AS I WAS EDITING I REALISED I MADE A HUUUUUGE MISTAKE – I'VE BEEN CALLING DOLOHOV 'ROSIER' FOR THE PAST CHAPTER AND A HALF AND I'M REALLY SORRY FOR THAT! PLEASE MENTALLY FIX THAT WHILE READING THE STORY! :S :S :S
again, sorry for the confusion.
Now, time to answer some reviews posted :)
to lazy to log in: thank you :D :D for your thoughts on hermione - i agree - she's a very independent woman yes, but...kk, it was kinda out of the blue that she was sent back into this hostile past to complete this mission that at most times seems futile. she's left behind everyone that she loves and who loves her back, and going back to her actual first year, she got really upset about ron's comments, about having no friends. and i know over the years she's grown into this beautifully confident woman but...that was in a familiar environment and again going back to first year - "Me? Books and cleverness. There are more important things: friendship and bravery." she realised even then that although books did give her a sense of comfort, friendship was more important - something that we all need. that's why when she travelled back to the past she treasured their friendship that much more. no one else was friends with her (tom was kinda bipolar towards her), the school didnt talk to her cause she was a slytherin and the slytherins hated her. elaine was the one person who liked her for being herself. then, as the year passed, yes - she saw a light so to speak in tom's heart that gave her hope and she's on speaking terms with raven and the environment is more familiar to her and more comfortable so she doesnt need elaine's friendship anymore but she still treasures it. and then when elaine stopped talking to her, well, of course she's gonna feel sad. and yes, shes strong enough not to cry (remember, key word i added in was "mentally" cried over the lost friendship :P) but she still misses it.
lol, i know that was long and you probs didnt want to hear all of that but yeah, that was my analysis of hermione :P and dw, hermione will get a win...eventually :P although im interested in the things that she's not noticing. please explain :D
nlech16: i have to agree with you there - and for some reason im smiling while writing this - im such a sadist :P
Chamilia Lutien Tinuviel: now i can't tell you that, now can i? that would spoil all the events of this year (well, most of them anyway) :P
AlwaysthereforTaraxx: i agree - but unfortunately, it's not going to stop anytime soon :S i'd be right behind you if you did :P and grindelwald...well, he's much closer than before, that's for sure *evil smirk*
who-needs-a-hero12: love the way you think but not exactly...remember - he wants hermione for a reason, especially after seeing her on the platform :P lol, that probs doesn't explain a thing :P *excellent* :P with elaine - it's much more complicated than that - i actually pity her...a lot :( and it does seem so, doesn't it? hermione getting used. unfortunately, the dice have barely begun to roll *mwahaha* :P and tom...well...just wait and see :D :D :D
to everyone else - thank you for reviewing :D :D :D
Chapter 21
Chaos reigned in the Great Hall as breakfast was served, the children's yells and laughs popping a few ears present.
Professor Merrythought though was lost in her own thoughts. Her fork played with the eggs on her plate and her goblet stood untouched on the table.
She was beating herself up over the near death of Raven truth be told. Had been doing so ever since that very night.
She had been the one on patrol that night, the last to see him.
She had been the one who missed the danger lurking in the corridors and let it harm one of her students.
Glancing miserably out at the students gathered, her eyes found Raven talking jovially to his friends in Slytherin. His girlfriend had not completely dropped the habit of glaring at people who looked suspicious to her eyes, but though the sight would make most laugh, it only saddened her some more.
If she couldn't even protect her students within the castle walls, when she was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher no less, what was the point of her teaching here?
Obviously the threat was still among the students, laughing along with them, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out who would have such murderous intent inside their heart.
An owl suddenly fluttered into her plate and broke her gaze, its wings dipping into her juice and spraying her with pumpkin juice.
Shaking her head clear, she looked curiously at the letter that had the insignia of the Ministry of Magic as its seal. Frowning, she opened it, noticing that several of the teachers at the table were also glancing curiously at it.
