551Please respect copyright.PENANALTBMjRPABv
Days became stable and mundane.
Entering October, Ginny began to adapt to life at Hogwarts.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAHOdpBgmVu1
Classes, meals, the library.
On weekends, she would fly on broomsticks with Luna, discussing wizarding world folklore and engaging in peculiar and foolish experiments.
Or she would explore "safe" areas around the castle with Ricky, observing disgusting little insects.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAucmuzJ1g2C
The people she didn't like gradually became like air to her.
They lived in a parallel world that had nothing to do with her.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8mXwyVCEj
Ginny no longer let their deliberate provocations bother her.
She accepted her limitations and became more careful about her own safety.
551Please respect copyright.PENANANWsQ9apch6
But it was only when she happened to pass by the "Wall of Fame" and looked at the glittering names on it that she would be reminded of her "ambitions" and feel a faint ache in her heart.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAiO4Uj5Y6jw
551Please respect copyright.PENANAWCoNDPPbwO
The Wall of Fame was filled with trophies and medals, representing the outstanding students in the history of Hogwarts.
A dense and extensive victory history that overwhelms the senses.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAMyZk9FNb6d
"Leadership" -- the most important quality listed in the selection criteria.
In Hogwarts, the highest achiever in academics didn't automatically become the Head Boy or Head Girl.
And good scores in the Wizarding Examinations didn't necessarily guarantee significant recognition once they entered society.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA5LCcPimBMU
The wizarding world wasn't like the Muggle world, where "universities" provided scholarships for bookworms to pursue their research.
If you wanted to conduct academic research or write a book, you had to find a way to fund yourself or seek sponsorship.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAaegcEWCcMm
So "leadership" held greater importance in Hogwarts than grades.
Having "friends" was crucial to becoming a leader.
If you had no friends and came from a financially disadvantaged background, even with excellent grades, you wouldn't have access to resources or good job opportunities after graduation.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAN69Rg1Wjr0
Even if you managed to get into the Ministry of Magic, there would still be a vast difference in the quality of assignments and treatment you could receive.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAmhUAfHOAfd
---------
"I, who always mingling with the 'misfits', am drifting further away from the goal of becoming a prefect." Ginny sighed in her heart every time she passed by that wall.
Luna and Ricky both came from wizarding families and have no siblings.
551Please respect copyright.PENANARCu8bOkIDE
Luna could assist her father's magazine after graduating, while Ricky was eager to expand his parents' research in magical creatures.
With clear goals in mind, they only came to Hogwarts to understand the lives and perspectives of other "normal people."
They weren't stressed about academics and didn't want to "conform."
551Please respect copyright.PENANAbix0XsjOon
But Ginny was different.
She hadn't figured out what she wanted to do in the future yet.
Deep down, she had a vague sense that she had missed out on something many people were striving for.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAcV1FYiC2o1
---
551Please respect copyright.PENANARy2gDSTRtg
In Herbology class, as Ginny sprayed water on the Mandrake plants, she couldn't help but feel a bit down seeing the joyful atmosphere of other Gryffindors next to her. She forced herself to focus on wiping the leaves, paying attention to every vein as if she wanted to memorize each one.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA50DuQaVzWV
Beside her, Ricky suggested, "How about we visit that big guy on the weekend?"
Ginny snapped out of her thoughts and asked, "Big guy?"
Ricky replied, "Yeah, the gamekeeper next to the Forbidden Forest."
Ginny said, "Oh, you mean Hagrid."
Ricky nodded and hesitantly requested, "Yeah, I wanted to apologize to him for the last time... you know..." He looked embarrassed.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAvRVok5S6zb
Ginny's eyes darted around anxiously, thinking, "Ricky and Hagrid have a totally different version of what happened that night. They must not meet!"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAtiI3jJbU04
She quickly came up with an excuse and said, "Uh... he's a friend of my brother's, but I... well, I don't really like him. He can be... a bit rude."
