Harry Potter does not belong to me, but to J.K Rowling
A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews! I am always soo happy when I get feedback from you guys! Thanks soo much, merci beaucoup! Danke viel mal! Special thanks to: Susie Q and master mahgol who reviewed my last chapter! I am happy you liked it and curious of what you think of the next one! So enjoy and review, tell me what you think!
Chapter 5
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Tom had always been a bit of a mystery. He never participated in their duels he never roamed the castle with them, or even studied with them, probably because he was a year younger than Beth and her fellow sixth years. Yet Tom Riddle was the head of their 'gang'.
Naturally they had to have a name, for they where the most feared gang in the school, whom only Potter and his mob of Griffindor cronies dared to confront.
Beth knew, that would it come to a real fight, something where it depended on life and death, most people would back out immediately, especially the Griffindors, for no one stood a chance against Tom Riddle.
He was brilliant, not only at all subjects in school, but at the dark arts as well. Most people thought this branch of magic evil, and illegal, not safe to submit to Hogwarts students, and Beth knew, that they had all reason for these thoughts.
Tom was intelligent, beyond comprehension. He had mastered wordless spell casting since second year, had the knowledge of a seventh year in every subject, and an exceptional sometimes frightening gift for the dark arts.
Knowing that he was special and different, Tom had made a precice selection from his Slytherin friends, forming a group secretly known as the 'Death Eaters'.
"So, what do you think he has planned for this year?" Avery asked them all, as the group, including Beth stood waiting for Tom, in the room of requirement, the next evening.
"I hope it has something to do with Potter and an instant death," Beth muttered, lounging on the sofa in the far left corner.
The room of requirement was only one of the many places that the Death Eaters met. Tom seemed to find it better, if they stayed unpredictable, especially with Dumbledore patrolling the corridors, Tom had a special kind of apprehension towards their Transfiguration teacher.
To this occasion, the room had changed itself into a small, dimly lit lounge room. The candles floating in the air were black and sparse, so that the corners remained dark and gloomy.
Green leather sofas lined each wall, and a big space in the middle left enough room to stand and practice dark spells and rather illegal magic.
"I wonder why he cares so much for the bloody big oaf?" Nott spat, "I mean who gives a rat's arse about what happens to him anyway, he is as thick as a brick wall, when it comes to magic."
Everyone laughed, Cassandras high pitched giggle carried through the stone walled room, and ripped at Beths nerves. That girl was not much smarter than Hagrid, in fact, she had failed nearly all her OWL's last year, only just scraping a pass in Care of Magical Creatures, and Divinations, which barely enabled her to continue her studies at Hogwarts.
She shook her head in annoyance. Maybe she was being to harsh on Cassy, maybe Potters actions were getting to her.
At that moment Riddle appeared through the door at the right side of the room. He wore his invisibility cloak, and threw it off as soon as the door locked itself behind him.
"So, what was that brawl all about?" He demanded, staring around the room. Everyone fell silent, and looked at the floor. Beth felt the hatred again, and the fear.
Why had she joined this freaky little gang in the first place?
She couldn't remember, nothing really mattered when Tom was angry.
"Seriously, on the first day?" He asked, standing in their midst, the rest of them sitting all around on the sofas.
Beth looked up at him, her blue eyes fixed on his grey ones. When he met her gaze, she saw his pupils grow white hot and red as they did when he was angry.
"I said, don't attract to much unwanted attention upon yourselves! It is important to stay under the radar, this year, especially this year!" He hissed, looking Beth straight in the eye.
"This year is very important, this year is special. I told you to keep it on the low down, it is very vital for what I have planned this year!"
Beth frowned slightly and looked around at her friends. Everyone seemed just as confused as herself.
"Well, if you don't mind me asking, what have you got in store for this year?" Avery asked from the shadows.
"You will know in due time," Tom relaxed a little and sat on an armchair in front of them. "The main thing is, that you keep out of the immediate lime light, Dumbledore is already keeping a close eye on us since last winter. Don't act as if anything is too different though, he will notice that as well."
"But why do you care so much about Dumbledore and what he thinks?" Cassandra asked.
"He is the enemy." Tom answered simply, and smiled shrewdly when Beth glanced at him in surprise.
"Is there anything else we need to know at the moment?" She asked and started to rise, for her hair was standing on end at the back of her neck, something wasn't quite right. Tom seemed very calm, but she saw, that he had something planned beyond anything they had ever dared before, something seriously dangerous.
"No." Tom glared at her, his dark eyes practically glowing at her from beneath his black hair.
"Well then I am off to bed," she yawned demonstratively and walked towards the door.
"What about you Eliza?" She turned and saw her friend walk towards her glaring in a meaningful way.
"Yes, I am tired as well," she seized Beth's arm at the door and pulled her into the corridor. "Beth, what were you thinking?" she hissed, pulling her friend down towards the dungeons.
"I don't know," she sighed and pulled her arm away.
"Well, you are crazy, going up against Tom like that!" Eliza shivered and started jogging down the stairs towards the Slytherin common room. "Did you see the way he stared at you? I would have been scared out of my wits."
"I was," Beth replied, quickening her pace so she could keep up with her friend, "the way he was talking today made me think he is…"
"Shh," Eliza clasped a hand over her friend's mouth and muttered the password to the stone wall. "Not here!"
They both made their way immediately into the girl's dormitory, and sat on Eliza's bed, with the hangings firmly shut.
"The way he talked about his secret plan today, it sounded as if he is planning something really big, something really dangerous." Beth gazed at the pillow in her hands. Maybe she was over reacting, maybe Tom was just planning another Dementor attack on the Gryffindor common room, or the kidnapping of another first year.
"I agree," Eliza murmured. Beth glanced at her, eyebrows furrowed.
"He seemed so cold, so distanced and really angry that we had the row today."
"Yes, but we have rows with Potter all the time, I thought we weren't supposed to change our habits, so Dumbledore doesn't notice…" Eliza grumbled and sighed.
"I know," Beth gazed at her blue eyes. "Let's just see what happens…"