Bound to Hogwarts
Disclaimer: Nothing but this plot belongs to me. This is not being redistributed for money or any sort of profit. Everything goes to its rightful owner(s)
Author's Note : Hope you like! And again, I'm sorry for the gap... :)
Chapter 4: The Defense Hall
No one missed the dark circles under Draco Malfoy's eyes the next morning. Or his sluggish movements. Or his non-stop yawns. But what they noticed the most was the fact that all those things were mirrored in Tom Riddle.
"Oh this can't be good," Hermione muttered when she saw the two. Harry raised his eyebrows, at them, and then snickered.
"I'm not surprised about Malfoy, but Riddle?" she said, "I don't understand why McGonagall didn't let him stay in Hogsmeade like you and the others..."
"Because of that probably," Harry said, referring to the disheveled sate of Tom Riddle.
"Is it bad that I feel a strange satisfaction that he's suffering?" Hermione asked, not sounding the least bit remorseful, "However weak that suffering may be?"
"Absolutely not!" And the duo chuckled. At that point, Draco had made his way over to them while Riddle stayed by the door, away from everyone else.
"Don't say anything," Draco said coldly when Harry and Hermione opened their mouths. The two glanced at each other bit back laughs.
"You look excellent," Hermione said, biting her lip to hold back a laugh.
"Didn't I say not to say anything?"
And then she saw Lavender walk through the doors of the Great Hall, hand-in-hand with Ron. Hermione didn't miss the look that Neville (he and Luna had somehow slipped into the seats across from them during that conversation) and Harry shared while Draco laughed at her misery.
Lavender immediatly walked over to them and sat between Neville and Luna.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" she asked, and then without bothering to listen to their answer, "Have you seen that new-"
And so, everyone but Ron tuned her out, only offering a simple yes or no to please the chattering girl.
"Oh," Lavender suddenly said when she saw Tom sitting across the hall, "Who on earth is that handsome b-"("Don't say it," Ron said)
"Tom..." Hermione said, slowly, not really sure what she could say. She didn't even want to speak with Lavender this early in the morning, and Merlin knows how mad she was at Ron for inviting Lavender over.
"Tom...?" Lavender said, her tone asking for his last name.
"Tom Evas..." Thankfully Lavender left her alone after that, disappearing somewhere with Ron, and Hermione tried to resist the need to strangle someone.
She was brought back to reality by Draco's snickering.
"What?" she snapped.
"I thought you were over him," he smirked.
"I am!"
"Of course you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, I'm just agreeing with you," he replied, still smirking.
"You're horrible, you know that?"
"Scarhead has told multiple times, and so has everyone else in the Golden group; so yes, I do know."
"Very funny," Hermione said dryly.
"I pride myself on that fact," he replied with another smirk.
"I spend way to much time with you..."
~-0-~
"So why are you both looking so tired?" Ron later asked Draco.
"I'm not sure about him," Draco asnwered (civilly! everyone thought, shocked), "But I have bags since, you know, the younger version of the Dark Lord was sleeping on my couch!"
"You have a couch in your room?" Hermione asked, surprised, "I don't have a couch!"
"I trasnfigured it-"
"So you do have a brain!"
"Ron!"
"-Thank you, Weasel, but yes, I transfigured one of the armchairs."
"You should have let him sleep on the floor..."
"Harry! He's standing right over there!"
"I do enjoy living, Scarhead," Draco replied, "As amusing as that might have been..." The last part was followed by chuckles from the whole group, except for Luna (who wasn't paying attention) and Hermione (who refused to mock someone...even if she agreed).
"You guys are just... ugh!" Hermione said, "At least talk quieter!" More laughs went through the group.
~-0-~
Tom knew that they were talking about them; He couldn't possibly be any more discreet, Tom thought dryly, staring at the boy with the scar on his forehead.
When the group glanced over, Tom looked away. After a moment of deciding, he quickly left without food and made his way to the library.
It was strange being back in the castle. For the most part, everything looked the same; Portraits were in their right spot, the suits of armor seemed slightly dented, thought he blamed time for that, and the stairs moved the same way.
But he noticed every single one of the scorch marks, or the slightly burned drapes over the windows, but what shocked him the most was the Defense hall.
