A/N: Once again I'm a bad person for taking so long to update. I wish I could say that I won't make excuses, but I'm totally going to: I'm in nursing school so I don't have a whole lot of free time. However I do use my free time to write chapters so at least this story is not at a complete standstill!

Another important note: I have changed Artemis' last name to Hunter from Fowler, so don't get confused. I originally picked Fowler because I've read the Artemis Fowl series and just could not get the ring of it out of my head. However I realize now that I don't want people to get confused and think this is some sort of crossover. Thus her name is now Artemis Hunter. Sorry for the confusion!


A Silver Lining in Hell

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light."
-Plato

Chapter Three: The Boggart


Artemis slipped in with the crowd that was trickling into the Great Hall. She took a seat on the end of the Slytherin table with a miserable expression. It felt so wrong to her, sitting with snakes instead of with lions.

Her attention snapped back into focus when someone sat across from her. He was definitely in her year, with dark hair and bright gray eyes.

"Hello, my dear. I haven't seen you at Hogwarts before, but you weren't sorted and you clearly aren't a first year."

"You must be a Black," Artemis observed, noting his aristocratic features.

His suave facial expression flickered with surprise, "And you must have been raised in the magical world to know my looks and the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"That's such a mouthful."

"It is, isn't it?" he answered ruefully, "But my heritage is not what I came over here to talk to you about. I was wondering if you would like to join me and my friends. You looked rather lonely and miserable."

Artemis hesitated. A Slytherin being nice had to be a trick right? But she was in Slytherin too now, so maybe Slytherins were respectable to their own house.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

Black grinned at her and motioned for her to follow him to the other end of the table.

One end of the table to the other. Artemis thought with a sigh. She took a seat in between Black and a tall boy with styled, dark hair and dark eyes. She quietly listened to them talk while she piled food onto her plate.

"Well, introduce us to your friend, Orion," the boy across from her demanded.

Black—Orion Black—rolled his eyes and motioned to her, "I don't know her name. Tom wanted me to bring her over here."

Artemis choked on her juice. Remain calm. Tom is a common name. Orion slapped her back lightly until she recovered.

"I'm sure you have discovered that my name is Orion," he started, "This lovely fellow across from you is my cousin, Alphard. The prissy blonde is Abraxas Malfoy…" "Orion!" "…and this is Tom Riddle."

"My name is Artemis Hunter. I was home schooled before coming to Hogwarts."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hunter," Tom replied pleasantly.

"Thank you, Mister Riddle. But please, call me Artemis. Calling me Miss Hunter makes me uncomfortable," she replied, surprised.

"Perhaps, Miss Hunter."

As the group started telling her about Hogwarts, Artemis felt a faint tickle in the back of her mind that caused her to snap mental shields around her mind. Riddle narrowed his eyes minutely, barely noticeable to Artemis, but she knew what she saw. Tom Riddle was trying to read her mind.

She turned to him when the three boys veered off into a different conversation.

With a sickeningly pleasant smile, Artemis asked, "Is there something you want to know about me, Mister Riddle?"

He stared at her with an unreadable expression before sighing, "I apologize for my rude behavior, Miss Hunter. Most people don't notice such things. Nor do they have such strong mental barriers."

"I had tutors for it," Artemis said. On the outside, she appeared cheerful and friendly like she had forgiven him like it was a common misstep to Legimens someone's mind. On the inside, Artemis was furious and a tad scared. What all did he see? Artemis continued to chat with Riddle amicably as though nothing had happened.

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from England; I have strong Celt roots."

"Why did your parents suddenly stop home schooling you?"

"My parents are dead."

"I am sorry to hear that."

Artemis looked at Riddle from under her lashes. He didn't seem sorry or that he remotely cared. It was a natural response for a normal person to say and Artemis was sure that was the only reason he said it. He was only trying to get information from her. But why?

"They were bad people."


Tom Riddle looked down at the shorter girl walking to the common room next to him. She was an intriguing creature with long, wavy dark red hair and a curiously interesting shade of hazel eyes. She was what many men would call beautiful, but Tom was interested in her for another reason. When he first sent Orion to her, he wanted to determine her value. At first, she was nothing of interest, until he tried to Legimens her. He was forced out so quickly when she slammed down a mental barrier that he was momentarily disoriented.

Artemis Hunter could be of great use to him. He would have to look into it. He might end up recruiting her if she met his standards.


Artemis hummed to herself as she waited in the common room, leaning against the back of one of the chairs. Tom had told her the previous night that he would escort her to their first class so she would not get lost. He had a very polite manner around everyone, but it was definitely an act. She would have to give it to him though, he was a great actor.

The touch that brushed against her mind was anything but polite.

"What are you humming?"

Artemis jerked in surprise, looking up to see Tom Riddle staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It's just a lullaby," she muttered, picking up her book bag.

"I thought you said your parents were bad people."

"They were bad people. My older brother sang it to me and taught it to me. He learned it from my grandmother," Artemis snapped, "Now can we go to class or what?"

Tom's eyes flashed dangerously but he held his arm out to her, "It would be my pleasure and responsibility as Head Boy to escort you to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Artemis tucked her hand into the crook of his arm cautiously. Orion appeared with them on the way to class.

"I'm the only one of Tom's friends that took Defense with him, but now that you're here, we don't have even partners!"

Artemis watched Tom out of the corner of her eye. A muscle in his face twitched when Orion mentioned the word 'friend' but he retained his outward appearance.

The arrived outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Students were already milling about, waiting for the teacher to open the door.

"Who teaches this class?" Artemis asked Tom.

"Professor Barton," Tom answered, "He's been teaching for a while now, but he's not very good."

"Is Tom Riddle criticizing a teacher?" Orion joked.

Artemis watched a dark look pass through Orion's eyes but didn't say anything. Apparently Riddle's close friends knew that he was not all he appeared to be to the school. Recruitment of followers perhaps? Riddle obviously didn't consider them friends.

"Welcome, seventh years!" a middle age man threw open the classroom door and started ushering them inside.

Artemis took a seat at the front and suppressed a groan when Riddle took a seat next to her. While it worked in her favor to sit next to him, now she would have to keep on her toes in case he tried to Legimens her again.

"Today we will be facing a boggart! Now can anyone tell me what a boggart is?" Professor Barton asked, excitement coloring his voice.

Artemis made a face and from the expression on Tom's face, he was trying very hard not to do the same. Boggarts were very low level; to be learning them in NEWT level Defense was almost an insult. She felt like she somewhat understood why Tom Riddle did not like this teacher.

The class passed slowly as they discussed boggarts until Professor Barton clapped his hands together enthusiastically and motioned to a trunk on the table at the front of the classroom.

"Let's start with our new student, Miss Hunter! Please come up here and show us what you've learned."

Tom leaned forward, resting his chin on folded hands with interest. To be shown what a person fears could be quite useful if he needed to be…persuasive.

Artemis stood warily in front of the cupboard as Professor Barton opened it. Out popped…a table. To say he was thoroughly disappointed at first was an understatement. The table was very old and stained, but there was nothing that Tom would say was "scary" about it. His eyes strayed to Artemis, widening minutely with surprise.

The blood had drained from her face and she was visibly, to him at least, shaking. There was something about this table that scared her. He filed the information away for use later; it could be quite beneficial.


A/N: What do you think? Please review!