bacchusnovels Chapter 127 Riddle's Past
Chapter 127 Riddle's Past
Chapter 127 Riddle's Past
"As time went on, he began to fear and despise Dumbledore..."
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Sean paused for a moment before continuing.
"So he assembled a gang of all sorts, including 'the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking shared glory, and thugs inclined to a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty,'" the boy claimed they were his friends and displayed this in public.
"But in reality, they were nothing more than servants, and he cared little for them. He frequently manipulated them into committing minor and other crimes, but there was no reliable evidence to trace these incidents back to the group."
Sean's wrist started to ache as he wrote this.
He hadn't written so much at once in a long time; the last time he had written so freely and fluently...
It goes back to the time last year when he wrote "The Days I Lived and Eat with the Wild Man of Shennongjia" during his holiday.
Since he began teaching at Hogwarts, the words he wrote most often were simply his own name.
Most of the tedious paperwork was done by the class representative and his junior classmate, Tonks.
So Sean got up and made himself a cup of honey lemon black tea, then took the cup and walked to the window.
He gently pushed open the window, and a fresh night breeze rushed in, bringing with it the faint fragrance of flowers from afar and the rustling of leaves.
He stood there, gazing at the starry sky outside the window, a sense of indescribable peace and contentment welling up within him.
At this moment, line after line of writing appeared densely on the diary, almost filling the entire notebook.
"Um?"
"And then?"
Where are they?
"Writing?"
"Is this where the story ends? Looks like your storytelling skills aren't that great."
Sean sipped his black tea, savoring the wonderful flavor of the tea aroma mingling with the night breeze.
At that moment, he felt as if he had become one with the world, and all his weariness and worries drifted away with the night breeze.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed his soul to be completely relaxed and purified in this tranquility.
"If you can continue writing the story, I'll tell you a secret."
"A big secret that you'll absolutely find interesting."
After an unknown amount of time, Sean slowly opened his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face.
He turned back to his desk, sat down again, and prepared to continue his writing journey.
At that moment, he felt as if he had gained new strength and inspiration, and he couldn't wait to express these wonderful feelings through words and share them with Riddle in his diary.
As a result, just as I was about to write, I saw the words left by Riddle.
You can't rush things.
This is how Sean described it.
Sean shook his head helplessly, turned to a new blank page, and continued writing.
"During his time at Hogwarts, the boy became fascinated with his bloodline and began to study it with great eagerness."
"He only focuses on his father's identity and still believes that his father is a magical parent because he has always believed that death is a consequence and weakness of Muggles."
"He searched for his father's name in the school's prize room, the Hogwarts prefects' records, and the wizarding history books, but found no indication that his father had ever attended Hogwarts."
"He was eventually forced to accept that his father was a Muggle and his mother a witch. Around this time, the boy gave himself the nickname 'Voldemort' to avoid thinking of his 'dirty Muggle father.'"
As the words hovered above the dark space, Riddle was drawn into his memories.
He remembers falling into a state of frenzy at that time.
During that period, he frantically searched for clues about his origins.
He spent his days wandering between the prize display room and the library, flipping through those heavy files, trying to find a clue about his father.
But all he found was endless disappointment and silence. Not a single page in those files mentioned his father's name, as if his father had never left a trace at Hogwarts.
This despair of not being able to find an answer pierced his heart like a sharp knife.
So he named himself "Voldemort" and vowed in his heart that one day he would engrave this name on the pinnacle of the wizarding world, so that everyone would remember him, fear him, and admire him.
The story continues.
"After the boy learned about his lineage, he soon discovered the existence of the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts during his fifth year and tamed the basilisk inside."
"As Slytherin's heir, the boy opened the Chamber of Secrets left by Slytherin in order to 'purge the school of all those who were unworthy to learn magic'—in his eyes and those of some Slytherins, these people were all Muggles."
"Around June 13, 1943, the Basilisk terrified many people at Hogwarts. The last victim was a student named Moaninger Warren, who was killed after seeing the Basilisk's yellow eyes in the girls' restroom."
"In light of this incident, the Hogwarts Board of Trustees decided to close Hogwarts. That year, the boy specifically requested Headmaster Armando Dippet to allow him to stay at the school during the summer holidays. However, Dippet informed him of the Board's decision and refused his request."
