I am back with a new chapter this new year! How have you all been? All good, I hope?
Reviewers:
MyBeewing - You make very good points! I am intrigued as to what you'd think of this chapter.
S.A. - Thank you for reading! I hope you come back for this latest chapter!
The toast was ashy on my tongue, the butter failing to soak in enough to make it appetizing. But then, it seemed that nothing felt good enough to be truly delectable anymore. I chalked it up to tension, stress piling up on my spinal column till it lay clumped at the base of my throat. It was ruining meals for me now.
I worried for Hagrid.
I worried for him and his…pet. A spider - one with the potential to grow into a humongous size and then start eating people.
One could argue that it really was not my place to hide something vicious and dangerous in the castle. But then, again, I glanced over at the high table, at Dumbledore calmly applying marmalade to his own toast. And further down at the Slytherin table, Tom Riddle silently chewed on whatever he was eating.
Two of the most notable people to pass through these walls and they had harbored enormous and violent beasts within the walls of the castle.
So why should Hagrid or I be treated differently?
I shook off those thoughts, thinking back to the patrol nights I'd spent sneaking around with Hagrid while he fed Aragog. The acromantula was now big enough to spread itself out - and by that of course, Hagrid meant that it needed to walk around.
All for the healthy development of a man eating spider, of course.
It was a mark of how much I truly liked Hagrid that I was alright with following him - under a disillusionment charm - and the spider, Aragog while they roamed the castle ways.
It was always possible for the House elves to be out and about and if one of them ever came across us, well…I didn't know how self controlled Aragog was now but I hoped to Merlin that Hagrid had enough sense to withhold him if it came to it.
Otherwise, I always had my wand. Although I wasn't sure if any spells would affect the spider. Acromantulas were notoriously impervious to magic and I could only wonder just how much his age would factor into it.
I took them through the routes I had once frequented, hiding from the Carrows and the ones I'd taken to sneak around with Ron, Hermione and Harry. Thinking about them sent a twinge through my heart now. Somehow being here, within the familiar walls and with Lila and Fawley and Alphard had taken me back to those times in a way that it didn't bring on old nightmares that had once plagued me.
I didn't know if it was a good thing or not, throwing myself so much into my friendships with the better Slytherin brood.
But it was what it was.
At least with them I didn't need to worry about my personal safety or that of the whole school.
Aragog lived in the room of requirement and I was sure that Riddle was aware of the room, if not the habitant. And if Riddle knew, then who was to say that the other Death Eaters weren't? What would I do if one of them came across the spider?
I shivered at the thought.
For now, there didn't seem to be any inkling that Riddle was up to any nefarious plans that would need him to take his little posse to meetings to discuss killings and maiming and other things that wizarding terrorists got up to.
So they had perhaps not been visiting the Room.
And Riddle acted friendly enough with me when we had to meet up for patrols. For him, of course, friendly meant a cold nod and a cautious backing away before he swept away to patrol on his own.
I could only imagine where the hell he went. Normally, I would follow, if only to find a nick of time to find out what he was up to and if I was lucky, to finish him off - so Dumbledore could send me back to my own time.
But lately…I had had no real urge to do it - after all, I was too busy taking care of Hagrid while he took care of Aragog.
However, there was a definite restlessness to his group now. And it was getting obvious even to the Slytherin students who were generally unaware of their darker focuses.
It was clear.
The Death Eaters were impatient about something.
And that was exactly the topic of conversation Alphard decided to start with during the weekend trip to Hogsmeade. The four of us sat huddled up in the Three Broomsticks, foaming glasses of butter beer in front of us.
"I'm getting worried about Orion." He said suddenly.
"Why?" Fawley asked.
"Well, the group he's in. It's…I don't know, I suppose you could say I'm bonkers, but they've been getting rougher around the school and I'm worried how that's affecting Orion."
Lila and I exchanged looks.
"Alphard, I don't know how to tell you this -" I began.
"But Orion is also one of the people who is rough around the school. I hate to say it but he's just as much of a bully as the rest of them." Lila said.
The other boy frowned. "He's…" He paused with a sigh. "I guess he is. But he is also my brother. I'm not sure that he would be that horrid if only he'd quit hanging around those others. Especially," He broke off, with a look at me.
"You can say it. If he stops being around Riddle." I finished for him, much to his evident relief.
"Besides, Orion is old enough to make his own decisions. You can't babysit all the time." Fawley gulped at his butterbeer.
"He's my brother, Fawley."
"Your brother sent a second year boy to the hospital wing with a broken collar bone." Fawley glared at Alphard for a good minute until the other gave up.