Mrs. Merrythought,
It has come to our attention that your brother, Harold Merrythought, has been dabbling with the Dark Arts for several months now. We write to inform you that you will have to be taken in as a suspected apprentice of his. We have already found substitute teachers to take your place while you are away and have informed the headmaster only this morning. You have until sundown to come to the Ministry. If you resist, Aurors will bring you in by force.
Hoping you are well,
Landol Hoop
What in Merlin's name...? Harold?
Glancing nervously at the teachers who had begun to crane their necks to see the letter, she hastily got up and excused herself.
"So, how do I look for my first day as teacher?" He twirled on the spot for show, smirking as the dark brown locks swam into his vision.
"Perfect," the other snickered, and they both chortled at their inside joke before straightening themselves up and ironing their robes with their hands.
"Let's not keep them waiting now. After you, dear brother," the green-eyed man whispered in mock courtesy, handing him the pot of floo powder. The wickedness that danced in his eyes was quickly hidden behind a wall of warmth and love before he too followed behind the shorter man into the hearth.
Grindelwald Closing in on Hogwarts, Parents told not to Panic
It was not only Hermione's pumpkin juice that found its way flying through the air that morning. More than half the students either spit it out in shock or choked on their food as they read the Daily Prophet's heading.
Tom regarded the paper curiously though, his eyebrows furrowed infinitesimally as he regarded the story.
Mentally, he was rather hoping they would try to attack Hogsmeade again. He had seen something rather odd that night so long ago when he had saved Hermione and got knocked out in the process.
He was sure that for a second there, he had seen a stupefied man re-enervate himself. He had of course told nothing to Dumbledore upon questioning and surprisingly enough, the old man had seemed rather relieved at hearing that.
Well, it wasn't entirely too surprising. It was clear to many that Dumbledore didn't quite like him but he was a mere first year. Surely Dumbledore did not know of his true magic's extent?
'No.' He added firmly. He doesn't. 'He just didn't want me to go gossiping to everyone in Slytherin.'
A commotion at the front of the hall caused him to look up and he was momentarily surprised to find two men clumsily make their way to their seats while knocking down several plates and goblets in the process.
"So sorry," one of the men, the smaller one, apologised as he knocked a goblet of pumpkin juice onto Dippet's robes.
Dippet sniffed, if only for a second, before waving it away.
He couldn't hear anything else from the High Table but it wouldn't be long before Dippet introduced them now.
Not one minute later, Dippet did just that.
"Students, students, if I may have your attention." The chatter continued to circulate the Great Hall, not many having noticed the new arrivals, busy as they were exclaiming over Grindelwald's possible attack.
"STUDENTS!"
There was still no difference in the level of volume and Tom couldn't help but smirk at Dippet's pathetic display of command.
"QUIET!" Dumbledore yelled from behind Armando, his vocals impressive for his age.
Silence immediately flooded the Hall and all the students' head swiveled as one to see an irritated Dippet staring down at them.
"Thank you, professor. Now, I know the prophet's headline is quite…disquieting, but I assure you all that Hogwarts has been placed under the highest security possible."
"I see no dementors," He heard Hermione whisper to herself from besides him and he looked at her quizzically before returning his gaze to Dippet.
"You are safe here, of that I promise, and Grindelwald will be captured soon enough by the Aurors who are looking for him right at this very minute.
Now, onto some more cheerful news."
Looking around he could see that Dippet's little speech had done absolutely nothing to calm the wide-eyed students who looked as scared as they had five minutes ago.
"Due to some personal matters, Professor Merrythought has had to leave Hogwarts for the time being. However, I am pleased to welcome both Professor Jones and Professor Jones to Hogwarts, for however short a visit that they'll be here for."
A round of applause echoed dimly in the Great Hall as the two teachers stood up from their seat besides Slughorn and bowed as their names were called.
Tight chuckles could be heard as the shorter one straightened up with food spread out on his robe from bending over his plate too low.
Blushing he quickly tried to wipe it away before the older man sighed and briskly vanished the mess away.
"He's so dreamy," he heard Mary whisper to Rachelle further down, pointing to the obviously talented one of the two, and he nearly groaned at the rising implications.
He hated girls and their obsessive tendencies.