The courtyard seemed relativly normal, if with a few more weeds peeking through the cracks in the paths. But then he saw the hallway facing the back of the gargoyle statue, or what was once a gargoyle staue. It was almost completly caved in, but there was enough space between the rocks that he could move through and get into the rubble.
The space was actually hollow, though a part of the floor was blown away which he made sure to avoid, and it faced the high sun. The other corner of the hall closed off the area, but on that side there was no space between the rocks.
The long wooden hallway that would branch off the orignal stone one was gone, the gap in the wall glaringly obvious.
He could sense the remains of the raw magic that had been used earlier and marveled at how long it must have lasted. It seemed to be at least a year old, judging by the weeds that were peaking between the cracks in the floor and the moss that had started growing along the outer edge of the gap in the wall.
And then he felt like an idiot for comparing raw magic to the height of weeds and moss.
~-0-~
"Oh god, where'd he go?" Ginny said, suddenly, bringing everyone out of their chuckling.
"What?"
"Riddle! He's not here anymore!"
"WHAT?"
"Oh, don't worry," Draco spoke up, "His magic isn't working."
EVeryone stared at him till he explained.
"He tried to do a shaving spell this morning but it didn't work," the blond said, "I let him borrow my wand to do it-" ("WHAT?") "-but it still didn't work. Then I tried his wand and it worked fine for me. So it's just him; it'll probably come back soon though. He was able to do Wingardium Leviosa this morning though. "
"And you didn't think to tell us this?" Neville said, slightly panicked.
"Honestly... No, I did not..." The blond received many glares for his response.
"Malfoy..."
"He'll show up guys," Hermione assured, "Remember? He can't go past Hogsmeade or else he'll lose his magic!"
Though everyone seated themselves at her words, they nor Hermione could get rid of the slight worry.
~-0-~
"So who do you guys think will arrive today?" Ginny asked, trying to break the increasingly uncomfortable silence.
"Dumbledore," everyone but Luna ("Hm..." and Draco ("Snape.") said.
"Snape?" Harry exclaimed, "Why would Snape come back?"
"He is one of the greatest Potions Masters ever," Draco replied, "And he died after Dumbledore; he's going to come back."
"Well, I'm screwed," Harry muttered.
"And what could possibly give you that idea?" Draco said sarcastically, referring to the older-version of Voldemort that Harry had defeated.
"He gave me some memories," Harry said slowly, "And he was in love with my mother, even after I was born, and after she died."
"Well I think it's sweet," Luna said unexpectedly.
"What?"
"He loved knowing he could never have her, but he did it anyway... true love..."
Harry and Draco stared at her for a minute as each 23-year-old imagined Lily and Snape. Everyone just looked at each other, trying to bite back laughs.
"20 galleons it'll be Dumbledore," Harry said to Draco after a long moment.
"50 it'll be Snape..."
~-0-~
Tom wasn't sure how long he was sitting in the hallway, but it was hours before he realized that everyone (as in the people who were closer to his age yesterday) would be terrified, if yesterday and the blonde's reaction to him last night were anything to go by.
And he'd broken his watch while he was knocked, though he wasn't sure how.
It was harder to get out than to leave, but somehow he managed.
And then he went to the library, going out of his way to avoid anyone.
~-0-~
Everyone who was there when Tom Riddle arrived was in the Headmistress' office at the same time that night. Except for McGonagall, that is; She'd gone to get whoever arrived.
It was a tense silence, and Tom stayed away from everyone, knowing it was pointless to even try.
When the door did open though, McGonagall came through first, followed by the man who'd arrived.
Everyone's eyes widened as they took in the sight.
"Guess I owe you 50 galleons," Harry said quietly, letting out a deep breath.
"That's a young Snape though," Hermione said, staring at Snape.
"He's young," Draco exclaimed.
Author's Note: Severus' young age will be explained next chapter :)
Sorry if this chapter is disappointing. I'm tired since I was up till 4am for stupidly drinking both a cappucino and frappe before bed. I swear I felt the calories XD
But again, I'm sorry for this chapter. It's not that good is it?
I'll make up for it once the school year starts, which will be in another day (2 chapters) I'm guessing.
So, I still do hope you liked. Reviews are simply awesome and I cover you with internet cookies :)
Till next chapter,
*Star*