She felt a strong sense of guilt toward Hagrid.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAEDkWiZpmEe
Ricky casually replied, "Oh, I see."
It was just a passing remark from him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAwZeXLkXLFn
Ginny carefully observed his expression and thought, "Thank goodness he didn't press further."
She let out a sigh of relief.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAy4crU9lXBz
--
551Please respect copyright.PENANAr5XWiYpuLD
After returning to the castle and bidding farewell to Ricky, Ginny couldn't resist being drawn to the "Wall of Fame" again.
551Please respect copyright.PENANABaomafLYVz
She had already found the names of her brothers, but she wondered if there were any other ancestors from the Weasley family on the wall.
As she looked back year after year...
551Please respect copyright.PENANAz85PmozXt0
"Tom Riddle."
551Please respect copyright.PENANA9UwNjZL7YX
This name appeared in many places. Head Boy, Prefect, Special Contributions, Off-campus competitions... and he was also a Slytherin.
551Please respect copyright.PENANASBXcmejCF3
Ginny thought, "This is too coincidental, isn't it?"
She took out her diary from her bag.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAbH38JBbZPD
The date on the cover was also from around that time.
Ginny couldn't help but think, "Was this diary created its setting based on a real person?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAbKKmdsZlsS
She went to the library to find out what had happened to the "real" Tom Riddle.
She searched for several hours, even skipping dinner, but found nothing.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAa6zDdCYIJy
Tom Riddle seemed to have disappeared into thin air after graduating.
It was highly unusual.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA0ujksH0Iax
The wizarding community in Britain is a small circle, and everyone is connected as alumni.
Even the smallest events would make the news, let alone someone as outstanding as Tom Riddle.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA02DxVH0CnF
Ginny stared at Tom Riddle's handsome graduation photo from 1945 for a while.
She decided to share this strange occurrence with her diary.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAYi8hI07Dav
She thought, "It must have been some infatuated witch who created this diary for her fantasy of the real Tom or something like that. Well, it's normal for someone so handsome to have that kind of attention."
551Please respect copyright.PENANA7Dh85bxDPC
Shortly after leaving the library, a question emerged from nowhere:
But how did Tom know Hagrid's name?
551Please respect copyright.PENANAuLQUoIatlQ
She happened to stop at the spot where she was attacked by Eugene earlier.
She carefully recalled:
Ricky didn't know Hagrid's name, and she had never mentioned Hagrid to Tom before.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAUTKdtRJDuT
Ginny took a deep breath,
Blood rushed to her head, and her heart pounded fiercely.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAalV9atnGPl
She calmly said to herself:
"What are you doubting? How many times has Tom saved you?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAxcVRKUuvyJ
"Is something this good just falling into your hand?" she splashed cold water on herself in mind.
"But what does Tom want from me? What could he possibly gain from me?" she countered.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA90UpylR4cw
"Tom is clever, isn't he? How can you be sure there isn't a real person behind him?"
"Who would go to such boring lengths to monitor my thoughts and protect me from expulsion?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAQXkFpYtstx
"He's a Slytherin! A disgusting, over sixty-year-old man!" Ginny thought, but then Tom's handsome graduation photo flashed in her mind, negating that thought.
"Why would someone so outstanding do such things?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANA9CaXsuO9hZ
"Is it because of the Malfoy family? Maybe this is part of their plan to mess with you?"
That's too far-fetched.
Ginny knew that when you suspect someone, everything they do turns suspicious.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAlOlN25GTie
"Tom was my only completely loyal friend. A one true friend who would never betray me."
The more Ginny insisted on this, the deeper her heart sank into an icy abyss.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAncaCmu4y2h
--
551Please respect copyright.PENANALZD0nOOdbD
On a hot summer day, Tom watched the Riddle family.
