Black Plague

Chapter 31

The campaign for Voldemort went great. The news was filled with my bank records and all the horrors I had lived. Rita had even recorder Draco and my conversation verbatim and reported that as well. Making sure to embellish how heart broken I was to be betrayed by Dumbledore. She was always a sensationalist. Really she was the perfect reporter for this.
People were in an uproar. Some calling for him to be charged with Line theft. Others, mostly die-hard Light supporters giving him every excuse they could think of. I found the whole thing highly amusing.
People began coming to ask questions about the dark faction in droves. Not everyone joined. But a lot of them did. Voldemort came and did most of the speaking.  Wanting them to see first hand he was better than ever.
People were amazed with what he had to say. Many of them loving his message. His charisma drawing more and more people. Voldemort had meetings set up every Sunday to meet people who were curious. He would have a speech every week about a different topic of interest. Sometimes about tradition, other times muggleborns. Always something he found important. Every week people would give him lustful gazes and pine after him. I would be ready if he had his first affair. I was studying deadly spells like a crazy person.
This was the last weekend before school started and I needed to learn as much as I could so I was prepared to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I would not fail Voldemort. I would prove myself worthy of him. Worthy of being his equal.
I was sitting with my invisibility cloak watching his speech and today I was shocked by what he decided to talk about.
"My mother fell in love with a muggle. They got married and once she became pregnant he rejected her and the baby within her belly. Me. She was heartbroken. She gave birth to me in front of an orphanage and died on the steps, leaving me only with a name. Tom Riddle. Named after the man she loved. I was raised much like Harry Potter. With nothing to my name. Hated by everyone around me. Villanized for being different. My whole life was a living nightmare. Then a man came to my room and told me about a wonderful, magical world. And how I was special. That person was Albus Dumbledore. But you see, he quickly hated me. Everyone was wowed by my magical hunger, impressed by my striving to be the best Wizard I could be. But Albus was threatened. He didn't want the competition. When I asked to stay in the wizard world during the summers. Begged. Much like Harry Potter, my pleas were ignored and I was turned away. Year, after year, after year.
I did become great. I became the best. Rivaling Albus, so Albus Dumbledore encouraged me turn to spells that would make me immortal, yet insane. Pushing me to destroy myself. And I did. I followed his instructions. Thinking it would make me stronger. Only to find out too late it actually made me mad. He destroyed my dreams one too many times, stripping my hope from me, and I lost all sense of reality. I used the people I ruled, as the new budding Dark Lord I was, as a weapon against both light wizards, muggles, and everyone in between. You know the rest. You've read and seen the carnage I left in my wake. The turmoil I brought to our wizard community. I lost sight of all the goals and dreams I had for our people and raged mindlessly against our people. And for that I am sorry. I lost myself and it took one Harry Potter to bring me back. You see, when he vanquished me, as the prophecy foretold, my soul left my body and was able to reconnect with the piece that was severed all those years ago. The piece Dumbledore pushed me to remove. My humanity was restored to me. And when I was brought back I was brought back more whole. Able to see the destruction I left. Now I come back ready to start again. But this time I will make sure I don't destroy myself and you in the process. For I have been given a second chance. A chance to heal the world, and fix the problems I saw so long ago, before my humanity was stripped from me."
he moved to sit down on a chair and I sat at his feet resting my head in his knee. "That was a great speech" I spoke through our connection. He smiled. "Thank you"
He answered a million questions and I just rested against his body. Nobody could see me. I made sure to keep myself covered. I didn't need Dumbles to know I had sided against him completely. I would already have enough struggles now that I had shared his betrayal with the world. But it helped that I could play off that it was unintentional. I didn't tell the papers. I didn't tell anyone but my friend. Others just happened to over hear. And see the proof. That could have just been a careless mistake. I hadn't openly rejected his cause. I hadn't openly rejected the light. I just "accidentally" told the world how much he hurt me.
He couldn't attack me for that. Well not without looking like a complete villain. For I was the victim of his neglect and theft.

