~ Immortality unveiled ~Tom Riddle x Reader 🐍🌶

Chapter 20 ~ Hide & Seek ~

UPDATED Sep. 16th 2024

*Short insight*
*Tom's POV*

I've created my third Horcrux.

The rush of dark power still lingers in my veins, a constant hum beneath the surface of my skin. With each Horcrux, I inch closer to immortality, to the destiny that was always meant to be mine. Hogwarts is under my mercy for the second year now, bending slowly to my will, though they don't realize it yet. And still, despite my growing influence, one thing gnaws at the edges of my mind like a splinter that refuses to be removed.

Eva is still missing.

I grip the edges of my desk, the wood creaking under the force of my hold. The Ministry's Aurors are, predictably, useless. How can I expect those fools to locate her when they can barely manage to find their own wands, let alone track down someone as valuable as Eva? Their incompetence has been... infuriating. And yet, the real blame lies with me, doesn't it? If I want something done, I have to do it myself.

But I've been preoccupied, far too busy orchestrating the larger pieces of my plan. I have been building my following in the shadows of the wizarding world, creating alliances that stretch further than anyone could have imagined. I've been making history, and in time, everyone will come to realize it. The wizarding world will be reshaped by my hand, whether they are ready for it or not.

The Malfoys have proven themselves particularly useful. Abraxas and his wife bow to me without question, eager to prove their loyalty. They even host my meetings in their grand manor, draped in its pale, aristocratic beauty. They have no choice, of course—none of them do.

Not if they want to survive the new world that's coming.

I keep to the shadows, though. The mask I wear at public gatherings is a necessary precaution. The Ministry, laughable as it is, remains on edge. I'd rather not risk some eager, witless Auror stumbling across my plans. Not that it would matter. No one lives to tell the tale when they cross me. Hogwarts itself has already begun to feel the weight of my hand.

The number of Muggle-born students has dropped drastically. The Chamber of Secrets was my weapon—a silent, ancient tool of fear. When I unleashed the basilisk, chaos followed, a delightful storm of terror sweeping through the halls. Twenty Muggle-born students dead, their blood staining the stones of Hogwarts. Fear is such a useful tool. It doesn't take much—just the whisper of a threat—and they scatter like sheep before a wolf.

Of course, Dumbledore had to ruin the fun. The old fool somehow managed to find someone in the ministry that was willing to close the school if the attacks continued.
A shame, really. I was curious to see just how far I could push that beast. Still, the damage was done.

The Daily Prophet calls it "Dark Times for the Wizarding World."
How amusing. Bright times is a more fitting description.

I should have a word with Rita Skeeter. The press could use a bit of... correction. And I've always been good with words, haven't I? I denied the idea of closing Hogwarts with a sweet smile and a well-rehearsed speech. Integrity, I said. Structure. Order for the students in these trying times. How important it is to maintain normalcy. They lapped it up like hungry dogs, nodding in agreement, unable to see the strings I pull behind every word.

I sneaked my way around the old families, intoxicating them with flattery and charm. They've always liked my speeches, so polished, so sincere. And why wouldn't they? They are small minds, swayed by grandeur and power. They see what I allow them to see.

But soon, the wizarding world will see the truth.

Not yet, though. For now, we play this tedious game of hide and seek. I've used Hogwarts to build my following, but it is time to move on. I need to leave, to turn my attention to greater things. Albania awaits, with its long-forgotten secrets. The filthy ghost of a diadem lies hidden there, and I will find it, just as I've found everything else that's been denied to me.

Hogwarts will continue to serve its purpose. I've already put spies in place. They'll report back, just as the Ministry is infiltrated by those who answer to me. Everything is under control, perfectly in place.

But Eva... Eva should be here. I would have used her by now, wielded her potential like a finely honed blade. The magic in her blood, her connection to creatures most don't even understand, would have been invaluable to my cause. And yet, she's still out there. Somewhere. With him.

Grindelwald.

That name still stirs a fire in me. How dare he take what belongs to me. How dare he hide her away, thinking he can outmaneuver me. He is delusional if he thinks he can oppose me. His power may have once been great, but it will never match mine. Not now. Not ever.

I know she's alive. I can feel it. Eva isn't dead—neither is he. But I will find them both. And when I do, Grindelwald will learn the true meaning of fear. He will see the folly in challenging me. And as for Eva... if she has sided with him, if she has willingly turned her back on me, I will take her life just as I take his.

A cold smile touches my lips. She will come to understand the price of betrayal, if that is what she has chosen. And if not—well, she will still belong to me, as she always has. There is no other path for her.

But first, there is a war to prepare for. Allies to gather. Power to amass. My influence spreads like wildfire, consuming everything in its path. The wizarding world is not ready for what's coming. They tremble in their homes, whispering my name, too afraid to even speak it aloud. Good. Fear is the beginning of submission, and soon, it will turn to reverence.

I will shape this world in my image, with or without her. But I prefer to have what is mine.

Soon, Eva. Soon enough, I will find you.

And if you've chosen the wrong side, I will end you without hesitation. There is no room for sentimentality, no space for weakness in the world I am building. Only power. Only domination.

The war is coming, and I will be victorious.

I am Lord Voldemort.

And nothing—not Grindelwald, not Dumbledore, not even the wizarding world itself—will stop me.

~ To be continued ~