Chapter 206 - The Room of Requirements Ⅲ (1/2)

”That which has been bound by the light of the sun on this night, I ask to speak to me, oh spirit, on this night where the spirits may speak and wander the earth once more,” Rowan said as the torches in the chamber flickered as though by an unseen wind. Feeling an old, lifelike presence once again like at Yule, she licks her lips to continue. ”Oh, spirit, that lays asleep before me by the rules of the ancients, I have bound you and ask that you speak to me. Awaken, the spirit of he who once was known in this life as Tom Marvolo Riddle!”

Like in the many times before something dark and foul burst from the diadem as all of the torches in the room went out. The only lighting in the room was from the glowing pumpkin lanterns and the burning incense. From the murky smoke, a figure formed to reveal a living, dark and handsome Tom Riddle in his early twenties. The young man smiles quite innocently and says, ”Why hello there? Can you tell me, where I am?”

Rowan is silent for a moment as she feels him easily looking past her shields and into her mind. Pressing her lips tightly together she says, ”You should know exactly where you are, Tom.”

”Yes, it's the room of requirements,” Riddle said with a faint smile as he took a step away from the diadem. ”But may I ask, how did you know I was here?”

”I know many things, Tom,” Rowan murmured back. ”The question should rather be is if you will tell me what you know?”

”And what is that?” Riddle purposefully said taking another step towards the masked figure, before frowning and pausing at the edge of the circle. Eyeing the circle, he tentatively tries to take a step out of the circle and finds he cannot. It's though a great wall stands before him preventing him from departing from the bounds of the sphere.

”How very clever,” Riddle whispered as if amused as he turned back to face the circle. ”You've actually bound me to this rune circle by a spiritual ritual on all Hallows Eve. Do your grandparents know that you're diving into necromancy?”

Rowan forces herself not to flinch as she had felt him peek into her mind and knew that it would happen. It had occurred every single time with every single person that ever came across a Horcrux. From the Weasleys to Dumbledore himself, they were no exception, and neither was she.

Rowan doesn't reply as a trickle of dread creeps into the pit of her stomach. She remains rather still as she watches the pacing Riddle as though viewing a hungry beast trying to get out of its a cage and at her. ”I will ask again, Tom, will you answer my question?”

”Only one?” Riddle purred. ”For I know many things. Oh, yes, I could teach you the secrets of immortality. Or more power, for that, is that you seek is it not, Rowan Prince?”

Not seeing a reaction, he continues, ”Rowan Prince, that is quite the interesting surname.” Riddle paced to the side of the circle as if staring into the past. ”I knew an Eileen Prince once; she was two years younger than me.”

Riddle intently stares at the masked plague doctor and purses his lips at not seeing a reaction. ”Yes, a rather sullen girl with dark hair and dark eyes. Not every pretty nor very intelligent, I'm afraid.”

For the third and last time, Rowan says, ”For the last and third time, spirit, I will ask Tom Marvolo Riddle, will you answer my question?”

Riddle shivers with displeasure at the name as he finds that he is being forced or rather compelled to answer the question that was being sought. Sharp cuts begin to appear on his face and body as dark, black blood begins to sweep from his wounds. ”Stop!” Riddle shrieked in rage and pain. ”I cannot answer that, I'm forbidden!”

Instantly the pain stops as Rowan says, ”Then if you cannot tell me his identity, then what can you speak of?”

With dark, blood dripping from his nose. Riddle sniffs as he proceeds to wipe the blood from his face with his sleeve. ”He is most powerful,” Riddle hummed as he took a step towards the edge of the circle.

”Cunning, wise, someone to aspire too.” Riddle paused as he carefully rubbed the blood between his fingertips as though in thought. ”And someone who you can never hope to defeat.” With a flicker of his finger, a single drop falls onto the edge of circle to only wobble at the rim of the stone altar, before gravity did its work. The drop suddenly surges down and falls onto one of the oak leaves below.

Instantly like a wild beast, Riddle surges forward breaking past the first and second circle to only slam into the third circle as an unseen force prevents him from escaping. ”You will never defeat me!” Riddle howled as the masked figure's hand slightly trembled for a second as they kept their wand steadily trained on him.

”Perhaps, we got started on the wrong foot,” Riddle suddenly changed tones taking a step back as he wandered at the edge of the circle. The wand of the masked plague doctor remained steadily trained on him as he leisurely strides about.