.PENANALWqZInowkg
Ginny considered examining the diary's function and structure but she didn't have the money to hire someone to do that.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAw3cnC6GWDt
If she handed it over to a teacher, it would certainly be confiscated. If she tried to learn and research on her own, she might graduate from Hogwarts before making any progress.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAJRYzdYs9qY
Hermione sighed and said, "I used to hate those boys too, especially Ron. He made me hide in the bathroom and cry, and I almost died because of it."
She earnestly answered Ginny's first question.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAK6nGux9Ws3
Ginny, amidst her sadness, became curious. Ron had never mentioned this incident before. Hermione continued, "It was on Halloween, a troll came into the school. Harry and Ron accidentally locked it in the same bathroom with me.
I was crying alone in the bathroom because, in Charms class, Ron and I were paired up, and I pointed out that his pronunciation was incorrect. Then I overheard him mocking me to Harry right after class, saying no wonder I had no friends."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAhEwKQL8XMI
Ginny couldn't help but glance at Hermione. Hermione went on,
"I was thinking at that time, it would be better to drop out and become a Muggle. I wasn't born into a wizarding family, you know. I didn't have the privilege of learning at home, did I?
Even if I had to live in an ignorant and oblivious world, at least it was a happier and more familiar one. Who could stand being surrounded by those narrow-minded, self-unaware students who were born into the wizarding world?
Clearly, in the area where they should excel, they hindered my learning and had to rely on my reminders and help. And afterward, they even spoke ill of me behind my back.
Such ungrateful classmates."
229Please respect copyright.PENANA2iMCyZ834I
Ginny sensed Hermione's resentment and quickly asked, "What happened next? How did you manage to tolerate Ron? Did you kill the troll?"
Hermione smirked, "I wasn't that strong. I was terrified. It was Harry and Ron who heard me scream and rushed in. In the end, it was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, they knocked the troll unconscious."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAN3huujwXMo
Ginny blinked and said, "Is that it? So you forgave them?"
Hermione said, "I even covered for them, lying that I voluntarily went to find the troll, so please don't tell the teacher."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAUlJ6Hjbg2U
Ginny said impartially, "You're too generous, aren't you?"
Even though Ron is her brother, she agrees that he's a carefree person when it comes to speaking.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA6FExfMci45
It takes great courage for someone who is alone and unfamiliar with the world to come to a completely strange place for school. Besides, it was Ron who slowed her down, not Hermione intentionally mocking him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAtlyvMJ6hDO
"But at least I know they would risk their lives to save me. That's the first sense of security I have in the wizarding world," Hermione said.
Ginny empathized with Hermione's difficulties and thought to herself, "It turns out that not every student who comes to Hogwarts is happy and excited, I am not the exception.
I underestimated the challenges of boarding school. My brothers always shared their joys but not their worries at home, which made me think their success was so easy and made me feel even more like a failure.
But maybe 'failure' is normal after all?"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAr1VwWaLtAa
Ginny said, "I envy you." At least you can trust two real people instead of just a diary.
Hermione said, "I feel lucky too. Just think, when my other classmates were enjoying the Halloween feast, didn't they notice that I wasn't there? Never mind the boys, but those two girls who were supposed to be my roommates, they knew exactly where I was crying."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAFhZ2Itjf7F
On that day, Hermione had narrowly escaped death. After returning to the Gryffindor Tower, she and Harry separated and went to their own rooms.
When those two girls saw her, they didn't even ask where she had been, despite her being completely soaked. (That was because the troll had broken a pipe, causing water to spray everywhere.)
229Please respect copyright.PENANATPM4sCAKmi
Their first reaction was to tell her not to wander off on her own. When the prefect called for attendance, they didn't know how to respond.
Were they "concerned" or were they "blaming" her for holding them back and making them "appear" abandoned her?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAwHKobPEPpU
Hermione didn't want to dwell on it. At that moment, she had just experienced a life-and-death situation, and her heart was already weary, and worn out.
So she learned not to care about everyone, not to correct everyone. Don't waste time on unworthy people, give up what needs to be given up because life may be shorter than you imagine.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAgLvimXZoPm
Ginny also realized after coming here that these "qualities" she thought were taken for granted were actually rare in Gryffindor.
229Please respect copyright.PENANABbZemNbls9
If she and Hermione did the same things and were in the same situation, she didn't believe any first-year would come to save her. The only one who would come in time and have the ability to save her would be Tom.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAIUx5ntOkXq
And this thought made her sad again. "Hermione, if one day, a person who is very kind to you suddenly appears, but he probably has ill intentions... would you, send him away?" Her voice was very low, filled with sadness.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA1gewoQwfEO
Hermione tried to console her, "Well, you haven't really confirmed anything with him, have you?"