That evening, he stood outside the window, on the beautifully manicured garden lawn. Using the wand he had bought on the black market, he cast a charm on the glass that made everything look "normal" from the inside.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA3oxHWsOBxA
Tom immediately recognized his father, as well as his grandparents. They sat together, enjoying a cozy dinner, with peaceful smiles and relaxed conversations.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAPmUeI2VnkZ
The sounds of their voices turned into noise in Tom's ears.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAESwjNWZxVT
He had dreamed of such a scene for a long time, ever since he was a child watching other families. He had always dreamt of a world where there would be a place for him, with people who loved him at home.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAgOdFm7oZbd
They wouldn't have to worry about making a living, there would be no arguments or comparisons. Their conversations would solely be for expressing care and unwavering support.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAB4wp3Z7bgs
For a moment, Tom even considered using magic to manipulate their memories, so this family would accept him as their "grandson." And when he opened the door and walked in, he would receive their welcome, greetings, and hugs. But that would only make him more pathetic.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA9NHm4jhSER
Now he understood why his mother had resorted to such unrealistic measures, ultimately meeting her lonely demise in the orphanage.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAu3JbQ5bFy8
He was a product of a beautiful dream, a witch's fantasy about Muggles. But no matter how much they resembled each other on the outside, they were two different beings, two people from two different worlds.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA9qjWBYS8sV
Rustling...
There was the sound of someone walking on the grass behind him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAideJdgqeZt
Tom turned around alertly, and it was Dumbledore.
He wiped away the tears from his face.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAo4cShYmwXF
"I couldn't find you at the orphanage, so I guessed you would have come here," Dumbledore explained.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAmZskAGkB0B
In Tom's mind, he doubts, "He must have sent someone to keep an eye on me... afraid that I would reveal something..."
But he didn't say it out loud. He wasn't in the mood to argue with Dumbledore. He turned his gaze back to the window, tormenting himself.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA8jpWaMFRvp
"Muggles, fascinating creatures, aren't they?" Dumbledore seemed to be trying to find words to comfort him. He walked up to him and gazed together with him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANASoeWxaaOVY
"In a dangerous world, they live in ignorance, seemingly unaware of their own happiness."
Tom had composed himself and was ready to leave with Dumbledore. He waited for him to finish speaking.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAOQzkHxUnlO
"Yet, by the time they reveal their cruelty and brutality, it's too late..." Dumbledore sighed.
Tom found these words strange and turned to look at the person beside him once again.
551Please respect copyright.PENANATsRD1fCM9l
He had transformed into an enigmatic figure with heterochromatic eyes and a weary smile:
Gellert Grindelwald!
551Please respect copyright.PENANA1NhVON3IxG
Tom was stunned, and he instinctively thought about reaching for his wand but stopped himself. He had no chance of winning against the most powerful dark wizard in the world.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAz1SozIgFAS
"Smart boy," Grindelwald praised him with a smirk, acknowledging Tom's give up on restraint.
"It feels good to have Dumbledore by your side, doesn't it?" Grindelwald mused to himself.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAUPHpC6zXZb
"He sure knows how to encourage people, always saying 'You're capable.', 'It's all for a greater good.', 'Don't give up'..." Grindelwald's lips still smiled, but his eyes were filled with deep sadness.
Tom even felt a hint of vulnerability from him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAAj1Zr4KQC5
"I've been observing you for quite some time, especially in the Chamber of Secrets incidents," Grindelwald continued. "You did well. I have high hopes for you. You're destined to do great things."
551Please respect copyright.PENANACl0IhSGXVo
Tom didn't know how to proceed, so he asked, "What do you want?"
He guessed it might be about the Chamber of Secrets as well.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAAPTNxCNqs9
Grindelwald replied, "I'm not here to rob you."
He smiled and took out a ring from his pocket.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAVEckvTfF0M
Tom blinked and recognized it. It was his uncle's ring, who had tried to attack him, prompting Tom to knock him unconscious.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAiQqk7G22dY
"What a beautiful gemstone, isn't it?" Grindelwald looked at the stone with some fascination. "Dumbledore will surely love it."
