As always a massive thank you to MissRissa18 for always encouraging me with this story and for helping me Plot it out!

Next chapter won't be as far off as this one was as I'm starting to get my mojo back! X

Chapter summary: Hermione writes a letter to her mother and Dumbledore gets cunning. What happens in the next part of their journey?

November 2, 1938

Hermione slowly sat up from her spot in the Common Room, peering around at the other students making sure she hadn't woken any of them up, she stood and moved out of the crowded room.

Heading out into the dungeons- she moved up the halls slowly watching out for any professors doing patrols. The Owlery was her destination, she couldn't tell anyone, especially Tom as he would feel betrayed but she was writing to her mother about what he had told her about Professor Dumbledore.

Entering the Owlery, she turned her nose up, clearly no one had bothered to clean it out recently as there were droppings everywhere. Sitting on one of the window sills, she pulled out her parchment and quill and began her letter;

Dearest Mother,

I know I haven't written in a few weeks and I'm dearly sorry for this, how are things at home? They've been okay here, classes are good, Theo is good. What I'm writing about tonight though is to do with Tom Riddle, you know the boy I told you about that I met on the train?

Well Professor Dumbledore was actually the one to go to the orphanage and talk to him about being a wizard and showed him in a barbaric way, he set Toms wardrobe on fire and scared him so much and then left him to fend for himself in Diagon Alley after only just being introduced into our world.

Professor Dumbledore has gotten worse over the two months we have been here and he follows Tom and myself around and has been acting suspicious of us. He also alienates Tom away from the rest of us. I don't know what to do anymore mum, he won't tell anyone and it's getting worse.

What should we do? Hopefully you can come up with some answers soon. I'll keep in touch more now.

Hopefully you and Father are well,

Love from Hermione.

Reading over the letter and letting the ink dry before rolling it up, she called one of the Slytherins owls down and tied the letter to its talons. "To the Nott Manor please. Hurry if you can. I don't expect an answer straight away, safe flying. Only deliver to my mother."

Hermione watched until the owl was a speck on the horizon and moved back to the Slytherin Common Room, slotting herself back into her spot between Theo and Tom hoping no one noticed she was gone and drifted off hoping her mother had some answers.

oOo

November 10, 1938

One of the young first year Gryffindors, Michael Alders had came to Dumbledore and told him how Tom Riddle and Hermione Nott were hardly ever seen at lunch time. On the weekends the Slytherins could be found but those two were nowhere to be found.

Albus knew something was different about the two and he needed to keep an eye on them so after Transfiguration had ended for the day, he followed them under a disillusionment charm, all the way to the library.

Watching them for a bit he realised they were settling down for the long haul and were going to be a while, leaving the library, he cancelled his charm and stood outside the library, leaning against a wall.

What exactly were two Slytherins so interested in the library? Why did they spend so much time there? Albus knew if he was going to find out the answers to these questions he was going to have to follow him or get someone else to follow them.

Thinking back to how positively excited, Michael Alders was he knew the boy would help him and it worked out well. If he felt like following them himself he could, if he didn't he could call upon Alders.

Walking to the Gryffindor Common Room, he decided he wouldn't wait to ask the boy and found him sitting with his friends in the corner, playing wizards chess.

"Mr Alders, May I speak to you outside please?" Albus said, peering over his glasses at the boy.

"Sure Professor." Michael stood and followed the Professor. When they got through the portrait hole and were alone Michael looked up at the Professor, waiting for him to say whatever he wanted to.

"I realise this is probably a weird request, but I noticed you have a certain proclivity for following Miss Nott?"

"Yes, sir I like to keep her in my sights so I know she's not planning anything." Michael said with a smirk adorning his face.

"I was wondering if when I need you to, whether you could follow Miss Nott and Mr Riddle around?"

"Definitely sir, when do you need me to start?" The young boy naively said.

"Today if possible, it would be a huge help to me."

"No problem sir, I'll start now. I'm guessing they're in the library?" Dumbledore nodded and the boy ran off.

He had fallen right into Albus' web and could be defeated at any point.

oOo

November 16, 1938

Tom was in detention with Professor Dumbledore once again, he had been caught pushing Alders up against a wall according to them. But Tom swore he was nowhere near the Gryffindor when he was meant to have been, Hermione tended to believe him and thought it was the Professor up to his tricks with the orphan.

Hermione had detailed everything to her mother in the passing weeks, noting anything the professor did as she had been told to.

Theo didn't quite agree there was anything to really worry about- but he didn't know the full story. He had demanded Hermione stop today, and spend some time alone with him as they hadn't had much of that in the last two months.

"It's time we start thinking about what we can do at Christmas, we are obviously remaining behind but what are we doing to make it still a special Nott Christmas?" Her brother asked.

"We could do the opening of one present at midnight as usual?" Hermione suggested.

"Okay, are we going to include Tom in this? He doesn't have anyone besides us? Are mother and father still sending gifts along for the three of us?" Theo knowing Hermione had been in touch with their parents more recently than him didn't mind deferring to her in this.

"They are, and I think we should. Make this a Christmas to remember for him and make it easier for him to lose himself in happiness rather than sadness."

Theo modded, "Was there anything else Mother suggested doing?"

"She said she had sent three matching pyjama orders and some nice robes for the three of us, so he feels apart of us." Hermione and Theo had wanted to include him in their Christmas festivities but without permission from the orphanage he couldn't leave the castle and there was no way to get in contact with them.

As they finished discussing the finer details of their plans for the day, Tom entered the Common Room looking exhausted. He came over to where the siblings were sitting and plonked down into the armchair.

"That was exhausting he made me clean the Trophies in the Trophy Room all by hand. I feel like my hands are made of fire, the polish burns." He said holding his red, raw hands up.

Hermione rushed to her trunk and brought out a bowl and a greenish liquid, "Our mother made this solution for when Theo needs to polish his broomstick, place and hold your hands in the bowl, it'll clear up quickly."

The three Slytherins sat around talking until it was time to go to dinner and hoping they had no run ins with Gryffindor's on the way so they didn't have to polish any trophies or maybe something worse.

oOo

November 26, 1938

Albus was glad the two Slytherins weren't observant, he had been watching them for a few hours now. Waiting for them to head up to the library, so he could see what books they picked out so he could take a look at exactly what they were spending all of their time in the library doing.

Tom and Hermione had seemed distracted from their school work for a month now, and Hermione had been paying him unwanted attention. If he looked up at any given time he could find her scowling at him.

About what, he could only assume that Tom had told her what he had done at the orphanage and what he had said about the orphanage not wanting him back.

He'd decided on the first day of catching her, he would have to pay closer attention and make sure they weren't up to anything that involved him.

He had plans for Tom and the wizarding world, and no one was going to stop them. Least of all a couple of eleven year olds. They were bright students and their cunning streak was off the charts. They could grow to be dangerous and he couldn't have that. It would do well to stop them before they became older.

Watching the young Slytherins interact was something else, they all didn't need to talk, all of them were in sync with one another and that was dangerous. If they continued to remain in sync as they were the whole year of Slytherins could be a formidable challenge, later on.

The wizarding world couldn't remain as it was, there had to be turmoil for it to work and function properly. When Grindelwald had incited the last war, the world had thrived and then he had to be defeated to show Albus was still powerful and the world lost its way. Now Albus had a plan to bring it back to what it was and Tom was going to be the forefront of that all.

Hope you enjoy xxx