Dumbledore chuckled quietly along with the students as Jones straightened up from his bow with food all over his robe.
They were quite the pair he had to admit.
Brothers too, if he remembered correctly.
Leaving his smile present on his face, he returned his attention to the prophet.
Grindelwald clearly wanted Hermione. He could see it a mile away.
But what was he planning to use her for?
It only took him a moment to decide that he would let the pre-determined events unfold and if the world needed him at the end… well, he'd be there ready to fight.
Walking into class, she found a group of girls sighing dreamily as the taller Professor Jones got ready for class.
About to make a disparaging comment, she suddenly remembered her own crush on Gilderoy Lockhart all those years ago. At least this guy knew how to wield his magic.
And he was cute, she had to give them that.
Her train of thought was cut short however as Avery pushed roughly past her.
"Watch it, mudblood."
She opened her mouth to respond but Tom, who was right behind Avery, beat her to it.
"Avery, enough already. Apologise would you?"
Avery glanced at her briefly before turning back to Tom with a calculating look.
After a few seconds, he let out.
"Sorry," he bit out, before stomping to his seat.
"Aren't you going to say thank you, you dumb mudblood?" Rachelle snarled, having noticed the exchange.
"I-"
"That is no way to talk to another student Miss. 5 points from Slytherin."
Mentally thanking the teacher, she too made her way to her seat beside Tom as the Professor called for silence.
"Now, as you all know, I am Professor Jones. However, since my brother is also a teacher here, you may call me Professor Robert. My brother will be teaching the fifth, sixth and seventh years, and I shall be teaching the first through fourth years.
"I am a tolerant man in general but make the same mistake twice and I will set you a detention. Now, I will be quizzing you all today just to see at what level everyone is. Not to worry," he added at the panicked faces of many.
"They're fairly easy questions and won't count towards anything."
Tom sat in silence throughout the whole speech, watching the eyes of Robert carefully.
They looked…familiar. Staring openly at them he ignored the teacher's quizzical gaze sent his way, determined to understand the familiarity.
"Right, now how would one cure a werewolf bite?"
The students furiously grappled their minds to find the answer but came up with nothing, except for Hermione and Tom of course, who kept their hands at bay.
Robert laughed at their blank expressions before saying, "I was only joking kids. Now…"
It took Tom the entire lesson to finally work out what was so familiar about those eyes, and when he did he smirked cruelly. Oh ho. Well, it certainly would turn out to be an interesting year, that's for sure.
Turning to see if Granger had caught on, he chuckled as he saw she hadn't; there was no fear shining through those brown orbs of hers.
Turning back to the teacher, he correctly answered the question asked of him and continued to smile throughout the rest of the class.
As Hermione and Tom made their way to Herbology, Raven stopped the two, calling out to Hermione.
"Hermione, do you have a minute?"
"Yes," she signaled Tom to go on ahead of her.
"What is it?"
"I've heard that you're one ridiculously smart girl, now is that true?" His mischievous eyes set something alight inside Hermione who blushed faintly at her roots.
"Maybe," she replied, smiling.
"Why?"
"I was wondering if you by any chance had the knowledge of a seventh year and could tutor me in Transfiguration."
Her heart leapt before she replied almost giddily, "Of course! When do you want to start?"
He looked shocked for a moment before he threw his head back in a laugh.
"You are brilliant Hermione! How does this tomorrow evening, after dinner sound?"
"Brilliant!" She replied.
"I'll meet you in the library then." Smiling they departed, he with a relieved expression, and she with a stupid smile playing on her lips.
Tom's eyes narrowed as Hermione walked in with a stupid smile.
"What did he want?" He bit out as she sidled up next to him. He was pretending indifference of course but the way Hermione's eyebrow arched told him that he had failed quite miserably at that.
"Nothing really, why?" Her smile had not quite left her and he felt like strangling her just to get rid of it.
"Just curious," he turned to his plant and roughly began to prune it, ignoring the professor's advice altogether.
"Mr. Riddle! 10 points from Slytherin!" Professor Shrall called from the front.
"That is no way to handle the shrivelfig!"
"My mistake Professor."
