That lesson was complete and utter rubbish." said Tom angrily. They had just gotten out of DADA and Tom and Hermione had decided to forgo lunch to go sit by the lake.
"We're first years, what'd you expect?" asked Hermione.
"Something other than that. Magic isn't just simply split into Dark and Light it's about intent. It shouldn't be contained like this." said Tom gesturing to his wand.
"There's something called wandless, nonverbal magic, like the magic you do accidentally before Hogwarts. You can make anything you want because of your intention. For example." Tom suddenly put down his wand and picked up a blade of grass. He cupped it in his hand and concentrated hard. The blade shifted and turned until it was pointy and silver.
"We did this exact same thing in transfiguration, but we had to use some inane spell. If witches and wizards could use it freely without wands, we could learn so much about magic." said Tom.
"The world would be a lot more dangerous. Say if we had this world of unrestricted magic and a muggleborn child was being bullied by their peers and just thought they wanted to make the bullies hurt as bad as they did. The child could end up seriously hurting them. If I look at you and have the intent to harm you, I could end up casting a version of the Cruciatus curse." said Hermione. Tom pondered this for a moment before speaking.
"That's true, but it doesn't change the fact that magic is chained by wands. The Ministry monitors our every move with our wands. If someone casts a Cruciatus, or and Avada, they're right there. If there's underage magic, they monitor it. If I stood in the middle of Diagon Alley and cast a spell they wouldn't know who it came from. Because it's a highly populated area of witches and wizards, they have no reason to check it. However if it comes from a Muggle household, they're all over you." said Tom. Hermione only nodded before picking up something in the grass. It was a green garden snake, about the size of Tom's index finger.
"You like snakes?" asked Tom.
"They're beautiful." said Hermione.
"They're annoying. Always talking about food or heat. This one isn't though." said Tom.
"You can understand them?" asked Hermione. Tom opened his mouth and a strange hissing noise came out and the snake slithered up Hermione's arm.
"He likes you. You're warm." said Tom.
"How did you do that?" asked Hermione, amazed.
"Intent." said Tom.
It was nearing Christmas and the lessons had yet to improve for Tom. The teachers were teaching him the most mundane things about magic, but he wanted more. He often visited the library with either Theo or Hermione who shared his interest in the inner workings of magic. But it still wasn't enough.
"There goes Potter." said Draco. Harry Potter was a mortal enemy of Draco's. Most of the Slytherins hated him because he acted like he was so much better than everyone else because his parents were famous Aurors. His dad was mostly the famous one now, his mum had stopped to have another kid. Potter had an inflated ego and Hermione absolutely hated it. He was constantly trailed by Lavender Brown and Ron Weasley, who often acted like Potter too.
"Watch this." said Draco meanly. He muttered a quiet spell in Potter's direction that caused Lavender to fall into Ron who fell into Potter. The Slytherin table erupted in laughter at the three tripped up Gryffindors in a pile on the floor. Weasley got up first and went directly for Draco. He balled up a fist menacingly and had his fist ready to punch Draco, before Professor Snape tapped him on the shoulder.
"You do know that fighting in the Great Hall is prohibited, don't you, Mr. Weasley." drawled Snape.
"He tripped me, Professor. I was defending my pride." said Weasley defensively.
"You can find your pride in your detention tonight with Filch. Five points from Gryffindor." said Snape. Ron marched off angrily going back to the Gryffindor table.
"Five points to Slytherin for an impressive trip jinx, Mr. Malfoy." said the Professor quietly before walking back to the Head table.
"How'd you learn that? That's not a first year spell." asked Blaise.
"The Malfoy library. It's one of the biggest out of the Sacred 28." said Draco proudly.
"I definitely have to see it now." said Hermione.
"Tom? Are you still coming to the Manor?" asked Draco.
"Of course. Mainly to see the library though." said Tom smirking.
"Do you need to stuff your faces every time we're on the train?" asked Daphne, turning her nose up at Vince and Greg.
"Leave them alone, Daph. We can't all be perfect." said Blaise. Daphne threw a chocolate frog wrapper at him.
"What are you guys doing over the hols?" asked Draco.
"I'm going to see my grandmother, with my little sister it's going to be awful." said Daphne dramatically.
"My mum wants me to meet potential husband #8 so we're going to Italy." said Blaise annoyed.
"Vince, and I, and our families are going to France." said Greg.
"What for?" asked Pansy.
"My parents have a house there, for hols and the like." said Greg.
"What's the plans for the hols, Draco?" asked Pansy. The Malfoy Manor was going to be full during Christmas. Along with Draco and his family, Pansy, Tom, Theo, and Hermione, were going to be with them.
"My aunt Bella might come round. My mom's favorite sister and all." said Draco.
