CHAPTER THREE erro
Author: Serene Chaos
Category: Humor, Drama, Romance
Keywords: Tom Riddle, chamber of secrets, grindelwald
Spoilers: All four books as well as QTTA & FB&WTFT
Rating: PG
Summary: What if you could enter the Harry Potter world? Well, three "Muggle" girls randomly end up doing so. One problem: the year is 1942. The Chamber of Secrets is open and one of them has a mad crush on Tom Riddle. How the heck will they get out of THIS?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I own Kierra Warren, Rose Javenson and Natalie Gregory. Oh, and I own Mapleneige.
Author's Note: This chapter's title means "to wander, stray, rove/be mistaken, err, go astray". Thank you and remember to review! And I do hope that no one has used this idea before! As well, this chapter is slightly shorter, as the next few are planned to be rather long. Enjoy! ^_6
"I am so going to kill her!" Rose ranted, waving her arms around. By some weird trick of nature, she was able to keep the contents of her shopping bags actually inside the shopping bags.
"You've said that thirteen times now." Natalie noted. "And still, you wave your arms around like a psycho loonie, attracting unneccessary attention from the passersby."
And attention indeed was what they were attracting. There was a small crowd of about a half-dozen people muttering amongst themselves whether or not this poor girl was over-taxed and had gone mad.
Rose stopped, suddenly self-conscious of the unwanted attention she was recieving. She sort of inched behind Natalie, laughing nervously. Then she made a bolt for the nearest shop entrance to hide.
Natalie rolled her eyes then followed, casting an eye towards the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Well, I'm not her keeper, so Kierra can just look after herself.
Knockturn Alley was definetly not one of those places you'd like to be in the dark. That was what Kierra instantly decided after walking a few steps down the street. The people were rather creepy and that one old guy seemed to be leering at her. That caused an involuntary shudder to run down her spine. She tried to keep her eyes wandering from Tom, whom she was tailing, and seemed to be doing a good job on it. After all, when a person had a backside like Tom did, it wasn't hard to keep looking at them. However, when she tripped over one of the uneven cobblestones, she had to take her eyes away from him to steady herself. In the ten seconds or so of doing that, she somehow managed to copletely loose sight of him.
Hesitantly, Kierra took a few uncertain steps forward. Now that she was completely without someone she knew within a ten foot radius, Knockturn Alley suddenly became a lot more creepy looking. And not in the good, horror movie type creepy looking. She stopped for a moment, then moved forward, thinking it would be better to not stand beside the dark back alley as someone could easily reach out and grab her.
Grab hold of her someone did, however. Except not from the back alley. With a squeak at the pressure of an arm around her, Kierra jumped and whirled around. And found herself staring into the face of a very angry Tom Riddle.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Tom demanded, his tone even. The way his eyes seemed to flash a bit of a red tinge for a minute jarred her nerves.
"I'm not playing at anything." Kierra replied, her face deadpan. That caused Tom's expression to become a fraction more hostile.
"Following me into Knockturn Alley." Tom's voice was soft, as not to attract attention. This wasn't really a place where it would be all that good to attract attention.
"I've heard of it's reputation and found it irrisistable." Kierra said, a sarcastic bite fringing on her voice.
"Your friends didn't follow you, did they." It was a statement, not a question. As he said that, Tom's eyes moved up and down her body, as if he were studying her like prey.
"Of course they didn't." Kierra shot back. Tom was beginning to circle her and she turned so that they were still face to face, even if there were a few good inches between their heights.
"Well, then." Tom's mouth slowly slid into a cat-like grin. "You can accompany me on my errand."
Kierra's eyebrows shot half-way up her head as Tom stopped so he was beside her. "Errand?" she asked as he began walking. She matched his strides, so she could keep up.
"I have to, ah, visit a friend." Tom said, waving his right hand carelessly. He then rested it on Kierra's lower back. "All you have to do is what I tell you to."
"Which is what?" Kierra was instantly suspicious.
"Don't talk back so much for one thing," Tom said, moving his hand so his arm was draped across Kierra's waist and pulled her closer. "Relax and play along."
The suspicion was still alive and well in Kierra's mind. "Who is this friend?"
