As his original form, predecessor, and elder "big brother," Voldemort's sudden collapse overnight imparted Tom Riddle with countless life lessons.
He pondered and reflected deeply, and the greatest lesson he learned was this: never use Avada Kedavra on Harry Potter!
This curse was prohibited for a reason... If he had heeded the Ministry of Magic's warnings even a little, he wouldn't have ended up in such a dire state.
Beyond that, another key realization dawned upon him: violence and fear cannot solve all problems.
At the height of Voldemort's power, his servants bowed and scraped before him. The moment he lost his strength, the Death Eaters scattered like birds and beasts.
Hardly anyone even thought of looking for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been left to wander aimlessly for twelve years, buffeted by wind and rain.
This was the price of high-pressure policies and terrorism, not only were his enemies terrified of him, but even his subordinates feared him.
If it had been the first Dark Lord, Grindelwald, one only had to observe how his followers frantically sought his return after his downfall.
Violence alone could not solve everything. Sometimes, one also needed charisma and the power of words.
Tom Riddle was different from Voldemort. He was a sixteen-year-old soul, adept at these very things.
He resolved to pick up the traditional skills Voldemort had discarded, re-enchant hearts, and build a new inner circle.
A more reliable circle!
Peter Pettigrew was the first person he aimed to recruit.
The diary had left Ron's possession and fallen into Lockhart's hands, all thanks to Peter Pettigrew.
Initially, Riddle had planned to manipulate Ron into handing the diary to Lockhart. However, Ron's odd behavior caught Peter's attention, and he proactively connected with the diary.
Riddle suddenly discovered that there was an interesting presence lingering near Dumbledore.
But Peter Pettigrew was a fence-sitter, someone who only cared about his own survival.
Riddle decided to use his eloquence, his silver tongue, and his powers of persuasion to completely win over Peter Pettigrew.
Riddle approached Peter, patting him lightly on the shoulder, and spoke softly:
"Peter, although you call me master, I have never seen myself as your master.
"You helped me during my most difficult times. You are my friend, my brother, my trusted subordinate.
"I am not Voldemort. I am Riddle. Although we share the same soul, we are not the same, are we? You can feel the difference, can't you?"
Riddle raised his right hand, gesturing for Peter to sense his fervent soul. Peter hesitated for a moment, then nodded, extending his large, ugly hands.
In the dim, old room,
A greasy middle-aged man,
Trembling,
Reached out to touch the chest of a golden-haired young man.
"It really is different, Master," Peter muttered, his hands continuously brushing against Lockhart's chest as excitement spread across his face.
This young man before him was truly different from the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord only knew how to say, "Fool! Worthless! Avada Kedavra…"
He would never gently pat someone on the shoulder or smile so radiantly.
"Peter, my poor friend," Riddle said, stepping slightly away from Wormtail.
"You've spent twelve years hiding as a rat, never having a single good day, never feeling the warmth of love. And who caused this situation?"
"The Ministry of Magic? Dumbledore? No, it was Voldemort himself!"
"Look at him! he couldn't even defeat a baby, dragging you all down with him! That's the future he represents, my original form, the incompetent Voldemort."
"This shouldn't have happened." Riddle reached out with pity, stroking Peter's balding head.
"Suffering isn't what Death Eaters stand for. Hardship was never our goal.
"When you were tormented to the brink of despair, who heard your cries?
"And where was Voldemort?
"I despise him as much as you do. He abandoned me too, exiling me to a diary for fifty years! You and I share the same sorrow."
Riddle fixed his gaze on Peter's eyes.
"I know, Peter. You like to cling to the strong. The more powerful someone is, the closer you wish to be to them.
"You ask yourself, 'What's the benefit of following this young man? He's not as formidable as the Dark Lord, nor a match for Dumbledore.'
