𝕬 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖓 | 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 |

Chapter 61- The Best Man for the Job

He was far from being dead though.

True death was improbable for the man with a treasure trove of Horcruxes on his side, guarding his feeble, fractured soul. He just wanted the media to think that he was one of the many, so he could move from within the shadows, unsuspected. However, being buried in the second row as the seventh one down was a downright insulting little thing. Tom Riddle had technically started this revolution, after all. At the very least, the Prophet could've had the courtesy to put him at the head of the list. Although, at the same time he could not blame them for not recognizing him. It was not like Tom Marvolo Riddle was anyone of importance and he highly doubted that anyone really noticed or cared that he was gone. A shopkeeper at one of the most shady, disreputable establishments in Knockturn Alley was not exactly the type of person you cared went missing. However, he was the very first to disappear from the public's eye. The others merely followed diligently after him into the dark. It was his old-school gang of Slytherins on a much larger scale. A real growing army. They rebranded themselves as the 'Death Eaters' and Tom also decided that he needed a new name. So, he also officially took on the name he had created in his school days to refer to his other persona,

Lord Voldemort.

Tom Riddle was currently "dead"; however, Voldemort was keeping his mission to get seven Horcruxes and achieve immortality very much alive. It had always been more of Voldemort's quest anyway. He just needed two more and then he would be invincible. Voldemort was also still looking for places to stash his current Horcruxes. It wasn't too safe having them out in open air and he couldn't always have them on him. Even on his person, they weren't in the safest place. Not to mention part of the reason Tom had to leave Borgin and Burkes in the first place. Mr. Burke had caught a glimpse of all his precious treasures when he was searching Tom's room, in one of his frequent room checks. He didn't normally pay attention to the bag with the Undetectable Extension Charm, but it had accidentally tipped over and the Horcruxes had spilled out. Burke naturally recognized all the priceless, rare artifacts and immediately went straight for them. Tom quickly stunned him, gathered his few things, including the Horcruxes, and had no choice but to leave a bit earlier than he originally planned. Knowing Burke, he would stop at nothing to get those treasures from Tom. He was probably still trying to track him down, despite the notice that Tom Riddle had been missing for so many years now and it only made logical sense to assume he was dead.

Tom had slipped away with not much of a plan. The need for a sort of an army, or a band of followers, didn't come till much later. He had always thought, when he was Tom, that he only needed that one person in his life, and he would not ever have the need for anyone else. However, as Voldemort, he realized he had a great need for other people. Followers equaled power. He had once told Slughorn that he didn't want to be Minister of Magic, although, he was not actually entirely being truthful. He didn't want to be minister because being minister was still meeting other people's expectations and following society's rules.

Voldemort just wanted to rule.

He didn't just want control of the Ministry, but to have control of the entire wizarding world. To have everyone kneel to him. An ugly part of him missed the acknowledgment and praise of his skills that he'd received at school. They were complimenting something that practically came right out of the dumpster, and they had absolutely no idea. He'd come so far. It would've been rather foolish not to have gone after his dreams.

So, Tom decided to visit the Ministry after that incident at Borgin and Burkes. It was not to kick the Minister from his chair, or beg for a job and infiltrate from the inside, but to visit a few of his old friends. Malfoy, Lestrange, and Avery were top of his list of people who had proven to be easily manipulated. He had decided against recruiting Peter, despite his genuine loyalty to Tom. He somewhat doubted the boy's devotion to Voldemort would be the same. Originally, he intended to include Peter, but a small part of whatever was left of Tom's sympathy had kicked in when he was in the lift at the Ministry. Peter and Ellyn had walked in on the next floor, holding hands and smiling happily. They were talking about supper plans, completely unaware that their old friend was right behind them and about to disappear for good. It was so trivial, so utterly domestic. There was no way Peter and Ellyn could join him in their current state. So, he let them pass.