Ducking his head in false shame, he continued to prune it more gently.
Rolling her eyes she got to work on her own prune, but she couldn't quite keep from glancing at him from the corner of her eyes for the rest of the lesson in curiosity.
Dolohov was once again sitting with them in the Great Hall, which irked Hermione to no end.
Especially as he had been glancing at her calculatingly for the past few days whenever they crossed paths, which was quite frequent truth be told.
Pursing her lips, she kept quiet as Avery talked of his latest victim; a scrawny Hufflepuff first year by the name of Jeffrey Fall.
Everyone laughed, except for Tom of course, who looked disapprovingly in Avery's direction for show of course.
Really, she couldn't understand why people couldn't see through his mask.
As her mind tried to unravel the mystery she spotted Dolohov out of the corner of her eye, reaching for his wand inside his robe.
Without thinking, her instincts reacting before she could catch up to them, her own hand flew to her wand and she yelled "Protego!"
Silence followed the thud that was Dolohov landing on his behind. Her own breathing was coming in pants and all she could see were images from her fifth year; the prophecy, the bell jar, the Death Eaters…the purple fire that within that very second burned every vein, tissue and organ in her body. Which ripped open her lungs and sent her unconscious for days.
"Miss Granger! 20 points from Slytherin for attacking another student! I am absolutely disgus…"
She couldn't hear a thing. Not the professor, not the screaming students, only her shaky breaths which were coming out uneven and broken.
Her eyes, locked with Dolohov's, were the only ones who noticed his delighted, venomous eyes that were meant for her and her alone.
Turning around without a word, she broke out into a sprint and hurried from the Hall, her feet taking her to the only haven that she knew; Gryffindor Tower.
"Hermione?" A tentative voice whispered from behind her but she didn't move, fixed as she was staring at the Fat Lady who had grown tired of her presence and fallen asleep.
"Hermione?" A hand gently nudged her shoulder but she did not yield.
Her eyes were brimming with tears as her hand slowly reached out to trace the Fat Lady's portrait frame.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" Her head turned at last to find Elaine biting her lip nervously while fiddling with her thumbs.
"Y-Yes. Of course." Turning around for a final look at the portrait, she made her way past Elaine and back to the Slytherin common room, her tears no longer visible to the world.
"I'm sorry…" Elaine whispered softly, her own tear leaking from her eye as one of her closest friends turned the corner.
"Sooo, care to explain that little stunt you played in the Great Hall just then?" Tom asked her smirking as she marched into the common room.
"Of course not." Her face betrayed nothing as she continued to her dormitory, but Tom didn't let her.
Grabbing her by her elbow, he spun her around to face him again.
"Answer me…friend." A snort escaped her as Tom's face scrunched up at the last word as he tried to make it sound meaningful.
"Friends also know when to drop the subject Tom, so leave me be."
Wrenching her arm free she passed the murmuring students without hesitation, the small click of the door closing revealing none of her emotions.
"It's because Tom's been spending more time with Dolohov! She's just jealous!" Rachelle was telling anyone who would listen, which surprisingly enough was a large number of the students.
Rolling his eyes, he left the annoying students and went to brood about the curious incident in his own dorm.
"Elaine!"
"Huh?" She turned around in amazement at the familiar voice. They had never spoken to each other before so it was with great puzzlement that she watched Dolohov walk briskly up to her.
"I was wondering if I could have a second of your time please." His lips curled into a warm smile but his hardened eyes left no room for debate.
"O-Of course."
His smile widened and he walked her to an abandoned classroom, sweeping his arm politely as he opened the door for her.
"Thank you," she quietly murmured.
"Not at all." Closing the door behind him he wasted no time in getting what he wanted out of her.
"I saw you running after Granger in the Great Hall. Where did she go?"
"She…why do you want to know?" She was puzzled to say the least and instinctively felt protective about Hermione.
"I'm simply curious. Now where did she go?" He stepped towards her threateningly and although she was one year above him, he towered over her small frame easily.
"I found her staring at a portrait on the seventh floor." She felt ashamed really, how she so easily backed down, but it was in her nature to do so and she never was brave.
