butterfly effect, tom riddle

30. | past

"Are you sure we won't be caught?"

Tom's lips curved up into a smirk, his already pale face looking ghostly underneath the emerald light emitting from the windows of the common room. It was late at night, and Tom had requested to meet up at this time in the common room so we'd be able to sneak into the Chamber of Secrets without being noticed.

"We won't be," he assured me confidently. "After all, we'll be invisible."

I blinked, utterly taken aback by his statement. I cocked a brow up at him questioningly, willing him to continue.

"I'll cast a Disillusionment Charm," he explained in a bored tone, taking out his wand.

"I can cast one myself," I grumbled, eyeing his wand distrustfully.

"Can you cast one to make yourself fully invisible?" Tom challenged, quirking a brow up at me. I knitted my brows dubiously.

"Well—I mean, only really experienced wizards can—"

"Yes," Tom cut in with a nod. "Therefore, I can."

My eyes widened as he brandished his wand proudly, tapping at my shoulder and casting a nonverbal Disillusionment Charm. At once, I felt a peculiar sensation wash over me—something akin to a raw egg being cracked over my head, a strangely cool feeling cascading down my entire body.

I gazed down at my body—or where my body should have been—while Tom performed the charm on himself, astonished. We had learned the Disillusionment Charm in my fifth year, and whenever I'd perform it I'd blend in with my surroundings perfectly—though I'd still be able to see myself, like one can still see water even though it's clear.

Now, however, it seemed as if my physical form had completely dissolved out of sight, leaving only my consciousness. Slightly dazed, I touched my belly with my finger and expelled a sigh of relief as I felt my robes underneath my fingertips.

I looked up at Tom—only to see that he was nowhere in sight.

"Tom?" I whispered unsurely, lifting an arm with slight doubt and grasping at the air with my fingers.

"I'm here," a deep, masculine voice responded from next to me softly, and I jolted in surprise.

"Merlin—don't scare me like that," I hissed, clutching my rapidly beating heart.

A low chuckle from next to me caused me to roll my eyes, and I felt Tom's fingers wrap around my wrist securely before leading me out of the common room. I inhaled sharply at his touch, my heart increasing the speed of its beats.

We exited the common room and were greeted by the coldness of the dungeons, a merciless chill engulfing my invisible body. Tom led me past the many corridors of the dungeons and up into the entrance hall, his arm still wrapped tightly around my wrist.

He led me up the many staircases and into Myrtle's bathroom, a thousand memories flooding my mind. I remembered searching for the chamber with Ainsley after the culprit behind the attacks was discovered, I remembered Moaning Myrtle's deafening wails practically annihilating my eardrums the first time I tried to use her bathroom, I remembered Tom throwing me against the sinks harshly after catching me spying—

"Here we are," Tom whispered, and I was surprised to hear the ecstasy in his voice. I felt his fingers unclasp from around my wrist and heard him stepping forwards.

All of a sudden, a brittle sound reminiscent of a snake hissing viciously filled the bathroom. It was an odd sort of noise; both terrifying and thrillingly fascinating.

I stifled a gasp as the sinks suddenly parted, making low grating sounds against the tiled floor as they did, and revealed a gigantic hole—some sort of entrance.