Chapter 141 Between Riddle

Chapter 141 Between Riddle

In the deepest part of Tom Riddle's soul, there was darkness at first, but surprisingly, this darkness was not uncomfortable.

The golden lion had left, but Della still felt warm, as if she was wrapped in water. Then, she heard a voice very similar to Tom Riddle's. The magnetic male voice kept expressing his love.

"Oh, Merope, I love you so much, and I am so lucky to have you."

"Why won't you come back with me to Riddle House? You're pregnant, Merope, and I love you. I want to introduce you to my family."

......

Della also heard the woman's voice, but the woman named Merope spoke softly and rarely, mostly just responding to the man, always saying, "I love you, too, Tom."

Is this before Tom Riddle was born?

Della was a little confused, but she never regarded Voldemort as an ordinary person. Combined with the feeling of being wrapped in water, Della guessed that Tom Riddle remembered everything that happened after his physical development was complete.

Old Tom's declaration of love and Merope's response continued, and Della was intoxicated by what she heard. She was immersed in love and forgot who she was for a moment.

Then suddenly, at a certain moment, the male voice, which was always low and gentle, screamed shrilly.

"This is disgusting! You disgusting witch!!"

Della didn't hear the woman's excuses or pleas to stay, but the water surrounding her suddenly became ice-cold, and Della tasted bitterness and numbness.

After that, the loving male voice never appeared again, and the pregnant Merope seemed to embark on a journey. Della heard the sound of the engine starting, the sound of the train whistle, and then all the mixed voices.

There were rude words, sarcastic words, and caring words. Most of these words only appeared once and probably came from strangers.

Merope remained silent and numb, and only her children could feel her sadness and helplessness.

Merope was having a hard time. She always stroked her belly and whispered "Tom, Tom". Who was she calling? Her father or her child?

Della didn't know it, but she could still feel the love.

Perhaps because she had spent all her money, Merope was still numb, but she could no longer remain silent. Della heard her clumsily looking for a job, but no store was willing to hire her. Some people loudly called her a squib and drove her away rudely; some people repeatedly recounted their own difficulties and gave her something to get rid of her.

Finally, she had no choice but to sell the heirloom hanging around her neck, Slytherin's locket.

Ah, she is actually a descendant of Slytherin.

Unfortunately, the merchant who bought her things didn't take care of her at all because she was pregnant, and took away the priceless treasure for only ten Galleons.

You just put up with the oppression? How can you be so cowardly?

Della wanted to blame her, but what position did Della have? The child's life was connected to Merope, and it was this cowardly woman who was holding on to a life abandoned by her father.

Della was still in the darkness, and this darkness was slowly becoming uncomfortable. Sadness and pain squeezed her back and forth, but fortunately there was still one last piece of warmth to accompany her.

Merope still loves this child.

Della thought so and couldn't wait to break out of the darkness. She couldn't add any more burden to this cowardly yet strong mother.

However, the only thing that accompanied the light was the mother's liberation.

Merope held the child for a while. By then, she was so thin that she looked unrecognizable, as if only skin was left sticking to her bones. Della could hardly imagine that this was the face of a mother who had just given birth.

Merope held the past Tom and the present Della in her arms. She looked at the children, blinking her dull eyes very slowly. She said "Tom, Tom" twice very softly, and then murmured like a spell:

"Little Tom, don't be as plain as your mother. You must be as handsome as your father."

"Little Tom, don't be as cowardly and incompetent as your mother. You must have the dignity of your grandfather."

Merope's eyes blinked slower and slower, her eyes became emptier and emptier, her voice became weaker and weaker, only some vague breaths remained. Even facing the child she had given birth to with great difficulty, she could not hold on any longer. Her life was full of pain from beginning to end.

She named her child after the two most important and most painful men in her life, but did not leave any trace of herself on little Tom, not even a word of "love" from her mouth.

Finally, the last little bit of love Tom Riddle had was gone.

When he was born, he had nothing.

Della's eyes were no longer dark, but at this moment, the light was more uncomfortable than the darkness. Little Tom was crying loudly, breathing in fresh air and longing for new warmth.

Someone picked him up, rocked him around and coaxed him into falling asleep. The comforted child gradually fell asleep.

Will this be Tom's new warmth?

Sadly, no.

When he was born, there were many homeless and helpless children like him, and Tom was not a lucky child who found love.

The adults who might have given him family love ignored him, and the children who might have given him friendship bullied him.

This large group of people are competing for limited resources, the resources for survival, in a limited space.

