AN

Minor Character Death and the aftermath.

April to June 1943, 5th year

When April neared its end, the infrequent incidents that had occurred during the school year turned into serious attacks and, suddenly, people weren't whispering about vicious animals anymore. Now, they were whispering about Slytherin's Monster. Now, they were saying that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

When Naenia heard the new rumours, a horrible, horrible feeling spread in her stomach. There was, after all, someone she knew who was descended form Salazar Slytherin.

"Tom," she asked in the privacy of their room up on the seventh floor, "are these attacks your doing?"

Tom stilled, though his face gave nothing away. "What makes you think that?"

"There are rumours," Naenia said, watching for a change in his expression, any change. "They whisper about the Chamber of Secrets, about Slytherin's Monster, and you are his heir."

He huffed, face still blank. "So what if I am responsible? Don't tell me you actually care about some lowly mudbloods."

Naenia furrowed her brows. "You're only halfblood, yourself."

"But I descend from Salazar Slytherin himself, from one the purest of bloodlines in existence," Tom said with a maniacal glint in his eyes that made Naenia very uncomfortable.

"And yet your father was a Muggle," she said.

His expression hardened. "Let us not discuss this further. Why, Naenia, do you care about the attacks?"

"Because someone might be killed," she said with gritted teeth and had to calm herself again. "At the beginning of the year there were only a few incidents, most of them harmless, but the attacks have been getting more and more severe. What if, someday, one of them ends in death?"

"So what, Naenia? What does it matter if a –" Tom sighed, "if someone dies?"

"Because it would be murder, Tom. A violation against Death Himself."

Why did he not understand that? Why did he never listen to her?

"How can you be so sure of that?" Tom said quietly.

Coldness gripped her heart and Naenia felt herself dread his next words.

"How can you be certain," Tom continued, "that it isn't exactly what Death has planned for that person? He could have wanted to claim their life at that exact moment, through those exact means – through murder."

"No," she whispered appalled. "Never."

Tom laughed. It was high and cold and Naenia did not want to admit to herself that it scared her.

"How would you know?" he said, his tone mocking. "You don't have any proof to verify your claims."

She felt like crying. Naenia had never before cried, not even once in her life.

Calm, she told herself, you need to stay calm. And out loud, "Neither do you, Tom. Do I need to remind you, that murder is illegal by law?"

He gave her a look. "I am not going around killing people, Naenia."

"Good," she snapped. "I hope it stays that way, for your own sake."

Ꝋ

Their conversation lingered in the back of her mind all throughout the rest of April and the first weeks of May. Even when their study group assembled, once again, she could not get it out of her mind. She did some revisions herself this year. Their O.W.L.s were important, though not exactly relevant for her, and it helped occupy her mind, at least a little bit.

Before the exams were to start, Professor Slughorn scheduled career meetings with all of the boys. The female students – at least in Slytherin – did not have to attend these types of meetings, because most of them were to be proper ladies, managing a household, and wouldn't work anyway. 'Diligent trophy wives' Naenia liked to call them.

Naenia herself would neither be a diligent trophy wife, nor have to manage her household (hopefully), but she used that excuse to get out of the meeting anyway.

Tom arched an eyebrow at her as he pointed exactly that out and Naenia smiled at him.

"I'm sure Professor Slughorn was very disappointed when I didn't apply for a meeting with him." And then, to rub it into his face, just because she could, Naenia added in a sweet tone, "How was your meeting?"

She knew it had been tedious at best and Tom would likely have hexed their Professor at least once, had he been able to get away with it. Professor Slughorn had that effect on people.

"Maddening," Tom answered as he settled down next to her. "He had at least ten different ideas in mind for me – all complete with recommendations and proper connections and making sure he would get all the credit in the end for having put me there."

Naenia tilted her head. "And neither were to your liking?"

She still did not know what his actual plans after graduation were and maybe Nott had been on about something, because she was starting to get a little curious about it. All the other Slytherins had their future set in stone, one way or another. Amelia wasn't sure yet, but her options were limited as well. Out of all of Naenia's friends, Tom was the only one who could do literally anything.

Their conversation about the recent attacks came to her mind again and she wondered if he was actually considering some of the darker, more questionable options.

She knew he wanted respect. She knew he wanted power. Yet she could not imagine him in a high-ranking position at the Ministry of Magic. The alternative would be someone leading the Ministry from the shadows - someone that held all the threads in his hands, yet could not be directly traced back to from anyone. Someone who was not above resorting to less acceptable methods like murdering those standing in his way.

Naenia mentally shook herself and forced her attention back on Tom, who still had not given her an answer.

He was staring into the fire, seemingly lost in thought.

"Tom?" she asked, lightly touching his shoulder.

He sighed. "I have a vision, Naenia, a vision for the future. But the path towards fulfilling it is not an easy one." He glanced at her, though she could not read his expression. "And I will need powerful allies at my side, people I can trust."

Naenia hummed. "Are we these people?"

"Perhaps. Only time will show." Tom shrugged and then gave her a small smile. "But, first and foremost, you are my friend, never forget that."

Naenia returned the smile and leaned into him, enjoying the quietness of an otherwise empty common room and listening to the beating of his heart beneath her head.

This, she thought, was nice.

This, she thought, would not last.

Ꝋ

On the thirteenth of June a girl by the name of Myrtle Warren wound up dead in a bathroom on the second floor. Her body was found by a fellow Ravenclaw, who had apparently been bullying the girl.

No one knew how she had died as there were apparently no signs whatsoever. Naenia might have known, had she been able to see the body for herself, but of course no one would allow such a thing.

