(AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELP ME! As I put in not so bold letters at the bottom of
my last chapter I need one or two people to beta this story for me, it
would be extremely helpful and I don't care of you're the worst speller or
grammarist in the world I just want someone who could read it and point
things out that I won't notice. So please HELP!)
Chapter 3: October
Morning dawned cold and bright on the first day of October,. The school seemed even more sleepy and sluggish then usual for a Saturday as Tom pulled himself out of bed and to the window. He dressed quickly and stepped out into the common room. He was the first one there as usual on a Saturday.
Most of the older students would be leaving for Hogsmeade in a few hours. He would be glad of the quiet, and the opportunity to look around. He had been here a month already and had scarcely seen the castle except on the way to classes.
Alexander had already gotten all the second and first years together to practice Quidditch, but Tom had declined. It had not been his idea of a good way to spend a Saturday, and it would be much easier to do anything if he wasn't always with Alexander.
Tom began to hear movement in some of the dormitories and he headed out of the common room and up to the great hall.
Despite the early hour he was not the first one there for breakfast. He waved to a couple Hufflepuff girls that he knew from Transfiguration.
"Tom!" called one of them looking up from a very large and very messy pile of papers. "Thank goodness, I'm so lost with this transfiguration homework, could you help me?" She was pulling her hands through her hair repeatedly and looked very distraught. Tom smiled.
"Sure Claire, what do you need?"
"Well, she said pulling her had through her hair again, It's that essay that we have to write about Matilda Mothelop and all that, I'm so confused." Tom nodded,
"OK, do you understand her basic theory."
"What's that?"
"She was a witch in the 16th century and she devoted her life to the study of transfiguration." Claire and her friend Elizabeth nodded in unison. Tom continued, "Back then the wizarding community though that it was impossible to charm a transfigured item. Like you couldn't turn a monkey into a partridge and them make it dance."
This caused both Claire and Elizabeth to burst into giggles.
"Right," said Tom continuing, "Anyway, she realized that the only reason it was impossible to charm transfigured objects is when they cast the charm they are thinking of the object as it appears." At this both Claire and Elizabeth looked very blank and confused.,
"What does it mean, 'they thought of the object as it appears'"
"When you charm a door locked you think of the door right?"
"Right." They confirmed.
"But if that door had been transfigured from a tree the door wouldn't lock."
"Why not?"
"I'm getting to that, you would have to think of locking the tree when you cast the spell, because the tree is the original pre-magic state of the object, does that make sense?"
"Yes!" said Claire overjoyed as she looked back at her messy pile of papers, "I understand it now, thank you so much Tom."
Tom left the table and walked back towards his own, the Great Hall had begun to fill with sleepy students as he talked to Claire and Elizabeth.
"Good morning Tom."
There was only one person at the Slytherin table and that was Avito. He gestured over towards where Elizabeth and Claire were working,
"Matilda Mothelop, I remember her, quite boring actually, although I believe she went on to be headmaster of Hogwarts after her theory gained real recognition. Tom failed to see the point of the conversation be he answered anyway.
"I think her portrait is hanging in the Transfiguration corridor somewhere."
"That would make sense. do you have any plans for today?"
"Not really, why?"
"Nothing of importance." Tom didn't like cryptic conversations, and even worse was when he got the feeling that Avito was getting at something but wouldn't come out and say it.
"Most Slytherins wouldn't take time out of their day to help Hufflepuffs do anything." Now Tom knew what he was getting at. "But you did." Although before Tom could say anything Avito got up and walked quickly away to meet a couple people who had just walked in.
"Tom, there you are, why do you get up so early anyways?" Alexander, Charles, Robert, and Phillip all entered the Great Hall and collapsed into chairs around Tom. "Are you sure that you don't want to come out and practice with us Tom?
"Yeah, I guess that I'm just not in the mood."
"Come on Tom, you're always looking for some excuse to get out of it, come on." Tom shook his head.
"I guess that I like watching Quidditch more then I like playing it." Alexander frowned.
"Suit yourself." He got up and was immediately followed by everyone else, "I'll see you at dinner."
Tom watched them walk away towards the pitch. He supposed that they thought it was odd he never wanted to practice, but Tom didn't really care.
***
The school was quiet and 'creepy' as Tom wove his way through corridors with no thought on where he was going. Before he could know his way around he would have to get lost enough that it would take him a while to find his way back to the Great Hall. By Dinner he would know the school better then anyone, except perhaps for the teachers but he doubted that even they would have spent hours wondering around.
He was pulled back to reality when he reached a dark and dusty corridor full of suits of armor and portraits where the people seemed to be off somewhere else.
"Lumos." He whispered to his wand so he could get a better look at where he was. There were closed doors every once in a while on the corridor and they all seemed to be empty except for a few things in storage.
The first had a few desks in it and some old books that were in such bad condition that he knew the librarian would have a fit if she saw them. 'An advanced guide to human-plant transfiguration' he read off one with a faded green cover and 'building with charms' off another. They seemed to be quite ordinary spell books that had been left here by mistake. Tom shrugged and let them be, but put a mental note to know where they were.
The other rooms were much the same and held old books and furniture.
He walked through many corridors all of them seemed the same but a few had no class rooms at all.
"It's nice to have some peace and quiet around the school on a weekend." Tom heard voices coming down the hall and he ducked into one of the old classrooms to see who it was. "Don't you think so Roderick?"
Tom peered through the glass window in the door to see Professor Marson and Professor Binns walking down the corridor and talking. They were going rather slowly as Professor Binns was very old and looked about to collapse into dust at any second.
