Venenum
By Koryander
Chapter 13. Aipysurus - The snake pit.
"A party?" Being pulled by Enid into the Gryffindor Common Room to meet with her Housemates, Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it's the veterans' party."
A party right after the Initiation Ceremony? If it is a custom, then this custom has been lost over time, because it did not happen in her original time. Looking around, Hermione realized that the participating students were in the sixth and seventh grades, however, Moody and Selina were present.
"This is a party where the housemates celebrate the arrival of the new students, but since tomorrow is their first day, they will go to bed earlier. Only the sixth and seventh-year members remain. Last year was my first participation. " Enid explained. "Although the intention is to introduce the House to new students, the party turned out to be special for older students. For us, we celebrate the passage of being more experienced. We are almost adults, Hermione. The sixth and seventh year is where the most experienced students at Hogwarts are, we should be respected by our Housemates. "
Enid liked the image of being a reference. Of course, she liked to be seen as a young girl who had already gone through the Debutante rite, who was fully ready for adulthood and who was already engaged.
Hermione was taken out of her thoughts when she saw Moody being carried by the boys, while the rest shouted his name and clapped rhythmically. Moody was laughing as he was bounced around in the boys' arms.
"Moody! Moody! Moody!"
She smiled and found herself unable to not join the group of Gryffindors who were shouting at his name. As soon as the boys arrived at the centre of the Common Room, they lowered Moody - who had pink cheeks of euphoria. Suddenly everyone was silent when Enid stepped forward.
"Alastor Moody." Enid's voice was confident and explanatory. "Welcome to Gryffindor House. Everyone here is very happy to welcome you. Our colour is red, we are governed by the element of Fire, we are brave and determined. Each year new students arrive and others leave. But there is something that is passed on to each new student. Something to remember where your loyalty should be. "
"You can choose one of them. Just get it. " Algie held out a red cloth bag, much like a medieval coin bag with the Gryffindor Lion symbol, to Moody. "Put your hand there and take just one."
Moody hesitantly looked at the bag and Hermione held both eyebrows up. Cautiously not knowing what was in there, Moody put her hand in the bag and his eyes widened, he blinked a few times and from the bag took out a small male pin in the shape of a lion's head.
"Look at what is written on the back," Algie instructed. "And you'll see whose it is."
Moody took the brooch close to his face and read it aloud.
"Percival Pratt. Do you mean I took the pin from Percival Pratt?
Alastor Moody taking off a poet's brooch? If there is no irony in this situation, then Hermione does not know what is there. The Moody from her original time is a good person, but is rude and doesn't hide what he thinks. She has not yet spoken to the inexperienced young man who is the newest member of Gryffindor, however, something tells her that the arduous years of battles have contributed to forming the brutish side of his personality. But for now, she is happy to witness his happiness and talent.
Algie confirmed with a smile, and then he looked up and looked at Selina.
"It's your turn, Selina."
Selina, who was distant and shy, looked startled when Ignatius approached her and lifted her in his bride-style arms. The twelve-year-old blushed, placing her hands on her cheeks, as she heard the new housemates shouting her name. Ignatius placed her on the floor next to Moody and bowed, playing with the girl who saw him as a prince charming. She looked at Algie and put her hand inside the bag without even thinking twice.
"Pony hair?" She asked, confused when she removed her hand.
"Well, they say it's Sir Cadogan's pony hair." Algie laughed.
Hermione was finding it all very funny, but when Algie, Enid and everyone else looked at her, she knew something was wrong.
"It's your turn, Hermione," Enid said.
"Wait. What? Me?" She pointed to herself.
"Well, we thought that since you arrived at the end of the school year, now would be a good time for you to do your initiation into Gryffindor." Explained Algie.
Not knowing what to do and what to do, Hermione took a step a little uncertainly. She realized that it would be very rude and even suspicious to deny anything that would confirm her loyalty to the House, however, she always felt that loyalty should be given to people, never to symbols, but Gryffindor is now the only home that remains so much at this time as in the original time, she has nowhere to go and she is loyal here and everything that this House means.
Hermione looked hesitantly at Algie, but he encouraged her with a nod. She sighed and put her hand inside the bag. For a fleeting moment, Hermione thought she was touching something, but the object slipped through her fingers and seemed to be lost in nothing. There didn't seem to be anything inside. When she withdrew her hand, she looked at her empty hand and frowned in disappointment.
Meeting Algie's gaze, Hermione murmured.
"I-I didn't get anything."
An awkward silence formed as she received glances.
"Um ..." Not knowing what to say, Algie looked at Ignatius for help. This had never happened before, a real Gryffindor can always take one of the treasures left by other Gryffindors.
"Wow, so now we see that Hermione is definitely not a freshman." Ectur said. He put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and shook his head as if he thought that awkward moment was unnecessary. Luckily, the Housemates found his comment funny.
Algie seemed to accept that answer after watching Hermione for a moment. This was indeed a rite that only happened to students who had just arrived in the first year, it might not work with older students. Turning his back with the lion's bag in his hand, Algie stopped and saw Enid taking Moody and Selina to the appropriate dorms. Even though he already had Hugh Biggs's Quidditch glove as Gryffindor treasure - which is not as cool as Sir Cadogan's pony hair - he put his hand inside his bag and was surprised to be able to get another Gryffindor treasure. This time he took Jason Charmer's sock, eww . He returned the treasure to the lions' bag and looked over his shoulder at Hermione, who was being consoled by Ectur.
Ectur still had a hand on Hermione's shoulder and turned her slowly to face him.
Hermione felt strange, disappointed, and sad. In part, it was better not to have caught anything, she was from the future, but that upset her. It was like she wasn't Gryffindor enough. Maybe she couldn't get something because of the time travel, maybe it was something else ... Hermione thoughtfully touched the locket that was hidden under her shirt. Even though she was suspicious about why she didn't take anything, it didn't make her feel any better.
"Hey, don't be like that." Ectur put both hands on her shoulders and lowered his face slightly to come face to face. " Don't be sad. This is childish, just to make new students less scared and to feel welcome." He explained. "We are not even 100% sure that the things in that bag are really real. That belonged to those people. And if, so what? Doesn't mean anything. It doesn't make you less Gryffindor. The Hat put you here. "
"Not before debating for a long time." She lowered her head. After all, has she changed so much to the point of raising doubts?
