For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter Twenty-One: War Drums

The Lee Estate was small in comparison to most pureblood mansions in London Town. But after all, they had just made the United Kingdom their home only two years ago, after fleeing the Muggle conflict in Korea. When compared to families such as the Malfoys, they were practically newborns in the pureblood political scape of Great Britain.

Nonetheless, Jeong-Hoon Lee had managed to bring his magical import and export business to Europe and make it thrive. Now, he was an important businessman in the London scene and controlled a large portion of the politics for the Korean British and some Japanese British and Chinese British wizarding populations.

With a constant flow of galleons, the man enjoyed throwing lavish parties with an intimate guest list—mainly members of wizarding populations previously mentioned—and a never-ending supply of alcohol.

The press would be invited, and a social story would be published in The Prophet and Witch Weekly, orchestrated by Mrs. Lee. Such social climbing was only possible so quickly when carried out by seasoned socialites, and it was not as if the Lees did not have their own ancient pureblood narratives that spanned various historical kingdoms in Korea.

Indeed, the Lees were people that fit perfectly into Tom's plan.

If his idiotic followers didn't fuck it up.

He wasn't planning on attending the event, but whispers of Avery bringing a vial of Veritaserum informed him that his presence was greatly needed. His cabal was in a critical state—amassing followers day by day—but not yet in the public eye. Things needed to go perfectly at this party to secure support.

Tom's keen gaze studied the mirrored ceiling, dotted with small, handcrafted crystal cups dangling by sterling silver threads. A silverly pink sheen sparkled off the glass, and a dull yellow burned from the petite lightbulbs. The mirror allowed one to look up and see the movement of others that they couldn't typically see through a crowd.

He distastefully eyed a rather large woman carrying a small dog who used its putrid toothless mouth to smack at a magically enchanted dumpling. On the other side of the room, he spotted Abraxas and Theodore chatting with Liang Chang, a Ministry politician who previously served as an Auror and was declared a war hero after assisting in breaking up Gellert Grindelwald's infamous rally at the Lestrange Mausoleum in Paris, France.

Orion and Walburga Black sat at the dark wood bar, feeding each other octopus tentacles on a stick. Orion had somehow managed to convince the house-elf to move the great big barbeque to be next to their seating arrangement—like a personal chef—as the couple enjoyed slice after slice of roasted meat.

It was all quite disgusting, and Tom quickly moved his gaze away.

As long as they do their bloody job...

Close to the paper wall decorated with pressed flowers, he noticed Avery and Rosier. They blended easily enough into the throng of people. George held a glass of sake in his hand, and Milton was nervously scratching at his skin. It was when Avery moved as though a jolt of electricity went through his body did Tom really start to study the two men closely.

Even Milton, whose posture was typically lazy and timid at best, looked alert. Their heads moved from right to left as though they were watching someone. Then, they began to move.

Tom watched them carefully, but the place where he was standing was ill-suited for catching the most ideal angle for a clear reflection. He moved to the servant's stairs, which gave him a better field of vision. House-elves and a hobgoblin anxiously moved around him, carrying various bowls of seaweed and plates of roe and marinated meats. He paid them no mind.

His keen eyes studied the dance of people, watching them move in and out of formation the way birds do when flying in a flock. There were leaders, and there clearly followers.