Anything from the Harry Potter Universe belongs to JKR. Other than that, I made it all up. Angst/Anxiety/Drama. AU. Enjoy.
Rated M for language and situations.
Previously on A Riddle With Another Name 16: Conflicts
Avery sighed nodding at Nott. "Once again the dolt has done something which unfairly impacts the rest of us. If Tom doesn't kill him, I am going to hex the shite out of the mangy blighter."
Nott clapped his compadre on the back. "No need to worry Avery. As loudly as our Master was shouting, I think we've seen the last of Malfoy."
Avery rolled his eyes. "One can only hope. If Malfoy isn't out here in five minutes either alive or dead, I'm heading to the Great Hall for lunch. Consequences be damned. I didn't get to finish my breakfast and Malfoy is interfering with my lunch. One way or another I'll be teaching Malfoy the dolt not to interfere with my meals."
Nott wasn't impressed. "Pipe down Avery. We're all hungry. However, none of us is hungry enough to shout about it especially when Tom is in a foul mood. Have a cracker and shut that pie hole."
Avery didn't think twice. Raising his wand, he summoned several packets of crackers from his bedside table and just about stuffed them down his throat.
Across the room, Mulciber laughed out loud which elicited a hiss from Avery.
"Laugh it up Mulciber. You too Black. You'll be begging for some of these crackers when your backbone begins to meet your belly."
Mulciber and Black knew better than to irritate Tom's favorite wizard and immediately apologized. They were as hungry as Avery and wanted nothing more than to see their Master step out of his room to tell them they were released for lunch. At this particular point in time, hunger was overriding their fear of Tom's foul mood.
/
/
A Riddle With Another Name 17: Aftermath
Finally, the door to Tom's room banged open and their Master strode through the door stopping dead in the middle of the room and spoke to the room at large.
"Due to certain circumstances, for the next bit of time I will not have lunch at the table with my followers. Everything else remains the same except for times I will be unavailable. I have told you as much as you need to know. In my absences, Avery or Nott will keep Slytherin students in line. Everyone except Avery get to lunch then get about your business."
Avery stood silent as all the others filed out of the room waiting for his Master to speak.
Turning a fierce glare on Avery, Tom was about to speak when Malfoy tried scurrying by.
"Not so fast A-brax-as. You won't be getting by so easy." Tom growled. "Take a look at this pitiful Slytherin specimen. Take a good look Avery. It will be your job to keep a check on this, this failure. If he steps one foot out of line, I want to know about it when I call upon you to report. Because of him I have been censured. Me, Tom Riddle has been censured."
Avery saw Tom's fury building but couldn't do anything but stand there thankful he wasn't on the receiving end of it.
"Get out of here Malfoy and stay out of my sight or I might forget you are a Slytherin. Get out now."
Malfoy fled the room without so much as a look back.
/*/
Turning back to Avery, Tom explained what needed to be explained with the threat of dire consequences if any of his business became public knowledge.
"Go have your lunch Avery, however, I will require a favor."
"Yes Master."
"Before the lunch is over, wrap two large plates of food and bring them to my rooms. Do this without undue fanfare."
"Of course Master, no fanfare."
"Why are you still standing here? Go. And do not forget the drinks."
Avery was out of there in a flash hurrying to The Great Hall to eat and do his Master's bidding.
/*/
Instead of heading out of the common room, Tom Riddle turned on his heel and strode back to his rooms to sulk and to plot. However, once there, before he began to sulk or plot, he had one thing that had to be done. Raising his wand, Tom summoned one of the larger boxes of sugared pineapple he kept on hand.
"Accio."
The large, two layered box of pineapple shot across the room to hover in front of Tom. With a few additional flicks of his wand, Tom had the box wrapped and addressed to Professor Slughorn. Old Sluggy had come through for him. A box of sugared pineapple was the least he could do. Tom originally thought to deliver the box himself, but, at the moment, that might not be prudent. Instead, he'd wait until Avery came back with his lunch and send the package with him.
Visibly spent, the heir of Slytherin fell onto his bed and laid there like any Hogwarts student who had been caught up in intrigue and been chastised for it.
Tom closed his eyes and as he did, a vision of Zachary Glover fluttered through his head attached to a strange thought. Why were Glover and the witch traveling a road where the only house on that road was the Riddle house? Before Tom could make sense of his thought, he was asleep.
Thirty minutes later, Avery stepped through Tom's bedroom door with two large plates of food. Never one to be caught off guard Tom was immediately on his feet with wand drawn before he realized it was only Avery bringing his lunch. Lowering his wand, Tom told Avery to put the plates down on the bedside table.
A startled Avery did as he was told and turned to leave. However, Tom had one more thing to say. Using his wand to lift the large box of sugared pineapple, he gave Avery an order.
"Bring this box of pineapple to Professor Slughorn."
Avery froze wondering if this was another of his master's tricks to inflict harm on the Potions Professor.
Riddle noticed the hesitation. "Is there a problem Gar-rett? When I give an order I expect it to be carried out immediately. Take the bloody pineapple to Slughorn. If he is not in his offices, leave it on his desk. If the door is locked, leave it on the floor outside the door. If he is in, just tell him it's a thank you gift. He'll know who it's from. Do it now Avery. I'll also leave it up to you to notify Slytherin Fourth though Sixth Years that I want a meeting this evening on the far side of the Black Lake. 7:00 pm sharp. That's all."
