Harry Potter: The Magnus Riddle story

Magnus finally got out of the hospital bed and walked through the corridors of Hogwarts as if he were reliving echoes of the past. Every stone and arch brought back vivid memories of his school years. Although the corridors were empty, the feeling of familiarity and nostalgia was almost overwhelming. He couldn't help but feel disconnected and yet deeply rooted in this place that had been his home in the distant past.

As he walked, Magnus spotted Professor Snape, who seemed to be waiting for him. Severus offered to accompany him. Magnus accepted without question, and the two walked in silence through the corridors towards the Slytherin common room.

When they arrived, Snape stopped in front of the entrance, waiting for Magnus to enter, but Magnus didn't take the next step. He remained motionless, staring at a wall near the stairs, his expression thoughtful.

"Something wrong?" Snape asked, breaking the silence.

Magnus gave him a brief glance before saying in a neutral tone, "I need to check something."

Without waiting for an answer, Magnus approached the wall next to the staircase. To Snape's surprise, Magnus ran his hand over part of the stone. The wall began to move, revealing a secret passage that looked as if it hadn't been used for decades, perhaps centuries.

Snape was stunned. He knew all the secret passages at Hogwarts - or so he thought. But this one, so close to the Slytherin common room, was completely unknown to him.

"How...?" Snape started to ask, but Magnus had already disappeared into the darkness of the passage, without explanation.

The Scriptorium

Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium was a place of great power and knowledge, a sanctuary that he and his friends Sebastian and Omnis had found on their past adventures.

The interior of the scriptorium was exactly as he remembered it: walls covered in ancient books, artifacts of powerful magic and inscriptions that seemed to glow with an ethereal green light. Magnus took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the place's history and its connection to Salazar Slytherin.

He looked around the scriptorium, trying to take it all in again. It was a mixture of nostalgia and responsibility. He knew Snape was waiting for him, but he needed to reconnect with this place, perhaps find something that could help him understand how the world had changed in his absence.

The scriptorium was protected by ancient magic, a kind of enchantment that could only be activated by those deemed worthy. Magnus, alongside his friends, had proved his worth in the past by overcoming the challenges left by Salazar. Now, he was the only one left to return.

Magnus felt the weight of his past and everything he had learned there. He walked through the shelves carefully, touching some of the books and relics as he relived memories of his adventures with Sebastian and Omnis.

When Magnus came out of the secret passage, he found Snape exactly where he had left him, with an expression of incredulity mixed with impatience.

"Professor Snape," Magnus said calmly, seeing the curiosity on the man's face.

"What was that all about? How come I didn't even know about that passage?" Snape asked, crossing his arms.

Magnus gave a small smile, a rare flash of humor on his normally serious face. "There are many secrets at Hogwarts, Professor. This is just one of them."

Snape frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the evasive answer, and continued:

"What exactly is this place, Mr. Riddle?" Snape asked, crossing his arms in obvious suspicion.

Magnus gave a slight smile, the gesture almost imperceptible. "A secret left by Salazar Slytherin. Something that only those who have proved themselves worthy can access."

Snape arched an eyebrow even more curiously; after all, it had to do with Salazar Slytherin himself.

Snape, although still suspicious, sensed the sincerity in Magnus' words. He wasn't bragging, but simply stating a fact.

"Be that as it may," said Snape, trying to hide his unease, "it's clear that there are still many secrets about Hogwarts that even I don't know."

"Yes," Magnus replied, glancing briefly at the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "And some secrets are best left where they are."

With that, Magnus gave Snape a small nod and began to walk away. Snape stood still for a moment, watching him, his mind racing with questions.

###

Magnus was walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, absorbing the feeling of familiarity and strangeness that the castle gave him. Every wall, every corner seemed to whisper memories of a lost time, of a past that he could barely touch. But his introspection was interrupted by the sound of a high-pitched, disdainful laugh that he knew all too well.

