Before He Was Voldemort (A Tom Riddle Fanfiction)

Chapter 19: The Room of Requirement

December, 1943

The first thing Corinne became aware of when she finally roused from her deep sleep was how warm she was. Customarily, she would wake up shivering from the bitter chill of the broom cupboard. Wherever she was now, the atmosphere was the complete opposite. She could hear the distinctive sound of a crackling fire, and when she found the will to open her eyes- which was difficult, for her eyelashes were caked together from mascara residue- an intricate silver chandelier dangling from the ceiling above was her first sight. Panic momentarily arose in her chest due to the confusion of being in an unknown place...

"I was beginning to think you would never wake."

Corinne bolted upright, glancing wildly around her until she found the source of the voice she was well familiar with. Tom sat across from her in a velvet green armchair- he still wore his dress robes from the night before- with his elbows balanced on both armrests and his long fingers clasped together at his chest. When their eyes met, his already amused expression intensified, and he looked as though he might laugh at her. Self-consciously, Corinne repositioned herself until she was sitting up on the sofa, with her hands placed neatly on her lap. She froze when she discovered she was not wearing her pink gown she wore the night before.

She gestured to the gray wool skirt, white blouse, and Slytherin jumper she currently wore. "Tom, I don't believe I recall changing into this last night."

"You didn't."

A wave of horror hit Corinne like a hex. "Did you-?"

"Remove your dress?" Tom finished for her, chuckling as he shook his head. "Yes, but with magic. I assume you don't mind that I summoned a spare set of clothes for you to sleep in. You didn't look very comfortable in that incredibly tight dress you were wearing." Noticing the alarm still disfiguring Corinne's features, he tilted his head to the side. "Why the look of surprise? Unless you wanted me to change your clothes the Muggle way?"

"Tom Riddle!"

He leaned his head back and let out another deep chuckle. "You take me far too seriously sometimes, Carrow."

Corinne could feel her face becoming hotter and hotter, her cheeks an angry shade of red. This only embellished Tom's clear satisfaction in leaving her completely abashed.

Not daring to meet his gaze, she seized the opportunity to observe the room they were in. It was so massive that she had to tip her head all the way back just to look at the ceiling, where the large chandelier she noticed earlier hung, which she now realized was shaped not like tree branches but curving serpents, each one with a small lit candle adorning the point of their tails. About the size of the Great Hall, the room was decorated like a master suite, with the largest bed she had ever laid eyes on off to the side; a mahogany hope chest, side table, and desk were also situated in that area. Where they sat was a sort of lounge area containing only the emerald green sofa where Corinne sat and Tom's matching armchair. He clearly had a strong liking for the color green, for the flames flickering in the fireplace were also that color.

Looking to her left now, Corinne nearly gasped at the long row of ceiling-high shelves against the far wall, completely filled from top to bottom with books. The personal library back at the Carrow mansion was nothing compared to this one.

The room was truly spectacular. Did everyone at Hogwarts know of it? Why has it never been mentioned? The castle was known to contain mysterious rooms, but this one seemed too vast and conspicuous to be a secret.

"To answer your question," said Tom suddenly, interrupting Corinne's survey of the room. "No one knows of this room but you and I. Not even the teachers or Headmaster, to my knowledge. It presents itself when one is in great need, transforming itself to suit the seeker's desires. This is where I live instead of a dormitory. I call it the 'Come and Go Room.'"