551Please respect copyright.PENANAxMPF9EtU59
Tom didn't know how to respond.
He whimsically thought, "So, you came to steal my uncle's ring and give it to Dumbledore?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAW1cGMr1zN0
"Take it," Grindelwald said to him.
Tom hesitated for a moment but reluctantly accepted the ring.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAovY7kzNwGJ
"Are you... asking me to propose to Professor Dumbledore on your behalf?" Tom couldn't help but blurt out.
Grindelwald froze for a moment and burst into laughter.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAuqcF2jcC8l
"Yes, please, if you can, go ahead," he said self-deprecatingly.
Tom awkwardly asked, "So... why are you giving this to me?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAXBZ1Rdo5Xm
Grindelwald replied, "I just feel that the swine doesn't deserve it. Like wizards shouldn't hide, beautiful things deserve better people."
Tom pondered for a moment and asked, "But how do you know that wizards are better than Muggles?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAuYEu81fusz
Grindelwald countered, "Do you think you're a better person than your parents?"
Tom turned his gaze back to the window. "I... I hope I am."
551Please respect copyright.PENANA0sttuftpAM
Grindelwald said, "Then I believe you are."
He smiled confidently and then disappeared into thin air.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAL611tPZZvu
Tom held the ring, confirming that everything that had just happened wasn't his imagination.
551Please respect copyright.PENANArpACsiVZPz
--
551Please respect copyright.PENANAtKOcWDopdB
"Grindelwald let him go just like that?!" Tom thought, "But should I return the ring? Or Morfin Gaund must be reporting this to Aurors?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANApfL5tjoAm8
Thud! Thud!
Someone angrily tapped on the window.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAtcOqG0mpRY
Tom was startled. He hadn't realized that his magic had worn off, and now the people inside the house could see him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAsMyLse36nY
Tom looked up and met his father's gaze, who had intended to drive away the intruder.
His father was equally taken aback at his look.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAP5H4W2JBOe
"Tom, who is that?" his grandmother asked.
Tom's father, also named Tom, nervously tried to block the window, but his grandmother still caught a glimpse of him.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA5EXzEEq8R3
His grandmother gasped for breath, pointing at him as if she had seen a ghost but couldn't find the words to speak.
Tom thought, "Since they've already seen me..."
551Please respect copyright.PENANAyYOiUBAfO8
He disappeared from outside and reappeared inside the living room.
"I mean no harm," Tom said.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAkumjII1Bo5
But his father seemed to have a heart attack. "Monster... that... that witch..."
His father's face displayed alternating expressions of humiliation, disgust, and extreme terror.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAmzRhb6x3Cu
Tom understood. If he were violated by a witch, he would probably feel the same way.
"I'm just here to say goodbye. My mother died giving birth to me sixteen years ago, and today, I learned that my father has also died."
551Please respect copyright.PENANAdrU2zXlump
When Tom spoke these words, he only metaphorically referred to the "father" within his heart, that tiny, pitiful hope that had died.
However, to the Riddle family, it seemed like a threat to their lives.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAlYJGOgR8hy
"Thomas..." Tom's grandmother, Mary, cried weakly, tears streaming down her face, as she called out her husband's name.
As Tom turned around, he found that his grandfather had silently taken out a hunting rifle.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAP4bSNEc8w4
Bang!
Without even speaking to him, the old man aimed at Tom's head and pulled the trigger.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAT5vGeH0zq1
Tom saw the bullet and sparks erupt from the gun barrel.
He thought, "Is that it? I'm going to die at the hands of a Muggle?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAJb2saXMTWh
Tom had never imagined that an old man who had moments ago been laughing and chatting with his family would now unhesitatingly take a life.
No, maybe in their eyes, all the wizards are just monsters disguised as humans, right?
