I am horrible at updating, I know, don't shoot. Thanks for the review, Nyahh, I'm glad you like it so far:) Thanks to all the readers as well, please stop by and read the new chapter. And you can tell me what you think, too.
Chapter 4: Amateur
As it happens, she was right. The librarian had several more copies of the needed textbooks which she thrust upon her without a second glance. Minerva had a solid reputation around the library, so even sour Mrs. Kerling had little to reproach.
Minerva had been working on her notes for more than two hours now when she heard a commotion next to the library entrance.
She saw several people walk out to see what the noise was all about.
A Hufflepuff ran past her desk with the speed of lightning.
"Andrew! What is going on out there?" she asked.
"Didn't you hear? Charlus and Orion are fighting in the corridor outside!" he exclaimed happily, as if random acts of violence gave him pleasure.
"Potter and Black?" Minerva asked, getting up. "Is it serious?"
"Come and see!" he yelped impatiently, storming past her again.
As a Prefect, Minerva knew it was her duty to intervene. And she was madly curious too.
She found the two boys locked in a vice grip. Charlus was holding Orion by his collar, his wand in his other hand, while Black had his stuck between Potter's ribs.
Orion also sported a black eye.
"All right, what in Merlin's name is going on here?" Minerva asked, parting the crowd.
"This is a school, not a box ring!" she said impatiently, trying to disarm the two.
"Stay out of it, McGonagall!" Orion hissed. "This is between me and Potter."
"Oh, well, since you told me to, I'll let you two tear each other up," Minerva replied caustically.
Charlus momentarily looked up at her and, using this distraction, Minerva threw a Protego Shield between them, which unbalanced them both.
She was about to cast Expeliarmus, but Orion was quicker and hexed Potter across the corridor.
"Black, do you want to get expelled?" Minerva shouted angrily.
When she saw Charlus getting up with the intention of retaliating, she quickly positioned herself between the two.
"You'd better cool off, the both of you, or I'll hex you two into oblivion!" she shouted.
"Fighting violence with violence is hardly the solution, McGonagall," a smooth, faraway voice commented behind her.
Tom Riddle himself suddenly emerged from the small crowd, his wand casually raised only inches before him. Minerva noticed Malfalda Black right behind him. She was staring at her brother with a mixture of horror and disgust. She probably felt embarrassed he would stoop so low as to publicly fight a Gryffindor, Minerva thought bitterly.
"Of course, because you are such a pacifist, Riddle," she replied, rolling her eyes.
Tom ignored her and walked up to her without a care in the world.
"If you'll move out of my way, I will handle this," he told her placidly.
"I will not move out of your way, we are both Prefects, it is our duty," Minerva spoke adamantly.
Riddle muttered something that sounded very much like "tedious" and almost immediately turned his attention to the two boys.
"Drop your wands, the both of you," he spoke coldly, staring at both with that red flash in his eyes again.
Charlus stood his ground, but Orion, who knew who was standing before him too well, wavered slightly.
"I said drop them, before I join your fight," Riddle repeated, menace dripping out of his voice.
For a couple of moments it seemed as if they wouldn't relent, however, they did. Apparently, the notion of Riddle duelling them was enough to make them swallow their pride.
Orion was first and Charlus followed quickly, the two stepping away from each other.
"Now, we are all going to go see Dippet, shall we?" Tom asked serenely.
"I'll take Charlus, you take Orion," Minerva quickly intervened, trying to re-establish her position as a Prefect.
Riddle didn't seem to mind this arrangement, as he took hold of Orion's arm.
"Come on, Potter..." Minerva beckoned him, feeling very sour about this whole affair.
Ten minutes later, Minerva and Tom were climbing down the hidden stairway out of Dippet's office.
They had been dismissed by the Headmaster promptly, because he wanted to discuss matters of punishment privately, especially since Potter and Black both belonged to very powerful Pureblood families.
"The idiots. Fighting over Quidditch practice," she muttered to no one in particular.
"I've heard stupider reasons," Riddle commented wryly.
"I bet you have..." Minerva trailed off.
"Like Potions assignments," he continued, ignoring her. "Wouldn't that be a sad thing to fight over?"
Minerva stopped and stared at him.
"Don't compare Potions to Quidditch," she replied, trying to avoid his allusion.
"Wouldn't it be sad though for someone so young and naive to suffer on account of trivial school work?" he asked, his tone acquiring that silky, palpable edge.
"If you are trying to dissuade me from working with you on the project, Riddle, that boat has already sailed. I heard your threats in the library, no need to reinforce them now. I think I made it clear I would keep at it," she replied curtly.
Tom shook his head in disbelief.
"I was offering you a way out, but you shut that door in my face, didn't you? I do not want to waste my time on you, even though you do need silencing up. But you are making it impossible," he said flatly, as if the matter was beginning to bore him.
It was all surface though. Inside he was slowly boiling. He was not one to forget her insolent behaviour in the library.
Minerva tried to look taller than she was when she looked him in the eye.
"Good. It means I am doing something right. I would stay and chat some more about our assignment, but I have to go work on it. I'll see you in Potions," she said in a casual tone.
She turned the corner quickly without looking back and ran more than walked towards the library.
Tom stared after her with a particular gleam in his eyes.
When she reached the library, she was happy to see the crowd had dispersed and only a few curious Hufflepuffs had remained, in the hopes that something equally entertaining would happen.
Minerva's appearance solved that.
Andrew rushed after her.
"So, how was it? Did they try to attack each other on the way? Did Dippet expel them?"
Minerva walked in large strides towards her table, trying to ignore him.
"Nothing spectacular happened, Andrew. I don't even know what Dippet will do."
Minerva stopped shortly in front of her table. The familiar textbooks were lying open at the pages she had left them at, but a curious pile of books was placed in another corner.
She looked at the first titles. The same textbooks. The ones she had initially looked for.
She frowned, puzzled and concerned.
Had Riddle brought them to her? Or had someone else?
He's just messing with you, she thought, shaking her head. They're probably cursed.
"What are you staring at?" Andrew asked in curiosity.
He casually ran his fingers over the pile.
"Andrew don't – "
Bang!
He instantly fell backwards on the floor, flailing his arms in the air like a helpless toddler.
"Owwwww! My hands are burning! Bloody hell!" he yelled in pain.
Minerva whispered a Finite Incantatem on the textbooks and quickly knelt down to heal Andrew's blisters.
What an amateur, she thought, annoyed.