DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!

The Kid and I

Chapter 4

The year progressed slowly until Christmas and then time seemed to fly after that. All too soon, it was time for the end of year tests, that Hermione had to write and plan herself, but she was confident that she had prepared her students well enough and that her tests were fair but thorough. She was marking them one night and was getting quite annoyed with some of the answers. 'Name three properties of 'Expelliarmus' – 'it stuns, I don't know, I don't know'. She groaned to herself as she read another one, giving the student an Acceptable and then moved onto the next one. Her intrigue picked up again when she saw that the paper in her hand was Tom's. She straightened up and read through the questions. For a first year, the answers were very well written and explained. Throughout the entire paper, he only dropped four marks – and Hermione was being quite firm with the mark scheme. Signing an 'O' in the top right corner, she smiled to herself.

!"!

The second year started much like the previous one. Hermione had first years first on the first day and she took the lesson along a similar plan to what she had last year. She sighed to herself when the door opened and the next class filed in. It was the second year Slytherin/Gryffindors. She stood up and unfolded her arms with a smile.

"Welcome back, everyone."

"Hello, Professor." The class chorused as they took their seats.

"Good summer?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Oh, come on, have a little oomph!" She and the class laughed. "Well, I have your end of year tests from last year…" She smiled as she picked up a pile of parchments and all the students, except Tom, groaned. "It's okay, you did very well. I was very pleased with myself." She grinned as she started to disperse the tests with a simple spell. "You all passed, which was good, mostly E's. A few A's, not so good, but there were two or three O's which was excellent. So give yourself a pat on the back."

The room filled with soft laughter and small applause and then Hermione let them gossip a bit about their scores. Tom merely looked over his paper, put it in his bag and then sat up straight again. Hermione walked over to him, crouched in front of his desk and then smiled at him.

"How was your summer, Tom?"

"It was very well, thank you, Professor." He said stiffly.

His face had changed slightly over the summer, becoming a little more mature. His eyes were faintly darker, his hair a little longer and curlier. He was also an inch or so taller and had more meat on his bones which gave him a healthier look.

"How was your score?"

"I'm very pleased with my score."

"You got an O, didn't you?"

"Yes, Professor."

Hermione smiled at him, not knowing what to say next. She stood up and then cleared her throat, making everyone look at her. "Okay, everyone, this lesson we're going to be doing about Hinkypunks."

!"!

Hermione was marking the most recent test that she had given to her second year classes and perked up when she picked up Tom's parchment. His answers were always very thorough and decently worded. However, as she read through his answers, she was horrified to see that every single answer he had was wrong, or near enough wrong. The answers on the parchment had been written to seem like a good guess but they were completely off. 'List the property of the charm Colloportus' – 'opens windows'. Gravely disappointed, Hermione signed a T on the top and put it on top of the pile. For the first time in over eighteen months, Tom Riddle had failed a test.

!"!

"Now, remember everyone; the parchment must be eighteen inches long! And no cheating, Kyle!" A boy in the middle of the classroom groaned as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Now, go on." She smiled. Then she saw the test on her desk. "Mr Riddle, stay behind please."

Tom perked up, placed his bag strap over his shoulder and approached her desk. "Yes, professor?"

She picked up his test and then waited until the last of the students had left her room. "It's about your test."

"Yes…I have a feeling I didn't do very well. What was my grade? An A? An E?"

"You got a T, Tom."

Tom seemed put out, but not genuinely so. "Oh."

"What went wrong, Tom?"

"I didn't understand the material in class."

"Really? Because I think you understood the material very well." She said dangerously. Tom wasn't swayed.

"Honestly, professor. I don't think I understand the class very well."

"You were top in your class last year. What changed?"

"I don't know, professor."

"Any explanation at all?" She would have actually settled for something as cheesy as 'my owl ate my homework'.

He shrugged. "Unfortunately not, professor."

She sighed. "Well then I have to fail you. And that means-"

"I have to attend private study outside of school hours three nights a week until my grades are at a steady level."

She raised her eyebrow. "Yes, that's exactly right."

"What days are suitable for you, professor?"

"Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Report here on those days at 9pm."

"Yes, professor." He turned and started to leave.

"Tom."

He turned and looked at her as she scowled. "Yes, professor?"

"I'm serious with this. If you don't get good grades soon, you'll be submitted for more serious tests, and your place at Hogwarts could be in jeopardy. Do you understand that?"

"Perfectly, professor."

"Good. Now get out of here and send the next class in." She didn't mean to sound so bitter but Tom was her best student from first to fourth year and it was almost a personal insult that he was failing.

Tom left, sending in the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw sixth years. He walked down the corridor, pausing when he saw Abraxas Malfoy leaning against a pillar, as arrogant as ever, looking at him. Malfoy was a second year, like Tom, had a few close friends and had his own private rooms, though he spent a lot of time in the Slytherin common room.

"What did she want?"

"Professor Gray wanted to talk to me about my test result."

"What, did you pass even more than you already do?" He sounded bitter.

"Actually, I failed." Malfoy looked shocked and followed Tom as he walked down the corridor.

"You failed? Tom Riddle failed a test?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I didn't answer all the questions correctly."

"Why?"

"That's none of your concern."

It dawned on Abraxas. "Oh. I see. You like the professor."

"Be quiet, Malfoy."

"You really like her? Why?"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Tom roared, turning on the older boy and glaring at him. That was the first time his eyes turned red.