Tom saw Binns nod barely at Professor Marson's question. He waited until they had rounded a corner and started walking in the direction they had come from.
He took the light off his wand and walked more quietly incase he met someone else along the corridor, he didn't know the chances of that because he wasn't really sure where he was in the school. He saw a shaft of light at the end of the hall and came to a giant window only partially covered in a huge drapery.
He looked out and found that he was on the west side of the school. Tom found it strange that they didn't have any classes in this wing and decided to find out what was here.
It became apparent almost immediately when Tom came across a brightly lit entrance chamber that was surrounded with doors. This is where the teachers live, he thought. He had known in the back of his mind that they had to live somewhere but now it made far more sense that they would live right here in the school.
Tom knew that it would be a bad idea to stay here where he could easily be spotted by one of the teachers, and it would be hard to explain what he was doing there. He retraced his steps and took the first turn that he came across and slowly wove his way back to the Great Hall.
He entered the Great Hall starving for lunch and saw that Alexander and the rest of his dormitory was already sitting and eating ferociously.
"Tom," said Alexander through a mouth full of potatoes, "Excellent scrwimmagf" He then realized that his mouth was full of potatoes, "Are you sure that you don't want to come out for the afternoon? Tom nodded.
They spent the rest of lunch discussing Quidditch and the likelihood of each person to make the team next year. They all unanimously decided that Alexander had a real chance as a beater and that Charles could make reserve chaser.
Tom stayed at the table after everyone else stood up to go out to the pitch again. He glanced up at the head table to see Dumbledore was staring intently at him. Tom didn't know why but he decided to spend the rest of the day in the common room.
***
Tom and Alexander sat in the front of the potions class and worked hard at chopping up their scarab beetles, they were making a mild sleeping potion under the eye of Professor Marson who was dressed in bright pink robes and chose to sit on her desk instead of in the chair behind it. She looked like a Muggle princess with long blonde hair that fell past her waist. It was rumored that she was part veela but no one really knew.
"Very good everyone, although Miss Gaffney I know that you aren't going to put that rowan bark into your potion like that, you could hardly make a mouse fall asleep." Tom looked over and saw Shannon Gaffney guiltily continue to shred her Rowan bark. "See? That's much better the finer the strips the better it will react.
That was the way she spent class, perched on her desk like a bird casting her eyes around the class seeking out any mistakes and giving praise where due.
"Very good Mr. Reinald, and Mr. Riddle now wait till the bark simmers down into a thick syrup and then take it off the flame to add the sea water."
The class chattered quietly as they worked Professor Marson didn't mind, actually she encouraged it.
"So like I was telling you," said Charles form the other side of Alexander, "I was talking to my brother Dominic, and he said that there would be two chaser positions open and one beater. He also said that they only have one reserve chaser and no reserve beater, but there is a really good fourth year they want for chaser."
"Have you heard anything about the beater position?" asked Alexander eagerly.
"Nah," said Charles. "I think that you have a good chance for next year." The conversation went on like that for the rest of the class as they continued to work on their sleeping potion.
"Alright class!" rang out Professor Marson's voice through the class room, "everyone choose a person from your group to try the potion." Alexander and Tom unanimously elected Charles to be the one to try it.
"Bene!" Marson called out as Charles crumpled into a snoring heap to the floor. "That was lovely, Miss Gaffney, Mr. Daly you're next!" Tom watched as Sam Daly drank a spoonful of the potion. Nothing happened.
"Miss Gaffney, this is why you don't stop shredding your rowan bark when I turn my head, please be more adept in the future."
The rest of the class's sleeping potions worked fine although none as well as Alexander and Tom's, Charles was still out cold at the end of class after everyone else had woken up a few moments after falling asleep. Professor Marson praised both of them highly as she administered the antidote to Charles.
"Not many first years would be capable of making such a simple sleeping potion that powerful, I think that warrants ten points for Slytherin."
They were walking up the corridor and out of the dungeons when all of a sudden Sam Daly fell down asleep as they walked. Alexander burst into laughter and spoke loudly to Tom.
"Isn't that just perfect, not only is Sharon incapable of making one of the simplest of potions, but she can't even do it without practically poisoning her friends." The Slytherin all roared in laughter, and Sharon seemed on the verge of tears. They all watched as Sam Daly sat up and rubbed his head. He turned to Sharon,
"I guess it does work after all." She grinned slightly in relief. Alexander found it too much to bear and he started to laugh again.
"What do you think is so funny Reinald?" Said Sam standing up and pulling out his wand. Tom and Charles instinctively moved to either side of Alexander.
"I was just remarking while you were indisposed," he said icily and smirked as he spoke, "how fitting it was that Sharon could not only complete a very simple potion but practically managed to poison her friend. The school should have known she was too incompetent to come."
"And what is that supposed to mean Reinald!" Yelled Sam, but Alexander didn't say anything else to him.
"Come on, we don't want to be late to dinner." He said to Charles and Tom. With a last menacing glance at Sharon he pushed past them and went up to the Great Hall.
"What was that all about?" said Charles as they sat down to dinner. "He looked ready to take your head off." Alexander laughed,
"I doubt he could have even if I was asleep. Anyway everything I said was true. Whose stupid plan was it to let in a girl that wasn't even capable of following directions on a simple sleeping potion."
"She's useless." Chimed in Tom, "I hear that she's even worse in Charms, its ridiculous." He said disdainfully. "at least we only have to put up with them for one class."
"I know." Said Alexander.
They talked about nothing in particular for the rest of dinner and Tom stayed seated as the rest of them got up.
