"An interesting question, Spike." Tom's handwriting gradually steadied again. "It seems you've encountered the kind of sweet trouble that comes with being an outstanding wizard. Are you courting two girls at the same time?"
"Courting? No,it's them who are fighting over me." Snape deliberately adopted a tone of infuriating arrogance. "They both want to have me to themselves. But since I'm this exceptional, if I were to belong to just one, wouldn't that be a grave injustice to the others? And besides,it's not just two."
The ink bled across the page, then slowly formed new words. "Excellent people indeed deserve more choices," Tom's writing stiffened a little, "I too faced a similar situation when I was in my fifth year. Three girls, they were all quite fond of me."
"You?" Snape wrote quickly. "But I've never even heard your name before. Are you as brilliant as I am?"
The ink was swiftly absorbed; Tom's reply appeared faster than any before.
"Perhaps I now go by a different name. Tell me,what year is it? And who is considered the greatest and most powerful wizard in the world?"
Snape's eyes narrowed slightly, his fingertips lightly brushing the quill shaft. The question came far too directly,it almost betrayed Tom's urgency. He intentionally paused for a few seconds before writing slowly:
"1983. The current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, is recognized as the greatest wizard of our time."
"Professor Dumbledore has become Headmaster of Hogwarts?" Tom's response appeared at once, the letters jagged with agitation. "In my time, he was still the Transfiguration professor. Do you know,"
Snape interrupted before the words had fully appeared.
"Professor Dumbledore teaching Transfiguration,that was quite some time ago, Riddle," he wrote. "If you expect to get information from me, what can you offer in return? Don't give me empty promises.
"If you can't help me, then as a fellow Slytherin, tell me,why should I waste my time with you? Let's start by solving my problem first. You said you once had trouble with girls,how did you handle it?"
This time, the diary remained silent longer than it ever had before. Snape nearly thought the conversation had ended, until at last, a new line of writing surfaced slowly:
"Mediocrity is the true enemy, Spike. Forgive my bluntness, but you've made the sort of mistake only common people make. The truly powerful are never bound by 'choices',they make choices serve them."
Snape read those words, smirking faintly. Familiar rhetoric, he thought.
"I made them understand that I was worth their affection," Tom continued. "You should understand,power is the key. Girls are drawn to strength. Show them your capabilities; let them see your value.
"When I was in fifth year, three girls took turns helping me organize my notes... they even drew up a rotation schedule. So all you need to do,is make yourself stronger."
A trace of ridicule flashed in Snape's black eyes; he gave a quiet snort.
"But that only solves the big-picture issue," he wrote. "My immediate problem remains. Anything else to add, Riddle? For a fragment of memory, you don't seem to know much."
Another line appeared, hurried and slightly messy:
"If you care this much about girls, then let me tell you,the key is to make each one feel special. That doesn't mean she has to be the only one.
"Specifically, you must make each girl feel she receives a unique kind of attention,different from what you give others,and that she shares a private secret with you.
"But they mustn't know about each other. You must create 'coincidences',say, 'bumping into' one in the library, or 'happening' to practice spells with another after Charms class."
"That's it?" Snape stared at the words thoughtfully, but wrote deliberately, "Too troublesome. Too time-consuming. Forget it,I'll stick to the method I already had in mind. I think a Love Potion would be far more efficient. Professor Slughorn has taught us that one."
The diary seemed to tremble faintly. Snape could almost picture the young Voldemort frowning on the other end.
Just then, Lily and Pandora waved him over from the long worktable.
Snape put the diary away and walked toward them.
"What is it?" he asked, looking down at the cauldron steaming before them.
"Severus," Pandora said excitedly, "with these instruments, by the second batch we're almost done! I never knew I had such a talent for Potions!"
"Indeed,you're gifted in more than spell experimentation." Snape leaned closer. "Let me see." He noted that the potion had become clear and transparent, emitting a faint violet-white vapor,the exact sign described in Practical Potions Mastery for near-completion. "Looks good. We'll just need to see if it actually works. Perhaps we need a volunteer."
After saying this, he exchanged a glance with Lily.
"It'll need to simmer for about another hour," Lily said with a smile, holding a timer. "I'll keep watch and record the optimal brewing time."
"Good," said Snape. "As for the volunteer, I already have someone in mind. The full moon is a little over a week away. I'll speak with the volunteer later today."
"Those werewolves living in the Forbidden Forest?" Pandora asked curiously.
"No," Snape winked at her and shook his head. "Other werewolves. I need to keep it confidential."
Lily, hearing Pandora's question and seeing Snape offer no further explanation, seemed even more pleased.
Pandora, however, looked equally pleased. She assumed Snape meant another group of werewolves,the ones in the Forbidden Forest,whom he'd once mentioned in casual conversation, making her promise to keep it secret.
Seeing their expressions, Snape froze for a moment before realizing both girls had misunderstood,each thought he meant a different werewolf volunteer. Tom's advice had actually worked: he now shared a different "secret" with each girl, and both believed themselves special.
He couldn't help stroking his chin, silently amused.
"Excellent," Snape said, deliberately sounding nonchalant. "You two carry on. I'll rest for a bit. And remember,no sugar."
Both girls nodded contentedly.
