Chapter Eleven

Letters passed by owl from Hogwarts to 'Malfoy Manor' during the entire two week break. Tom Riddle was constantly seen in the library. He had no time for the Christmas feast, nor for the leisure that the students were allowed to enjoy. All he did was write to Malfoy, Nott, Avery or Lestrange. He sometimes read books about his house but mostly he read about the dark arts. The professors noticed him constantly scribbling in his diary at lunch and dinner time. Horace Slughorn insisting the "boy was working hard on his studies". The two unfortunate students who remained behind with him became increasingly unnerved by his presence. Tom was looking out the window on the 23rd December and was speaking out the window. The second-year girl had returned after the evening meal and she crawled into the room. Only to stay frozen to the spot in a crawling position as she watched Tom speaking...

"Come...Come up"

She couldn't understand him. He was speaking in a strange language, she didn't know what it was. The girl was called 'Hilda Greenwich'. She watched as an adder snake slithered in through the window, Tom was speaking again but she couldn't translate it even if she tried.

"It's a pity that nosy little girls are too large to be eaten by your kind"

Tom sat down on the chair again as the snake creeped around the room. Hilda couldn't help it but she screamed as the snake got closer to her. She knew adders were harmless to her but that didn't make it any less fearful for the twelve year old girl. The seventh -year boy came sprinting out of his room with his wand in hand. on hearing the scream. He was seventeen years old. He shouted..

"Vipera Evanesca!"

Making the snake vanish as quickly as it seemed to come. A sobbing Hilda on the floor, she was still crouched by the door. The lad walking over towards her as he pulled her up, she fell into his arms. He hugged her, telling her everything is alright. Tom just watching as if he was a mere spectator. The older lad told her to go and get Slughorn. The girl nodding before running out of the room. This lad was called Charles.

"What do you think you were playing at?" Charles asked Tom.

Tom still looked disinterested as he just looked away. Ignoring Charles like he was nothing.

"Are you deaf? I said, what do you think you were playing at?!" Charles asked again. Putting his face inches away from Tom's.

"Not so close, Charles. I expect better from my older peers...You know how girls get. Very easily squeamish. You know what I mean?" Tom asked back in his usual monotone tone.

"So you don't deny you were responsible for the snake?"

"No. I brought it up here. I just wanted to see if I could and I can so I'm glad. Happy times"

This made Charles break his gaze from the lad. He didn't know what to do or what to say. He knew something wasn't right about the boy but he can't exactly be punished harshly for bringing in an adder snake. The girl had returned with Horace Slughorn mere moments after this exchange. He looked very concerned as he looked between Tom and Charles.

"It was just an adder snake, Sir. He brought in an adder snake" Charles informed Slughorn.

Slughorn had a fatherly arm around the girl as he remained standing there.

"Why did you bring in a live animal from the wilderness in our common room? I expected better, Tom. You are one of my best pupils" Slughorn finally spoke, his words almost failed.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm sorry to you too, Hilda. I suppose I still don't understand my limits, Sir" Tom answered in a false polite tone.

Hilda was still keeping a tight grip to the professor's robes. She began tugging at them and pleaded

"Don't make me stay with him"

Slughorn could see how distressed she really was. Though he was very bias towards Tom Riddle. He was already making excuses in his head. Thinking 'Hilda is sensitive. She's twelve years old so of cause she is, it stands to reason. Tom is just misunderstood'. The fear in her voice though would always stay with him and it was one of the many things that he made him not even consider joining the 'Death Eaters' in years to come.

"Come on Hilda...Let's go and get you a cup of pumpkin juice downstairs. The staff won't mind some extra company tonight" Slughorn spoke gently.

Though before he left. He looked towards Tom with disappointment. A mood so beneath the boy that he didn't even flinch.

...

In the Filch household, the family were sending out owl messages to family members; inviting them to the Christmas dinner at their home. Argus was in his bedroom. Hung up over his bed was a Hufflepuff scarf as it reminded him of Lucy and annoyed his family. The two reasons he kept it there. The only other Hogwarts thing he kept was a goblet with the Hufflepuff logo on it, stuffed in the corner. Something he managed to swipe from Charity Burbage while he was in the staff room. A few books he brought from muggle book shops were stuffed against his wall. These included books on cats, ghosts (modern conjuring stood out, written by a muggle) and a muggle medical journal. Stamps meanwhile were lined on his desk and a small postcard of the muggle king and queen was stuck to his bare walls. His parents wouldn't take him to Diagon Alley anymore due to the shame he brought them. If he wanted to buy things, he would have to go to his nearest muggle high street. The only other thing were twigs and leaves all laid out on his desk like they were quills. He was currently sat at his desk, holding one of the twigs and pointing it around his room, like he expected it to work like a wand. He slammed it down after several minutes of nothing. His older brother opened his bedroom door with his broomstick in hand.

"Still playing around with sticks, Argus?" Archibald asked.

"Go away" Argus hissed back.

