As Cardia quietly walked through the halls of the school, careful not to bump anyone as she kept the vial of the potion her father had brewed in her pocket. She had been looking for Tom since she received the small parcel from her father whom at first was hesitant to brew the potion she was asking for. Her father had asked her after her first letter about the potion as to why she was asking for the potion. Cardia knew that simply asking wasn't enough to get her father to brew the potion, but after Tom had turned Malfoy into an albino rat for what he had done to her. She knew that she needed to repay the strange boy.
"Miss. Beckford, where are you off to on this beautiful day?" A voice caused her to stop her search briefly as she turned to see who had questioned her.
"Oh Professor Dumbledore, I was looking for a friend you see, it's a bit of a game we are playing." She gave the Transfiguration Professor a bright smile.
"I see, playing the muggle game of hide and seek then?" He asked returning the smile.
"I'm not sure if that's the game we are playing, all I know is that I am searching for him." She pondered the Professors acknowledgement of the muggle game.
"You may want to ask a muggle-born to explain the game to you. I have seen many of great games of Hide and seek played in these very halls. Lots of places to hide here." He suggested.
"Maybe where I see Nevaeh next time I see her. Is there anything else you need Professor?" She asked hoping that there wasn't so she could go find Tom.
"No Miss. Beckford, but choose your friends carefully." He spoke off handedly as he turned to continue his walk through the corridors.
Cardia raised an eye brow as her head tilted to the left as she watched the Professor walk and greet other students. Why would the Professor speak of choosing ones friends carefully. Sure she was friends with those on both sides, light families and dark families, but Tom came from neither side. Alphrad was the heir of one of the darkest families and she was friends with Charlus and Percival both who came from light families. Prim was also a child of a family that has had many that fallowed the dark and many that fallowed the light. So why would Professor Dumbledore be warning her of her friends.
Shaking the thoughts from her head she resumed her search for Tom, her strange friend with a strange hidden background. The boy she could she has face many troubles in the short life he has lived. Cardia laughed as a Professor's levitation spell faltered and dropped a carved pumpkin on top of their head. Being that it was Halloween the next day caused excitement through out the school. Today was the last nice and warm day that they would have until the spring time. And soon she would be seeing her father for the Holidays and little Eileen who has been sending letters to her as well.
Eileen Prince, who was about to turn 9 in the spring was a shy little girl who would be joining Hogwarts soon. Cardia felt slightly bad for her as she lived at Prince Manor and having the instruction of their parental grandmother showing her how to be a true pureblood. Their Grandmother wasn't very impressed with Cardia and her choice of friends as Enola Prince was great friends with the mothers of Abraxus Malfoy and Talon Parkinson. Lost in thought, Cardia nearly ran into the one person she was looking for.
"Your lack of observation of your surroundings is quite worrisome Beckford." Cardia recognized Toms voice, which like most of those boys who where eleven or older was beginning to crack.
"Oh Tom I finally found you! Also it's Cardia." She smiled at him.
"You where looking for me?" He asked as his eyes grew wide at her statement.
"Yes I have! I have a surprise for you." She grabbed his hand and began to run.
She laughed as they ran through the halls. Older students calling for them to slow down or to stop running. Some prefects threatening to take points from their houses for causing a disturbance, but Cardia didn't care. She was happy she found her strange friend and that she could help him find out who he was. Cardia knew that he wasn't just a muggle-born orphan, he had a family line, muggle or not, everyone did. She was Cardia Beckford, related to the Beckford and Prince families, a bright ambitious girl who looked for the best in those around her. All anyone knew of Tom was that he grew up in a muggle orphanage and to them justified him as some call him, a Mudblood. But she knew that there was more to him as she has had actual conversations with him.
Tom had a darker sense of humor, more so then others she knew at their age. He studied and showed that he belonged in their world despite others thought. And how could a muggle-born be sorted into Slytherin, the house of the founder that is said to have had a massive dislike for those born of non magical blood. So she was excited to help him find out who he was. She also hoped that this wouldn't change their friendship either.
