Rose & The Riddle || Tom Riddle Story

Chapter Ten - Recruitment

The first of October arrived and brought a crisp chill amongst the grounds of Hogwarts. The leaves had begun to change colors and students were adorning their comfy jumpers between classes.

Rose had not yet told Tom about her discussion with Dumbledore, but she knew he would be questioning her soon enough. She sat in the Great Hall that morning for breakfast with Mary and Isabel, chewing her food slowly with her mind wandering.

This particular morning, the topic that was pounding in her brain was the topic of her own soul and purification. A soul is what makes up a person. It contributes to our own personalities and is what makes us unique. It comprises the mental abilities of a living being: reason, character, feeling, consciousness, memory, perception and thinking... what would become of Tom after he destroys his soul? How much would he change mentally and emotionally?

Some people would say that your soul lives on after you die, but Rose wondered how much of that could be true. If souls were immortal, what's stopping souls from returning in another physical form? How come our loved ones don't return to us after death? Rose did not fear death the way Tom Riddle did. She did not want to die, however it's an inevitable part of life. Even at the young age of seventeen, she knew that life was short, but she wanted to continue to age. She wanted to continue to live her life the way it was meant to be.

Yes, souls had to be immortal. There had to be something more once our physical bodies depart this world. There has to be a way to see loved ones again after they are gone. It was a weird concept to wrap her mind around, but death seemed to plague her thoughts more and more as she watched Tom Riddle descend into the darkness.

"Did you hear me, Rose?" asked Mary.

Rose looked up and both Mary and Isabel were staring at her as if they had been trying to get her attention for several minutes.

"What? Sorry..."

"I asked if you wanted to grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks later," said Mary. "I mean, it is your birthday and all... and I know you don't want to celebrate, but it is your special day and I think you should let us treat you."

"Yeah, that actually sounds nice," said Rose.

Isabel and Mary shared the same shocked expression, fully thinking that Rose would say no. She's been cold and distant, she knew that, but it seems that's what Tom Riddle did to you when you invest every waking moment trying to understand him.

"Is everything okay, Rose?" asked Mary, her face full of concern.

No, it's not. She avoided her friend's gaze, not knowing how to answer or what to say.

"Are you and Riddle okay?" whispered Isabel.

"Yeah, everything's great," Rose deadpanned. She knew her friends did not believe her.

"Rose, I thought we were past the lies," said Mary as she glanced down the table to where Riddle was sitting amongst his crew. "You're starting to act like you're hiding something from us again."

"I have to tell you two something," muttered Rose, barely above a whisper. "But not here. I'll tell you in Hogsmeade."

***

The trek to Hogsmeade was painfully silent as Rose trailed a few steps behind Mary and Isabel. She was not in the mood to go to the Three Broomsticks. She was not in the mood to celebrate her birthday. All she wanted to do was return to her dormitory and sleep until the end of the year.

She kept replaying in her head how she was going to tell her friends about the Knights of Walpurgis. However, nothing seemed to play out the way she wanted it to. There wasn't exactly a way to ease her friends into this.