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Chapter 5
Hermione emerged from the sixth year girl's dorm in the Gryffindor Common Room as she threw her cloak over her old fashioned uniform. No one was in the common room except for the other Gryffindor Seventh Year Prefect, who she learned was named Hadrien Lupin. It gave Hermione happiness knowing that Remus Lupin's supposed father was in this time period. It reminded her of those depending on her, Harry and Ron. Hadrien even looked and mostly behaved exactly like Remus Lupin, except no permanent Werewolf scar was on his face. Hermione was glad to have a comforting person with her in the past besides for Harry and Ron. Even though she has Harry and Ron with her in the forties, it was not the same as having everyone with her. She missed everyone, even, surprisingly, the sight of Draco Malfoy.
The past nights she had made it a point to check the Marauder's Map to seek out Riddle's whereabouts. She would either see him making his rounds with the other sixth year Slytherin prefect named Walburga, in the common room without or without others, or just not on the map at all. That caused her to become extremely wary of Riddle. She had developed suspicion that he goes to the Room of Requirement, but she could not confirm it. He might have even headed into Hogsmeade, which would not be surprising.
During the day she had avoided him, just like Harry and Ron did. She did not wish to speak with him or associate with him at all, although it did not particularly help in their mission. She wished not to commit murder, but if it came down to that, she would with Harry and Ron. She began to detest Potions class with Slughorn, since it was the only one where they had to sit next to each other. He did not even seem to care or notice that she had been avoiding him.
Hermione and Hadrien had been doing their rounds every other night, and they rarely caught students out of bed. Yet, when they did, Hermione took an odd joy in disciplining them and showing them her knowledge. She and Hadrien got along very well. It was like they were old friends.
Hadrien smiled at her as she came in the common room area, and he whisked her out of the common room. The Fat Lady groaned as Hadrien thrust the portrait open and they both laughed at her. The two prefects wandered the halls silently as they casted the lumos charm in the dark hallways. No students were lurking in the corridors, much to Hadrien's apparent relief.
"Hermione," he said suddenly with a worried tone attached to it.
"Yes?" She questioned with her eyebrows lifted up in curiosity.
"Has Riddle said anything about last year to you?" Hadrien asked nervously as he looked around for others walking around. Hermione's eyes widened and she stared at the boy in shock. Immediately she drew to the conclusion that whatever supposedly occurred, Hadrien was there. Or possibly, whatever happened actually happened, and Dumbledore knew of it. He just added her to the memories of the students. The question would be why Dumbledore did not punish the students, if they were committing a very serious crime.
"Yes," she said close to a whisper. Hadrien grabbed her arm softly and brought her inside an abandoned classroom.
"What are you doing!" She shrieked and he put a finger in front of his mouth, signaling her to be quiet. The classroom was dark and empty of people. The desks were lined up neatly, as though no classes ever occurred there. Hadrien locked the door with a spell and looked at her seriously and with fear lingering on his face.
"I'm sorry I didn't bring it up before, I didn't think it was safe. But, what did he say to you?" he murmured quickly.
"It's alright, and he just warned me not to talk of it," Hermione responded and Hadrien nodded his head.
"He'll have our heads if we tell anyone," Hadrien warned her.
"I know, Hadrien," Hermione replied, annoyed. Hadrien sighed and ruffled his hand through his messy, sandy locks. Hermione lifted her eyebrows and expected him to keep talking but he did not and he just left the room and she followed him out.
They simply continued their shift, without speaking to one another. Yet, Hermione knew she had to get information out of Hadrien Lupin. She was insanely desperate.
XXX
"Please, may I have all of your attention!" Professor Dumbledore announced in the Great Hall during breakfast the next morning. The whole student body became immediately silent and respectfully paid Dumbledore the required attention. Hermione could not help but sneak a peek a Riddle, and she saw that his eyes were laid right upon Dumbledore.
"I have some depressing news for all of you," Dumbledore said sadly and it felt as though the room grew quieter, "Professor Dippet's niece and her family have been attacked. Most likely by Grindelwald and his army. They have all gone missing except for Professor Dippet's grandniece."
Almost all of the student body gasped in shock, and almost at once they were all whispering to one another. Hermione felt stupid for not even noticing that Dippet was not even in the Great Hall that morning. Yet, Hermione could not help herself from looking at Riddle and she saw that he remained completely emotionless. He was supposed to be the Headmaster's favorite!
