"Everyone believed it was Hagrid, everyone but one," Tom growled. "Professor Dumbledore kept an annoying close eye on me after that and I realized I couldn't open the chamber again, not while I was in school anyway. So I left my diary, preserving my sixteen year old self in it, until one day I could complete Salazar Slytherin's noble work. The first victim, the squib's cat, was an unintentional one. I had been hoping to to find a mudblood or a teacher but then my basilisk ended up stumbling upon the cat. If it wasn't for the damn thing meeting my pet's gaze through the puddles on the floor then it would have been killed. I had decided to hang it up from the torch as a signal of the glory that was still to come." Tom grinned.
"And then Creevy was nearly killed but was saved by his camera," Harry commented. "what about the Hufflepuff?"
"Him? Oh, I was so close but then a stupid ghost had to get in the way, they both ended up petrified." Tom said in an annoyed voice. "It was already hard enough with Roman trying to escape my control, he had realized what was happening shortly after the mudblood boy, he tried to get rid of the diary, only for Ginny Weasley to stumble upon it. He took it back from her, of course, but then he was too afraid to get rid of it, scared that it would come back or be grabbed by someone else. After that it was a simple matter of taking control of him."
"But why did you kidnap my sister?!" Flora demanded angrily. Tom gave her a look as if to say that she was not worth his time but he answered anyway.
"I had only intended to kidnap the Weasley girl, but unfortunately your sister got in the way." Tom said in an uncaring voice.
"Why Weasley?" Harry asked.
"Well...nobody was going to care if it was just the Lestrange boy." Tom shrugged. "An innocent young maiden on the other hand, far more interesting."
"And why were you trying to get my attention?" Harry asked, he couldn't help but notice an important flaw that Tom had, he liked to talk.
"Because I wanted to talk to you," Tom smirked. "we're quite similar, you and I. We're both halfbloods who found themselves in Slytherin, we can both speak to snakes, we can both convince others to do what we want and think what we want them to think by using nothing more than a few words. Twice the school turned on you and twice you were able to bring them back to where you want them by just giving a single speech. Despite your age and scar, you're also able to charm witches, I was able to convince many to do things for me with a few fake smiles and false promises. And we are both powerful, aren't we?"
"You think I am powerful? I'm flattered." Harry replied. "But I get the feeling that you didn't want to talk to me just so you could compare."
"You are right," Tom nodded. "what I really wanted to know was how you, as a baby, was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time."
"Voldemort?" Harry asked, ignoring the way Flora shivered at the name. "Why do you care about him? He was before your time."
"Voldemort is my past, present and future." Tom said before he pulled out a wand that Harry recognized as Roman's, Harry's wand quickly slid into his hand. Tom noticed and gave him an approving nod before he turned and began writing in the air with the wand. He wrote 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' in flaming letters before he waved his wand, the letters shifted to reveal a new message. 'I am Lord Voldemort'.
"Voldemort?" Harry breathed. "You're Voldemort?"
"You didn't think that I would keep my filthy muggle father's name?" Tom snorted. "No, I fashioned myself a new name, a name that I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest wizard in the world."
"Greatest?" This time it was Harry who snorted. "You're not the greatest, you're not even second best."
"Oh, and who is greater than me?" Tom spat.
"Dumbledore for one," Harry grinned. "but first place goes to me."
"You?" Tom repeated disbelievingly.
"Maybe not now, but soon." Harry said in a confident voice. "I'm still young but I will grow to be the best wizard I can be, and my best will beat yours."
"We'll see," Tom sneered. "but you still haven't answered my question, how did a baby beat Lord Voldemort?"
"There have been plenty of theories about why," Harry said with an amused smile. "some have theorized that I was just too powerful, and while that is extremely flattering, it is very not likely the correct answer. I am personally of the belief that my father or mother did something that defeated you, it seems far more likely than a one year old defeating you."
"Hmm, that's disappointing but it does make sense. You're not special at all." Riddle replied, glaring at Harry. "The fact that you think that you will ever reach even the level below me shows how stupid you are, you son of a mudblood."
"Better than being a son of a bitch." Harry said, he couldn't help the smirk that came on his face when he saw anger flash on Riddle's face.
"You are nowhere near, nor will you ever be, the same level of wizard as me." Tom growled. "You and Dumbledore are pathetic, he has been brought out of the castle by the mere mention of my name."
"Dumbledore is greater than you are," Harry calmly replied, knowing that his lack of anger was bothering Riddle a lot. "and so am I, you..." Harry was cut off from whatever he was about to say by the sound of a screeching sound, he looked back and saw Fawkes fly into the chamber while holding something. Whatever it was Fawkes let it go in midflight and it landed in Harry's hands, he took a moment but he recognized it as the sorting hat.
"This is what Dumbledore sends against the heir of Slytherin?" Tom laughed loudly. "A songbird and a silly old hat?"
"Maybe he just wants me to look great for when I beat you." Harry said while glaring at Tom.
"We'll see Potter, prepare to fight Slytherin's basilisk. Well, it won't be much of a fight since it will kill you with a single stare." Tom smirked, choosing not to mention the fact that all parslemouth are immune to the basilisk gaze, no need to make things easier for Potter.
"Parslemouth are immune to the basilisk gaze, dumbass." Jet called out. Tom growled and sent a spell in Jet's direction but it was quickly blocked by a magical shield from Harry,
"You're quick," Tom noted, "good, you're going to need your speed." He said before he looked at Salazar's statue. "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four!"
"Flora, hide behind the statues, don't look at it!" Harry quickly ordered to Flora who nodded before quickly rushing behind one of the snake statues.
.....
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