Ginny could only say, "Even if I confirmed it with him, how do I know he's not deceiving me?"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAnHLYFN0caE
She hoped Tom would tell her all the facts, including his creator, his intentions, and provide tangible evidence. She didn't care about his so-called "secrecy" setting anymore, she want him to be loyal to her alone.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA8fqEzxgSaa
"It sounds like a complicated relationship," Hermione sighed. She distractedly thought, "Ron said Ginny loved Harry, right? Why does it sound like she's fallen for another now?"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAnYhwlZSwii
Ginny sarcastically laughed at herself, "Yeah, he would never have a chance to risk his 'life' to save me, would he?"
Instead, it was always her who was on the edge of "death" and being saved.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA2fQtPvQodf
Hermione continued to ponder distractedly, "Maybe Ginny loves someone else, would be less troublesome for Harry and Ron." So she said, "But I think you should try to trust others. All your brothers care about you, and if you need my help, I'm always here too."
229Please respect copyright.PENANA9jA8OwWSuZ
Hermione also wanted to impart the sense of security that Harry and Ron had given her to others. Besides, she couldn't imagine how bad the situation could be, and trolls weren't running around Hogwarts every day.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAXYJwAnAiZ7
Ginny couldn't help but have tears in her eyes and said, "You're so kind to me." If she wasn't sharing a room with Hermione, she probably wouldn't be able to hold on.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAG5EJHgL9kA
In the stories that Hermione had just mentioned, wasn't it also necessary for one party to risk their "life" to gain trust?
Isn't a beautiful and mysterious person, with a dangerous yet precious friendship, worth it?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAAEfPfMAyKT
-------------
229Please respect copyright.PENANAG575kBogp5
Tom, at the age of sixteen, returned to Hogwarts wearing the ring. On the train, he read in the newspaper that Morfin Gaunt had been imprisoned and openly admitted to killing the Riddle family.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAaQYHeedjqt
Thanks to the efforts of Grindelwald, this rural news only occupied less than a quarter of an inner page, without even a picture.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA1vpIs8gi3v
The Gaunt family wasn't as important as he had imagined.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAWmtvbINbtY
Even though Morfin Gaunt kept proclaiming in court that he was the descendant of Salazar Slytherin with Parseltongue, he was just a deluded fool when no one, not even a snake, responded to him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAe4N6eMCxAw
Tom originally intended to return the ring to Morfin. But at the last moment, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving this protective treasure behind in Azkaban, to rot away with the pigs.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAYkdotpjTUq
Perhaps out of a guilty conscience, thinking that "he who killed often becomes he who also be killed," he felt a deep sense of unease.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAH1F8YPzZT5
"Hello, Tom," the real Dumbledore welcomed him back to Hogwarts.
Tom complained bitterly, "You didn't come to see me during the summer."
229Please respect copyright.PENANA7cp7aehX1C
He had returned to the orphanage before the end of the summer and confirmed with the headmaster that no one had come looking for him while he was away.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAXABhY6nbiN
Dumbledore sighed. "Did you encounter any trouble?"
Tom replied coldly, "She didn't let me go back next year. She said there were too many people to accommodate at the orphanage. And I'll turn seventeen next year, I considered an adult in the wizarding world, so I'm leaving for good this time."
229Please respect copyright.PENANACWOi5SKucp
He had initially thought about informing Dumbledore in advance, but he didn't have an owl with him. Besides, he didn't want to stay there for another minute after seeing the expression on the orphanage headmaster's face.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAoIr66Gxhjx
Dumbledore asked, "What about next summer?"
Tom exhaled, "I don't know where to go, we'll see."
Dumbledore seemed relieved. "That's also a good thing. Finally, no more lies."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAyLt1GKju6a
Tom had a strange feeling in his heart. Dumbledore wasn't just talking about the orphanage. He suspected that Dumbledore had just learned from the newspaper that his father's entire family had died, and he was hesitating whether or not to tell him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAHlZccebljZ
He nervously touched the ring again and couldn't help but think of Grindelwald. He didn't know how to bring it up with Dumbledore. If Dumbledore found out everything that happened there, would he blame him or look at him with strange eyes?
229Please respect copyright.PENANANYSDI45xhC
Tom thought about the events of their first meeting and decided to keep the secret hidden deep in his heart. He replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, lying is really troublesome."
229Please respect copyright.PENANApgUDglFiRY
He was referring not only to the headmaster of the orphanage but also to Hagrid, the Riddle family, and this deeply concealed and rotten wizarding world.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAia3hetkFfa
Dumbledore sighed again, "I've asked too much of you."