"Which portrait exactly?" His eyes had brightened considerably but she couldn't for the life of her, work out why.
"I-It was of a woman dressed in a pink dress. I-"
"That is all. You may leave Prince." His face had transformed rapidly into a sickening sight as his lips twisted into a smile. He waved at her dismissively and she left confused about what had just transpired.
Oh, he knew that portrait very well. It was the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and it only cemented his theory into actual fact.
Her days were drawing to a close.
Really, she was simply too easy to find. Laughing he watched her leave the library with a goofy smile on her face, making her way carelessly back down to the Slytherin common room. As she walked past him, he roughly grabbed her and pulled her into a classroom, his other hand muffling her screams.
She was his same height but he had more muscle than fat and easily ignored her flailing.
"Let go of me!" She pulled her mouth free and desperately tried to free her body too.
"You only had to ask," He whispered in her ear before letting her go and quickly casting silencio on the room.
"What do you want?" She bit out, clearly unimpressed and pissed.
"I want to know why you're here."
"What…?" She was momentarily thrown off guard as he asked what she least expected him to, and he used that to his advantage.
"I want to know why you're here. In Slytherin." He raised his wand threateningly at her but she scoffed at him and made to push past him.
Scowling he grabbed her arm and pulled her back round but only received a slap in reply.
"Don't manhandle me!"
"Of course," he spit out and raised his hands in surrender.
"I don't want to talk to you so I'll give you this one chance to leave me in peace before I hex you." She folded her arms across her chest pointedly but he ignored her threat.
"Answer my question and I will. Or better yet, just sit tight for now." He pushed her into a chair and circled around her like a vulture.
"You see, I've been very interested about you from the very first minute I met you. You're a mudblood see, but what really got me intrigued was the fact that you're a mudblood in Slytherin.
"So I ask again, why are you here?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" She scoffed.
"The Hat chooses where we belong depending on our qualities and-"
"And that's where you're mistaken my dear. You see, the Hat hasn't placed a mudblood in Slytherin ever since Salazar Slytherin left the School all those centuries ago. It is simply unheard of."
He waited for her reaction but all he got was a raised eyebrow.
"Are you serious?" She asked, her voice disbelieving.
"Ah, but you haven't let me finish see." His smile widened even further and it sent shivers down Hermione's spine.
"I've been watching you for a while now and I can't help but notice that you hang around no one other than Tom really."
"Have you ever considered that perhaps it's because the rest of you are vile, loathsome, evil little cockroaches?" She smiled sweetly up at him and gently patted his shoulder.
"There, there. There, there."
Throwing her hand off his shoulder he continued.
"Tom is more a Slytherin than the rest of them put together and you know it. So again, I asked the question: 'What on earth would possess her to spend all her time with Mr. Riddle?'"
Sighing she lowered her head.
"Fine. You've caught me. It's just…he's so handsome and I…I want to marry him and have children with him." She blushed a bright red at this, not at the truth of the statement, but rather the embarrassment and disgust at having to say something so demeaning and just…wrong. Really, was this what it felt like to be Rachelle? Merlin, she pitied that girl!
"Look at me Granger!" He grabbed her chin and forcefully raised it up to meet his.
"You're a pathetic liar."
Her eyes hardening in a second, she punched him squarely on the nose and stood up.
He had stumbled to the ground, clutching his bleeding nose pitifully, but she couldn't find a trace of sympathy for him in her.
"I spend my time with Tom because he has, without a doubt, more heart than anyone else in this lousy house!" She stomped to the door, furious, but he stopped her not a moment later.
"I know what you're planning mudblood! You can't run away from me!"
She froze, her fists clenching painfully as she slowly turned on the spot.
Her brown eyes frozen in hate, she spit out, "I don't need to run away, Dolohov, because I have nothing to hide and you'll die of old age before you can find something suggesting otherwise."
Without a second hesitation, she left the classroom and hurried down the corridor.
She knew Dolohov couldn't have actually figured out her mission, but she couldn't help but feel frightened of those hungry eyes of his.
For him, the game had just begun.
R&R :D :D :D