551Please respect copyright.PENANAMEV4YOaP6X
Tom was surprised by the flood of thoughts that raced through his mind. Time seemed to slow down.
No, time had indeed slowed down.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAlp6VaXx8Vi
The ring in his hand activated, sensing the life-or-death situation of its holder.
A burst of green light emanated, repelling the bullet and unleashing a retaliatory magical attack.
The blinding light forced Tom to close his eyes.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAxnm3xV11qm
When he opened them again, he saw three lifeless pairs of eyes on the ground.
Tom's mind went blank, and he quickly used magic to close all the curtains.
He is doomed.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAnTwu7eTQEv
Tom thought to himself, "The Ministry of Magic will come soon, I need to escape!"
"No, you didn't use your own wand, so the Ministry of Magic isn't tracking you," he countered rationally.
"Morfin Gaunt knows I came," he felt terrified as if the whole world had witnessed his actions.
"Then let him take the blame, it's his ring, isn't it?" he cruelly planned, calculating the possibilities.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA6XJEf7Ijw5
"He's a violent drunkard, he doesn't even remember if he did it or not. Who knows, he just found out his lowly sister, who ran away, gave birth to a Muggle's child, bringing shame to his family," the evil thoughts whispered in his ear.
"No, Grindelwald knows I came, maybe even Dumbledore knows," he countered again.
"So what? Do you think they will report you?" the devil asked.
Tom's mind gave a negative answer.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAhycPP7533s
"If Dumbledore were here, he would tell me to do the same," this belief supported him, even though he had no evidence.
He was a murderer, long before he came here.
Myrtle's death, was all because he didn't carefully inspect the exits, checking every restroom stall. Tom suppressed the urge to vomit.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAjmVtvyjiNx
He didn't mean to, it's just that the things around him had too much power. And that's why wizards had to hide, right?
They could kill Muggles with a casually thrown broom, a moment of anger could inflate them into balloons.
Talking of coexistence? They were so cautious that they might as well not exist!
551Please respect copyright.PENANA7JGLroMzJp
The taxes are all paid to hide themselves in the wizarding world, no wonder we are so backward and poor, right?
Grindelwald's ideas had eroded him at his most vulnerable.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAqeScOBx4Fa
"I deserve to live," this thought justified all of his actions.
"I deserve to live openly, proudly, like any child loved by their parents." Tom embraced himself in his heart.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAhq6NenDt1O
"This is the life they owed me, this was supposed to be my house. They just compensated me earlier," Tom's inner panic twisted things even darker.
"They should be the ones in hell, right? It seems that Father already knew about Mother being pregnant with me. Why didn't he go looking for me? Instead, he acted like I never existed?" he silently questioned his father's lifeless body.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAsMLKGxUZGh
His anger grew as he looked at his grandparents' bodies, continuing to question in his heart: "You knew it too, didn't you? Otherwise, why would you shoot me? What were you planning to do with my body then?"
He harboured more and more resentment and even wanted to kick their dead bodies.
As to his uncle, who started insulting him as soon as he walked in the door, and tried to stab him after just a few words. He is a man filled with discrimination and blame towards him as if his very existence was wrongdoing.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAW2gYsVLmOo
"So why do they deserve to live while my mother was driven to death by them?"
551Please respect copyright.PENANAplID04Mrcb
Tom believed that they had colluded together, intentionally pretending to be innocent, one link after another, neglecting and depriving his mother of her rights. Till His mother had no other choice but to give birth to him in agony, all alone, with no hope nor will to survive.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAuE2Pp77tOq
"This is their retribution, and I am just bringing the retribution to them. It's all destiny," Tom calmed down and carefully checked if he left any traces.
551Please respect copyright.PENANAgMFgRFU8T4
"I have the right to choose the life I want," the evil in his heart ultimately triumphed.
551Please respect copyright.PENANA4WZLnKEo3J