Sir.”
Infuriated, Harry put his foot through the television into Bobby’s face with a satisfying crash of broken glass and crunch of broken tooth. The elf groaned, “Ow, thank you, Sir, I deserve that and more for the terrible things Bobby has done. Please do it again!” This time he was ready to catch Harry’s foot and bite his ankle.
“But why? Why did you send those letters?” asked Harry angrily.
“Well, as I said, Sir, there is a conspiracy to do you in this year, once and for all.”
“So who is the head of this conspiracy? And why are you helping them?” demanded Harry.
Oh, I cannot name him, Sir!” replied the elf.
“Just as I thought! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Smelled! Lord Moldyfart!” deduced Harry.
Lord Moldyfart was the nemesis of Harry Putter. He was his enemy even before Harry was born, all because of a dreadful prophecy that Moldyfart had learned about back when he was known as young Tom Farisol Riddly. Tom found the prophecy when he opened a Chinese fortune cookie at the New China Kitchen in South London. He cracked it open and read his fortune, “Someone in your future will steal your heart.” Tom, who was always paranoid, freaked out. He clenched the tiny slip of paper in his fist and thought, “Who is this mysterious enemy, and why would he try to steal my heart, especially when I’m not finished with it!” It made him furious.
Tom Riddly used this prophesized enemy as motivation to become the most powerful and ruthless sorcerer he could be. When his future enemy arrived, he would be ready. It became his lifelong obsession. He made two vows. The first, that when the one who would try to steal his heart came, he wouldn’t give the poor fool a chance, he would tear him apart. He would not allow laws or emotions to get in the way of his defenses. He would break the wizarding laws, use unforgettable curses, if they would give him an advantage over his unknown foe. The second, that he wouldn’t eat Chinese food ever again.
Over the years, his heart became a stone, such that none could steal it, no seed of love could find purchase to grow. For he had no thoughts of love, his burning desire was to be ready when his enemy arrived. He could harbor no weakness, for his enemy might use it against him. Love was for the weak. He closed his heart to all humankind, for, his enemy could be anyone, and so he trusted no one.
Incidentally, he had ignored a young girl at the library, who had flirted with him to get his attention on several occasions. Had his obsession not been all encompassing, he might have noticed her, she may have even “stolen his heart.” As it turned out, she ended up marrying Arthur Cheesley. The young girl in the library was Molly Cheesley, and to this day, she has a slight crush on Tom Riddly that she has kept secret all these years.
Riddly, not satisfied with his expertise in standard magic and even illegal magic, eventually began to practice dark magic, and learned everything he could. In his malignant studies, he did his own research and taught himself, until his understanding surpassed the dark knowledge of any living wizard. In doing so, he became the most powerful wizard alive, but at great cost, for had given up his own humanity.
During his research he had consorted with penguins, demons, and llamas and learned what he could from them, and he made some deals that were costly. The unholy pacts he made changed his true form. He used his sorcery to hide the creature that he had become, so that he still looked like a man, but was something else entirely, something without a heart, something that couldn’t die, for no man knew the
James Patterson, Howard Roughan