— Well, well, well! — an uncomfortable voice sang. — Isn't it true that the Great Magnus Riddle has returned from the dead?

Peeves, the playful and unnerving poltergeist, hovered above Magnus, a sneer etched on his translucent face. He pirouetted in the air, throwing crumpled bits of parchment at Magnus as he sang a mocking song.

"Magnus, the great and powerful, is back to play! Or are you just... lost in time?" Peeves said with a mischievous grin.

Magnus stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking at Peeves with a mixture of irritation and exhaustion.

"Peeves…" Magnus said, his voice low and full of authority. "I don't have time for your antics right now."

"Oh, but Magnus, my old friend!" said Peeves, floating closer. "Do you think you can just come back here like nothing happened? I'm not going to make it easy for you!"

Peeves began throwing chunks of enchanted paint that exploded into small clouds of color around Magnus. He seemed to be having more fun than usual, enjoying the opportunity to irritate someone so imposing.

—Still so serious, huh? — Peeves scoffed. —You never knew how to have fun! Maybe that's why the 'other Riddle' managed to... well, you know... make history.

Magnus looked up quickly, his green eyes shining with intensity.

"Another Riddle?" he asked, his voice thick with curiosity and caution.

Peeves paused for a moment, realizing he had caught Magnus's attention. An even more mischievous grin spread across the poltergeist's face.

"Ah, so you don't know!" he said, spinning in the air with a cruel laugh. "Perhaps you should ask your good friend Dumbledore about Tom Marvolo Riddle. A name that has become quite famous around here!"

Magnus narrowed his eyes, his mind working quickly. The name "Tom Riddle" was not unfamiliar to him—it was the same name he had seen in the old records of the family that had abandoned him. But the way Peeves spoke, full of malice and teasing, suggested there was more to the story.

"What do you know about him?" Magnus demanded, his voice carrying an authority that made Peeves hesitate for a moment.

But the poltergeist quickly regained his mocking tone.

— Oh, I know many things, my dear Magnus! But unfortunately, you will have to find out for yourself. — He gave a shrill laugh before disappearing in a burst of glittering confetti. — Have fun!

Magnus stood in the hallway for a moment, irritation evident on his face. He didn't know who this "Tom Riddle" was, but the mere fact that Peeves had mentioned his connection to him was enough to pique his curiosity.

He knew he would need answers – and fast. But for now, he just took a deep breath, trying to control the anger Peeves always managed to summon, and continued on his way through the halls.

Magnus walked through the halls of Hogwarts, lost in thought. The name "Tom Marvolo Riddle" echoed in his mind, carrying with it a weight he could not ignore. He thought about his past investigation, about the records he had found about the Riddles – an ancient Muggle noble family, cold and distant. Magnus remembered finding out about his younger brother, Thomas Riddle, during a brief visit to London. At the time, he had dismissed the possibility of any magical connection to that family. But now, with Peeves mocking and insinuating, he felt that there was something very wrong with this story.

"Whatever happened... I have a feeling I'm not going to like it," thought Magnus, a chill running down his spine.

He was walking towards the Slytherin common room when he was interrupted by a muffled sound. Stopping near the girls' bathroom near the dungeons, he heard a faint whimper. At first, he thought it might be a student crying. But as he got closer, he realized there was something peculiar about the way the sound reverberated.

"The tone... is that a ghost?" he thought, remembering the Grey Lady, whose melancholy often filled the halls of Hogwarts. Curious and cautious, Magnus opened the bathroom door and stepped inside.

The room was cold and damp, with the old magical lamps casting a pale glow. He followed the sound of crying to one of the sinks and then stopped, startled and horrified.

Floating near one of the cabins was the spirit of a young girl. She looked no older than fourteen or fifteen. Her round glasses were askew, and her features were distorted with grief. She was sobbing loudly, oblivious to Magnus' presence.

Magnus had never seen a ghost so young. He stood still for a few moments, trying to comprehend the scene before him.