"Aren't you coming Tom?" Said Alexander, Tom shook his head.
"I have a question for Professor Marson that I didn't get to ask you in class, I'll catch up with you later."
"OK then." Alexander said, and they left the Great Hall.
A few minutes later Tom left too and waited outside in a small alcove for a little while. It wasn't long before he saw Sharon Gaffney walking quickly out and towards the staicase.
"Sharon!" he called out, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sharon walked over to him slowly and with reservation. She crossed her arms and stared at him dubiously,
"What do you want?" she said and Tom could hear the dislike in her voice which she made no effort to hide.
"Look," he said making his face look open, "I just want to apologize for what Alexander said."
"Oh." Her arms dropped to her side and she just looked at Tom in disbelief, what ever she had been expecting it hadn't been an apology.
"What he said was uncalled for and just plain mean," said Tom being very sincere. "I hope that you won't let it get to you." He smiled.
"No, thanks, that was really nice of you to say something." She smiled very brightly. "It was very noble of you."
She started to walk away back towards the stairs, but she turned back.
"Thanks again Tom."
"Don't mention it."
***
"Tom what are you doing?" Alexander appeared behind Tom's chair in the common room, it was the earliest that Alexander had been up all year.
"I'm reading a book, what does it look like?" Tom didn't take his eyes off the page, Alexander looked like he was about to burst.
"Reading! At a time like this?"
"At a time like what? Alexander." He looked at Tom in disbelief,
"Quidditch." He finally burst. "There is no way that you forgot that today was the first Quidditch game of the year." Tom finally started laughing, and Alexander looked very puzzled.
"Of course not," he said in-between bouts of laughter, "but I really had you going for awhile didn't I?" Alexander rolled his eyes, apparently he didn't find forgetting about Quidditch anything to laugh about.
"Ha ha very funny," he said sarcastically and then impatiently "can we please go now?"
"Alright, alright," said Tom as he got up and made his way up to the great Hall along with Alexander and everyone else.
The room was for more crowded then it ever was on a Saturday morning with most of the crowd centering around the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Everyone was excited for the first game of the year.
"This should be an easy game." Said Charles matter-of-factly over a plate of hash browns and sausages, "I hear that Gryffindor lost all three of their chasers last year and only had one reserve, so the whole plan will be to score enough points so even if they catch the snitch they still lose. Although I don't actually know who their seeker is."
Alexander looked up from his pumpkin juice and stared at Charles as if he had grown another head.
"How can you not know who the seeker is?" He said through a mouth full of toast. "They have had the same seeker for five years, it's the head girl Minerva something."
"Oh," said Charles, "That still doesn't mean that she's any good." He continued defiantly.
"She's supposed to be brilliant," continued Alexander, "Everyone says they would have a great chance at the Quidditch cup if it wasn't for the fact that the chasers are terrible, they're not as bad as our seeker though."
"Hey!" said Charles at this comment. "Our seeker is my brother."
"Oops." Said Alexander sarcastically. The two then spent the next few moments staring at each other with narrowed eyes. Tom started laughing.
"You look like two Gorillas or something about to clobber each other at the first sign of movement." They all started laughing and headed out to the pitch.
It was October and the air was beginning to have a bite to it. Tom watched as the players marched out onto the field and a whistle rang out through the stadium.
They were in the air and Tom heard the voice of the announcer magically magnified.
"Slytherin takes possession and its Malfoy passing to Manfred and back to Malfoy, he shoots but its deflected by the Gryffindor keeper right into the hands of Slytherin chaser Jameson who shoots and SCORE! Ten points to Slytherin."
The rest of the game progressed the same way with Slytherin scoring 180 points to Gryffindor's 30.
"McGonagall dives near the Slytherin goal post, I can see the snitch its only feet in front of her if she catches it the game will end in a tie." Tom watched as two bludgers flew dangerously close to her head, but she didn't seem to notice as her long hair whipped out behind her.
Her extended hand was only inches away from grasping the snitch now but just before her hand could close around it another shout rang out
"SCORE" Slytherin had scored another point just as McGonagall's hand closed around the snitch and she tumbled onto the muddy pitch.
"McGonagall catches the snitch for 150 points to Gryffindor but Slytherin wins 190 to 180." Loud cheers erupted from the Slytherin section, but the cheers from the Gryffindors were just as loud as Minerva pulled herself up from the ground and held out the snitch to the Gryffindor section.
Alexander was sullen as they walked back into the Great Hall. They saw Minerva surrounded by a group of first and second years. Her usual prim and perfect appearance was disheveled. She was happily talking about the game and had a very rapt audience..
"I don't know why they're so happy." Said Alexander to Tom, "They lost,"
Tom agreed but he was far more interested in what was going on when the Slytherin team walked in, they weren't half as disheveled as Minerva and none of them were covered in mud. Tom watched as Avito walked over to Minerva and said just loudly enough that Tom could hear.
"Can I talk to you?" She nodded and they walked away. Tom followed just close enough to be in ear shot.
"That was a great catch," Avito said light heartedly. Minerva narrowed her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"I can't just want to talk to you?"
"I'm not in the mood for this."
"Not in the mood for what?"
"This, you, you're sneaking around and bizarre sense of loyalties that we can't get mixed up in because it would just be 'bad for both of us'."
"I."
"No, let me finish, I put up with it for awhile but I just don't want to deal with it anymore. Consider this the end."
"Minerva!" He protested, "You can't mean that."
"Well I do, so leave me alone alright?"
"Fine Minerva, have it your way. See if I give a damn."
