Chapter ten
The rest of the year
Obviously Tom stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays. Aside from the obvious reason, Grindlewald was starting to stir up trouble again. England was preparing for war and Tom didn't want to be in the middle of the city most likely to be bombed by Grindlewald's muggle ally, Hitler. Besides, in the sanctuary of Hogwarts, the war seemed a long way away. Christmas day was just as splendid as last year, except there were a few more students stayed behind this year. Obviously they shared Tom's thoughts, as he recognised several of the students were muggleborn.
After the students returned, things seemed to return to normal; as normal they could be at Hogwarts. The Daily Profit was reporting daily on bombs dropped on muggle inhabited areas, lists of Aurors killed or missing in action. Surprisingly (or not if you thought about it) there were no losses in Slytherin, every other house had lost a relative or something to this war. No one in Slytherin had. If fact several of the older Slytherin students sniggered openly at the other tables as the morning Daily Profit arrived. Several even took bets on houses or even individuals who would be hit hardest by this wave of terror. The presence of the professors during meals prevented the other houses from doing anything more than shoot murderous glances at them, but fights in the corridor were common. The seventh year Gryffindor boy's dorm had been hit especially hard: of the five, only one hadn't lost anyone. Thor Starr (the head boy) had lost both his father and an uncle, both of whom where aurors. Two had lost cousins, one was a curse breaker, who had been conscripted to breach the wards of one of Grindlewald's strongholds, and one was an envoy. Envoys were attached to Saint Mungo's. Under strict ministry supervision, they provided aid to muggles who had got in the cross fire of a magical conflict. Much like muggle missionaries. The last of the affected boys, a muggle born, whom Tom didn't know the name of, had lost his whole family to a squadron of bombers. The boy, he was told, was under twenty four hour suicide watch for depression. They had become the schools vigilantes, attacking any Slytherin who would dare smirk at someone's loss. Other students often paid them to take revenge on specific Slytherins.
Tom for the most part kept his head down and tried to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately his green and silver robes made him just as much of a target as the rest of his house. Curses and spells shot in his general direction on a daily basis. Trips and shoves while heading to class were just as expected as the portraits moving and talking and ghosts popping out of the walls. The school nurse was constantly busy now, giving out calming concoctions to those who had lost loved ones and bruise potion to hapless students who had been beaten up.
Most of the ghosts brought some small comfort to the victims: the knowledge that a part of their family survived after death and that one-day they would be reunited with them. Most ghosts save one. Peeves of course found the situation hilarious. He would float near the ceiling of the great hall, loudly asking who had snuffed it today, or hovering over those affected, audibly wondering in how much agony they died in and if they did it screaming. Needless to say Peeves wasn't a very popular poltergeist with students or the staff.
For Tom, the Easter holidays couldn't have come quicker. He was going to be the only person left at the school; all of the Slytherins were going home as normal, and everyone from the other houses wanted to spend all the time they could with their family. They may not get another chance. Also it would give his bust lip a chance to heal- he had been attacked two days ago, and he had got another thump from the same people since. Before the holidays began, however, he and his fellow second years had to decide what subjects they wanted to take for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels. The O.W.L.s were taken in the fifth year and would help determine their future. Tom opted for all except muggle studies: none of the other Slytherin's would take it and he had grown up as a muggle. He didn't need to learn how to fit in with them.
The rest of the year passed in a flash. Once again Tom aced his exams, earning the highest scores in the year. Soon he was packed and was on board the Hogwarts express. This summer would prove interesting for him.
Just a short one, but I'm back. Update soon.