"Are... are you okay?" Magnus asked, his voice soft, though his heart was heavy.

The girl raised her red, swollen eyes, staring at him in surprise.

"Who are you?" she asked, sniffling and adjusting her glasses.

— My name is Magnus Riddle, and I... am a student at Hogwarts. Or at least I was. — He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. — Who are you?

The young ghost sniffed once more before replying.

"I'm… Myrtle. Myrtle Warren." She looked at him, her expression wavering between curiosity and pain. "And I… I died here."

Magnus felt his stomach turn.

"Here?" he asked, his voice almost cracking. "Inside Hogwarts?"

Myrtle nodded, pointing to one of the cabins.

"It was there." Her voice shook. "I was hiding. A girl said horrible things about me… so I came here, to cry. And that's when I heard… a voice. A horrible voice. And then… a huge thing with yellow eyes…" She stopped, squeezing her eyes shut as if trying to push the memory away.

Magnus felt a chill. A creature inside Hogwarts? He could hardly believe it.

— Myrtle... — he began carefully. — When did this happen?

— It was... I think over fifty years ago, maybe sixty. I don't know for sure. Time is fuzzy to me now.

Magnus felt his mind spinning. Sixty years ago... while he was asleep, something horrible had happened at Hogwarts, something that had taken the life of a student. Even in his time when Headmaster Black and Professor Wesley were here, no student had ever been threatened with death within Hogwarts, not even Ranrok and Victor Rookwood's henchmen had ever dared to enter Hogwarts. He couldn't help but think of the phrase that echoed in his mind: What has Hogwarts become?

"Do you know who... who was behind this?" he asked, still shocked.

Myrtle shook her head, her sadness giving way to dark anger.

— No! No one ever told me who was responsible. They just wanted to get rid of me. But I know... I know someone opened that chamber. And that's why I died.

Magnus felt a huge weight on his chest. "That chamber." He knew old stories, whispers about a secret place created by Salazar Slytherin. Magnus knew very well about the chamber and its location, how could he not know since he had access to Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium and Omnis Gaunt as one of his friends had told him everything and even shown him the chamber.

He looked at Myrtle with sadness and determination.

— I'm sorry for everything that happened to you, Myrtle. — His voice was serious and full of empathy. — I promise I'll find out the truth.

Myrtle looked at him in surprise, and for a moment something close to hope shone in her eyes.

Magnus left the bathroom with his mind full of questions and his heart heavy. It was clear that the world he had left behind was far from the same. And, it seemed, there were more mysteries waiting for him than he could ever imagine.

Magnus emerged from the girls' bathroom with a serious expression, thoughts racing through his mind like a storm. The conversation with Myrtle Warren's ghost still reverberated in his consciousness. The mention of the chamber of secrets, a place he knew well, made his heart heavy. He couldn't help but connect the dots: the name "Tom Riddle," the opening of the chamber, and the events that led to the young student's death.

"This is no coincidence," Magnus thought. "These events are linked. Somehow, they're all connected."

Walking through the nearly desolate halls of Hogwarts, Magnus made a decision. He needed to check Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium again. If someone had opened the chamber, the key to understanding what had happened might lie in the records Salazar left behind.

Arriving at the Slytherin common room, Magnus passed through the familiar corridor and approached the wall where the secret entrance to the scriptorium was hidden. He had found it years ago, along with his friends Omnis Gaunt and Sebastian Sallow. Only those who had passed Salazar's ordeal were allowed to enter.

The wall slowly opened, revealing the interior of the scriptorium. Magnus stepped inside, closing the entrance behind him.

The air inside was thick and heavy, but to Magnus, it was almost comforting. The magical torches on the walls had come on automatically, illuminating the space with a dim, flickering light. Everything was exactly as he remembered: the shelves crammed with ancient scrolls and books, the central pedestal engraved with the Slytherin symbol, and the serpent ornaments scattered around the room.