***
It was on the way to charms that Tom and Alexander heard this awful wailing crying sound coming from one of the rooms on the second floor. Alexander made a face,
"What is that, it sounds like someone stepped on a merperson, and is slowly squeezing it to death." Tom agreed but he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was. As they got closer to the sound they could also hear laughter, they saw Olive Hornby and Caterina James standing by the girls toilet howling in laughter.
"What is that?" asked Tom with his hands clamped to his ears. This just caused the two of them to laugh even harder.
"Myrtle," gasped Olive through her laughter, "The Hufflepuff mudblood with the glasses, I made one little comment about her pigtails and she flew into hysterics and locked herself in there. Its pathetic really."
Olive pulled strands of short ebony hair out of her face when she noticed that Alexander was standing next to Tom, she quickly straightened up.
"Oh hi Alexander I didn't see you." She batted her eyelashes slightly and Tom rolled his eyes.
They walked towards charms still laughing about Myrtle's wailing which grew quieter in the background.
Tom and Alexander sat down in desks and Olive went back to join Caterina, the two were still giggling slightly as class began.
"Settle class." Professor Lita walked in to the room from his office and stood in front of the class. They all went silent immediately, it was not a particularly good idea to be on Professor Lita's bad side.
"Today, we will start on something a little more advanced, although I doubt that some of you are even close to being able to manage it." His gaze rested for a moment on Elizabeth and Claire, "Today we will learn levitation, watch please." He held out his wand over a feather and said quietly but commandingly, "Wingardium Leviosa" The feather rose into the air and then settled back onto the desk.
"I want no fooling around today, and please don't set anything on fire," He again looked at Elizabeth and Claire. "Everyone, wands out and together."
"Wingardium Leviosa." They all said in unison, Tom's feather levitated a few feet off the table, this wasn't hard, Professor Lita was exaggerating. It took him a moment to realize that he was the only one to have managed to levitate their feather.
"Very good Mr. Riddle." Said Lita when he spotted Tom's feather, then he was back to speaking to the entire class. "Again now." This time Alexander's and a couple other feathers levitated off the desks.
In the middle of the sixth try the door opened and shut. Professor Lita held up his hand for the class to be quit and stop moving. He turned to the door, where Myrtle was standing her face puffy and eyes red.
"Miss Lacrima you are late that's five points from Hufflepuff take your seat." Myrtle looked as if she might cry again and shuffled off to the back of the room to where Elizabeth and Claire were giving her reassuring looks.
"No I don't think so," said Lita icily, "You have already missed half the lesson, sit up here where I can keep an eye on you." He pointed to a desk next to Olive which Myrtle sank into regretfully and pulled out her wand.
After class Myrtle practically leaped out of her chair to get as far away from Olive as possible. Tom packed up his books into his bag and began to walk out of the room.
"Mr. Riddle," Tom turned around, "May I speak to you a moment after class?" Alexander caught Tom's eye and raised his eyebrows, Tom shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll catch up with you at the feast," he said and Alexander left along with the rest of the class. Once they were all gone Professor Lita began to speak..
"Its no normal nor easy feat to master a levitation charm on your first attempt. I have noticed that you seem bored in class, and I agree the pace we are moving is quite boring." He opened a drawer and pulled out a book, "I think that you should spend some time learning these they could be very helpful."
Tom left the room and read the title of the book, 'Useful charms for the gifted' He shoved it back into his bag and set off to the Great Hall.
Tom slid into the spot next to Alexander there were Jack-O-Lanterns suspended above the tables and the entire room smelled of baked pumpkin and cinnamon.
"What was that about?" said Alexander as Tom sat down.
"Nothing, he just had a book that he wanted me to take a look at a charm book."
"OK," said Alexander.
They were interrupted by the food appearing on the dishes sat in front of them. They ate and talked about nothing in particular until some of the older students began to talk about recent events.
As Tom listened he realized that he hadn't been paying as much attention to the affairs in the wizarding world then he should have. Tom and Alexander both went quiet to hear some sixth years down the table talking.
"The teachers aren't telling the whole story, the papers aren't either, My brother works in the Ministry and they're all worried The ministries in other countries are failing from internal pressure and the inability to fight Grindlewald's influence." Another one nodded.
"The Spanish Ministry is in shambles, they have almost no control over the country, and the muggles are in war which is destroying the land and wizarding culture. Many are fleeing to France and Brittain or even to Latin America."
"Germany is bad too, so is Italy," The first one continued, "The ministries are hardly able to keep themselves hidden from Muggles."
"Why should we care about the Muggles they just go around destroying things with their stupid war, its not even over anything important."
"We have to hide the magical world to protect Muggles, it's ridiculous."
The sentiment was pretty widespread among the members of the table, and those that didn't agree kept their mouths shut.
"My father says that if he had it his way Ministry policy would not involve Muggles at all."
Tom listened carefully to everything that was said. He hadn't known what was going on before and now that he did he wanted to know more. What could make an entire country's ministry collapse from the inside?
"Tom!" Tom's concentration broke as Alexander practically yelled in his ear. "Did you hear a single word that I said Tom?" Tom thought for a moment.
"You were talking about Quidditch next year." Alexander rolled his eyes.
"That was practically an hour a go Tom, where have you been?"
"I was just thinking."
"Fine, anyway, if you had been listening instead of being in daydream land you would have been able to answer my question, where are you going over holiday break?"
Tom froze for a moment, he hadn't thought of that yet, he knew that he planned to stay at Hogwarts, but that wouldn't be the best answed.
"I don't know yet," He lied although tried to seem as offhand as possible. "I haven't really thought about it."
