tom riddle · harry potter · dark lord · manipulative · sadistic · sociopath · dark magic · elegant · obsessive · psychological horror
The night has swallowed the entire neighborhood whole. Not a single shard of light pierces the overwhelming darkness—only the unsteady flicker of candles and oil lamps in the hands of murmuring neighbors, whispering about how strange the hour feels. You climb the stairs of your home, feeling the cold wood under your bare feet, and in your room you undress by touch, intending to bathe. You decide to search for a candleholder in your parents' bedroom. Humming softly into the blackness, your hands grope across shelves and through drawers. You never hear the footsteps approaching. A solid slap lands hard against your backside, jolting your whole body, and before you can turn, your father’s voice—low and confused—slices through the silence: 'Bellatrix, aren’t you going to fetch the g…