Hogwarts : Grind is My Wizard Path Chapter 406 405: The Cave

"Why Borgin and Burkes?"

Sean asked, following the flow of the conversation.

"Oh, you didn't know that part?

Well, I suppose once we enter Hokey's mory, you'll see exactly what drew him to that place. But that wasn't Tom Riddle's first choice. Few people knew this at the ti—I was one of the few the old Headmaster confided in.

Tom Riddle first went to Professor Dippet and asked if he could stay at Hogwarts as a teacher."

Dumbledore seed to be waiting for a reaction, but Sean stayed silent.

"Do you know what he wanted to teach?"

Dumbledore took a sip of his tea.

"Probably not Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Sean thought for a mont and cracked a tily little joke.

Dumbledore smiled.

"I believe he had several reasons, though he didn't share a single one with Professor Dippet," Dumbledore said.

"First, and most importantly, Tom Riddle had more affection for this school than he ever did for any person. Hogwarts was where he was happiest, the first place that ever felt like ho—the only place."

Sean blinked but didn't say anything.

"Of course, if it were you, my boy, I'd be happy to let you succeed Minerva.

Though, if you wanted to take my job, you'd first have to find a suitable retirent ho for an old wizard."

Dumbledore winked.

"Second, this castle is a stronghold of ancient magic. Tom Riddle undoubtedly uncovered more of its secrets than most students, but he likely felt there were still mysteries to solve, magical treasures yet to be unearthed.

But fate likes to play little jokes on us; the people who end up controlling the treasure are usually the ones who don't care about it."

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Third, as a teacher, he would have imnse influence over young wizards.

He likely got this idea from Professor Slughorn—the professor he was closest to. Slughorn showed him just how much influence a teacher could wield. I never believed Tom Riddle intended to spend his whole life at Hogwarts; I think he saw it as a recruiting ground, a place to build his own army."

Sean had already guessed what Dumbledore was going to say.

He couldn't help but picture the largest club in Hogwarts history.

His mind wandered, conjuring up a bizarre image:

Dumbledore standing in the Headmaster's office, facing him.

"Alright, Headmaster Green, when are you planning to overthrow ?"

He quickly shook his head to clear the thought, only to find Dumbledore smiling at him with profound aning.

"Interesting thoughts...

Later, I beca very uneasy about Tom Riddle's choices.

I advised Armando not to hire him—I didn't give him the reasons I just gave you, because Professor Dippet was very fond of Tom and believed implicitly in his honesty. But I didn't want Tom Riddle back at this school, especially not in a position of power.

The good news was that Professor Dippet told him he was only eighteen—too young. But he said Tom was welco to reapply in a few years, if he was still interested in teaching."

Dumbledore recounted slowly.

"So, he went to Borgin and Burkes," Sean said, knowing exactly how to keep the conversation moving.

"Precisely. Tom Riddle went to Borgin and Burkes.

All the teachers who had admired him said it was a waste, that such a talented young wizard was working as a shop clerk.

But Tom Riddle was no ordinary clerk. Because he was polite, handso, and brilliant, he was soon given the kind of special assignnts that only happen at a place like Borgin and Burkes.

You know, Sean, that shop specializes in objects with... unusual properties. Tom Riddle was sent out to persuade people to hand over their treasures for sale. Rumor has it, he was exceptionally good at it."

Dumbledore continued.

"Mm."

Sean knew this, of course. Even though Tom eventually lost his wisdom after splitting his soul so many tis, back then, Tom wasn't fully Voldemort yet.

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a weak, faint smile. "Now, it's ti to visit the mory of the house-elf, Hokey. Her mistress was a very old, very wealthy witch nad Hepzibah Smith."

Dumbledore tapped a small crystal vial with his wand. The cork flew out, and he poured the swirling mory into the Pensieve.

"Shall we, Sean?"

---

They spent a long ti inside the mory. Through the house-elf Hokey, they learned that Tom Riddle had killed her mistress, Hepzibah Smith.

He had also stolen her two most prized possessions—a cup and a locket.

Finally, he frad Hokey for the entire thing.

"Hepzibah Smith died," Dumbledore said as he stood up. Sean followed suit.

"The Ministry ruled that Hokey the house-elf had accidentally put poison in her mistress's evening cocoa instead of sugar.

By the ti Hokey was convicted, Hepzibah's family discovered that her two most valuable treasures were missing."

Dumbledore's voice was heavy with lancholy.

"It took the Ministry a while to realize this, because she had so many secret hiding places and guarded her collection so jealously.

But by the ti they realized the cup and the locket were gone, the clerk from Borgin and Burkes—the young man who visited Hepzibah so often and chard her so thoroughly—had resigned and vanished.

His bosses had no idea where he went. They were as surprised as anyone. Tom Riddle disappeared without a trace for a very long ti."

"But you found sothing," Sean said with certainty.

"Of course," Dumbledore smiled.

"As you surely noticed, this ti it wasn't for revenge, but for gain. He wanted those two legendary artifacts the poor old woman showed him. Just like he stole from the other children at the orphanage, just like he stole his uncle's ring, this ti he stole Hepzibah's cup and locket...

Care for a walk?"

They left the castle and stepped onto the path shrouded in twilight.

The rain began to fall as quickly as their footsteps. By the ti they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, it was pouring.

The windows of Hogwarts twinkled with light as they walked.

When Hogwarts sleeps, so wizards must remain awake.

"I can't be certain which one it's hidden in—but I believe it is in a cave by the sea, far away. A cave I have spent a long ti trying to locate.

In the mory we viewed previously, do you rember the cave where Tom Riddle terrorized two fellow orphans during their annual sumr trip?"

Dumbledore asked, stepping onto the grass.

Sean knew the news he had been waiting for had finally arrived.