Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Summary: Tom Riddle wasn't alone in the orphanage; he had his other half, his best friend, Schuyler. Schuyler Lux was the kind of girl who radiated light. She was friends with everyone and could do no wrong, but she had her soft spot. They were each other's weakness and in turn their greatest strength. When circumstances threaten to break the two apart only time can tell where they will fall. AU.

Chapter 8

Schuyler was walking down the hall towards the Slytherin common room early the next morning when she saw a figure on the floor, curious she went to inspect. Walking closer Schuyler gasped before running for the common room. She shouted the password Tom had given her before racing to his room.

Tom was awake when Schuyler burst through the door nearly in tears.

"Tom, Tom help, quickly, I think somebody is dead in the corridor!" Schuyler shouted before Tom grabbed her and guided her to his bed.

"Schuyler, calm down think rationally how would it look if you ran to a teacher with no one else around to report this, let's wait here until other people discover it so no one believes it is you."

Schuyler looked unsure but never one to disagree with Tom she laid down next to him and fell back asleep for an hour.

Schuyler awoke to Tom shuffling around the room. She sat up when he told her that the person had been deemed petrified and that all prefects were to go to the headmaster's office.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt

"Thank you prefects for coming with such haste, it is with great regret that I inform you that a 3rd year hufflepuff was found petrified this morning."

"Could it be a student professor?" Walburga asked the man. Many of the other prefects nodded along wondering the same thing.

"No my dear, this level of magic would be beyond even our professors, no this is the work of some dark creature, although which and where it came from we are unsure of at the present moment. I want to ask all of you to keep vigilant on you patrols and to never stray from a partner. Please keep this to yourselves as much as possible, we do not want to induce panic amongst the students." The headmaster dismissed them and Tom kept his arm tight around Schuyler feeling her fear as if it was his own.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt

Three weeks later found five more petrified muggleborns. Schuyler was nervous she saw no reason why the attacker would only target specific people, but nonetheless she still chose to spend a lot more time with Myrtle to keep her safe. It was this particular night after a long fight with Olive Hornby that Myrtle was nowhere to be found. Just about to give up for the night Schuyler entered the second floor girl's lavatory only to see a sight that would remain with her for the rest of her life. Myrtle was lying on the floor and unlike the bodies of the petrified people who had been frozen in the position they were petrified in, she was simply limp. Screaming Schuyler ran outside calling for help only to run into both Tom and Professor Slughorn. Schuyler threw herself into Tom's arms crying hysterically.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt

Tom felt Schuyler before he even saw her. He already knew why she was crying, clearly that pathetic mudblood's body had been discovered and now Schuyler was exactly where she should be; at his side.

"Tom! Professor! You must help, I've just found Myrtle in the loo, and I think, I think she's dead!" The three raced off to the bathroom only to discover the gruesome sight before them.

Schuyler fell to her knees on the floor of the loo, unable to support herself in her current state.

"Shh Sky, it'll be alright I'm here for you."

Schuyler wound her arms around his neck holding on with everything she had.

Together they walked towards professor Dippet's office where Schuyler gave a statement of what she saw before Dippet gave her permission to stay with Tom that night to keep the night terrors away.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt

Once back in his room Schuyler broke down crying. Tom simply held her while whispering words of comfort in her ear. "You'll be alright Schuyler; they'll catch who did this I'll make sure."

Schuyler simply cried herself to sleep in Tom's arms thinking of her late best friend and how anyone could possibly do this to such a sweet girl.

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt

Tom knew in his head this was the start of something new for Schuyler and himself, they could never go back from here. He had taken away her only friend besides himself and she would soon realize he was all she had.

Schuyler was horrified when it was revealed that Rubeus Hagrid was housing the beast who killed Myrtle. She was leaning on Tom more than ever, but unfortunately he was also pulling away more so than he ever had. His Knights were ready for real challenges now.