"But he made a decision. You are here, with us. Those things are other people's legacy. As long as each of us took a reminder of someone's legacy, you are free of that. When your turn comes, when you finish the seventh year, you will leave your legacy and anyone will be lucky to take what Hermione Granger left. "
Looking up, Hermione found him smiling at her with a warm glow in his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"I have no doubts," Ectur replied confidently. Hermione looked down, touching her ear, a little shy by the confidence that Ectur conveyed, but was startled when she heard music coming from an imitation of old Muggle radio. She saw the young people gathering to dance, smiling at each other, while some were already clapping to the rhythm of the music, however, her attention went back to Ectur as she watched him take off his Gryffindor robe and throw it to the side, rolling up his sleeves shirt and loosening his tie.
"Let's Dance?" Offering his hand, he asked.
"What? No, no, no! " She cannot help the smile of despair while gesturing with her hands. "I can not dance." Hermione justified while noting how the couples of students danced at a fast pace to the music.
"Come on, Hermione. It is nothing you cannot do. You shouldn't even be that bad." Ectur took her hand, pulling her into the middle of the Gryffindor circle.
She was definitely not bad, but she wasn't the best either, and she would probably be the worst of all if he imagined she could do the Swing dance.
"Ectur, I really don't know how to dance like that." She tried to pull him by the forearm, afraid of the likely humiliation that she could endure in public.
Ectur stopped when he felt her two hands on his arm, he looked at her and smiled. It was not a smile dispelling Hermione's fears, quite the contrary, if this smile could be compared to anything, it would be admiration. He thought she was beautiful, really cute, and he found it amazing how this girl who was normally confident and intelligent, still had her insecurities. It made her real and less perfect than he was used to seeing.
"The question is not about knowing how to dance, Hermione." He reassured her. "It's about having fun and I want to have fun with you."
Then he took her hand, took it to the centre and spun her around when Hermione stopped, she looked at him startled like a cat. Ectur moved, his feet sliding from right to left in a coordinated movement and she realized that he was demonstrating to her how to dance.
From what she saw of the other girls moving, she understood that in her part of the dance, she needed to keep her foot on the tip to be able to move more smoothly and lightly.
"Remember, Hermione, it's not about knowing. It's about having fun. " Ectur repeated.
She was a quick learner by nature, things didn't come easy for her in the wizarding world, she needed to dedicate herself to always be one step ahead of everyone else who were half-bloods or pure-blood wizards, it was the way she had to learn, defend herself, to protect herself. To say that she was also important. Hermione knew that if she was dedicated enough, she could probably master the dance as well as everything in life, only this time it wasn't about knowing, defending, or protecting herself. It was about having fun. And she allowed herself to have fun.
"And...?" Enid asked Bilius, watching Hermione and Ectur dance as they laughed at each other in the middle of the Gryffindor circle. "He likes her?"
"That soldier over there is in the middle of the crossfire and the bullets she is shooting are cannonballs," Bilius replied, scratching his chin. He had thought that a beard was growing, even though Enid couldn't even see a hair.
"What does that mean?" She wrinkled her forehead, losing reference to Muggle War.
"It means that he is one step away from being hit completely. That is, he is starting to like her too much. He wrote me some letters and in them, he always asked if I knew Hermione's address or if I had any contact with her. "
"This is bad. His parents ... "Enid murmured thoughtfully.
"Yes." Bilius agreed.
"Tomorrow Ignatius will announce his engagement to Lucretia Black." Enid and Bilius looked across the Common Room, where Algie and Ignatius were talking.
"Poor little thing." Bilius nodded and Enid elbowed him in the stomach. It was the second time that night that he had been elbowed.
"Not talk like that. He's not going to die and it's not going to be his wake. "
"You are very positive, eh?"
"Um ... Maybe they will learn to love each other?" She suggested and Bilius raised both eyebrows in disbelief as if to say: really?
Enid stopped the conversation when she noticed Algie coming towards her, inviting her to dance and she would not deny this opportunity to be with the one she loved again. She just felt lucky, she was getting everything she wanted and there was nothing better.
For his part, Bilius found himself walking towards Ignatius and sat down beside him. The so cheerful Ignatius Prewett was quieter than usual and much more thoughtful, silently watching his housemates having fun. Bilius, noticing the darker aura coming from Ignatius, tapped Ignatius on the shoulder in a companionship gesture, which did not move but acknowledged his friend's attempt at solidarity.
Breathing fast, Hermione found a place to rest after dancing three songs in a row and Ectur followed her. She put her hand on her chest trying to calm the rapid heartbeat, then she fanned herself when she felt hot. The two exchanged looks and laughed together. Hermione was not a very outgoing person, but it was really good to let the accumulated energy go out and finally de-stress. That didn't mean she wasn't worried, but for a moment, a brief moment, it felt good to be alive. She was still a seventeen-year-old girl, a girl who was often mature for her age, but she was still seventeen.
"I have to admit, that was fun. Even though I did it all wrong. " She commented, running her hand over her face to wipe the sweat off and to remove the strands of wild hair that were sticking to her neck.
"See? I told you."
They stood for a moment, side by side, watching Enid and Algie - like the exemplary couple they were - dancing. Enid could dance a thousand times better than Hermione, she moved subtly and let herself be guided by Algie in the dance.
Seeing it could be demotivating for anyone who was suffering from love, watching them dance while laughing and Enid's engagement ring sparkled in the light, brought joy but also aroused the insecurities of the heart. They were an example of a perfect couple, in fact.
The thought made Hermione remember Ignatius' situation, turning her head to the side, she murmured to Ectur:
"How is your brother's situation?"
On the eve of the departure of the Hogwarts Express at the end of last school year, Hermione had found the two brothers talking. Ectur was comforting his older brother, who had just received a letter from his parents saying that they had accepted the Black family's proposal to bring the two families together through the marriage of their children. It was that same night that Hermione found Tom Riddle in the hall, hidden in the darkness with green eyes shining at her.
On the day that Lucretia Black went to the Gryffindor table asking for Ignatius' attention and they talked, it was nothing more than she already knew that her parents were meeting with the Prewett family, demanding that Ignatius speak to the parents and deny the marriage. The point of the situation is that if the Prewett's denied it, Lucretia would be the one who would be disgraced for being denied, unless the Blacks managed to reverse the situation. However, Ignatius had no say in the matter, his parents were already determined.
