The hand of the Raven: Tom Riddle

Chapter 29: One down

**Tom**

As I stood in the dimly lit classroom, the darkness enveloping me like a shroud, I couldn't help but revel in the sight before me. My hands stained red, the metallic scent of blood lingering in the air, I surveyed the limp body on the floor with a sense of satisfaction.

Red pooled around them, a stark contrast against the cold, stone floor, and I felt a surge of pure joy bubbling up from within me. It was a feeling I couldn't quite describe—a twisted ecstasy mingled with a sense of relief. One less muggle in the world, one step closer to my vision of purity.

As I chuckled to myself, the sound echoing off the walls of the empty classroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration coursing through my veins. But beneath the surface, beneath the facade of jubilation, there was a gnawing emptiness, a void that no amount of bloodshed could fill.

With a heavy sigh, I turned away from the scene before me, my gaze lingering on the wall across the room. With a steady hand, I lifted my finger and began to write in crimson letters, the words forming effortlessly as if guided by some unseen force.

"Hogwarts will be cleansed," I wrote, each letter etched into the stone with a sense of finality. It was a declaration, a promise to myself and to the world—a vow to rid this place of impurity, no matter the cost.

As I stood there in the darkness, surrounded by the aftermath of my actions, I couldn't shake the feeling that something momentous was about to unfold. And as I gazed upon my handiwork, a chilling sense of anticipation washed over me, propelling me forward into the unknown.

**Violet**

As I waited outside the Slytherin common room, the hours dragged on with a heavy sense of foreboding. The note slipped under my door earlier, bearing the ominous warning "He'll strike tonight - A," sent a shiver down my spine. I knew exactly who it was from and the accusation it held.

Just as I was about to give up hope and retreat to my dormitory, the sound of approaching footsteps froze me in place. Hiding behind a nearby column, I held my breath as Tom came into view. My heart sank at the sight of him. It couldn't be true, I told myself. There must be some mistake.

I followed Tom in silence as he made his way across the castle, my mind racing with fear and disbelief. When we reached an empty classroom, I dared to peek inside, only to see Cassie Thorn standing there, confusion evident on her face as she questioned Tom's unexpected presence.

Cassie: "Tom? What are you doing here?"

Tom: "I'm glad you got my note, Cassie."

Cassie's brows furrowed in confusion, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Cassie: "Your note? What are you talking about? And why are you pretending to be Jake?"

Tom's lips curled into a sinister smile, sending a chill down my spine.

Tom: "Oh, Cassie, you're about to be part of history."

I watched in horror as Cassie's eyes widened in realization, her expression shifting from confusion to fear.

Cassie: "Tom, what are you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Tom made his move, his actions swift and merciless. I watched in disbelief as Cassie's life was extinguished before my very eyes, the scene unfolding before me like a nightmare.

Cassie's voice was choked with fear as she pleaded for mercy, but Tom's expression remained cold and indifferent. The horror of the moment was only amplified by the words he scrawled on the wall in crimson letters.

Staggering back in shock, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, my mind reeling with the sheer brutality of what I had just witnessed. As I turned to flee, the door behind me creaked open, and I found myself face to face with Tom, his eyes filled with a darkness that sent a shiver down my spine.

**Tom**

As I exited the classroom, my heart pounding in my chest, I was momentarily frozen by the sight of Violet's fearful gaze. Her body seemed to tremble with an overwhelming sense of terror, and deep inside me, a voice screamed for her to run, to flee from the darkness that threatened to consume us both. But from the depths of the darkness within me, all that emerged was a chilling chuckle.

"Oh, Violet," I murmured, my voice dripping with malice. "You better be a fast runner."

With those words, Violet took off sprinting, her footsteps echoing through the empty corridors of the castle. I followed in hot pursuit, my senses sharpened by the darkness that threatened to engulf me. We flew through the castle like ghosts, sliding through hallways and taking sharp turns in a desperate bid to outrun each other.

But the darkness within me refused to be outrun. It surged through my veins like a tidal wave, driving me forward with a relentless determination. Deep within me, a part of myself pleaded with the alter ego that held me captive, but it was no use. The darkness had taken hold, and there was no turning back.

As we ran outside into the cool night air, Violet glanced back over her shoulder to see how close I was behind her. The distraction caused her to trip and fall, and I was upon her in an instant. She turned over, trembling with fear, tears staining her cheeks.

I reached for her ankle, intending to drag her back with me, but she kicked my hand, briefly freeing herself. However, I was too quick, and I tackled her to the ground, pinning her beneath me as we fought on the cold stone floor.

Despite her struggles, Violet proved no match for the darkness that consumed me. I stared down at her, a twisted smile spreading across my lips as I tightened my grip around her throat. She pleaded with me, begged me to stop, but I couldn't. I didn't want to. The darkness had taken control, and there was no escaping its grasp now.

**Violet**

As I lay there, fighting for my life against the vice-like grip of Tom's hand around my throat, a sense of despair washed over me. His smile remained unchanged, unwavering in the face of my pleas for mercy. This was it, I realized. I had made a deal with the devil, and now he was here to collect.

Frantically, I continued to plead with him, my words falling on deaf ears. But then, a surge of desperation compelled me to reach out and grasp his chin, forcing him to look at me. "I love you," I cried, the words tumbling from my lips in a desperate refrain. Deep down, I knew that this couldn't be him, that the darkness had taken hold and twisted him into something unrecognizable.

As I repeated those three words over and over again, a flicker of recognition seemed to spark in Tom's eyes. Before I lost consciousness, I managed to utter one final apology. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," I whispered, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air.

In that moment, something seemed to shift within Tom. His eyes, once cold and vacant, snapped back to their beautiful brown hue, and the smile faded from his lips. With a sudden realization of what he was doing, Tom's expression softened, his features contorted with anguish and regret.

As I slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of Tom's apologies and tears echoed in the recesses of my mind, a poignant reminder of the love and loss that had brought us to this tragic moment.

**Tom**

Sitting there in the hospital wing, next to Violet's bedside as she slept, I couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming guilt wash over me. Her peaceful expression contrasted sharply with the turmoil raging inside me. I glanced out the window, but when my eyes caught sight of my own reflection, I quickly turned away, unable to bear the sight of myself.

I knew I needed help. I couldn't risk hurting her again. What if the next time I lost control, I couldn't come back to myself? What if I did something irreparable, something that couldn't be undone?

Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a spark of an idea flicker to life in the recesses of my mind. It wasn't a pleasant one, and I hesitated to even consider it. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and Elliot might be my only hope.

As much as I disliked the idea of relying on him, I couldn't deny that he understood the darkness within me in a way that no one else did. Perhaps he held the key to unlocking the secrets of my inner turmoil, to helping me regain control before it was too late.

With a heavy heart, I made a decision. I would seek out Elliot and swallow my pride, knowing that Violet's safety depended on it. As I sat there beside her, watching over her as she slept, I vowed to do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant confronting the darkness that lurked within me head-on.