Chapter 5

"I want your parchemins on my desk next week. Don't hesitate to outdo yourself and surprise me."

Slughorn released them from his class after giving them 45 cm of parchemin to write as their group assignment. It was no surprise that his last cheeky commentary was not well received by the students who all left the classroom grumbling.

For Tom this was an assignment sent from heaven because it gave him the right opportunity to spend more time with Olivia. Their class work had been outstanding like always and Slughorn did not tarry in his compliments of them. It's like they had the same mind at times and their movements and thoughts were coordinated perfectly. Moreover it had been few days since her night escapade and Olivia had seemed very preoccupied which apparently did not leave her much energy to be cold to him. She was vulnerable and he needed to take advantage of it. Also she had been seen leaving Dumbledore's office three times since then already. Something definitely happened that night, something major.

He turned to talk to her but Slughorn bit him to it.

"Miss Elliot, may I have a word?" He said.

Tom frowned but had no other choice but to wait for her. He gestured to Lestrange and the others that they should not wait for him while he leaned on the wall outside the classroom. He did not have to wait for her long. She stopped in front of him puzzled.

"Tom," she said softer than he was used to. Maybe it was the element of surprise that caught her off guard.

"Hello, I thought I'd wait for you," he said, "to ask you when we should meet for the assignment."

"Well let it be any time but Tomorrow night," she said while she started walking again.

"Why?" He asked abruptly. "Any special plans tomorrow?"

"Slughorn just invited me to his bright and brightest club." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

Tom had been so focus on her that he had completely forgotten that Slughorn was hosting one of his parties the next day. At hearing her she was not more thrilled to go than him. When Slughorn first asked him, he had been flattered. The adhesion to the club meant he was esteemed in the eyes of his teacher and set apart from the other students. But the teacher himself, however talented and a Slytherin, was vain and easily swayed which made his esteem not hold much value in Tom's eyes. Moreover, some of the members were straight up stupid students that owed their place to the well garnished pockets of their parents or impressive resume of their heritage. However the club had a lot of interest in his eyes, it could definitely be useful in the future. But now that Olivia was coming the evening was holding a whole new interest.

"Congratulations," Tom said. "The club is very exclusive and he only recruits the students he esteems the most."

Olivia stopped to look at him. She had that look of curiosity again. Her expression while she looked at him always varied between curious and greatly annoyed.

"Lucky me," she finally exclaimed. This time the sarcasm was very loud.

"Why did you agree to go if you think it's stupid?" He asked taking advantage of how talkative she was.

"It's called choosing your battles. Besides you never know what may come in handy in the future. Anyway Riddle let's do this again soon shall we?"

She smiled at him before turning to a corridor to her next class. The smile was sarcastic but it was a smile. He wasn't sure if she was starting to like him or if he was just wearing her down. Whatever it was, it was definitely not bad for his case. Also why did she talk like that? "Choosing your battles?" "Handy in the future?" What could she possible be up to? Tom was getting more and more impatient everyday. First, she appears out of nowhere with her advanced magical abilities, then she treats him like he is an old piece of gum stuck on her shoe, she gets to spend so much time with Dumbledore and now she has the audacity to be more secretive than himself?! This had got to stop and he was ready to do what it takes to ensure it did.

Tom spent the next day thinking of a way to be seated next to Olivia during the dinner but all his plans were deemed useless when he saw that Slughorn had done it himself.

"Miss Elliot I put you next to Tom," he said pointing at his right.

He promptly showed his gallantry by pulling the chair for her, which he was rewarded for with a faint smile. Everyone else took their seats in front of their name tags while the dinner was being served. The main course was not very different from what they got from the great Hall. It was delicious like always. Sometimes when he saw the table covering up with all types of meat and foods he thought of the meagre and disgusting food they had at the orphanage. He hated that he had to go back there every summer.

While everyone started eating and conversing he took his chance and turned to Olivia who had taken a great interest in her food.