"It was very strange, Hermione." Murmured Ectur. He put both arms above his knee and rested his head on his forearm, looking at the floor absently while talking to Hermione. "I have never been so uncomfortable in my life. My parents invited the Black primary family to dinner. Can you imagine how strange it was to have dinner with Mr and Mrs Black and Lucretia and Orion? The cutlery could be heard. "
Ectur commented.
"I heard that Mrs Black was kind during her years at Hogwarts, she was even chosen for Hufflepuff, like a good Macmillan. But I think the years of living with the Blacks have changed her a lot or all they said was great gossip. I've never seen anyone so arrogant in my life." He made a face. "Lucretia demanded an opal engagement ring and her parents agreed that their daughter deserved nothing less. Ignatius gave her the ring while listening to Orion's sarcasm. That guy can usually be quiet but think of a tongue that is worse than a knife. Tomorrow she will probably start wearing the ring." Ectur sighed. "The only thing they talked about was the 'prestige of the Black family, that dinner was the worst of my life and it was horrible for my brother."
Looking at Ignatius, there is a slight crease on his forehead in dismay.
"I don't want to be like him. I will not accept. "
What could Hermione say? What could she do? She was attached to the idea of not being nosy, of just being a spectator, of not taking action.
"By the way, thanks for what you did." He says and she frowns in confusion. "For having comforted him, embraced. You really are a good person, Hermione." Ectur smiles softly.
Hermione shook her head at the compliment. "It was nothing. I didn't do anything too much. "
He nodded toward the centre, taking her to dance again.
At that moment, while Ectur and Hermione were talking and dancing, Enid is called by one of her classmates who whispers in her ear, pointing to the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower Common Room. Her eyebrows go up when she hears her colleague's comment, waving to her friend, Enid goes to check what was going on, while the rest of the students were distracted enjoying the party.
Going out into the corridors, Enid is surprised to find Malfoy waiting outside.
"Abraxas? What are you doing here?" She says, looking to the empty corridor.
Abraxas was dressed in the Slytherin uniform, but his robe was nowhere to be seen. He takes her arm and gently pulls her away from the Fat Lady painting.
"Shhh!" He has his eyes wide, while he looks at the Fat Lady painting, who was probably pretending to be asleep. Annoying, he thinks. "Keep your voice down."
When they are a little away from the Fat Lady, he lets go of her arm.
"I need you to bring Granger. I need to talk to her. "
"What? Do you know what time is it? Nobody can walk the corridors at this hour anymore, Abraxas."
"For Merlin's sake, just talk to Granger and bring her here."
"What do you want with her? What are you doing here? You know tonight is the veterans' party. You shouldn't even be here. "
"Oh really?" Abraxas stiffens his face. "You shouldn't be here too, if I remember correctly. According to the rules, you should be in Head Girl's dorm, but you're not there, are you? "
"Are you threatening me?"
"No way. I am doing the favour of reminding you."
Enid crosses her arms under her breasts and turns her head wildly.
"Right." She agrees. "But don't get caught, otherwise the consequences will remain for me."
Abraxas nods, agreeing with her.
"Wait here."
Out of curiosity, after he saw her go, Malfoy, who had seen the painting door ajar, he dares enter the Gryffindor Tower. As soon as he passed through the opening, he could hear the sound of the students. It was noisy and in his opinion, it was classless. The music was in the background, and he goes up the stairs a little bit, just enough to look and not be noticed and watched Granger and Prewett dancing together as well as the other students. Decency she didn't have, flirting with Alphard in the cabin of the Express and now with Prewett.
Seeing Enid speak in her ear, he knew it was time to retract, went down the stairs and waited outside.
Moments later Enid and Hermione went out into the corridors.
"What's happening?" Hermione was talking, but she noticed the boy waiting in the corridor. "Malfoy?" She asked with a confused expression. "What does that mean, Enid?"
Enid shrugged.
"Do you know each other?" Hermione asked. Her question was more about whether they had a friendship. Because if the answer was yes, she certainly didn't foresee it.
"We are childhood colleagues," Enid replied.
"I need to talk to you," Malfoy commented to Hermione and then made a noise in his throat. "Alone."
"I understood." Enid held up both hands. "Don't get caught, regardless of what you're doing." She looked at Malfoy and gave Hermione a much more suspicious look.
Hermione and Abraxas waited for Enid to enter the Gryffindor refuge, before turning their attention to each other.
"What you want?" Cautiously Hermione asked.
"He wants to talk to you," Malfoy replied. It was understood that ' He' meant Tom Riddle.
"Now?" She narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but the answer is no. It is late, I am tired and I seriously prefer to be in the company of my Housemates. Tell him that I will talk to him tomorrow. " She was ready to turn and head towards the painting that hid the entrance to the Tower.
"Wait." Taking her arm, Malfoy captured Hermione while his tone hardened. Hermione glanced at the hand on her arm and then at his face, her eyebrows lowered and her lips became a thin line. Noticing her expression, Malfoy let her arm go.
It was not typical for someone to refuse to speak to a member of the Malfoy family, it was not typical for someone to refuse his presence, but this girl was anything but typical. As a manipulator and observer, Abraxas realized that she was very evasive, strangely aggressive and seemed to be disgusted by his presence. However he cannot judge her, they saw very little and the last time, she was being tortured in a Crucio by Riddle, who shortly afterwards almost killed her in an unforgivable curse.
Hermione turned and narrowed her eyes, Malfoy locked his jaw. He looked down for a moment, swallowed, and looked back at her.
"We will cut with falsehood." Said Abraxas. "We both know what like He is and what He is capable of. You saw it, you felt it. He asked me to bring you to him, what he wants, I don't know. If you don't come, things are going to get very, very ugly. And I may not be referring to my situation. " Malfoy looked down the dark corridor from which he came, which had only night light - an indication that it might be the new Slytherin students. - and then looked back to the Gryffindor Tower entrance - maybe it was her housemates.
It was Hermione's turn to stiffen.
"Look, you somehow got on his good side. I doubt you want to go back to the bad side. So, please come with me. " He said in a very polite and purposefully courteous manner. False cordiality and serenity could be a cruel trap.
Hermione hoped she wouldn't regret that decision, but something was telling her that the night would still long. With doubt, she left the wand ready in the holster.
"All right."