"I will be taking over until Professor Dippet returns. Let us hope that he and his family are alive, will be alright and safe once more," Dumbledore finished and he stepped back down to his seat behind him. Ron looked towards Hermione with confusion on his face.
"Grindelwald?" He said with the confusion.
"Ron, he's basically the Voldemort of this era," she whispered back to him, and he nodded in understanding.
"I hope Dippet's family will be okay," Harry suddenly said and Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement as they continued their meals in pure silence.
Hermione walked the hallways alone on her way to the Ancient Runes classroom. Her books were extremely heavy and throughout the years they caused her to become a bit of a klutz while carrying them. Since first year, she grew less of a klutz each year, and could stand proud and tall in the hallways of Hogwarts. Her bushy hair kept falling into her face and she had to keep blowing it away. Sadly, unlike in her own time, Hermione always dreaded going to Ancient Runes because Professor Spinster seemed to hate her and she did not know why. It was unnatural to her. Teachers, except for Professor Snape, all seemed to like her.
"Hermione!" A girl's annoying voice called out in the hallway. Hermione cringed her eyes shut and braced for the girl. Myrtle. Throughout the time Hermione has spent in the forties, Myrtle would not stay away from her. She seemed to always find her or Harry everywhere they went. Harry had also complained about the relentless flirting that Myrtle had given him, and flirting that he would not return. Though, Harry had yet to admit it to himself, Hermione knew that he had strong feelings for Ginny Weasley back home. Myrtle seemed to strongly dislike Ron, and Ron had admitted that he felt extremely lucky for that. This Myrtle caused her to miss the nasty and moping ghost back in her time, a ghost who strongly disliked her and would never dream of stalking her all day. Of course, that ghost would 'dream' of stalking Harry.
Hermione sighed, and said, "Yes, Myrtle."
Myrtle smiled at her widely and spoke as she held out a broken pair of glasses towards Hermione, "Well, Olive Hornby broke my glasses again and I forget the spell to fix them. Can you help me."
"I'm surprised you were able to know who I was in the hallway," Hermione muttered to herself. She also had the strong feeling that Myrtle did know the spell to fix the glasses.
"The bushiness of your hair is very recognizable, even with my vision all fudged up," Myrtle replied in a chipper tone, and Hermione was shocked that Myrtle actually responded. Hermione fixed her glasses with the spell, Oculus Reparo, and Myrtle thanked her but she still walked right beside her.
"It's really sad about Dippet's niece, isn't it Hermione," Myrtle said as she skipped next to Hermione.
"It really is," Hermione muttered.
"I hope they're alright," Myrtle said, insisting more conversation between the two of them.
"Same, and Myrtle I have to get to class, but I'll see you sometime," Hermione said. She did not wait for a goodbye as she dashed inside the Ancient Runes classroom.
As she entered, the whole class appeared to be staring straight at her, but she brushed it off and started heading towards her seat next to that nasty Mary McLean. Throughout her time here, Mary has been only nasty towards her. Hermione figured that Mary was naturally a queen bee bitch.
Yet, unexpectedly she saw a Slytherin boy sitting next to Mary, whose last name she had come to learn was Avery. Hermione was caught off guard, for she had been sitting next to Mary in class for weeks. She sighed and looked around for an empty seat. Of course, the only empty seat had to be next to the one she had tried to avoid. Riddle. She inwardly groaned and sat next to him, ignoring the odd looks he and the rest of the class were giving her.
She readied her belongings and twiddled her feather quill between two of her fingers. She stared as the quill turned and whirled and the way she kept catching it as it began to fall down.
Then Riddle spoke up and ordered, "Would you stop that."
"Hmm," Hermione said without caring.
"Do stop twirling your pencil, it's quite annoying," Riddle answered. Hermione huffed a little, but she still continued twirling the quill, just to "annoy" the "Dark Lord."
"I asked you to stop," he said again, sounding very irritated.
"Yes, you asked," Hermione replied as she stared at the quill she was twirling.
Then through his teeth Riddle gritted, "Please."
She turned and smiled at him and she placed her feather quill down. It gave her great pleasure to cause Lord Voldemort to say please. Riddle glared angrily at her, but she did not care in the least. Even though she never behaved in this manner, it was Voldemort she was dealing with. She then ignored him, but she could tell that he was giving her a piercing stare and some of his gorgeous black hair was askew on his face. She sighed and turned around to face him once again.
