The Secret of the Malfoy Name

Chapter XXIII: Tom Marvolo Riddle

09/25/1996
Hera stood next to Voldemort during the whole Death Eater meeting at the same room she had been the day before, where her father had been killed. He had called them to discuss the current situation, introducing Hera to his followers, who looked at her either menacing or distrustfully; but she didn\'t even flinch to their stares. She felt far too superior having the Dark Lord as her protector. She knew he wouldn\'t let them try to even touch her, after all, he had told her so himself: her gift was irreplaceable.

\'What we\'re waiting for\', Voldemort explained, \'is for Potter and Malfoy\'s son to get attached to each other. That way, he\'ll suffer immensely when he dies in front of his very eyes. Young Malfoy here,\' he said putting a hand on Hera\'s shoulder and she grinned satisfied with herself, \'has told me how it\'ll all be and I can assure you, we will finally get rid of that stupid boy for good.\'

\'With all due respect, Master,\' Parkinson started with a bow, \'how do you know she\'s worthy of your trust? After all, she is a Malfoy, and we all know how Malfoys are turning out to be lately.\'

Hera\'s eyes sparkled angrily and Voldemort replied in an annoyed tone, \'If I\'m not wrong, I was always better at judging character than all of you together. I, unlike you, did know Lucius Malfoy\'s devotion would fall just as soon as fear took over him. His daughter hasn\'t showed any signs of weakness nor fear, I\'ve noticed great ambition in her and that is enough for the moment to win my trust. Now, if you\'re suggesting that a nine year-old girl is fooling me...\'

\'Of course not, Master.\'

\'Good. Does anyone else have any questions about Hera Malfoy?\'

No one answered and Hera grinned maliciously. She was beginning to enjoy being respected and even feared. She felt so powerful... she loved it.

As soon as the meeting was over, Voldemort took Hera to the highest tower, where there was a large telescope directed at the sky through the open window. In the middle of the room there was a couch and a mahogany table all covered in scribbled rolls of parchment. She stood on the tip of her toes and looked through the telescope, her gaze fixing on the grey clouds that floated above them.

‘Why do you have a telescope in your castle?’, Hera asked curiously.

‘It was already here when I moved in. It was Salazar Slytherin’s, my ancestor. This was his study, where he wrote down everything he saw in the sky at night’, he explained.

‘He liked Astrology?’, she asked in disbelief.

‘Yes, but what he wanted more than anything was to foresee destiny, just like centaurs do. I thought it could be useful for you too. I could give you his notes so you can learn to interpret the skies, if you want.’

‘May I ask you something?’, she asked shyly as she turned around to face him. ‘How can someone like you be as terrible as everyone says?’

Voldemort smirked and ruffled her blonde hair. ‘I’m not the same man when I’m around other people, Hera. You know, being such a pretty little girl gives you a great advantage; when someone sees you, they see a tender child, ignoring the devious soul you carry. Affection is a great weakness, which is why I try to avoid it, but I must admit, I can’t help wanting to win your love. Why do you think that is?’

‘That’s easy… you have many people who respect you, fear you, worship you, but not love you. You probably feel like you’ve got everything you could ask for, except for that one stupid feeling everyone makes such a fuss about. Besides… I’m very loveable’, she beamed making him laugh.

‘That, you are… and don’t forget unbelievably wise, too’

‘Why, thank you’, she grinned smugly. ‘That’s probably the side effect of spending my whole life in a dungeon: I think too much.’

‘Well, I don’t consider that as a flaw at all. That’s just one of those things that make you as charming as you are. When I was your age, I wasn’t even tenth time the special you are.’

‘Was that what drove you to the dark side? The need to be different, to stand out of the crowd and have the recognition you couldn’t have had if you hadn’t done it?’

‘A seer and a psychologist. What else are you hiding?’, he commented as he took a seat on the couch and indicated Hera to join him. She walked confidently and sat by his side. ‘Yes, you could say it was partly because I wanted to be someone, but mainly it was about hate. I hated my father for trashing the magic in my blood with his mediocrity, I hated my mother for not loving me, my classmates for being complete fools. My only friends were the snakes, whose intelligence and cruelness is beyond anyone’s perception, and eventually, I became one of them. Killing for pleasure, torturing for fun.’

‘But why muggles and mudbloods? I can see it’s not about magic. What are you not telling me?’

‘That is something not even my closest Death Eaters know. I buried that secret a long time ago’, he sighed tiredly, suddenly looking much older than ever.

‘A girl…’, Hera whispered and he closed his eyes. ‘She made your heart race and your guts flip, but she didn’t feel the same… She was your weakness…’

‘A very accurate guess, I must say’, he said bitterly.

‘I wasn’t guessing…’, Hera whispered, not wanting for the man beside her to fear the intrusion. ‘I can see it in your eyes, full of a pain so old that ate you alive. She’s the reason why you hate love, and she was a muggle-born, wasn’t she?’

‘Would you believe me if I denied it?’, he asked sadly and she shook her head, her silvery eyes reflecting his grief. ‘Good. Stick to your cute little guesses. They can only make you more powerful. Look at me! Crushed by a memory and the words of a nine year-old!’

Hera didn’t give it a second thought. She leaned towards him in one fast movement and climbed onto his lap, surrounding his neck with her pale arms. Tom Marvolo Riddle put his arms around her small back and pulled her into a tight embrace, the only one he had had in several decades.