Malfoy nodded and made his way down the dark corridor, hoping that Hermione would follow him closely to the Slytherin Dungeons. They walked in silence, Abraxas made no effort to try to talk, while Hermione always kept a step back for caution. In his silence, Malfoy was trying to understand the girl. He doesn't know much about her, no one does, except - apparently - Riddle. He is not very surprised by this, somehow Riddle has always been one step ahead of everyone, always knowing what others don't know, always being very powerful. If he goes to admit to himself - which he doesn't - there is envy and a certain kind of admiration for his lord, Tom Riddle. He admires what Riddle is and envies his power.
In different circumstances, if he were more powerful, Malfoy would not hesitate to strip Riddle of the position he had, only he is not. One of the main characteristics of being a Slytherin is knowing how to recognize your weaknesses and strengths and how to use them to your advantage, as well as recognizing those who will achieve greatness. And Riddle would achieve greatness. And Malfoy knew that. The Slytherins interpreted the school years at Hogwarts as a preparation for adult life, that is, it is in the school period that you analyze the people with whom you want to make connections, and you nurture these relationships as a kind of sponsorship and exchange of favours when you finish school at Hogwarts and start adulthood, you'll have enough people and connections to start climbing the ladder of power.
Take into account that in this House, most of the students come from golden cradles and prestigious families, almost always the Sacred Twenty-Eight, so - practically - everyone has seen or been mentioned in some meeting or party of quality high society wizards and would probably get married in some arranged marriage or when the union of a couple was rarely approved by both families.
In any case, 'Riddle' was not a name for the Sacred Twenty-Eight and it was not a wizard name, but no one within the Slytherin House dared to confront the idea behind it. Besides, Tom Riddle was extremely reserved, but because he had so much power, everyone believed that some strong wizard was related to him. Like a good Slytherin, Malfoy and others noted that Riddle will achieve great things and chose to be with him rather than those who once questioned the purity of Riddle's blood.
Never again, Abraxas remember the day when Riddle had turned on them. It was terrible.
Over time, they saw the natural talent he had and with envy, they wanted to have the resourcefulness and ability to do what he did. Like how easy it could cast a spell or destroy someone's mind in dust. Then, greed appeared, they wanted to know how to do the same things. It all started on the day they attacked two Muggle-born Ravenclaw students, one of whom had given a response too intelligent to Lestrange's pleasure, and incredible as that may be, Lestrange can be more inflexible and cruel than can be shown and for sure, much more uncontrollable. An inquiry was made to find out the reason for the fight with Dumbledore as the one who was in the mood for the truth.
Dumbledore, the one who seems to have a suspicion or perhaps a veiled hatred for all Slytherins .
But to everyone's surprise, Riddle intervened, telling Headmaster Dippet one of the tastiest lies, which put an end to it before it all started. Riddle had saved them, even after the attack they had made on him.
They watched from afar as Riddle fell into favour with the teachers and the Headmaster Dippet, sometimes he even got a gift from a teacher and always managed to break a rule. Slughorn also presented members of the Ministry of Magic with what Riddle was like, always praising and people who read the letters quoting Riddle were interested in the infant prodigy, sometimes telling Riddle to look for them when he left school. Riddle hadn't even finished school and was already climbing the ladder of power. And neither Riddle nor they had started attending the Slughorn Club.
So, they decided and showed the side of the connection and sponsorship and it seemed that the preteen who was Riddle, was just waiting for that moment. It was there, between the ages of twelve-thirteen, and almost fourteen, that everything started. However, Riddle also had the power of choice, he did not choose the weak and those he saw who had no future. These people had no right to be with him. Thus, those with whom he developed 'friendship' felt privileged. One of them was Malfoy.
Each of them became the prestigious students of Hogwarts, being practically the lords of the school for the students, considered the best by the teachers and the future leaders, thanks to the meetings that Slughorn offered in his club. While questionable acts took place right under the nose of each of these people who consecrate them. They were terrible acts, forbidden spells, and corrupt morals, but they gave a strange feeling of dominance and freedom. Things they only achieved through their lord, Tom Riddle.
"How do I know this is not a trap?" Hermione muttered under her breath, but due to Hogwarts' empty corridors and silences, Hermione's voice sounded loud enough for Malfoy to hear and take him out of his reverie.
Blinking a few times to adapt to her question, Malfoy looked slightly over his shoulder, realizing how cautious she was. If possible, Hermione swore that he almost smiled, his face partially lit by the night light that made his hair look white, only he didn't smile. If he did much, with that expression that always seemed cold, he raised an eyebrow.
It seems that time in the company of Riddle influenced him as well.
"It looks like you got us wrong, Miss Granger," Malfoy replied solemnly. "We are much more prudent than that." In other words, what he meant was that: Fool, I would not leave a witness like Enid.
When the two finally arrived in the Dungeons, the noise of the Bloody Baron's chains could be heard. That terrifying ghost. Hermione wasn't very happy to go to the Dungeons and enter the Slytherins' abode, but as Malfoy said between the lines, she had Enid as a favourable witness in case something happened.
Malfoy came near the bare stone wall and whispered the password. The wall slid, making way for them both. Malfoy passed through the opening without hesitation and waited for Hermione, who looked back over her shoulder at the dungeon corridors as if thinking one last time about what she was doing. He started to get impatient, she was already there. What would it cost to take two more steps and enter at once?
Taking a deep breath, Hermione went through the opening. She was more ready than she had ever been in her life, looking like a rabbit when heard a loud noise, ready to run if necessary.
Following Malfoy, she went downstairs to the real Slytherin Common Room. The flickering lights of green tones illuminated the meeting of the young students of the sixth and seventh years who were present. Their laughter and conversation could still be heard, but they were certainly quieter than the Gryffindors. And was there music too, something like Slow Blues?
When Hermione came here, in her desperation and haste, she could not appreciate or notice how effectively the Common Room was decorated. This time she stopped to get all the details. The Slytherin Common Room was divided into two floors, the second floor was where the dorms were, the first floor gave access to the second part of the tall bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling and the ground floor was the rest of the Common Room. The windows were large and long, reaching all floors and literally overlooking the bottom of the Great Lake, the large support columns had snakes of the same size around them. Above the fireplace was the Snake symbol, aristocratic sofas and armchairs, study and wizard chess tables, green blankets and cushions, the prevailing colours were silver, green and black. Compared to other houses, the Slytherin House seemed to have the largest and most sophisticated common room.
