Not Broken, Not Yet | Tom Riddle

Chapter Twenty-Four

He led me to the innermost core of the school, marching through hallways and corridors without hesitation. I had to half run to keep up with his long strides, feeling and no doubt looking like a fool. As we passed several teachers that whispered quietly amongst themselves I kept my head down even as Riddle stopped to whisper with a few of them. I recognised Slughorn among them. The walrus-like man looked solemn but patted Riddle kindly on the back.

"Thank you, sir." Riddle mumbled, offering the professor a kind smile.

"Don't mention it Tom, my boy," Slughorn said quietly so that the other professors couldn't overhear as they walked away. Then, as he too started walking he raised his voice. "Now off you pop, Miss Lakeheart and Mr Fawley have already given out duties to the other prefects. Wouldn't want anyone to think you're avoiding your obligations." He said, giving Riddle a long glance.

Riddle nodded. "Will do, professor. Thank you."

Slughorn nodded, sparing me a smile as he disappeared down the corridor with the others. Around us even the paintings whispered amongst themselves, all of them spinning whatever rumour they had heard into a new version of the very same story. I waited until the professors had disappeared before talking.

"What did he tell you?"

"I thought I told you to keep quiet." Riddle said as he started walking.

"Oh hush you, I'm not in the mood for banter." I snarked.

"Never thought I'd see the day." He mumbled as we turned a corner. "If you must know, he told me where they are keeping the murderer." He informed me just as we stopped next to a statue of two men crossing their swords.

"So then why have we stopped?" I glanced up at the two statues.

"Oh this, Green, is keeping up appearances." He informed me before turning to the statues. "Condemnant quo non intellegunt." He said, the statues immediately draw back their swords as a passage opened in between them. Riddle glanced back at me. "Welcome to the Prefects' Quarters." He said as the doors opened.

I walked in.

I was met by one of the most beautiful rooms I'd ever seen in the castle. Just like the great hall, its ceiling was invisible and I could see the sky above me and great windows boasted on two walls around a great balcony looking out over the courtyard. A stone staircase lead up to a second floor held up by marble pillars. Candles hovered in the air. Above a fireplace in front of a set of couches, copies of the four house hourglasses floated, showing that Slytherin was currently in lead for the Housecup. A table in the middle of the room with a miniature of the school stood underneath the floating candles with a black board in front of it and an area designated for ovens and a fridge was placed behind the staircase along with bar chairs and high tables. It was seemingly empty now but several mugs of butterbeer stood on the table in the middle.

"You're late." A familiar voice sneered from the couch. "Enora and Edgar already left."

We walked closer and saw Ashley laying down on a couch wearing just a skirt and a shirt with her cat Lucinda laying on her chest. Both cat and owner looked up at us grumpily, Ashley's eyes focusing on me as she realised Riddle wasn't alone. She sat up straight. "What she's doing here?" She demanded to know, then she massaged her temples, almost like she had a headache. "You know what? Don't tell me, I don't care."

"Headache?" I asked and studied her. Ashley pointedly ignored me.

Riddle, who must have been used to Ashley's attitude, didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. "Where are the others?" He asked her.

Ashley huffed. "Like you don't know." She muttered and leaned back against a pillow, stroking Lucinda's white fur slowly. "Enora wanted me to tell you that if you're too good to show up during emergencies you can patrol the dungeons with the caretaker and make sure no students are roaming about."