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*Thoughts, Mental thoughts exchange, Dreams, Past events, etc. are ITALICIZE.
Chapter 3: Unpleasant Encounter
[Houa POV]
The new Hufflepuff was shocked to learn a student had died on campus at dinner. The tragedy had caused the school to almost shut down were it not for Tom who discovered the culprit's owner, Rubeus Hagrid, a third year Gryffindor student who fancies strange magical creatures as his pets.
The actual killer turns out to be young Mr. Hagrid's pet Acromantula, which April had described as a gigantic spider who thirst for human flesh, injuring several muggle born students before claiming its victim, a girl by the name of Myrtle Elizabeth Warren. Her Hufflepuff friends had only been too grateful that the Gryffindor was expelled to prevent further catastrophe.
What was even more disturbing to Houa was that according to April and her roommates, Headmaster Dippet didn't even mention anything about it during their Welcome Back Feast yesterday evening as if wanting to forget the situation ever occurred. This meant even Aunt Songly probably had no clue about it as well.
That explains why I felt like the Headmaster was hiding something from me and Aunt Songly when I shook his hands in his office.
Now that Houa thought about it, the Headmaster had shown concern about her studying here without the proper protection and was relieved to know the Ministry of Magic had gone ahead and ensured it. He was also in a rush to finish their meeting only covering just the important bits and didn't even go over the school rules and policy nor did he care to look at her classes to verify she was indeed taking spell casting classes. Everything had been explained to Houa by April.
Had his nightmare of the school closing scared him too much to mention such an incident?
Sighing in bed, the Xellarius wanderer finally resolved to sleep because regardless of how the elder wizard had behaved, the danger had been removed from Hogwarts.
She had a greater mission to focus on and importantly, she is safe according to Aunt Songly and thanks to Tom.
If only she knew how wrong she was.
Dream 1
It was a bright sunny day with the clouds chasing each other across the skies of her school playground. While her mother was immersed in a conference meeting with her teacher regarding her progress, four years old Houasaying opted to roam outside where her imagination can truly take off.
And because the playground was fiercely guarded by a brick wall of six feet high, none of the elders paid any heed as the girl slipped away from their glass door view as she gathered clover flowers for her wreath.
Talking to the flowers as she plucked and kissed them, she continued following the white petal trail and came across a door the perfect size for herself and no other upon the brick wall.
Curiosity and excitement provoke the young child to twist the knob and enter beyond the wall. Grace with forest skyview and seeing the flower trail dapple the earth further, the girl prance after it as if on a treasure hunt.
What she found at the end of the flower bed surprised her for it was no treasure chest nor was it a rainbow or unicorn.
It was a man…
The strange dream had awakened Houa quite early at five thirty in the morning. Stranger yet was, it didn't seem like a dream rather a memory from her childhood.
But if it is a memory from my childhood, how come I don't remember anything about it at all?
Not wanting to wake either of her roommates up, she sat on the window reading nook to catch the early sunrise with the black leather journal on her lap.
On top of teaching forty-two classes of Muggle Studies per week, her Aunt also has to hold extra office hours for students who need help and grade assignments. Throwing on detentions monitoring, staff meetings and assisting the Head of House in overseeing the Hufflepuff students, there just didn't seem to be enough time in her tight schedule for Houa to discuss her mission with the Muggle Professor. Especially when at her earliest convenience, Aunt Songly prefered to fulfill her own mission as well.
Hence the reason why the older woman sought to provide the notebooks as a means of communication between both of them. Having Muggle Studies twice a week enables Houa to turn in the notebook to her Aunt disguised as a homework assignment when in fact they are information regarding discoveries and solutions regarding her mission. If no findings were made that week, then there was no need to turn it in.
And to ensure that the information does not fall into the wrong hands of students or staff, both had agreed that Houa is to write in their native language. The Muggle Professor had informed her that unless someone else from Xellarius was here, there would be no other who could read or view the scriptures. It would look as if a blank notebook more or less in other's eyes.
It was by these instructions that Houa found herself now looking down at her black notebook wondering if she should write about her strange dream.
Well she did say to pay attention to anything that stands out to me so…
Houa picked up the magic quill and began writing:
2nd September 1944
Waving at Estelle and Vivienee, their newest roommate rushed out to meet with the Hufflepuff prefect at the Great Hall.
Having skipped lunch yesterday and eaten very little during dinner after Myrtle's death came up, Houa vow to make it up at breakfast.
Especially since I need my strength for a full day of classes.
