[HP] Dearest Enemy

Lestrange, Selwyn, Rookwood, Travers...even Abraxas also came, all of them were his familiar classmates, subordinates, and few friends.

Tom slightly curled the corners of his mouth, and glanced at an inconspicuous figure in the corner.

Erin Prince.

Tom was a little surprised by her presence, but Irene just curtsied to him nervously.

Tom smiled back at her, glanced at Alphard, and shook hands with Abraxas who came forward.

It was just a simple afternoon tea party, and Tom easily caught Alphard who was hiding on purpose.

"Why is she here?" asked Tom in a low voice.

"She made this request to me after she knew you were leaving." Alfred was a little embarrassed, "You know, Irene knows about you and Harry, and Dumbledore is also thanks to her, so I can't refuse her request."

Tom sighed lightly, turned around and walked towards the corner: "Irene?"

"Professor Riddle." Irene immediately stood up a little nervously, "I'm sorry, it's not Mr. Black's fault, it's me who wants to come. I want to see you again."

"You can call me Tom. Shall we go out and talk?" Tom said.Irene nodded, and the two walked together to the small garden outside the room.

"Will you answer my question?" Irene looked up at him rarely.

Tom nodded: "Ask."

"Professor Dumbledore told me that Professor Potter was missing before Christmas last year." Irene said, "You took him away?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"The night I talked to you," Tom replied.

Erin lowered her head, without any surprise on her face.After the two walked a few steps, Irene raised her head again: "Is Professor Potter okay now?"

"He's dead," said Tom calmly. "He didn't make it this far."

Erin opened her mouth and lowered her eyes: "I'm sorry."

"Thank you for helping him so much," Tom whispered. "And thank you for speaking the truth to Dumbledore. Goodbye, Miss Prince."

Tom owed her a debt and left, not intending to continue the conversation.Alfart was still talking to Abraxas, but Tom didn't want to stay any longer.

"Are you leaving now?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Tom replied tersely, saying goodbye to everyone, before coming up to Arafat at last, "goodbye, my friend."

"I'll take you back," Arafat said, "and then take you to the pier."

"Al..."

"Just this once," said Arafate forcefully. "Don't argue, Tom."

Tom looked at him for a few seconds without retorting.

"Do let me know when you'll be back," said Arafat. "I'll pick you up, Tom."

"……it is good."

"Remember to write to me."

"it is good."

"……goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Alphat wanted to say something, but he just gave Tom a smile and watched him go further and further away.

On November 1960, 11, the Black couple at NO.1 Grimmauld Place held a small birthday party for their one-year-old son Sirius Black.Alfat, who became an uncle, searched around among the guests, frowned slightly, retreated from the living room, and walked upstairs.Sure enough, the door of the study on the third floor opened a crack, and Alphat knocked on the door a few times.

"Al? What's the matter?" The dark-eyed young man who was sitting on a chair and reading a book raised his head.

"It sounds as if you own the house yourself," Arfart said as he walked into the room.

The black-eyed young man bent his lips and lowered his head again.

"Do you know how many people came here today to see you," Arafat said. "Why are you hiding here?"

"Today is Sirius' birthday, not mine." The black-eyed young man replied without raising his head.

"Tom—"

"Voldemort." The young man corrected calmly.

"Okay, Voldemort." Alphard waved his hand a little irritably, "You can't just stay here like this."

"I have the master's permission."

"Are you really just here to read?" Alphat asked a little angrily.

Tom raised his head slowly, leaned on the back of the chair leisurely and looked at his friend's face: "What if I say yes?"

"Then all I can say is I'm sorry." Alphard stared at him nonchalantly. "This is as annoying as your weird new name."

"You don't like it?"

"What's the point?"

"It doesn't mean anything, it's just a name." Tom closed the book and stood up. "Thanks for the reminder, Al."

Alphard opened the door and looked at him.When Tom returned to England three years ago, he abandoned his name Tom Riddle and called himself Voldemort.Tom locked up the old house in London, sold Harry's house in Godric's Hollow and moved to a new one. Using his contacts in his student days and the wealth he had accumulated in ten years, he quickly entered the wizarding aristocracy. their social circle.Apart from his name, Tom's appearance hasn't changed much. He still has the same neat short black hair, but he has become more mature and personable.In addition, he obviously supported the views of the pure-blood faction among the nobles, and quickly won the favor of many people. In just three years, he has become a very difficult guest for many pure wizards, and many high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic also He has a very close personal relationship with him.

Alfart didn't understand why Tom was so keen on the theory of blood, but this undoubtedly made his reputation rise very quickly.Before that, although Tom didn't like Muggles very much, he never made any remarks that slandered or despised Muggles, and he was even kind to his Muggle-born classmates in school.Arafat is not a pure-blood, but he knows that his sister and brother-in-law are pure-blood supporters through and through.Half of the guests attending the birthday party today came to see Tom. Although he was the one who released the news, Alphard was still a little uncomfortable.He knew where the source of this feeling lay.

