About four days after classes started back up, Albus opens up the newspaper only to just about choke on his mouthful of food - Tom Riddle Snr. and Morfin Gaunt are both dead. One from a gunshot wound through the heart, the other from the Killing Curse - ostensibly, it was a hunting trip for Riddle, and Morfin Gaunt followed him.
According to the paper, Riddle apparently mistook Gaunt for a deer or some such and fatally shot him - and Gaunt AK'd Riddle in retaliation, then died shortly after.
Glancing up at the Slytherin table, he sees Tom putting on an act of looking devastated, with Evelynn squeezing his arm and saying something to him. He can already see Dippet being fooled, can see everyone being fooled by the act Riddle or the both of them are playing. Riddle had to have something to do with their deaths, he just doesn't know…well, actually, he doesn't know why, how, or when.
There was no sign of any Compulsions on either body, and it was the middle of the day when the two killed each other yesterday. When classes would've been going on.
Still, he's sure Tom Riddle jr. had something to do with the deaths of his father and uncle. He'll have to alert the Aurors, have them check Tom's wand.
Tom and Evelynn are safely hidden away in their corner of the library, behind Privacy Wards Evelynn put up - if anyone asks, they can just say they're so they don't disturb anyone or vice versa - and Tom murmurs "It actually happened…"
Evelynn smirks at Tom, teasingly asking "Did you doubt me, Tom?"
"No!" Tom shakes his head, adding "Even you didn't know what the Hex would do, Evelynn. It could've made my father have a change of heart, or my uncle get imprisoned, after all."
"It didn't though." Tom nods, and Evelynn quietly asks "You alright?"
Tom nods again, taking the hand that started to reach for him in his own, and says "Yes, I'm fine. Really. They needed to go, Evelynn. You said so yourself." And even if they hadn't, he would've killed them both. His father for abandoning him and his mother, and his uncle for how he treated his mother - amazing how, just a year ago, he thought she was weak. The knowledge that she was never given a chance to be strong, and that she literally gave her life so he might be...it changed things. Made him want to take revenge for her like he does for Evelynn.
Evelynn nods again, breaking him from his thoughts, and murmurs "Still…they were relatives of yours." And she's not sure how she would've reacted had the Dursleys been killed. Relieved? Probably. Scared? Absolutely. Not only had Vernon filled her head with horror stories about Orphanages, but the 'Blood Wards' were ostensibly the only protection she had from any still-active Death Eaters. And who knows where Dumbledore would've sent her afterwards.
Tom murmurs "A family that didn't raise you is no family at all, Evelynn. Something I never really understood until recently." One of the older orphans said that once, the day before they left the Orphanage for good - he didn't understand it, not really, but he held onto it nonetheless. Told himself he didn't need a family, that he'd made it this far on his own and he could keep making it.
And then Evelynn fell into his life out of the blue - or black, as it were - and despite every intention she had they got close. He was too curious not to keep after her, and it somehow led to…this. Her looking after him, strange as the concept sounds, and something happening between them neither have any experience with.
Evelynn hums quietly, pulling him out of his thoughts, and quietly says "So…like the Dursleys, then."
Tom nods at once - and files that away under 'implied consent to murder the Dursleys' for later - saying "Exactly. You did say you wouldn't save them if their lives actually depended on it."
Evelynn chuckles darkly, and mutters "No, no I wouldn't…" They tried to kill her, after all. A lot. For no other reason than the detail that she had magic - Voldemort, at least, had a half-decent reason. He wanted to survive, and the bit of the prophecy he knew said she had the power to defeat him - and, doubtlessly, he took defeat as death. Voldemort's attempt on her life was so he'd live - which, while she might've been mad that he went after her, she could understand it. The Dursleys just hated her, plain and simple, and wanted one less 'freak' in the world.
Its only because she was so powerful, even then, that she made it to eleven and through each summer.
No, she wouldn't help them if they were dying in front of her eyes - well, maybe Dudley after he halfway shaped up somewhat. Vernon and Petunia, though? Not on their lives. And then she's pulled from her rapidly-darkening thoughts by Tom's hands cupping her face.
Honestly, sometimes Tom just doesn't understand Evelynn at all - only sometimes, sometimes he can predict what she's going to say or do before it happens. Almost like that mock duel with Charlus Potter two days ago - he fully expected her to give everyone a show, as she thinks so far outside the box it shouldn't even be visible to her.
Even he didn't expect her to Accio Potter's shoes, however, and snatch his Wand out of his hand as he was flying past her.