"Please look somewhere else than at me," she said simply and Riddle looked appalled that she pointed it out, but right at that moment, Professor Spinster walked into the room commanding that the class get out their textbooks and begin their work.
Riddle averted his 'stare' away from Hermione and he took out his textbook. He could tell that Hermione relaxed when he did. This girl and that other Gryffindor knew one of his most well-kept secrets. What they had seen was a good enough threat to keep them quiet, but the cat could still get out of the bag nonetheless. It angered him to no end, and he felt that he would lose his façade in front of others when those two were around. Especially Hermione.
Hermione paid attention to her work and none to him, none at all. The past weeks it was as though he did not exist in her eyes. He needed to know what she was thinking, if she was to cause something bad for him. He had to do something, possibly gain her trust. It was foolish in his eyes, but he had to act on that.
"Hermione," he whispered, but she ignored him and continued copying down Spinster's notes.
Riddle sighed angrily and whispered,"Sorry."
Hermione looked at him incredulously and said, "Alright."
Riddle fumed, the girl did not even care! He had to gain her trust or everything was on the line. Spinster glared at him for a second, or was he glaring at Hermione? Riddle shrugged it off and finally started taking down the notes Spinster was giving.
XXX
"M-my Lord, what are we to do about Wilson and Lupin exactly?" Abraxas Malfoy asked Riddle. Riddle stared emotionless at Abraxas and the other Knights of Walpurgis for a minute before speaking once again.
"I don't know. I just said, once I come up with a suitable plan," he answered angrily.
"M-my Lord, if I may suggest," another Knight named Mulciber said.
"Spit it out," Riddle commanded nastily.
"Why don't we just obliviate the two," Mulciber suggested.
"We can't, it's too suspicious. They also know what I can do to them," Riddle retorted.
"Yes, but if we just obliviate that specific memory then we can return to normal," Mulciber responded and the rest of the Knights stared at him furiously.
"Of course I have thought of that!" Riddle spat and he paused for a minute while he was thinking, "Fine! We may as well go with that."
A loud gasp then sounded and the whole room grew quiet. Riddle glared across the room, wondering which of his cowardly Knights had dared gasp at his orders. No one seemed to fess up or seemed suspicious. Riddle shook his head at them.
"Black!" He then shouted.
"Yes m-my Lord," fourth year Cygnus Black replied.
"You will do it. Then report to me afterwards. You are the least suspecting," Riddle ordered.
"Of course m-my Lord," Cygnus stuttered.
"You are all dismissed," Riddle said and his Knights all left the hidden room on the seventh floor and Riddle sat down angrily in a chair that magically appeared.
XXX
As per each night Hermione snuck to the sixth year boy's dorm. She tip-toed as quietly as she could, as to not gather any unwanted attention. She had her blanket drawn over her body to keep herself warm and it brushed through the door as she entered the boy's separate dorm. Once again, she snuck to Harry's trunk and pulled out the Marauder's Map.
She scanned through the usual locations for Riddle's name, and she caught sight of him and Abraxas Malfoy nearing the seventh floor. An adrenaline rush came through her system and she grew completely excited and absolutely thrilled. A Death Eater Meeting was most likely about to occur. She hurriedly searched through Harry's trunk since she sought out the Invisibility Cloak. She grabbed the familiar cloak and rubbed it through her fingers before carefully closing Harry's trunk. She pulled the silk cloak over herself and snuck out of the Gryffindor Common Room, without anyone suspecting anything.
She quietly maneuvered herself through the hallway and she saw Riddle and Abraxas in front of the wall where the Room of Requirement normally appears. She inwardly gasped, but she stalked them and hurried near them.
Riddle paced in front of the wall for a few seconds when the door immediately appeared before their eyes. He walked in followed by Abraxas and Hermione, who cautiously snuck in without them noticing her movement.
The appearance the room took was dreadfully simplistic. It had a normal stone floor, just like the rest of Hogwarts, and its walls were identical. There was no furniture or windows though. Riddle stood in the center of the room waiting for the rest of his 'mindless minions' and Abraxas stood off to the side. Hermione remained on the right side of the door, standing as still and as quiet as humanly possible.
Two more Slytherin boys then walked inside the room and Riddle seemed a bit relieved. Ten minutes passed and it appeared as though all of the Death Eaters had come to the alleged meeting.
