The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xxxvi.

A man with charm is a

very dangerous thing.

-unknown

Atarah.

The chair scrapes against the hardwood floor as I pull it from the table and sit. I was awoken this morning by Abraxas who told me to come downstairs as soon as possible. I look to my right where Francis sits down and return the smile he gives me. He looks so much better, color has returned to his skin and he isn't struggling to move now. "How are you feeling?" I whisper the words as I lean towards him. "Good," he replies. "I don't even know how to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, I'm just glad you're alive." He nods his head in appreciation and we both turn at the same time as the others enter the room and take their seats. I notice immediately that Cyrus purposely goes out of his way to sit at a chair farthest from me.

"Francis has healed enough and now that he is able, he's going to fill us in on what happened." I turn my gaze away from Cyrus and look to my right. Francis clears his throat once before he starts, "As you already know we were planning to leave but I just couldn't leave Annalie behind, not where I couldn't protect her from Dumbledore. I went to her and was begging her to join us but she would not leave without me giving her more information."

"I told her about what happened to Tom and Atarah, the moment I brought up Atarah almost dying and her parents-" I stiffened at the words and turned my gaze down to my hands, and for a moment I could almost feel the thick blood of my parents coating my hands. In a panic I turn my head slightly to where Tom sits only to find him watching me. His gaze holds me in place and slowly the fear leaves me and I am brought back. A shaky breath escapes my lips and I tear myself away from the heat of his gaze and focus on Francis again. Though the burn of his touch never leaves me.

"-That's when Atarah found me. I hadn't seen Annalie since she ran away from me and Dumbledore knew she was with us. I just have a bad feeling about this." I already knew the story but hearing it again gets me thinking.

"Why would she run even after learning the truth?" Annalie has never feared anything, she's always gone into something in control and never let any uncertainty show. She also has an eerily accurate ability to tell when someone is lying. "It may have been the part where Francis stunned her." Cyrus speaks up from where he sits and his tone is both bored and annoyed. While that is true, she would most likely take her chances with Francis than to stay at a place with a murderer.

"So what's next? Do we try to find Annalie or do we go after Dumbledore?"

"I am still deciphering the spells I got from Adrian, we can't go after Dumbeldore yet. And we don't even know if Annalie is still at Hogwarts and I won't risk any of you for a suicide mission. We will wait and prepare ourselves," Tom speaks calmly and looks at each one of us as he speaks his next words. "And then we are going to kill Dumbledore."

...

I toss in my bed and throw the sheets off of my body. I sigh in frustration and sit up. Every time I've tried to close my eyes all I see is Dumbledore's cruel smile and blood, too much blood. I keep questioning why I haven't broken yet, asking myself why the fear and grief hasn't crushed me yet. The only reason I can think of though is that I have focused solely on one thing, revenge.

Everything I have been feeling has only left me confused except for my hatred for him. I want to be the one that takes his life but last time I barely made it out alive. And I know Dumbeldore won't make the same mistake and undermine my ability. I rush out of bed with a new idea and quickly throw on a robe that covers my short nightgown I am wearing. I am out of my room in an instant and hurrying towards his room.