"But don't forget, because of your betrayal, Voldemort lost most of his power. Those Death Eaters in Azkaban would kill you in a heartbeat if they could…"
"Because of your betrayal, the Potters died. If Dumbledore knew the truth, he would also want to kill you."
"But I'm different. I won't kill you. I will trust you, treat you as my most valued subordinate, because in my darkest hour, you… helped me."
Riddle's voice grew softer, gentler.
"I don't want to make you empty promises, Peter, but remember this:
"Voldemort is my future. I have the same extraordinary talents as he does. I have the guidance of Slytherin… I will soon become just as powerful as him!"
"The times have changed!
"The future does not belong to Dumbledore, nor to Voldemort. It belongs to me.
"And perhaps, it can belong to us!"
"Do you still not know who you should pledge your loyalty to?" Riddle asked softly.
He took Lockhart's wand and drew a line of black flames in front of himself.
"Peter, step through the flames and join me. Swear an Unbreakable Vow of loyalty to me."
Peter hesitated. He remained silent.
After a long moment, he finally mustered the courage and stepped into the flames.
Riddle embraced Wormtail, gently cupping his face, and said with delight, "Excellent. I will free you from the curse of death. I will lead you into a future of eternal immortality."
"But Master, where are we going after leaving Hogwarts?" Peter asked cautiously.
Riddle shook his head. "No, Peter, I need you to stay here for the time being."
Wormtail froze in place.
"Listen to me. It's not that I don't want to take you with me. I've been planning for an entire school year, and after all I've done, Dumbledore won't let me go. He will keep pursuing me," Riddle explained.
"I won't die, I have already conquered death. But you're different. I don't want to risk sacrificing you during the chase. You have a more important mission."
"What mission?"
"…When the time is right, I need you to leave Hogwarts and find Voldemort. Find my original form!"
"What?" Peter shrank back in fear. "Master, he'll kill me. He'll definitely kill me…"
"No, he won't," Riddle said, his voice gentle once more.
"I know his condition better than you do. Right now, he's hiding in some corner, trembling and clinging to life, waiting for someone to save him.
"If you appear before him, he won't trust you because of what happened back then. But if a Death Eater is willing to come looking for him, he won't kill you. Much less torture you.
"I need you to act as my spy. Watch him for me!" Riddle's voice echoed through the room.
"I can't…"
"You're too modest, Peter. No one is more suited for this than you. You've lived under Dumbledore's nose for twelve years.
"And I don't need you to do much, just follow his orders and help him regain his strength."
"But if the Dark Lord is revived…"
"Trust me, even if he is revived, he won't be a match for Dumbledore. He will still die, and when he does, I will absorb his soul and become whole!"
Wormtail trembled as he said, "The Dark Lord has powerful Legilimency. He'll know what I'm thinking."
"No, he won't," Riddle said confidently.
"I'll forge a false memory for you, altering everything about me.
"When you first appear before Voldemort, he won't delve deeply into your mind, he'll be afraid of accidentally killing you. Once you revive him, he'll feel so powerful that he won't bother to probe your mind.
"Because he'll have his strength back… and your memories will no longer matter to him.
"I know my original form. He's an arrogant and ignorant man.
"A man doomed to die!"
Peter remained silent for a while before asking, "Master, where are you planning to go?"
"America. There's something of Slytherin's there. I am his heir, and I need to reclaim it.
"I think… you'll soon hear tales of me in Britain!"
…
A/N: A brief explanation: Sixteen-year-old Riddle is highly skilled in memory charms. He created a false memory for his uncle Morfin, which Dumbledore said would require exceptional Legilimency skills to uncover.
Professor Slughorn also altered his memory, hiding the truth deep within to prevent Dumbledore from discovering it.
Given Riddle's abilities, if Voldemort wanted to uncover the truth in Peter's memories, he would likely resort to brutal interrogation, as he did with Bertha Jorkins. But the cost of this method was Bertha's death, something Voldemort would be unwilling to risk with Peter.