Tempus | Tom Riddle

TEN

When Dumbledore strongarmed Tom into this troublesome mission, Tom was seventy-five percent enraged and twenty-five percent relieved. He was enraged not only because Dumbledore had connected the dots of his misdeeds, but also because the man allowed him to parade around unscathed until the moment when Tom would be the most vulnerable.

Underage wizards did not go to Azkaban; that was the law, and Dumbledore was surely aware of it. This is why Hagrid, who had been accused of murder, simply had his wand snapped.

So Dumbledore, just like Tom, lied to everyone around him about The Chamber of Secrets, and he remained quiet about his theories on what really happened to The Riddle family, just so he could wait until Tom was of a proper age to be sent to the wizarding world's maximum security prison.

And this was the man that admonished Slytherins for their self-interest.

The twenty-five percent of Tom that was relieved for this alternate atonement existed because Dumbledore was willingly allowing him to slip away from his crimes into a world where he had done no wrong. Here, Tom could bide his time and come up with a new plan. Dumbledore even wanted him to retrieve an artefact that could rewrite history; what made the professor so sure that Tom wouldn't just use it to remedy the situation he'd gotten himself in?

In the bowels of the Moltenore residence, however, Tom realized that he had yet again been bested by Albus Dumbledore. Mercy must have revealed more about her family's influence than he let on; as Tom sat down across Ambrus's desk, he realized that Dumbledore's urgency - his lack of true explanation and preparation - was all intentional. Perhaps the man didn't know what exactly would happen in 1923, but he made sure to guarantee Tom's downfall in both timelines. At least in this scenario, if Tom were somehow successful, then Dumbledore could walk away with more than the indictment of a criminal; he could walk away with Obliterus.

Tom's mouth grew dry as he sat down across from Ambrus's desk. His rage toward his professor was consumed by fear for his own standing. What if his true lineage - and deception - was discovered? Would that push his family further onto the chopping block? Would he be forced to give up his magic, like that young Melchoir girl had suggested?

"I'll cut straight to the chase, son, as to waste neither of our times. Why have I never heard of you?" Ambrus interrupted the young man's racing thoughts, which were tumultuously knocking against his skull with a jaw-clenching ferocity.

Tom mulled his question over, deciding to stick with the story he told Mercy, for she had surely passed it onto her father.

"While I was raised by Lavra Kiska and Davorin Gaunt under the false pretense that they were my parents, my true father was actually my grandfather, Tasselis Gaunt, who slept with her against her will. My father convinced her to not legitimize my birth so they could keep this a secret."

Ambrus's mouth remained in a hard line, giving Tom no insight as to whether he believed him or not. "And what of your lie about attending Durmstrang?"

"My parents who, as you know, were heavily involved with Grindelwald, wanted me to remain home at all times so they could use me as an alibi."

"An alibi?"

"Yes. If they had a child at home that needed schooling, surely they would not be in Germany for three months helping Grindelwald with some mission, or France for the two months after that, and then America for eight more."

"So you're saying you were homeschooled?"

"Yes."

"By whom, if not your parents?"

"Well when they were there it was my parents, or when I was younger, it was often Grindelwald himself. Eventually they had a house elf assist with my schooling, though I was quite capable of teaching myself with the proper direction."