Lila and I played with the handle of the glass, awkwardly trying to get through the sudden tense atmosphere.
Thankfully, it was soon broken when the bell chimed and the door opened again, letting in a draft of late winter air.
Unfortunately it just so happened to be Olive Hornby, Walburga Black and Druella Rosier.
"Oh great," I groaned when Olive caught me, giving me the evil eye.
"We should leave." Lila said comfortingly but I shook my head.
"You guys don't have to stop because of me. I'll go back to the castle." I grabbed my little bag and threw the strap over my head, dropping some sickles on the table to cover my tab.
"Are you sure? You don't have to walk back the whole way alone in the cold." Fawley reached for his scarf.
"Really, I'll be fine. I'll get one of the carriages. Bring me something from Honeydukes. See you back at the dorms." I walked out quickly amid the whispers of the Slytherin girls.
As soon as I had walked a fair bit, I realized just how stupid my decision had been. Despite it being February, the winds were bitingly cold and it was ridiculous to go against them in the direction they were blowing.
At this rate I might die of hypothermia even before I reached the carriage dock.
I stopped, squinting at the clear path ahead. It was too straightforward, and the wind was blowing right towards me. My teeth chattered while I turned my head to seek a more covered path. Hurrying to the side I ducked in an alley, hoping the buildings would stop the onslaught of the cold gusts. And mercifully, I was right. The speed was considerably slow and much warmer here. I could cut through the alley and take a more complex route to the docks, I decided. It would still be better than dying frozen.
Something went whizzing past my ear, almost singing the delicate skin and I ducked reflexively, just barely enough to avoid another whooshing projectile.
I shoved my hand into my pocket, bringing out my wand to throw out a shield charm that repelled the third one.
There, behind me, stood the three girls I'd escaped in the Three Broomsticks.
Olive stood in the center, Walburga and Druella flanking her and they all had their wands out - pointed straight at me. The realization that the three of them had just followed me and attacked me while my back was turned hit me like a rampaging Whomping Willow.
"What in the name of Merlin's lost underwear is the matter with you?!" I screamed at them, my voice overly loud in the relative quiet of the downtrodden alley.
"Us? There's nothing wrong with us. We're just cleaning out a mess that shouldn't have been here in the first place." Olive said, smirking nastily.
Mess? Did they mean me? What the hell?
"I am a prefect, Hornby. You just attacked a Prefect when their back was turned. You and your accomplices are in some serious trouble." I snarled.
"You're no prefect. I am the prefect. I was the one chosen before you and that little mudblood bitch went snitching and tattle telling." Olive spat.
"Once you're out of the way, Hogwarts will have to choose Olive again. She's the qualified one and deserves to be Prefect." Walburga said, in her usual emotionless voice.
"Really? And why is that?"
"She's pureblooded. It is what Salazar would've wanted." Walburga said simply.
"Right," I turned to Druella. "And you? What do you believe that you went along with? Or do I assume you're as delusional as them?"
She shrugged.
"You know, Tom isn't going to be very pleased that you are attacking me. He was the one who brought up my name, you know." I smiled as sweetly as I could at the now hissing girl. Good, the more provoked she was, the more inept she'd be at fighting. "I'll be sure to tell him about how pathetic you were, wanting to be Prefect so you could salivate over him."
"I'm going to kill you." Olive took a step forward.
"Darling," I smirked, hand tightening over my wand. "I'm already dead."
My stupefaction jinx was so fast she never saw it coming, hitting her straight in the chest and she fell back, stunned and unmoving.
"Olive!" Druella cried out, moving to her.
"Incarcerous." Ropes sprung out of thin air and wrapped tightly around Druella, her feet entangling among themselves and she fell face flat, a whimper escaping her.
That left Walburga and she was definitely a better dueller. She deflected my stupefy easily, sending her own hex that I repelled, the shield charm actually reverberating from the power behind her magic. She reminded me so much of Bellatrix at the moment that I had to work hard to control my breathing.
No…I couldn't panic right now.
I couldn't…
"Who the hell is making so much noise out here?"
An old man stepped out of one of the houses, looking irritated and close enough to shoot spells of his own. Walburga and I both stared at him, surprised.
Aberforth's long, steely beard, almost as long as his brothers' was the first thing I took in. Over his mustache, his nose twitched - as if scenting for danger. He didn't look immediately at me, catching Walburga first in his sight.
"You girl!" he barked. "What do you mean by making such a racket?"
Walburga only stared at him, her dark hair askew around her face.
