When The Devil Falls | Draco Malfoy x Tom Riddle

Chapter 16 | Long Story Short It Was A Bad Time

Previously on When The Devil Falls -
"No, I'm fine," Harry replied, still trying to fully wake up.

"Well, I suppose I should confirm it for you first thing — I do not wish to kill you. Draco informed me that you weren't ready to believe it yesterday."

Harry's eyes widened, his mind processing the startling information. "You are the Dark Lord!" he exclaimed, his initial shock giving way to a more composed tone. "But you don't look..." he trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

"The form you saw me in after the tournament was because Peter Pettigrew's horrible potion-making skills. He brewed the potion wrong," the man explained.

"Oh! I remember now. I met your diary!" Harry exclaimed, the pieces falling into place.

"You met what?" the man inquired.

"In my second year at Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy slipped a diary into my" Harry winced before continuing "ex-girlfriend's cauldron along with her other books. The part of your soul in the diary — that is how Dumbledore explained it — possessed her and made her open the Chamber of Secrets. The basilisk was unleashed and petrified a lot of students. I went down to the chamber because I can speak Parseltongue, and your diary form came out. I killed both the basilisk and stabbed your diary with the basilisk fang," Harry recounted.

"And you also made Polyjuice Potion and pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle," added Draco, revealing his knowledge of Harry's adventures.

"How the fuck do you know about that?" Harry asked, slightly exasperated.

"Because rumours spread that Granger had changed into a cat, and Crabbe can't read, Potter," Draco responded matter-of-factly.

Harry groaned, realizing the extent to which his exploits had become the talk of the school.

Meanwhile, Tom Riddle, standing beside Draco, was seething. Lucius Malfoy's actions were proving to be more trouble than he was worth.

"Well, so you killed Ava and stabbed that diary with a basilisk fang. Do you know where that diary is?" asked Tom Riddle.

"Dumbledore used to keep it in his desk drawer. It is probably still there. And who's Ava?" Harry inquired.

"Ava is the basilisk you killed," Tom Riddle explained.

"You named a basilisk Ava!" Draco chimed in, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Tom Riddle nodded and redirected his attention to Harry. "I do not wish to kill you because you are a Horcrux of mine. A part of my soul lives inside of you. That was Dumbledore's plan all along. He wanted me to kill you and end up destroying my own soul. That is why he always used you as a sacrificial lamb. I, as you know, do not wish to die, and killing you would be suicidal. Hence, until I find a way to remove my Horcrux from your body without damaging it, you are safe."

"Does that mean I can call you Voldy, and you won't kill me?" Harry quipped with faux innocence, earning a burst of laughter from Draco.

"Just because I won't kill you doesn't mean I won't send you to Greyback for a lesson in discipline," Tom sneered, his patience wearing thin. Harry flinched at the glare and the Dark Lord's words.