Chapter Eight
Lucy was still thinking about what she saw between Tom and Eileen earlier. As she sat in the comfort of the Hufflepuff common room with her roommates. Some of the students were playing gobstones while others (mostly fifth-year students) were busy scribbling away as they had OWLs coming up. Though there was some seventh-year students up as well, studying for NEWTs. Lucy watching them for a few moments, grateful that wasn't her. She was currently sat cross-legged on the chair with her cat 'Mr Filch' curled up on her lap. She was sat across from the other three girls (Poppy, Victoria and Ruth) who were sat on the carpet, chatting casually away about this and that. Poppy was sewing a butterfly patch onto her black hat as she talked to them. Lucy looked into the burning fireplace. One of the fifth-year students got up with a frustrated sigh, throwing his 'Potions' book onto the chair he was previously sat on before departing.
"Have you thought about your extra subjects for next year?" Victoria asked her two friends (who were coming up to third-year next year).
"Yes. I'm going to take 'Care of Magical Creatures' and maybe 'Muggle Studies' but I will have to ask my father's permission about the last one" Poppy answered.
"Really? Risky...I'm choosing 'Care of Magical Creatures' and the 'Study of Ancient Runes"
"Why?"
"Because it looks interesting...Just because you have the brain size of a bowtruckle, doesn't mean everyone else does" Victoria teased.
Poppy chucking her finished hat towards her in jest. Victoria threw it back just as quickly. Ruth was just shaking her head at her friends, looking down on her timetable. She hadn't really decided yet what she was going to choose, that was something she would have to talk to her mother and father about over the Christmas break.
"My father thinks muggle studies is a waste of time" Ruth spoke up.
"Oh of cause he would" Victoria paused as she looked towards Lucy and told her (reading her confused face) "Ruth's parents are Slytherin's, she's the first Hufflepuff in the family"
"Oh my gosh" Lucy muttered under her breath.
"It doesn't happen often but it can happen. The sorting hat is never wrong so my family had no means to object. I was so nervous when I wrote to them to explain what happened. They were quite good about it actually, saying they were just happy it wasn't Gryffindor. They can cope with me being a Hufflepuff" Ruth explained further.
"I didn't ask what my great-grandfather was. I will have to ask Dumbledore" Lucy mused.
This conversation was quite light-hearted for the rest of the night. Further down the castle however was a very different experience.
...
The Slytherin common room was filled with students but it wasn't just casual conversations. Tom Riddle was stood in the middle of the room near the fireplace as he looked at them all. Some of them had horrified faces (the girls especially) while others had a look of deranged anticipation. Eileen Prince was sat on the chair with her arms crossed and felt eyes on her. Tom looked at one of the third-years who simply nodded as if he knew something the rest didn't, he got out his wand and said...
"Incarcerous!"
Making Eileen suddenly feel ropes bounded tightly around her body. Some of the girls gasped "No!" and stood up. Though one look from Tom made them sit back down in fear. Though one of the witches called Walburga Black (mother of the future Sirius Black) just laughed. She was in her third-year, she just clapped and laughed at the sight. Sitting in the corner was a second-year boy called Orford Umbridge (father of the future Dolores Umbridge). Eileen looked around at them all but nobody was willing to intervene.
"I won't help the mudbloods again...I promise. I just...I didn't t-t-think it would have be an issue b-because Professor Slughorn is a Slytherin. I only h-helped them with potions" Eileen began with nerves.
"Only helped them with potions she says. The stupid girl doesn't quite realize that any help is giving these filthy mudbloods the knowledge that only we ought to possess" Tom hissed, making some of the boys nod.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again...I promise" Eileen quickly replied.
"Tom, don't you think that this is a bit dramatic? She only helped them in class" one of the fourth-year boys spoke, standing up.
"Be quiet!" Walburga Black hissed; not wanting to see Eileen's torment end just yet.
Sounds of students muttering in agreement with Walburga made him tut. The fourth-year boy wanted no part in it however he didn't stop it. He merely just excused himself as he returned to his dormitory in silent disgust. There were more Slytherin students who supported Tom than those who fought against him. The students who were against him took this chance to leave too. A second-year girl looked close to tears as she made her way to the girls dormitories.
