The Man Behind the Mask

Chapter 2 - Gathering the Disciples

Days went by and Tom remained in hiding. A huge scheme was unfurling in his mind and he wanted to make sure it was flawless. "Everything would be under control. No one would know the difference between one of my followers and someone not possessed." An evil grin loomed on his face. "Now, to announce my destruction to the world." He took out his wand and Apparated to a small town called Little Hangleton.

It was still night on that side of the world and a full moon shone brightly in the starry sky. A wolf howled in the distance. It seemed like the usual quiet, peaceful neighborhood, unless you counted a cloaked figure lurking in the dark, walking slowly towards the largest house in the town - the Riddle house.

Only three people inhabited the old mansion, an elderly couple and their son, Tom - Voldemort's father. Their gardener had left home early and the three were fixing to eat, Mrs. Riddle setting the table while her husband and Tom sat beside the fire and read books; some classical music was being played on the radio.

Suddenly the music stopped all on its own. Marvolo Riddle, Tom's father, stared at the radio in bewilderment, then looked to the lights as they started to flicker. Tom jumped out of his antique armchair and found that his mother was backing away from something in horror. Strange words filled the air as green light came from the dining room and Mrs. Riddle shrieked for a moment. A noise sounding much like a thud echoed around the silent house and cold, icy laughter moved nearer towards the two shivering men. The same cloaked figure that had appeared outside stood before them, and there was something in his hand that reminded Tom of something his wife had had in her hand many times. "A wand!" he whispered fearfully, backing away towards the other end of the room.

The figure took off his hood and raised an eyebrow at Tom, glancing at his wand once. "So ... finally ... I meet my ... father." Tom was silent, wondering what this teenage boy meant. "You wouldn't know who I would be, though, would you? I guess you never got to know your son anyway. You left him with his dying mother. Left him to an orphanage bearing your name; left him with having to know you've lived all this time to tell it!" Voldemort screamed, Marvolo doing the same in fear and looking out the window as if to call for help. Voldemort glanced at his grandfather then grinned cruelly. "You'll be first to go, you old, worthless Muggle." Again the strange words, Tom making them out clearly now. "Avada Kedavra!" Green light filled the room again, Tom's father moaning in agony as he died. Tom stared at the figure in pure shock, wondering what would happen to himself.

Voldemort grinned at his father. "Save the best for last, right, Father? Now it's your turn to die. Tell me if there's a bright, green light in the end, I've never really known what it's like!!" A sadistic laugh could be heard outside the house now, Tom's screams blending with it. Watching neighbors could see a cloaked figure disappearing from the front of the house as they called the police, but they were too late. The Riddle house was now officially unoccupied. Three bodies lay in the dining room. The Riddles were dead.

* * *

News spread slowly around town of how Mr., Mrs. and Tom Riddle had been found dead in the dining room in perfect health, besides the fact that they weren't alive. The local police believed their gardener had been the culprit, and this rumor stayed for many years. Hogwarts was still in a flurry about how their perfect Slytherin prefect had run away weeks ago. Many times in the Daily Prophet, the name "Voldemort" began showing up in the headlines, bit by bit. Eventually they got a picture, but he kept running out of the photo to be recognized by anyone. But two people did remember the name.

"Have you heard from Tom yet, Malcolm?" Malfoy asked his friend in the dormitory.

Snape shook his head. "It seems like he's not coming back to see us anyway. I think we overdid it."

"Maybe we should go looking for him?"

Severus's father stared at Malfoy in shock. "You expect me to get expelled so easily?"

Now Malfoy shook his head. "I'm not expecting anything from you, except for the fact that I want to know what Tom's doing out there using the name 'Voldemort' and killing people."

Snape sighed heavily. "Oh, I guess ..." They got out of bed and grabbed their brooms quickly, flying out of the window in search of their friend.

* * *

Voldemort sat down in his cave in deep thought, hearing someone coming suddenly. He stood after a moment, Malfoy and Snape standing in front of him cautiously, their hands still on their brooms in case they needed to escape. Voldemort grinned at their fear of him and he sat down again, gesturing the two to do the same. Slowly Malfoy and Snape looked at each other then sat on the ground, holding their brooms tightly.

"Well, well. I was wondering when you two would react," Voldemort hissed, a crude smile on his face.

It was Snape who'd be first to reply. "We were wondering if you wanted us to join you, Tom -"

"Speak not the name!!" growled Voldemort furiously. More calmly, he added, "Tom Riddle's dead. If anyone is going to call me anything it will be strictly Lord Voldemort. As for joining me, I'd be more than grateful. It's quite boring killing Muggles by yourself, you see. Gets less amusing after a while."

Malfoy eyed Snape again like Voldemort was crazy, but said nothing about it when finding Voldemort was glaring at him. "What about you, Malfoy? Are you going to join me as well, or desert me like you did before and graduate at that stupid school you love so much?"

Lucius Malfoy's father shifted nervously as he sat, wondering on how to reply. He trembled as he started to speak. "Well, Voldemort, since I did help you find that name, I'd be honored to join you."

Voldemort smirked, pretending to believe this feeble answer. "Good. Now I know you two know more people than I do. Gather some more followers while you're at it. Go back to Hogwarts and pretend nothing happened, then start luring wizards in. Only purebloods, of course. Can't have any Mudbloods with us, it would spoil our fun."

Both Snape and Malfoy shifted nervously now, remembering Voldemort was only half-blood. "Yes, my Lord," they replied in unison.

Voldemort grinned.