HP Cronos

Tom Riddle went into the speakeasy.The skull-like boss narrowed his eyes.

This young man has more courage and talent than many predecessors with the same ambition as him.He reminded him of another young man who used to patronize here, Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard who was equally talented and full of ideals.He went on to almost rule the European wizarding world, but ultimately fell short.

Born in the same era as the man named Albus Dumbledore, it can only be said that Grindelwald was born at the wrong time.

Can the young man in front of him surpass Grindelwald back then?

A group of people had already gathered in the corner, and they consciously left the most central position to Riddle.

Presently a tall wizard walked into the bar and came straight up to them.The arms under his black robe are strong and powerful, and they are thicker than ordinary people's calves.

"This is Bastion Russell, the eldest son of the Russell family." A person stood up and introduced, and he bowed slightly to Riddle, "This is—Lord Vololdmort."

Riddle lazily pointed to a seat.

Bastion Russell sat down across from Riddle unceremoniously, picked up the wine glass on the table and drank it down.

"Voldemort? Sounds like some useless alchemist from the countryside," said Roselle, his fierce eyes flicking across Riddle's face. "Well, tell me what you're capable of, boy. "

There was neither anger nor a smile on Riddle's face.He just watched indifferently, like watching a child make trouble for no reason.

His silence made Roselle sneer: "I thought you would be more capable than I thought. I don't care where you come from, boy, this is France, you have to follow my rules." Roselle Er heavily placed the wine glass on the table, the table shook for a while, and the spirits were scattered all over the table, "Even if Grindelwald is here."

"Then I'll get straight to the point," Riddle said. "I want your family's basement."

"Our family's basement?" Roselle's bulldog-like eyes widened, he laughed loudly: "You? This is really the funniest joke I've ever heard today! Vincent, you introduced it to me Man turned out to be a poor, arrogant and ignorant wretch."

The man named Vincent looked nervously at Riddle's face.

"There is nothing of value here anymore." Roselle said, he waved his wand arrogantly, got up and left.

"The Russell family attached to him during Grindelwald's heyday, especially Bastian Russell, who was completely a running dog of Grindelwald. After Grindelwald's downfall, their family relied on their previous relationship, Fei Do everything you can to avoid punishment." Someone spat, "It's just useless scumbags."

"Is this the person you're looking for? Vincent?" Riddle asked.

"He is indeed a self-willed fool, but his younger brother Lance Russell is quite sensible." Vincent said quickly, "I know Lance, he is more ambitious than Bastion, and he always wants to replace His elder brother inherits the family property, as long as you use your spell a little, he will definitely obey you."

Riddle played with his glass thoughtfully.

"Very good." He raised a hand, "Bring Lance Russell and make up for your mistakes."

"Yes, Mylord." Vincent bowed slightly.

Riddle raised his glass and faced everyone: "To Roselle." He raised his head and drank the blood-like liquid in the glass.

Everyone raised their glasses and said in unison: "To Roselle."

Among these people, some are sincerely surrendering to him, some are swaying grass on the wall, and some are still waiting to see if he is worthy of allegiance.Bastion Russell will be one of the sacrifices for the Dark Duke's cause.His body would be Voldemort's calling card to the French wizarding world.

The next day, Nora, a temporary worker in the perfume shop, continued to work diligently.But the news that she had made a rich boyfriend spread like wildfire.Nora was tired of coping with inquiring, but fortunately, the mustache boss hated such things as fishing in troubled waters during work, and drove away the chattering female shop assistants for her.

Nora was scrubbing the signboard at the door, and found a familiar figure.

"Hi! Elaine!" she called, waving at the hurrying woman.

Elaine Hussey saw her too: "Oh, good morning, Nora. Didn't expect to see you here."

Her face was pale and her expression was unnatural.

"Are you okay? Elaine. Is there something wrong?" Nora asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Elaine said.

She doesn't look right.

"Have you seen Tom Riddle?" Nora asked.

Elaine's expression froze: "Yes...I saw him. He visited my home—" She closed her mouth suddenly, as if being choked by life: "Uh...I I mean, I should go, bye."

After saying this, she left in a hurry.

Nora thought about it.

"I never knew you knew anyone from the Hussey family." The boss walked over slowly and said thoughtfully.

"The Hussey family?"

"A very prestigious wizarding family. I heard that they moved from England." The boss said, "The lineage is very old, and they seem to be descendants of Hufflepuff."

Descendants of Hufflepuff.

Nora felt that she had caught something vaguely, but she couldn't find a clear clue. She looked up again, and Elaine had already disappeared into the crowd.

The group gathered again at the Blood Pool Bar.

It's just that this time there was no Bastion Russell among them, but a man with a slender face.

"Thank you very much, Your Excellency the Dark Lord." The man whose appearance and personality were completely different from his reckless and irritable brother said in French. He bent down and kissed Riddle's robe corner, "I, Lance Russell, And my family, will always be loyal to you. Please give me this honor."

"I'm glad you made the right choice. For this, you will be rewarded." Riddle said, "Extend your right hand, Russell."

Roselle hastily rolled up his sleeves and put his arms in front of Riddle.

Someone in the crowd looked jealous.

Riddle's wand touched Roselle's arm, and the black mist wrapped around the tip of the wand slowly soaked into Roselle's arm and traveled under his skin, bringing scorching and icy stinging pains, and finally became A complete Death Eater mark.

A mark that can never be washed off.

Tom Riddle came in that night through the window.

