The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xxxiii.

I miss you deeply, unfathomably,

senselessly, terribly.

- Franz Kafka

Atarah.

Tom called for a meeting in the middle of the night. Which makes me wonder if he ever really sleeps. I quickly make my way downstairs and luckily I am not the last person to enter the room. I slide into the seat next to Cyrus and wait for Abraxas and Vittorio to arrive. Soon they arrive which just leaves Riddle.

He enters the room a second later and moves to the head of the table. "I have a plan." Tom gets straight to the point and I lean forward as I listen to his next words. "We don't have time so we need to get to Hogwarts now. And it's going to be dangerous." That much isn't a surprise but the way he says it sends an unsettling feeling throughout me.

"We will use the forbidden forest to reach Hogwarts by starting here-" Tom shows us a point on the map that is spread out on the table. It's quite the distance from Hogwarts but one of the few points of access. "I looked it over and this is the least dangerous path- but it will not be easy. It will take several hours to get through it."

The room is silent after he finishes explaining the plan to get in which only leaves the way out. "How about the way back?" Cyrus seems to be thinking the same thing as me. Tom flicks his eyes back down to the map and that's when I realize he isn't sure of that part. But I suppose it's the best plan we have at the moment and we don't have time.

"When do we leave?"

"In an hour." Tom replies to Rosier and I begin to feel sick at what is to come. "Cyrus, you will be staying behind to watch over Atarah." The words take a second to sink in and once they do I swing my head towards Tom. "No, I am coming!" I stand up as I say the words. The others take this moment to leave the room but I know they are standing right outside the door.

"There is no fighting my decision- not this time." Tom looks away as a dismissal.

"I am coming. You can't stop me from doing this." Tom chuckles under his breath at my words as if this is some joke. "I am coming whether or not you would like me to." Tom looks at me finally and begins walking towards me.

"Dammit Atarah! I cannot have you there!"

"Why?!"

"Because if you are there I will be constantly distracted- worrying about your safety!"

"Is this about that damn key? Because I don't have it! So my safety has nothing to do with it!" We are an arms length away from each other now.

"It's not about the key!"

"If it's not about the key then let me come." I finally lower my voice trying to reason with him. I can't just stay here worried about what is going on. Worrying about whether or not they are alive or if they are in danger.

"You are not coming."

"Why not?"

"Don't make me say it Atarah." He knows by saying those words that the conversation is over. I am speechless as I think over what he just said. What could he mean? What doesn't he want to say? Then things start to come to mind. The way Cyrus was so sure that Tom wouldn't hurt me. The words that Dumbledore spoke- how he said he misjudged Tom's reasoning for protecting me.

No. That's not possible. Tom must see the way my thoughts are going so he speaks, this time softly, "You are staying here." He then yells for Cyrus to enter the room- I finally bring my eyes up and look at Tom. He whispers something in Cyrus's ear and meets my gaze. And too fast for me to know what is going on- Cyrus grabs ahold of me and pulls my arms behind my back.