"What's she do?" asked Theo.
"Nothing super famous. She's a curse breaker for Gringotts and a dragon wrangler." said Draco.
"Does she have one as a pet?" asked Blaise excitedly.
"She does. She shrunk a Norwegian Ridgeback down to the size of her hand and tamed it. Her name is Lilith. Fits the little bugger too, she's burned me more times that I can count. Has a pet boa too, named Corvus, and my mum put her foot down that she could only bring one or the other on holidays, after they tore the Malfoy tapestry." said Draco.
"Fascinating." remarked Hermione.
"What is?" asked Harry as he slid open the door to their compartment.
"None of your business, Potter." snarled Draco.
"I think it is. Seeing as you tripped Ron, and never apologized." said Harry.
"I'm not going to apologize. Now get out." said Draco.
"See, I have a problem with that. Now apologize or face the consequences." said Potter, drawing his wand.
"Get out, Potter. I don't have the patience for your small minded insults today." said Tom.
"Are you letting Riddle fight your battles, Malfoy?" said Harry, tauntingly.
"I'm going to give you one more chance to go willingly, before I make you leave." said Tom, warningly. Harry pretended to think for a moment before speaking.
"No." said Harry, smirking.
"Exire." said Tom, pointing his wand at Potter. Harry was suddenly flung backwards out of the compartment and landed on his back, dazed. Tom did nothing but sigh and get up to close the door. He regarded the group's open mouths with a sense of pride and spoke.
"Abraham Abney's Book of Beginner Hexes and Jinxes, you should visit the library more often." said Tom.
"That was brilliant, Tom." said Blaise in awe.
"I know." said Tom.
"See you back at school!" said Hermione as she waved back at her friends.
"Mother!" Draco exclaimed and ran up to the tall woman in front of them. She looked nice enough, but had an air of seriousness about her. It melted when Draco ran up to hug her. The man next to looked at each of Draco's friends with an eye of scrutiny before falling on Tom.
"You must me Tom Riddle. Draco speaks of you fondly." said Mr. Malfoy extending his hand to the boy.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy." said Tom.
"And you are?" asked Mr. Malfoy regarding Hermione with a raised eyebrow.
"Hermione, sir. Hermione Granger." said Hermione, raising her eyes imperiously to him.
"Nice to meet you as well, Ms. Granger." said Mr. Malfoy.
"Nice to see you again, Theo." said Mr. Malfoy embracing Theo for a moment.
"Ready to go?" asked a voice from behind them. Hermione and the others turned to see Draco almost tackling the woman standing there.
"Aunt Bella!" Draco exclaimed.
"Hey, kid." said the dark haired woman, patting Draco's head. Draco's Aunt was short, shorter than both Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, she was wearing a corseted black dress which was attracting strange looks from the Muggles around them.
"Let's go home, Cissy. The stench of Muggles here is making me ill." said Bella. She grabbed Draco's hand and disappeared.
"We're going to be Apparating, to Malfoy Manor, your things will be brought along shortly." said Mrs. Malfoy taking Pansy and Theo's hand and disappearing as well. Lastly, Mr. Malfoy held out his hands to Tom and Hermione.
"Let's go, children." said Mr. Malfoy. As Hermione touched his hand, the world fell away.
When the trio came into reality once again, they were standing in an opulent garden with a path that led up to the Manor.
"Draco certainly has a good reason to act the way he does." Tom remarked.
"Malfoy's do nothing small." said Mr. Malfoy, leading them up the path to the Manor.
"Peacocks?" asked Hermione, curiously. A large one turned to caw at them warningly.
"They keep guard. We have around seven of them, that one happens to be Bella's favorite." said Mr. Malfoy.
"Does it like you?" asked Hermione.
"Of course not, that's why it's her favorite." said Mr. Malfoy. Draco met them at the Manor's large doors.
"I'll show you guys to your rooms, Hermione, you and Pansy will be sharing a room and Theo, Tom, and I will be too." said Draco excitedly.
"Bella! Your snake is trying to escape!" said Mrs. Malfoy, angrily. A large boa constrictor was hurriedly trying to make its way past Hermione and Tom's legs. Tom hissed quietly and the snake stopped. Tom picked it up and hissed at it again. It slithered back toward Bella and she picked it up.
"Corvus enjoys terrorizing the peacocks. It makes my baby sister ever so angry. Thank you, Tom." said Bella. She regarded the boy with a new interest and made the same strange hissing noise at Tom as he did to the snake. His eyes flashed with new curiosity and hissed back.
"You certainly do have interesting friends, Draco." said Bella. Draco led his friends up the stairs, to their respective rooms. Just as Hermione was about to enter her and Pansy's shared room, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Ms. Granger, I wish to have a word with you. In private." said Mr. Malfoy.