"And you!" Aberforth turned to me. "You can put your wand away. Get inside." He pushed his door further open.
I blinked. "Um, sir?"
"Didn't you hear me? In; I said," He grumbled again and as I moved closer towards him, still hesitant, he turned back to Walburga.
"Rejuvenate your friends there and get out of here. Just because you people have the privilege of coming into our village doesn't mean you can do any and everything you want to. I don't want to see you around here, do you hear?"
With that he placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, guiding me the rest of the way in and slamming the door shut. I stood there, stunned at the turn of events. Just moments ago, I had been sitting with my friends in a warm and safe environment and now - a three to one attack and an intervention by Albus Dumbledore's own brother.
Could this day get any weirder?
"Girl," Aberforth shook me by the shoulder to pull me out of my reverie. "Are you hurt?"
"Hmm? No." I replied quickly, hand instinctively going up to the scorched ear.
Aberforth followed the movement, backing away further into his home. "They got you then?"
"Just a bit, I got down before they could really hurt me. Olive didn't aim at my back, she tried to get me in the head and I guess her aim is terrible. I can heal it myself, I just need a mirror. I'm Roselle, by the way." I stopped my rambling before I could make a true idiot of myself.
Aberforth picked up a tin cup, looking at me carefully. "You best leave it as it is. Those girls are probably going to say you attacked them. You need to have proof that you were the one they tried to get at."
"Oh." I looked away, around the dark and dingy place. It was just as I remembered Aberforth's place to be. "How do you even know - what happened?" I asked.
"I saw you through the window, 'course." He pointed to the open slats behind me and it was then I realized that our fight had not been as discreet as they'd hoped it would be. "Nasty spells they cast too. I couldn't let it get too far. Be a mess." He grunted.
I pursed my lips to hide a smile. Just like Aberforth, callous and cold but hiding a soft and caring side. "I appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. Here, eat a little something. It'll fight the shock - fight the cold at the very least."
"I'm fine." Nonetheless, I moved to his table, picking up the small rolls of bread that had been our meals for the days we hid from the Carrows. The first bite sent a wave of memories through my body.
"You were definitely the better dueller." He gave me a sudden suspicious look. "That what they been teaching at Hogwarts nowadays?"
"No…I was homeschooled before my parents died. I am new." I bit into another roll.
"Oh…sorry to hear that." Aberforth gruffed again, pocketing his hands. There was a pause.
"Tea?"
"Yes, please."
While Aberforth made tea in his kitchen, I spent time walking around his home. The squashy chairs seemed in better condition, the metal fixings shone and the wood gleamed. All pretty much in much better shape than I had seen them in before. I moved through the other room and entered the extended living room, and there, above his fireplace was the Portrait.
Ariana Dumbledore stood serene, composed as ever. The way through her led to Hogwarts but she didn't need to be disturbed right now. As I watched, she turned her face to me and silent as ever, smiled sweetly.
It caught in my throat.
"Girl." I spun to see Aberforth there, his own eyes fixed on the portrait, two mugs of tea in hand.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wander about."
"Don't worry about it." He walked closer, handing me a mug. "She intrigues you?" He asked.
She always had done, I thought to myself but didn't say anything. I only nodded.
"She was an interesting girl." He only said in return. We stared at the portrait in silence. "I have seen you around here."
"I know. I remember you in the emporium." I smiled then but he didn't return it. He kept looking at the girl.
"You should start heading back now. Find someone from Hogwarts. And don't get attacked."
I nodded, eyes going to the girl again. "Goodbye then, I'll see you around." I said, more to her than her brother but he tilted his head in acknowledgement regardless.
I walked out through the room he had originally let me in, leaving the empty mug on his table. Aberforth followed me just as I opened the door and turned to him again.
"Thank you…Mr. Dumbledore."
Aberforth's eyes snapped up to me, glinting in the chilly darkness that he stood in. I didn't wait for his reply, slipping out of the house and back into the cold.
It seemed that almost everyone from Hogwarts had gone back. The streets were now only occupied by actual Hogsmeade residents and the shops had lost the bustle of the schoolchildren.
I trekked my way up to the carriage dock slowly, keeping my eyes peeled in case Olive and her band of mindless monkeys decided to try and get even again. Despite all of that, I really did not want to have to walk through the near blizzard back to the castle. I'd give anything to have one last carriage left.
And just then, through the white winds, I caught the tail end of one of the carriages - a thestral knocking his head back against the cold.