Magnus walked over to one of the shelves, examining the books and scrolls carefully. Nothing seemed out of place. He ran his fingers through a layer of dust that covered one of the oldest scrolls.

"Almost a century without anyone coming in here," he whispered to himself.

He knew that whoever had opened the chamber had not passed through the scriptorium. But that only raised more questions. How could someone gain access to the chamber without having proven themselves worthy of Salazar Slytherin's legacy?

Magnus remembered something Omnis Gaunt had once told him: "My family is a curse. The pure Gaunt blood is more of a disease than a blessing." Omnis had never had any illusions about the members of his bloodline. To him, ambition and fanaticism blinded his family, driving them to seek power at any cost.

"If someone from the Gaunt family did this..." Magnus muttered, feeling a knot tighten in his chest.

He turned to the center of the scriptorium, where there was a Latin inscription that he knew by heart. The inscription spoke of the chamber's purpose: to protect Hogwarts from the "unworthy" and to uphold Salazar Slytherin's ideals. Magnus had never agreed with this philosophy, but he had always respected Salazar's genius as a wizard.

After checking the area again and confirming that nothing had been disturbed, Magnus sat down for a moment, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands.

"This is getting worse by the moment," he thought. "Tom Riddle... whatever he is, he's connected to this. And I need to find out how."

Standing, Magnus left the scriptorium, closing the secret passage behind him. Tomorrow, he would begin his investigation into what had happened in the world while he was asleep. He did not know what he would find, but one thing was certain: he would not rest until he understood how it was all connected.

With renewed determination, Magnus returned to the Slytherin common room. As confused and frustrated as he was, he knew he could not give in to uncertainty. The world needed answers, and he was willing to find them, no matter the cost.

Magnus did not stay long in the Slytherin common room. Despite the comfort that the space brought him, he felt that he needed a more private place to rest and organize his thoughts. So he decided to go to the Room of Requirement, a place that he always used during his time as a student at Hogwarts.

Once he found the entrance, Magnus paced back and forth, focusing on his desire: "I need a quiet place to rest and think."

The door appeared, and he entered. The setting was perfect: a simple but cozy room with a comfortable bed and a small desk. Magnus lay down, and the accumulated fatigue finally overcame him.

When he woke up, he felt refreshed. Magnus knew he needed something to eat, so he decided to head to the Hogwarts kitchen, a place that always put him in a good mood.

Upon entering, he was warmly greeted by the house-elves. They bowed deeply and hurried to serve him, but Magnus, as always, asked them not to worry too much about formalities. He enjoyed the company of the elves and found the way they worked fascinating.

As he ate a simple but delicious meal prepared with care by the elves, his mind began to wander. He remembered Deek and Rag, the house elves he had known in his youth, and especially Penny, his own house elf. Penny was more than a servant; she was his friend and confidant. Magnus trusted her completely and always made sure to treat her with respect and dignity.

A wave of worry washed over him. He didn't know what had happened to Penny or her estate since her sacrifice. Before he had gone to sleep for a hundred years, Magnus had left clear instructions in his will for his friends to look after Penny and ensure she was treated well. But now, with no idea how the world had changed, he feared for her well-being.

"I hope she's okay," Magnus thought, clenching his fist tightly. "I need to know. I need to see her again."

Magnus also began to think about the state of his estates and his shop in Hogsmeade. He had worked hard to build that legacy and ensure a prosperous future for himself and his allies. He remembered that, before he disappeared, he had separated his personal finances from those of the shop, creating dedicated vaults at Gringotts to better manage his fortune.

"I need to check all of this out," he muttered to himself as he finished his meal. "But not today. First, I need to understand what happened to the world while I was away. Only then can I deal with these matters."

As he bid farewell to the house-elves, Magnus thanked them warmly for their care. His affection for the elves was genuine, and he promised himself that he would continue to respect and protect those who served him so devotedly.

