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Chapter 8 - Of Panicking and Problems
Abraxas sighed as he sat down in the Great Hall the morning after the attack. The news had travelled fast of the attack, although no one knew who had been the victim... Abraxas just hoped it wasn't Hermione.
Cygnus, Orion, Izar, Propus and Merak were already at the table so he sighed in relief that it wasn't them who had been attacked but still... Hermione was nowhere to be seen... Or heard. And that in itself was worrying enough. It was then that Tom strolled into the Great Hall, looking uncannily happy.
If everything went as Tom knew it would, his secret would die with Slughorn.
Hopefully.
"Good morning, Knights," Tom grinned, making the JEDs already at the Slytherin table look at each other uncomfortably.
If Tom was happy... Then someone was going to get tortured... Or worse.
Merlin knows that he wasn't happy last night when he called the meeting...
"I trust you all had a good night? I know I certainly did," Tom was continuing, sitting down at the table and grabbing a pancake.
"My Lord... Have you heard the news?" Abraxas muttered quietly from the other side of the table.
Tom frowned and looked over at him, "What news?"
Abraxas opened his mouth to answer but was cut off as Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet entered the Great Hall in a whirr of robes. They made their way up to the staff table and Professor Dippet stood behind the podium directly in front of the table. He coughed twice, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Although I am very sorry to have to say this," Professor Dippet announced, "... There was another attacked last night."
The whole Hall gasped aloud (excluding a few students who had stayed up late the night before ) and a girl at the Ravenclaw table fainted, collapsing to the floor as a boy beside her tried unsuccessfully to catch her.
"Although we do not think it was the same attacker that claimed dear Myrtle's life, God rest her soul, we are taking the same necessary precautions," Dippet said loudly, "You are not to leave your common rooms after classes and you will be escorted to and from classes by a member of staff. The visits to Hogsmeade will be cut short until the attacker is brought to justice. We have been informed by a witness that the attacker is a male student and we shall not rest until the attacker is brought or comes forward."
The Hall went quiet and Cygnus looked up and down the Slytherin table with worry and concern in his eyes before turning to Propus who was sitting in front of him. "Where's Hermione? You don't think she was attacked, do you?" He hissed.
"As some of you are probably wondering," Dippet was continuing, scanning around the hall, "The person who was attacked, was Professor Slughorn. He was cursed numerous times and suffered a muggle condition called a heart attack. He is currently in Saint Mungos and although is in a critical state, will hopefully make a full recovery."
"Wait, a MUGGLE condition?" Izar snorted loudly in disbelief, "I didn't think that was possible! For a half blood, maybe, but a Pureblood!"
Tom looked up and glared at him before turning his gaze back to Dippet, mentally cursing him and the witness who must have seen him attacking Slughorn.
I will find them and I will hunt them down, Riddle snarled to himself, his life could depend on it. Which, if Slughorn survived, it would.
It's OK, it's OK. Hermione's alive! Abraxas grinned to himself, As long as she was alright, everything was going to be just fine.
Hermione sat in Professor Dippet's office with a quill in her hand and a piece of parchment on the desk in front of her. She sighed and dipped her quill in the ink, again, before taking it out and almost putting it to the parchment. She didn't know what to write.
When Dumbledore had asked her if she knew who had attacked Professor Slughorn, she just... Panicked. Now she was paying the consequences. Dippet expected her to give a full account on what she had seen but that was becoming harder, seeing as she wasn't telling the truth.
Yes, she'd lied to a teacher and she didn't even know why. Eventually, she brought the quill to the parchment and started scribbling a load of rubbish about only seeing the back of the student's head and not recognizing their voice, as her mind had an internal battle.
Riddle.
Why didn't I tell on him?
Because you're an idiot, that's why!
But... There must have been a reason for it.
Then why don't you know what it is?
I DO! I know I do...
Then what is it?
I... I...
Exactly, you don't know.
But I do. I think... I think I...
Spit it out Hermione, why didn't you tell!
I... I'm not supposed to change the future!
And what's that supposed to mean? You know it's far too late for that. You changed the future the minute you befriended the Malfoys, Blacks...must I go on?
No, I won't, can't change it entirely. I'm so scared...If Riddle goes to Azkaban, then he won't attack Harry. Then Harry won't be famous, he won't meet Ron and I. I won't be the same person because I've been back in time and then I'll have to go into hiding as I'm born again as Hermione Granger but if I'm a different person then Hermione Granger may not go back in time because she doesn't know Ron and Harry and there's no Voldemort around so she won't go back in time and that will mean that Hermione Westron won't exist so that means I won't exist! And that would mess up the WHOLE timeline... ...
Ha! Time Travel is theory at best...wait, what?