Tom watches as Charlus Potter gets up on stage at Merrythought's word, mentally gritting his teeth at the thought of the boy laying a hand on Evelynn. Her grandfather or no, Evelynn is his!
And then Evelynn Transfigures her ankle-length skirt into a pair of Muggle sweat pants, for some reason, as she gets up onto the dais.
Professor Merry thought raises an eyebrow, asking "Care to explain the change of attire, Ms. Peverell?"
Evelynn raises an eyebrow back, and says "I don't want to give everyone a view if I cartwheel out of the way, Professor. I'll change them back when the duel is over."
After a moment, Merrythought says "Fair enough. Do either of you not know dueling etiquette?" Both respond that they do, and Merrythought nods and says "Alright then. Bow to each other and get ready."
Tom figures its just the Slytherins that are waiting with bated breath for Evelynn to give them a duel to remember. Though, he's probably the only one who knows just how extensive her arsenal of spells is - and just how easy it is to use it all. Part of being the Master of Death - Death doesn't care how someone was killed, it just cares that they're dead. Though, her particular flair is in spells she comes up with on her own, in his opinion. Once she was freed from Dumbledore's iron-clad control, she became much more powerful - so much so that she had to re-learn her control, start from the very basics. And she did it without a wand to, learning everything all over again Wandlessly. Its why she didn't have a wand when she came back, actually - she left it behind when she went on the run, one less thing to keep track of and she couldn't be disarmed if she was going full-Wandless.
Potter gets the first spell out when Merrythought gives the signal for them to start, casting an Expelliarmus - he's trying to disarm Evelynn, cute…
She spins out of the way and starts returning the spellfire, mixing Jinxes, mild Hexes, and other such spells in with her Defensive spells easily. Its about a minute into the duel that Tom thinks he sees Evelynn's strategy - she just hit Potter's shoes with a Sticking Charm, but he's still moving easily.
Potter smirks at her, despite the fact that none of his spells have gotten close to actually hitting her, and asks "What was that, Peverell? Getting tired?"
Says the one that's out of breath, sweat dripping off his face from the admittedly intense spellfire they're exchanging. He's probably had to move more during this duel than he does in three hours.
Evelynn grins, and says "No, but you are. Accio Potter's shoes!" And then Potter's feet go flying out from under him…and he goes hurtling towards her. Evelynn rolls under him, snatching his Wand in the process, only to look around and see almost everyone staring at her in utter shock.
Potter hits the far end of the dais with a dull thud, the breath getting visibly knocked out of him, and it takes him a moment to incredulously ask "Did you just…Accio my shoes, Peverell?!" What the actual hell?!
Evelynn just shrugs, and says "I stuck them to your socks, and your socks to your feet first, Potter." Even so, there's a smirk playing around her lips - she enjoyed that, messing with his head just a bit. Even Merrythought is looking dumbfounded, even as she declares Evelynn the winner of the duel.
Tom's just decided he's never underestimating her…ever. He wouldn't have thought to Accio someone's shoes, and he's a bloody prodigy. Of course…so is Evelynn - she's just a different kind. She picked up Runes, Arithmancy, and relearned almost everything to do with magic while on the run, and started creating spells when she didn't have any grounding in Arithmancy. Spells without any incantation, spells based purely on her imagination and directed solely by her intention and will. Yes, Evelynn's a prodigy in her own right that was never allowed to shine in her previous life.
It takes every ounce of his self-control, something Tom has prided himself on since he realized he had full control over his magic at the tender age of eight, not to put his arm around Evelynn's waist for the entire class to see when she takes her spot at his side once more. Merlin, all his self-control seems to simply vanish like she's turned it invisible whenever she does something creative or astounding like that. Or maybe it just ran off to her for a visit.
Its when Dorea and Walburga are dueling - something Merrythought is clearly regretting immediately - that he quietly asks "Where'd you get the idea to Accio his shoes?"
Evelynn smirks, and says "Watching Dudley slip and his feet fly out from under him a few years ago. I've always wanted to try that."
But she was never allowed to be that creative. The thought makes Tom's blood boil for just a minute, and then its his turn to duel. All the Slytherins quietly sigh in utter relief, much to their mutual amusement, when he gets paired up with an unfortunate Gryffindor - McLaggen, a cocky ass who's about to get his behind handed to him.
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter is up, hope you like it! Not much to say this time, bar that Dumbledore's about to royally screw up. More chapters coming soon!