If Nora was a princess or a noble lady of a certain country, the scene would probably be like the masked knight in legends falling in front of the crying princess on the balcony, leaning over and kissing the back of her hand.Corny but still romantic.

Unfortunately, Nora is just a temporary worker in a perfume shop. Her window is small and narrow. Unless the knight is as thin as a house elf, he can only be stuck in the middle of the window.But fortunately, the knight tonight is also a powerful wizard, and with a wave of his wand, the window doubles in size.

Nora was awakened, her eyes were sleepy, she stared blankly at Riddle, unable to think of what to say for a moment.

It was Nora who had opened the window.Climbing is one of her few specialties, and the spooky ivy-covered building at the orphanage gave her a good chance to practice.So she climbed to Riddle's window every day and threw stones at him to harass him.Riddle was annoyed.

"If you quarrel again, I'll let Nagini bite you," he threatened.The petite Nagini is lying on the window sill basking in the sun. He likes to eat bacon. There is nothing sensational in the recipe, and it looks harmless to humans and animals.

"Nagini wouldn't do that." Nora said, "If he bites me, I won't bring him food again." She made a funny face at him: "Why do you keep reading? Why don't you come out for a walk—it's so sunny today."

Yes, it's sunny.The perennially gloomy and oppressive orphanage seemed a little warmer than before.Clothes hanging in the yard and old sheets blowing in the wind.The children were laughing and playing hide and seek.From time to time, the aunt who took care of the bed scolded: "Don't touch the freshly washed sheets with your dirty hands! You little bastard!"

Tom never "plays" with them.He would rather stay in the room by himself and read the book that Nora secretly dug out from home and brought him.

Nora actually wanted to play with the children below, but she was not very social since she was a child, because there were always strange things around her, and she liked to toss some weird things.They nicknamed her "Hairy," and made up songs to mock her.Rumors swore that her mother was a witch who ate children's guts.

So she can only harass Riddle, and although he rarely smiles, he doesn't laugh at her, and he knows more than any kid, and can even talk to snakes—snakes, what a cool creature.My mother said that snakes can live without food for three months, and they are very tenacious and tenacious species.

In the end, Riddle would usually let her in on the condition that she shut up.Nora sat by the window dangling her legs, boredly watching the children running around below.

"I said, Tom, don't you feel tired of reading every day? Let's go for a walk in the street."

"Quiet," Riddle said impatiently.His tone suggested that one more word from Nora would push her off the ledge—he could do that.

So Nora had no choice but to continue shaking her legs, humming a tune that ran out of tune, and lingering until the sunset glowed the whole sky before going home.So much so that the song she learned from the movie is still circling in her mind.

That was a long time ago.

A decade or more later, Nora watched the uninvited visitor.Standing at the window, he looked like a vampire riding the wind in a movie. Of course, he was more handsome than the pale-faced vampire.

There was no kitchen, so Nora made him a cup of black tea from a tea bag.

Tom took the tea without thanking him.He sat on a chair in the corner, his eyes downcast, his face half illuminated by the moonlight and half hidden in shadow.

The gloomy and fierce orphan coincided with the man in front of him.

This is what Tom Riddle should be.

Just like Tom before going to Hogwarts, withdrawn and gloomy, he ran around London alone every day when he was very young.Mrs. Cole didn't bother with him, and maybe she kind of expected him to be gone forever.

Childhood Tom Riddle was hard to like, only Nora liked to follow him.But even though she was staring at him, she didn't know when he hid the bread in his clothes, or quietly stole the book from the shelf.

It can only be said that he is very talented in doing bad things.

But Nora naively believed he was a good guy.In her eyes, there are no bad people in the world, only "people you like" and "people you hate".

Tom Riddle did say that, too.

He said, just wait, one day, he will take revenge on this place and this group of people.

He said he was going to paint the walls with their brains.

Nora never took it seriously.In her eyes Tom is a friend.He would steal things, threaten other children, and even rob, but he would not kill people, let alone smear other people's brains on the walls.

What would happen to her if he did?

Nora never really thought about it.

No words were spoken, only the steaming black tea blurred Riddle's face.The sound of pedestrians cursing came from outside the non-soundproof windows, and someone was drunk and singing on the street.

Nora thought for a moment. "You look tired." That wasn't the right word for him.From Tom Riddle to Voldemort, he has always been ambitious and never tires.

"Maybe," he said.

"Do you want me to be quiet?"

"No, say something, Nora."

He likes to say her name.Just like he said to her more than once in the past: "You know the consequences, Nora." The word "Nora" lingered on the tip of his tongue, like a threat or a warning.

"You didn't invite me to the Hogwarts sixth-year Christmas party," said Nora. "Although I didn't think it was possible, I was expecting you to invite me. You ended up with a Slytherin girl on your arm." hands into the ballroom."

"I do not remember."

"Of course you don't remember," Nora said. "At that time, you were busy trying to win students over, and you didn't hesitate to use all kinds of despicable means to coerce them into listening to you."

"Are you still angry?"

"No, it's long overdue," Nora said. "What if I could dance with you on your arm? That girl is just a pure blood to use, and she only sees you as a Handsome and popular boy. This dance is boring." She sat on the edge of the bed, kicking the floor with her bare feet.

"What do you want, Tom? Immortality, supreme power, being feared by everyone...even if you want to kill many people." Nora asked softly.She didn't want to bring it up, but the words came out of her mouth so naturally.Maybe it's because of the night, which hides her face, making her less worried about being seen through.

Tom looked at her deeply, then he smiled, pale and sharp in the moonlight.

"What if I say yes?" he asked, laughing. "What would you do, Nora?"