"Well are you going to go back to Switzerland or is your dad meeting you in England?"
"Alexander I really don't know yet, why?" Alexander shrugged.
"No reason I was just wondering."
Chapter 3: October
Morning dawned cold and bright on the first day of October,. The school seemed even more sleepy and sluggish then usual for a Saturday as Tom pulled himself out of bed and to the window. He dressed quickly and stepped out into the common room. He was the first one there as usual on a Saturday.
Most of the older students would be leaving for Hogsmeade in a few hours. He would be glad of the quiet, and the opportunity to look around. He had been here a month already and had scarcely seen the castle except on the way to classes.
Alexander had already gotten all the second and first years together to practice Quidditch, but Tom had declined. It had not been his idea of a good way to spend a Saturday, and it would be much easier to do anything if he wasn't always with Alexander.
Tom began to hear movement in some of the dormitories and he headed out of the common room and up to the great hall.
Despite the early hour he was not the first one there for breakfast. He waved to a couple Hufflepuff girls that he knew from Transfiguration.
"Tom!" called one of them looking up from a very large and very messy pile of papers. "Thank goodness, I'm so lost with this transfiguration homework, could you help me?" She was pulling her hands through her hair repeatedly and looked very distraught. Tom smiled.
"Sure Claire, what do you need?"
"Well, she said pulling her had through her hair again, It's that essay that we have to write about Matilda Mothelop and all that, I'm so confused." Tom nodded,
"OK, do you understand her basic theory."
"What's that?"
"She was a witch in the 16th century and she devoted her life to the study of transfiguration." Claire and her friend Elizabeth nodded in unison. Tom continued, "Back then the wizarding community though that it was impossible to charm a transfigured item. Like you couldn't turn a monkey into a partridge and them make it dance."
This caused both Claire and Elizabeth to burst into giggles.
"Right," said Tom continuing, "Anyway, she realized that the only reason it was impossible to charm transfigured objects is when they cast the charm they are thinking of the object as it appears." At this both Claire and Elizabeth looked very blank and confused.,
"What does it mean, 'they thought of the object as it appears'"
"When you charm a door locked you think of the door right?"
"Right." They confirmed.
"But if that door had been transfigured from a tree the door wouldn't lock."
"Why not?"
"I'm getting to that, you would have to think of locking the tree when you cast the spell, because the tree is the original pre-magic state of the object, does that make sense?"
"Yes!" said Claire overjoyed as she looked back at her messy pile of papers, "I understand it now, thank you so much Tom."
Tom left the table and walked back towards his own, the Great Hall had begun to fill with sleepy students as he talked to Claire and Elizabeth.
"Good morning Tom."
There was only one person at the Slytherin table and that was Avito. He gestured over towards where Elizabeth and Claire were working,
"Matilda Mothelop, I remember her, quite boring actually, although I believe she went on to be headmaster of Hogwarts after her theory gained real recognition. Tom failed to see the point of the conversation be he answered anyway.
"I think her portrait is hanging in the Transfiguration corridor somewhere."
"That would make sense. do you have any plans for today?"
"Not really, why?"
"Nothing of importance." Tom didn't like cryptic conversations, and even worse was when he got the feeling that Avito was getting at something but wouldn't come out and say it.
"Most Slytherins wouldn't take time out of their day to help Hufflepuffs do anything." Now Tom knew what he was getting at. "But you did." Although before Tom could say anything Avito got up and walked quickly away to meet a couple people who had just walked in.
"Tom, there you are, why do you get up so early anyways?" Alexander, Charles, Robert, and Phillip all entered the Great Hall and collapsed into chairs around Tom. "Are you sure that you don't want to come out and practice with us Tom?
"Yeah, I guess that I'm just not in the mood."
"Come on Tom, you're always looking for some excuse to get out of it, come on." Tom shook his head.
"I guess that I like watching Quidditch more then I like playing it." Alexander frowned.
"Suit yourself." He got up and was immediately followed by everyone else, "I'll see you at dinner."
Tom watched them walk away towards the pitch. He supposed that they thought it was odd he never wanted to practice, but Tom didn't really care.
***
The school was quiet and 'creepy' as Tom wove his way through corridors with no thought on where he was going. Before he could know his way around he would have to get lost enough that it would take him a while to find his way back to the Great Hall. By Dinner he would know the school better then anyone, except perhaps for the teachers but he doubted that even they would have spent hours wondering around.
He was pulled back to reality when he reached a dark and dusty corridor full of suits of armor and portraits where the people seemed to be off somewhere else.
"Lumos." He whispered to his wand so he could get a better look at where he was. There were closed doors every once in a while on the corridor and they all seemed to be empty except for a few things in storage.
The first had a few desks in it and some old books that were in such bad condition that he knew the librarian would have a fit if she saw them. 'An advanced guide to human-plant transfiguration' he read off one with a faded green cover and 'building with charms' off another. They seemed to be quite ordinary spell books that had been left here by mistake. Tom shrugged and let them be, but put a mental note to know where they were.
The other rooms were much the same and held old books and furniture.
He walked through many corridors all of them seemed the same but a few had no class rooms at all.
"It's nice to have some peace and quiet around the school on a weekend." Tom heard voices coming down the hall and he ducked into one of the old classrooms to see who it was. "Don't you think so Roderick?"
Tom peered through the glass window in the door to see Professor Marson and Professor Binns walking down the corridor and talking. They were going rather slowly as Professor Binns was very old and looked about to collapse into dust at any second.
Tom saw Binns nod barely at Professor Marson's question. He waited until they had rounded a corner and started walking in the direction they had come from.