Houa decided she really liked April as they walked around, touring Hogwarts for the third time. The tall witch was not only intelligent, she was patient and kind. There is a welcoming warmth in her aura despite the hopelessness the prefect is going through with an arranged marriage which provoked Houa to discreetly probe the topic of love.
The witch had cried and poured out her heart and soul to Houa about how she wanted to pursue a career as a potioneer, but her father wanted her to marry a pure blood wizard to raise Sullivan family's reputation and finances since they're only half-bloods. Comforting the teary witch, the two quickly connected as friends to Houa's welcome surprise.
They continued the tour with her new friend pointing out key differences and tips on memorizing the school and offer to study together in their free time. Something Houa was only too happy to accept and hugged April out of gratitude.
"Go ahead and lead the way to our Divination class Houa," her friend crossed her hands across her chest and smirked at her shorter companion.
"You have Divination at nine o' clock too?"
Her tall friend laughed, "Yep, I wanted to surprise you since you seemed so overwhelmed yesterday. I figure it'll make your morning."
"You brilliant witch! It did make my day!" Houa grabbed her friend's right arm, "Leave it to me."
"Better hurry, we have less than ten minutes."
The girls raced nonstop across the courtyard and towards the school building, passing the Great Hall. The two sprinters sped past the library and up the staircases laughing like children.
Her friend only redirected her once as they rushed back around to the correct floor. Out of breath, they walked slowly amongst other students in the hallway toward the middle class room.
Looking ahead, Houa saw the students along the corridors begin parting ways on their own accord as if making space for someone of importance to pass through.
Confused, she tilted her head to side as the person of said importance made their grand entrance, striding flawlessly towards April and herself.
And there was no mistaking who it was!
As if walking out of a highly acclaimed painting an artist had spent ages perfecting in details, Tom Marvolo Riddle was nothing short of superiority. His dark eyes gleamed like blood just as the sunlight passed over, highlighting his silk onyx hair that framed a porcelain face of sharp jawlines, long straight nose, and luscious lips.
His uniform did nothing, but extend his already tall form and showed off his lean yet obvious tone body. And the dark robe that swerved behind him was like a king's cape, commanding utmost respect and absolute obedience.
Perhaps if Houa had been a normal female, she would have blushed in sight of the handsome wizard or gaze longingly in hopes of catching his eyes like every other female in the vicinity, instead of breaking contact at the fear settling into her bones.
Perhaps if Houa had been a normal witch attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she would have appreciated his purposeful steps representative of an invincible duelist taken by his talents, instead of cowering away like a prey caught by death.
However, Houa was not a normal female or witch attending a magical school. She is a dimensional traveler not of this realm and though she did not know how to cast spells or charms, magic she does possess foreign to those around her.
It was exactly this innate ability of her that with each step Riddle drew closer, Houa found herself unable to process the crushing amount of dark and frightening energy increasing at the oncoming wizard.
The air suddenly became so toxic and heavy, her breaths getting shallower by the second! It was like her body was tangled up in a metal net and is painfully getting tighter with each passing moment, ripping into her organs.
She immediately regretted eating so much this morning as well as sprinting and tried turning around to escape to the restroom only to find the path blocked by female onlookers.
Everything happened next in complete slow motion.
Her friend gave a slight nod, bowing to the approaching Head Boy.
The girls from behind squeal in delight pushing each other forward in that exact moment, forcing Houa's already wobbly legs to slip towards the Slytherin.
She tried to cover her mouth with both her hands at the rise of bile in her throat, but it was too late.
She couldn't breathe and he was too close, Death was too close.
She fell on the floor, all her morning breakfast erupting on Tom Marvolo Riddle's pristine shoes.
[Tom POV]
Tom had known who she was the moment he saw her petite form in the hallway. She bore the unfamiliar face on campus with the annoying chestnut pony tail and dull brown eyes with a somewhat naive behavior that stood apart in the crowd.
He would have easily disregarded her like others were it not for the fact he had been there to witness her arrival in the Forbidden Forest.
The Welcoming Feast had been uneventful proceeding with sorting of new students into their individual Houses followed by a few rules and policy explanations commencing with fine dining.
Yet it did not go unnoticed by him nor anyone when the Headmaster failed to mention last year's incident where the Muggle student died in the restroom, indicating Professor Dippet's desire to uphold the security image of Hogwarts.
Tom didn't have to glance up to know the highly acclaimed Professor Dumbledore was unsettled by this and eyeing the real malefactor discreetly, mentally planning until the meal's end.
Though he had managed to fool the entire school and staff, he knew the Transfiguration Professor was another ordeal especially since the wizard is set on keeping a closer watch on Tom's every action.
I will have to be extra cautious moving forward.
