The next morning flew by for Hermione. Luckily for her, she still had her wand in this time and she was able to use in order for Headmaster Dippet to test her knowledge. She did many tests. Some with her wand, some written and some potion making. In the end, Dippet was really impressed with her skills and put in her in all advanced classes. She was not really surprised considering that if she had gotten the chance to do her own 7th year, she would have taken those classes as well. However, she was really nervous for the final step of her day. She was in Headmaster Dippet's office and was staring down the Sorting Hat. Would it even sort her? She had already been sorted, years ago or years later...
She nervously chewed at her bottom lip as she sat down on the small bench. Slughorn and Dumbledore were both there as well. She felt the hat slip onto her head and held her breath.
~ Well, Well, what do we have here. Nice to see you again, Miss Granger.~ It hissed.
Hermione frowned deeply, was it going to rat her out.
~ I am no rat, I am a hat. Let's see here...ooh my my, how you have changed my dear. You are still brave but you also see the world differently. Still intelligent... Still cunning...as difficult to sort as the first time.~
Hermione prayed for Gryffindor.
~ Gryffindor? Do you not want to explore another house, not many people get the chance to do so. What about Ravenclaw or Slytherin, you would thrive in either.~
Hermione panicked at the thought of being a Slytherin.
~ You are a Burke now, it would make sense for you to be with your fellow snakes...Plus there is someone in that house that may peak your interest. A certain Riddle.~ The hat teased.
Hermione tensed as she felt her lunch start to rise, how could she be so stupid to forget. To forget that Voldemort was a student during this time. She had read everything about the man..monster for Merlin Sakes, she should have thought of it before now. But what would that change...She could not change the time-line and risk destroying it by trying to stop him. Plus he would still have had a few horcruxes made already. However, she could still use the time to watch him and study him for when she goes back. She could use what she learned here to find out his weaknesses. She could help defeat him for good. She sighed...Put me in Slytherin.
~My pleasure.~
"SLYTHERIN!" The Sorting Hat yelled out and she heard Slughorn cheer.
"Perfect! You will surely strive in my house, Miss Burke." Slughorn exclaimed as he tapped her on the back.
Dumbledore however, seemed less please and it broke her heart.
"Very good! Very good! However, we should head down to the Great Hall, it is just about time for the feast." Headmaster Dippet said as he lead them towards the door.
On the way down, Hermione tried to catch Dumbledore's eye to somehow try to show him that she was not in Slyterin because of the reasons he may think. She had no luck however.
Once they arrived, students were filing in and she felt Slughorn grab her arm. He led her towards the Slytherin table. It looked like he was looking for someone in the small crowd.
"Ah Tom, my boy! Come here. Come here." He called out and Hermione tensed.
The boy turned around and Hermione felt herself grow cold. He was the definition of a fallen angel. Extremely handsome with dark hair and matching eyes with alabaster skin. Hermione frowned darkly knowing that he was probably the most handsome young man she had ever seen in Hogwarts and it made her furious because no one that beautiful should be that evil. She knew from what she read that he used his looks in order to charm and manipulate people. He raised a perfect eyebrow at them and excused himself from the group of boy he was talking to and made his way over.
"Professor Slughorn, how was your summer?" He asked with a bright smile that did not come close to reaching his dark eyes but Slughorn seemed to be oblivious to the fact.
"Quite good, thank you for asking, my boy. How was yours?" Slughorn returned and Riddle just continued to smile falsely at the old man, how Slughorn did not notice was beyond Hermione.
"It was enjoyable but you know me Professor, there is no where I rather be than at Hogwarts." Riddle replied earning a small laugh from Slughorn.
"Good to know, my boy. Good to know. I also wanted to congratulate you on getting Head-Boy not that I am surprising that you got it. Speaking of which, I got your first task as Head actually." Slughorn said as he gestured his head at her.
Riddle turned his gaze onto her and it took every fiber of her being to return the gaze without shaking. Hermione was always brave but this monster had always brought a chill down her spine. She tried to smile as best as she could but her best seemed not to be good enough by the way he was looking at her with suspicion.
"This is Miss Hera Burke, she is our new transfer student. She had a rough start getting here, apparently the portkey she had used malfunctioned. Anyways, she is here now and since she was sorted into Slytherin I was hoping you would be able to show her around for the first few days and help her get adjusted." Slughorn explained and Riddle nodded giving him a bright smile.
"It would be my pleasure to help a fellow student, Professor." He said and turned to her.
"Tom Riddle." He introduced himself and extended a hand towards her.
Hermione panicked slightly as she looked at the hand. She did not want to touch him. He gave her a weird look and she knew that she had to do it if she did not want to raise even more suspicion. She grabbed hold of his hand and her first thought she had was that it was warmer than she expected.
"Hera Burke." She replied and forced on a smile.