Finally, he wasn't as overbearing or superior as before.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAuXniG06xAG
Tom should have been pleased that Dumbledore was showing consideration for him, but now he felt that Dumbledore was deeply disappointed in him because of the Chamber of Secrets incident.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAzLnIg2pZ8o
"Professor..." Tom couldn't help but change the subject, not wanting Dumbledore to have a chance to mention his parents. "I will talk to the Basilisk. Maybe it won't be so insistent anymore."
229Please respect copyright.PENANATQRlSfFzIK
Dumbledore shook his head, "This is my fault. I will personally go down and put an end to it."
Tom frowned, thinking to himself, "Why don't you ever listen to me? That's my Chamber, my Basilisk!"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAtnZRj9Ekqy
But he said, "I don't want to kill it, Professor. Can't we continue with our plan?"
Dumbledore looked at him, surprised, as if he were looking at a stranger. "Have you developed feelings for it?"
229Please respect copyright.PENANAV9J2vtBBKN
Tom thought, "Am I seen as a more cold-blooded and heartless creature in your eyes compared to the Basilisk?"
He remained silent, just staring at Dumbledore quietly.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAVEvXKQUIbv
Perhaps he had grown up too well at Hogwarts. His temper matured faster than his age. He knew he shouldn't blame others. This mission was his own agreement, his own desire to achieve the Special Award of Services. And even the mission failed, he still received it.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA8ulMlC32To
Dumbledore wasn't his parent, just a salaried teacher with his own interests to consider. Even if they had "worked together" secretly for a while, it didn't mean that Dumbledore had an obligation to be kind to him, consider his needs, or indulge his temper.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAvWwOfU77GV
Tom took a deep breath.
He realized that his attitude towards Dumbledore was misplaced, but he was tired.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA9WUK7zI7a1
He lowered his gaze, feeling dejected, and turned to leave.
"Tom..." Dumbledore called out behind him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAuphJq3UNG8
That only made Tom dislike his own name and his father's name even more. He didn't want to grow up to be like his father. The thought of that lifeless face made him sick, and he hadn't looked in the mirror for a long time.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAXmv67lPG7W
But he definitely wouldn't tell Dumbledore about that.
In fact, he didn't want to tell Dumbledore anything anymore.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAJ60hKwtER3
-------------
229Please respect copyright.PENANA1UtCqSHn1l
Afterward, Dumbledore wrote a letter reassuring Tom that he should take his time and try to persuade the Basilisk on his own. He comforted him by saying that even if he couldn't resolve everything before graduation, he would find a way to handle it later.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA3BgkBfcUiR
Tom took the letter and went to the window, under the moonlight, and set it on fire.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAiHm3zKvWgK
He thought to himself, "Dumbledore should be more careful. If someone saw the evidence and discovered that Dumbledore and I conspired, and accidentally kill Moaning Myrtle, then Grindelwald..."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAnllYPwueND
What's wrong with Grindelwald winning? Tom couldn't help but reflect.
But what would be Dumbledore's fate?
Should he really betray Dumbledore's trust?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAEKpiGlkhx5
He watched the flames rise and slowly disappear into the air, feeling even more confused.
Visiting his origins, his family, hadn't provided him with clearer answers about life. It only added to the mud of guilt in his heart.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAxjsMtPtaTc
Unfortunately, no one could tell him what he should or shouldn't do anymore.
No one had the authority.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAj2RmTnMAtV
--------------
229Please respect copyright.PENANAEQJqgmX0TZ
"Tom, you're finally back!" The Basilisk welcomed him warmly.
Seeing it again, Tom surprisingly felt a sense of comfort.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAT5a8kD5fXi
Having spent so much time in the Chamber of Secrets, after cleaning it up, he no longer found it dirty.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAYCCHbpCK6d
"It's been a while, Basilisk," Tom replied, using the creature's name.
The name of the Basilisk was simply Basilisk because it had no knowledge of others of its kind. It didn't know that "Basilisk" referred to more than just itself. But the word itself also implied "little prince." Perhaps Salazar Slytherin had indeed named it that way?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAQqgkBsuzPW
Basilisk hesitated for a moment and asked, "What happened to you, Tom?" It sense his sadness.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAcSofZW40CK
Tom dropped the act and said, "I encountered a bad person during the summer break."
It felt good to confide in someone. He thought to himself, "Maybe I've always needed a friend, just not a human one."
229Please respect copyright.PENANA3qXXiZwJAs
Basilisk asked, "Did you suffer? Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Tom replied, "No, I've resolved it. It was just lucky."
229Please respect copyright.PENANArNJEFyjNZN
Basilisk said, "You're too weak. Study our master's magic quickly."
It was worried that Tom might die, leaving it without even someone to chat with.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAmF3tg8avUH
Tom suddenly remembered, "By the way, he forgot to tell Dumbledore about this study room."
But should he inform Dumbledore? No. He shouldn't get accustomed to reporting to Dumbledore anymore, he warned himself.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAEZcNO0jhZs
Basilisk asked again, "Did I cause trouble for you, that girl in the bathroom?"
