Chapter Five

Hogwarts, 1943

Victoria's POV

'They've officially been together one month, Alf. Cough up please.'

Alfie grimaced and reluctantly pulled a handful of coins out of his robes. He slapped two sickles into Mike Wood's hand. 'I can't believe you're profiting off this.'

Mike shrugged unconcernedly and heaped steak and ale pie onto his plate. 'If Lana wants to fraternise with the enemy, then I'm happy to make some money in the process.'

Victoria rolled her eyes and laughed at the two boys. 'Aren't you both taking this a little seriously? Lana has been hooking up with Lestrange for a month. It's not as if they're getting married.'

'I think you'll find that you're not taking this seriously enough,' said Mike through a mouthful of pie.

'Agreed,' said Alfie. 'You're best friend is snogging a disgusting Slytherin at every opportunity. You should be more worried about this.'

Victoria looked across at Ruth and they both shrugged.

'Look, we don't like him,' explained Ruth. 'But if we tell Lana that then she'll just be more determined to see him. So we're just going to wait for it to all blow over.'

'Hmmm,' muttered Alfie darkly.

Victoria grinned and turned her attention back to her own dinner. The boys were not impressed at Lana's latest choice of guy. Victoria didn't like Lestrange either. He was good looking but also vain and often downright nasty. But she knew Lana well enough; tell her not to do something and she'd only be egged on more.

Still, it felt weird that she wasn't joining them at dinner. Victoria looked across the room towards the Slytherin table where Lana was sat so close to Lestrange it seemed as though they'd been surgically attached. Tom Riddle was sat a couple of seats down looking nauseous. He looked up, caught Victoria's eye and pulled a face. Victoria laughed in return.

'Who are you looking at?' asked Ruth curiously.

'Just Lana,' insisted Victoria innocently. Her friends knew she'd struck up a recent acquaintance with Riddle but, as far as they were concerned, it was purely study-related. They had no idea what the two of them were planning in the Room of Requirement that evening.

Victoria was about to change the subject when an owl arrived and dropped a copy of the Evening Prophet into Ruth's dinner.

'Oh for heaven's sake, Arnie! When will you... OH MY GOODNESS!'

Victoria almost dropped her goblet in surprise, while Mike started chocking on a large potato.

'What's the matter?' demanded Alfie as he whacked Mike on the back.

Ruth unfolded the paper so all four of them could see the headline. GRINDELWALD SIGHTED IN BRITAIN

'No way!' exclaimed Alfie.

Ruth waved at him to be quiet. 'Hang on, I'll read it. Ministry officials have confirmed that sightings of Gellert Grindelwald in the West Country are suspected to be genuine. Last night, two wizards, both of whom wish to remain anonymous for their own safety, reported catching a glimpse of Grindelwald in the famous village of Godric's Hollow. Grindelwald has historic connections to the village, which is the home of his aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. Ms. Bagshot, however, has been out of contact with Grindelwald for several decades and is currently in Peru on a research trip. Grindelwald's motives for visiting Godric's Hollow are, as yet, unknown. The Ministry urges the highest caution amongst the wizarding community, particularly in the wake of the Walton murders which are suspected to have been carried out upon Grindelwald's orders.'

A shocked silence fell over the group. There had been rumours for weeks that Grindewald was edging into Britain but confirmed sightings of him were something new entirely.

'What do you think he wants?' asked Ruth in a kind of whisper.

'Subjugation of all non-magical peoples. Round-ups of Muggleborns. Supreme authority. You know, the usual,' said Alfie.

Victoria glanced up towards the staff table. Professor Dumbledore was absent but Headmaster Dippet and several other teachers were reading the Evening Prophet and looking grave.

'Do you think Dumbledore's gone away to do something?' Victoria asked.

'Probably helping the Ministry,' agreed Mike. 'He's the greatest wizard in the world after all.'

'I think Grindelwald might argue that point,' muttered Victoria.

'Scary to think he's walking around out there, isn't it,' muttered Ruth. 'I wonder what's made him turn his attention to us at last?'

'He's pretty much taken over Europe. Must have gotten bored,' said Alfie darkly. He glanced up towards the Slytherin table where Lana and Lestrange were now feeding one another pudding. 'Hey, I reckon the Slytherins will be first to sign up to Grindelwald's side.'

Mike followed his gaze and laughed. 'Too right. It'd be kinder to bump them off now.'

'Don't joke about those things,' huffed Ruth irritably.

Clearly seeking a change of subject, Alfie turned to Victoria. 'Fancy a walk in the grounds after dinner, Vic?'

Victoria looked up at the Great Hall ceiling which showed a starry evening. The temperatures had dropped over recent weeks, settling into a chilly autumnal weather. Red and brown leaves were scattered across the grounds and it was the perfect time for long walks and then warming up in front of the common room fire.

