Chapter- 4

Hermione decided not to tell Harry about her encounter with Riddle because she knew that Harry would definitely panic and do something stupid. Hell even she was freaked out. Meanwhile she did have potions with Slytherins. Dumbledore's note was just to inform her and Harry to meet him at his room after the days classes. As she was standing alone in the corridor Riddle left her, She saw Rowan Weasley and Bradley Potter come by and they all walked towards the dungeons.

As they opened the dungeon door Hermione immediately recognized the enormously fat, prominent eyed, beaming Professor Slughorn. He was a lot younger than in her time. She sat at the front table with Bradley and Rowan and searched for Harry. As all of them entered Hermione noticed Slughorn beaming when Tom and his cronies came in and to her surprise even at Harry. Then she realized that this was expected because the Eastwoods were one of the most important pureblood families in Germany and Slughorn would want Harry to be in his little club.

She looked around and almost all the girls in the class were looking at Tom. She turned away feeling sick. The whole class was now chattering loudly. 'Now then, Now then' Slughorn said in his booming voice and everyone stopped their chatting and looked up at him. "I expect everyone of you have at least received an Acceptable in your OWL's, but just to test your memory lets have a short Q&A session, shall we?" and many students groaned but Hermione was ecstatic. She leaned back in her chair ready to answer any question Slughorn asked.

'Let's start with the basic, Which one of you can tell me what are the ingredients to make the Draught of Living Death?' two hands struck the air and Slughorn seemed genuinely surprised. He looked from Tom to Hermione with an amusing glance and finally pointed at Hermione to answer.

'Lacewing flies, Hair collected from the unicorn's mane, celery, doxy's venom and blood of centaurs' Hermione said in a heartbeat.

'Ten points to Gerffindor' Slughorn said in his booming voice and Hermione smiled.

'Now why is it so difficult to get one particular ingredient for the potion and what is it?' and again two hands rose up.

This time also Hermione was asked to answer and she said 'The centaurs' blood is rather hard to get because they don't like wizards entering their territory and their territory itself is hard to find'

'Very good, another ten points to Gryffindor. What is your name, dear?'

'Hermione Broston, Professor'

'Well Tom you need to be careful. Looks like she might beat you if you don't take care' Slughorn said beaming at Tom.

'I like the challenge, sir' Riddle said with a charming smile that made half the female population of the class swoon.

Slughorn clapped his hands together and said 'This would be an interesting year. Well now I'll pair you all up and you may start preparing Amortentia and who can tell me what it is?' and yet again the same two hands went up 'Of course, Of course but it is only fair to let Tom answer this time Miss Broston'

'It is the most powerful love potion in the world, Professor. It's also illegal because it induces false feelings. The person who has ingested the potion falls for the first person he or she sees after drinking the potion but the person must be of the opposite gender for it to work'

'Very good Tom and ten points to Slytherin'

Slughorn waved his wand and the instructions appeared on the board 'As it seems almost foolish to ask questions I'll be pairing you up now and each week there will be a change of partners'

'Rowen Weasley and Bradley Potter' and as Slughorn read the name Harry's eyes traveled to his grandfather.

'Tom Riddle and Claudia Weasley'

'Hermione Broston and Alan Eastwood' and Slughorn kept on reading the list until everyone was paired up and ready. Riddle saw Hermione leaving the table to get the ingredients and he strode off to the cupboard as well. He didn't know why but for once he wasn't angry at someone for taking his place. Not exactly his place but she was close to it than anyone in Ravenclaw ever was in his years at Hogwarts. On the contrary though he was feeling quite curious about her and he wasn't lying when he said he liked the challenge. Life at Hogwarts was quite boring because nobody could challenge him at anything.

'You did well for a Gryffindor' he said as Hermione retrieved the ingredients and Hermione bit her tongue to keep back a cheeky retort and said 'I try' in an even tone and scurried off.

Tom was truly taken aback by this. He couldn't understand why the girl was so angry around him for he had influenced everyone at Hogwarts with his charm and it worked perfectly on everyone. Even more she seemed to know things about him. The only person he couldn't influence in the school was Dumbledore. And he was used to girls turning into a pile of mush by the mere presence of him that Hermione seemed to be a wonder to him. She was a puzzle he hadn't solved yet. But even so, he was definitely enjoying this.

