I'm SO happy about the response to the last chapter, 10 reviews, I don't even know what to say :) compared to some other stories, that may seem a bit pathetic ;) but for me, that's just great! I love you guys. Thanks to everyone who read, fav'd and alerted... and especially to the ten amazing people who reviewed.

Also, the next few chapters of CoS were published on Pottermore this week, which was amazing! I loved every second of it, especially the new exclusive content by J.K. on pureblood families ;)

Yeah, we left off with Tom using the Cruciatus Curse on Lorraine, which is a new low-point, I guess.


"I need you to forgive me."

"Yeah, I figured that."

I continued my way through the hallway of the Daily Prophet's offices and Tom followed my every step.

"I'll have to keep the respect of my followers."

"That absolutely sounds reasonable. We're good," I said sarcastically.

"Now, come on, Lorraine, I'm serious!"

"Okay, then let me put this straight: I'm angry. Out of my mind, even. This is probably the maddest I've ever been! You tortured me, what's even going on in your head? And for what, I may ask, for what? That's just...ugh! I can't even put it in words!"

"If you expect me to say that I'm sorry..."

"No, I don't. You're not capable of remorse."

"Please, Lorraine..." He grabbed my arm and forced me to stop.

"What?"

"Please. I love you."

I laughed bitterly. "Now you're insulting my intellect. I'd never hold it against you, but please don't lie. You don't love anything or anyone."

He smirked. "I do love something."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Hogwarts."

I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was serious or just mocking me. "Hogwarts."

"That's what I just said."

I frowned. "What are you on about?"

"Ah, good – see, I'm going to apply again. For the DADA post."

"Why?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I want to go back to Hogwarts."

"No, no, that's not it. Why do you want to go back to Hogwarts?"

He smirked slightly. "Didn't you listen? I want the post-"

"Yeah! But why! Don't tell me you're so fond of teaching."

"But I am." He leant against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. "I am even good at it – I've been teaching you all my life and how successful..." He lowered his voice and added, "Remember how I taught you the Cruciatus-curse in barely five minutes-"

I groaned. "Don't remind me! And you're not fond of teaching at all. You get impatient at once and snap. Now, seriously, why do you want to go back?"

He sighed. "Don't you see the appeal of Hogwarts? A giant castle full of mysteries... things to be found... hidden places-"

"You want to find something?"

His eyes glittered as he smiled at me. "Oh, no, not at first – later on, maybe – but first of all, I want to hide something."

"A Horc-"

"SILENCE!"

I flinched at his sudden outburst. "All right, all right – but I tell you, Dumbledore's never going to give you the post."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see... you wouldn't mind accompanying me? Only a few of my followers will come along – I'd like your company..."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wait, have you forgotten that I'm angry at you?"

"No. I still want you to accompany me, though."

I sighed in exasperation. "All right, then. When do we depart?"


"I think it's safe for us to stay here-"

"Why shouldn't it be?"

Tom's short look at me told me to shut up and I obeyed at once – I remembered well what had happened the last time.

Antonin Dolohov, a dark-haired and burly man, looked around in the Hogshead's taproom. "Cosy," he muttered.

"You will wait here," Tom instructed. "Until I return."

Dolohov, Nott, Mulciber and Rosier, the four followers Tom had chosen to accompany him all nodded at once, bowing lightly.

"Of course, milord," Nott whispered.

Tom turned to me with a very smug expression. He just loved to have them obey. "Do you want to return to Hogwarts once more, love?"

"Nothing more than that."

He smiled and held out his arm to escort me outside. I observed very well that the smile didn't reach his eyes. He seemed anxious – yes, even nervous.

"You know you won't get the job."

"Why, I hope that I get a chance."

"I doubt it."

"Ah, you know me. I always get what I want."

He had a point, I thought as we passed the gates to the Hogwarts grounds. He in fact always got what he wanted.

"It feels incredible to be back... do you feel it?""

"Feel what?"

"The magic surrounding us... it's stunning, really."

I tried to see his face, but the darkness and the snow falling didn't allow it. "No."

"Oh, come on, you gotta feel that-"

"Look," I said instead. "That hut over there – I heard that Hagrid guy lives there now."

"Who?"

"Hagrid – the boy you... never mind."