"So how do you find Hogwarts?" He asked.

She jumped up a little surprised and turned to him. Her hair was gracefully tied behind her neck with few strands left to dangle on the side. She had put some kind of straightening spell on them because all her curls had disappeared. She was wearing a lavender dress that complimented her eyes. Needless to say she cleaned up pretty well.

She cleared her throat before answering.

"It's beautiful," she said, leaving Tom surprised. He had waited and prepared for a sarcastic comment. The sincerity in her voice touched him in a way he could not explain. Through that simple statement he could feel she truly admired the castle and not on a surface level like most people but deeply like himself.

"I think so too," he said.

They looked at each other and for the second time in two days she smiled at him. It was a shy one this time. She immediately averted her eyes looking a bit uncomfortable. Tom felt a strange warmth ascend to his cheeks. He did not like it.

"Well, Hogwarts seems to pay you back the compliment," she said while taking a bite of her chicken, "everyone I've met so far seems to eat out of the palm of your hand. The golden orphan they call you."

Tom cringed at the nickname. He hated when anyone treated him like a charity case. Anything less than perfect was unworthy of being associated with him, and orphan was definitely unworthy. But it attracted people's sympathy and he was treated with privileges the other students didn't have.

"Not everyone," he said, "There is one person that I can't seem to impress. Not that that is my aim of course. But he is completely indifferent of me while you seem to have captured his attention."

Olivia looked puzzled for a little while before comprehension illuminated her face.

"Is that why you won't leave me alone? You want to know how to get into Dumbledore's pants?" She laughed.

"I do not wish to get into any man's pants. Thank you very much." He retorted cringing at the image. "But I see why he's found of you. You are a very brilliant witch. You manage to impress me every time I have the pleasure to see you at work."

Flattery always worked. Olivia smiled through her pumpkin juice glass.

"I have to say I was anxious to meet him," she said after some time. "I read an article of his that was published in Transfiguration Today. It was brilliant. I wasn't disappointed. The man himself is worth the trip. He's not just an amazing wizard, his also kind and has morals. The world today is terrified of Grindelwald. He is terrorizing the population all in the name of insanity. Dumbledore could have been like that, he chooses not too. Just because you have power doesn't mean you should wield it, especially not to hurt innocent lives."

Olivia's tone carried more emotions that he had ever heard before. She obviously had this cause at heart. Was that the reason she kept meeting with Dumbledore? She had basically just admitted that she was only here for him: The man himself is worth the trip. Was she trying to convince him to stop Grindelwald? Or maybe she was a spy sent to work here with the professor by MACUSA. It would explain the advanced magic she was able to perform and why she didn't care about things girls her age cared about. She looked too young to be an auror though and all the other students of Ilvermorny seemed to behave normally around her. Unless they were all in on it. Tom slowly took a sip of his juice, realizing he was at the bridge of insanity.

"Don't you think that wizards deserve to live out in the open?" He asked, "I mean I am in no way his supporter but I understand his logic. We are superior to the muggles in the terms of power, yet we have to deny our own identity to accommodate them."

"You think you are superior to muggles just because you have magic? They are human beings with thought and lives just like you and me. "

"Don't twist my words," he said trying to temper the conversation. He was conscious he was walking on thin ice. "I just meant our power is superior to theirs. But they are stronger in many ways too. For starters their number is way superior to ours."

"You mean if we were trying to eliminate them?" She asked with a judgemental tone.

"You seem to care a great deal about this," he observed in an attempt to change the subject.

"Don't you?" She asked.

It wasn't just a rhetorical question. She wanted an answer, she was testing him, wanted to measure his moral compass. That was his chance to grow in her esteem. But he knew that if he bluntly lied she would know.

"I guess we all have times where we wish we could use the power we have to hurt someone. Actually doing it, however, that is something else."

Her expression shifted while she listened intently. She nodded slowly looking through him to a far away point. He knew somehow he had struck a chord.