I was thrilled to enter the tournament just so he would no longer have access to my bank account. I would visit the bank immediately to make sure the locks got changed. Now I needed to look more at age lines and other things that might prevent my entering.
I knew once I entered I would probably win easily. It was a matter of getting in. That could possibly be the hardest part.

I went home after the community meeting. I needed to finish packing and get ready for school. And do as much reading and preparing as possible this week. I was running out of summer.
The night before I left for school I finished packing everything but the clothes I would wear. I lay in bed my feet resting up against the wall. I knew I could demand a real bedroom, but I had grown to like my little room. I had always been my safe place. So I kept it. I am sure people would find me mad for loving my little room, but it was mine, all mine.
I stared at the ceiling for a while before drifting off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up early and jumped in the shower. I added the coverup over my scar and dressed in all black. I only bought black clothes this year. I had a few gray shirts I could wear from last year if I wanted. They were pretty tight on me, but they didn't look bad. It looked intentionally tight. And I was fit enough it looked fine. I was a little over five foot. And had subtle chest muscle. Over all I was very lean. But my body wasn't scrawny. With all the dodging and weaving I did, from dueling all weekend long, my body had a nice shape to it. Small, but with tout muscles and a nicely curved ass. My hair now reached my waist. But I had ultimately decided to leave it for now. I had asked Draco and Voldemort if they thought I should cut it, and they both said they liked it long, so I left it. Someday I would probably get sick of it and chop it all off. But it was fine for now.
I wore a tight black v-neck shirt, I decided to wear black ripped skinny jeans, it was what I felt in the mood for last night, as I was already going to have a ton of attention on me, and they looked good on me. I slipped on a dragon hide belt and boots and threw on my black dragon hide cloak. Last I grabbed a necklace with a large raw amethyst and put it on. A silent tribute to Voldemort in some ways. Since his new wand had an amethyst. But also I could feel the power roll off it. I had actually found it in a new age store hear in town. And when I felt how much power it held I had to have it. I combed my wet hair and added some product to make it wave nicely then apparated to the train station.
People were just starting to trickle into the station so nobody noticed me illegally apparating. They were more concerned with saying their goodbyes to loved ones. I casually strolled to the train entrance and waited for the doors to open.

Once on the train I pulled a book out about casting illusions. This book was very interesting. And I loved the possibilities that came with it.
Draco sat with me as usual. A few friends followed him and they all talked. I mostly ignored him. I looked up when I felt someone playing with my hair. I found Goyle pulling on a ringlet and letting it go. Only to do it again. I raised an eyebrow as I watched him. Everyone started to notice, Pansy finally spoke up. "Greg. Quit playing with his hair. Have you forgotten who he is? He's going to be your Lord by the end of the year!"  I smirked when he jolted away from me. "Sorry my Lord." I wanted to laugh but held it in. Jesus. "It's fine. But if you could stop, that'd be great."
"Yes, my Lord."
Clearly they had all heard about me being asked to enter the tournament and they all had no doubt I would both entered and win. Which was nice. It meant my soon to be people, believed in me. But why wouldn't they. If their Lord believed in me, they should too.
I turned to Draco. "You still think I shouldn't cut it?" I chuckled. He shrugged. "I like it long." Then after pausing a moment. "And clearly Greg does too" I burst out laughing and nodded. "Fair enough."
 
I watched everyone as they found out about the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There was so much excitement in the air. I noticed most of the Slytherin table just politely clapped, none of them looking like they would even bother entering. It seemed nearly every one of them knew I would be entering. And they had all heard about what my new position would be. Because I saw a number of them glancing at me. They weren't talking about it. And they were discrete, but if you really watched for it, you would know something was up. Luckily for me, and unluckily for the house. Nobody ever seemed to pay them any attention or take a single one of them seriously. Well, besides Snape. He loved his house. But people just saw them as evil and rejected them outright. So nobody noticed their slightly odd behavior.

Soon everyone was learning that a group of kids would be coming to our school from Drumstrang and Beauxbaton. After all the excitement we began to eat.