Tom Riddle and the Pure-Blood Prince

A Diabolical Dilemma

A week later, Eileen was walking down the lonely side-way corridor near the third floor, the floor that the statue of the one-eyed witch is located. The wind rattled and whistled down the corridor from the windows that were open where a burly young boy was standing in front of them, enjoying the feel of the cold air, yet there was no sunshine as it was the evening. He couldn't go out becuase the Headmaster temporarily was allowing nobody to leave the castle. The school had finally been addressed about the attacks. Dippit and the others wanted to make sure nobody was smuggling any items of dark magic in. Dumbledore knew that this could not be the case, and had told Armando, who still did not listen, as he took the legend of the chamber with a grain of salt. Yet Dippit knew deep down, it must be the Heir of Slytherin and his chamber, but if it was that he knew he could do nothing to stop them or find it, so he did not want to tell others the truth. Therefore, most the school had not found out about the Chamber of Secrets being re-opened was true...but that would soon change with the Ministry's involvement and getting the Daily Prophet, who would believe Dumbledore's account of events at Hogwarts over Dippit's.

Once she got down the third floor, she saw Riddle near the end of it. She walked as fast as she could carrying a large package. Moments, later she fixed her hair as she presented herself in front of Riddle eyed the package she had almost greedily, but then his expression became sour. He swiftly muttered "diffindo" and the statue opened up. "You first, Eileen," he said politely.

She took a breath and then went down, surprised by the chute of several yards that led her to what lied beneath. As she surveyed the atmosphere she jumped when she saw it was pitch-black within this secret passage, she had never been in. She wondered if it was a cave? Or a cavern? Whatever it was, Eileen shuddered at the thought of being alone down here with Tom.

She turned around suddenly to hear Tom clinkling down. He lowered himself methodically. Climbing like it was a ladder. Once down, he whirled around with his wand lit and raised.

Stepping over to Eileen, he said, "Were going a bit further in. But don't be nervous, Eileen. We can enjoy ourselves being alone," he said with mirthful sarcasm.
They walked for a few minutes, and then suddenly Riddle guided her sideways near the walls.

"Sometimes I come here when not in the library at night to do things and also...I'll admit to you, hide things," he stated lightly.

"What do you do?" Eileen asked tentatively.

"Perhaps brew a potion, I was intrigued by or...conduct business," he said smiling to reveal all his white teeth, which Eileen could not make out, between her own and Riddle's lighted wand.

His demeanor seemed to have changed. "So...unwrap the package you brought," he suddenly stated, blandly.

Eileen quickly did so, untieing the string and setting it on the floor. Riddle knelt down with Eileen and eyed the assortment of objects. He picked up a plate and looked at in the light.

"That has been in my family for five generations and it does have an immense supply of magical powers in it," Eileen nervously rushed, afraid he would get angry she was trying to keep talking, and maybe he would not frighten her like he usually did.

"Really?" Riddle said with some doubt, looking into both of Eileen's eyes. "Well see." He tried a few simple spells in which only one of them worked. Then did "specialis revelio" non-verbally.

Riddle put his hand over the heirloom, as his expression turned to mild disgust, pursing his lips. "There is no more than a few magical traces. Either this is a very old magical artifact, or you're lieing. I tend to believe the former," he said, his voice gradually going into a deep whisper.

Eileen trembled and opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Riddle continued with the next two. He roughly withdrew a metal carving of an elephant that was a few inches tall.

Riddle quickly performed the same magical tests, Eileen squeezing her hands in anticipation of how he would react next. But in reality, Riddle was not react. So far, he was not really surprised. He expected at least some failure for many reasons, some still not obvious.

Once finished, he suddenly threw the elephant across the cave-like passage, so that it landed silently in the heaps of dirt, far off in the distance.

"Tom," she moaned. "My grandfather made that."

"Look for it later," he said antipathetically. "You'll have a job of finding it though," he said carelessly.

Eileen bit her lip and pondered how anyone could be so lacking in understanding or even just the simplest consideration that it was hers?

Finally after viewing the last object (a small picture) "A negligent amount again," Riddle said, tossing it on the ground and standing up, which Eileen followed suit.