Riddle brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it sending a shiver of disgust through her.
"Pleasure making your acquaintance, Miss Burke." He practically purred and Hermione had to keep herself from glaring at him.
She could see why people fell for his act. He was convincing and that made her quite uneasy.
"Very good! Very good! I'll leave you in the capable hands of Tom here. I'll see the both of you tomorrow in class." Slughorn said as he started to walk towards the staff table.
She frowned as she watched him leave her with the viper. She jumped as she felt a hand on her lower back. She turned around to stare at Riddle with wide eyes. He gave her a confused look before raising a hand in surrender.
"My apologies Miss Burke, I was only trying to lead you to our table. The crowd gets a bit thick, I did not want you to get separated from me." He explained as he frowned lightly and she cursed inwardly had how her first instinct was to apologies herself.
He was playing her, he did not give a bloody rat's ass if she got separated from him or that he scared her.
"I don't like being touched." Hermione muttered, which technically wasn't a lie she just really hated being touched by him.
She noticed a flash of annoyance flash in his dark eyes but it was gone in a instant.
"Once again, I apologies if I made you feel uncomfortable, it was not my intention. If you follow me, I'll show you where our table is." He replied all business and led the way to the Slytherin Table.
He waited for her to sit down before following suit beside her. She realized that this was what men were like in the 40's. She turned into her seat and almost fainting when she saw who was siting across from her.
"Malfoy?" She whispered but that seemed to catch his attention and he looked up at her.
"Do we need know each other?" He asked with uncertainty.
The resemblance was uncanny. She swore that she was sitting across from Draco, himself. The only difference was that Draco had bluer eyes.
"No...I um just your family is not hard to recognize." Great, Hermione that was just great.
She saw him smirk at that and nodded.
"Yes we are quite distinguishable. Abraxas Malfoy." He nodded at her and she nodded back.
"Hera Burke." She muttered earning a look of surprised from the blond.
"I wasn't aware that Caractacus had a daughter." He replied and she felt Riddle's eyes on her.
Among others.
"My father likes to keep a lot of things secret. He has a few enemies that would have like to use me against him. He waited to send me here, waiting until I could defend myself." Hermione lied and was relieved when she saw that most of them bought it.
She could still feel Riddle eyes on her though...Great.
They kept talking for the rest of the feast. It was mostly small talk about Hogwarts. Stuff she already knew but had to pretend that she didn't as the boys of Slytherin tried to teach her about the halls and moving stairs. She also learned a few more familiar names, Nott, Lestrange and Avery. Who seemed all to take a liking to her. She was not exactly thrill about that. They insisted to show her the way down to the Slytherin common room with Riddle, after the feast.
"Are...are you courting anyone Miss Burke." She heard Nott asked but before she could answer Riddle stepped in.
"I don't see how that would even concern you, Nott. Are you trying to render our new student uncomfortable?" He asked sharply and Hermione could not help but feel bad for the poor boy who quivered in fear before the future Dark Lord.
"Of course not, Tom. My apologies, Miss Burke, if I made you feel uncomfortable with such a personal question." Nott replied lowly with his eyes cast downwards.
"It quite alright Mister Nott. To answer your question. No I am not." Hermione replied and sent him a kind smile as they made it to the entrance to the common room.
"Pure-Sang." Malfoy muttered and the entranced opened.
Hermione mentally rolled her eyes at the password. They entered the dungeon common room and she already missed the warmth of the Gryffindor common room.
"Thank you for showing me the way. However, it's been a really long day and I just want to get some sleep." Hermione said and Riddle nodded.
"Follow me I'll show you to your room." Hermione nodded and followed him frowning slightly.
How could he even get into the girls' dorm rooms? But somehow he could entered the 7th year girls' dorm room without an issue and pointed at a bed near the bathroom door.
"That one is yours." He said politely but Hermione was still frowning in thought.
"How can you be allowed in here?" She blurted out and scowled herself for her word vomit.
Riddle just raised an eyebrow at her and walked up towards her, he was a about foot away from her and it took all her willpower not to flee.
"Because of this." He said pointed at his Head-Boy badge and tilted his head down towards her.
"Why do you ask? Does it make you uncomfortable to know that I can come in here whenever I please?" He asked and she could see the sick pleasure he was getting at scaring her and that made a fire grow in her as her Gryffindor side came out to play.
"Are you offering your services Riddle? Because you are not really my type." She replied with a flutter of her eyelashes earning a slight look of shock from Riddle.
He stared at her for a moment before the look of shock turning into a dark smirk.
"I am everyone's type, Miss Burke, but I am please you dropped that little innocent act of yours. As far as my services go, maybe if you play your cards right, you might get a taste of them." He purred in her ear before pushing past her and out of the dorm room.
Hermione stood stark still in the middle of her new room. What the bloody hell, did she just get yourself into.