The Revenge Meeting
Tom stands tall in the middle of the room, his fellow club members sitting on their respective beds – Harper on Tom's – as they listen.
"I've called this sudden meeting to discuss a most important matter," he says in his best serious voice. "The Burke situation."
"Burke?" Thoros asks. "Because she started a fight the other day?"
"No, not at all," he says. Well, maybe a little. "It's because Professor Dumbledore has entrusted a mission to us."
Well, to him, but the other members should be allowed to feel special, too. Tom wouldn't want to crush their dreams early on.
"Dumbledore?" Abraxas is startled. Then he pales, and corrects, "I mean – Professor Dumbledore?"
"A mission?" asks Ertan.
"To do with Burke?" asks Harper, suspicious.
"Indeed," Tom confirms. "A most important endeavour: we must teach Burke a lesson." He stops for a dramatic pause and revels in the way all eyes are set on him. "We must show Burke that I'm better than her."
There's a brief, confused silence.
"Professor Dumbledore," repeats Irving slowly, "wants us to show Beatrice Burke that you are better than her?"
Do his club members look mistrustful? It must be a trick of the light.
"Yes," Tom confirms. "He literally said so." Well, almost literally. It counts.
Another prolonged silence. What's going on today? The members are usually talkative.
"Why should we show her that you are better than her?" asks Harper again, standing from the bed and frowning heavily.
"Well, I am."
She can't really find a way to deny that statement.
"Did Dumb–Professor Dumbledore say how?" asks Argo.
Did he? Well, yes, he actually did.
"He said to just be myself."
There is, then, the most synchronized answer Tom's ever heard – better than the choir kids, his roommates perfectly harmonize a single sentence.
"Set her on fire."
Harper throws them a frightened look.
"Are you lot mental?"
Once again, Harper proves to be superior to the rest. Tom's obviously thought of this one already. If he's asking, it's because he wants a better idea.
"Ten points today, Harper. You deserve them."
It's frankly strange how she sometimes starts screaming for no reason, though.
Ugh, girls.
The First Revenge
"Wingardium leviosa!" insists Burke in Monday Charms class, face reddening after each failed attempt.
"Maybe it's the intonation?" Tom suggests as the whole class, Slytherins and Ravenclaws alike, stare.
"I don't need your help," Burke hisses.
Professor Goshawk approaches, looking worried.
"Miss Burke," she chastises, "Tom's the best student in your year. Perhaps you should consider accepting his assistance after class?"
She is, after all, the only student who hasn't managed to levitate her feather.
Burke's luck doesn't seem to improve throughout the week, as proved by Wednesday Potions class.
"But I did stir three times! And clockwise!" she complains.
Professor Slughorn looks sceptical. Burke's gooey, seaweed-green potion seems to disagree with her statement.
"Take a good look at Tom's work," he suggests, waving toward the other end of the class, from where Tom modestly accepts the compliment. "That's how it should look after the first stage – more chartreuse than… this."
Burke grumbles as Slughorn moves away.
A Hufflepuff huffs in the background and Tom thinks he hears a whispered "so haughty for someone who's this bad." And an answer, "Well, half-Black, you know?"
Burke cries out in Herbology class, making a nearby Ravenclaw – Oddpick, Tom thinks he's called – jump in surprise.
"It pricked me!" she complains.
"Miss Burke!" Professor Beery says as he rushes to examine the bleeding wound in her hand. "Didn't I say to deal with Spiky Bushes only from afar?"
"But I did," she swears, crying fat, ugly tears.
Oddpick snorts. "Yeah," he says, "of course you did. Never your fault, is it?"
The class chuckles as Burke leaves for the infirmary, followed by her loyal Joyce Fawley.
As she passes Tom by, she glares and furiously whispers, "I know you're doing this to me."
Tom smiles sweetly – again, candy-stealing sweet – and whispers back.
"Prove it."
The First Success
"Tom," starts Ertan at the beginning of their Friday afternoon meeting, "can we stop sabotaging Burke already?"
Tom takes a moment to consider the proposal.
"Opinions?" he asks the rest.
"I'm tired of whispering counter-spells all the time," complains Abraxas, "it's hard enough to take care of my own work."
True. Abraxas isn't as talented as Tom; he's got his own worries to deal with.
"That's why we take turns," Harper reminds him. "You only got charms. Slipping a leaping toadstool into her potion was way harder."
"I think we've shown the whole school she's the last in every class," adds Argo. "No need to keep it up – even the Hufflepuffs make fun of her now."
Indeed; reputation well and truly ruined. A masterful job, Tom thinks with satisfaction. Professor Dumbledore must be so proud!
"Well," intervenes Thoros, "we could just have a go every now and then?" He smiles a mean smirk. "Sometimes classes get boring, you know?"
Tom smiles back. Thoros is definitely his favourite this week.