Directing all the prefects to secure the students into their respective dormitories, he finished his rounds and retired to his own bedchamber to begin his own strategizing.
It was nearly half past two in the morning when the Head Boy set aside his plans. He was about to sleep when he felt a strange tingle in his blood. Recognizing it as the same tingle he felt when he discovered the Chamber of Secrets, he sat up.
Listening for anything abnormal that might be happening he suddenly felt the urge to leave the castle grounds. Throwing on his dark robes along with the strongest disillusionment and muffliato charms to mute his movements, Tom steps out of his room.
Being the descendant of one of the founders enabled him to breach the school ward without any alert to the Headmaster or staff as he headed toward the Forbidden Forest.
Upon entering the forest, he caught movement from the side of his eyes and hid in time as two figures cloaked in dark robes with covered faces entered a different part of the forest.
Did they feel something too?
Keeping his distance far, the Slytherin decided to follow them. There had been no sound at their movements so Tom knew they must have cast a muffliato spell like himself.
Strange. If they wanted to go unnoticed, why not cast a disillusion charm as well?
He only knew the three of them were deep in the forest when a bright light blinded him. Casting himself quickly behind a tree, he emerged only after the beam dissipated.
Staying where he was, Riddle saw the two cloaked figures hurried further, their sounds now easily perceived as the muffliato charm was lifted.
"Wake up child. Can you hear me?" a female voice came from the figure crouching on the ground next to something white.
"Let her be. She must have passed out from the travel," the standing figure spoke, his voice unmistakably Albus Dumbledore!
Tom's eyes widened. What is he doing here?!
"I assume so too," the female agreed with the Transfiguration Professor.
Riddle's thoughts were interrupted as the wizard glanced in his direction of hiding. Shit!
"Let's make haste, don't want to stay here longer than necessary. I also need to check on something," Albus scoped the child up into his arm wrapping her in the dark robe.
"Yes. Thank you for accompanying me Albus," the new Muggle Studies Professor stood up, her face now visible.
Tom needed to leave now and be back in his dorm before Dumbledore came to check up on him. Strengthening his silence charm to the maximum, he was pleased his Slytherin blood allowed him to apparated to his room unnoticed.
Forced to stay there for the remainder of the night as the Transfiguration Professor patrolled the dungeon, the young dark lord knew something crucial had just occurred.
Why else will Dumbledore be involved if it's insignificant?
Though he came up with a few theories, nothing quite fell into the place of how Tom and the Professors knew of that Child's arrival.
There's definitely a connection.
Disgusted at the wizard, Tom had to admit the Head Gryffindor is closely on par with himself in regards to intelligence and strategizing. It didn't help that the older man is years ahead of him in the sorcery of dark arts and magic as well.
No matter, Dumbledore is planning something and Riddle will find out what it is.
If he approached the Muggle Studies Professor, it would alert Dumbledore since the old man clearly knows Tom is neither in her class nor holds interest toward those pathetic beings.
That Child however...Yes, that could work if they're attending school here. I can always Obliviate them afterwards.
However, Tom should proceed with caution as any interest he shows in the Child will reveal to Dumbledore that there is a connection between him and that Child's arrival. He decided to watch and see how things unfold and wait for an opportune moment to approach them.
Awaiting the announcement of the newest student which never came at breakfast or dinner when Tom briefly stopped by made it quite obvious said student is to be kept on the down low.
His Knights did report the New Student, a seventh year Hufflepuff girl touring the campus with Miss Sullivan, the Hufflepuff prefect, which means she is on campus though Dumbledore has met with no new faces of students outside of his class.
It is something he anticipated of the Transfiguration Professor in his plans to dissuade Tom of the Girl's significance.
Biding his time on when to approach the new Hufflepuff, Tom did not expect to share the same Divination class as her as he is still in the process of obtaining her file from the Headmaster's office.
As he walked along the corridor towards the room he noticed her stiffen body posture and confused face stricken suddenly by some kind of recognition then fear.
Does she know me? How?!
Anger boiling underneath his calm facade, Tom increases his pace making his way effortless through the crowd of students.
He saw her attempt at running away failed as he stopped in front of a nodding Miss Sullivan, the crazy hoard of girls pushing the Girl forward falling to his feet.
Yes, he could have easily avoided it like a mere feather, but why do so when fate has so willingly presented him the perfect opportunity to host a discussion with said Girl now that she has imposed upon him in such unpleasant manners?
That is why he stood there to allow the pitiful new student to finish regurgitating her breakfast on his shoes, smirking maliciously within.
TBC
Hahaha what do you all think? Stay tuned and find out in the next grand confrontation! See you all then!