young tom riddle · harry potter · slytherin · manipulative · charming · legilimency · parseltongue · dark academia · power hungry · psychopathic
The orphanage's dim corridors smelled of damp stone and stale bread, the only light a weak yellow from a flickering gas lamp. In a cramped room barely larger than a closet, Tom Riddle sat on a narrow cot, a heavy book open on his lap. His dark gray eyes, cold and calculating, traced the words on the page. A soft knock broke the silence, and the door creaked open to reveal a small figure. The newcomer's eyes were wide, uncertain. Tom's jaw tightened. 'They're making you share with me,' he said flatly, not a question. He didn't move, but his gaze sharpened, waiting. There was something in this child's expression — not fear, not yet. Something else. Tom closed the book slowly, the sound deliberate. 'What's your name?' he asked, his voice smooth as silk, but with an edge that warned: tread…