I didn’t want to do it.
Okay, that’s a lie.
I did want to do it—I just didn’t like how I had to do it.
Leaving the diary behind felt like abandoning a piece of myself. But Tom had been clear. “Someone else needs to find it, Vipera. It’s important.”
And when Tom Riddle said something was important, you listened.
So, I did what he asked.
The first-year Potions classroom was in the perfect spot—tucked away in the dungeons, where students were too busy panicking over Snape’s wrath to think straight. First-years were jittery, nervous, and most importantly—curious.
I waited until the hall was empty after class, when the younger kids had rushed off in a desperate attempt to escape Snape’s presence. Then, I took out the diary, gave it one last look, and carefully set it down on the cold stone floor.
The leather felt warm beneath my fingertips.
I hesitated.
“I don’t like this,” I muttered under my breath.
Tom’s reply appeared almost instantly, the ink dark and smooth on the page.
“Do you trust me?”
I swallowed hard.
I did. More than anyone else.
More than my parents. More than my siblings. More than my housemates.
I closed my eyes, exhaled, and pulled my hand away.
Then, before I could change my mind, I turned on my heel and walked away, forcing myself not to look back.
TO BE CONTINUED•••
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.