"If it's not Tom Riddle, then who else could it be? Surely the Heir of Slytherin has to be him?" someone insisted.
"Impossible! Slytherin's all about bloodlines. It has to be Tom Riddle!"
"..."
I appreciate your confidence, Tom Riddle thought, standing silently as the group debated. Inwardly, however, he was cursing. They weren't entirely wrong; Parseltongue was, after all, the key to the Chamber of Secrets, and only Slytherin's descendants possessed that gift.
Just as the argument reached a fever pitch, Professor Flitwick piped up, "What if this 'heir' doesn't refer to Slytherin's heir at all?"
"Then whose heir could it be? Who could inherit the legacy of such evil?"
"..."
Tom Riddle's lips twitched involuntarily as everyone turned to stare at him. Clearly, they were all thinking the same thing: the Dark Lord's heir.
If that's the case, then the heir should be…
Cassandra crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "Hmph! I wouldn't bother with that ugly cat."
"Ugly cat…" Filch clutched the stiff Mrs. Norris to his chest and burst into tears. "Waaah…"
Though Cassandra's words were sharp, the professors knew her well enough to trust she wouldn't lie about something like this.
Then, out of nowhere, Harry leaned towards Malfoy and whispered, "Malfoy, do you think it's possible the murderer is… me?"
"…"
Is he even listening to himself? Malfoy stared at Harry, wide-eyed in disbelief. "Potter, are you mad?"
Their conversation drew the attention of everyone in the room, even Dumbledore, though the Headmaster's expression was particularly strange as he looked at Harry.
Harry, however, seemed unfazed. "Think about it. If this 'successor' really refers to Tom Riddle's successor and not Cassandra, his direct disciple, then it can only be me—the second-in-command of the Death Eaters!"
Harry mentally applauded his own brilliance. Taking the blame for killing a cat and acquiring the legendary title of "Tom Riddle's successor" was a steal!
"..."
The professors exchanged speechless glances before returning to their debate. Tom Riddle, however, was genuinely impressed by Harry's audacity.
He approached Harry, half-squatted, and clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you, Harry. If I ever decide to retire, I'll pass the Death Eaters on to you."
He hadn't been particularly interested in world domination, anyway. Recruiting the Death Eaters had been just for fun—an annoyance, really. Passing them on to Harry wasn't such a bad idea.
"Yes, sir! I won't let you down!" Harry beamed, clearly ecstatic.
Malfoy, finally understanding Harry's "true purpose," exclaimed internally, You cunning bastard, Potter!
"Ahem…"
Tom Riddle turned at the sound of the voice and saw Cassandra standing, arms crossed, looking down at him.
She frowned slightly, regarding him with displeasure. "Teacher, is there something else you want to say?"
Seeing his student's jealousy, Tom Riddle sighed and stroked Cassandra's long blonde hair. "It's nothing. I take you everywhere. You wouldn't have time to manage the Death Eaters anyway."
Hearing this, Cassandra finally relented. "Hmph!"
"..." x7
Is it really okay to say this in front of us? The professors and Filch exchanged strange glances. However, no one said anything, pretending they hadn't heard.
"Since we can't find this so-called heir anytime soon, everyone should return to their quarters. Classes will proceed as usual tomorrow," Dumbledore instructed the other professors before departing. It was late, after all, and he couldn't leave his "Gail" alone!
Seeing this, the other professors also left. Even Lockhart, at Tom Riddle's signal, returned to his office.
"Then you should all go back to your dorms," Tom Riddle said to Harry and the others, signaling that he had other matters to attend to.
Hearing this, Malfoy started to head toward his dorm, but stopped when he noticed Harry standing motionless.
"Potter, what's wrong?" Malfoy asked with concern.
But Harry ignored him, instead looking up at Tom Riddle and telling him about the strange noises he had been hearing.
Harry expected Tom Riddle to be surprised, or at least show some reaction, but to his surprise, Tom Riddle showed no surprise at all, as if he had known all along.
Seeing the curious looks on their faces, Tom Riddle sighed with feigned helplessness before explaining, "Harry, this is actually because of my… talent."
The three of them were momentarily stunned. Then, as if realizing something, Harry looked at Tom Riddle in disbelief.
Could it be…? His mind raced, replaying countless scenarios before arriving at an almost impossible truth. His original name might not be Harry Potter… but Harry Riddle! He thought he earned his position as the second-in-command of the Death Eaters through his own efforts, but it turned out to be inherited?!
Harry's eyes welled with tears, his lips trembled, and his gaze toward Tom Riddle was filled with a complex mix of emotions before he whispered, "Damn…"
Slap!
Tom Riddle slapped Harry without hesitation. "Who are you calling 'dam'?! I'm telling you, don't try to associate yourself with anyone!"
"Then why did you say that, Professor…?" Harry rubbed his face, looking aggrieved.
"Twelve years ago, when Voldemort tried to kill you, you accidentally reflected the Killing Curse, which is how he died so hastily," Tom Riddle explained, "And when he died, due to some accident, a fragment of his soul attached itself to you, so you automatically learned the Parseltongue I originally knew."
"Oh…" Harry nodded somewhat disappointedly. What a letdown.
Malfoy, on the other hand, looked at Harry with a look of sudden realization. So that's how you defeated Voldemort, huh?
"Teacher, why was Potter able to deflect the Killing Curse?" Sensing Cassandra's curiosity, Tom Riddle didn't choose to hide anything. "Because his mother's love for him accidentally triggered an ancient and powerful spell, a spell that will protect him until he grows up."
Hearing this, Harry stared blankly at his hands. "Mom…"
---