Riddle then started speaking once they were all filed inside, "I know we have not been meeting as much as I said we would at the end of last year when we formed, but under the dangerous circumstances we are under, it is difficult. We have barely even begun our goal, which is quite disappointing to me." The little Death Eaters nodded their heads at Riddle's words but they remained awfully quiet.
"The incident last year has pushed us behind," Riddle continued, "But no matter, we will take care of all of those issues, once I develop a suitable plan."
"M-my Lord, what are we to do about Wilson and Lupin exactly?" Abraxas Malfoy asked Riddle. Hermione shivered in anxious fear. What were they going to do to her?
"I don't know. I just said, once I come up with a suitable plan," he said angrily.
"M-my Lord, if I may suggest," another Slytherin, who Hermione had learned that his last name was Mulciber, said.
"Spit it out," Riddle commanded nastily and Hermione pierced her eyes at him more angrily than before.
"Why don't we just obliviate the two," Mulciber suggested hopefully. Hermione could sense his fear from across the room. Her fear grew, she could not have her memory erased.
"We can't, it's too suspicious. They also know what I can do to them," Riddle retorted knowingly.
"Yes, but if we just obliviate that specific memory then we can return to normal," Mulciber responded and the rest of the boys stared at him angrily and nervously. Hermione started shaking.
"Of course I have thought of that!" Riddle spat, and he sighed, "Fine! We may as well go with that for now.
Hermione let out a loud gasp and the whole room grew silent. Riddle glared at each of his Death Eaters, as if daring them to say anything more. They were all looking for the person most suspecting of gasping, but they found no one. Riddle seemed to let it slide as he shook his head.
"Black!" He then shouted loudly.
"Yes m-my Lord," fourth year Cygnus Black replied.
"You will do it. Then report to me afterwards. You are the least suspecting," Riddle ordered.
"Of course m-my Lord," Cygnus stuttered.
"You are all dismissed," Riddle said and his Death Eaters appeared greatly relieved. Hermione became from in her spot as all of the boys left the hidden room on the seventh floor. She saw that Riddle sat down angrily in a chair that magically appeared. Hermione was frozen in her spot as he did so. The boys shut the door before she could move. She was stuck in the room with Riddle.
Riddle sat there, unmoving, with his head laying in his palm. Suddenly, Hermione stumbled a bit in the cloak as she accidently stepped on a bit, causing her steps to be heard. Riddle immediately shot his head up and he stared in her immediate direction.
"Who are you? Who's there?" He demanded as he got up from his seat, which then disappeared. Hermione's heart beat grew faster with each step he took towards her. His eyes looked like venom. Hermione did not move a bit. Riddle stopped a mere inch away from the start of the Invisibility cloak.
Riddle's eyes seemed to pierce through the cloak and his face was impassive. It looked as though he was glaring right in her eyes and was searching through her soul. She was partially petrified.
He then surprisingly smirked, catching Hermione off-guard, "I hear you breathing," He uttered. Hermione had to take this moment to escape, and so she ducked her body down and sneaked away, while she was still crouching. She left him staring at the wall with his mouth curved in the same smirk.
She carefully walked towards the font of the door and waited in front of it for him to finally leave. Riddle reached his hand out in front of him and he stumbled when he caught nothing, but his attempt was to no avail. His eyes widened and he looked around himself suspiciously, seemingly utterly confused. His glare warned her to show herself, but Hermione giggled to herself in her head.
"Show yourself!" He commanded, but Hermione did not, "Homenum Revelio!" The cloak prevented her from being revealed. So, Riddle gave up, and he figured that his paranoia was getting the better of him, and he walked out of the room with Hermione sneaking out behind him, feeling completely relieved.
XXX
Hermione had recounted last night events to Ron and Harry with the muffliato spell protecting their conversation. Harry and Ron were very angry with her for not waking them up to come with her. Ron even yelled a few times. They scolded her a bit for being almost caught by Riddle, but she scolded them right back. She told them that it is okay if she is on her own sometimes. The conversation was then over and they continued their breakfasts.
Then, Harry whispered in Hermione's ear, "He's staring at you."
Hermione, knowing exactly who Harry was referring to, looked over at the Slytherin table. Her eyes scanned the table and she saw Riddle glowering at her as he gripped his fork angrily, causing it to scratch the poor, expensive table. Hermione started the eye contact between them, and gave Riddle a small wave. His eyes widened momentarily and he then his eyes deterred away and back to his lonely breakfast. She almost pitied him. Almost.
Thank you so much guys for reading!
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Love,
Miss Caroline Potter
