In other words... T-This can't be... Tom somewhat understood the truth behind it all, but his young heart wasn't ready to accept it.
Not only that… if he were to go see his father now, the treatment he'd receive might be no better than what he got at the Gaunt house.
Tom's mood instantly sank.
These two places should, in theory, be his homes. But now…
He didn't belong in either of them!
"Tom, what do you think? If you're not ready yet… we can come back another time," Wade said, glancing at Dumbledore before continuing, "It's just visiting a Muggle household—it shouldn't be dangerous. So, Professor, if you're busy, we could come back on our own next time. That should be fine."
Dumbledore replied thoughtfully, "It's not safe outside right now, Wade. I'll go with you both, no matter how tight my schedule is. Don't forget, students aren't allowed to use magic outside of school… What Tom did earlier technically broke the rules."
Grindelwald was very interested in these two boys—Dumbledore couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment.
"Alright then… Tom, take a moment to think it over," Wade said, stepping aside with Dumbledore to give Tom some space.
"We've come this far already… what's a little more? No matter how bad it is, could it really be worse than the Gaunt house? Professor, let's go. To the Riddle estate…" Tom didn't take long to make his decision.
Originally, after learning that his father had been forced into marrying his mother, he had no intention of meeting the man.
He'd thought it best they never see each other again.
But… after thinking it through, Tom still decided to go.
Even if it was only to fulfill one last wish on behalf of his mother.
Wade said cheerfully, "Then let's go. Professor, you lead the way. If the Riddles happen to pull out a hunting rifle or something… with your magic, I'm sure it'd be easy to block."
"Hm… a simple Transfiguration spell would do—turn the gun into a snake or a rat… You could manage that too, Wade, but students aren't allowed to use magic outside of school. What happened earlier was an exception, and I won't let you break the rules again. If it comes to that, leave it to me," said Dumbledore, playing along to keep the atmosphere light.
Tom understood what the two of them were trying to do. But at the moment, he truly wasn't in the mood.
...
The Riddle estate was far more impressive.
Compared to the Gaunts' little shack, the Riddles' grand manor was like comparing a palace to a dung heap...
At the tall iron gates of the estate—
"Who are you here to see?" an elderly butler asked, eyeing the three of them carefully.
When his gaze fell on Tom's face, the butler's expression changed dramatically.
"Y-you all wait here for a moment! I'll go fetch Mr. Riddle!"
The old butler practically sprinted back toward the manor, as if he were being chased by a man-eating beast.
Dumbledore and the two boys exchanged glances, then had no choice but to wait patiently at the gate.
"Tom, you think your old man's gonna hide?" Wade asked.
"Hmph… wouldn't be surprised," Tom muttered.
Dumbledore said nothing, but he stepped forward and gently pulled the two boys behind him.
If the other side really came out swinging or with a firearm, he would be there to shield the children.
Not long after, the old butler returned.
To Dumbledore's mild relief, the butler wasn't carrying any weapons.
He had come back with a horse-drawn carriage…
This clearly showed just how large the Riddle estate was—and that the Riddles were far from being mere modest landowners with a bit of money.
The old butler climbed down from the carriage and respectfully opened the door.
An elderly gentleman, hair completely white, stepped down from the carriage.
He looked quite old, but still appeared sharp and spirited.
What caught Wade's curiosity was that judging by this man's age, he didn't seem like he could be Tom's father…
However… the man's features still bore a strong resemblance to Tom.
Wade recalled that old Tom's father—at this point in time—was still alive.
Which meant this man was most likely Tom's grandfather.
As soon as Mr. Riddle stepped off the carriage, he looked anxiously toward the three visitors.
Finally, his eyes landed on Tom.
He didn't even need to ask—just from the resemblance, Mr. Riddle immediately recognized that this was his grandson.
At this moment, Mr. Riddle's gaze appeared somewhat complicated.
"Good day, sir. May I ask the purpose of your visit? And… what is your relationship to the woman who abducted my son back then?" Mr. Riddle directed the question to Dumbledore first.
"The woman you're referring to… she was my mother," Tom answered coldly from the side.
Mr. Riddle's pupils contracted slightly. He took a deep breath before speaking again, "So… that means… you people are the same kind as her, then?"
"If I'm understanding your words correctly… yes, we are the same kind," Dumbledore replied.
Mr. Riddle let out a long sigh. "In any case… all of you, please come in."
The carriage's interior was spacious.
Even with three more people getting in, it still didn't feel cramped.
Mr. Riddle once again turned his gaze to Tom.
"So… you know about your origins now?"
"Mm…" Tom replied indifferently.
"And your mother… she didn't come today?"
"She died eleven years ago—the same year my father… abandoned her," Tom replied, his voice still cold.
Mr. Riddle visibly let out a breath of relief.
Clearly, after returning home, Tom's father must have told his own father quite a lot about Tom's mother…
Judging by his condition at the time, he had likely been deeply terrified of her, and so he must have described her in very alarming terms.
Because of that, Mr. Riddle had developed a strong fear of this daughter-in-law he had never met.
To a Muggle who knew nothing about magic, being suddenly taken by a strange woman, then unknowingly married to her and having a child…
Only he himself could truly understand the fear and rage he must have felt once he came back to his senses.
So upon hearing that that woman was dead, Mr. Riddle felt a wave of great relief.
But in Tom's eyes, this reaction left him very displeased, and his tone sharpened noticeably.
"I only came today to see my father once—to fulfill my mother's final wish. Then we'll leave and never come back. Where is he? What, doesn't he even have the courage to face me for a single moment?"
Mr. Riddle sighed and cautiously said, "I don't know if you can understand… what happened back then caused him a great deal of trauma. So, he mistakenly thought… that your mother had come back for him. That's why he's hiding."
"Hmph… coward," Tom said coldly.
For a moment, Mr. Riddle didn't know what to say.
He understood clearly—since these people were the same kind as that woman, it meant all three of them were… magic casters.
Wizards—the ones from legends, those dangerous, evil figures.
So he didn't dare show even a trace of arrogance in front of them.
Not even toward the one who was his own grandson.
______
Now that's a Tom of confusion—I mean, a ton of confusion lol.
Old Tom Riddle = Our Tom's father
The person they were talking to = Old Tom's father = Our Tom's grandfather