Riddle paced next to the other Sixth Year prefect lost in thought. He replayed his conversation with Lovegood and none of it made sense. There were too many holes in her story, and yet when she spoke of her mistreatment, she looked too ashamed for it not to be truth. He thought back to how he had felt when she said this and was unsettled. The imagery of her being laughed at and bullied by people other than him made him very angry. In that moment, he had wanted to kill them all. He wanted them to suffer. She was his now and he wasn't about to let anybody hurt her.
"Hey Riddle! Where are you going?" the tall, dark-haired prefect with the pale complexion and sharp nose asked.
Riddle stopped in his tracks. He found himself heading towards the Ravenclaw tower when he was supposed to be going to the Astronomy one.
"This way," the girl corrected pompously.
He composed himself, turned around and headed back towards her. Rarely did he ever make such trivial mistakes, but unfortunately Lovegood was occupying his mind more than he would like. "I know," he snarled haughtily.
They made their way up the winding staircase to the top of the Astronomy Tower. As Riddle walked on, he grew more and more wary of how the dirty blonde-haired girl was affecting him. If it had been anybody else, he was sure he would have joined in laughing and jeering. It had been a long while since anybody was capable of moving him to such limits. She had the ability of making him hesitate where no other has ever achieved besides Dumbledore. This, of course, was never made evident to her, and never will.
"No foolery here," the prefect commented.
Riddle started heading back down the stairs.
"Hey!"
He made no reply and simply stopped.
"There's no one up here but us." There was a playful tone in her voice.
He felt a pair of hands wrap around his waist from behind him, and his body immediately stiffened.
"How about we take a little break from our little stroll?" she offered seductively. Her hands began to worm underneath his robes and up his jumper against his hard stomach. "Ow!"
In a flash, he was facing her and had both her hands gripped tightly in one of his. His eyes were unforgiving and the girl began to tremble. "If I led you to believe that I ever wanted you to touch me again Black, I apologize," he said, clearly not apologetic. "But if I ever hear you speak to me in that way or even look at me suggestively, I will make you wish you were never born a girl. Are we clear?" he grinned maliciously.
The girl named Black was stunned. Her eyes were the size of saucepans and all she could do was nod slightly as if her fear ran away with her voice.
"Excellent," he slurred. "Shall we?" He motioned for her to go down first and her legs began to carry her towards the corridor.
Last year, Riddle had found Black's looks passing and had only casually mentioned an affair and she jumped at the chance. He was merely using her to satisfy a need as a toilet would satisfy a bladder, but the girl stupidly thought he had feelings for her. Now that he had more important things to deal with, she became a nuisance rather than a relief.
Unwittingly, his thoughts had somehow redirected itself to Lovegood. He stopped himself before it could venture into unthinkable territory and began to realize that she certainly wasn't hard on the eyes. Although her face was rather bland and boring, the light in her eyes made her stand out. Her straggly hair somehow commented her round face shape and high set eyebrows. Her lips and cheek were naturally rosy which was striking against her pale complexion. But her startling blue eyes were really what captivated his initial attention. Already everyone's mind was an open book for him, but Lovegood was exceptionally easy to read. She seemed to place all her emotions in her eyes, and they were literally a window to her soul for him, which made her very tempting and an easy target.
They had made their way back down into the dungeons after finishing their rounds. At the end of the hall, Black turned left while Riddle turned right.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
He didn't reply her and continued on his way. There was a pressing matter he had to attend to. If it wasn't for Lovegood last night, he would have dealt with it already. He swiftly swept down the hallway towards the east wing of the dungeon. He should still have plenty of time.
Two weeks prior, a fellow Dark Arts aficionado had reported to him that a student was hiding a creature down here. Naturally this intrigued Riddle, because he was both curious about a creature worthy of concealment in the halls of Hogwarts and eager to find a scapegoat. He went to see for himself and indeed he had finally come upon the most ideal of coverups. He had hoped he didn't need their services so soon, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
He had been plotting this for over a year. It took this long for him to finally discover the secret chamber. A chamber that only he could open. Salazar Slytherin's heir. He was Salazar Slytherin's heir and he carried this title with pride. This chamber contained a beast so feared and revered by men that they had locked it up. Only Slytherin's heir can speak with it and control it. After all the hard work, he was finally able to complete the only task that was left for him: to cleanse the world and once again glorify the purity of the wizarding blood. He was just getting started and the pathetic mudbloods were already screaming for mercy. If Dippet had not threatened to shut down the school, he would have made sure he killed every single last dirty-blooded wizard suckling at the precious air within these hallowed halls.
Riddle snorted to himself. Those miserable fools. They thought closing Hogwarts was going to save their poor, pointless lives. No, he had greater plans for them. They weren't about to be let off so easily. Suddenly, he heard a rustling about far ahead of him round the last bend in the east wing corridor. He grinned in anticipation and hurried along.
"So sorry. Yer've got to go! I can't keep yer here any longer," a voice fiercely whispered.
