Plot Guide

In **1942**, at the height of Grindelwald's reign and in the midst of a troublesome time at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the beast onto the school. His purpose was to continue and finish the work of Salazar Slytherin; who had sought to purge the school of muggle-borns. However, with an anonymous nuisance lurking about the castle, it became increasingly difficult to know if his secret was safe. Someone, given the name The Spider, had been revealing some of the utmost hidden secrets. In October of that year, their eight legged friend exposed a Hogwarts professor as a Grindelwald supporter and ally, sending the entire school into chaos. And for a while Tom didn't pursue his goal, until a gossipy Ravenclaw came to him with information. Olive Hornby believed that Myrtle Warren was the Spider and had plenty of evidence to prove it, or so she thought. This knowledge relieved the boy, because not only was Myrtle an easy target, but she was also a muggle-born. His previous fear of the Spider vanished and he set forth with the cleansing he had planned. Hogwarts became unsafe as students were petrified in the corridors and, at last, Myrtle Warren was found dead in the girl's bathroom. However, this was the incident that almost destroyed his home. After the girl was found dead there were talks of shutting the school down and Tom scrambled to find a way to cover up his actions as well as point the blame elsewhere. Rubeus Hagrid became the scapegoat and was expelled from Hogwarts on the grounds that it had been he who had let a creature run wild in the castle. But now that Hogwarts was said to be safe, it could remain open.

**1945** was the fall of Gellert Grindelwald. It was also the year Tom graduated and immediately applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Unfortunately, he was declined, thwarting a plan he had been developing in order to gain followers. However, Headmaster Dippet encouraged Tom to return and reapply once he was older, so Tom set off to discover his deeper potential. His travels were mainly focused on Albania, as he had been assured to find Ravenclaw's lost diadem there. His journey wasn't unsuccessful. New dark magics were explored and the diadem was finally his, a possession he felt very inclined to have. It would not be the first heirloom he coveted or the last. By this time Tom had already split his soul twice, having already created two horcruxes. His path to achieving seven was quickly underway.

Five years passed and in **1950** Tom returned to Great Britain, his aspirations high and his power stronger than ever before. He had gained a greater following, an unknown group of people he called Death Eaters did his bidding. And to them he was referred to as The Dark Lord. This advancement in his stroll to power was unnoticed by the rest of the world. He applied for the spot as Defense Against the Dark Arts position, once again, and was accepted. He took a stance as an inspirational, wise man and spoke with assurance in every statement he made. His popularity among students was quick to rise and he was seen as an overall good, well rounded kind of person, wiping away any doubt people had felt for him.