All in all, she should have jumped at the chance to go for a walk hand-in-hand with Alfie. But Victoria had other plans. She looked into his puppy dog expression and felt bad for what she was about to do. They hadn't rowed since the night of Slughorn's dinner but she suspected another one would be coming soon.

'Sorry, Alf. I've already committed to studying tonight.' She tried to look apologetic and gave his hand a squeeze for good measure.

To her surprise, Alfie did not immediately fire up. Instead he shrugged and only looked slightly disappointed. 'Is that with Riddle again?'

'Yes,' said Victoria cautiously. 'We're working on that extra-cirricular Potions project for Slughorn still.' That had been an easy lie. She and Tom were Potions partners and, if anyone was going to be assigned an additional project, it was them.

'Okay, no problem. We can hang out tomorrow instead. Fancy a quick fly around the pitch, Mike?'

'Sure. See you in a bit girls.'

The boys stood up and Alfie gave Victoria a quick kiss on her cheek. Then they left the Hall to go and get their brooms. Victoria was watching after them, still pleasantly surprised by Alfie's relaxed attitude, when she noticed Ruth staring at her.

'What?'

'What exactly is this Potions project then?' asked Ruth with the smallest hint of suspicion in her voice.

Victoria deliberately kept her voice as casual as possible. 'I've already told you. We met the Chief Potioneer at the last Slug Club dinner and Slughorn wants us to do some of the society's entrance requirements. It's not a big deal.'

'So if I visit Slughorn this evening and ask to join the project, he'll know what I'm talking about will he?'

Victoria held her nerve. 'Yes, of course. And you're more than welcome to join if you think you can spare the time from revising The Draught of Living Death.'

Ruth scowled at the low blow but, to Victoria's relief, let the matter drop. Victoria knew Ruth was on to her about the fictional Potions project but she also suspected Ruth was respectful enough to let it go until Victoria was ready to talk. Luckily Lana was too wrapped up in her new boyfriend to notice what anyone else was doing.

The two girls lingered over pudding and then finally made their way out of the hall. At the foot of the staircase, Victoria said goodbye and pretended to head for the dungeons. Instead, she waited five minutes for Ruth to disappear and then hurried up to the seventh floor, making use of several secret passageways to avoid being spotted.

As usual, Tom Riddle was waiting for her inside the Room of Requirement. It was designed as a small classroom with a stack of books in one corner and mirrors covering all four walls. Riddle was standing in the centre of the room and, for a moment, Victoria found her breath caught.

How the hell did he do it? He was wearing ordinary school robes yet he wore them like a model. His dark hair curled neatly above his forehead and his eyes glinted in the candlelight. Not for the first time, Victoria was reminded of the last Slug Club evening when they'd ended up in close proximity on a sofa in the Slytherin common room. She averted her eyes from Tom's lips and make herself remember Alfie.

'Good evening, Victoria.' Tom smiled in his usual way, as though he knew something Victoria didn't.

'Hello to you too.' She joined him in the middle of the room and caught his usual alluring scent. 'I had to lie again to meet you here.'

Tom raised an eyebrow and smirked. 'How did poor Alfie Black take it?'

Victoria gently hit his forearm. 'Don't. He was actually fine about it.'

Tom merely smirked again but didn't press the point. 'So, are we getting to work or just talking about your boyfriend?'

'You won't be that cocky in a minute. Sit down.'

They both took seats in two comfortable armchairs in a corner of the room. Tom looked even paler than usual. Victoria couldn't help but grin at this; it did him good to not be the best at something for once.

'Ready?'

Tom nodded. 'Do your worst.'

Victoria was on him before he could begin to defend himself. She probed into his mind and extracted glimpses of all his thoughts. It was a good two minutes before he succeeded in forcing her out.

For once Tom looked ruffled and his face was even paler. 'How was that?' he panted.

'Better than last week, honestly. You completely threw me out this time.'

'Yes, but not before you read my mind,' groaned Tom in frustration. 'We're doing this until I can stop you completely.'

'Okay,' agreed Victoria patiently.

In reality she was sceptical that Tom would ever be able to block her completely but he was certainly doing a good job at trying. They tried again and again and, on the tenth attempt, Tom managed to repel her after only half a minute.

'Right, enough of that,' he said suddenly. He jumped to his feet looking pleased with himself. 'It's my turn to show off now.'

Victoria sighed. She did not enjoy this part of their evenings half as much. True to his word, Tom was helping her with her duelling. Before they'd started practicing, she'd thought herself well above average. After a couple of sessions with him, however, Victoria felt as useless as an eleven year old holding a wand for the first time.

Sure enough, within a few seconds, Tom had hit her with a non-verbal spell and she was sprawled on her back on the floor. Thankfully, the Room was prepared and the ground felt like pillows when you fell onto it.