In this way, those who loved Tom Riddle at first ruthlessly abandoned him, and those who later begged for love from him ignored him.

Gradually, Tom Riddle no longer needed love.

He concentrated on striving and snatching, and when he discovered that he was different, he struggled even harder.

Della followed the past Tom Riddle to bully the weak, because his expectations had long been shattered; Della followed the past Tom Riddle to instigate snakes, because he himself lived in fear; Della followed the past Tom Riddle to perform magic, because he would be bullied if he was not radical.

Della didn't like this behavior, but her mind was tied to Tom, which made her understand Tom's thoughts.

The world does not love Tom Riddle, and Tom Riddle does not love the world, so he has no scruples and uses his power wantonly against people who are inferior to him.

Dumbledore appeared at this time. He was much stronger than Tom Riddle, who already believed in the principle of the survival of the fittest. He could intimidate and teach him at will.

Tom met someone stronger, witnessed stronger power, and learned new rules.

He realized that strength was not the only way to obtain things, and that being good enough to even tolerate others could also allow him to gain a lot of things.

But this is a rule set by the strong, right?

At least that's what Tom Riddle thought.

Look at Dumbledore here. His long hair and beard are meticulously groomed, the clothes he wears are better than any fabric he has ever touched, and he has such great power that he can make him confess in front of the flames with just a wave of his hand.

But what kind of environment did he grow up in? There was war outside and chaos and depression inside. How could a child who was not loved survive except by fighting and robbing?

You haven't given me anything, but you make demands on me in such a disgusting and rightful way. I don't like and don't accept your self-righteous kindness.

Little Tom Riddle's thoughts enveloped Della, forcing her to agree with them. Della followed him into his Hogwarts, while enduring his tit-for-tat questioning.

"Look, Della, what a wonderful place this is. There is no chaos, and there is plenty of food. It seems that learning and socializing are everything. You also came from an orphanage. Even if you lived better than me in the orphanage, you should know that this place is simply heaven."

"But should we be grateful? Not at all, because this is what we deserve. Instead, we should blame the world that made us suffer for eleven years."

"Hmm? You don't agree? But what do you have more than me?"

"Do you have relatives and friends in the Muggle world who care about you? You don't."

"Are the friendships and love you have gained in school genuine? I don't think so, hypocritical little Riddle."

"Do you mean that you care about Dumbledore's care and teachings for you? Oh, come on, you know that's fear."

Tom Riddle began to deny the things that Della valued most, just as he denied Ginny, trying to pry open a corner of Della's stubborn soul and absorb the life force that was best for him.

Della was shaken by his aggressive and relentless questioning, but still tried her best to resist. So Tom put Della into the body in his memory again, letting Della face the hypocrisy engraved in Riddle's bones.

Tom Riddle was humble and studious, and Della Riddle was also humble and studious; Tom Riddle was like a fish in water in social situations, and Della Riddle was also like a fish in water in social situations; Tom Riddle used his Slytherin blood to gain followers, and Della Riddle also used her Dark Lord blood to gain followers.

When Tom Riddle thought he had gained enough loyalty, he began to reign in terror; when Della Riddle thought she had gained enough loyalty, she also began to...

No! She won't start! She's Della! Not Tom!

Della finally broke free from Tom Riddle's will. Tom denied her, and she also denied Tom.

"There's no one in the Muggle world who cares about me, but don't you know I don't need that?"

“I am indeed hypocritical and have not fully invested in my friendship and love, but I will continue to be hypocritical to protect the most precious ones.”

"And Headmaster Dumbledore, he is afraid of me, but I don't care. I am happy to accept it because he is teaching me to take the right path."

"But what about you, Tom Riddle? You have received so much care and teaching, but you still chose to become Voldemort. Can you blame the world around you?"

"The world has tried its best to save you, but you stubbornly denied the world's kindness!"

Della questioned Tom as aggressively as before. The repression that enveloped her began to twist and break. In the sense of freedom that spread throughout her soul, Della felt an incomparable sense of victory for the first time.

What she broke was not only Tom Riddle's coercion, but she also shattered her own confusion.

Della returned to the long, dimly lit chamber, but Ginny and Tom were no longer there. There was only one wall facing her, with a faint stone painting engraved on it.

[Horcrux]

Della read the words she had never seen before engraved in the snake language in the center of the stone painting. She raised her eyebrows, looked up and began to study the spell diagram hidden in the stone painting, as well as the spell also engraved in the snake language.

She had a hunch that here she might not only find a way to stop Voldemort from coveting her flesh and blood and soul, but also be able to dig out some other important and crucial information.