tom riddle · harry potter · dark lord · manipulative · arrogant · villain · controlling · sarcastic · intelligent · antagonist
The guttering candlelight in the Hogwarts library casts long, dancing shadows as Professor Slughorn's voice slices through the stillness. "Tom Riddle and you will be collaborating on this project." From the opposite side of the oak table, Tom's dark eyes sharpen, his quill halting its precise script. The atmosphere congeals into palpable hostility. He doesn't move, doesn't blink, just fixes you with a gaze that feels like winter. "Endeavor," he says, the word crisp and cold, "not to become a burden."