Ten years separated him from Tom.Although Tom wrote to him often and sent him trinkets as souvenirs, Arafat could still feel the estrangement in the increasingly formalized letters.Although Tom still called himself a good friend, Alpha knew that Tom would no longer joke with himself unscrupulously like before, and he had changed a lot.

My insistence on him seems redundant, because he doesn't care at all.

Alfart still remembered that when Tom first came back, he accompanied him to visit Harry at Hogwarts, and Tom stood silently staring at Harry's tombstone for an entire hour.Tom didn't cry that day, and he didn't say a word except "Harry, I'm back." when he saw the tombstone.

He is still polite to everyone, but he no longer hides his edge; he still has a smile on his face, but his smile has no warmth; Every lady, but will not return their fiery eyes, unless he needs to use them.Tom has shrewdly used every opportunity and person of value to fulfill his ambition to be at the top.

Very Slytherin, but Alphard wondered if he should be thankful that Tom hadn't forgotten his ambition.He knew that Mulciber had started calling Tom "Master" in private, and that Tom's recent remarks had been more and more dissatisfied with Muggles, and it was only a matter of time before he recruited followers.

The Black family has a very long history, coupled with the prestige and wealth among the pure-blood nobles, it will naturally become the focus of Tom's win over.Everyone thinks that they have a very good personal relationship with Tom, but there are many things Tom does that Alfred can only hear from other people's chats and gossips.Alfart knew he would follow Tom without hesitation once he started openly recruiting followers, but that wasn't his original intention.Although Tom acquiesced in calling himself by his Christian name, such times were becoming less and less common.

Alphat absently teased his nephew, who was excited by the crowd, and kept his eyes on Tom.

"I want to play with a child and give birth to one myself." Walburga unceremoniously took Sirius out of Arafat's arms, "Don't bully your nephew."

"I didn't bully him." Alphat curled his lips at his sister a little aggrieved, and turned to his nephew who was still holding one of his fingers with his small hand, "Is it, Sirius?"

"Yeah! Yah!" Sirius happily grabbed his hand and waved his short and small arms.

"What a lively kid." A voice sounded from behind, and Alfat turned his head quickly, only to find that Tom had walked over at some point.Walburga's eyes lit up suddenly.

"Yes." Walburga said with a smile, "and this kid is really naughty enough."

Sirius was still holding Alphard's fingers, but he had already stopped his movements, and his round eyes were staring straight at Tom.Tom smiled at Walburga, and held out his hand to Sirius.

"Happy birthday, little Mr. Black," said Tom gently.

Sirius let go of Alfart's hand, slapped Tom's hand, and turned his face away to lie on his mother's body in a shameful manner.Tom's face turned cold all of a sudden, and the faces of those who were watching this scene changed, but Tom's smile quickly returned to his face, and it was a little deeper than before.

Walburga looked at him with some trepidation, and couldn't help hugging the child even tighter.

"It seems your nephew doesn't like me." Tom withdrew his hand, said to Arfart with some regret, and then turned to Walburga, "I hope he will like my birthday present."

Tom owed them both and left.Alphard looked worriedly at Sirius, who had already started playing with the mother's veil, and chased after Tom.

"Mr. Voldemort." Alpha called to him, "Don't be angry, Sirius is still a child—"

"I won't be angry because of such a trivial matter." Tom said lightly, and then leaned into Alfred's ear, "His eyes are exactly the same as yours, you know?"

Arafat was stunned for a moment, then looked at his smiling friend.Tom smiled, took two glasses of brightly colored wine from the tray held by the elf, and stuffed one of them into Alfart's hand.

"Good health to your nephew. He'll be a good boy," said Tom, smiling, and downed his glass.Alphard stared at him blankly, not quite sure what Tom was thinking.

This meeting is just the beginning.

This year's snow fell earlier than in previous years. When Tom came to the gate of Hogwarts in the dark, a thin layer of snow had already accumulated on the ground.Tom walked around the wall and entered the Forbidden Forest with ease. The dark lake was extremely quiet. Small snowflakes fell on it and melted as soon as they were touched. The calm lake looked like the mouth of a monster that could swallow everything.

"Good evening, Harry." Tom stopped in front of the tombstone, "I think Alfred should have told you about Sirius Black's birthday party?"

Tombstone listened to him quietly.

"I went to see him. Sirius is a very lively little guy, but he doesn't like me." Tom smiled bitterly. "I don't know if you will hate me when you are born in 20 years."

Tom paused, his eyes resting on Harry's name.

"Twenty years is going to be tough, Harry. But I'll wait."

Tom stood for a moment, shaking the snow off his cloak, and after walking a few steps, Apparated.After he left, Dumbledore with a gray beard came out of the woods, watched his back, and finally his eyes fell on Harry's tombstone.

"Tom is here to see you again," said Dumbledore. "You won't be happy to know what he's doing. He's chosen a path you don't want to see, although this is just the beginning." Dumbledore sighed Tone, "We couldn't stop him, Harry, I'm sorry."

Dumbledore wiped his eyes and left.

The tombstone stared silently at the castle and the lake, watching the whole world covered with ever-larger snowflakes, a piece of silvery white.