Avery needed a bit of clarification. "Understood Tom. Shall I include Malfoy?"
Tom glared at Avery. "Of course you should include Malfoy. He's to be my guest of honor."
"Yes master of course." Avery replied as he just about backed out of the room.
Tom Riddle sighed as he pulled the wrapping off his first plate. "I'm surrounded by nothing but idiots. Tonight I'll remind them all of their place in the hierarchy."
/*/
Bertie hadn't been quick enough. Before he could could finish the remnants on his tray, he looked up to see Abraxas Malfoy scurry across the The Great Hall and take a seat at an alternate table. Being of the mind to beat Malfoy senseless, Bertie remained at the Gryffindor table formulating a plan trying to make sense of why Malfoy wasn't sitting at the Slytherin table. Come to think of it…. Bertie turned sideways and stared directly at the Slytherin table. All the despicables seemed to be hanging on the every word of no other than Garrett Avery. Tom Riddle was nowhere to be seen.
Bertie's senses were tingling. The head Slytherin arsehole was missing and the dumb Slytherin arsehole appeared to be persona non grata at his own House table. Then, just as though a light bulb had gone off in his head, it all came together. Tom Riddle and Abraxas Malfoy must be serving some kind of punishment. For a second, Bertie was excited. Then reality set in. Zach had almost been killed. Was not being allowed to have lunch at their House table the punishment for almost killing a student? No bloody, fucking way.
Without thinking, Bertie grabbed his books and headed for the central staircase. He was going to get answers. Fuming and muttering all the way to Professor Dumbledore's offices, Bertie knocked so hard a few of the portraits on the wall voiced their displeasure.
"Where do you think you are?"
"Dumbledore won't thank you for trying to knock down his door."
"You there. Stop that banging this instant."
The voices were enough to bring some sense back to Bertie. They were quite right. If Dumbledore had been in his offices, he would have had his arse hexed off. What had he been thinking? Banging on a professor's door to confront him. Merciful Merlin! I'm such an idiot. Realizing the dilemma he had almost put himself in, Bertie offered an apology on the run.
"My apologies kind wizards. I'll see Professor Dumbledore another time."
Bertie crossed staircases and hurried to the seventh floor. Somehow he had to find out why Riddle and Malfoy had stepped outside the norms.
/*/
Jackson, who hadn't made it to his bed was sitting on the couch speaking to a Third Year when Bertie came through like a wizard possessed jumped up.
"What? What's happened Bertie? You look like some demented sot who has had too much to drink."
Bertie gestured for the Third Year to leave before turning to his mate.
"Riddle wasn't at the Slytherin table for lunch and Malfoy was in the Great Hall but sat at an alternate table."
Jackson who couldn't make heads or tails of what Bertie was saying just shook his head. "Slow down mate. Why does either of those things matter to you? Riddle is an arbitrary arse and Malfoy is an arbitrary dumb arse. What they do or do not do has no bearing on us."
Bertie huffed. "Normally, I wouldn't care what either of the bleeders did, but I think their step away from normal might have something to do with the attack on Zach."
Jackson sighed. His mate was going to remain tightly wound until he got the chance to give Malfoy and Riddle a comeuppance. "How so? Sit down Bert and explain yourself because right this minute you're not making any sense."
Bertie didn't sit, instead, he began pacing the floor. "I believe that Riddle not being in the Great Hall and Malfoy sitting away from his House is probably their punishment for what they did to Zach."
"You're talking mad Bert. Why would you even think that? Professor Dumbledore would never allow Malfoy and Riddle off that easily, especially over such a serious matter."
Bertie fell into a chair breathing hard. "I don't have any evidence. I just feel…"
"Come on Bertie. I admit it is strange for Riddle not to be holding court at the Slytherin table, but you're making some kind of judgment because you feel a certain way. Calm the hell down and explain it to me so I can understand."
For the next five minutes, Bertie explained it all including his foolish trip to Dumbledore's office. When he finished, Jackson sat there staring at his mate without saying a word.
"Say something Jackson."
Jackson was at a loss. As far as he was concerned, Bertie had gone round the bend. "I think you should go into the dorm, have a lie down and consider yourself very fortunate that Professor Dumbledore was not in his offices when you made your ill advised visit. Before you do that, I'd like to say we've discussed certain matters and come to the conclusion we would do whatever would be done together. I personally think Zach has rubbed off on you. You want to be super sleuth by yourself and possibly get hurt. Forget it. Malfoy and Riddle won't get away with anything, but whatever punishment we decide to inflict on the blighters will be done as a team. A team Bertie as in you, me and Butters. Anyway, I think you're barking. There is probably some other explanation for Riddle's absence like he has dropped dead somewhere in the Slytherin common room."
Bertie smiled. "One can only hope. I'm sorry I interrupted your relaxation time with this bullshite. Go have your lie down. I'm going to have a quick word with Madam Hooch."
"Don't do anything stupid Bert. We have a team."
"Understood mate. We have a team. I'll see you later."
/*/
Jackson watched as the door closed behind Bertie knowing his hard headed mate would accost Malfoy or Riddle if he got the chance. Sighing, he got up from the couch hurrying to catch up with his mate. Even though Bertie had a powerful wand hand, he couldn't let his best mate do something stupid like walk into a dangerous situation alone. He was part of the team.