Unlikely Alliance (Part 1)
Althia made it through the first week of school unscathed. Her schedule was hectic and changed almost daily; sharing all her classes with Ravenclaws bedsides a few electives where Slytherins and Gryffindors were added into the mix. She went through classes, trying hard not to show any emotions or weakness and not let anyone know of her personal life besides Zephier, Abby, and Katie, and all they knew was her father worked for the majesties navy and her mother had passed away when she was four and was predominantly raised by her godparents while her father was away.
She sat in the library at a table tucked away in the very unused muggle studies section with Hel on her lap, stretched out in the most awkward of ways that didn't allow for Althia to readjust and scratch the itch that had been bothering her for the past ten minutes or move her left leg, which had been tucked underneath her since sitting down over an hour ago and she was sure it was asleep and it would be pins and needles when standing on it.
She was working on her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. The professor was an older crotchety male who was incredibly rude and Milton had made the mistake of asking him to repeat himself as his rant on various curses with the tamest of which would leave one covered in painful boils and the worst gutting someone as their skin was peeled back. Professor Stinup was enraged and bellowed to the class their homework assignment: to find the most obscure curse they could and write a ten paragraph essay on before the following class.
Althia had chosen to write about calefacta apparet ingenium, which when cast would literally make a person's brain overheat until it melted down, creating a type of watery mashed potatoes consistency that made it drain out the person's nose. The ancient Egyptians were thought to be the first to create the concept for mummification. However since magic itself had changed so much due to Merlin that an incantation was necessary later on.
There was only one problem with using this curse: she just couldn't remember the creator's name. Althia knew that using this curse for her essay would possibly give her ancestry away since it was from one of the books her father had stolen when he was kicked out of the family mansion. The book was one out of 12 in existence; left from Morgana Le Fey's teachings and experiments with various partners. Thankfully Hogwarts had a copy as well in the restricted section. She could probably get away with it as long as she remembered the information correctly. Hence why she started on the project immediately so she'd be able to hopefully remember the name before it was due.
She was three paragraphs in when someone set their books down at her table. She paused and glanced up and startled even more when the Slytherin who sat across from her on the train, she now knew to be Tom Riddle from the whispers of awe and fear that surrounded him in the halls. After regaining her composure she quirked an eyebrow at him, as if she was asking what he was doing there.
He didn't answer in any way or even acknowledge that she was there at all. Althia rolled her eyes and pet Hel before picking her up and shifting her weight finally grimacing as her leg that was asleep was finally stretched out. Pins and needles.
She rolled her left leg and finally scratched her right calf before settling into her seat again and putting Hel back on her lap and turning to her parchment….which was not there.
Her head shot up to the interested hum that came across the table and a wicked smirk met her eyes before Tom Riddle looked up, "Now I do believe I know who you are.