He took the light off his wand and walked more quietly incase he met someone else along the corridor, he didn't know the chances of that because he wasn't really sure where he was in the school. He saw a shaft of light at the end of the hall and came to a giant window only partially covered in a huge drapery.
He looked out and found that he was on the west side of the school. Tom found it strange that they didn't have any classes in this wing and decided to find out what was here.
It became apparent almost immediately when Tom came across a brightly lit entrance chamber that was surrounded with doors. This is where the teachers live, he thought. He had known in the back of his mind that they had to live somewhere but now it made far more sense that they would live right here in the school.
Tom knew that it would be a bad idea to stay here where he could easily be spotted by one of the teachers, and it would be hard to explain what he was doing there. He retraced his steps and took the first turn that he came across and slowly wove his way back to the Great Hall.
He entered the Great Hall starving for lunch and saw that Alexander and the rest of his dormitory was already sitting and eating ferociously.
"Tom," said Alexander through a mouth full of potatoes, "Excellent scrwimmagf" He then realized that his mouth was full of potatoes, "Are you sure that you don't want to come out for the afternoon? Tom nodded.
They spent the rest of lunch discussing Quidditch and the likelihood of each person to make the team next year. They all unanimously decided that Alexander had a real chance as a beater and that Charles could make reserve chaser.
Tom stayed at the table after everyone else stood up to go out to the pitch again. He glanced up at the head table to see Dumbledore was staring intently at him. Tom didn't know why but he decided to spend the rest of the day in the common room.
***
Tom and Alexander sat in the front of the potions class and worked hard at chopping up their scarab beetles, they were making a mild sleeping potion under the eye of Professor Marson who was dressed in bright pink robes and chose to sit on her desk instead of in the chair behind it. She looked like a Muggle princess with long blonde hair that fell past her waist. It was rumored that she was part veela but no one really knew.
"Very good everyone, although Miss Gaffney I know that you aren't going to put that rowan bark into your potion like that, you could hardly make a mouse fall asleep." Tom looked over and saw Shannon Gaffney guiltily continue to shred her Rowan bark. "See? That's much better the finer the strips the better it will react.
That was the way she spent class, perched on her desk like a bird casting her eyes around the class seeking out any mistakes and giving praise where due.
"Very good Mr. Reinald, and Mr. Riddle now wait till the bark simmers down into a thick syrup and then take it off the flame to add the sea water."
The class chattered quietly as they worked Professor Marson didn't mind, actually she encouraged it.
"So like I was telling you," said Charles form the other side of Alexander, "I was talking to my brother Dominic, and he said that there would be two chaser positions open and one beater. He also said that they only have one reserve chaser and no reserve beater, but there is a really good fourth year they want for chaser."
"Have you heard anything about the beater position?" asked Alexander eagerly.
"Nah," said Charles. "I think that you have a good chance for next year." The conversation went on like that for the rest of the class as they continued to work on their sleeping potion.
"Alright class!" rang out Professor Marson's voice through the class room, "everyone choose a person from your group to try the potion." Alexander and Tom unanimously elected Charles to be the one to try it.
"Bene!" Marson called out as Charles crumpled into a snoring heap to the floor. "That was lovely, Miss Gaffney, Mr. Daly you're next!" Tom watched as Sam Daly drank a spoonful of the potion. Nothing happened.
"Miss Gaffney, this is why you don't stop shredding your rowan bark when I turn my head, please be more adept in the future."
The rest of the class's sleeping potions worked fine although none as well as Alexander and Tom's, Charles was still out cold at the end of class after everyone else had woken up a few moments after falling asleep. Professor Marson praised both of them highly as she administered the antidote to Charles.
"Not many first years would be capable of making such a simple sleeping potion that powerful, I think that warrants ten points for Slytherin."
They were walking up the corridor and out of the dungeons when all of a sudden Sam Daly fell down asleep as they walked. Alexander burst into laughter and spoke loudly to Tom.
"Isn't that just perfect, not only is Sharon incapable of making one of the simplest of potions, but she can't even do it without practically poisoning her friends." The Slytherin all roared in laughter, and Sharon seemed on the verge of tears. They all watched as Sam Daly sat up and rubbed his head. He turned to Sharon,
"I guess it does work after all." She grinned slightly in relief. Alexander found it too much to bear and he started to laugh again.
"What do you think is so funny Reinald?" Said Sam standing up and pulling out his wand. Tom and Charles instinctively moved to either side of Alexander.
"I was just remarking while you were indisposed," he said icily and smirked as he spoke, "how fitting it was that Sharon could not only complete a very simple potion but practically managed to poison her friend. The school should have known she was too incompetent to come."
"And what is that supposed to mean Reinald!" Yelled Sam, but Alexander didn't say anything else to him.
"Come on, we don't want to be late to dinner." He said to Charles and Tom. With a last menacing glance at Sharon he pushed past them and went up to the Great Hall.
"What was that all about?" said Charles as they sat down to dinner. "He looked ready to take your head off." Alexander laughed,
"I doubt he could have even if I was asleep. Anyway everything I said was true. Whose stupid plan was it to let in a girl that wasn't even capable of following directions on a simple sleeping potion."
"She's useless." Chimed in Tom, "I hear that she's even worse in Charms, its ridiculous." He said disdainfully. "at least we only have to put up with them for one class."
"I know." Said Alexander.
They talked about nothing in particular for the rest of dinner and Tom stayed seated as the rest of them got up.
"Aren't you coming Tom?" Said Alexander, Tom shook his head.
"I have a question for Professor Marson that I didn't get to ask you in class, I'll catch up with you later."