Victoria pulled herself into a seating position and glared up at Tom who was looking thoroughly amused. 'How did you get this good?' she demanded.

Tom merely continued to look maddeningly smug. 'I'm sure with some effort you'll be almost as good as me.'

Victoria scowled at the emphasis he placed on 'almost.'

'Ready to go again?'

Victoria sighed. 'Can we finish for tonight? Being thrown around a room gets tiring somehow.'

Tom raised an eyebrow and Victoria blushed at her inadvertent choice of wording. He laughed and took a seat next to her on the soft ground.

'Did you hear about Grindelwald?' he asked suddenly.

'Yes,' said Victoria in surprise. She didn't think many students bothered with the Evening Prophet apart from Ruth. 'I wonder what he was doing in Godric's Hollow.'

Tom stretched out and leant back against his arms. 'I was wondering the same. Perhaps Gryffindor left something there. A possession of sorts.'

Victoria frowned at him. 'Why would Grindelwald want something of Gryffindor's? They stand for completely different values.'

Tom gave her a patronising look. 'You don't need to believe someone's ideology to respect them. Gryffindor was a great wizard.'

Victoria mulled this over for a few moments. Unfortunately, Tom seemed to be being deliberately distracting. He was laid out on the soft floor, resting against his elbows. His long body looked muscular and inviting in the candle-light. Victoria made herself think of Alfie, who was spending the evening flying with Mike because she'd lied to him. Feeling guilty, she raised herself into a more formal sitting position and edged away from Tom slightly.

Unsurprisingly this did not go unnoticed. 'Worried about what your boyfriend would think?' he teased.

'No,' insisted Victoria, although the uncertainty in her voice betrayed her.

Tom smirked and sat up properly. He leant towards her and flashed such a charming smile she was now certain he was doing this deliberately.

'I'm only not telling Alfie and the others about these evenings because I don't want them to know about my mind reading, or that you're helping me practice duelling.'

'Hmmm.'

'What?' she snapped, her irritation rising.

'Nothing. It just seems odd that you trust me, someone you barely knew until recently, with your biggest secret. Whereas Alphard, whom you have been dating for months and friends with for years, is left in the dark.'

'Are you trying to make me feel guilty?'

'No. I'm trying to understand your motivations.'

'My motivations are that I want to be normal.'

Tom winked at her. 'Why on earth would you want that? You should be proud of your powers. You're more talented than all your friends combined.'

Victoria tried to look modest. 'I think that's an exaggeration.'

Tom waved her protests away. 'Make all the excuses you want. But I'm going to help you realise just how powerful you are.'

He was looking at her so intently that Victoria felt her face burn. She hastily broke eye contact and grasped around for a change in subject. 'Any way, Alfie was fine about us studying tonight. He wasn't really bothered.'

Tom looked politely surprised.

'What?' demanded Victoria.

'Well, look at it from his point of view. You're spending your evenings with me instead of him. If Alfie gets jealous and shouts, you might spend the night complaining about him to me. If he stays calm and just acts a little bit disappointed, you might spend the night feeling guilty.'

'Not everyone's as manipulative as you.'

'That's true,' agreed Tom. He smirked again. 'It doesn't make me wrong though.'

Victoria shook her head. 'Come on, help me with non-verbal spells.' She got to her feet again and got into position. But, as the evening wound on, she couldn't help but wonder if Tom was right about Alfie.

/

Tom's POV

Tom was very pleased with himself as he said goodnight to Victoria and made his way down through the castle to the dungeons.

Not only had they had a successful session which gave him hope that he would soon be able to throw off Victoria's Legilimency altogether, but Tom also knew he'd planted seeds of doubt about Alphard Black. That was integral to his plan to get Victoria onboard as a new recruit. Black was a blood traitor of the worst kind who hated all Slytherins with a passion. Tom knew that, as long as they were a couple, Victoria's commitment to his cause would be limited.

Plus, Alfie really was a smarmy bastard, thought Tom wryly. He was forever walking down corridors hand-in-hand with Victoria. Tom couldn't see what she saw in him. He was untalented, dull and useful for nothing except hitting Bludgers. If only Tom could curse him now and have done with it.

All things considered, however, it had been a productive evening and Tom was in a good mood when he reached the Slytherin common room.

It was shortly after eight in the evening and the place was rammed full of students. There were no chairs available but, as soon as Tom walked into the room, several younger pupils jumped out of their seats and offered him them. Tom shook his head and instead made his way through the warren of doors to the sixth year boys' dormitory.

He opened the door to find Avery, Nott, Malfoy and Lestrange there. All of them were lounging on their beds, eating Honeydukes sweets, and laughing loudly at something Lestrange was saying.

'... and then she asked if I would meet her parents over Christmas!'

Malfoy chocked on a piece of chocolate, while Nott almost rolled onto the floor laughing.

