“So, how do you get to this Diagon Alley …?” said Riddle, catching Dumbledore’s eyes, and, after a brief pause, he added, “… sir!”
Dumbledore did not insist upon accompanying him, but rather handed Riddle the envelope containing his list of equipment and told him exactly how to get to the Leaky Cauldron from the orphanage, which was generally uncharacteristic of his behavior.
If Riddle truly thought Dumbledore would leave him unchecked, he was very wrong!
The conversation between Dumbledore and the young Riddle gave Evan a deeper understanding of Voldemort.
Although Riddle was only eleven years old at the time, many of his characteristics would not change throughout his life.
As he grew older, these characteristics would only become more pronounced.
Despite his outward appearance of being bright, well-mannered, and likable, the truth was quite the opposite. Riddle’s heart was dark, his arrogance unchecked. He took pride in his unique power — his ability to use magic — and firmly believed that he was different from others.
Because of this, he saw no problem in bullying his companions.
Many of the things he did were beyond joking, but Riddle didn’t care. Instead, he was complacent.
He hurt his companions at will simply because he could; of course, the triggers were all absurdly trivial conflicts.In terms of personality, Riddle was very good at threatening others and assessing the situation.
After realizing that Dumbledore was not easy to bully, he immediately showed obedience, obeyed Dumbledore’s orders, obeyed the power and authority beyond his own. This was a typical Slytherin character trait, judging the situation and obeying authority on the surface. The eleven-year-old Riddle did a good job.
In addition, he was used to acting alone, which showed that he did not trust others at all.
Evan was certain that once Riddle reached Diagon Alley, he wouldn’t be content with simply purchasing the standard school supplies on the list. Though the money Dumbledore had given him might not be enough, Riddle would find a way to obtain whatever else he desired.
There was no doubt about it, this dark-hearted guy was smart and unscrupulous.
When these traits were combined, they often meant uncontrollability, danger and trouble.
This boy was a born Dark wizard. A boy destined to become a Dark Lord.
As Evan considered and studied the eleven-year-old Riddle, young Dumbledore was also examining the boy.
He knew far less information than Evan and likely had no way of forming a clear judgment yet.
“Don’t worry, you will be able to see the Leaky Cauldron,” said Dumbledore, “although Muggles around you — non-magical people, that is — will not. Ask for Tom the barman — easy enough to remember, as he shares your name —”
Riddle gave an irritable twitch, as though trying to displace an irksome fly.
“You dislike the name ‘Tom’?” Dumbledore asked, paying attention to the point.
“There are a lot of Toms,” muttered Riddle. Then, as though he could not suppress the question, as though it burst from him in spite of himself, he asked, “Was my father a wizard? He was called Tom Riddle too, they’ve told me.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know,” said Dumbledore, his voice gentle.
“My mother can’t have been magic, or she wouldn’t have died,” said Riddle, more to himself than Dumbledore. “It must have been my father, yes, I think it must have been him. So — when I’ve got all my stuff — when do I come to this Hogwarts?”
“All the details are on the second piece of parchment in your envelope,” said Dumbledore. “You will leave from King’s Cross Station on the first of September. There is a train ticket in there too.”
Riddle nodded. Dumbledore got to his feet and held out his hand again.
Taking it, Riddle said, “I can speak to snakes. I found out when we’ve been to the country on trips — they find me, they whisper to me. Is that normal for a wizard?”
It was obvious that he had deliberately withheld mention of this strangest power until that moment, determined to impress Dumbledore, and he succeeded.
For the first time since entering the room, Dumbledore hesitated for a moment.
“It is unusual,” he said slowly, “but not unheard of.”
His tone was casual but his eyes moved curiously over Riddle’s face.
The two stood for a moment, man and boy, staring at each other.
Then the handshake was broken; Dumbledore was at the door.
“Good-bye, Tom. I shall see you at Hogwarts.”
“I think that will do, let’s go back,” said the white-haired Dumbledore.
The scene before them blurred and twisted, and the memory had ended.
Evan took one last glance at Riddle, who was staring blankly at the door. A few seconds later, they landed squarely in the present-day office.
“Sit down,” said Dumbledore gently. “I imagine you both have many questions.”
Evan and Harry looked at each other. Harry, unable to contain himself, blurted out, “Sir, he believed it much quicker than I did — I mean, when you told him he was a wizard. I didn’t believe Hagrid at first, when he told me.”
“Before I saw Harry and Dobby, I was full of doubts.” Evan agreed.
He had originally imagined himself being reborn into a world where he could become a world-famous tycoon or celebrity—using future technology and unreleased films, music, and literary works to dazzle the world, but who would have thought it was actually a magical world?
Moreover, it was still the same troublesome magical world, with a typical sudden change in style.
Without a certain level of mental resilience, it would be impossible to immediately accept being a wizard.
“You both saw it. Unlike many people, Riddle was perfectly ready to believe that he was — to use his word — ‘special,’” said Dumbledore, seemingly lost in thought as he gazed at the ring on his hand.
“Did you know — then? That he would become…”
“Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time?” said Dumbledore, shaking his head. “No, I had no idea that he was to grow up to be what he is. However, I was certainly intrigued by him, and to be honest, I have seldom been so interested in a young wizard. I left the room intending to keep an eye upon him, something I should have done in any case, given that he was alone and friendless, but which, already, I felt I ought to do for others’ sake as much as his.”
“For others?” ُEvan asked, “You thought he was bound to cause trouble?”
“His powers, as you heard, were surprisingly well-developed for such a young wizard. If you ask, I can tell you with certainty — no young wizard has ever reached his level at that age. At least, not in the past few centuries. Hogwarts had never admitted a student quite like him. And — most interestingly and ominously of all — he had already discovered that he had some measure of control over them, and begun to use them consciously. And as you saw, they were not the random experiments typical of young wizards: He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control. The little stories of the strangled rabbit and the young boy and girl he lured into a cave were most suggestive. …” Dumbledore paused and said in Riddle’s words, ” ‘I can make them hurt if I want to. …’ “
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