"I was about to ask you if you want me to fly you around the moors again but if you want me to go-"

"No! No! I'm sorry...Let me come. I love flying on your broomstick with you" Argus quickly responded.

Forgetting about the sticks. His brother briefly bent down to read his book titles as his brother put on his shoes and coat. His hand grabbed one about ghosts as he scoffed "Muggles think they are experts on ghosts"

"Well some of them have seen them" Argus insisted.

"Well yes I'm sure but they don't know them like we know them. They are lucky to get a flash of them in photographs. Come on then, Argus. Let's go while it's quiet" Archibald spoke, putting the book back down.

The two boys left his room with his broomstick on hand. The house was a small manor house. Books on spells lined the bookshelves. The long carpet in the entrance hallway was blue and bronze with the Ravenclaw crest on it. Archibald and Argus left the house and walked towards the moors (their small manor house stood out among the landscape however it was under a muggle-repelling charm). Archibald looked on all sides and there wasn't a person in sight. Hardly anybody came around here, the muggle-repelling charm covered a mile or so of moors. So with his 'Comet 180'. Archibald began to get on it. Argus getting on behind as he held onto his brother's waist as if they were about ride away on a bicycle. With one loud thud of Archibald's feet on the ground, the broomstick lifted up in the air and began to fly higher over the moors.

"You feeling safe?" Archibald asked his younger brother as he could feel him holding tighter onto his waist.

"Yes. Quite safe" Argus lied. He didn't exactly feel safe. He was just afraid he wouldn't be allowed to do this again if he admitted it.

With that, Archibald soared slightly higher. Flying zig-zagged around the small bit of undetected moors. Argus enjoyed the feeling of being able to fly, these moments are his only chance as he couldn't fly a broomstick normally. He just held onto his brother as he relaxed. The snow was falling around them as he just flew around and round. He flew back down with a heavy thud after around twenty minutes up in the air.

"Fun, right?" Archibald asked with a smile; getting up from his broom.

Argus giving a nod and he smiled for the first time in ages. His brother treated him the same at home. They made their way back inside, Archibald taking his broomstick back to his bedroom. This rush of excitement made Argus forget the situation he was in regarding his detached parents. His mother was sitting in the parlour and she barely glanced up as her youngest son walked in.

"I just been riding on a broomstick with Archibald" Argus told her.

He wanted to impress her, prove he could something magical however she barely looked as if she had heard him. She pretended he didn't exist. For his first eleven years, she treated him the same way as his brother. Though as soon as she found out he was a squib, everything changed. She was a small woman, always seen in a black robe and hat. Lilac Filch was her name.

"Fine" Argus muttered under his breath; going upstairs and back to his room.

His mother acts like she doesn't notice him most of the time.

...

Lucy felt happy being back home for Christmas. Her muggle friends Polly and Jane had been pleading with her to tell them what boarding school she went to. In the meantime, she had been receiving letters in the post from Argus Filch. He used the muggle postal service. Her parents and brother were very interested in the lad's squib status. He was just like them they thought. The radio was playing Neville Chamberlain's speech, the muggle Prime Minister; in the background. As Lucy read her new letter in the living room. Her parents were talking about whether they would have to rebuild their old shelter or not. Lucy got out her pen and paper, sitting down at the kitchen table and writing another reply. Argus was her best friend in Hogwarts really. His letter to her wrote...

Dear Lucy,

Things at home are odd. My parents are fawning over my great brother as always and pretending I don't exist. Father buying him even more broomstick related things and they had now put up a Ravenclaw crest wooden plaque in his bedroom. Meanwhile all I got was a mere grunt and a brief lecture on why I shouldn't punish wizards or witches. You are my one light, Lucy. You are my own personal lumos. You are a good friend. I hope you are enjoying your break, looking forward to seeing you again next year. Write to me, comfort me; tell me I'm being silly.

From Argus Filch (your squibby friend).

The crossed out lines were difficult to read but she suppose that was the point. Argus lived somewhere in North Yorkshire she learned with his parents and older brother. His family were proud Ravenclaws. Filch however likes to insists Hufflepuff is better. Getting several smacks from his father for this.

Dear Argus,

Please don't feel so bitter. Your brother is good at playing quidditch, that's all it is. Though them ignoring you is awful. I should write to them and make see it's unfair, I wish I could but I know you won't let me. Please don't mock the house of Ravenclaw though on my behalf. All the houses have equal merits, even Slytherin. I reckon you might have been a Slytherin, Argus; if you were a wizard. Please don't take that the wrong way either, I just think you're loyal. I'm looking forward to seeing you too after the break. I hope you get a lovely feast for all your hard work in looking after our school with the teachers and staff.

Lots of love from Lucy Norris (your witchy Hufflepuff friend).

XX

These were the sorts of letters that went between them. Lucy's brother and Argus' brother would mock them for it. Saying they sound like an old married couple. Lucy folded up the letter with a stamp. Excusing herself and walking down to the post box as usual.

TBC