Back in the corner, Snape reopened the diary; the pages were blank again.
"Did you say something just now, Riddle? Two girls came to talk to me, so I didn't see what you wrote," he penned.
The parchment quivered faintly, and a slow line emerged:
"Even for a Slytherin, don't you think using a Love Potion is a bit too extreme?" Tom's writing appeared heavier, almost pressed into the paper. "It's a vile form of coercion. A truly great wizard should rely on his own power."
Rely on your own power,to attack a baby? Snape nearly lost control of his expression. A soul fragment of a Dark wizard was lecturing him on morality? It was laughably absurd.
"Let's not dwell on that," he wrote perfunctorily. "Since your earlier advice was somewhat useful, what would you like to know? Being trapped in a diary for decades must be unpleasant."
"Well... not very pleasant indeed. Sorry, Spike,that's why I've been asking you so many questions.
"I can't hear or see; writing is my only way to connect with the outside world." Riddle's gentle reply appeared line by line. "Professor Horace Slughorn still teaching Potions? He must be quite old by now.
"I wonder if the Slug Club is still held. I still fondly remember attending those gatherings. Did the professor ever tell you who his favorite student was?"
Without hesitation, Snape wrote: "Me."
After his short answer vanished, a blot of ink spread like a drop spilled by accident, then Tom's response followed. Snape noticed the ink took longer to sink in this time.
"All right then," Tom asked, "let's change topics. Is the wizarding world peaceful these days?"
Finally, the real question. Snape's eyes lit up,this was what Tom truly wanted to know.
After some thought, he decided to tell Tom that Voldemort had been defeated; otherwise, logically, the diary wouldn't have fallen into a Hogwarts student's hands.
"Not bad," Snape wrote, adding a bit of ink to his quill. "Since Voldemort was defeated by Dumbledore four years ago, Britain's been relatively stable."
"Voldemort? Was he the most powerful Dark wizard in recent times?" Tom's lettering deepened, "When this memory of mine was recorded, the most famous Dark wizard was Gellert Grindelwald."
"That's ancient history," Snape continued his half-truth. "In 1945, Grindelwald was also defeated by Professor Dumbledore. So now you see why he's the greatest wizard alive? Both events are recorded in The Rise and Fall of Dark Magic."
"I see. That's truly good news," Tom replied. "In my time, whether wizard or Muggle, everyone lived in endless fear,afraid that the wars of wizards and Muggles alike would engulf them. No one had peace."
"Yes," Snape wrote, "thankfully, both worlds' wars have ended, and now there's peace everywhere. Nothing for anyone to worry about,except my romantic troubles."
"What became of those two Dark wizards afterward?" Tom ignored the latter part and pressed on.
"I can understand your curiosity," Snape wrote casually. "You must've had it rough back then.
"After Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald, he was imprisoned in the tower of Nurmengard. As for Voldemort,he completely vanished. Supposedly after being defeated by Dumbledore, he left behind only a wisp of smoke,no body at all."
"What do you mean, no body left behind?" Tom's handwriting grew messier.
"Exactly what it says,he vanished into thin air." Snape couldn't suppress a chuckle. Lily and Pandora glanced over curiously; he waved them off. "Even Voldemort's loyal Death Eaters turned coat after his disappearance and abandoned their master's cause."
"Thank you, Spike." After a brief pause, new words appeared, written deliberately. "It's late. Let's talk another day."
"Wait, Riddle," Snape wrote hastily, intentionally letting his handwriting appear flustered. "I still have a question,do you know how to lift the curse on a Blood-Cursed Beast?"
"A Blood-Cursed Beast? That's quite rare." The ink shifted; Tom's writing turned cautious. "That's not one of the girls you're after, is it? Either way, by chance, I might be able to help you."
"Then tell me, Riddle," Snape wrote, his script now quick and earnest.
"I'd be happy to help you, Spike. Decades without anyone to speak to,it's been agony, my new friend." The diary was silent for a long moment before a chilling line emerged, making Snape's breath hitch. "But first, let's start with your real name. I need to know who you are before I can help you."
A cold sweat broke across Snape's back; his fingertips trembled. He suspected that the diary might require the writer to reveal their true self before it could consume their soul. Tom must have sensed his hesitation from that very reaction.
After some thought, Snape decided to take the risk,but killing the basilisk would have to move up his schedule.
"Well... sorry, Riddle," he wrote carefully. "Out of caution, I'm sure you can understand my reasoning. My name is Severus Snape."
The ink spread but didn't fade, as though the person on the other end was digesting the revelation.
"All right, Snape." The letters flowed smoothly. "Now that we've built trust, tell me,this Blood-Cursed Beast girlfriend of yours, what's her animal form? How far along is she?"
"She can no longer transform back from a snake into a human."
"A snake?"
"Yes."
"You speak Parseltongue?"
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing,but Parseltongue is exceedingly rare. I thought you were Muggle-born."
"No. Half and half," Snape wrote. "My father was a Muggle."
"Is that so?" Tom went on. "So you can speak Parseltongue? How far back does your maternal bloodline go?"
"The first question,yes," Snape answered. "The second, I don't know. Will you help me lift the curse from the Blood-Cursed Beast?"
"I think I can."
"What will it cost me?"
"I'll tell you later."