CHAPTER 5

As Nott crumpled to the ground his weak pitiful cry for help could be heard by the circle of men around him. But none dared to move; too afraid of the red slits that were the eyes of their Lord.

'Do not make the same mistake again Nott. Lord Voldemort won't be as merciful then.'

The 15 yr old boy heaved his head up from the blood-soaked floor and managed to choke out a, 'yes, my Lord,' before falling unconscious to the marble floor beneath him.

'You are dismissed.' As the circle of men bowed their heads respectively, Tom caught the glare directed to him from Nott's best friend, Dolohov. 'Wait!' His command hung in the air, promising torment and the 12 men reluctantly reformed around him.

'Dolohov, step up.'

A bulky boy with an exceptionally large nose stepped forward, kneeling down on one knee before his Lord, sweat falling rapidly form his pits.

'Y-yes my Lord?' His eyes never met Tom's eyes, too intrigued by the non-existent pattern on the floor.

'You dare question my word?' It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

'N-no my Lord. Of course not.'

'I do not have patience for rebels Dolohov. Even if you have only just recently joined us.'

'It won't happen again my Lord.'

'See to it that it doesn't.'

The young boy who hadn't quite recovered from acne glanced at his Lord, not daring to believe his luck. But as he looked upon the smirking Lord his hopes died down like a candle in a storm.

'Crucio.'

As Hermione trudged down the stairs for breakfast, her thoughts reeled with what she had found the previous night behind a statue.

Dolohov's twitching body flashed before her mind and she flinched as the blood trickling from his ears and nose sent her stomach churning.

She had sent for help almost immediately through her otter patronus and she could only thank the invisible man upstairs that it had been past curfew. It was magic that not one student in this time frame could do. She could still see the nurse's harried expression as she puffed up the stairs. Thankfully, the nurse had been too busy with the boy to question her midnight stroll.

A large wall suddenly blocked her path and she stumbled into it, falling back roughly to the ground.

'Oh, so sorry miss.' The wall can talk?

As she looked up she flushed in embarrassment as she noted her mistake. But as her eyes swept over his raven-black hair and his outstretched skeletal fingers her eyes flashed dangerously as she took in Riddle in all his glory.

'Oh, Tom. How are you?' her small hands held onto his while he dragged her up, a geeky smile playing on her lips.

'I'm quite well Hermione. I do apologise for stumbling into you. I hadn't seen you.'

'Oh, don't worry about it Tom. I was too lost in my thoughts to have noticed you in the first place.'

'Then we are even it seems,' his charming smile brought out a blush in Hermione's cheeks as she waved him goodbye.

The second he rounded the corner, a spitting woman who was furiously wiping her hands on her cloak continued on her way to the Great Hall.

Stupid jerk! Why Dumbledore asked me to act like all those simpering girls do, I'll never know!

Maybe because you're going to stuff up the timeline if you don't. Have you ever thought of that?

Oh, shut up!