Tom replied, "That matter is over too, but for now, I can't find a way to bring you out."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAr99LNtyXRL
Basilisk asked, "Is she an important person?"
Tom initially wanted to say "no," but then he felt it wasn't right to think that way.
229Please respect copyright.PENANATUVJecBROB
Everyone is important.
But on the other hand, everyone is insignificant.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA16SPsHYUnh
Tom could only say, "They suspect me, and I can't afford to have anyone else die around me. Unless..."
If he could reach the level of Grindelwald, no one would dare to arrest him.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAgEOZG5852G
Basilisk saw the seriousness on his face and comforted him, "You will achieve it, I believe in you. Take it slowly."
Even though it couldn't fully understand, Basilisk wholeheartedly believed in Tom.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAzydBla5QyT
Tom could only smile and say, "Thanks."
And so, he spent every day in the Chamber of Secrets, studying more profound ancient dark magic in Slytherin's study.
229Please respect copyright.PENANArC631GHCBr
Starting from his sixth year, he spent almost every night in the Chamber.
Since he didn't have a roommate and no one knew he hadn't returned to the dormitory, even if someone saw him going out late at night, who would dare to provoke him?
229Please respect copyright.PENANAHuwmbf7wpt
"Horcrux."
This term appeared at this time.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA8nPlQ9bU9g
Salazar Slytherin's study of immortality seemed logically perfect, tightly structured with no loopholes.
The only condition for committing murder, he already unintentionally fulfilled.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAadUAifAbey
But in terms of results, did Slytherin still die? Tom wasn't sure.
He seriously considered it because:
"If I can split my soul, a part of me won't have to abide by Basilisk's vow anymore."
229Please respect copyright.PENANAjdLvHXUuQm
During these past few months, Tom and Basilisk became true friends.
But he had also been trying to find out what Basilisk thought after "finishing" the Mudboold.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAHZtIEgazAk
Basilisk said, "Then I'll wait for your child to come to school and continue cleansing the half-bloods!"
Tom was speechless.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAZSEvLRjlxc
Was Basilisk assuming that he would definitely marry a pure-blood and have children?
Um... he thought maybe Basilisk was just finding reasons not to go out because it had been here for a thousand years.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAH5KToxA24l
The Chamber of Secrets was everything it knew.
It even feared the thought of going out.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAGLnO4cduUn
It wasn't that it couldn't open the chamber's door, but it didn't want to.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAJFCzsu6dW1
It had never seen forests, lakes, sunlight, and all the beautiful things that could bring tears to one's eyes. Tom had been tempting it all along.
229Please respect copyright.PENANABwrPpZmlNE
But it sniffed at him, stubborn like a house-elf.
For it, freedom was a betrayal to Salazar Slytherin and would render its entire life meaningless.
229Please respect copyright.PENANABjui2421iJ
Basilisk would rather die in the Chamber.
229Please respect copyright.PENANABXnAWSkAZg
As much as Tom tried to convince himself, to be ruthless and use Basilisk and then kill it before graduation, he couldn't do it. Neither could He deceive Basilisk any longer.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAejEJMxnCN7
So If he could squeeze the "Unbreakable Vow" onto a small fragment of his soul and then split it to create a Horcrux, perhaps the immortal "himself" could keep abiding by the vow on his behalf.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAnrGywHnXxk
In the river of time, he would occasionally lure a few Hogwarts students to come down and visit Basilisk...
"That's how it will be!" Tom made a resolute decision one day.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAbT73ixrYTn
Regardless of what would happen in the future, out of his only friendship now, what would a sliver of his soul count for?
He wanted to continue weaving a beautiful dream between Basilisk's impossible "goal" and reality.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA6qkxN49FZQ
So, on December 30, 1943, the day before Tom's seventeenth birthday, he quietly created the first and most special Horcrux.
He hoped that no matter what the future held, this perpetually sixteen-year-old diary named "Tom" would remain forever young.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAVQBZNguIaz
As for how to explain it to Dumbledore?
Tom decided to postpone that until after graduation.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAvaK9VwLSsw
Anyway, he planned to personally join the Grindelwald's acolytes after graduation, so it wouldn't be considered a betrayal of Dumbledore.
229Please respect copyright.PENANA2Qc49R4nqk
Turn out, in 1945, the same year Tom graduated, Grindelwald surrendered to Dumbledore.
It was then that Tom resolved to become the Dark Lord himself.
229Please respect copyright.PENANACCWKCmxB2t
And He told himself:
229Please respect copyright.PENANAFEw9RABIhQ
I absolutely won't fall in love.
Even making friends is too tiresome for me.
229Please respect copyright.PENANAhLDzvBLs8w