With his mind full of plans and renewed determination, Magnus left the kitchen, ready to face the challenges that awaited him. He knew that his return to Hogwarts and the wizarding world was just beginning, and much still needed to be uncovered.

The sun streamed through the tall windows of the Great Hall, bathing the empty space in soft light. Magnus Riddle walked across the stone floor with steady, silent steps. Despite the empty space of students, memories of the past lingered in his mind like ghosts of time. He could remember the exact moment the Sorting Hat had sorted him into Slytherin, the first meal he had shared with his friends, and the countless moments that had defined his youth at Hogwarts.

As he approached the teachers' table, he noticed the tense looks and cautious expressions of the teachers there. The Daily Prophet lay open on the table, the headline in large letters catching his attention for a brief moment:

"THE ANCIENT SAVIOR OF THE WORLD AT LAST - MAGNUS RIDDLE IS BACK FROM THE DEAD!"

His own image was on the front page of the newspaper, his green eyes shining brightly in the light of the camera's flash. The teachers whispered among themselves, clearly worried about the implications of his return. Some looked reverent, others uncertain.

As soon as Magnus approached, the teachers' gazes fell on him, clearly concerned. He didn't seem surprised to notice the newspaper. It was as if he had already known something like this would happen.

Magnus walked to the staff table and stopped in front of Dumbledore, who was holding the Daily Prophet. "I see my return has already been made public," Magnus commented, his voice calm but with the sharp edge of someone who was always one step ahead.

Dumbledore sighed, placing the newspaper on the table. "Yes, Mr. Riddle. The wizarding world now knows that you are back. I have no doubt that in the coming days we will be receiving representatives from various governments and magical institutions."

Snape, sitting nearby, crossed his arms and looked at Magnus with a mixture of curiosity and respect. "They won't come just to see you. Many will try to manipulate or test you."

Magnus smirked, a cold, calculating smile that made even Snape feel a little uncomfortable.

Magnus didn't say a word. He sat calmly at the table, his movements controlled and precise, showing no apparent emotion. As they continued their conversation, Magnus simply watched, his thoughts whirling like the gears of a finely tuned machine.

He had known this moment would come sooner or later. The magical world was too small for his return to go unnoticed. Still, he was unfazed. In fact, he felt almost prepared for what was to come.

As he gazed up at the enchanted ceiling, which reflected the cloudless blue sky, Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black's words echoed in his mind, like lessons engraved in iron and fire:

"In politics, Magnus, never mistake kindness for weakness. A smile can be deadlier than the sharpest blade."

"Times change, but men don't. They always want power, control and recognition. Use that against them."

"He who controls the game is not he who has the strongest pieces, but he who moves them wisely."

These phrases, taught in countless private conversations, had shaped his understanding of the world. Magnus knew that now the power play was about to begin again, and he would once again be at the center of it.

He glanced at the teachers around him, each reacting to the headline in their own way. Albus Dumbledore was especially thoughtful, his fingers clasped together beneath his chin as he regarded Magnus with a mixture of respect and wariness. Snape, always reserved, kept his expression hard and impassive, though his gaze betrayed a flicker of curiosity.

Magnus remained silent, but his mind was busy plotting the first steps of what he needed to do. First of all, he would need to understand what had truly changed in the world during the century he had been away. The politics, the alliances, the enemies and allies... Everything would need to be carefully reviewed.

He knew that outside the walls of Hogwarts, there would be an avalanche of attention. Governments, ministers of magic, and even leaders of the Muggle world would try to get close to him, each with their own agendas and ambitions. Magnus needed to be prepared, and he was confident that he would be.

His eyes fell briefly on the newspaper once more. He didn't need to say anything. There was no need to reaffirm who he was or what he stood for. The silence, combined with his imposing presence, spoke volumes.

Magnus got up from the table as calmly as he had arrived, walking out of the hall. The teachers' gazes followed him, but no one dared to interrupt his thoughts.

As he walked through the stone corridors, only one certainty remained in his mind:

"The game is on, and I never lose."