"Traitors!" Walburga yelled as she watched some of them leave.
"No...no, maybe they are right. Do not worry, Prince. I won't do anything too dramatic. Living with the filthy vermin that people call muggles...I have learned a few things from them" Tom continued undeterred.
"She needs punishment!" Walburga spat.
"Quite right and I had one in mind. Just as a reminder to all the witches, don't disobey the cause. Now of cause I would use my wand but I don't think I've been here long enough to master it...I need something sharp" Tom said.
Walburga laughed again like a banshee. She looked around the room and smashed a glass goblet open. Giving it to Tom enthusiastically. This made more students gasp as some girls shouted "No!" again. Though they once again went quiet when they found themselves being stared at by their peers. Eileen by now was very panicky as she began to shake, trying to untangle herself from her binds.
"Please don't! What are you doing?!" Eileen cried out as she felt Tom dragging the shard of glass down her long black hair.
She paused as she looked in the mirror. Tom was carelessly cutting her long black hair. He stopped when her hair reached her chin and she could barely place her hair over her eyes voluntary. As her hair just went over her eyes...like curtains almost. Walburga clapped again like it was something brilliant. Eileen was finally unbinded as she looked in the mirror in horror. A lot of her black hair covering the floor beneath the chair she was previously bound to.
"You won't be helping mudbloods out again now, will you?" Walburga taunted.
"Good night everyone. I think we will leave Eileen to mull everything over" Tom announced.
Some giggles were heard however some silent looks of horrors were given in equal measure. Most of the other witches were truly scared now as they saw how much influence Tom Riddle held. No other student would have dared do something like that in front of a whole room of witnesses. Eileen kept looking in the mirror at her much shorter hair and she was now truly in tears. As the girl sat down in the now empty room and sobbed into her hands. Her son Severus in decades to come would have this hairstyle by choice and she would end up being revolted by her own son partly because of it.
...
It was a cold early December morning as the students sat down for breakfast. Light snowfall was seen in the window. Most students were talking about their plans for Christmas. Nobody but the Slytherin students knew what had happened to Eileen last night yet. Lucy was enjoying her eggs and beans currently with her friends from the dormitory. The room was quite jubilant at the moment as the students were chatting away about Christmas and seeing their families again. At least that was the mood on the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. The Slytherin table however was filled with the students talking in hushed voices, checking the entrance of the great hall every couple of seconds. The table suddenly felt completely silent as Tom Riddle entered with three members of his main group, Abraxas Malfoy and Geoffrey Nott looking their usual smug selves. Eileen Prince however looked more dishevelled than usual. She had her black pointy hat on however that didn't prevent everyone from seeing the obvious. Her long black hair would still be seen under the hat. You couldn't see it. She spotted Lucy from the corner of her eye and stared at her with hatred. Acting like it was her fault.
"I'm going to talk my cousin, excuse me" Ruth spoke; concerned as he was a Slytherin.
Lucy and the other two girls just gave her a nod. They wouldn't want to go and bother any of them right now though Ruth does have family connections. She being the only non-Slytherin in her immediate family. She was related to Orford Umbridge (making her the aunt of the future Dolores Umbridge) by way of her father's sister. Ruth sat besides him, making him edge away subtly; digging his fork into his egg. He kept looking where Tom was sitting, half-expecting him to suddenly punish him like he punished Eileen.
"Hello Ruth" Orford managed to say.
"What's going on with your house? Everyone is acting very strange...it's not like it isn't Christmas soon or anything" Ruth spoke with a disbelieving scoff.
"Go away...I will speak to you in two weeks when we are home. I can't speak to you anymore, Ruth. Not in school grounds" Orford paused slightly; adding in a hushed but worried tone "Please, I can't explain here"
"Alright. I'll go" Ruth relented, seeing his nervous little face.
Though this just made her even more concerned. She sat back down besides Lucy, Poppy and Victoria. She was wondering what to do but she didn't want to go writing to her father just yet. There were some old-school Slytherin's who were just as disgusted with the new fanaticism within their house for pure-bloods (some even went as far as only wanting Slytherin's). They just didn't express it as much due to not wanting to lose any favour with the so-called fanatics. It was causing a divide among them.
