Percy doesn't like Tom. Everyone else seems to like him just fine, but any time he says something funny, or insightful, or smiles, or anything, Percy can't help but remember the look in the other boy's red eyes as he choked Percy under the quidditch stands.
Percy's spent these last few weeks watching Tom closely, and is convinced that something about the Slytherin is just… wrong. Fake.
The real Tom is somewhere under the charming, charismatic mask that he puts on. Percy just can't figure out why he's the only one who's noticed. It makes him feel like he's going crazy.
Well, except for the other sixth-year Slytherins, who avoid Tom like the plague. But because Oliver insists on hanging around Tom, the same Slytherins that avoid Tom avoid Percy too, so he can't exactly ask them what's going on.
That said, Percy can admit that Tom's the best Arithmancy partner Percy could ever ask for. It's a damn shame that Percy can't bring himself to trust Tom, if only because they are so academically compatible. They've been getting 110% or more on every assignment they work on together.
"The school standards have really fallen," Tom mutters as he ticks off another thing on his parchment. "Almost makes me miss the forties.
"By this point in the curriculum we'd already be on manipulating Arithmantic factors and the theory behind what that means- is that us actually changing the future, or is it still predetermined? Interesting stuff." Tom sighs. "This is all just so… bland, in comparison, don't you think?"
Tom is looking at Percy, expression (seemingly) unguarded as he waits for Percy to respond. Percy opens his mouth to do just that when:
"All students to return to their dormitories at once. All teachers to the staff room. Immediately, please."
Percy's heart plummets into his shoes as the other students start to mutter nervously and gather up their books and papers.
"Do you think-" Percy starts.
Tom nods grimly, red eyes glinting. "Another attack. Probably fatal, this time."
Percy stares at Tom, then shoves his books into his bags and starts to hurry off.
"Gryffindor tower is the other way," Tom says idly as he falls into step with Percy.
"I know where the tower is. I'm going to the staff room."
"Can I ask why?"
"You said fatal, Tom. I have four younger siblings at school right now. Why do you think?"
Tom walks beside Percy in silence for a moment, then sighs. "Alright, then. I know a short-cut."
With that, he grabs Percy's arm and pulls him behind a tapestry. Percy squashes the indignation he feels: Tom is being helpful. Probably.
Tom knocks three times on a slightly discolored stone, and a passageway opens up, grating loudly as the stone wall slides down. Tom jerks his head for Percy to follow as he slips into the dusty corridor.
They half walk, half run down the passage, until Tom holds up a hand and Percy stops abruptly.
"Should be near here," Tom whispers as he presses up against the wall, feeling for something.
Percy hears a clicking sound. "Ah. Got it," Tom says. The wall opens up, and Tom pokes his head out before nodding and pulling Percy into the room and then pushing him bodily into a closet.
"That was… convenient," Percy says.
Tom shrugs. "Hogwarts likes to be helpful. You just need to know how to ask for things."
Great. Even Hogwarts likes Tom. As per usual, Percy is the odd one out.
They'd holed up in the closet just in time- just as Tom closes the door behind them (leaving it open just a crack), professors start to pour into the room. Percy tries to focus on studying the procession, and not on how cramped the closet is; or how close Tom is- he can feel the boy's warm breath on his ear and holds back a shiver.
McGonagall is one of the last ones in. Percy notices that Lockhart seems to be missing, but no one says anything about it. Percy can't blame them: no use looking a gift horse in the mouth.
"It's finally happened," McGonagall starts when everyone has settled down. Her face is very white. "The monster has taken a pair of students into the Chamber itself."
Percy can't see all of the professors' reactions, but can see the three closest to their closet: Sprout clasps a hand over her mouth in horror, Flitwick sinks his head into his hands, and a still-standing Snape grips the back of a chair tightly.
"How do you know this?" Snape asks.
"The culprit left another message," McGonagall says as she lets out a shaky breath. "Their skeletons shall lie in the chamber forever."
Percy clutches his stomach, feeling sick. The professors look just as queasy. Besides him, Tom has gone very, very still.
"Who was taken?" Madam Hooch asks stiffly. "Do you know?"
McGonagall presses her lips together tightly and nods. "Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter."
Percy all of a sudden can't hear anything more over the sound of ringing in his ears. He slides to the ground wide-eyed, pressing one hand over his mouth and one on his stomach, trying not to throw up.
He doesn't know how to- he doesn't know what to do. What should he even be feeling right now?
Wait, what do they do? Surely someone will be able to fix this- they won't just leave them for dead. They can't. Otherwise, what the hell was the point of all that research?
Ginny will be alright- she has to be. She can't die, she's his baby sister.
Percy looks up at Tom, the abrupt motion causing a tear to spill from his still unblinking eyes.
Tom is staring straight ahead, face completely blank. He's not breathing- or, if he is, it's so shallow that his chest isn't moving.
"Tom?" Percy whispers hoarsely.
Outside, the professors have erupted into what sounds like a debate, so Percy isn't too worried about being heard.
Tom doesn't respond, doesn't do anything at all. A sliver of light from the open closet door falls directly over his red eyes, lighting them up so that they look like burning red-hot steel.
With a jolt, Percy realizes that Tom isn't emotionless- he never has been. No, when Tom gets that flat look on his face- he's simply gone so far into rage that he's come out the other, icy cold side of it.
Reeling, Percy finds himself holding his breath as much as possible as he sits by Tom. It feels like it takes years, but finally the professors finish talking and leave the room, each looking ashen and shocked.
As the last professor steps outside, Percy wastes no time in throwing the closet door open and stumbling away from the ticking-time bomb shaped like a student.
"What do we- Tom, what are we going to do?" Percy gasps, trying resolutely to ignore the alarm bells that are ringing in his head. "We have to go after them, you heard what they were saying! Dumbledore won't get here in time!"
Tom turns smoothly to look at Percy and Percy takes an unconscious step backwards. The boy is moving almost like one of those muggle automatons that Percy's father had been obsessed with a couple years back- his movements start and stop jerkily, but are flawlessly smooth while Tom is in motion.
"We do nothing," Tom says.
"We do- what?" Percy asks. Tom takes a step towards him, eyes glinting dangerously. "Tom?"
Quick as a snake bite, Tom has his wand out and pointed directly at Percy.
"Tom," Percy says desperately, hands raised automatically.
He shouldn't have let his guard down- Percy knew that Tom was untrustworthy. Fat lot of good that did him. And now- now Ginny is going to die and it's Percy's fault.
"It's not personal," Tom says, then laughs a horrible, high-pitched laugh- it sounds nothing like it usually does, but Percy would bet money that it's the boy's real, unguarded laugh.
"I just can't have you getting in the way, you see," Tom says, smiling. The smile doesn't reach his eyes.
"Don't do this," Percy pleads.
Tom doesn't bother with a response. He just flicks his wrist and the last thing Percy sees is a bolt of red shooting right towards his chest.