Ch 110
"The Family Trees of Wizards — Born Noble."
A Slytherin student wandered between the tall shelves of the library.
Because Professor Lupin, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, was temporarily absent, all classes had been taken over by their Head of House, Professor Snape.
No one knew whether Snape had been bitten by a werewolf in his youth, but he seemed to hold an almost personal hatred toward them.
He had assigned two entire volumes of homework on werewolves—methods of identifying them, ways of killing them, the more detailed the better.
Sighing, the boy was about to move to the next aisle when the gilded title on a book caught his eye.
Almost instantly, curiosity seized him. He hurried forward, pulled out the genealogy bearing his own surname, and began to read.
His original purpose for coming to the library vanished from his mind.
At first glance, he was completely absorbed.
He read every line with fascination, not even skipping punctuation. Merlin, he dared to swear that his family tree at home was nothing but scrap paper compared with this one—just a few names and birth dates. What proof was that of a glorious past?
The more he read, the more excited he became. It was as if he had returned to the era when his ancestors bathed in honour.
Ancient and noble wizards seemed to guide his forefathers along their path; powerful sorcerers talked and laughed beside them.
Heroic deeds leapt from the pages, filling him with pride. A powerful sense of satisfaction swelled in his chest.
At the very end, he even saw his own name.
"Restore the glory of my ancestors!"
The thought took root uncontrollably in his mind.
Still unsatisfied, he reached for the next volume of genealogy.
The House of Gaunt
The opening lines read:
According to research, this family descended from Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts and the founder of Slytherin House.
However, due to their stubborn refusal to marry Muggles, their numbers gradually dwindled. Obsessed with luxury and extravagance, the once-considerable fortune of the Gaunts was squandered by later generations. Overall, this is a family in steep decline.
May the glory of Slytherin shine upon Hogwarts once more!
The boy frowned.
He immediately lost interest. The records were pale and lifeless; even between the lines he could sense how quickly the family had fallen.
Still, unwilling to abandon the book halfway, he forced himself to continue.
Whether by luck or misfortune, he soon received a shock.
---
Perhaps the last surviving descendant of Slytherin
Tom Marvolo Riddle
31 December 1926 – Present
Believed to be the final known heir of Salazar Slytherin.
His mother, Merope Gaunt, disgraced pure-blood pride by falling in love with a Muggle she had no natural charm to attract.
She resorted to the dangerous use of a love potion, forcing the handsome Muggle to marry her. She gave birth to Tom Marvolo Riddle and died shortly afterward.
Thus Tom Riddle grew up in a London orphanage. From childhood he displayed extraordinary magical talent.
However, his uncontrolled use of magic caused fear among other children—moving objects without touching them, speaking to animals, bringing misfortune upon those he disliked…
Professor Dumbledore led him back to the proper path before he strayed too far. He was accepted to Hogwarts and Sorted into Slytherin House.
Fifth Year — Awarded a Special Award for Services to the School for solving a murder case that year.
Seventh Year — Elected Head Boy.
During his school years — Received multiple honours including the Award for Outstanding Character, additional Special Contribution Awards, and even the Order of Merlin. His trophies can still be seen in the Hogwarts trophy room…
---
After graduating in 1945, Tom Riddle applied to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, but was rejected by Headmaster Armando Dippet.
He turned down several positions at the Ministry of Magic and instead chose to work at Borgin and Burkes, an antique shop in Knockturn Alley.
---
After that, due to unknown circumstances, he vanished for ten years. His whereabouts were a mystery…
---
The student read the résumé with envy. Even though Riddle had been a half-blood, his achievements were dazzling.
Yet the boy could not understand his final choice. With such a record, why become a mere shop assistant instead of a Ministry official?
"Perhaps only Malfoy could compare with him," he muttered, thinking of the young Slytherin currently in the spotlight.
He was about to close the thin book when—
The black ink suddenly turned a blinding crimson, twisting like a serpent and rearranging itself into new letters:
A coward has no right to know the truth.
He sneered. "I'd like to see this so-called truth. Just another cheap trick."
He turned the page.
It was blank.
"Exactly what I expected," he muttered, ready to return the book. But then words slowly bled onto the paper again:
Tom Marvolo Riddle
"Let's see what nonsense you have left," he said, hand pausing midair.
The scarlet letters began to writhe like disgusting insects. An uneasy chill crept into his heart.
"Just a low-grade Transfiguration charm… and a slow one at that," he forced a laugh.
Then the letters twisted and rearranged themselves into a single line:
I AM LORD VOLDEMORT
His mind exploded.
It was as if a cold, cruel laugh brushed past his ears. His hands shook violently; the book slipped from his grasp and hit the floor with a dull thud. He stood frozen.
"This… this can't be real…"
The words faded, then returned, smaller but still glaring blood-red.
From the first line onward, the message reappeared:
He never vanished.
He merely gave himself a new name — Voldemort.