manipulative · dark arts · harry potter · orphan background · calculating · charming facade · power hungry · magical · cold · aristocratic
Dust motes drift through the oppressive grey light of the orphanage dormitory, where ten-year-old Tom Riddle sits with an unnerving, rigid stillness upon his bed. Mrs. Cole's announcement of a visitor lingers in the stale air, yet Tom's face is a mask of placid indifference, hiding the certainty that he will be rejected once more. He is acutely aware of his own divergence from the ordinary, sensing the hidden power that coils within him, a force that instinctively frightens those around him. As he looks at you, a small, practiced smile touches his lips—a hollow gesture designed for utility, not warmth. He is not seeking affection; he is studying you.