They're finally in second year! :) Yay! *Hands out virtual cookies to everyone*
The events of this year might confuse a few of you Potterheads out there so I'd just like to remind you all that time is rearranging events to stop her from completing her mission. So yeah, just bear that in mind while you're reading the next bunch of chapters :)
enjoy~
And I also want to thank C. a. s. () for your review – it made my day! :D :D (not that everyone else's don't) :P
p.s. R&R everyone. R&R (and sorry about the late update too) :S
Chapter 19
He walked through the wall casually, his transformed hair and nose successfully hiding him from any prying eyes. He stood there amongst the parents and relatives as their children began to find their friends and board the train, waving madly at their parents as they did.
For a split second his heart yearned for the same happiness and love that glittered from all the eyes around him but only for a second. His heart hardened as he casually strolled through the people. There had only ever been one person for him, and that person had betrayed him in the cruelest way possible.
Having made his way to the centre of all the chaos, he whispered the spell.
"Invenire," He watched in gleeful satisfaction as the shadows within him were released, as they crept out and began to swim across the platform unseen.
Smiling cruelly he followed them.
The shadows continued to weave through the people and his heart began to beat violently with anticipation. He noticed one or two parents looking at him curiously, if not in fear, but he ignored them, too intent on his prey.
The shadows began to merge into one and he knew they were mere seconds away from finding the trespasser. He began to jog, eyes bulging with excitement.
Darting his head around the parents and guardians he broke out into a laugh as he saw that it had stopped, tail flicking at what he presumed was a girl if her hair was anything to go by. Now pushing everyone roughly aside he froze as her tiny body began to make its way to the train with another.
"NO!" His feet moved without a moment's hesitation and he was running across the platform, willing her not to board the train, not to leave him once again empty-handed.
She had turned her head at the noise, her tiny eyebrows furrowed in confusion as her eyes swept the crowd looking for the source of the disruption.
Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds and he was shocked to see years of wisdom and knowledge behind those innocent brown orbs.
But then she boarded the train.
"NO!"
The door closed just as he reached her and he pound his fists angrily on it, apparating away furiously as the train began to blow smoke and roll out of the station, burning tears running down his handsome face.
"Did you see that man just then?" She nudged Tom who growled at her touch.
"He looked furious!" She continued, following Tom into an empty compartment.
"Way to state the obvious Granger." He muttered before focusing on the window as if it held the answers to the universe.
Sighing she sat down opposite him and barely spoke at all for the rest of the journey, her thoughts focused on the man from the station. She had thought for a crazy second that he was after her but that couldn't be right; She hadn't even met him before.
"Elaine!" She screamed as they departed the train, waving the girl over as she spotted her with Avery.
Elaine looked to where she was being called but as she saw Hermione the colour faded almost instantly from her cheeks and she quickly turned her head and ignored her altogether, walking away with her 'friend'.
"Elaine?" She whispered in confusion, tripping over her feet as Tom roughly pushed her out of the doorway.
"Poor Granger, rejected by a pureblood. Who would've thought?" He added snidely as she picked herself up and followed him to the carriages.
"Shut up Tom," she muttered. "She was probably just tired from the journey."
"Of course." He nodded in mock agreement.
She rolled her eyes at him but chose to make no further comment on the subject.
"Ah, finally the great mudblood has been silenced." His eyes glittered cruelly in the moonlight but she once again ignored his silent challenge.
"Amazing, no witty comeback ready? Now this has to be a-"
"Will you just drop it?" She demanded, spinning on her heels and glaring at him with disgust.
"No." His smirk did nothing to calm her temper and she stomped away, flinging a door to a carriage open and slamming it shut again before Tom could board it with her.
She heard him chuckle quietly to himself as he walked off, presumably going to find Abraxas. Sighing she glanced out the window and almost immediately her frazzled nerves calmed down as Hogwarts welcomed her home, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow over the castle.