"Come on. What else, Eileen? Money at least right?"

Eileen nodded fervently and quickly took out of her inner-pocket of her robes a small sac.

Riddle eyed it greedily and then snatched it, holding it. Then taking a few out to make sure the galleons were real.

"How much?," he pressed her.

"One hundered and fifty. All galleons. I got it at Gringott's," she said not sounding so nervous, almost proud.

"So you are able to evade even the Goblin's discovering your real motives for going to Gingott's," he said with maybe a little approval.

"Yes, I knew I had to act-," she spoke as Riddle threw the money with a jingle in his pocket.

"Alright, quiet. I'm about to tell you something, Eileen and it just might shock you in surprise," he added dramatically and continued, "to be so...naïve to not even realize."

"Realize what, Tom?"

"What I've been doing. Even now you don't notice?," he stated in a deep and harsh, ambiguous tone.

Riddle stopped for a few seconds, then began to speak almost like he was just thinking aloud, "I knew I saw a potential in you that night just before Christmas. I knew I could easily get what I needed to see you do, and I was right. But now, don't you see Eileen?," he stopped, with a penetrating gaze as he smiled at her, thinking of the simple beauty of his plan.

Eileen shook her head and exasperated Riddle erupted, "It's a ruse! A clever ruse." He laughed gleefully for a couple of seconds.

Eileen eyes lit-up in surprise and her eyebrows went up.

Riddle glared at her, annoyed at what he believed foolish lack of judgment, "I thought you had brains to see, that if I really wanted your silly family heirlooms and wealth that I would have done more? At least monitored, even have you make a vow."

"What?" Eileen gasped, and her mind worked quickly, reflecting backwards all the way to when she had first talked to him in the Slytherin common room.

Riddle looked deep into the brown sparks of Eileen's pupils in her eyes, as he saw what she was thinking. "Yes Eileen. This was all a test I conducted. Remember Christmas night after the dinner with old Slughorn? Well, I made to get you away from the sordid socializing. So I meneurvered us, to go out on the grounds Eileen to break the so-called deal I made with you. Then later, I enticed you, feeding your appetite of ideals of romance?"

"Oh!," Eileen breathed, "When you kissed me? But Tom, I know it was real. I could feel it."

Riddle smiled, looking even more cunning as he said with a demon-like glint in his eye, "Well, believe that then. " I told you of the plan, the little gimmick I created. Of course, it was inspired by your little monlogue to Slughorn."

Eileen jaw dropped, as her stomach felt like it did as well. Tom was always listening...
"I continued forward with this simple ploy," he stated with smooth deliberation. "I reminded you often to get me what I ordered, don't you recall? It kept you on edge," he said as he smirked from the humor he found in it.

"It did!" said Eileen rather indignantly.

"Now we shall move forward Eileen with the real matters at hand. Which is to say, I've seen worse attempts, but also better. And you did not satisfy the order, if it was real. But now will learn he said," he said raising his wand, slowly, "you'll know better next time, won't you Eileen?" he said with artificial glibness.

Eileen felt sick, with fear and dread as she thought that it was really a trap, a dilemma and that he was probably going to use the cruciatus curse. She suddenly thought, even if I had not gotten anything, she would be in the same situation. Almost no matter how well she complied with his orders, she would be in the same boat. She realized how unfair it was, even if it wasn't a genuine concern of Riddle's. Tom Riddle was a diabolical mastermind, a brillaint strategist, and this was only a sample of his plotting.

But she still felt passion for him, and desired desperately some relief, yet of course she felt hurt and upset. She decided to show that first, "But th-then, you were lieing and I was did nothing against you, Tom! This is irrational," she bravely added.

Riddle sneered and said, "This was completely controlled. I knew with exactitiude, pressing all the right buttons. I'm quite an actor," he simpered egotistically.

"You...You. I believed you. You were so sincere," Eileen stammered.

Riddle laughed, at her delusions of his character. If there was anything he was not, it was sincere.

"And when you said my family has money and power. You seemed to really want what I could offer!," she tried to convince herself and Riddle.

