Poison A Tom Marvolo Riddle Fanfiction completed

Chapter Seven - Knowledge

A month later summer break had started. Cassiopeia was sitting in the library of Houlton Manor. It was a huge and ancient library containing a seemingly endless amount of books on all possible subjects. Her father had never made any restrictions concerning the manor's library but Cassiopeia had always avoided the section of books on the Dark Arts. Now she was eyeing these rows of books warily. During the many hours they had spent together in Hogwarts' library Cassiopeia had realized that the only thing Tom was really afraid of was death itself. There was nothing he wanted as badly as to avoid dying. Although Cassiopeia didn't share his opinion that death was man's biggest weakness, she was determined to help him find his way to immortality. After all, she didn't want to lose him due to the Dark Arts the way she had lost her mother. Since the beginning of the break she had finally started looking through the books that she had always avoided up to now. Cassiopeia was running her fingers over the old yellowed pages of the book she was currently reading when a word stood out to her eyes that she had seen in several of the other books as well but which had never been elaborated. In this volume however, there was a whole paragraph on it. Horcruxes. Reading the passage Cassiopeia sat up straight. When she had finished she put the book down on the table and sat there lost in her thoughts.

Tom was sitting in his room in the orphanage. Cassiopeia had invited him to stay at her family's home during the summer holidays. Tom hadn't hesitated and had accepted her offer right away. Anything was better than being stuck in the detested orphanage. Tom eyed the books on his desk. He had managed to sneak some volumes out of Hogwarts and had brought them with him. The last one he had been reading was now lying next to him on the bed. It had been interesting but it still hadn't held the information he was searching for. He was definitely looking forward to going to Cassiopeia's home the next week. He had been a little surprised when she had invited him to stay some weeks of the summer break at her family's manor but he had accepted without thinking twice. He would have taken any chance to get out of and away from the wretched orphanage as far as he could. When he had gotten the chance to think about his stay at Houlton Manor he had been even more delighted. His Slytherin gang had once told him that many members of the Houltons had been in Slytherin. They were wealthy and pure-blooded. They surely would have a library consisting of interesting books. Maybe they would even have some that weren't found at Hogwarts, not even in the restricted section. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high but he still felt excited about his visit to Houlton Manor.

When Tom arrived at Houlton Manor a week later and his gaze fell on the huge manor separated from the village on a small hill and surrounded by big trees that protected the manor he felt hatred. It was present in his whole body and he was reminded of his first encounter with Cassiopeia. "Why do you hate them all so much?" she had asked. He couldn't keep a frown from appearing on his blank and emotionless face. He knew that he never showed his hatred on his features. Still, Cassiopeia had somehow known about this feeling that was so ever present in his being. What would she say if she saw him now, again encased in this deep hatred? What would she say if she saw his hatred directed at her family's possessions? Somehow Tom couldn't help but feel that she wouldn't care. She always seemed so detached from his lack of emotions. She never seemed to mind and actually accepted it as a part of him. Tom exhaled sharply. No matter how hard he tried, she simply didn't make sense to him. Tom walked slowly towards the entrance of Houlton Manor. When he passed the gates he felt the presence of strong and powerful magic. It made him feel at home. His magic flowed through his body and seemed to coincide with the magic that radiated from the house. Tom strode to the entrance and rang the bell. The door was opened by a house elf that shot him a short look and then bowed to him.

"You must be Mr. Riddle. Please come in. I will inform the mistress immediately."

The house elf motioned for him to enter. Tom stepped into the entrance hall. The house elf disappeared with a loud crack leaving him on his own. He eyed the hall. In the middle there was a staircase that obviously led to the upper floor. While he was still looking at it, Cassiopeia appeared through a door on the right. "Hello Tom."

Tom nodded in reply and was glad that Cassiopeia wasn't a person of many words. She wouldn't expect him to talk and she wouldn't talk herself unless she had something worth saying.

"I'll show you to your room." Cassiopeia motioned for him to follow her. They went up the stairs and then to the right. Cassiopeia motioned to a door on her left. "That's my brother's room. Ceph will return tomorrow." Then she opened a door on the right. "Here you are. The bathroom is next door. If you need anything, call Dissy, the house elf. She'll be there."

Cassiopeia turned to leave. "Dinner is at seven. Probably, my father is going to be there. We'll see." Then she closed the door behind her.

Tom turned around and eyed the room. He was surprised to find that it suited him rather well. It was dark and furnished with a huge wooden bed, a desk facing the window front and a wardrobe on the opposite wall. The curtains and the sheets on the bed were in the Slytherin colours green and silver. Tom went over to the window and looked outside. He could see the front yard which he had passed on his way to the entrance. He saw that his trunk had already been put next to the wardrobe. Not intending to unpack Tom turned around and left the room. When he was standing in the hallway again he observed his surroundings. On the opposite wall there was the door which obviously led to Cepheus Houlton's room. A little further down the corridor there was another door. Tom opened it and saw that it led to the bathroom, as Cassiopeia had said. Tom could see that the corridor took a corner. He was surprised to find that he couldn't round the corner however. He saw a door at the end of the corridor but the entrance to this corridor was magically warded. Tom slightly raised an eyebrow. Then he turned around and descended the stairs. Downstairs he turned to the right. He followed the corridor but all the doors were closed. He was just about to call the house elf when he saw that the door at the end of the corridor was open. He walked closer and saw that it led to the library. Already upon entering Tom could feel the magic that surrounded the books that were stored in all those shelves. He took a deep breath and felt his magic crackle with excitement at the presence of all of this ancient knowledge. To his delight he saw that there were many titles which were without doubt concerning the Dark Arts. Tom smirked. This library was paradise. This summer break would be special. No wasting away in the wretched orphanage but studying the Dark Arts without being disturbed by some silly homework on unimportant matters. Suddenly Tom realized that he wasn't alone. He turned around and saw Cassiopeia standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the doorframe and eyed him with interest. Somehow he disliked this scrutinizing gaze of hers. No matter how blank his face was, no matter how good an actor he was, he always had the impression that Cassiopeia saw right through his façade. Actually it wasn't only an impression. More than once, she had proved that she indeed seemed to see right into his true self. It was somehow unsettling.

"I thought you would like it," she stated.

Tom didn't reply. He eyed the shelves full of books longingly. Then he remembered the corridor upstairs and the magical wards that had been put on it. He didn't bother to conceal his curiosity since that effort would probably only be wasted on Cassiopeia.

"Why is that corridor upstairs warded?"

For a moment, Cassiopeia looked taken aback. Then she said, "There's my mother's room".

Tom raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"It's been warded ever since she died."

"Your mother is dead?" Tom realized that he actually knew very little about her family.

"Yes."

Since Cassiopeia obviously didn't intend to continue, he asked, "How did that happen?"

Cassiopeia shrugged. "Some dark spell backfired, I suppose."

Tom looked at her. For once, it was Cassiopeia whose face was emotionless. Then Cassiopeia turned around and said, "It's time for dinner."

When Tom was lying in his bed later this evening he thought about what had happened earlier. Cassiopeia's father hadn't talked much during dinner. In fact, he had only made some polite small talk. Then he had left for his study. Tom and Cassiopeia had spent the rest of the evening in the library, with all the gorgeous books that could be found there.

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Author's note:

Thank you for reading!!