"Why are we in such a hurry?" Tom asked as they made their way to the Astronomy tower.
"Because I received the potion from my father this morning." She gave him a smile over her shoulder.
As soon as they made it to the tower, Cardia sat down to catch her breath. The run was fun as she always got scolded for running by the house elves back home. Some snapping their fingers to get her feet to slow down, which was highly annoying. Here at school many knew that they where just children who at times needed to burn some energy off that would build up from sitting in classes.
"We didn't have to run Cardia." Tom said squeakily as his voice cracked once more.
"Aww, I forgot you don't like exhausting your energy Tom." She teased.
"We have all the time to get here today, no classes." Tom deadpanned as he caught his own breath.
"Well we are now here, we can use this." She smiled as she pulled out the potion vial she had in her pocket along with her fathers instructions on how to use it."
'Step one, take the potion in mouth and swish it around. Do not drink it.
Step two; spit the potion back in the vial and wait 5 minutes time till the color changed from purple to green.
Step three; poor the potion on a piece of parchment and wait two minutes for the potion to soak into the parchment.
Remember Cardia that the potion will reveal a persons family tree. Also don't let anyone know you have done this as many could go to Gringolts to have their blood traced to their roots. Who ever your friend is should be thankful for your help in this. I raised you to help those who need in my Little Imp, even though you cause mischief, you have a good heart.'
Soon Tom fallowed the instructions that Mr. Beckford had given them. They waited for the color to change from purple to green and them pored it over a parchment that Tom had in his bag. As they waited Cardia joked that he could be related to Malfoy, which would cause the blond boy to have a conniption fit. Or that he might be distantly related to her. If so she might be able to convince her father to take him in. But they both where in for a shock when the names of Tom Riddles family tree appeared.
There in scrolled script, showed that Tom was a half-blood. But also related to the Gaunt Family through his mother. Cardia knew many pure-blood families histories as many of the pure-blood community knew since they strived to keep the bloodlines pure.
"Tom, your related to the Gaunt Family, which are direct decedents of Slytherin himself. " She spoke.
"So I'm related to a founder." Tom looked at her in shock.
"A direct blood line, which is why you can speak to snakes, which Slytherin could only do, and those of his blood line. I thought you might possibly be from a squib line not a direct line." She began to explain.
"So this proves that I belong in Slytherin, Malfoy, Nott, and Parkinson have no right to call me that horrid word now." Tom seemed excited to throw this in their faces.
"Yes, this makes you the heir of Slytherin, but you know that the Gaunt's only married those in their family never mixing blood with others. You are the first to be born of two bloodlines unrelated to each other." She looked up from the parchment to him.
Cardia could see that he was excited to find out this information, to be able to show the others in his house that he belonged their. He maybe the heir but there is a lot that he'll learn that one should learn about their house. Slytherin was seen by many as a dark, evil wizard that wanted to eradicate all those in the school not born to magical blood lines. What if Tom adapted that mentality as he grew older? Thinking about it caused Cardia to have a sharp pain in her forehead.
"You alright Cardia?" Tom asked concerned.
"I'm fine, just a sharp sting in my head. Tom you'r not going to turn out like Slytherin are you?" She asked looking into his Onyx colored eyes.
"Why would I?" He asked raising his eye brow at her.
"No reason." She gave him a smile.
"Ok, why ask a abysmal question then?"
"I spoke before realizing it was an abysmal question. We should go find Prim, Alphrad, Charlus, and Percival and play this game I heard of from Professor Dumbledore." She jumped up excitedly.
"What game is that?" He asked placing the parchment in his bag.
"He called it Hide and Seek, apparently this is one of the best places to play." She laughed hearing him grown as if he knew of the game.
Maybe this was the way to keep him from turning out like Slytherin. Surrounding him with those that don't care about his Blood status or who his family where. But only time will tell as they grow older.