Her thoughts were interrupted as the door of Professor Dippet office swung open and Dippet strode inside. Hermione quickly rounded off her fake account of Slughorn's attack and handed it to him.
"Thank you, Miss Westron," Dippet smiled kindly, "I shall escort you to your class but I assume you know you are not to tell anyone what you saw."
"Yes, Professor," Hermione answered quietly.
"Right, come along then," Dippet ordered, heading for the door. Hermione scrambled to her feet and hurried after him as he lead the way out of the office.
"Your first class?" Dippet asked, peering at her curiously.
"Herbology," Hermione answered, quickly jumping after Dippet as he stood on a staircase that started to move. Dippet quickly lead her to Herbology and left her there, hurriedly muttering something in her teacher's, Professor Kantice's, ear.
Hermione scanned around and saw Izar, Cygnus and Abraxas beckoning to her. She smiled and went to join them before realizing that Tom was standing beside them, glaring at the potted Mandrake in front of him. Making a quick detour, she tucked herself in between her two Slytherin dorm mates, Mizar and Tauri.
The lesser of two evils...
Abraxas was annoyed. Hermione was ignoring him, and all her other friends. He thought it had just been during Herbology, but it happened throughout all the classes they shared. Tom seemed almost darker than usual too. Those two things would make anyone worry. Except a Malfoy of course. Which was why Abraxas wasn't worried. At all...
But underneath his family name and blonde hair, he was worried. Something wasn't right. Tom only held meetings when something important was happening. Last year, it was about his plan to continue Salazar Slytherin's noble work. Now, it was about Hermione. Abraxas had been so sure when he had joined Tom, that he would always stay loyal to the cause, but now, with Hermione involved, he wasnt so sure.
Tom sauntered over to Abraxas' sofa in the common room.
"How is your task going?"
Tom asked it politely, and to any passer-by it would look like he was just inquiring after his friend, but Abraxas knew better.
"W-well My Lord" Abraxas hid his stutter quickly. He didn't stutter. "All is as planned."
"Good, I will be speaking with you soon."
Abraxas gulped as he watched Tom leave.
Nothing good could come of this...
Hermione felt slightly guilty over ignoring her friends.
Friends, when did she start referring to murderers as friends?
Being here had changed her, which was why she was anxious to get back to her own time. To saving Harry.
Hermione had skipped out dinner. She really didn't want to have to ignore Cygnus and Fomalhault, while listening to Mizar twittering in her ear. That would've been very awkward. Instead, she lay in her bed, with the curtains drawn, pretending to be sick.
Now Hermione was sneaking through the corridors, right up the painting of the fruit in the corridor outside of the kitchen. She tickled the pear, causing the handle to appear. She stepped inside to be greeted with the sight of at least twenty elfs running around with trays or plates. One, near the front, noticed her.
"What can Mipsy do for Miss?"
Ah, the elf was a girl then.
"Well, I would just like some toast please."
Mipsy gave her a stern look.
"And some fruit?"
"Of course Miss."
Mipsy led Hermione to a table, before snapping her fingers causing a plate with enough food to feed Hogwarts appear. Hermione remembered that no witch or wizard could ever conjure food, no matter how talented they were. Watching Mipsy made Hermione wonder.
"Mipsy, wait! I was wondering...How does elf magic work?"
"Mipsy begs your pardon Miss, but why? Why does Miss want to know elf magic?"
"B-because of...of a project!"
Hermione looked hopefully at Mipsy. The elf pulled her robe over her shoulder (as it was falling down) and sighed.
"I don't knows. I wonders where to begin."
"Sit down, please"
Hermione was eager to get the information, even if Mipsy thought she was crazy.
Mipsy tentatively sat down and
Tom stifled a yawn as he strolled around the castle, doing his usual midnight patrol which was his duty as a Prefect. It was tiring but it had to be done... And he got to curse anyone who was out of their dorms without a reason... Or with a reason if Tom found it necessary.
After another lap around the library, Tom decided to head for the kitchens before heading to his Knights meeting.
A Dark Lord with a rumbling stomach isn't exactly very intimidating...
He got to the kitchen to find the pear had already been tickled and the handle was still sticking out.
Odd, Tom mused to himself.
Curious, he cast a Disillusionment charm and silenced the door before slipping inside. The elves were hurrying about, preparing breakfast for 6am that morning.
Tom hated elves. He thought they looked like a mixture between a bald Chihuahua and a bat.
He growled at one that was passing, causing it to drop the tray it was carrying in shock. With a smirk, Tom carried on through the kitchens. Everything looked normal, until he reached a tiny store room behind the kitchen. Westron was sitting on a stool beside the fire, with a cup of tea in her hand, talking to an elf.
