Harry nodded, "And that was a security risk since the entrance to the chamber was so close. So, after looking around and interrogating her ghost, I found out where the chamber was and added some measures that would warn me. I had deduced you were the most likely culprit to the crimes, murderers often try to join the investigation of their crimes, it's a common trait in people with sociopathic tendencies. Or maybe you wanted to make sure you framed Hagrid, either way worked. And when I looked closer into you, I realized what you became. Your name, an anagram, if only people would have realized. But the only thing missing, the only little detail that I don't have is why? Why target muggleborns? Why risk returning to a war-torn country for seemingly no reason?"
"They were Mudbloods. I was simply fulfilling my ancestor's wishes," the teenager protested.
Harry shook his head, "No, that's not quite it. Salazar Slytherin existed before the Statute of Secrecy was put in place. Purebloods were simply nobles, and Muggleborns were often peasants. There was a clear separation between the two classes. He didn't care about blood purity since that movement started out centuries later. So, what was your plan, your real plan?"
Riddle looked uncomfortable being on the back foot and just sighed, "Dumbledore, he was my target. Do you have any idea what it was like seeing an Archmage of all people just stay out of the war only to do his best to slowly destroy our society instead? He was the Gryffindor head of house, and he never pushed them, never asked them to do better. Hell, he was actively removing books from the library without anyone knowing. Well, I noticed them since I was actively looking for them. I saw the monster that could be born because of his negligence, and I wanted to push the public enough, destroy enough of his reputation so that he would have to start fighting the war and leave the school just to get back the goodwill of the Wizengamot. He is supposed to be a deterrent to stop Grindelwald from attacking Hogwarts as he did to Durmstrung. Unfortunately, Dumbledore was so attached to the damn castle and practically refused to leave. It was so infuriating and then I made a mistake with Myrtle, and I just couldn't let myself risk killing another student, or worse, having the school close down. Professor Dippet would have been crucified, and Dumbledore would have been the prime candidate as a Headmaster, and you saw how that ended up. Entire magical fields have been banned. The curriculum is now a joke. Hell, fifth years in my generation were much more competent than your graduates, and that's in every single field. That's not speaking on how he pretty much perverted Alchemy into a source of income tied solely to him."
Harry snorted, "That seems very unlikely. The chances of success are very slim if did it this way. Even if Myrtle hadn't died, Dumbledore wouldn't have unwillingly left the castle."
The older student became enraged at the accusation, "Well, I HAD TO DO SOMETHING! All I wanted was to build a better world, where everyone is equal. You've seen it, haven't you? How the muggleborns are still considered peasants, and how little room they have to rise in our society. I want to give them opportunities to start their own families, their own crests. I wanted to create a society without any good or evil, only power."
"And aren't old families more powerful than muggleborns? They literally have centuries of magical knowledge at the tip of their fingers. It wouldn't change much, would it?"
"It would give them hope," Tom interjected, "I would give them hope. Getting muggleborn petrified wasn't just to get Dumbledore expelled since he was our deterrent. The Wizengamot allowed him to not fight because he was protecting the students, and if he failed, he would be forced to go back to the frontline and hopefully die. But what this would do is give Muggleborns more rights and more protection, or if that failed, the other muggleborns would start protesting, forcing the ministry to make some changes. Is it so bad that I wanted a better world for me and the others that would suffer and be considered to be outsiders to this beautiful world?"
"And yet, here you are attacking muggleborns once more…"
"I am being careful this time, no Myrtle incident is going to happen anytime soon. But this is my chance, our chance, to kick Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. For the betterment of wizard-kind, to create our world, we can't rely on Dumbledore. I'm not asking you to trust me, all I'm asking for is a chance to change the world. The people petrified aren't in pain, they aren't in danger, they're only a message. And muggleborns would gladly miss a few months of their lives in exchange for getting a better future, wouldn't they? What I am doing is a gift to everyone. Are you so inflexible that you wouldn't risk improving our world, just out of pettiness?"
The Potter scion gave the older boy a warm smile before speaking, "You're full of shit, Riddle."
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