Of Monsters and Men- Tom Riddle x OC

6

Animo opened her gaze slowly, as if she could postpone the inevitable. Her breath caught in her throat.

The summer sun was bright in the sky above the Astronomy Tower, a brilliant yellow light that basked against the cerulean expanse. A handful of clouds lazily chased each other in the air. The Black Lake no longer seemed the color of its namesake, but a rather deep blue that made Animo wonder what had happened to the water over the years.

Breathing in deeply, Animo felt the last track of tears dry on her cheek as the smell of old cobblestone and warm forest rose beneath her. There was no going back. She tucked the hourglass beneath her dark robes before she noticed her hands were still shaking. Clenching them into fists, she straightened her posture in an attempt to gather her wits. Whatever she did next would establish her new identity.

Animo reached up and tapped the crown of her head with her hand, relaxing as the familiar trickle of the Disillusionment Charm washed over her. It seemed she spent more time invisible than not anymore. Taking the spiral stairs at a brief trot, Animo slid down to the main floor. She attempted to drag up the mental list from within the depths of her rattled mind that she had prepared. First was to figure out the date. The empty halls and bright weather were sure indicators that school had not yet begun, but Animo had little idea how soon that was to change.

Fortunately, Animo had memorized the path to the library over countless midnight trips over the years. The desk at the back of the Restricted Section was well covered and even Filch was hesitant to roam the forbidding shelves. Thus, Albus had permitted Animo to sneak about the corridors.

Now, her feet navigated the twists and turns of the castle easily and Animo grinned as she jumped onto the last step of the third staircase just as it pulled away from the balcony. The comforting scent of old parchment and ink swirled to greet her when Animo cracked open the gilded doors, peeking around the library corner. She wasn't sure who the librarian was in this time, but she doubted they were any friendlier than Madame Pince.

The room was blessedly silent and Animo slunk towards the front, her footsteps muffled on the dusty carpet. To the right of the librarian's desk was an exceptionally large tome that was updated every morning with the latest version of the Daily Prophet. Animo wasn't sure how thousands of articles had managed to fit in one book but she had long ago learned not to question magic.

Flipping the book open and causing a cloud of dust to billow in the air, Animo held back a cough. A thick satin bookmark held open the latest page and her gaze scanned the ink as it slowly appeared into view.

GRINDELWALD STRIKES AGAIN

Animo swallowed thickly at the image of a burning street, plumes of smoke blocking out the sun. A woman ran from a building right as it collapsed behind her, leaving a wave of debris. She scanned the paragraphs quickly and her heart sunk in her chest.

"What has been officially declared Grindelwald's fourth attack this week hit a small town on the outskirts of Bulgaria. Muggles are claiming the destruction an act of war from a German dictator and the Ministry is not rebuking these ideas. Minister Spencer-Moon asserts "aurors were late to arrive on the scene, with communication in such far-reaching cities difficult. However, causalities have been minimal and the effects are unsuspicious to Muggle dwellers, who face a war of their own."

Pulling herself from the spiked type, Animo forced her eyes upward towards the date on the right-hand side. She was certain she could predict the rest of the article: more horror that the Ministry was attempting to cover. It seemed that whatever the time, the wizarding government never failed to be useless.

August 31, 1944.

A slight smile pulled at the corners of her lips as Animo gently shut the book, the pages once more becoming blank. She couldn't have landed in a more opportune moment. The students of Hogwarts would be arriving tomorrow and Animo could enter more inconspicuously. She closed her eyes. One year. That's how long she would have before Gellert was imprisoned and Tom Riddle disappeared to begin his more devious plots.