"Oh Merlin thank you!" I gritted, renewed strength flooding my legs and I rushed towards it only to be stopped by a hand encasing my arm and stop me in my tracks.
"Where on earth have you been?" The voice was disgustingly familiar, low and cold - as cold as the ice the winds carried.
"Riddle," I huffed, clouds puffing from my mouth. "I should've known I wasn't that lucky."
I chanced a look up at the boy, his hand carefully disengaging from my arm. "You were supposed to be here to round up the third year Slytherins. Where were you?" His black eyes remained sharp.
"I was - did you manage to do it alright?" I tried to change the topic.
Riddle only tilted his head as if to ask 'who do you think I am' when his eyes found the side of my head. "What happened to your ear?"
Again, I raised my hand to my ear, now numb from being exposed for so long. "I - can we just go back, please?"
Riddle's face twitched at the plea, eyes narrow and looking askance at my sudden lack of defiance. "Get in the carriage."
I didn't argue. I turned gratefully and clambered into the last carriage, the thestral flicking its tail in response. Riddle climbed in after me, closing the door behind himself. Almost immediately, the beast began to move, pulling the carriage with it.
I shivered, bundling my arms closer to myself and trying to shake off the fact that I very, very narrowly avoided being cursed like the Carrows had once done.
Riddle crossed his arms across from me, his face unsympathetic. "Have you been fighting? It is against the rules."
There was that old flare of irritation.
"You don't say, Tom." I snapped, but it didn't elicit the same kind of response it once used to. Riddle didn't glare, nor did he look annoyed. He only looked smug now - almost as if he had been expecting it.
"Well, that just tells me what I needed to know. Who managed to land a curse on you?"
"One of your followers." I said at length, seeing Olive, Walburga, Druella, Amycus, Alecto, Snape, Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort himself flood into one grotesque face.
His face darkened. "I have no followers, Revel."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," I shrugged.
"Revel." His voice was now so quiet that I almost didn't catch it. I glanced at him in question, shocked to see him unravel his arms and lean forward. His proximity would've usually sent me panicking backwards, away from his range. I didn't move this time, gaping at him.
"Who was it?"
The question was a breath against my face. Laden with butterbeer and just a hint of peppermint, he was close enough to touch, for me to reach out a finger and poke his forehead. And just like that, his presence began to form into my mind - as if he was using his physical reach to increase his mental abilities.
I found myself letting Olive's name slip out before I realized what was going on.
"Don't do that!" I snapped again, backing away from the stupid, dangerous, handsome boy.
He didn't reply, remaining as close as he had sat. His eyes followed my movement, seemingly amused. Somehow, his smile unnerved me more than his scowls ever had. I looked out to see that the castle was close and that the carriage was nearing the student entry.
As soon as the thestral stopped, I unlatched the door, ignoring Riddle's ridiculous playfulness. I jumped out landing a little too hard on my feet and felt that grip on my hand again.
"Will you be reporting Hornby?"
"I have a cursed ear, Riddle. I understand your…concern for your girlfriend," I scorned. "But she will either answer to my wand or to a professor."
"I can help you."
I yanked at my arm, pausing to look at him. "Why would you do that?"
Riddle let go of my arm. "You say that we cannot be allies. I want to show you that that is not the case."
"But why?"
We both stopped moving, his eyes far away as he looked somewhere over my shoulder. I stepped closer, forcing him to look into my eyes.
"Tom, why? Why do all of this?" I didn't have to tell him what I meant. We both knew that he knew.
He remained silent for so long it seemed that he wouldn't ever answer. Until finally -
"You intrigue me, Revel."
I blinked, uncomprehending, and he didn't march away. How was I to get my bearings back again? It seemed just like that time in Myrtle's bathroom - I would have to catch him off guard.
"You might as well just call me Rose. If you're going to be helping me and all," I looked down.
He turned on his heel then, striding away with his coat billowing around his ankles.
I stood there at the entrance, trying to press down on the roiling in my stomach. And then I walked past the halls of the castle to the little atrium occupied by Helena Ravenclaw.
Once, she had spoken of a boy who had lulled her into a sense of security till she had given up her most precious secrets. I had never had a clue as to who the boy or what the secret was.
However, now…
While I still could not guess what was so precious to Helena that she would have to be expertly seduced to spill it…I could guess as to who the boy was.
As I thought back to Tom Riddle's intense eyes on me, prying Olive's name out of me and how easily I'd given up the Slytherin girl before I could even speak to a professor…
I realized something with dawning horror.
I was in danger…but of a kind I had never even thought of contending with.
I was in some serious trouble.