At the end of the stairs that had access to both the entrance and the Common Room, a girl was standing.
"Abraxas ...?" The girl frowned when she noticed Granger beside Malfoy. When the two passed her, Hermione asked Abraxas.
"Who is she?"
"Araminta Meliflua Black. Daughter of Charis neé Black and Caspar Crouch, cousin of the Blacks. She has a brother named Bartemius. " Malfoy explained as if he were bored.
Oh, Ectur had mentioned the Crouch family before in explaining the lineage of Bilius and the Black family.
She had extremely straight black hair, and dark eyes that probably came from the Black genetic heritage. She was thin and considerably tall, with an inverted triangle shape, her nose was aquiline and she had thin but well-designed lips.
Araminta ... The one who will want to legalize Muggle hunting.
As she followed Malfoy, the Slytherins looked at her with curiosity and mild irritation, considering Hermione an intruder in their House.
Lestrange was leaning against one of the columns talking to a girl while smoking a cigarette that probably came from one of the stores in Horizont Alley, which was close to Diagon Alley. Malfoy passed him and nodded, receiving a similar greeting, but when Hermione passed, he made a point of blowing smoke towards her face. Hermione coughed slightly, as she fanned the smoke away from her face, drawing a few laughs from Lestrange and the girl who was in his company.
Realizing now, Hermione saw glasses of alcoholic drinks like Rum, some types of Whiskey and Wine, as well as seeing some students smoking. She narrowed her eyes at this inappropriate behaviour, sure that cigarettes and alcohol were not allowed inside the Houses.
Receiving glances for her presence, she wanted to turn around and go back to Gryffindor Tower, while there was still time, but Malfoy stopped, looked at her and said.
"Go up the stairs to the first floor. He's waiting for you. "
Malfoy turned and left, joining Avery and Mulciber who were sitting on one of the sofas. The three looked at her through the group of Slytherins who were present and murmured among themselves. Hermione looked around, searching for a familiar face and found the person she was looking for partially hidden in the shadow that one of the columns offered, kissing a girl. Alphard Black was kissing someone. Seeming to sense that he was being watched, Alphard looked up and promptly met Hermione's gaze. His eyebrows went up and his expression was shocked.
What was she doing there? He asked himself.
Alphard was about to go to her when Hermione turned. She was not upset, if she was feeling anything, it would be a surprise that Sirius Black had such a womanizing uncle. She looked at the stairs leading to the first floor, before going up to meet Tom Riddle.
She found him standing on his back, near the bookcase and with a book in his hand, he was not wearing his robe or grey sweater. There were two armchairs and a coffee table with a tray with glasses and two bottles of alcohol. The floor they were on was empty except for them. Whether it was an order from Riddle or if the Slytherins thought it was more fun down there, Hermione couldn't say, but she thinks it was the first option.
She made a noise in her throat to get his attention.
"Malfoy said you wanted to talk with me."
Tom turned around, closed the book he was reading and looked her up and down.
"What happened to you?" Asked Tom, raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
He gestured with his fingers to her hair. Feeling conscious, Hermione touched her hair, realizing that her hair was much more bristled and much more rebellious than normal and what caused this was the fact that she danced.
Quickly Hermione takes her hair and puts it over her left shoulder, to give the impression that they are at least in control. In general, she is not a girl who cares about her appearance, but sometimes even she is irritated by her own hair.
Tom Riddle noticed her appearance as soon as he saw her, certainly her hair was unruly, but this time it was really uncontrollable. He also noticed her clothes, the white feminine shirt of the uniform was over the dark grey skirt, with the first two buttons undone and also a little wrinkled and she did not have the tie.
"What have you been doing?" He asked curiously.
"I-I was ... dancing." Hermione justified herself.
Tom blinked, not expecting it. He could have imagined several things, but Granger's dancing was not one of the possibilities.
"Why am I here?" She looked out of the corner of her eye, uncertainly.
"You are my guest." He gestured to the armchair for her to sit, before sitting down in the armchair facing her. His eyes caught the modesty movement she made as she adjusted her skirt before sitting down. "Do you accept?" Asked Tom, offering to put a glass of Firewhiskey for her.
Hermione shook her hand.
"If I remember correctly, you managed to drink a glass of Firewhiskey very well."
"Desperate feelings, desperate measures." She mumbles. Hermione particularly likes sweeter drinks such as Butter Beer, but she was not an alcoholic person. However, that day, she wanted the numbness to relieve stress, but all she got was problems.
Looking to the right, specifically downstairs, she notices the difference in behaviour between Slytherins and Gryffindors.
"Your housemates don't look very happy that I'm here." She comments, this time looking around, particularly curious about the architectural details that differ from her own House. "I didn't think that was allowed; I mean, people who are outsiders. And that there was a party. We were having a party too ... kind of. "
"It is technically not allowed to have a party without something significantly commemorative that belongs to the school calendar. But, you know what? Teachers and Headmasters probably know this is the case. All houses do. " He explains. "What are you looking at so much?"
"Is different," Hermione says. "Your common room looks ... bigger."
"Didn't you come here once?" Tom remembers. Now he is looking at her with an intensity that catches her off guard and she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"I didn't have much time." She murmurs, caught in his gaze. It was as if his eyes were mesmerizing her, glowing in the purest green colour. Then she feels it, it was like a fog crawling slowly and smoothly so as not to be detected. If she weren't wise enough, she wouldn't even notice the act. "Stop what you're doing." Hermione orders.
Tom Riddle blinks a few times, the colour of his eyes remains green, but this time, less intense.
"Stop trying to read my mind."
"My mistake." He doesn't look guilty at all. "But I'm curious and much more surprised that you feel and have a barrier of Occlumency right there. What do you hide in your mind, Granger? " Tom tilts his head a little to the side.
Hermione locked her jaw and stood up, beginning to feel threatened. "If you brought me here for this, will I leave or will I -"
"What?" He questioned her before she finished the sentence. "Sit down, Granger."
Hermione was breathing faster, a little more upset and angry. They held their gaze for a while before Hermione settled in the armchair again.
The Gryffindor spirit, Tom thought. It's like poking a lion with a short stick. They don't know how to keep their composure.
"Don't do that again." She orders.
