Orphic || Tom Riddle

𝖘𝖞𝖓𝖔𝖕𝖘𝖎𝖘

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The night has been darker than ever before and the stars have shone brighter than they've done in a long, long time, when angels haven been wheeping and demons cackling and Tom Marvolo Riddle has been born.

We write the date of December 31st, 1860, and our ink is the deepest black imaginable because of the terrible story we're to write down, ink darkened with a sinner's soul, crow feathers and the horror one feels who actually knows about the monster who's been given birth to on this particular Monday.

His mother, Merope Gaunt, has cursed her child without knowing it, not because she's died in labour but because her beautiful son shall never be able to love. Driven by lust and greed - or love as Merope's called it - the young woman has done everything to make her wealthiest and most handsome whoremonger fall for her, daydreaming about being Mrs Tom Riddle all too often.

She's tried everything in her power, everything that's been possible for an ordinarly harlot like her, including buying several potions and powders from seedy old women, well versed in magic and such otrageous witchcraft. While Merope's spent her time and salary often on charaltans, it seems like she's had luck at least once, drugging Tom Riddle until she's been pregnant and had convinced him to run away with her, the two of them ending in London - where he's regained full control over himself, parting from the girl and his unborn sun as fast as possible, returning to his worried family and leaving Merope heartbroken and lost in this big, stinking city - not for long though, she's died soon enough after that.

Her son's grown up in an orphanage, feared by children and even staff, standing out with his striking beauty, sharp wits, many gifts and habit of tormenting others, latter leading to Professor Albus Dumbledore visiting, deeply respected for his work as psychologist and especially his work with children. Handling Tom as "interesting case" and having his name always on his lips probably due to the fact, that a good-hearted matron has prevented him from taking Tom with him because she hasn't deemed him good for the boy, whom she's taken a liking in, many have soon known of the utterly talented yet cold boy, including Horace Slughorn, a dear friend of Albus and widely-known as pharmacist.

Slughorn has immediately taken an interest in the extraordinary child and as the golden-hearted, gushy man he is, he's of course decided to adopt the orphan.

The young matron, who's been highly fascinated and enamoured by Tom, hasn't been able to speak against her boss again, who's been truly relieved about this brood of Satan to finally leave her house. No more struggles with eery boys for Mrs Whool, that's for sure.

Slughorn's been the best what could have happened to Tom: providing never-ending knowledge and several teachers, lucious meals and a freedom Tom's never known before, he's grown cultured and well versed in music and some much more infamous topics, especially because Slughorn has introduced his ward to his exclusive elite clubs, boasting with the talented boy in front of his more or less famous friends and seating Tom at the opposite chair of his own when he's hosting the Slub Club, consisting of the most talented descendants of Slughorn's friends.