In another life, Tom Riddle would have turned 17 years old having already lost half his humanity. Though still a nobody outside of Hogwarts, he’d have murdered, schemed, and manipulated his way to the top of the Slytherin house hierarchy, and collected a dozen of the most promising young dark wizards to join his "study’ group. He’d bind them to him with promises of power, buying their trust by teaching them darker and darker magic.