Hermione leaned forward on her stool to look at Mipsy with wide eyes. After the elf started her story, she insisted she moved beside the fire and was given a cup of tea before she even thought about continuing. She had and now she had finished.
"So, your telling me... You can travel back and forward in time...?" Hermione said slowly, barely daring to hope.
"Well... Mipsy could," Mipsy said even slower.
"Could you take me with you? Say, could you take me to the year... 1997?" Hermione babbled out. She was too excited to rein it in.
"Well, Mipsy could."
"Will you or not?" Hermione snapped.
The elf in front her flinched so hard that it fell of the stool it was sitting on. Hermione gasped and jumped off her stool to help the elf who was sprawled out on the cold stone floor, eyes wide and ears up.
"I'm sorry!" Hermione wailed, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I'm really sorry!"
Tom chuckled silently in the corner. The stupid girl actually cared about that elf. That was low.
There really was something odd about Hermione...
She was a Pureblood and yet she cared for elves and Mudbloods and such and now she was talking to an elf... How strange.
Tom would have to kill it after he found out what she'd been talking about before he came in. He didn't want Westron - even if she was annoying - to make friends with an elf.
That would taint her gloriously pure blood.
"Mipsy, I'm so so sorry!" Hermione said again, helping the poor elf up and sitting her on the stool, "Are you all right?"
"Mipsy is good," Mipsy murmured.
"So... Can... Can you take me-"
"Mipsy would take Miss to future but... Mipsy cannot," Mipsy interrupted quietly.
"Why not?" Hermione inquired.
"Mipsy is not a free elf." Hermione would have asked if Mipsy would like her to free her but she had experience with elves... And asking them if they wanted to be free, was not a good move.
"Why does Miss ask, Mipsy wonders."
"I need to... Get away," Hermione explained, deciding she would tell the elf the truth - well, not ALL of the truth but the acceptable side,
"I saw Professor Slughorn get attacked... And if the attacker realizes it was me who saw him, I'm going to be in big trouble."
"Mipsy understands," Mipsy said, smiling kindly and placing a long fingered hand over Hermione's, "Mipsy is in trouble always! The Slytherins do not like Mipsy and her friends."
"I'm Slytherin and I like you!" Hermione protested.
"But you are not a Slytherin... You are something else. You don't belong here... Mipsy can sense it," Mipsy whispered as if to herself before jumping up off her stool, "Mipsy thinks Miss should go! No, no! Mipsy knows so! Miss not supposed to be out of bed!"
"Wait! I-"
"Mipsy knows so! Mipsy knows!"
The elf kept chanting that to herself until she had ushered Hermione out of the kitchens and closed the door behind her. With a sigh, the elf went back to the store room and picked up the cold cup of tea to take it for washing. But Mipsy didn't get that far before Tom lost the Disillusionment charm and advanced on her, lifting her and slamming her against the wall by her tea cosy with much more force than was necessary.
"What did she ask you? What did you tell her?" Tom snarled.
Westron was the witness and Tom needed all the information he could get before he could bring her down. The tea cup dropped to the ground, smashing instantly and washing Tom's shoes with its chilled contents.
"Mipsy only did what Mipsy was asked!" Mipsy squeaked at once.
"And what were you asked?" Tom demanded.
"Miss wanted to know about Mipsy's magic!" Mipsy insisted, pleading with Tom with her eyes.
"You have no magic! Only wizards do!"
"No, no. Mipsy has much magic. Miss wanted to know about... Time Travel."
"Why?"
"Mipsy does not know. Mipsy does not know! Mipsy does not mean to displease, sir!"
"You do displease me," Tom scowled, dropping the elf and turning for the door. In a swirl of robes, he strode to the Room of Requirement with an angry grimace on his face.
I need my meeting place. I need my meeting place. I need my meeting place.
The door popped into existence before him and Tom launched himself inside to find his Knights already sitting before him.
"Abraxas!" Tom snapped, "How goes your mission?"
With a gulp, Abraxas came forward and bowed before his Lord. Tom seemed angry... Very angry. That meant that someone was going to be in the Hospital Wing by the next morning.
"My mission has went well, My Lord," Abraxas croaked nervously, "Slughorn's memory has been wiped and he does not remember his attack."
"And his condition?" Tom asked, his eyes bright.
"Back to critical," Abraxas smiled.
It wouldn't be him who would be being cursed.
"You have done well, Abraxas," Tom admitted, "You may rise. I have news of my witness."
He looked around his Knights, making sure he had everyone's attention before he spoke again.
"I have found the witness... They made themselves easy to find and will be easy to kill... Which is why I want you three to kill them," Tom decided, motioning to three of his Knights. "Abraxas, Cygnus, Fomalhault... The witness is Hermione Westron. Kill her and you shall gain my favour."
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