Lestrange wiped tears from his eyes. 'Her father's a fucking Muggle.'

'Oh, hi Riddle,' said Nott. The other boys said hellos.

Tom nodded and started rummaging in his trunk for a book he'd been meaning to read for a while. Behind him, the boys continued their highbrow discussion about Lana Morton.

'So, what's the plan?' asked Avery. 'If she wants you to meet her parents, I think it's time to back off.' He sounded terrified of the very prospect.

Lestrange snorted in derision. 'You're an idiot Avery. Lana's this close to letting me shag her. Why would I let that pass up?'

'She is fucking hot,' agreed Nott.

Tom, who had been browsing the contents page of his book, slammed the volume closed loudly. All four boys flinched, expecting the worst.

Tom's eyes flashed dangerously as he turned round and faced them. 'If you four put half as much effort into assisting me as talking about girls and attacking random Mudbloods, I would be in a much better position than I am now.'

Lestrange withered under Tom's gaze. 'Tom, we're-'

'Shut up,' said Tom, silencing him instantly. 'I haven't banned you from seeing Lana Morton because I respect my followers' decisions. But I can forbid you. Or I could take her for myself. She's only going out with you because I wasn't interested. You understand all this, don't you?'

Lestrange nodded quickly. 'Yes, I know. I'm sorry, Riddle, I-'

Tom cut him off again. 'I want you four to start taking things seriously. You are to practice the curses I taught you daily. But practice with each other, not on first years or you'll give Dumbledore a solid reason to expel you all. Unless you want to be replaced with more loyal followers that is.'

He stormed out of the dormitory with his book in hand. Tom knew they would be exchanging scared looks and plotting how they could make amends with him. The fellow sixth years hated being on his bad side.

Rather than sit in the common room, Tom thought he might head up to the library. Grindelwald's excursion to Godric's Hollow had piqued his interest and he wanted to read up more on the village. If Grindelwald was there then he must have a reason, and Tom was determined to uncover it. Not for the first time, he resented his age. It was infuriating beyond belief that he was a sixteen year old, stuck at school, while so much was going on in the world.

Tom was walking through the Entrance Hall, about to make his way up the staircase when a voice took him by surprise. None other than Alphard Black was strolling across the hall clutching hjs broomstick in hand. He had clearly just come from the grounds.

'Oi, Riddle!'

Tom paused and swivelled round to face Black, who was looking angry. 'What do you want?'

Black closed the space between them and practically squared up to Tom, who stood his ground. Black was a inch or so shorter than him but slightly broader in the shoulder. Still, Tom wasn't remotely scared of Black punching him; it'd give him a chance to try out some of his new curses.

'I need you to stop sniffing around Victoria,' snarled Black.

Tom bit his tongue to stop himself from laughing. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to find Victoria and say 'I told you so.' Instead, he settled for a politely puzzled look that he knew would infuriate Black even more. 'Sorry, Black, I don't know what you mean. Victoria and I are working together on a Potions project.'

Tom had deliberately kept his voice level but there was obviously something unsettling about his expression because Black took half a step backwards. He still looked as angry though.

'Don't give me that rubbish. You've been desperate to get her alone. Do you expect me to believe it's not a coincidence that you're suddenly doing Prefect duty and extra-cirricular projects together?'

'Believe what you like,' said Tom amiably, as though the matter was of no concern to him.

In reality, it was taking all his self-control not to curse Black into oblivion. He would have loved nothing more than to use the Cruciatus Curse and then Obliviate him into forgetting. The problem was Tom suspected Victoria could get past a Memory Charm if she wanted to. The other option was to simply threaten Black without wands; Tom knew he was just as effective at that, plus it would be his word against Black's. But, once again, Victoria's bloody mind reading would see through that. So his only option was to be painfully polite and infuriate Black that way instead.

Black seemed to be unsure what to say next. Clearly he had been expecting Tom to argue, and his casual responses had put him on the back foot. 'Well, just make sure-' He struggled to find the right words. 'Just make sure that you keep your fucking hands to yourself. And know that I'm watching you.'

'Oh, just go to bed, Black. You're boring me now.'

Black gave him one last glare and strode off up the staircase looking pleased with himself. Clearly he thought he'd done the job of scaring Tom off from Victoria. Not for the first time, Tom was struck by how incompatible Victoria and Alfie were. She was talented, subtle and intelligent. Alfie was a blustering fool who stamped his way through life.

Tom watched the Gryffindor walk away, all thoughts of the library forgotten. Right now his priority was finding a way to get Alphard Black out of the picture.

A/N:

I hope you liked the chapter. As ever, thank you so much for everyone who has clicked follow or favourite. A extra thanks to those who have taken the time to review- it's great to read them.

Next chapter I can promise: Alfie drama; Lana drama; and a milestone in Tom and Victoria's relationship...