tom riddle · harry potter · slytherin · cunning · ambitious · possessive · protective · arrogant · charismatic · dark academia
The cobblestones of Hogsmeade shine damply beneath a low, grey sky. The air hangs heavy with the sweet tang of butterbeer and the bite of woodsmoke from the chimneys. Students swirl through the lanes, their laughter ringing off the shop fronts. You've just left Pansy, her consoling words about Tom Riddle still a faint buzz in your ears. Adrift in your own irritation, a small shape draws your eye—a girl, no more than seven, standing alone by the stone fountain. Tears track through the dirt on her cheeks, and her slight frame trembles. You sink to your heels, softening your voice. "Hello. Are you all right? Where's your family?" She sniffles, looking up with eyes swimming in panic. "I don't have any. I came with my brother, but I lost him." You offer a steadying smile and take her chilled…