"That wasn't a long conversation" Victoria remarked to her.
"Well you know what Orford's like...He's got a brain as big as a bird's" Ruth tried to joke.
She excused herself again however as she said had go to the bathroom. In reality, she just wanted to write to her father. Not to say anything about this (she would save that for home) but she just wanted to write to him and talk to him to try and swell her worry. Her father was one of the old-school Slytherin's like Horace Slughorn who wanted no part with this fanaticism.
"Poor Ruth" Poppy muttered under her breath; knowing the bind she was in.
...
Not many students could focus in lessons lately due to the upcoming break. They had just finished a charms class. It was one of Lucy's best subjects and she walked out feeling quite happy about her progress. She and Myrtle walked towards the girls bathroom after this as it was their break. That group of Gryffindor second-year girls which included Olive Hornby and Euphemia were seen rushing ahead slightly and giggling. Myrtle paused, she disliked Olive as she had mentioned her glasses not long ago. Moving again as Lucy pulled her along gently as she needed to go the bathroom right now. The second-year girls approached the bathroom first as they opened it up with glee.
"Come on" Lucy urged Myrtle; thinking she was being silly.
Thinking she had to face her again anyway. Myrtle just huffed as she followed Lucy into the bathroom. Inside though revealed a scene which wasn't at all pleasing to witness. The gaggle of second-year Gryffindor students had shouted...
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Laughter followed as a hat floated up towards the bathroom ceiling. Eileen's hair was exposed for the first time. The second-year girls laughing like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. Olive Hornby was laughing the hardest, she was known to be a bit of a bully. Myrtle had dealings with her already. Euphemia didn't seem like she was much better though. She was so nice on the train too, Lucy just presumed in hindsight; that she was probably just fishing around to see what some of the first-year girls were like.
"Nice haircut Eileen...My grandfather has shabby curtains exactly the same" Olive taunted.
Making her friends laugh even harder.
"I knew she was hiding something. You really are pulling of the witch look Eileen...the ones muggle made up. Now all you have to do is paint your skin green" one of the other girls spoke in fits of laughter.
Eileen tried to grab her hat which was still floating in mid-air. Though she couldn't get to it and the laughter became unbearable. So she stormed out past them all and found herself being chased slightly down the hall. Lucy trying to keep a slow pace behind this scene (Myrtle refusing to join in). More laughter was heard down the hallways as other students finally saw the "botched haircut" of Eileen's. The second-year girls were still tailing behind her as they threw out more insults. They had followed her to the wooden bridge.
"Stop!" Lucy shouted at them; making the girls pause and look at her.
"Saint Lucy...Really? You want to stick up for this nasty witch? She wouldn't do it for you" Olive replied.
Despite her nasty tone of voice. There was a certain truth to what she was saying. Lucy however didn't care if she would stick up for her or not. Her conscience was filled with too much guilt and her compassion (despite noble) was her biggest weakness as people would learn. The second-year girls could see she wouldn't let this go and so they left, still giggling away. Eileen however looked nervous once again as she looked in both directions and her face quickly turned from nervous to frantic. She quickly got out her wand and shoved a confused Lucy towards the bridge's side, kicking the wood behind it; so to make Lucy nearly dangle from the edge.
"You don't ever speak to me again you disgusting mudblood! I hate you! Now why don't you just fall from this bridge and do us all a favour!" Eileen yelled.
Her heart however clearly wasn't in it and before Lucy could ask why she was doing this. Tom Riddle and his two cronies Malfoy and Nott reached the scene. The girl suddenly understood. Lucy started pretending she was scared beyond belief as she fake struggled.
"Well done, Prince" Tom spoke with pride.
"I think that's enough. We don't want to lose a great future witch" Abraxas spoke up with a smile.
Eileen pulled her back up again before shoving her onto the ground. As she looked towards the three boys with a small smile. They did seem to buy it hook, line and sinker much to her relief. As they invited her to walk with them back into the castle and this she did. She gave a brief glance back to Lucy (who was still laying on the ground in false shock). When they were all gone, Lucy pulled herself back up. Finally understanding Eileen and the position she found herself in.
...
TBC