Tom narrowed his eyes. He doesn't like to be ordained and if she thinks she will start to have power over it, then he will have to set some limits. It doesn't work like that, Granger. And despite being challenged, Tom knows very well how to control his impulses.
"As I said, I was just curious."
It is half true. There is a curiosity in him, he wants to know what she hides, her deepest secrets, but there is also the feeling of security that he seeks. As a talented Legilimens and with a great aptitude for this skill, he usually - sometimes even unintentionally when he was younger - read people's minds. For safety, with people who knew a lot about him, Tom read his thoughts here and there, making sure to make it clear to his Knights that it was a bad idea to lie to him.
He was kind to her, gentle, it was meant to be just a caress, just to catch the 'loud' thoughts she might be conveyed, but she felt and promptly put the Occlumency barrier. Normally he was not like that, kindness and softness were not in Riddle's Legilimency dictionary, invasion and pain were. He liked to cause pain and subdue, there was a pleasure in seeing another person submit to him; then Granger could consider herself fortunate that he chose kindness for her and that she was again the X of the issue that differs from any equation. He's really trying here not to ruin what she did for him because one thing is right, he won't go to her and say 'thanks', but she has to cooperate.
"Have you tried this with me before?"
If he ever tried to read her thoughts? Of course, just once as soon as she arrived at Hogwarts. If he tried again? No. Especially when he saw her relationship with Dumbledore. He wasn't about to invade Dumbledore's favourite student's mind and mess up the shit so they would come after a culprit, mainly because Myrtle Warren had died a few weeks earlier. It was going to be a mess and at that time he was not planning to be kind, wanting to invade Gryffindor Tower and finish her. But if there was always a desire to read her mind? Of course.
"No." He lied. She doesn't seem to believe it, but she doesn't question it either. "How do you know Occlumency?"
"How do you know Legilimency?" Hermione returns the question to him.
She is evasive, she always is. Which raises Tom's suspicions. How to answer her question? Is it natural for me? I was born this way? Am I talented at this? I like to be good at this.
He snorted.
"How do we know these things?" Yes, how do we know these things?
She does not answer.
"Anyway, I didn't call you here to talk about this. I called you to find out your answer to my proposal. "
"About the vow?"
Tom confirms.
"It could be anything? Anything I ask for? " Hermione tests the waters with him.
"If it's within my reach. Of course. Do you remember the conditions? "
"As long as it doesn't kill you, that you don't go to Azkaban or get kicked out of Hogwarts and that it doesn't expose you in a degrading way. In addition to not telling about what I saw, heard and knew. " She repeats each of the words that Riddle used, which seems to satisfy him.
"Very well." He praises her as if he were teaching a child something, it makes her a little irritated, but she lets his behaviour pass.
"What do you say?" Tom gets up and extends his hand for a handshake as if he's doing business with her. Hermione looks at the outstretched hand: Is this wise? Would it be smart to accept his hand? Agree to this agreement? She looks down at her hand, hesitating and Tom notices the emotion that prevails in her expression. "You are afraid." He almost smiles. "You are afraid of me."
She looks under her lashes when she hears Riddle's comment, realizing that she is like an open book to him.
"You have your wand," Hermione murmured, this time looking at the yew wood wand with the bone-shaped handle, it is sinister, that Riddle holds.
"Oh." Tom takes his wand but close to his eyes, the long, pale fingers of his left hand make their way through the wood of the wand like a caress and Hermione can see the attachment and zeal he has. He looked focused on his own wand, but his gaze meets hers and he smiles in that malicious way that he has done so many times before. "Come on, Granger, I won't wait forever." Tom extends his hand to her again.
He doesn't make promises to her but makes it clear that if he wanted to curse her, he could do it.
Hermione hopes she is making the best choice for everyone when she gets up and takes his hand. He inhales when he feels the touch of her hand, joyful, proud of himself. Then he moves his wand and a bluish light connects the part of their wrist, like a chain. Startled, Hermione tries to pull her hand back, but Riddle holds on tightly.
"It is symbolic." He explains, finding her behaviour amusing. Certainly, she has no fond memories of the last time he used the wand.
Hermione steps back as soon as she could, looking at her right hand for any unusual and suspicious look in Riddle's direction.
"Are you sure?" She asks, maybe a little harshly.
"Of course." Tom reaffirms, a little bored with her questions. This time he was being true, it was totally symbolic. If it wasn't, he was sure she would be on her knees in front of him. Well, some details are still missing here and there, but he is planning a spell that would not be just a symbol, a mark.
"I want the book you took from me." She asks.
"So is this the favour you want from me? The book?"
"I thought you could give it to me?" Hermione suggests and Tom raises an eyebrow.
"How do you have this book?"
"How do you know about the contents of this book?" She returns the question.
Touché.
"I believe that knowledge should have no limits; I assume you think the same thing. " That is, if you want to take me down, I will take you with me. But in a way, Tom Riddle likes to know there is a part of her that is free of certain chains.
Hermione is faced with a situation that she had not foreseen. Riddle would only return the book if she used the vow or maybe if she admitted what she was looking for. She found herself cornered, she couldn't use the vow. She had to save it for something more important and make him return the book spontaneously.
"Are we going to the second part?"
"What?" Hermione narrows her eyes, still holding her hand, being a little paranoid.
"The curse I put on you. I said I would take it out. Unless you liked it that much. " Tom teases.
"Are you ... are you really going to take it off?" She murmured after a while. "I tried to undo it, but I was just hurting myself ..." Hermione confesses.
"You could have really been hurt. The curse rejects anyone other than the person who cast the spell. " In a way, Tom boasts that his creation is so successful.
"What is?" She's curious about what that spell was and how to undo it.
"Is that the favour you are asking me for? That I explain to you? " He puts his hand in the front pockets of his pants.
"What? Not!" Hermione responds quickly and Tom shrugs, amused. "I thought we could have a conversation about it." She tries.
"Come, approach Granger, so I can undo the curse," Tom calls her in a gesture with his index and middle finger.
Releasing a sigh, Hermione walks towards Tom, her steps are slow from his perspective. Unconsciously Tom looks at her from the bottom to up, taking too long on every exposed part of her skin. She finally stops when she is so close to him and looks up - due to the difference in height - towards his face. Tom Riddle feels trapped in those brown eyes, where he can see the glow of fury that she hides so well, that she leaves asleep. It is precious and exciting. He takes a deep breath and with his thumb and forefinger, touches her chin. She looks down to try to see his touch on her skin, but he lifts her chin so that Hermione looks back at him.