We kept silent until we reached the castles door. We stepped inside the entrance hall and I looked around. Nothing had changed. I had expected it to be different. That you would remark the change of times. I had expected that it would feel different from what it had felt like. In fact, though, it felt like being back home.

"You don't mind waiting, do you?" Tom said as we climbed up the stairs. "I'm sure it won't take too long..."

"No, of course not...

We reached the headmaster's office and Tom whispered, "Chocolate frog!" causing the gargoyles to move apart. The stopped in the doorway and turned around. "I'll be back soon – don't you go straying..."

"Please. I'm an adult."

He scoffed, but turned without another word and climbed up the stairs and the passage closed behind him.

It did take shorter than I had thought. He was back in no time; the red in his eyes glittering dangerously.

"You didn't get the job."

"No."

"So?"

"I need to... do something – you go up talk to him... persuade him to take me if you can – look, he knows."

"Knows what?"

"Everything! Who travelled with me – how they call me – how..." He shook his head. "I hate the old man."

"I'm sure he knows that, too."

Tom groaned and turned to leave. "Go upstairs! NOW!"

I sighed heavily. Why did he make me do this? Of what use was it? He couldn't think that I was going to convince him while Tom himself had actually failed?

I knocked as I reached the top of the staircase.

"Enter, please."

I opened the door and strolled into the room, trying hard not to let him see that I felt uncomfortable. "Good evening, Sir. I wondered if we could have a talk."

Dumbledore wasn't even mildly surprised at my appearance. It seemed as if he had expected me to come. He gestured to the empty seat in front of him and I sat down. "Well?"

"You denied him the position. I am to ask why."

"He sent you, I suppose?"

"Well, of course he did."

Dumbledore leant forward slightly. "Why did he send you upstairs? Why did he take you with him up to the castle and not one of his Death Eaters? Wouldn't that have been more reasonable?"

I stared at him, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "D-death Eaters?" I choked. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, you don't know? That's what they call themselves... his followers."

I shook my head. "How do you know?"

"Rumours."

I gulped heavily. "Is that why? Your reason not to give him the post."

"He doesn't want it because he's so eager to be a teacher. There's something different behind it. I don't like the idea that he might influence my students. Besides, he's far too deep into the dark arts to teach their defence."

I managed to smile. "Well, you have to admit that you can't really fight something you don't know."

"But you can't embrace it like he does."

I sighed and nodded. "I told him all the time that you would never accept."

"Yeah? Maybe you can enlighten me over his real goals."

I shook my head. "I can't tell you – seriously, I only know half of what he's planning and that's already frightening me to death... If I knew it all..." I shuddered.

Dumbledore frowned and then he nodded. "You've always been good, Lorraine. You should keep that. Don't go all the way with him."

I smiled again, this time it was real. "But we're long past the point of no return. By now, I have to go all the way. Don't get me wrong. I want to. I have to look out for him, no one else ever does."


"I have a question for you," I told Tom as we descended the great marble staircase into the entrance hall.

"What would that be?"

"What is a Death Eater?"

He froze in the middle of the staircase and I only realized it when I had already descended a few more steps. I turned around and looked at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"Where did you hear the expression?"

"Rumours."

"Ah," he whispered, his face cold and rid of any emotion. "Greatness inspires envy, envy endangers spite, spite spawns lies. You should now that – you're a journalist."

"Greatness?" I repeated. "It has nothing to do with greatness if people are proud of murder – Death Eater – was that your idea?"

He started moving again and quickly moved to be on the same step as me. "And if it was?" he asked, dangerously calm.

"Then you're even sicker than I thought you were."

His hand moved up; for a second I thought he would hit me, but he didn't. Instead, he shook his head and proceeded down the stairs.

"Come now, we should get back to the others."

"Your Death Eaters?"

"Would you please be quiet."

"You can't expect me to keep quiet on a thing like that! You know how I despise murder-"

"It's not like you could do anything about it."

I froze were I stood, but he didn't care, striding through the entrance hall with large steps. For a moment, I wanted to keep standing, go back upstairs and tell Dumbledore to hide me – never let Tom find me again... but Tom turned, looked at me expectantly and I knew instantly that I couldn't leave him – I had just told Dumbledore, but the truth of it hit me just now. I could never leave him. He needed someone to watch over him. He only had me and I only had him.


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