"Julien Malfoy." Tom said, pulling her to a halt outside a door. "In here."
Goody, a Malfoy, Kierra thought, half-sourly and half with genuine interest. She stepped through the door as Tom held it open. Once they were inside, he placed his arm right back where it was, but slightly off. Now, his hand was playing with the waistline of her shirt. His fingertips occasionally slipped under the fabric and lightly brushed against bare skin. The first time that happened, Kierra jumped slightly and glared at Tom out of the corner of her eye. He just smirked.
Inside the store - or whatever it was, Kierra wasn't very certain - was rather bare. There was a desk. With a chair behind it. And a doorway behind the chair and the desk. It was blocked by a door. And instantly, that's where Tom headed with Kierra. Before they reached it, it opened.
The door opener could only have been a Malfoy. He had a pale pointed face, with blonde hair that was a few shades darker than platinum. The blonde hair was pulled back by a black ribbon and looked to be long. The blue eyes betrayed no emotion, as did the facial expression.
"I was wondering when you would next stop by, Tom" the young man, who looked to be in his early twenties and could only be Julien Malfoy, said. "And look, you've brought a friend." His tone was patronising and caused Kierra to glare at him.
"Julien, this is Kierra." Tom said, nodding at her. His hand still played with the hem of her shirt, but now he was daring to move his fingers up a few inches further.
"Why is she dressed in Muggle clothing?" Julien directed his question at Tom, completely ignoring the Canadian girl. Which the aforementioned Canadian girl didn't really like.
"You don't have to talk like I'm not here, you know. I have perfectly good ears." Kierra snapped. Julien's eyebrows narrowed as he stepped closer to her. Defiantly, Kierra stared up into his face, her own expression set.
"Cute." Julien said, sneering slightly. Immediately, his attention returned to Tom. "So, how are things at Hogwarts?"
"The Heir of Slytherin has been making his rounds again. Three Muggle-borns attacked in the past two weeks." Tom said, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.
Kierra decided to play dumb. "Heir of Slytherin?"
"Your little friend is uninformed?" Julien seemed a bit amused by this.
"Muggle-borns at Hogwarts are being attacked and people are thinking it's this Heir of Slytherin." Tom said casually. "Something a Ravenclaw got out of a copy of Hogwarts, A History."
"Interesting." Kierra said, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"I am so going to kill her!" Rose was still ranting. Except now, she was ranting somewhat more quietly and away from the public eye. She and Natalie were sitting in the Leaky Cauldron. And Rose was currently ranting at the bowl of ice cream she had.
"Relax, Rose." Natalie said, attempting to be soothing. "She has to be back within fifteen minutes, or the Portkey is defunct."
"I'm not worried about the Portkey," Rose griped around a mouthful of Charmed Chocolate ice cream. "What I'm worried about is her and Tom Riddle."
"Why?" Natalie arched an eyebrow.
Rose gave her a look of disbelief. "Well, there is the small fact that he grows up to be the infamous Dark Lord, Voldemort." The last few words were said in a hiss that was punctuated by Rose stabbing her spoon into her half-eaten bowl of ice cream.
"Well, he's not Voldemort now." Natalie pointed out. She was really trying hard to remain objective. Even though she knew that Rose was right.
"Still he's the bloody Heir of Slytherin." Rose gritted out as she began to mash her ice cream into a chocolatey pulp. "And she should not be going anywhere alone with him, let alone freaking Knockturn Alley!"
"I think that's enough sugar for you," Natalie said hastily. She grabbed the bowl and spoon away from Rose before the brunette girl could do any more damage to it.
Without the ice cream to focus her attention, Rose scowled at the table top.
"So . . ." Natalie said, trying to think of something that wouldn't lead back to Tom Riddle and heinously evil ways. "What House do you think you'll be in?"
"As long as it's not Slytherin, I'm fine." Rose said, folding her arms. She didn't say any more than that.
"What class do you think you'll like the best?" Natalie continued with the questioning.
"Don't know. Don't care."
Natalie sighed. This was going to take awhile. Hopefully, Kierra would be back before Rose completely blew a fuse and began hexing anything in sight with her new wand.
