Death's Daughter || Tom Riddle

Interrogated | 15

The news of a girl's death spread like wildfire. Almost everyone was traumatized, especially Caelum who had not recovered from their encounter yet.

Almost everyone.

Only Nyx and a certain dark-haired Slytherin prefect seemed unbothered by the death that occurred.

Every now and then, she would think back to her encounter with her father. She was inches away from holding him in her arms. And what did he mean when he said 'It's not your time yet, child.'?

Did he not want to be reunited with his only daughter?

Did he not love her?

Was she unwanted by both her parents?

She remembered one of the matrons explaining to her that her mother had left her with them once she was born. But no, they could be lying. They always liked to mess with her.

Mentally and physically.

When she was called to the headmaster's office, she almost looked bored. Professor Dippet interrogated her about everything she witnessed since it was she who laid eyes on the dead girl she now knew to be Myrtle Warren. Caelum had only waited for her from afar but she was pretty sure they had already interviewed him. "She was still warm when I arrived." She started and he nodded his head, urging her to continue. "Her eyes were wide open and her body stiff." Professor Dippet looked deep in thought. She could almost see the gears working in his head. "Your friend, he said you saw a black cat but he couldn't see one." She clenched her jaw. How was she going to explain to him that she was Death's daughter and could see things related to Death?

"I might have been exhausted and was seeing things."

"Oh, you could have. Since you were well past curfew." She looked away from the headmaster to look at the objects around them. It was then, she realized, that they weren't alone. Professor Dumbledore was standing in a corner, listening in to their conversation. It wasn't eavesdropping, though, but she didn't like it.

"Anyways, he said the cat led you two to the girl's lavatory. If you were exhausted and seeing things, I don't think you would have randomly stumbled into the bathroom." She was now gritting her teeth. Sure, the headmaster was the type of person to be oblivious to his surroundings but he was not dumb.

"I felt the need to wash my face to cleanse off my exhaustion when I arrived on the second floor." It was a terrible lie but she hoped he bought it. He seemed to be processing her excuse and she was starting to think he actually bought it until Dumbledore spoke up. "Miss Rivers, if you're not the culprit, there's no need to lie. Your information will help us solve this mystery." His brilliant blue eyes bore into her onyx ones. One of the people she couldn't hold a stare was Dumbledore's.

He had this effect on her which made her dislike him even more.

"Fine. I reached the second floor and saw a cat staring at me. I edged towards it and it walked away. I followed, thinking it was leading me somewhere. Sure enough, I found myself in front of the girl's lavatory. We went inside, Caelum and I, the cat disappeared. Caelum pointed to an arm poking out from a stall so I went to investigate it." She paused, contemplating whether she should say she saw Death or not. "I saw the girl lying on the ground stiff and wide-eyed. Then, I told Caelum to get you." She finished her story and silence hung in the air. "What were you doing past curfew, Miss Rivers?" Asked Professor Dippet. "It's none of your business." She answered back savagely, earning a pointed look from her transfiguration professor. The headmaster sighed and got up from his desk to walk around the room in circles. "You're dismissed, Miss Rivers." She nodded her head and left without sparing her professors a glance.

When she turned a corner, heading down back to her common room, she bumped headfirst into somebody. Annoyed and grumpy, she shoved the body out of the way. Not even looking into the person she crashed into.

"Not going to say sorry Raven?" Her head snapped towards the voice, the person she had just bumped into.

Riddle.

He, too, looked rather annoyed and was glaring daggers at her but quickly hid all the annoyance away behind a facade as if there never was that look on his face.

"Don't call me Raven." Her voice was laced with venom that would make anyone flinch. But not him. He was unaffected by it.

He smirked at her and walked towards her. "Well then, are you going to apologize?"

"No and never."

She turned around to resume her journey to the Slytherin's common room but someone grabbed her wrist from behind. Riddle held it tightly which made her wince a bit but other than that, she didn't show any signs of pain.

"I can hurt you badly if I wanted." He leaned in and whispered in her ear, causing her hair to stand.

"But you won't." She said rather confidently when he leaned back and gained his usual posture.

"And why is that?"

"You need me."

She regretted letting those three words leave her mouth because the next second, she could have sworn his eyes flashed crimson and then he pinned her to the wall. She struggled against his hold but he was too strong.

"Did you see Death?" He asked in a venomous tone.

"Yes, I have." She said through her struggling body. She was going to take out her wand from her robe's pocket but Riddle held her other wrist tightly.

"Did you ask him for what I need?"

"No, he left before I could." To be honest, asking Death to make another Elder Wand was not on her mind when they met. She had totally forgotten about her deal with Riddle.

Riddle suddenly let go of her wrists and removed his body from her. Her wrists were now red but other than that, she was fine.

"You're not going to kill another student, are you?"

"It was not me who killed her."

"It was a basilisk, yes, but you did technically open the Chamber of Secrets and let the creature out."

"How'd you know?" He asked, panic rising.

"I have my ways. But I haven't told Professor Dippet the cause but I can always threaten to tell him if you don't treat me with respect."

Riddle looked bewildered at her request.

"Respect? You? I, the future Dark Lord, respect an ordinary schoolgirl?"

She smirked at him.

"But Tom, I'm no ordinary schoolgirl."

He cocked his eyebrow up.

"I'm Death's Daughter."