Tʜᴇ Dᴀʀᴋ Lᴏʀᴅ's Aɴɢᴇʟ | Tom Riddle √

69: Secrets Shared

Slughorn, still trying to wrap his head around the complexities of the situation, rubbed his temple while Cassiopeia explained everything to him after dinner. She had decided to stay back and provide a more detailed account of her unusual circumstances, which had clearly left Slughorn bewildered.

"It's a really complicated thing, my dear," Slughorn said, his brows knitting as Cassiopeia laid out the facts in greater detail. "Same here, when I was only fourteen, I got to know the reason behind my dreams. It partially made me sick, sir," Cassiopeia explained, her head shaking as she recalled those days. "But in the end, I got used to it, and it stopped at the end of the fourth year."

Slughorn, genuinely intrigued, inquired, "Really? What was the last dream you saw?"

"Death," Cassiopeia replied simply, letting out a sigh. She asked another question as she pointed to a group photo of old students on the wall, recognizing her father among them. "Was my father one of your favorite students too?"

Slughorn studied the photo, standing beside Cassiopeia. "Regulus Black," he said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Such a great student who made his parents proud."

"How does it feel, my dear? Knowing the person you liked years ago killed your parents?" Slughorn asked, the question heavy with the weight of the past.

Cassiopeia sighed and placed the photo back on the table, turning to face the professor. "It's complicated, sir. Honestly, sir, I do trust you. That's why I'm going to tell you this."

Taking a deep breath, Cassiopeia decided it was time to reveal a significant secret. "You can always trust me, my dear," Slughorn encouraged, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I know the things going on around you are hard. I talked with Dumbledore, and he informed me why you were almost a month late arriving at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, sir," Cassiopeia confirmed, remembering the day she and Tom stayed after the Slug Club meeting, when Tom had asked about Horcruxes. "I know it better than anyone, since you never revealed about Tom's discovery of Horcrux."

Slughorn fell into a contemplative silence, looking slightly ashamed for not having revealed what he knew. Cassiopeia understood his reluctance; he couldn't have foreseen the dire consequences of sharing that knowledge with Tom.

"Voldemort is not there anymore, sir," Cassiopeia revealed, breaking the silence. "No one knows this, not even Dumbledore."

Slughorn's eyes widened, and his hand dropped from her shoulder as he pinched the skin between his eyebrows, trying to comprehend what he was hearing.

"He lives with me now. He's Tom Riddle, the student you taught years ago," Cassiopeia continued. "I want to know one thing, sir. If the Ministry finds out about this, will they send Tom to Azkaban?"

Slughorn, still reeling from the shocking revelation, placed both hands in his pockets and let out a deep breath. "My dear, it's only been a day, and you've already made a mess of my entire mind. How did you do that? He isn't someone who can be persuaded, and he's not someone who likes to regret what he did."

Cassiopeia continued her discussion with Slughorn, attempting to clarify the bewildering situation involving Tom. She recounted how Tom had changed and even altered his appearance to look like the boy who had created his first Horcrux. Slughorn, still grappling with the implications, questioned her about the physical transformation.

"Appearance?" he asked, puzzled.

"He looks like the boy who made his first Horcrux," Cassiopeia explained. "Theoretically, he's around seventy, but physically, he appears to be a sixteen-year-old boy. Please, sir, just tell me. Will he be sent to Azkaban?"

Slughorn sighed, knowing the grim reality of the situation. "It is almost certain, given the deeds he committed in recent years. He's a mass murderer."

Cassiopeia shook her head in disbelief, her eyes welling up with tears at the thought of losing him again. It was a hard truth to accept, considering they had just begun to live a life together.

"But he has changed, sir. He's not Voldemort, just Tom Riddle," Cassiopeia pleaded, her voice strained.

Slughorn offered her an apologetic look. "But that's the reality. If you want to keep him safe, you must not reveal this to anyone, especially Dumbledore. Your secret is safe with me, always."

Cassiopeia nodded, her emotions overwhelming her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Slughorn patted her gently on the shoulder. "Rest, my dear. We'll talk about this later, alright?"

"Alright, sir," Cassiopeia managed a forced smile, though a painful lump remained in her throat. "Thank you very much, sir."

Next day, as Cassiopeia and Draco found themselves in the Great Hall during a free period, Draco received a piece of mail, presumably related to his mission. Cassiopeia, absorbed in her studies, noted that the mission no longer held the same allure for him.

Then, an unexpected visitor arrived—a snowy owl with a message for Cassiopeia. She was surprised, as she had never received mail from anyone except her Aunt Narcissa. The handwriting on the letter made her heart race with excitement.

Cassie,

Hope you are doing well at Hogwarts.

This is the owl I told you to talk about later. Anyways, I hope you like Zeus, and now you can write to me anytime you want.

However, I really miss you here, and for your information, I didn't fight with Kreacher.

Hope to see you soon and write to me and update me with the news.

Yours,
Tom

Cassiopeia couldn't help but chuckle at Tom's message. Draco, who had been reading over her shoulder, commented with a teasing tone, "I thought it was a romantic one."

Cassiopeia shot him a playful frown. "You stalker! It's private."

Draco shrugged, "Did we have secrets like that before?"

Cassiopeia shook her head, slightly annoyed. "You really mad, aren't you? There are private things I haven't revealed to you."

She rolled her eyes at Draco and turned her attention back to the snowy owl in front of her, named Zeus. The owl was undeniably adorable, and Cassiopeia couldn't resist petting him.

"Hey Zeus," she said as the owl perched on her shoulder, "he's so lovely."

Cassiopeia decided to leave her books behind and head to the Owlery, taking Zeus with her. She waved goodbye to Draco, who was engrossed in his own mail, before leaving the Great Hall.

A/N

It's pleasure to hear that you guys are enjoying the story and hope the interest will be remained same 'till the end!!!!

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