"Your tongue," Tom murmurs and it's almost a whisper, if she didn't control herself, he would see the chill in her arms. Hermione's expression is one of surprise and confusion and she almost took a step back. She thinks I'm going to kiss her.
Swallowing, Hermione opens her mouth, showing only the tip of her pink tongue. Tom smiles almost imperceptibly. He points the wand towards her face, at an angle so that his hand is above her head. Instinctively, Hermione has a percentage of fear running through her blood. Intelligent is the one who fears Tom Riddle. He says something in a whisper, it's so low that Hermione can't quite hear and understand.
She thought she would feel different, but only a small amount of black smoke comes out of her mouth when the curse mark dissolves. It is over?
Tom takes a few steps back, looking at Hermione with a strange kind of look. It was intense, but different from when he was trying to read her mind.
Suddenly, Hermione feels a pang in the pit of her stomach as if she's been punched. She places both hands on her abdomen, in a gesture of peace for her pain, but she feels the sting again. Then, she is short of breath, trying to breathe as if she is choking on something. Hermione felt something move inside her and was moving up her oesophagus towards her throat. She coughs a few times, now breathing faster, while she gasps as if she wants to vomit. Her legs are shaking and she finds herself on her knees, spreading her hands on the floor, trying hard to vomit whatever was going up to her throat. She coughs a few more times and feels the scaly skin sliding at the beginning of her throat, going towards her mouth. In her peripheral vision, she realizes that the veins in her hands - which are usually greenish - were dark in colour.
A snake, it was a snake that was coming out of her mouth. Startled, Hermione vomits the rest of the snake on the floor. Alive! That thing was alive!
The little black snake hissed, before turning to black smoke. Hermione coughs, trying to clear her throat as she runs the back of her right hand through her mouth, she looks at Tom Riddle who was passive, with his hands in his pants pockets. There she was, on the floor in front of Riddle.
Taking deep breaths, Hermione looks at her hands, but her veins were back to normal colour.
"Here," Tom said. There is a glass of wine offered for her. "It will get better."
With shaking hands, she takes the glass and stands up slowly.
"You were going to kill me. This thing would kill me from the inside out. " Was that always inside me? The curse would not only necrotize her mouth, but it would also kill her.
"I took it out, didn't I?" There is no justification for it other than that. "I couldn't do anything about the rest." He said, referring to the moment she just passed. "The curse was not meant to be painless. On the contrary."
"Is there anything else I need to know?" She asks angrily.
"No," Tom speaks simply, sitting on the chair again. "You will feel better if you drink."
"How do I know it won't try to kill me too?" Hermione looks at the cup.
"My methods are ... Different. I like to catch my enemies off guard -" He raises his glass to his lips, drinking the sweet wine. How did he get there? To talk almost freely about methods and death with her? "- like when I kissed you."
Hermione stops drinking as soon as she hears his comment. "What? That was not a kiss! "
Tom frowned at her refusal. "Oh, please specify, because, by definition, a kiss is when two people touch their lips. Don't tell me it was your first kiss, Granger? " He disdained.
"It wasn't my first kiss!" She screamed and Tom's hand tightened on one arm of the chair. "And it was not a kiss. That was you putting a curse on me and a kiss is ... something else. " Hermione ended the sentence by mumbling, ashamed of the direction the conversation was taking.
"Oh." Tom tilts his head. "So what would it be?"
"It is not obvious? Sometimes it's love. " Hermione replied and Tom laughed at the idea, from his perspective, naive. Calling her a fool without having to say the words. "Or it happens when two people like each other." She runs a hand over her neck, a little embarrassed. "And you don't like me." This time she said it with the utmost certainty.
How could she be so sure?
"Who was the lucky guy?" It is understood that he is referring to who was her first kiss.
"Someone special." She responds cryptically, not giving him the pleasure of belittling the little experience she had, while looking at the glass of wine. And it had indeed been special. Viktor Krum was special to her and always would be. He had been the first boy to see femininity in her and that was special. Someone had seen her more than Know-it-All and noticed the physical changes that could be imperceptible, sometimes inconvenient even for her.
Could it be someone from here? Tom doubts this, she has very little time at Hogwarts. Probably someone from the past that she refuses to talk to. This bothers him more than he lets himself in, ignoring mainly because he perceives her cheeks to be pink. She moves around, a little restless and bites her bottom lip, the more he looks at her, the more he feels strange. The sight of her a few moments ago, so close to him, suddenly appears in his mind and he feels a tug in the pubic area.
Uh-oh. This is not happening, he thinks as he crosses his legs and settles in the chair.
Their conversation is interrupted when a child's cry is heard by everyone. Hermione and Tom get up when a girl runs down the stairs while shaking her head to get worms and wasps out of her hair. On the bottom step, the girl stumbles and falls in front of the whole Slytherin House. They all laugh at her, without a hint of conscience or benevolence. The girl sucks in the air several times and starts to cry, feeling the worms stuck in her hair, while she is dressed in the new bunny pyjamas she got from her mother.
The girl was Evelyn Muggle-born Slytherin. Evelyn Thomas wept even more when she noticed the group of girls coming down the stairs, even Nott and Dolohov with the new Slytherin students.
Araminta joined Walburga and Lucretia Black who was accompanied by Virginia Flint and Wanda Yaxley. In front of them were the new Slytherin girls, one of whom was Druella Rosier.
"It's your turn, Druella. She's a mudblood. Show her her place. " Araminta murmured when the Common Room was silent.
Druella, who was dressed in her pyjamas, which was long dress with green ruffled sleeves, looked at her older brother. Seeking some help or maybe approval.
"Druella-"
Rosier quoted her name, but his sentence was cut off when Walburga placed both hands on her shoulder.
"She belongs to the Black family now. In the future, it will only be official." Walburga said. "You know what to do, don't you, Druella? I chose you."
Druella looked at Cygnus who looked down and smiled a little, that's when Druella got all the approval she needed. She raises her wand and casts the wasp spell.
"A mudblood must not be in our House." It was a girl's voice. An even sweet and certainly childish voice that was saying those cruel words.
Hermione was horrified by what she was seeing. Children were torturing another child. She knew that she had to do something to help, so, she ran down the stairs, leaving Tom Riddle behind, who drank a sip of wine while watching the scene from above with morbid amusement. Knowing very well what Granger's reaction would be, after all, all these days, he was studying her.