"Hagrid!" Riddle finally caught up to the boy, if he could be called a boy.
The fifteen year old Gryffindor student towered over all grownup wizards. He looked to be 7 feet tall and his shaggy hair added at least two more inches. His robes were made from patches of fabric sewn together for no shops made such large robes. He was holding a large cardboard box in his giant dustbin-like hands. He carried a hysterical expression, which did not go well with his large, dopey eyes.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me to the Headmaster's office," Riddle lamented with his silky voice. "I have kept my peace for weeks, but I cannot let this continue now with a student dead."
"No! It wasn't him! It wasn't Aragog's fault!" The Gryffindor student was frantic now. Clutching the box tightly so his knuckles went white.
"All the students are deathly frightened and the Headmaster is to close Hogwarts to appease the parents," Riddle continued.
"Close Hogwarts? They can't do that!" exclaimed Hagrid in defiance.
"That is why you have to turn yourself in; to make the students feel safe again, and to stop the deaths of innocent children." It was hard not to let a wink of triumphant gleam reach his eyes.
"But it wasn't me! I didn't do it!"
"Hagrid, you cannot run from your actions. You have to come with me now. If you don't, I will have to tell the Headmaster myself." Riddle folded his arms across his chest.
"You can't!"
"Don't forget I'm a prefect. They will certainly believe me over your word." He was beginning to feel impatient now. The oaf wasn't understanding that there was no way out for him.
"You can't!" Hagrid repeatedly lamely.
"You know I can. And I will." Riddle gave a small smile. "For the students," he added for effect.
"Dumbledore will listen to me!"
Riddle had really lost his patience now. "Expelliarmus!"
The box flew from Hagrid's arms and the lid popped off. A black creature, about the size of a quaffle, jumped out and scuttled onto the floor. In the dim light cast by the torches, Riddle saw that it had multiple long, hairy legs.
"Aragog!" screamed Hagrid.
The creature didn't listen and ran along the edge of the corridor and disappeared around the corner.
"Hagrid, if you really cared for it, best let it go. Merlin knows what they would do if they had captured it," Riddle admonished. "Come now. We mustn't make Headmaster Dippet wait."
Hagrid straightened to his full height, which might have been 7 feet 4 inches. "I'll go, but only to explain that I am innocent." Although he sounded very confident, his wilted eyebrows betrayed his apprehension.
Riddle smirked to himself. Typical Gryffindor diehards. They weren't brave, thought Riddle. They were just bloody stubborn.
~.~
Luna was up and about early in the morning. She could hear through the walls all the students running around preparing for a new day of classes. She knew she was to wait for the green-eyed prefect in the third floor classroom, but she was so tempted to join all the other students. She sat patiently waiting as the last of them rushed down the stairs to grab breakfast in the Great Hall.
She inched the door open and peeked out with one eye, wand carefully tucked behind her ears. She squeezed out and silently shut the door behind her. Everybody had left. She hoped Riddle had too. She hopped down the stairs quietly and slipped out the common room door. Luna never let anything inhibit her from doing what she desired most, and right now she wanted to be around warmth and laughter. If she was careful, he wouldn't know about her little detour.
As she approached the great oak doors opening into the hall, she heard the Headmaster's voice making an announcement. She leaned her back against the doors and twisted her head around to spy into the dining room. She scanned all the students and didn't spot a familiar face. She turned her attention to the Slytherin table and immediately saw Riddle's profile, perfectly poised as a prefect should be. Luna reminded herself to keep out of his view. She turned her attention back to the Headmaster.
"Students are to remain and continue their schedules as normal," declared Dippet. "You needn't worry anymore thanks to one outstanding pupil. Tom, my boy, come here!"
Luna saw Riddle stand up from where he sat and proceeded down the hall towards the head of the room to stand next to Dippet. His face was arranged serious. He betrayed no emotions, proud nor dissatisfied.
"Tom here apprehended the culprit! The student-"
Gasps echoed across the hall.
"Yes, yes, to my dismay it was indeed a fellow student's doing." Dippet shook his head disappointingly. "But fear not! The student has been found and expelled!"
Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table, while softer claps sounded from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, and boos rippled from the Gryffindor table. Whispers began fluttering down all four tables and a name was being tossed around.
Luna edged a little further out to strain her ears to catch the name.
"And we have Tom to thank! To reward this young, brilliant man for his courageous feat, the staff of Hogwarts is presenting him with this Special Services to the School award!" Dippet proudly announced, as if that was the highest honour any wizard could be bestowed upon.
The entire Slytherin table stood up in a standing ovation. Riddle gave the Headmaster a winning smile, but Luna could see right through it. She knew he was not ecstatic about the award. However, there was something else stirring behind the fake smile. She turned her attention back to discovering that name. She inched just a bit further out.
Just as she caught the name and gasped, Riddle's eyes flashed towards the doors. Luna immediately recoiled back into the shadows. She didn't know which to fear more: hearing Rubeus Hagrid's name or being berated by the newly awarded wizard.