As the sorting hat finished its song and Dumbledore began to call out the names, Hermione glared down at the empty plates. She hadn't bought anything from the trolley lady and was now suffering from it. She hastily clutched it tightly in her hand in a desperate attempt to silence it as it growled rather loudly in the near silent hall.
"…Hufflepuff!"
Mild claps followed a chubby little boy who made his way quickly to the Hufflepuff table, tripping over his feet at some point and causing a few Slytherins to snicker at him.
Rolling her eyes at their immaturity she focused back on the sorting and her stomach.
"Dolohov, Antonin."
Her left hand, which had been resting her head, slipped, and her jaw hit the wooden table with a loud thud.
"Slytherin!"
"Bit clumsy of you Granger," Tom muttered in her ear, amusement lacing his words, but he appraised her curiously, especially when drops of sweat began to make themselves known on her forehead.
"Hm," she muttered in agreement, her eyes solely focused on the scrawny, little boy who was walking regally towards them, his grey eyes piercing holes in her mind.
'Focus Hermione,' she thought, mentally scolding herself. Her words of encouragement did nothing though as he slipped into the seat besides her and regarded her curiously.
"You are not a pure-blood." He stated, rather than questioned and she was momentarily frozen before picking herself up and answering him.
"No. I am not. You care why?"
His head tipped to the side as he regarded her carefully before small chuckles began to escape his mouth.
"Nice to meet you miss…?"
"Granger," she answered stiffly.
"Miss Granger," he tipped his head in mock respect before looking past her to Tom.
His grey eyes narrowed before his lips curled into a smirk.
"And who might this be?"
She looked on in confusion as Tom shared the same cruel smile before lifting his chin almost imperceptibly.
"Tom Riddle."
Dolohov's eyes widened almost in disbelief as he shared a look with Avery down the table before extending his hand almost hesitantly towards him.
"Pleasure, I'm sure."
Tom's eyebrow rose in laughter before shaking the hand firmly.
Turning around she found that the exchange hadn't gone unnoticed and that by now the majority of the Slytherins were looking at them rather than at the sorting ceremony.
She would question Elaine about it later on. That is, if she talked to her in the first place.
"Elaine, hey, how was your holiday?" Hermione asked, bolting straight up from lying on her bed as the girl entered their dorm.
Elaine's eyes hardened, but only for a second before she replied in a forced voice.
"It was splendid, thank you."
"Elaine…what's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, wincing before Elaine even opened her mouth to reply.
There was no need for it though as just at that second Rachelle entered the room and sauntered towards them, stopping near Elaine and wrapping her arms firmly around her shoulders.
"Is there a problem mudblood?" She sneered, obviously triumphant.
Really, she hadn't spent all that time with Tom for no reason.
Her face lost all expression and she stared coolly up at the girl.
"No problem, Parkinson."
Staring down haughtily at her she flipped her hair behind her before dragging Elaine over to her bed, chatting animatedly with Elaine who didn't even look back at Hermione.
Sighing she slumped back onto her bed and dragged the covers above her, glancing miserably out at the window where a grindylow swam by lazily.
"When's your birthday Tom?"
"Granger, I'm busy." He replied, looking over his books briefly, annoyance swimming clearly in his eyes.
"I don't have time for your childish ways." She heard him sniff haughtily and rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour.
"Tom, I'm serious. I missed it last year, I don't know how mind you, but I did. Now when is it?"
"He doesn't want to talk to you mudblood. Can't you take a hint?" Rachelle called out from across the common room and several snickers were heard from the party around her.
"Why did I have to get stuck in a house filled with morons?" She muttered to herself, turning away from the annoying girl who wouldn't grow up.
"Maybe because you fit right in?" Avery shoved past her, obviously having heard her.
"You're insulting yourself by saying that do you realise?" She snapped back, all patience leaving her in an instance.
"Now, now Hermione, that's no way to speak to another human." A voice whispered in her ears and she jumped and nearly tripped over her own feet as she saw that it was Dolohov.