"The boy realized that the secret room had to be locked up and the culprit caught in order to keep the school running (instead of returning to the orphanage forever), so he framed his classmate Rubeus Hagrid and his pet eight-eyed spider Aragog."
"He convinced the then-principal, Dippert, that Aragog was the monster that terrified the school. He also pointed out that Hagrid kept a dangerous pet, but considering the monster he controlled, this was merely superficial hypocrisy. Hagrid was expelled, and ironically, the boy received a trophy engraved with his name for his special contribution to the school."
"Dumbledore did not believe Hagrid was the murderer, so he arranged for him to continue as the gardener at Hogwarts. Dumbledore distrusted boys, and thus thereafter kept him under 'annoying close' surveillance."
"Therefore, the boy realized he couldn't risk opening the Chamber of Secrets during his school years. So he ultimately used the murder to preserve a part of his soul in his school diary, the first of his seven Horcruxes, hoping that one day it would guide someone to complete Salazar Slytherin's 'noble work'."
Upon hearing this, even though Riddle had made the necessary preparations, he was still suddenly jolted. He felt a strange chill rise from the soles of his feet and straight up to his heart.
He felt that every turning point, every choice, and even every secret thought in his eighteen years of life was known perfectly to the mysterious person in front of him.
This feeling both startled and terrified him, as if he had become invisible, with no secrets left. He seemed to want to say something, but Sean, outside the diary, seemed to see Riddle's panic through the notebook.
He dipped his quill in ink and continued writing: "Don't rush, I'm not finished yet."
"Around August 1943, the boy came to Little Hangleton to learn about his mother's family. At Gaunt Cottage, he met his uncle, Morfin Gaunt, but he was very dismissive of his uncle."
"During this meeting, Morfin casually mentioned that he thought the boy 'looked very much like that Muggle,' namely Merop's husband."
"The boy immediately demanded to know the Muggle's identity, and Morfin told the boy the whole story of his Muggle father, which enraged the boy, who wanted revenge."
"So the boy knocked Morphin unconscious, took his wand, went to the Riddle house, and with his uncle's wand, used the Killing Curse to kill his father, grandfather, and grandmother."
"The boy covered up his crime by altering Morfen's memories, making Morfen believe that he was the murderer."
"When the Ministry of Magic investigated the case, Morfin confessed to the crime. He had served three years in Azkaban for using magic in front of Muggles and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban."
"The boy took the Gauntlet family signet ring from the Morfin, and later kept another part of his soul in the ring to create a second Horcrux, which he wore as a trophy at Hogwarts."
Riddle smiled with satisfaction when he heard what he had done.
That's his style.
This is something he would do.
These people all deserve to die!
"In the 1943-1944 school year, when the boy was in sixth grade, he asked Professor Slughorn about the possibility of creating multiple Horcruxes. Professor Slughorn was captivated by the boy's charm and talent."
Years later, Slughorn was deeply ashamed of this. In his teens, the boy had already begun seeking immortality; for there was no record of creating multiple Horcruxes. He wanted to divide his soul into seven, because that was the most powerful magical number.
Did you make a total of seven Horcruxes?
Riddle thought to himself.
Professor Slughorn remembered him as a pleasure-seeking and vain fellow.
Well, his choice of words is still too gentle.
Slughorn is an idiot, that's what he thinks.
Before attempting this unknown feat, he sought the advice of the experienced and knowledgeable Slughorn. Slughorn, believing it was merely an academic curiosity, answered all of Riddle's questions but was deeply terrified by the idea of creating multiple Horcruxes.
"In his seventh year at Hogwarts, the boy was elected president of the student council, achieved excellent results in every exam, and was awarded the Medal of Magical Merit."
"The boy is considered one of the brightest students in the history of Hogwarts, a fact that Dumbledore himself acknowledged."
What Sean didn't write down was that, ever since he and Lockhart appeared, various newspapers and magazines have been praising him as one of the smartest students in Hogwarts' history.
As for who Tom Riddle is?
no one knows.
No one dared to know.
"After graduation, the boy immediately went to Dippet and asked him for a chance to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and to stay at Hogwarts."
