Zealous (Tom Riddle)

Chapter 29

Murder, one of the only violations strong enough to split one's soul.

Elizabeth understood. She had to make a sacrifice either way - lose Tom, or kill someone she held no sentiment towards. For her, the answer was obvious. Perhaps there was more reasons why she was a Slytherin after all.

"Are you prepared?" Tom asked casually as they walked hand-in-hand to the Black Lake. It was lunch time and they had decided to skip going to the Great Hall.

"I suppose I am," Elizabeth replied, "As ready as I could be. It was you, wasn't it?"

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand," Tom told her, confused.

"The person who killed Myrtle Warren. It was you," Elizabeth said plainly, "Not that Hagrid."

"Of course," Tom agreed, nodding, "Soon, you'll be the one blaming others for a most tragic death."

Elizabeth gulped. "Does it have to be someone within the school?"

"Not always," Tom smirked, "But granted that our - or your, shall I say - first attempt is being carried out tonight, we can't leave the school grounds."

Elizabeth sighed but nodded in agreement anyway. Tom decided on a quiet, Hufflepuff who was only in their first year. Elizabeth felt the guilt that any normal person would, but each time she did, she'd force herself to think of a life without Tom.

She wanted to change him. But he was Tom Riddle, he was not adaptable.

Lessons flew by and every second, Elizabeth became more nervous. For the first time in her life, she was going to kill someone. It had always been something she'd hoped she'd never have to do, and here she was, agreeing to murder voluntarily.

"You and I will be capable of such great things," Tom said as he met up with Elizabeth before they headed to find the student. According to Tom's studies, they should have been roaming in the library's restricted section.

"I suppose you could put it that way," Elizabeth mumbled.

Eventually, they got to the point. The Hufflepuff student was there in the library. Elizabeth wanted to cry out, to beg Tom to find another way, but she knew the kid's demise was inevitable.

It was either she killed them or Tom became even more bloodthirsty and murdered them himself.

"What are you doing out of bed at such an hour?" Elizabeth asked in a threatening voice, approaching the child.

"You're not a Prefect," the boy mumbled back, not even bothering to turn to check.

"Actually, I am," Elizabeth responded. It wasn't like she was lying.

"I-I'm sorry!" The kid blurted out. Elizabeth's fingers played with the handle of the blade that Tom had given her.

Make it painful, he'd said. It'll make you feel unstoppable.

Elizabeth rammed the knife into the Hufflepuff boy's throat. She didn't feel what she expected to at all. Elizabeth was anticipating thoughts of wanting to die herself as she brutally murdered an eleven year old but instead she felt an adrenaline rush. She rammed the blade further into his throat and began to laugh manically.

Tom waved his wand and the blood was gone. There was no remnants of the boy's murder except his body, which Tom cast a spell on. It turned into a thousand ashes which he then cleared with a flick of his wrist.

But something was wrong. Tom felt as if he were about to awaken from a deep sleep.