Such beautiful language! And a believable and intriguing look at Tom Riddle. This, especially:
He did not understand why the others would not strive so, in every aspect. . . . It was so easy, and they were wizards after all.
It *appears* to be such a simple line and yet it crystallizes so much about him, his ambition (which in the beginning did not have the contempt for wizards he later developed) and grand dreams, and yet it sets up his disillusionment and eventual fall so perfectly.
The ending gave me chills. It's not easy to write something sympathetic to both Riddle and Snape, but this was beautifully done.