Hermione passed Nott and Dolohov with the wand already in hand and placed herself in front of the girl.
"Depulso!" She shooed the wasps, throwing them away. The movement of her hand felt like she was manoeuvring a whip, but the spell had worked. She never made a mistake when she wanted to cast a spell.
Druella winced at the strength of Hermione's magic.
"What is your problem !?" She asked. Evelyn clung to Hermione's skirt.
"What is she doing here?" Dolohov growled, taking a step towards her and Hermione pointed her wand at him.
"Stay away."
The snakes hissed.
"Who do you think you are?" Walburga sawed her teeth and Hermione now pointed her wand at her.
She was disgusted by their behaviour.
"You disgust me." She said to Walburga, who was also pointing her wand at her. Araminta and Lucretia also had their wands in hand, as did Nott and Dolohov.
"Hermione, put your wand down." Alphard put his hand on Hermione's wrist.
"Do you agree with that? She is a child!"
"Put your wand down, Hermione! She is my sister! "
"Is that what you choose?" Hermione asked Alphard. How could he find that right? How could he choose his family even though they were wrong, that it was a child they were torturing?
"I always choose my family," Alphard replies, much more seriously than she has ever seen him. Her breath hitched when she heard his response. Walburga smiled at Alphard's reply, confident. "Put the wand down, you're not going to get out of here well."
Hermione grunted.
"Do you want to bet?"
She would fight with them. She had done this before when they were more experienced in dark magic, but now it was she who was the most experienced. She was going to do it, she had to do it and she did it. The tip of her wand flashed when the unspoken spell threw Walburga against the stairs, it was an Expulso. The girl shakes behind Hermione, Druella takes Cygnus's hand and grabs his arm, Araminta tries to hit Hermione, who protects herself with a Protego. Walburga was about to cast a spell, but Hermione casts a Stupefy. She stopped when Alphard pointed his wand at her, Malfoy and Rosier too.
It is at this point that Tom Riddle chooses to go down the stairs slowly, his hands in his pants pockets. He stops in the middle of the confusion, in front of Hermione.
"I think it's better if we all go to sleep. We are a little excited and the morning will be a long day. " He says calmly as if he's talking about the weather. Students understand that it is time to retire, walking quickly to the dorms. "Except you."
Whoever was involved in the situation knew that they should stay. There was no need to say names explicitly. Hermione feels Evelyn press her forehead against her, shaking. When only she, Evelyn, the gang of Riddle, Walburga, Araminta, Orion, Cygnus and Druella remains, Hermione knows that things will get worse. She would continue to fight, but her biggest concern was going against Riddle.
The music has stopped, the silence is hard and tense.
"Stop this." She asks.
Tom's expression is calm, he taps his index finger against his chin, pretending to be thinking, then he looks at her.
"Is that what you're asking me for?" Tom asks.
He was going to make her choose. He would not let it pass, after all, he had planned this moment. When the Muggle-born girl was classified for the Slytherin House, he knew what his housemates would do to her. What Walburga and the other girls are going to do. Slytherin House really works as a sponsorship, where older students choose new students. The system is very simple indeed, exchanging favours and covering up lies in return, the new student who is chosen is also under the protection of the one who chose it and thus, as adults, the possible union of families and privileges - often in the Ministry of Magic. - makes it a vicious circle.
Walburga had chosen Druella Rosier and Druella had gone through her initiation, nothing better than to judge the Muggle-born girl. And Tom knew that Hermione had a soft heart for those who could not defend themselves, just as he knew that Alphard would choose his family.
Blacks always protect themselves.
Hermione was divided, she couldn't lose that vow. She needed this to protect Harry, however, she felt the girl trembling with fear behind her and she found herself in that girl. Because if it were her, she would also be terrified of being there. Hermione looked at Alphard, still not understanding him. How could he?
She looked down and did what her heart asked, nodding.
"You can go," Tom said.
Suspicious, Hermione looked at him and took the girl's hand. She took a step, just testing the truth of his words. Was it that simple?
"You can't be serious, Riddle!" Walburga grunted in exasperation.
Riddle turned his head towards her.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion."
Now, that was cold. Hermione didn't need a second warning, she left the Slytherin Common Room with Evelyn Thomas in a hurry, leaving them to kill themselves.
As soon as Hermione was gone, Tom crossed his arms.
"Now, what am I supposed to do with you, Walburga?" He spoke, his voice cold and calculating.
"She started it! She shouldn't even be here! "
"Shut up, Walburga," Alphard grunted, very angry with his sister. He looked at the little brother who watched the whole scene, impassive. He didn't want his brother's first night at Hogwarts to be like this.
"Alphard, how about you fix your sister."
"What?" Alphard choked on his sentence and Walburga froze inside. Lestrange smiled sadistically.
"Riddle." Orion Black stepped in, placing a hand on Walburga's shoulder. "She's a girl."
Tom frowned in confusion, not understanding what Orion was getting at. She was a girl, so what? He snorted.
"There is no gender privilege here, Orion," Tom replied. "When I get back, I hope to have results, Alphard." There was a 'Or' suspended in the air.
He stopped in front of Cygnus, who did not seem surprised, elated or touched by his siblings. Druella was clinging tightly to his arm, but Cygnus didn't care, after all, she would be his wife in the future. At least, that's what was announced at his big birthday party. Cygnus looked at Tom, there was no fear there, just curiosity and Tom found it interesting.
"Your siblings -" Tom was not going to console Cygnus, quite the contrary. But he was surprised by an unexpected response.
"I don't care," Cygnus said, Druella squeezed his arm even tighter. Tom smiled.
"You know ... I choose you," Tom said, to Alphard's terror.
Malfoy, Lestrange, Mulciber, Nott, Dolohov and Avery pass through Cygnus.
"Congratulations, Black." Lestrange taps a finger on Cygnus's forehead, making others laugh, as they walk into the boy's dorm.
"You know what you have to do, Alphard," Tom remembers. You either do it or I do it.
Unlike his gang, Tom goes after Hermione and they all leave Alphard, Araminta, Walburga, Orion, Cygnus and Druella there.
Because the Blacks protect themselves. They think, at the same time as Alphard, grudgingly cast the Silencio spell on his sister. So that no one could hear the screams.