"He did not reveal the reason to the headmaster at the time—that Hogwarts was his true home, and that he could use his influential position as a teacher to recruit students into his future army and continue learning the magical secrets of the castle."
"Dippet rejected the offer, deeming the boy too young, but invited Riddle to apply again in a few years if he was still interested in the position, a suggestion that Dumbledore strongly opposed."
"After returning to England, the boy was invited to work for the Ministry of Magic, but he eventually went to Borgin Burke, which disappointed and surprised many people."
"The boy began to persuade the wizards to give up their precious magical heirlooms—something he was very good at."
"While working at Borgin Burke's shop, he acquired his third Horcrux, after which he disappeared."
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"This disappearance lasted for a full ten years."
"So, you want to find my missing main soul through me?" These words suddenly appeared before Sean's eyes.
Although this statement sounds cheesy, it is the only explanation Riddle has come up with so far.
He is no longer fixated on his origins; whether they are true or false, they are irrelevant to him now.
"See, you're in a hurry again."
"Keep listening, don't interrupt me, thank you."
Sean raised his teacup, took a sip, and continued writing.
"The boy disappeared for ten years. He became increasingly obsessed with dark magic, traveled extensively, associated with notorious figures, and due to multiple splits of his soul, his appearance began to become distorted, he lost his handsome looks, and began to openly use the alias 'Voldemort.'"
"During this period, he repeatedly asked Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, to become the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, but was refused each time."
"The boy who reappeared ten years later had become a man feared throughout the wizarding world."
"Over the years he has been gathering followers among wizards and witches, who collectively call themselves Death Eaters."
Some supported his cause of ruling Muggles and Muggle-borns; others coveted power, wealth, and fame; and still others joined the Dark Lord out of fear.
"The year is now 1970."
Sean paused, and as the pen stopped, the ink formed an irregular circle on the paper.
Its center is a deep color, while the edges gradually fade, like ripples in water spreading outwards in concentric circles.
"In 1970, the Man exploited one of the wizarding world's greatest weaknesses: the creatures they rejected, and launched the First Wizarding War. The Man recruited giants and werewolves, the giants having long ago been driven into the mountains by the wizards..."
Werewolves, on the other hand, were persecuted by most wizards.
"The war lasted for eleven years, and during those eleven years, that man remained at the pinnacle of power."
Riddle astutely noticed the time reference "eleven years" in that sentence.
He meant that he ultimately failed?
It's not hard to guess from this result: if the war had been won, then what would be appearing before him now would not be this mysterious person, but his main soul.
"At this time, Trelawney, a descendant of the 'Prophet,' made a prophecy."
"The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord is coming—born at the hands of someone who has defied him three times, born at the end of July. The Dark Lord will mark him as an equal, but he will possess power unknown to the Dark Lord. One of them must die at the hands of the other, because no one can survive while the other lives. The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord will be born at the end of July."
"The man only heard the first part of the prophecy, and feeling threatened, he immediately took action to prevent the prophecy from coming true."
Upon hearing this, Riddle in the diary nodded involuntarily.
In reality, I did the right thing. When faced with potential threats, I should act decisively and eliminate hidden dangers in time, leaving no unfavorable factors for the future.
"On October 31, 1981, the man received a secret message. He went to Godric's Hollow and found 'the baby born in July.' Just as he was about to cast a killing curse on the baby, the curse rebounded and destroyed his body."
"After eleven years of rule and war, that man's story comes to an end."
"You mean, I'm dead?" Riddle's voice trembled with disbelief.
Although he had anticipated this outcome, he was still very shocked when it was confirmed that the truth was true.
His eyes widened, as if trying to etch the above text deep into his mind's eye to make sure it wasn't an absurd joke.
He could accept that he was willing to sacrifice himself for a great cause, for the power and glory he pursued, and that death could even be seen as a glorious end.
But he could never accept that he had died so hastily!
To be killed by the killing curse he himself had unleashed, which rebounded onto an infant, was an insult to him, a trampling of his pride and self-esteem. He could not accept this absurd and humiliating outcome.
This is absolutely ridiculous!
At this moment, Riddle's heart was filled with anger and resentment, but also with a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow.
His life ended in a way that even he himself could not accept.
But... is it really over?
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