"OK then." Alexander said, and they left the Great Hall.
A few minutes later Tom left too and waited outside in a small alcove for a little while. It wasn't long before he saw Sharon Gaffney walking quickly out and towards the staicase.
"Sharon!" he called out, "can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sharon walked over to him slowly and with reservation. She crossed her arms and stared at him dubiously,
"What do you want?" she said and Tom could hear the dislike in her voice which she made no effort to hide.
"Look," he said making his face look open, "I just want to apologize for what Alexander said."
"Oh." Her arms dropped to her side and she just looked at Tom in disbelief, what ever she had been expecting it hadn't been an apology.
"What he said was uncalled for and just plain mean," said Tom being very sincere. "I hope that you won't let it get to you." He smiled.
"No, thanks, that was really nice of you to say something." She smiled very brightly. "It was very noble of you."
She started to walk away back towards the stairs, but she turned back.
"Thanks again Tom."
"Don't mention it."
***
"Tom what are you doing?" Alexander appeared behind Tom's chair in the common room, it was the earliest that Alexander had been up all year.
"I'm reading a book, what does it look like?" Tom didn't take his eyes off the page, Alexander looked like he was about to burst.
"Reading! At a time like this?"
"At a time like what? Alexander." He looked at Tom in disbelief,
"Quidditch." He finally burst. "There is no way that you forgot that today was the first Quidditch game of the year." Tom finally started laughing, and Alexander looked very puzzled.
"Of course not," he said in-between bouts of laughter, "but I really had you going for awhile didn't I?" Alexander rolled his eyes, apparently he didn't find forgetting about Quidditch anything to laugh about.
"Ha ha very funny," he said sarcastically and then impatiently "can we please go now?"
"Alright, alright," said Tom as he got up and made his way up to the great Hall along with Alexander and everyone else.
The room was for more crowded then it ever was on a Saturday morning with most of the crowd centering around the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Everyone was excited for the first game of the year.
"This should be an easy game." Said Charles matter-of-factly over a plate of hash browns and sausages, "I hear that Gryffindor lost all three of their chasers last year and only had one reserve, so the whole plan will be to score enough points so even if they catch the snitch they still lose. Although I don't actually know who their seeker is."
Alexander looked up from his pumpkin juice and stared at Charles as if he had grown another head.
"How can you not know who the seeker is?" He said through a mouth full of toast. "They have had the same seeker for five years, it's the head girl Minerva something."
"Oh," said Charles, "That still doesn't mean that she's any good." He continued defiantly.
"She's supposed to be brilliant," continued Alexander, "Everyone says they would have a great chance at the Quidditch cup if it wasn't for the fact that the chasers are terrible, they're not as bad as our seeker though."
"Hey!" said Charles at this comment. "Our seeker is my brother."
"Oops." Said Alexander sarcastically. The two then spent the next few moments staring at each other with narrowed eyes. Tom started laughing.
"You look like two Gorillas or something about to clobber each other at the first sign of movement." They all started laughing and headed out to the pitch.
It was October and the air was beginning to have a bite to it. Tom watched as the players marched out onto the field and a whistle rang out through the stadium.
They were in the air and Tom heard the voice of the announcer magically magnified.
"Slytherin takes possession and its Malfoy passing to Manfred and back to Malfoy, he shoots but its deflected by the Gryffindor keeper right into the hands of Slytherin chaser Jameson who shoots and SCORE! Ten points to Slytherin."
The rest of the game progressed the same way with Slytherin scoring 180 points to Gryffindor's 30.
"McGonagall dives near the Slytherin goal post, I can see the snitch its only feet in front of her if she catches it the game will end in a tie." Tom watched as two bludgers flew dangerously close to her head, but she didn't seem to notice as her long hair whipped out behind her.
Her extended hand was only inches away from grasping the snitch now but just before her hand could close around it another shout rang out
"SCORE" Slytherin had scored another point just as McGonagall's hand closed around the snitch and she tumbled onto the muddy pitch.
"McGonagall catches the snitch for 150 points to Gryffindor but Slytherin wins 190 to 180." Loud cheers erupted from the Slytherin section, but the cheers from the Gryffindors were just as loud as Minerva pulled herself up from the ground and held out the snitch to the Gryffindor section.
Alexander was sullen as they walked back into the Great Hall. They saw Minerva surrounded by a group of first and second years. Her usual prim and perfect appearance was disheveled. She was happily talking about the game and had a very rapt audience..
"I don't know why they're so happy." Said Alexander to Tom, "They lost,"
Tom agreed but he was far more interested in what was going on when the Slytherin team walked in, they weren't half as disheveled as Minerva and none of them were covered in mud. Tom watched as Avito walked over to Minerva and said just loudly enough that Tom could hear.
"Can I talk to you?" She nodded and they walked away. Tom followed just close enough to be in ear shot.
"That was a great catch," Avito said light heartedly. Minerva narrowed her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"I can't just want to talk to you?"
"I'm not in the mood for this."
"Not in the mood for what?"
"This, you, you're sneaking around and bizarre sense of loyalties that we can't get mixed up in because it would just be 'bad for both of us'."
"I."
"No, let me finish, I put up with it for awhile but I just don't want to deal with it anymore. Consider this the end."
"Minerva!" He protested, "You can't mean that."
"Well I do, so leave me alone alright?"
"Fine Minerva, have it your way. See if I give a damn."
***
It was on the way to charms that Tom and Alexander heard this awful wailing crying sound coming from one of the rooms on the second floor. Alexander made a face,
"What is that, it sounds like someone stepped on a merperson, and is slowly squeezing it to death." Tom agreed but he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was. As they got closer to the sound they could also hear laughter, they saw Olive Hornby and Caterina James standing by the girls toilet howling in laughter.
