A Born Dark Lord

July 24, 1991.

At dawn, the midsummer heat had eased after several days of light rain. The damp earth filled the air with the moist scent of grass and trees.

Privet Drive.

"Mr. Dumbledore, thank you so much for coming to help me despite your busy schedule. I just can't do anything about that little devil."

Vernon followed behind Dumbledore. He was holding an umbrella, but a fine sheen of sweat still covered his forehead.

A few days earlier, Hogwarts had received a letter from Vernon's wife. She said that their adopted child had been using magic recklessly and turning the whole household upside down, and asked Dumbledore to come and help.

"Harry Potter really takes after his father. I remember James Potter being just as mischievous when he was young."

"You've misunderstood. It wasn't Harry who was causing trouble, but the other child we adopted."

Vernon scratched his head. He'd thought adopting an orphan would be easy: give the child some old clothes Dudley had outgrown, feed him leftovers, and he'd be well taken care of.

Not only could Vernon collect a generous orphan subsidy every four weeks, but the child would also be a free little servant for the family. It had seemed like a deal with no downsides.

But things hadn't gone as planned. After the newly adopted child hit his head at the age of ten, he seemed to become a completely different person.

"Dudley's parrot disappeared after it got into a quarrel with him. It was eventually found tied up and hidden in the attic.

"When the school arranged a seaside outing, Dudley and his friends went missing after following him. Once they were found, nobody dared to mention what had happened.

"He can even control things around him and make them move through the air. Honestly, he's an evil little wizard by nature!"

If it weren't for that child, Vernon would never have reached out to those frightening and dangerous wizards.

Just then, Dumbledore noticed a bruise beneath Vernon's eye, concealed with foundation.

"From the sound of it, this child seems to have a remarkable gift for magic. At such a young age, he can already use it as a weapon."

"A weapon? If that little devil used magic as a weapon, he'd have torn my house apart..." Vernon touched the corner of his eye, which still hurt. "He's only eleven, but he's stronger than I am."

A flicker of confusion crossed Dumbledore's eyes.

From the sound of it, this tall, burly, overweight adult man—so fat he barely had a neck—had been punched by a child?

Had Vernon adopted a young Troll or something?

Led by Vernon, they soon arrived at 4 Privet Drive, a typical middle-class house.

They passed through the front gate and entered the backyard, where three children stood. One of them, a black-haired, black-eyed boy with his upper body bare, stood in front of a boulder two meters tall.

The boy was exceptionally handsome, his delicate features naturally endearing. But beneath that face were layers of menacing muscle, entirely at odds with his good looks.

The boy's gaze dropped to a floating panel visible only to him.

[Persona: Robust]

[Impression Level: Lv. 9 (Progress: 10/1000)]

[Description: The strength of nine dragons courses through you. Steroids sheath your stratum corneum. Your powerful body grants you superhuman strength far beyond that of your peers.]

"Hah!"

The boy's muscles tensed and bulged. He shoved with both arms, and the boulder—taller than a man—actually moved forward a short distance.

Dumbledore rubbed his eyes, then checked again to make sure the figure before him was a human child, not an adult Troll.

"Tom!"

Vernon called out. When the boy stopped and looked over, he continued, "This is Professor Dumbledore. He's here to invite you to join his school."

"Thank you, Mr. Dursley."

After thanking him, Tom turned to Dumbledore and gave a slight bow. "Good day, Professor Dumbledore. If this is something private, we can go to my bedroom."

"...All right, let's go." Dumbledore was surprised. He'd expected the boy to be as uncivilized as a Troll, capable only of roaring, "Waaaagh!!"

He hadn't expected him to be so well-mannered.

"Please follow me, sir." Tom headed inside. As he passed Dudley, he patted him on the shoulder. "Dudley, you still have five sets of jumping jacks to do today. You don't get lunch until you've finished. Harry, keep an eye on him for me. No slacking."

"Yes, big brother!"

The two boys stood up straight and answered in unison.

By the time Dumbledore followed Tom up the stairs to the second floor, Dudley had already started jumping and counting, each movement perfectly executed.

The room on the second floor had once been used for toys and storage, but Tom had turned it into his private bedroom. Harry shared the room next door with Dudley.

A bookshelf stood by the window. Along with all kinds of study books, it held a row of gleaming trophies, polished until they shone. Anyone passing by outside would have been drawn to their golden gleam.

After looking around, Dumbledore smiled kindly and said softly, "Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I've come to invite you to attend my school—your new school, that is, if you'd like to."

Tom fetched a chair for the old man. Once Dumbledore was seated, Tom sat on the bed and cleared his throat. "I'm Tom Marvolo Riddle, a very ordinary name. I'm an orphan, and I feel very honored to be invited to join the school of magic, especially with the headmaster himself coming to guide me."

Tom Marvolo Riddle...

Dumbledore's vision seemed to blur. He felt as if he were remembering a student he'd disliked more than any other.

An orphan, clever, domineering, a natural leader, respectful toward his teachers, with the full name Tom Marvolo Riddle. More importantly, he also had a trait shared by all Dark Lords... he was handsome.

Could he possibly have checked off any more boxes?

"Did you choose that name yourself?" Dumbledore asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"No. My mother chose it before she died in childbirth. She also said she hoped I'd look like my father."

Seeing Old Dumbledore's composure so clearly on the verge of cracking, Tom fought to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up. He knew he'd succeeded.

People tended to label one another when they first met. Once a first impression took hold, it became a stereotype—the persona others saw in you.

[Name]: Tom Marvolo Riddle

[Occupation]: Primary School Student

[Persona]: Orphan (Lv. 1), Wisdom (Lv. 9), Robust (Lv. 9), Overbearing (Lv. 1), Leadership (Lv. 1), Diligence (Lv. 1), Handsome (Lv. 1), Wizard (Lv. 1)

[Achievement Points: 4]

This panel had appeared when he awakened the memories of his past life. It could turn the way others saw him into power: what people called a "persona."

Now, thanks to his painstaking efforts, a brand-new persona was beginning to take shape.

[Persona: A Born Dark Lord (New)]

[Impression Level: Lv. 0 (Progress: 50/100)]

[Description: A future leader who will shape half the wizarding world. Dark Magic is your inborn talent, and dark creatures are your close friends and family.]