"I have some business to discuss with Mr. Riddle here. Please excuse us." He continued, a kind smile gracing his lips but she could see the sinful mischievousness dancing in his grey eyes.
"Of course," she answered stiffly, moving away.
"My goodness mudblood, you're such a whore for Tom." Rachelle whispered in her ears before sauntering out of the common room.
"Really, you're that immature?" She whispered back, rolling her eyes at the girl.
"Elaine, why won't you talk to me?" She whispered at the girl as she climbed into the bed besides her.
The girl only turned her head away from her in response, her stiff back her only answer.
"Elaine, please, what happened? You can talk to me." She tried again. Really, it was clear that she wasn't happy with whatever this was and she wanted to help her through this.
"What happened Granger? You happened."
Silence followed her words as Hermione lay there shocked.
"I don't understand Elaine." She answered hesitantly but only a scoff followed her words.
"Elaine?"
"Please, just leave me alone." She could barely make out those words, muffled as they were by the pillow.
Grindelwald stared at his men as they stood before him, heads lowered in surrender. They were to attack Hogwarts again, however this time they would attempt it stealthily.
"Now I do not want to hear that you caused a ruckus in Hogsmeade. You are to apparate there, enter Honeydukes, find the passageway that I have described to you, and enter Hogwarts. Once there you are to unleash the shadows and find her. You are to bring her here with as much discreetness as possible, do you understand?"
"Yes, Master," they murmured in agreement before apparating to Hogsmeade once more.
Looking around they found the place as it was before their previous attack; The buildings were once again standing straight and proud and the pavement had been smoothed of all hiccups. The only difference was the air itself as it now hung gloomily over the entire village. The villagers hurried from house to house, casting furtive glances their ways but otherwise staying clear of them.
"Come on," Flint whispered and they proceeded to make their way to the shop that had started to pack up for the evening.
Entering the premises the owner of the shop gave them a fearful look before disappearing upstairs. The shop was quiet now, with no one in sight and they quickly made their way to the back of the shop. Using their magic they located the entrance to the secret passageway and hastily entered it, grunting as they hit rock.
As they reached the exit murmurs began to escape the group as they frantically tried to shove the seal open.
"Blast it open Flint! What are you waiting for?" Whispered Higgs from further down the line, impatiently tapping his foot on the stone.
"We're supposed to complete this mission with as much stealth as possible," Flint hissed back, eyes narrowing in anger.
"Bombarda!" Pucey yelled from beside Higgs, eyes too narrowing in hate.
"Well wasn't that clever of you Pucey? You might as well have sent an owl to Dumbledore explaining our plan to capture one of his students step by step!"
"Or you could just tell me in person," an amused voice answered from above them. Silence befell the group as they looked up as one to see Dumbledore serenely regarding them.
In words too quiet to hear, Dumbledore once more froze them within the constraints of both time and space before knocking them all unconscious with one wave of his wand.
"Will he ever learn?" He whispered to himself before starting to send them back the way they had entered.
"So er, what's up with you and Rosier?" She nudged him in the ribs, trying to act indifferent and merely curious.
Scoffing he returned to his cup of pumpkin juice and refused to answer her.
"He seems very…I don't quite know. Evil?"
He snickered at her choice of words before ignoring her once again.
"Seriously Tom, why won't you tell me? I thought we were friends."
Looking at her Tom couldn't help the disgust that flooded his mouth. How pathetic could one mere person be?
"Granger, I was never your friend and you'd do well to remember it."
He wasn't surprised when she snorted in disagreement.
"You might as well consider last year a dream Granger because this year everything's going to change, and our "friendship" as you so named it, no longer exists."
He had once given her a role in his plot but much had changed since then. Yes, she was powerful and yes she'd take a hundred beatings for him but the feelings that she evoked within him disgusted him to no end. It was as if she was planting seeds of... something in his mind and that frightened him more than he was willing to admit.
So you've done the reading part, now all you have left to do is review! :D :D :D pretty please, with Tom on top?