Disclaimer: I don't own anything' except this insight to Tom's character.
Written For:
The Great Maze Chall/Comp: You continue but suddenly dementors swarm the maze. Cast a Patronus to put them at bay.
"Expecto Patronum."
The older girl only a few feet away shouted, a small terrier-like dog shot out of her wand and charged at the dark shape in front of them. The Dementor skidded away with a horrible screech, echoing loudly in Tom's ears. It was silent for a moment, everyone around him stunned by the sudden appearance of the Dementor.
"What was that?" Avery finally shouted, coming to his senses. "What is a Dementor doing in Hogsmeade?"
"It's probably a rogue one," Lestrange tried to dismiss it, but Tom could detect the slightest tremble in his voice. He coughed, covering it up quickly. "I doubt anyone know it's missing."
"Well, they should get their priorities sorted." Rosier added, sniffing in a disdainful way. "One of us could have been seriously injured in that assault."
Tom didn't try to point out that a Dementor couldn't physically hurt them, instead he surveyed the reactions of his housemates. They hadn't made it so far into Hogsmeade that they had all split up yet, the other groups were still standing close by, including the seventh year girl who cast the Patronus Charm.
It was clear that they were all affected by the cold the creature that spread when he'd turned up in front of them, even the people who were trying to hide it. Tom noticed how their hands shook ever-so-slightly. It wasn't like he didn't understand through, he had felt the terrible cold that fell over them as well, but some of his housemates seemed to have taken it further than even he had; faces bone-white, skin pulled tight over their knuckles, wands shaking in their hand.
Dementors, he thought to himself absentmindly, being out everyone's weakness.
He filed that thought away for further use.