"Yes, plundering after your silly heirlooms and tiny flows of money, is exactly what I must rely on," he said with complete sarcasm. "You are not significant to me, Eileen! Like I, a future Dark Lord would hold you, a mere follower who has proven nothing to high-esteem," he continued, brutally demeaning her, "Trite and insignificant is all you are...presently."

"But isn't our relationship, have even more to it than that! Aren't I SPECIAL to you?," she screamed almost the top of her voice.

"No...," he said calmly. Then he said to comfort her, "Perhaps once you've proven a little and your given the Elixir I will," he said and he winked at her. "Then you may even have another reward," he said charmingly.

Eileen sighed, still feeling very tense and becoming emotionally drained from this shocking truth of her relationship.

"But for the time being," he said becoming irked by her boldness. You do not yell when addressing me...and you are to address me as 'master' or 'My Lord' when alone with me."

He waited for her to answer, "Yes, my lord."

Riddle was breathing hard as he raised his arm and spoke, "Ready for your first experience with the Cruciatus curse?"

"No!," she said her knees shaking, feeling terror.

Riddle swiftly smashed the plate on the ground with his wand and as he did so Eileen tried to treat, falling back on the ground.

Riddle came forward slowly and lowered himself over Eileen with menace. "master forgive me! I did not do anything!"

Riddle bellowed, "CRUCIO!" at her heart and she was writhing in excruiting pain.


Tom Riddle, consumed in his empty anger, that was like a bottomless pit. He stopped the cruciatus, as Eileen was reaching a form of breaking point.

"A little pause...Ah...yes. I have fantasized as I waited Eileen," he said, breathing from some kind of stimulation he was getting.

He then leaned over her, almost on top as he looked deeply into her face. He did not admit, that the real reason for his ruse against her was so that he would corner her and she would have to accept this.

Once again, he placed the curse onto her, aiming near her bosom.

When it was over, Riddle said soothingly, "But I'm not being unscrupulous Eileen. I'm entitled to it. Now...are you learning to be obedient?"

Eileen did not answer immediately because she believed she had alreeady shown plenty of it and then said gulping, "Yes...My lord."

Tom took Eileen's hand and pulled her up off the ground, "Were done. Now let's go."

After a few minutes of walking back, Riddle stopped suddenly and put his arm around Eileen, for a fake gesture of affection he wanted to show as he did not want her to break away, or else she may break her vow, and he did not get enough of her yet, to see this follower of his die.

"I always keep my promises," he said shining his wand in her eyes like a doctor's instrument, and he saw the sparks in her eyes, were no longer lit with that light she had always had.

"So I'm still getting...my reward," she said, feeling relief for him to finally show a gentleness again.

"Yes...I will get Rookwood yo brew the Elixir of Youth for you, now.

"Okay, Tom" and he allowed her to say it, just because he knew there was only so much somebody as knew as her could bare. Eileen's heart burst from the wounds she felt deep in her spirit, she was almost sobbing.

They continued walking, Tom actually held her hand. He felt no affection, but he liked that he had control over this girl.

As they neared the chute to climb back up it's steep embankment Riddle said, "Never forget. I could do even worse things to you than even the cruciatus."

Eileen did not answer, as she really wanted to avoid all those thoughts, especially now that she felt a little better.
As they quickly climbed out of the statue of the one-eyed witch Eileen appeared, disheveled and dirty, from the trip. Riddle, meanwhile only had a light sprinkling of dirt over his robes, more pronounced on the hem.

Riddle continued with her, no longer holding her hand, as they were walked along the corridors a moment later, with only a few minutes until they were supposed to be out of the halls to observe curfew. Eileen got another glimpse at the burly, large boy with shaggy hair.

"Do you know who he is Eileen?," asked Tom, dislike etched in his voice.

"No.." she answered.

"It's this stupid, half-breed oaf, Rubeus Hagrid he calls himself."

"Oh...he's not in Slytherin right?" she said hopefully.

"No, he's a Gryffindor, and a big blundering fool as most everyone knows."

Eileen did not question it, but rather trusted Riddle's words.

Once they got in the common room, they departed each other for the night. Eileen thought thankfully that Tom does not know her worst fears, as she thought they would certainly be worse than the cruciatus curse.