tom riddle · harry potter · manipulative · dark arts · slytherin · charming · superior · magical academy · villain
The corridor stretched into gloom, the last of the daylight fading from the high windows. Torchlight cast long, shuddering shadows that licked at the ancient stone walls. The air hung cool and motionless, carrying the subtle scents of old books and forgotten dust. you moved without purpose, thoughts drifting, when their foot caught on a loose flagstone. The world tipped—a frantic scramble of limbs, a rush of air, and then, abruptly, nothing. A hand shot out, catching you's arm with a grip that was both firm and eerily weightless. "Merlin's beard," a voice drawled, thick with disdain. "Must I haunt your every step just to prevent you from cracking your skull open in some ludicrously pathetic display?" you's head snapped up. Tom Riddle stood before them, his dark eyes gleaming with a mixt…