"Back when I was still in school, the nickname I gave myself was already making the rounds," Tom mused, ignoring Snape's internal turmoil.
Snape, for his part, remained unfazed by the fact that his Occlumency was no match for Tom's mental intrusions, and that Tom didn't even seem to notice his attempts at shielding. After all, this so-called "boss" might be a chatterbox in certain respects (though no one dared voice that opinion), but his power was undeniable.
"Don't you want to ask?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "It's dreadfully dull holding a monologue."
"Is this something I am even permitted to hear?" Snape inquired. Seeing Tom's unwavering expression, Snape genuinely believed he was about to reveal some dark secret from his past. "Very well, what is it then? This…nickname, you speak of."
Tom smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. As if a villain of the Dark Lord's caliber would ever expose a truly dark secret. Such a person would be asinine as a troll.
"Don't you know already, Severus?"
"Forgive me, sir, I…wait a moment!"
"Precisely! Back in my school days, I christened myself with the moniker…Voldemort."
"..."
Tom's mischievous grin made Snape realize he had been played. Naturally, Tom Riddle/Voldemort would never divulge genuine dark history.
As for Voldemort…that hardly qualified as dark history. What remained unrevealed was dark history; what had already occurred was merely the path one had travelled.
As in the Muggle world, possessing talent elevated one to the status of artist; lacking it simply made one a charlatan.
"Professor," a young wizard piped up, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, "Could I possibly inquire as to what you were discussing earlier? About the…Half-Blood Prince?"
The other professors immediately turned their attention toward them. They, too, were consumed with curiosity, especially Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, who did not even bother to veil their interest. Even the ever-so-serious Minerva McGonagall subtly perked up her ears.
Snape, still reeling from Tom's earlier revelation, remained speechless at the young wizard's audacious question. But he knew Tom's personality well enough to know that he would not attempt to cover for him.
Unfortunately, by the time he recognized the impending disaster, it was far too late.
"Oh, it's merely a nickname Severus bestowed upon himself."
Indeed, it was too late.
Fortunately, Tom did not intend to humiliate him too severely this time. "Rather like when I was at school, I gave myself the nickname Voldemort…quite intriguing, wouldn't you agree?"
"I see?" The young wizard nodded, feigning understanding. Then, he began to consider something else entirely. "Even Tom Riddle christened himself with a nickname back in his school days?"
Then, as Tom Riddle's loyal follower, he could not possibly be outdone! He needed to concoct a resounding, memorable nickname – the sort that would intimidate his rivals!
Observing the young wizard's departure, Snape, who had initially braced himself for another verbal lashing, seemed somewhat taken aback. His initial tension, fear, and anticipation instantly morphed into disbelief and a touch of… disappointment?
Does this brat even care about my 'Half-Blood Prince' epithet? Is it because my nickname simply isn't sufficiently…cool? I ought to have selected a more impressive one.
Though Snape would never admit it, just as Tom had suggested, he harbored a bit of a "chuunibyou" streak.
"Leaving so soon? I haven't quite finished," Tom remarked pointedly. "I have been pondering why Severus chose that particular nickname. My current theory is that, being half-wizard and half-Muggle, and his chuunibyou manifesting in a princely delusion, he bestowed that title upon himself. Am I right?"
"..."
tonic! I confess! I confess everything! I assassinated Merlin! I bombed Great Britain! I masterminded the downfall of the wizarding world!
Snape sat motionless in his chair, his eyes vacant, seemingly contemplating the meaning of his existence.
...
What neither Snape nor Tom anticipated was that their conversation would ignite a "nickname-giving" frenzy at Hogwarts in the days that followed.
Initially, it was manageable. The nicknames were relatively tame. The Gryffindors, for instance, christened themselves with names such as "Brave Lion."
While slightly silly and a touch goofy, it was still acceptable. At the very least, Tom seemed greatly amused. He even suggested they adopt the title "Super Invincible WarGreymon."
And how could the Gryffindors possibly resist such a captivating moniker?
They immediately began vying for it. While they couldn't quite decipher why Tom wore that perpetual grin, they assumed it was because he was pleased to see them competing for such a prestigious title.
The other houses promptly followed suit. The Slytherins opted for nicknames associated with "Honor," "Strength," and "Death Eater."
Ravenclaw, naturally, gravitated toward "Intelligence," while Hufflepuff largely abstained, with only a handful "following the trend."
To be honest, Tom found the first few days quite amusing. But he completely lost his composure upon hearing someone's nickname: "Merlin's Used Stockings."
However, matters soon spiraled out of control. The students began adopting increasingly outlandish nicknames, resembling those found in Muggle online games.
At this juncture, Tom reasoned that if he couldn't curtail the chaos, he might as well embrace it. And so, he grew carried away once more. He inadvertently led the young wizards slightly astray.
This resulted in numerous complaints from Dumbledore. Tom, however, insisted that it was not his fault; blame Snape, he reasoned, he was already taking the fall.
Albus Dumbledore had no choice but to humor Tom; he also needed a scapegoat to appease the disgruntled parents.
And so, they once more paid homage to "Hogwarts' legendary scapegoat," Severus Snape.
...
This "nickname-giving" frenzy persisted for quite some time, involving many individuals close to Tom.
Harry's nickname, for instance, became "My Godfather is the Dark Lord."
And Malfoy, not wishing to be outdone, for some unfathomable reason, devised the bizarre moniker "My Basilisk is Thick."
Consequently, Tom paid Lucius Malfoy a visit that very day, casually inquiring whether Lucius' basilisk was, indeed, "that thick."
Lucius, however, denied owning a basilisk.
Tom simply patted Lucius reassuringly on the shoulder, leaving the latter perplexed but subtly flattered by Tom Riddle's attention.
As for Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, those two saccharine old men, one nicknamed "Beloved Al" and the other "Beloved Gale," kept Tom at arm's length for days.
His own little snake was far superior– so obedient. Nagini named himself "The Dark Lord's Favorite Pet Snake," which filled Tom with particular satisfaction.
On the other hand, that traitor was proving to be a headache. Tell me, what is the meaning of "The Dark Lord as my Mount?"
How could I, Tom Riddle, the most powerful Dark Lord in history, be ridden upon the head by a mere traitor?!
Cassandra Volle offered no explanation, only remarking cryptically, "It was bound to occur sooner or later."
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