Headmaster Dippet made an announcement during breakfast that they were still investigating the circumstances and would inform the students of any news regarding the matter. The exams were postponed until further notice.

Although not knowing her name, Naenia was sure it had been the crying girl she had encountered twice. It was the same bathroom. Amelia's reaction only confirmed her assumptions.

The Hufflepuff was not taking the girl's death very well and Naenia did not know what to do. Their O.W.L.s were only a few days away, the school might have to close because of all the recent attacks, all that stress building up…

And Naenia made the mistake to try and console her friend, even though she should have known it would only lead to trouble.

"Maybe I could have prevented it," Amelia sniffled. "If only I had paid better attention. I knew she was being bullied."

"It's not your fault," Naenia said, holding the girl awkwardly. "She wasn't even in your house. You did your best." The words sounded strange and foreign to her, but she didn't know what else to say.

"But she died because of that!"

"Amelia, no one knows how she died. They can't even tell whether she killed herself or was murdered by someone."

Amelia stiffened. "All these terrible things that keep happening… Why would anyone do such a thing?" She looked at Naenia with wide eyes, tears still spilling over her cheeks. "How could anyone be so evil?"

"I don't know, Amelia," Naenia said quietly. "But there is nothing we can do. Myrtle Warren has received Death's gift and is now resting in peace. Her tormenters won't be able to hurt her anymore. Maybe it's better that way."

Hurt flashed across Amelia's face. "How can you say that?"

She broke free of Naenia's hold, opened her mouth and closed it again. Then her face contorted as more tears streamed down her face and before Naenia could reply she was gone, leaving her behind in the Entrance Hall.

Naenia looked around searching for a familiar face among the assembled students. Everywhere she looked she saw shock, sorrow and disbelief.

She was not used to this. She had only ever experienced the aftermath of someone dying during the funerals held at her home and those were so very different from this. No one back home had expected her to be shocked or to show grief, because she neither knew the people personally, nor was she affected by their deaths in any way. They had already passed, as a natural part of life, and were laid to rest.

This was different and she did not know how to deal with it.

She found her Slytherin friends huddled together near the stairs leading down to the dungeons.

"And so close to the exams!" Mulciber was saying. "They could have at least waited until those were over."

"Now, now, Mulciber," Nott said. "No one has said anything about cancelling the exams, yet. They merely postponed them."

"I actually worked my ass off, for once," Mulciber said annoyed.

Naenia joined their group silently. Nott gave her a grim smile and Black squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"Like everyone else," Black said. "But no one apart from you is complaining."

Rosier huffed. "I think I overheard some Ravenclaws voicing the same concerns, although in more hushed voices."

"You don't sound overly concerned about the girl's death itself," Naenia observed quietly.

Nott shrugged, while Avery said, "It was just some mudblood, who cares?"

"I would advise you not to say that word out loud in current company," Tom's voice rang out, the boy himself appearing from somewhere among the crowd.

Naenia turned to him and froze.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Everything about him was wrong.

"What have you done?!" she whispered.

Tom took one look at her and excused them both, taking her by the arm and leading her into the dungeons.

He emanated Dark Magic, the lingering feeling of Death clung to him and Naenia knew – she knew, with absolute certainty, what he had done.

"How could you?" she said.

"Naenia, love, you know I had to."

She felt her hair rising, as a boiling anger overtook her. "You murdered a living being! You took a life before its time, stole from Death and you created a Horcrux!"

"Naenia," Tom said, infuriatingly calm and collected, "don't you see? This – this is finally the first step I needed to take."

"The first step?" she exclaimed. "The first step?! You have done the most horrible crime you could ever commit and now you tell me it was only the first step?"

Tom scoffed. "You don't even care about the girl. She was a nobody to you."

"You're right," Naenia said trough gritted teeth, "I don't care about the girl. I'm not upset that she died. I am upset because you committed a murder and made a Horcrux."

"You're soft," Tom said. "So soft. Not weak, don't mistake me, but soft – if you care about trivial matters such as these."

A flash of magic slammed him into the nearest wall, bound him in place, made him unable to move.

"No, I am not," Naenia said, her voice calm again. "I am bound by my rules."

Tom scoffed. "Rules are meant to be broken."

"No, they are not. Especially not these ones. I will not tolerate murder, Tom, because murder is a violation against Death. And Death is –"

"Sacred, I know."

She narrowed her eyes. "Glad we have that settled then."

And then, without his wand, without an incantation, Tom freed himself from her spell. He brushed some non-existent dust from his clothes and straightened again.

He had gotten stronger than her. He had gotten stronger and she had already known that. She had known and yet…

Naenia regretted never asking about his plans for the future, regretted not knowing what he wanted out of life. Power, respect, immortality – but to what end?

"Naenia," he said, still calm, "darling, I know you are angry right now. But it's fine. Once you have calmed down, we can talk about this. I am sure you will eventually see it my way. It is so simple, after all."

He extended his hand and all Naenia could do was stare at him, while she stood there, frozen in place, as he gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"After all," he said, his voice as gentle as his touch, "you are mine. You will forever be mine, my love."

A sharp pain in her hand put Naenia into motion again. Marin had bit her.

She took a step back, then another. She didn't know what Tom saw on her face, but he let her be and he smiled. It was a reassuring, but so very fake smile. And then he stepped past her and vanished out of sight.

Naenia touched her cheek and wiped one traitorous, lonely tear away.

AN
Well, they sure got their priorities straight. Dubious morality and all.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering when exactly Myrtle's ghost started haunting the girl's bathroom… Eh, let's just say after Tom graduates.