"What is that?" asked Tom with his hands clamped to his ears. This just caused the two of them to laugh even harder.
"Myrtle," gasped Olive through her laughter, "The Hufflepuff mudblood with the glasses, I made one little comment about her pigtails and she flew into hysterics and locked herself in there. Its pathetic really."
Olive pulled strands of short ebony hair out of her face when she noticed that Alexander was standing next to Tom, she quickly straightened up.
"Oh hi Alexander I didn't see you." She batted her eyelashes slightly and Tom rolled his eyes.
They walked towards charms still laughing about Myrtle's wailing which grew quieter in the background.
Tom and Alexander sat down in desks and Olive went back to join Caterina, the two were still giggling slightly as class began.
"Settle class." Professor Lita walked in to the room from his office and stood in front of the class. They all went silent immediately, it was not a particularly good idea to be on Professor Lita's bad side.
"Today, we will start on something a little more advanced, although I doubt that some of you are even close to being able to manage it." His gaze rested for a moment on Elizabeth and Claire, "Today we will learn levitation, watch please." He held out his wand over a feather and said quietly but commandingly, "Wingardium Leviosa" The feather rose into the air and then settled back onto the desk.
"I want no fooling around today, and please don't set anything on fire," He again looked at Elizabeth and Claire. "Everyone, wands out and together."
"Wingardium Leviosa." They all said in unison, Tom's feather levitated a few feet off the table, this wasn't hard, Professor Lita was exaggerating. It took him a moment to realize that he was the only one to have managed to levitate their feather.
"Very good Mr. Riddle." Said Lita when he spotted Tom's feather, then he was back to speaking to the entire class. "Again now." This time Alexander's and a couple other feathers levitated off the desks.
In the middle of the sixth try the door opened and shut. Professor Lita held up his hand for the class to be quit and stop moving. He turned to the door, where Myrtle was standing her face puffy and eyes red.
"Miss Lacrima you are late that's five points from Hufflepuff take your seat." Myrtle looked as if she might cry again and shuffled off to the back of the room to where Elizabeth and Claire were giving her reassuring looks.
"No I don't think so," said Lita icily, "You have already missed half the lesson, sit up here where I can keep an eye on you." He pointed to a desk next to Olive which Myrtle sank into regretfully and pulled out her wand.
After class Myrtle practically leaped out of her chair to get as far away from Olive as possible. Tom packed up his books into his bag and began to walk out of the room.
"Mr. Riddle," Tom turned around, "May I speak to you a moment after class?" Alexander caught Tom's eye and raised his eyebrows, Tom shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll catch up with you at the feast," he said and Alexander left along with the rest of the class. Once they were all gone Professor Lita began to speak..
"Its no normal nor easy feat to master a levitation charm on your first attempt. I have noticed that you seem bored in class, and I agree the pace we are moving is quite boring." He opened a drawer and pulled out a book, "I think that you should spend some time learning these they could be very helpful."
Tom left the room and read the title of the book, 'Useful charms for the gifted' He shoved it back into his bag and set off to the Great Hall.
Tom slid into the spot next to Alexander there were Jack-O-Lanterns suspended above the tables and the entire room smelled of baked pumpkin and cinnamon.
"What was that about?" said Alexander as Tom sat down.
"Nothing, he just had a book that he wanted me to take a look at a charm book."
"OK," said Alexander.
They were interrupted by the food appearing on the dishes sat in front of them. They ate and talked about nothing in particular until some of the older students began to talk about recent events.
As Tom listened he realized that he hadn't been paying as much attention to the affairs in the wizarding world then he should have. Tom and Alexander both went quiet to hear some sixth years down the table talking.
"The teachers aren't telling the whole story, the papers aren't either, My brother works in the Ministry and they're all worried The ministries in other countries are failing from internal pressure and the inability to fight Grindlewald's influence." Another one nodded.
"The Spanish Ministry is in shambles, they have almost no control over the country, and the muggles are in war which is destroying the land and wizarding culture. Many are fleeing to France and Brittain or even to Latin America."
"Germany is bad too, so is Italy," The first one continued, "The ministries are hardly able to keep themselves hidden from Muggles."
"Why should we care about the Muggles they just go around destroying things with their stupid war, its not even over anything important."
"We have to hide the magical world to protect Muggles, it's ridiculous."
The sentiment was pretty widespread among the members of the table, and those that didn't agree kept their mouths shut.
"My father says that if he had it his way Ministry policy would not involve Muggles at all."
Tom listened carefully to everything that was said. He hadn't known what was going on before and now that he did he wanted to know more. What could make an entire country's ministry collapse from the inside?
"Tom!" Tom's concentration broke as Alexander practically yelled in his ear. "Did you hear a single word that I said Tom?" Tom thought for a moment.
"You were talking about Quidditch next year." Alexander rolled his eyes.
"That was practically an hour a go Tom, where have you been?"
"I was just thinking."
"Fine, anyway, if you had been listening instead of being in daydream land you would have been able to answer my question, where are you going over holiday break?"
Tom froze for a moment, he hadn't thought of that yet, he knew that he planned to stay at Hogwarts, but that wouldn't be the best answed.
"I don't know yet," He lied although tried to seem as offhand as possible. "I haven't really thought about it."
"Well are you going to go back to Switzerland or is your dad meeting you in England?"
"Alexander I really don't know yet, why?" Alexander shrugged.
"No reason I was just wondering."