"What about the Daily Prophet?" Natalie leaned over and grabbed the aforementioned wizarding paper off of an abandoned table. The headline was bold and large and was saying something about Grindelwald.
Rose's scowl deeped and she actually growled slightly. "I want to go home."
"Kind of impossible at the moment." Natalie said wryly, flipping through the paper with great interest. The pictures moved, which was probably something that would keep amusing her.
"Well, then I'll find a way to go home." Rose said, folding her arms. "And as far as I'm concerned, the sooner, the better."
"The sooner, the better, what?" a familiar voice asked. Both girls looked up to see Tom Riddle and Kierra walking across the Leaky Cauldron to them. Rose's scowl grew blacker, something that Natalie hadn't really forseen as possible.
"Where the hell have you been?" the brunette girl's tone was dangerously calm.
"Had to go back to Flourish and Blotts. I forgot I needed to get a book." Tom lied.
Rose would have said more, but Natalie interuppted.
"Time to go back to Hogwarts." she pointed to her watch. It was about thirty seconds before the Portkey was timed to go off. Tom pulled the silver pocketwatch out of one of his pockets and they all gathered around it.
A few seconds later, they all felt the now slightly familiar jerking feeling as the Portkey activated itself. There was a swirling feeling, then their feet were back on the floor in Hogwarts.
"Ah, I see your shopping expedition went smoothly?" Dippet asked.
Looking around, Natalie saw that they were standing in his office once more. Tom handed Dippet the pocketwatch and the headmaster tucked it into the folds of his volumous robes.
"Like a charm." Kierra grinned.
"And your back just in time, too. It's almost time for supper." Dippet said, easing himself up out of his chair. "Would you rather be Sorted then, or now?"
The three girls exchanged a look and it was Natalie that spoke first.
"We'd rather a private Sorting, sir."
"Ah, very well." Dippet was now standing, although he was leaning rather heavily on the back of his chair. "Tom, could you bring the Hat? I'm feeling rather tired."
"Of course, professor." Tom had easily slipped back into the role of being the perfect prefect. He whisked the Hat off of its shelf and brought it over to the girls.
Rose was the first to take it and she gingerly sat it on her head.
Ahh, you're in an interesting predicament, a voice said into her hear. It was a bit frightening for Rose.
Tell me about it, Rose thought dryly.
But I'm not here to play games, the Hat said. It sounded almost as if it had chuckled. I'm just here to Sort you. Have any preference?
Away from Tom Riddle, please, Rose said in her mind.
Hmm, let's see now. The Hat fell silent for a moment, as if it were pondering. You've got a great mind. And you're one of those ones who loves to study.
Ravenclaw, then? Rose thought hopefully. Right you are, the Hat said. It was almost as if it were grinning cheekily. "Ravenclaw!" the Hat sang out to the room right before Rose removed it from her head.
"Ravenclaw, hmm?" Kierra raised an eyebrow. "Suits you, Rose."
"Well, let's see what House suits me, next." Natalie swiped the Hat from Rose's hands and set it upon her head.
Another one with an interesting story? The Hat sounded rather surprised. Ah, but I'm not here to listen to how you came to be in this predicament. I'm just here to Sort you.
Natalie giggled slightly. She had never imagined the Hat to be this amusing. I like you, she decided.
Really? The Hat was delighted. Many people, it's just "sort me into blah-blah House" or "don't put me in Such-and-such a House". It's rather tiresome. And I haven't had a good conversation in awhile. But, none the less. You must be Sorted.
Natalie had the image in her mind, that if the Hat were a person, it would be nodding resoloutely at this point in time.
Any choice in paticular? The Hat asked. I always ask that first.
Umm . . . the same House as Rose? Natalie asked hesitantly.
Let's see . . . The Hat trailed off. Ooh, yes, you would do well there. And your loyalty is worthy of Hufflepuff. But really, it's up to you. I'll take Ravenclaw, Natalie decided.
"Ravenclaw!" the Hat dutifully called out. Natalie removed the Hat from her head and handed it to Kierra.
The red-haired girl raised an eyebrow at the Hat before plunking it on her head. It was there for a few minutes, until the Hat, rather unsure of itself, called out it's decision.
"Slytherin."
Natalie didn't even have to look at Rose to know that the brunette was seething.