As Hermione went to her table Harry smiled and said 'For once I like you answering questions in class' and their potion was made perfectly as they followed the Half Blood Prince's directions. Hermione looked around to see who had completed and found Tom already packing up his bags to leave for the next class and her face was automatically set into a scowl.

'Miss Broston, Mr Eastwood please meet me after classes, will you?' boomed Slughorn from the front and both Harry and Hermione knew what was coming and neither felt happy about it. And classes ended really soon and as before in her time Slughorn asked them to join the Slug Club and they agreed, what else could they do.

The next class was DADA and the professor teaching at this time was Professor Merrythought. He seemed like a gloomy man with a silver beard and bald head and he was wearing robes similar to Dumbledore. He circled around the class once and said 'The NEWT level theories are fairly easy to pass but it is the practical that will prove to be testing' he clapped his hands with enthusiasm and said 'I believe you've all dueled before and now you'll divide into pairs as I read your names and the last two persons who have defeated all the other opponents will duel each other in the front'

Harry was partnered with Abraxas Malfoy, Hermione with Freda, Rowen with Alyssa Parkinson, Tom with Alphard, Claudia with Bradley and so on but the professors eyes were solely on Harry and Hermione.

Harry and Hermione after defeating all their partners were now dueling on one side and on the other hand Tom was waiting patiently to see who would win to fight with him. He couldn't guess because they were equally good. And atlast Hermione cast a nonverbal sending Harry's wand flying towards her and she caught it. Harry got up and walked over to Hermione to take his wand and as soon as he realized with whom she was going to duel his face looked positively anguished. 'Hermione, Be careful' he said to her in a strained tone looking at Riddle and before Hermione could do anything he strode off to where Riddle was standing and said "If you hurt her, you will pay" he said in a low voice so that only he and Riddle could hear and Tom only smirked and said 'Unlike you, I don't loose to girls Eastwood.'

On the other hand Hermione was trembling head to toe. She was absolutely stupid for doing this and she hoped she would come out of this unscathed but she wouldn't back down. She was a bloody Gryffindor. And to make it worse the other girls in her house surrounding her actually had the nerve to say 'You're lucky, He's not rash like the other Slytherins' and Hermione snorted.

'Mr Riddle, Miss Broston , come up to the front' Professor Merrythought intoned and they both went forward. 'Now don't cause any serious damage to each other, I don't want to get on the bad side of the Mediwitch'

They both bowed to each other and Riddle flashed Hermione one of those charming smiles and she was distracted a minute, only for a minute and she regained her composure as she heard Professor Merrythought finish counting up to three.

Hermione shouted 'Impedimenta' immediately but he deflected it with a slight wave of his wand but he made no move, yet.

Hermione again shouted 'Everte statum' and this time too Riddle deflected it easily. Slightly infuriated now Hermione shot a full body-bind curse for which Riddle cast a shield around him and he still kept moving within his shield not striking yet. And as Riddle removed the shield Hermione tried again and yelled 'Insomniae magnum' which was supposed to render the dueler sleepy temporarily but Riddle deflected this just as easily.

And absolutely infuriated Hermione started to yell every curse she knew that was not in the books in the restricted section but Riddle deflected all of them at ease and finally shouted 'Incarcerous' and it hit Hermione in the left hand and she started to bleed and suddenly Hermione realized what Riddle had been doing. He tired her enough and shot his curse at the right time, the Slytherins way of course. She should have known, she thought furiously. Tired but absolutely refusing to give it up she took her right hand away from the bleeding one. Professor Merrythought who was standing at the back was running to the front and Tom immediately put up his façade of looking extremely guilty over what he had done and Hermione was disgusted and wanted revenge. She raised her wand and cast a silencing spell at Riddle nonverbally rendering him speechless for a second and Hermione took her chance and mumbled 'Expletius totalum' still pointing at Riddle and he was hit squarely in the chest and Hermione immediately felt faint as the blood began pouring from her cut. She heard Harry's soft voice call her name before everything went blank. Riddle was also thrown back and he was lying in the floor.

'So much so for not angering the mediwitch.' Professor Merrythought said as he looked at them both.

So, long chapter,huh. I'm leaving you at a cliffhanger but I promise to update very soon.R&R.